Egyptian Hieroglyphics - Deciphering The Language of The Pharaohs

For as long as I can remember I've had an attraction to the Egyptian culture and their method of communication and information documentation. The pyramids, hieroglyphics, mummification processes and preparations for the afterlife are just a few of the many things about their culture that have enchanted me and compelled me to try and learn as much as I can about them. Over the past few years my boys have taken an interest in learning about the hieroglyphics and cartouches and until recently were satisfied with the information they found on the internet. The internet might be seemingly endless but with four kids fighting over two computers and a very slow laptop I wanted to invest in so books that they could use as references and guides to understanding the language.

One of the books I came across at my local bookstore was written by someone with a tremendous amount of experience in the field of deciphering and categorizing the Egyptian hieroglyphics, that person being Stephane Rossini. Egyptian Hieroglyphics: How to Read and Write Them is a beginners book on how to understand the pronunciation, structure and symbolic meaning of the different hieroglyphics as well as how they were used to prepare the pharaohs for the afterlife. If you have ever paged through a kids dictionary and noticed that it is very basic and contains simple words and definitions – that is what you get with this book. If you have had a limited exposure to hieroglyphics then this would be a great book to teach you the basics of the language however the key word here is basic.

Chapters

The chapters are arranged nicely and allow you to progress from the very basic images to large and ornate cartouches. Through the book there are numerous illustrations, photos and drawings that allow you to get a real feel of the authentic hieroglyphics that were used by the ancient Egyptians. While on the surface this might seem like something extremely basic it does contain a tremendous amount of learning material and serves as a great reference book. My oldest son read this from cover to cover in two days and really enjoyed it. When I asked him what he liked most about the book he had this to say: “I really liked the way everything was explained and how the book gave information about the different symbols, how they were created and how they can be used in different ways. Some of the people mentioned in the book were new to me so I used the encyclopedia to look up the different pharaohs to get more facts about them”

While reading this book you will be exposed to 137 different phonetic terms that are explained in a very straightforward manner. Through the use of illustrations and text you will be shown the basics of the language as well as how to properly execute the pronunciation of the various symbols. While it may seem a little difficult at first with a little practice it does become easier to understand and progress. Since children are like sponges and absorb everything around them, the brood were far ahead of me in terms of recognizing the names of the kings, leaders and pharaohs, being able to look at a cartouche and deciphering the name or event captured in the scene and being able to write small phrases using standard hieroglyphics.

One of the worst things about the book is the ‘stop and go’ feeling you get. You get an incredible amount of information then the brakes are slammed on and you get a bunch of illustrations then more information. It would have been a little easier to comprehend the information if it had been a little better balanced. Even with this small snafu the book is still an incredible read and I highly suggest it for those who are looking to learn the basics of the language.

Monoliteral Signs
These are also referred to as uniliteral signs in several other books so don’t be alarmed if you see this term used instead of monoliteral. These are the basic symbols that are the equivalent to one consonant. There are between 23 and 28 known monoliteral signs, 24 of which are covered in this chapter of the book. Consider these the basic building blocks of the language but don’t rely on them to be used often. The biliteral and triliteral symbols were used more often since they eliminated a lot of unnecessary work on the part of the scribe.

Biliteral Signs
There are 83 biliteral signs [the combination of two consonants], most of which are featured in this chapter of the book. By giving you the illustration of the symbol as well as the phonetic equivalent you can get the groundwork of the pronunciation of the words. The boys did much better at this than me in this section and really seemed to enjoy the fact that their mom sounded like a drunken idiot in the process. These were used a vast majority of the time since they allowed accurate record keeping and documentation.

Triliteral Signs
Much like the biliteral signs, this group is made up of the combination of three consonants. The list is much smaller than the two previous chapters and therefore a little easier to get a grasp on. There are between 14 and 18 known triliteral signs, 15 of which are shown in the book. These were used on a regular basis but since there are far less triliteral signs than biliteral signs some of these are a little harder to pick up on and retain.

Determinative Signs
This was by far the best part of the book for me. These are the symbols that are used to represent a single word. These are the easiest symbols to learn and use when attempting to write in the Old Egyptian form and these are the images that are most commonly seen on cartouches, inside the pyramids and featured in films. It’s amazing to me that they could take a basic image of a man and use it represent it in so many forms. The basic image of a man takes on so many meanings that you can easily get confused. A man standing with his arms in the air means ‘rejoice’ while a man with his hands to the right mean ‘praise’.

The section that covers the determinative signs is one that is a must read. It provides a tremendous amount of information and is a great point of reference when learning the different symbols. Through these basic drawing the Egyptians were able to convey death, health, warnings, celebrations and capture the accomplishments of the pharaohs as they were being prepared for the after-life.

The Alphabet

The book goes over the different symbols that are used to create words as well as the characters that are used as words themselves. The one part that I found absolutely amazing revolved around the cartouches and how they were created. The book seamlessly covers the different eras of the Egyptian language including the original version that used a symbol or grouping of symbols for each word [Old Egyptian] through the evolution of the language where thousands of symbols were used. The Demotic and Coptic versions were touched upon briefly to note the growth and progress of the language.

The middle portion of the language is what the book focuses on. This is when the kings, pharaohs and upper echelon were looked upon as gods and revered leaders. There were between 680 and 720 working symbols in the written language at this time and it’s this version of the language that is most commonly referred to in films, books and historical research.

The Bottom Line

The seven chapters of the book will expose you to the basics of the language, how to create your own hieroglyphics and the correct pronunciation of some of the words. There is a small amount of educational and background information provided – just enough to get your mouth watering and spark you to read more about this fascinating language or to turn to the internet for more research.

This book would be great for those that are looking for information about the different eras of the Egyptian language providing that you aren’t requiring extensive or highly detailed information. Homeschooling parents will love this book since it provides a straightforward and clear format for learning. Be sure to have plenty of paper on hand when you hand this book over to your kids – because within a half hour they are going to want to start exploring this wonderful language.

The boys simply loved this book and use it a couple times a week when they come across a show that deals with ancient Egypt. As a mom I like knowing that a look that cost me less than $10.00 has provided my children with a wealth of knowledge. Even if you don’t homeschool your children, I highly suggest trying to track this down if your child expresses an interest in learning about hieroglyphics. This would make a great supplement to world study, history and ancient civilization classes.


Stats

Name: Egyptian Hieroglyphics: How to Read & Write Them
Published By: Dover
Author: Stephane Rossini
Pages: 96
ISBN: 0 48626 0135
UPC 9 780486 260136 - 2
Price: $ 7.95


As always, thanks for the visit…

^V^ Freak ^V^

© 2002 Freak369



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