Introduction
Periodicals
Annals of the Náprstek Museum
2019/40/2
The Seahorse (ḥꜣJšš) from the Shaft Tomb of Iufaa: New Evidence of the Elusive Creature
The Seahorse (ḥꜣJšš) from the Shaft Tomb of Iufaa: New Evidence of the Elusive Creature
Renata Landgráfová
| Pages | 59–68 |
|---|---|
| DOI | 10.2478/anpm-2019-0015 |
| Keywords | Egypt, Saite-Persian Period, Abusir, Iufaa, seahorse, shaft tombs, funerary texts, mythological texts |
| Type of Article | Peer-reviewed |
| Citation | LANDGRÁFOVÁ, Renata. The Seahorse (ḥꜣJšš) from the Shaft Tomb of Iufaa: New Evidence of the Elusive Creature. Annals of the Náprstek Museum. Prague: National Museum, 2019, 40(2), 59–68. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/anpm-2019-0015. ISSN 0231-844X (print), 2533-5685 (online). Also available from: https://publikace.nm.cz/en/periodicals/aotnpm/40-2/the-seahorse-jss-from-the-shaft-tomb-of-iufaa-new-evidence-of-the-elusive-creature |
The present study is concerned with the text and vignette concerning two hippopotamus-headed serpents reclining on rectangular bases, each of them labeled as hayshesh accompanied by a short text stating that he is a god who makes the ba live in the realm of the dead”. The study of the text reveals that the creature is of a triple significance, in the underworld, in the marine environment (as the sea-horse would) and in the sky. Finally, the development line of the hayshesh-creatures from the seahorses of the 22nd Dynasty coffins to the horse, crocodile or hippopotamus-headed snakes of the Ptolemaic temples shall be drawn and discussed, with Iufaa’s attestation forming an important “missing link”.
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