deciphering hieroglyphs

When I was living in the heart of the desert, i showed my daughter some Egyptian writing, and my daughter just intuitively assumed that she could read Egyptian and proceeded to try and show me. It is an enduring memory.

The Rosetta Stone features a decree issued in Memphis, Egypt, in 196 BC, written in three scripts: hieroglyphic, Demotic (a cursive form of Egyptian hieroglyphs used for daily purposes), and Ancient Greek. Because scholars were already familiar with Ancient Greek, they could use the Greek text as a baseline to decipher the other two scripts.

Jean-François Champollion, a French scholar, played a crucial role in deciphering the hieroglyphic script. His background in linguistics, particularly in Coptic (the latest stage of the Egyptian language), helped him make the connection between the Coptic language and the hieroglyphs. In 1822, Champollion announced that he had deciphered the hieroglyphs, demonstrating that the script was not just symbolic but also phonetic in nature.

The Rosetta Stone was discovered in 1799 by French soldiers during Napoleon Bonaparte's campaign in Egypt. This discovery was timely, as there was a burgeoning interest in Egyptology in Europe, and the stone provided a critical breakthrough in understanding ancient Egyptian language and script.

Following Champollion's breakthrough, other scholars and Egyptologists continued to study hieroglyphs, comparing the Rosetta Stone's texts with other known Egyptian texts. This collaborative and cumulative scholarly effort over the years has verified the accuracy of the initial decipherment.

The decipherment of hieroglyphs has been further validated by subsequent archaeological discoveries. Texts found on monuments, tombs, and papyri have been consistently translated using the principles established through the study of the Rosetta Stone, confirming the reliability of the decipherment.

To understand and translate hieroglyphs, you need to identify individual glyphs and their corresponding sounds or meanings. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs represent sounds (phonograms), ideas (ideograms), or serve as determinatives that provide context about the word's meaning. These glyphs were used in combination to spell out words and convey complex concepts.

The direction in which hieroglyphs are read depends on the orientation of human and animal figures within the writing—they face towards the beginning of the text. Hieroglyphs are read from top to bottom and can be read from left to right or right to left. When figures face left, you read from left to right and vice versa. Also, taller signs stand alone, while smaller signs are stacked on top of each other to save space​.

We identify individual glyphs using a hieroglyphic dictionary or sign list. For example, a glyph that looks like a bird may represent the sound "a" or the word for "bird", depending on its context and surrounding glyphs.

Phonetic glyphs represent sounds. Since vowels are typically not included in the script, transliterators often insert an 'e' between consonants for hypothetical pronunciation. For instance, the glyph for 'nfr' (a quail chick, a short stroke, and a mouth) might be pronounced as 'nefer', meaning 'beautiful'.

Ideograms represent objects or ideas, and determinatives provide context, helping to clarify the meaning of words that have been phonetically spelled out. In a name like "Ramses", for example, which means "Born of Ra", the sun-disc glyph representing the god Ra is used as a determinative to indicate that the name refers to a person associated with this deity.

The meaning of a glyph can change depending on its context. For example, the glyph for "pr" (house) might be read as "Pharaoh" when accompanied by certain other glyphs.

Understanding Egyptian grammar is crucial. The language has a rich system of verbs, nouns, and other parts of speech that interact in complex ways, much like modern languages.

Some glyphs represent concepts or objects specific to ancient Egyptian culture and require background knowledge to understand their significance.

The hieroglyphic script is composed of over 700 signs, categorized by Sir Alan Gardiner into 26 categories. These include uniliterals (single consonants), biliterals (two consonants), and triliterals (three consonants). Because ancient Egyptians omitted vowels in their writing, the exact pronunciation of words is often uncertain. However, Egyptologists typically insert an 'e' between consonants when trying to pronounce words.

The blending of stories, not just within western mythology but across various cultures, often results from the syncretic nature of existence. Its chaos theory, or thermodynamics, or Karma or whatever you wish to call it.

As such stick with me here. And if you have no patience, just give up. Stop reading here

Learning to code python has been a truly liberating experience. My time at USC, IYA masters program was just what i needed and for none of the reasons i expected. The atmosphere i.e. the teachers / environment, are really what make the difference, and I really loved pretty much every class I took, but learning Machine Intelligence & Python from Professor Crowley was invaluable.

I have slowly started to code way too many programs (hence none are done yet) however lets ignore this for the moment. One such project is a kids game. This game will serve as a dynamic educational platform, the game not only makes learning about ancient Egyptian language accessible and relatable but also encourages players to engage in the creative process of evolving a new language that resonates with today's digital culture.

The game could offer a variety of tools and features that allow players to select traditional hieroglyphic symbols and pair them with modern memes or emoji-like images to convey messages, jokes, or stories. The act of decoding messages involves understanding both the literal and implied meanings of the symbols used, mirroring the multifaceted nature of real-world communication.

Over time, as cultures interacted through trade, conquest, and migration, their religious beliefs and deities sometimes merged or influenced one another, leading to deities with overlapping characteristics or conflated identities.

One idea I am toying wiht is having the game be a journey of sorts that not only will Introduce common hieroglyphic symbols representing essential objects, animals, and elements, like the sun (‘Ra’), water (‘N’), and bread (‘T’). But will teach history at the same time.

Perhaps within this game's framework, encountering the hieroglyph for "writing" initiates a virtual odyssey to Hermopolis, unraveling the fusion of Thoth and Hermes into Hermes Trismegistus. Interactive segments could delve into Hermetic texts, unveiling their fusion of Greek and Egyptian philosophies, thereby showcasing the profound impact of syncretism on alchemy, astrology, and theology.

For instance, the Greeks, in their interactions with the Egyptians, identified Thoth with their god Hermes, who was also a messenger of the gods and a deity of wisdom, writing, and various other attributes. leading to their worship as one in Hermopolis, the site of the ancient Temple of Thoth​​. This syncretism was further enriched by the assimilation of other wise deities like Imhotep and Amenhotep into the Thoth-Hermes identity, blending wisdom, science, and medicine into a single cult.This syncretism led to the creation of Hermes Trismegistus ("Thrice-Greatest Hermes"), a figure who combined attributes of both gods and was associated with alchemy, astrology, and theurgy in Hellenistic and later in esoteric and occult traditions. The Hermetic texts, which are attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, show a blend of Greek and Egyptian philosophical and religious ideas.

This storyline could be enhanced with interactive segments that delve into the Hermetic texts, revealing their blend of Greek and Egyptian thought, and the broader implications. Further, by touching upon the reverence for Hermes Trismegistus in Islamic and Bahá'í traditions, the game can illustrate the fluidity and interconnectedness of ancient mythologies and religious beliefs, showing how figures like Hermes Trismegistus serve as bridges between diverse cultures

The Hermetic writings, particularly popular during the Roman period, were influenced by a wide range of thoughts including Egyptian religion, Jewish and early Christian ideas, and Greek philosophy. These texts, while controversial and debated in terms of their authenticity and origins, play a crucial role in understanding the early cult of Thoth and the broader religious and philosophical syncretism of the time​​.

game arc development could delve into the broader syncretism evident in the ancient world, such as the amalgamation seen in the figures of Serapis and Isis, who became focal points of worship that transcended cultural boundaries. Through engaging gameplay, players could discover how Horus and Apollo were sometimes viewed in a similar light, reflecting the fluid nature of mythological and religious beliefs.

Hermes Trismegistus is often identified with Idris, who is considered a prophet and a sage. This association stems from the Islamic view of history, where wisdom from previous prophets and civilizations is seen as cumulative. Idris, therefore, becomes a bridge between the ancient wisdom of pre-Islamic cultures and the Islamic tradition

mythological and religious figures are not static but evolve. It reflects a broader phenomenon where deities, prophets, and sages transcend their original cultural and religious contexts to assume new roles and significances in other traditions.

the enduring fascination with Hermes Trismegistus, from antiquity to the Renaissance and beyond, illustrates the deep human desire to find unity in the diversity of our experiences and beliefs, seeking a common thread of wisdom, and could serve as a fun story arc for this learning game i am working on.

ultimately this is a game for people with Autism, but i envision anyone could use it