Cleopatra's Needle / A History of the London Obelisk, with an Exposition of the Hieroglyphics

by Berwick-upon-Tweed Vicar of St. Mary's James King

Horned Snake (ef) he.

Obelisk (tekhen) is in this place an image or picture of the thing spoken of, namely obelisk. This hieroglyph is therefore an iconograph, or representation. Two obelisks are here depicted, to indicate that two were set up. According to Cooper the obelisk was an emblem of the sun—the clearest symbol of supreme deity. The Egyptian name was TEKHEN, a word signifying mystery, and it was regarded among the initiated as the esoteric symbol of light and life. The obelisk was consequently dedicated to Horus, the god of the rising sun, while the pyramid, the house of the dead, was dedicated to Tum, or Atum, the god of the setting sun. Hence obelisks are found only on the east bank of the Nile, while pyramids are built on the west side, by the edge of the silent desert.

Swallow (ur) great. The swallow is an emblem of greatness, and therefore may be called an ideograph, or symbolic hieroglyph.

Two swallows are here depicted, because there are two obelisks, and the dual form extends to the adjective.

Two Legs (bu) capped. There are two legs, to express duality, and thus agree with the preceding substantive, two obelisks. A human leg is the original alphabetic sign for letter b. The letter u is a plural termination.

Semicircle (ta) the. Under the right leg is a semicircle, which is here the feminine article to agree with the little triangular hieroglyph below.

Pyramidion. The summit of the obelisk, known as the pyramidion, from its resemblance to a small pyramid, is here represented by a small triangle. This hieroglyph represents the top or cap of the obelisk, and is a determinative to capped.

Owl (mu) with. Owl, as a preposition, has the same meaning as the prepositions with, from, by—the usual signs of the ablative case.

Bowl (neb) gold. Under this crater or bowl will be noticed three small dots, probably designed to represent grains of the metal intended.

Sceptre (user) is here used as a determinative of metal; and some Egyptologists think that when it accompanies the bowl called NEB, the metal referred to is not gold but copper.