Aenigmatische Schreibungen in Unterweltsbüchern des Neuen Reiches: gesicherte Entsprechungen und Ersetzungsprinzipien

In: Peust, Carsten (Hrsg.): Miscellanea in honorem Wolfhart Westendorf. Göttingen 2008, pp. 124-152 (Göttinger Miszellen: Beihefte ; 3)

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Abstract

This contribution provides a complete list of ‘cryptographic’/‘enigmatic’ readings of signs in the Amduat and the Book of Caverns (Höhlenbuch, Livre des Quererts) that are confirmed by the attested double writings of alienated/cryptographic spelling on the one hand and accompanying plaintext in standard orthography on the other hand. The precise principles underlying the replacement of a plaintext (string of) sign(s) by another (string of) sign(s) are enumerated, the question of the acrophonic principle(s) being discussed in short. A ‘cryptoalphabet’ commonly used in the Book of Caverns is presented. Additional pieces of linguistic information gained by the interpretation of cryptographic spellings are listed. Evidence is put forward that the word for Khepri has indeed have been a participle with three consonants (ḫpr > ḫpj) different from the noun for scarab (ḫprr) with four consonants. Finally it is suggested that the cryptographic string [goose-goose-goose-hide-locust] attested in the Book of Caverns stands for the notion cryptogram itself.