Egyptian hieroglyphs and their meaning

 One of the most ancient writings are Egyptian hieroglyphs. In total, there are more than 5 thousand of them, but only about 800 were used in the texts (the most common are 27). Usually, hieroglyphs were carved in stones, but artifacts have survived to the present day - sarcophagi and papyri, on which they are also present. Now most of their meanings are unraveled and ordered into an alphabet.

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History 

Any ancient civilization had its own writing system. Egypt is no exception. Hieroglyphs or other signs were originally based on a mystical or religious property. Language was considered not a means of relationships, with its help they tried to influence reality - to win the favor of the gods or to change the weather.

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If we consider the first traces of hieroglyphic writing in Ancient Egypt, we can see the drawing method of their writing. For example, the sign of a man or a woman was depicted by a characteristic profile. Over time, there is a gradual transition to schemes or even individual features. There is also a need to spell the names or titles of cities and other settlements. Then phonetic clarifying symbols are introduced into the letter, in parallel with this, colloquial speech is formed.

With the beginning of the use of papyri as a source of information preservation, hieratics appeared. It combines hieroglyphs and letters similar to modern ones. This was done in order to save ancient paper and convey to descendants the maximum amount of information.

The hieroglyphic story ends with the appearance of a demotic scheme. The Egyptian script was very similar to arabic and was not particularly unique. In a short time, it completely replaces the drawings and pictures that were used to write information.

Meaning of symbols

Egyptian writing is difficult for modern perception. It has many features. The same symbol could have different meanings. At the same time, the same definition was indicated by different hieroglyphs or even components. You can consider the system by the example of writing the word "Ra":

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1. "Mouth" + "Arm bent at the elbow". The phonetic meaning of the signs is p+a.
2. The image of a man with a special headdress. Usually this was how kings or pharaohs were celebrated. In rare cases, such designations were used in the depiction of deities.
3.  "The Sun". It was used provided that the sentence reflected a metaphorical context. Ra was the sun god. 
4. "Eye". More often applied to the god Horus, who, according to mythology, followed the actions of the Egyptians. But sometimes it was used in the sense that Ra looks after everyone.

Egyptian hieroglyphs and their meanings were used in the decoration of jewelry.

Rosetta Stone

Speaking about how the mystery of Egyptian hieroglyphs was solved, it is necessary to get acquainted with the history of the Rosetta stone. It is a slab on the surface of which three texts of the same meaning are carved. 

The following types of writing were used here: 

Ancient Egyptian.

Characters.

demotic writing.

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The Rosetta Stone was discovered in 1799. For a long time, researchers and linguists from different countries worked on deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs. The main problem was that earlier people did not understand the features of the font, so even rare discoveries did not give results. For example, Jung was able to translate 5 hieroglyphs and even find their sound designations. However, it did not help to move towards the solution.

Champollion managed to find a solution. In 1810, he put forward an interesting assumption that the Egyptians used only consonants in writing, as well as full-fledged words enclosed in one icon. By 1813, he had already deciphered all the names used in the inscriptions, determined the belonging of some individual hieroglyphs.

It was Champollion who invented the decipherment system. The French scientist managed to divide the hieroglyphs into classes, highlight the numbers and understand the symbolism in more detail. All modern ways of reading egyptian writing are based on his research and scientific essays.

The Use of Writing in Ancient Egypt 

When the Egyptians learned to write, they did not use hieroglyphs in the usual format for modern times. The first cuneiform script did not convey information - it was sacred, had a mystical character. With the help of symbols, prayers were recorded, they told about the gods, asked for their blessings. Some people could even be cursed for bad behavior.

Over time, writing began to be used more actively. People could briefly describe everyday life or history. Papyrus scrolls conveyed messages to neighbors or communicated within a large state. The sacred component was also important. For example, when buried on coffins or sarcophagi, they wrote messages to the gods or instructions for the transition of the soul to a better world.

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Already after the advent of demotic writing, education arose, but only rich people, children of kings or nobles, had the opportunity to afford training. Individual philosophers could take disciples from the poor classes if they saw great potential in them.

Modern usage 

Individual symbols were deciphered very quickly, as they formed the basis of many religions, including modern ones, and images of deities. That is why Egyptian hieroglyphs are the most ancient in mystical terms. These include:

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1. Ankh. It is a cross with an arched top. In mythology, it was used as a symbol for deceased people who move to a new world. It means immortality, eternal life in various forms. It is an auspicious sign. 
2. Ba. It's a hawk with a human head. In mythology, it means soul. The image that has survived to the present day has a different definition - the immortality of the spiritual shell.
3. Shenu. The image of an oval, the circumference of which is made of rope. If you believe the ancient myths, the ring protects and protects. In order for the mascot to work, the name of the owner is entered in the center. Today, there are many similar amulets in stores, and some are even made to order. 
4. Pero Ma'at. It has a characteristic image. It symbolizes morality and justice. According to ancient religions, when a person dies, his soul goes on the scales, and the weights are his dishonorable and bad deeds. The pen is placed on the second thicket, its mass is virtue. Depending on which way the tilt was made, the spirit went to hell or heaven. 
5. Ujjat or the eye of Horus. Protects a person, protects him. It means that the higher deities are looking after him. 
6. Ra. It is depicted in two ways: a circle with a dot or rays. Gives the owner access to spiritual goods.

Each of these hieroglyphs was used not only to write a message or save certain information. It was also involved in the performance of rituals or rites. At the same time, it was an image, but forged or carved out of stone. In this way, the Egyptians tried to attract the grace of the gods, to gain their favor.