P5
Sail
in hieroglyphs

The ancient Egyptian Sail hieroglyph is Gardiner sign listed no. P5 for the sail of a ship. The hieroglyph shows a hoisted sail, curved because of wind filling it. It is used in Egyptian hieroglyphs as a determinative for words related to wind, air, breath, sailors, (as "nefu"), floods-(of the Nile), etc. Also an ideogram in 'puff', 'wind', Egyptian ṯꜣw.[1]

Breath, in the Book of the Dead

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Because of the use of the word 'winds', the 'breath' concept became an equally important usage of the sail hieroglyph. The Nile current carried ships downstream-(north), but sometimes prevailing, or advantageous winds allowed upstream travel on the Nile.

A replacement of the sekhem scepter held in the hand in vignettes from the Books of the Dead refers to obtaining life-giving 'breath' in the afterlife.[2] An example is Nakht, (Papyrus of Nakht, 18th-19th Dynasty), holding a large mast-on-a-staff, referring to Spell 38A, for living by air in the realm of the dead. Other stick figured caricature examples show the mast and an ankh in each hand, both signifying a "breath (of) life".

Other spells in the Book of the Dead use the concept of 'breath' in even more storied forms and involving various gods.

Preceded by
P5

sail
(tsh)3w/ṯau, (nef)
Succeeded by
F35

"stomach + windpipe"
nfr - (tril.)
Succeeded by
F35
.
T34

"windpipe" -- butcher's knife
--- nfr ----- ----- nm ---


See also

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References

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  1. ^ Betrò, 1995. Hieroglyphics: The Writings of Ancient Egypt, Sail, p. 220.
  2. ^ Wilkinson, 1992. Reading Egyptian Art, Sail-hetau-P5, p. 154-155.
  • Betrò, 1995. Hieroglyphics: The Writings of Ancient Egypt, Betrò, Maria Carmela, c. 1995, 1996-(English), Abbeville Press Publishers, New York, London, Paris (hardcover, ISBN 0-7892-0232-8)
  • Wilkinson, 1992. Reading Egyptian Art: A Hieroglyphic Guide to Ancient Egyptian Painting and Sculpture, Richard H. Wilkinson, c 1992, 1994, Section: Seth Animal, p. 66-67. Thames and Hudson; abbreviated Index, 224 pp. (softcover, ISBN 0-500-27751-6)