Hedvig Győry: Mélanges offerts a Edith Varga „Le lotus qui sort de terre” (Bulletin du Musée Hongrois des Beaux-Arts Supplément 1. Budapest, 2001)

JOHN GEE: Towards an Interpretation of Hypocephali

Given the scope of the material, I will have space in this article only for an illustration of the first point in the method. Ancient Egyptian Identifications Several hypocephali give ancient Egyptian identification of some of the figures. Most of the figures show consistency across the various hypocephali. In her wide-ranging study of the origins of hypocephali, E. Varga illustrates the interpretation of hypocephali with the Hermitage example. One area, which in the Hermitage is unfortunately destroyed, E. Varga identifies as in field I, figures d-e,

33 Speleers identified it as figure VIII,

34 on the Joseph Smith hypocephalus it is figure 4. Since this was not in the Hermitage example, it was not interpreted.

35 The figure is depicted usually as a mummified falcon with outstretched wings seated in a boat. Speleers identified it as "la barque de Sokaris"

36 which "transporte Sokaris qui contribue à la résourrection du mort (Pyramides: §§ 990, 1356, 1968...) et qui est le maître des 4

e et 5

e heures du Livre de la Douât."

37 While it is true that there are figures like this labeled as Ptah-Sokar in the tomb of Pashed in Deir el-Medineh,

38 there are no hypocephali that label that figure as either Ptah-Sokar or as Sokar. The hypocephali provide a clear native Egyptian identification of this figure, usually labeling it bl bi.w "soul of souls",

39 which is sometimes expanded to bl b?.w Sftyw,

40 bi bi.w Sfy hpr.w,

4] or bl bl.w k3 kl Bh.w.

42 Sometime this is shortened to M.w.

43 Alternate readings include: bi ímnt.t

44 imy.t,

45 nb.t p.t,

46 and S m c

r.t.

41 The other figures also have ancient Egyptian identifications. 33 Varga, op. cit. (note 1), p. 140. ,J L. Speleers, Le sens de nos deux hypocéphales égyptiens, Bulletin des Musées Royaux d'Art et d'Histoire, 1-2(1943), p. 36. 35 Varga, op. cit. (note 1), pp. 141-42. " Speleers, op. cit. (note 34), p. 36. ' Speleers, op. cit. (note 34), p. 37. 38 A.-P. Zivie, La Tombe de Pached à Deir cl-Mcdineh, Cairo 1979, p. 31, pis. 10, 12; photograph in: H. A. La Farge, Museums of Egypt, New York 1980, pp. 142-43. " Berlin 7792; British Museum 36188; Louvre AF 1936; Louvre N 3524; Philadelphia 29-86-436; Torino 16350 2322. 40 Torino 16531 2321. 41 Berlin 6900. 42 Louvre N 3526. 43 BM 37330; Hermitage 2971; Boston 02.766. 44 Birch F. 45 Ashmolean 1982-1095. 44 Philadelphia L-55-15D. 47 Torino 16353 2319.