Some Frequently Used Hieroglyphs
These hieroglyphs should be read from the right.
Kheper, the scarab beetle, means "to become" or "to evolve." It is an amulet in life and in death, symbolizing rebirth. | |
The shen sign, a ring of rope, symbolizes all that the sun encircles. As amulets, knots and ropes provide protection. | |
The ankh, possibly a sandal strap or an elaborate bow, means "life" and "to live." It is held by deities who frequently offer it to the king's face. | |
"Given life" is represented by a conical loaf of bread, which means "to give" or "given," and by the ankh. | |
"Eternally" or "forever" ( djet) is represented by three glyphs: a cobra (for the sound dj), a round loaf of bread (the sign for t), and a flat tract of land (the determinative). | |
This combination of symbols means "given life forever." Note how hieroglyphic signs are always arranged to fill a square or rectangle in a balanced way. | |
The djed sign, meaning "stability," may represent a stylized tree with the branches cut back or a bundle of reeds. The sign was closely associated with Osiris. | |
The sa sign, meaning "protection," represents a herdsman's rolled-up shelter. | |
The was scepter, meaning "power," is a forked staff with an animal's head. | |
The wedjat eye, "the sound or restored one," used for protection against evil, is a human eye with the plumage marking of a Horus falcon's cheek. | |
The ka, the life force of an individual, is represented by two extended arms seen from above. | |
Tyet, the knot of the goddess Isis, resembling the knot in a sash of a robe, is a symbol of protection. | |
Hetep, meaning "offering" or, as a verb, "to be content": a conical loaf of bread on a reed mat. | |
These glyphs mean "an offering that the king gives." The king is represented by the sedge plant. The word for "king" is always put at the beginning |
See Hieroglyphs Frequently Used for Royal Identification
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