DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12654#0043
Sect. II.]
GREAT AND LITTLE RUK-H.
15
blem of the autumnal equinox should be included in
their number, like that of the vernal equinox, especially
as it is also the emblem of Thoth, the god of letters,
from whom the first month evidently took its name.
The next subdivision to that in which is the cyno-
cephalus, contains two figures of the King, standing in
an attitude of worship before two divinities. The
first of these is goddess of the month of Thoth, which is
thus shown to have been consecrated to two divinities.
The god of the second month is Ptah, or Phthah,
whence probably its name, Paophi, or Pa-ptah, that is,
" the month of Ptah." The next subdivision contains
figures of the King and of At-hor and Pasht, or Pakht,
the goddesses of Athyr and Choiak. Then we find a
representation of Khem, the god of Tybi. Beneath
the sixth and seventh months, Mechir and Phamenoth,
we find two figures of jackals, called, respectively,
Ruk-h Ur, and Ruk-h Se, or "the Great Ruk-h," and
" the Little Ruk-h." * The latter name might be sup-
posed to read " the Son of the Ruk-h," if we did not
find it written in other cases " the Little Ruk-h," in a
manner that cannot admit of a different interpretation.
The hieroglyphic names may be seen in the sketch of
the ceiling of the Rameseum of El-Kurneh, and some
variations will be found in the copies of inscriptions in
other plates in this work. The significations of Ruk-h,
according to Champollion, are " heat," " to burn," and
" a live coal." The restrictive adjunct is a small pot, or
other vessel, from which a flame issues t. In Coptic
we find that several words with the radicals p, K, g,
have the same significations. pOKg, signifies " burn-
* See Plate II.
f See two forms of writing " Paik-h" with this restrictive ad-
junct, in Plate I.. Nos. 3 and 4.
GREAT AND LITTLE RUK-H.
15
blem of the autumnal equinox should be included in
their number, like that of the vernal equinox, especially
as it is also the emblem of Thoth, the god of letters,
from whom the first month evidently took its name.
The next subdivision to that in which is the cyno-
cephalus, contains two figures of the King, standing in
an attitude of worship before two divinities. The
first of these is goddess of the month of Thoth, which is
thus shown to have been consecrated to two divinities.
The god of the second month is Ptah, or Phthah,
whence probably its name, Paophi, or Pa-ptah, that is,
" the month of Ptah." The next subdivision contains
figures of the King and of At-hor and Pasht, or Pakht,
the goddesses of Athyr and Choiak. Then we find a
representation of Khem, the god of Tybi. Beneath
the sixth and seventh months, Mechir and Phamenoth,
we find two figures of jackals, called, respectively,
Ruk-h Ur, and Ruk-h Se, or "the Great Ruk-h," and
" the Little Ruk-h." * The latter name might be sup-
posed to read " the Son of the Ruk-h," if we did not
find it written in other cases " the Little Ruk-h," in a
manner that cannot admit of a different interpretation.
The hieroglyphic names may be seen in the sketch of
the ceiling of the Rameseum of El-Kurneh, and some
variations will be found in the copies of inscriptions in
other plates in this work. The significations of Ruk-h,
according to Champollion, are " heat," " to burn," and
" a live coal." The restrictive adjunct is a small pot, or
other vessel, from which a flame issues t. In Coptic
we find that several words with the radicals p, K, g,
have the same significations. pOKg, signifies " burn-
* See Plate II.
f See two forms of writing " Paik-h" with this restrictive ad-
junct, in Plate I.. Nos. 3 and 4.