The Hieroglyphics of Horapollo

Horapollo Niliacus, George Boas

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN:
  9780691000923
  9780691061696
• eBook ISBN:
  9780691215068
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Middle Eastern History
• Index: History

Written reputedly by an Egyptian magus, Horapollo Niliacus, in the fourth century C.E., The Hieroglyphics of Horapollo is an anthology of nearly two hundred "hieroglyphics," or allegorical emblems, said to have been used by the Pharaonic scribes in describing natural and moral aspects of the world. Translated into Greek in 1505, it informed much of Western iconography from the sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries. This work not only tells how various types of natural phenomena, emotions, virtues, philosophical concepts, and human character-types were symbolized, but also explains why, for example, the universe is represented by a serpent swallowing its tail, filial affection by a stork, education by the heavens dropping dew, and a horoscopist by a person eating an hourglass.


In his introduction Boas explores the influence of The Hieroglyphics and the causes behind the rebirth of interest in symbolism in the sixteenth century. The illustrations to this edition were drawn by Albrecht Dürer on the verso pages of his copy of a Latin translation.

THE HIEROGLYPHICS

BOOK TWO

The Second Book of Horapollo Niliacus on the Interpretation of the

EGYPTIAN LETTERS

Now in the Second Book I shall set forth to you a sound account of what remains. And I have felt the need of adding what has also been written before by others, though there is no explaining it.

1.WHAT DO THEY MEAN BY A STAR?

When a star is painted by the Egyptians, they mean a god, twilight, night, and time, as well as a man’s soul.

2.BY AN EAGLE’S CHICK?

And by an eagle’s chick they mean the bearing of male children and a circle or a man’s sperm.

3.BY TWO FEET TOGETHER AND STANDING ?

Two feet together and standing mean the course of the sun at the winter solstice.

4.BY A MAN’S HEART HANGING FROM HIS GULLET?

A man’s heart hanging from his gullet means the mouth of a good man.

5.HOW DO THEY REPRESENT THE JAWS OF BATTLE?

The jaws of battle are represented by a man’s hands, one of them holding a shield and the other a bow.

6.WHAT DO THEY MEAN BY A FINGER?

A finger means a man’s stomach.

7.BY A PENIS PRESSED BY A HAND?

A penis pressed by a hand means temperance in a man.

8.HOW DO THEY INDICATE DISEASE?

An anemone flower means human disease.

9.THE LOINS

When they wish to represent the loins, or masculinity, they draw a spine. For some say that the sperm is carried therein.

10.THE PERMANENT AND STEADFAST

The picture of a quail’s bone represents the permanent and steadfast, for the bone of this bird is insensitive.

11.UNANIMITY

Two men in an attitude of greeting mean unanimity.

12.THE MOB

A man in armour or shooting an arrow means a mob.

13.MEASUREMENT

A man’s finger means measurement.

1. But see no. 6, above.

14.A PREGNANT WOMAN

When they wish to signify a pregnant woman, they draw a solar disk with stars, and the disk is cut in two.

15.WIND

A hawk rising towards the gods means the wind. And in another sense, the hawk spreading his wings in the air means the wind, as if the wind had wings.

16.FIRE

Smoke mounting towards heaven means fire.

17.WORK

A bull’s horn means work.

18.PUNISHMENT

A cow’s horn means punishment.

19.IMPIETY

The bust with a sword means impiety.

1. It is possible that this should read “the face of an animal” instead of “the bust.”

20.THE HOUR

A hippopotamus means an hour.

21.A LONG SPACE OF TIME

A stag’s horns grow out each year. A picture of them means a long space of time.

22.ESCAPE

A wolf or a dog turning back means escape.

23.FUTURE WORK

An ear means future work.

1. Artemidorus, I, 24 (Hercher, p. 25), says it is good for a workman to dream of ears, because it means that he will hear of many orders for his work.

24.MURDER

A wasp in flight or the poisonous blood of a crocodile means murder.

25.DEATH

The night-owl means death. For suddenly it descends upon the young of the crow in the night, as death comes upon one suddenly.

26.LOVE

A snare signifies love as a wild beast. . . [lacuna]

27.THE VERY OLD

Words and leaves or a signed book mean the very old.

28.A SIEGE

A ladder anomalously means a siege.

1. I take it that the anomaly lies in the fact that if ladders have already been placed against the walls of a besieged city, the siege may soon be lifted. But the translation is doubtful.

29.THE INFINITE, A MUSE, OR FATE

Seven letters surrounded by two fingers mean a muse, the infinite, or fate.

1. In I, 13, fate is signified by a star.

30.WHAT DOES A LINE SUPERIMPOSED ON ANOTHER MEAN?

One straight line superimposed on another means ten straight lines.

31.WHAT DO SWALLOWS MEAN?

When they wish to indicate the entire wealth of parents left to children, they draw a swallow. For the swallow rolls itself in mud and prepares a nest for its chicks even though about to die.

1. According to Van de Walle and Vergote, the symbols in this series, from Nos. 31 to 117 inclusive, have no Egyptian source and are purely Greek.

32.WHAT IS MEANT BY A BLACK DOVE?

When they wish to represent a widow remaining faithful to death, they draw a black dove. For this bird, though widowed, will not mate with another bird.

1. The fidelity of the dove (see Aristotle, Hist. animalium, IX, 7, 613a 14) is an old Greek legend. It is in strong contrast with I, 57, above. Cf. St. Basil, Hexaemeron, VIII, 6.

33.BY A WEASEL [ICHNEUMON] ?

A man who is weak and unable to take care of himself, but is dependent on others, they represent as a weasel. For the weasel, when it sees a serpent, does not leap upon it, but calling others to its aid, then fights it.

34.BY ORIGANUM

When they wish to represent the absence of ants, they make a hieroglyph of origanum. For this herb makes the ants leave the place where it has been put.

35.BY A SCORPION AND A CROCODILE

When they wish to represent a man at war with another, they draw a scorpion and a crocodile. For each destroys the other. But if they wish to show that one has destroyed his opponent, they draw either a crocodile or a scorpion. But if it has been quickly destroyed, they draw a crocodile. If slowly destroyed, a scorpion, because it is slow to move.

36.BY THE MARTEN

When they wish to show a woman who has acted like a man, they draw a marten. For the female of this animal has sexual organs like a little bone.

37.BY A PIG

When they wish to represent a pernicious man, they draw a pig, because the nature of...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Acknowledgements
• Contents
• List of Illustrations
• Foreword (1993)
• Preface
• Introduction
• Notes to Introduction
• The Hieroglyphics, Book One
• The Hieroglyphics,Book Two
• Appendix
• Index of Symbols
• Index of Subjects Symbolized
• Mythos: The Princeton/Bollingen Series in World Mythology