Offering Formula

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Offering Formula

The group of sign $\htimage {\begin{hieroglyph} {\leavevmode \Hunh{\Aca M/23/}\Hrp \Hbt{\HhbtI{\Aca X/1/}\Hhbt{\Aca R/4/}}\Hrp \Hunh{\Aca X/9/}}\end{hieroglyph}}$ is the beginning of the offering formulas. It is found on many stela and tombs. The signs $\htimage {\begin{hieroglyph} {\leavevmode \Hunh{\Aca M/23/}\Hrp \Hunh{\Aca X/1/}}\end{hieroglyph}}$ are here for the word written $\htimage {\begin{hieroglyph} {\leavevmode \Hunh{\Aca M/23/}\Hrp \Hbt{\HhbtI{\Aca X/1/}\Hhbt{\Aca N/35/}}}\end{hieroglyph}}$ , ``nswt'', ``king''.

The sign $\htimage {\begin{hieroglyph} {\leavevmode \Hunh{\Aca R/4/}}\end{hieroglyph}}$ is an ideogram/phonogram that reads Hetep, and can mean ``offering'', or ``to be gracious/appeased/in peace''.

The sign $\htimage {\begin{hieroglyph} {\leavevmode \Hunh{\Aca X/9/}}\end{hieroglyph}}$ writes the verb ``rdi'', ``to give''. Remember it, we will meet it later.

The interpretation of the whole formula seems to have changed with time. It seems that, in the beginning, it meant ``May the king, and the gods X, Y and Z, be gracious and give offerings consisting of ...to the dead''

and that later, the idea was that the king gave offering to the gods who, in turn, transfered a part of these to the cult of the dead. So, the formula was to be translated ``An offering which the king gives to the gods X, Y and Z, that they give offerings, consisting of ... to the dead''. On the Web, you can find an example in the Oriental Institute museum .

Serge Rosmorduc
2/26/1998