An Aretalogy of Hathor

Aretalogies, divine biographies in which a deity's attributes are listed and extolled, are commonly found in the sacred texts of later-period Egypt and Mesopotamia. Aretalogies of Isis are well-known, and I'll reproduce some here at a later time. Today, I have a more unusual one:


-AN ARETALOGY OF HATHOR-
(from the Colophon of the Bremner-Rhind papyrus)

"Isis the divine speaks to thee
with joyful voice from the river
which the pure abed-fish cleaves
in front of the barque of Ra

the Lady of Horns is come into being with joy
the egg is come into being in the canal

the heads of the froward are cut off
in this Her name of Lady of Aphroditopolis

the Lady of Horns is come in peace
in this Her name of Hat-Hor Lady of Malachite

the Lady of Thebes is come in peace
in this Her name of Hat-Hor Lady of Thebes

She is come in peace as Tayt
in that Her name of Lady of Hetepet

She is come in peace to overthrow Her foe
in that Her name of Hat-hor
Lady of the temple of Herakleopolis

"Gold" is come in peace
in that Her name of Hat-Hor Lady of Memphis

Thou being at peace in the presence of the Lord of All
in this Thy name of Hat-Hor Lady of the Red Mountain

‘Gold’ rises beside Her father
in this Her name of Bast

who has gone in front of the houses
beside the Sanctuary of Upper Egypt
in this Her name of Satis

who makes green the Two Lands
and guides the gods
in this Her name of Wadjyt

Hat-Hor has power over those
who rebelled against Her father
in that Her name of Sakhmet

Wadjet has power over good things
in that Her name of Lady of Momemphis

myrrh is on Her tresses
in that Her name of Neith


Hail to the gods, each in his place :

Hat-Hor Lady of Thebes
Hat-Hor Lady of Herakleopolis
Hat-Hor Lady of Aphroditopolis
Hat-Hor Lady of Sycomore-town
Hat-Hor Lady of Rohesa
Hat-Hor Lady of the Red Mountain
Hat-Hor Lady of Sinai
Hat-Hor Lady of Memphis
Hat-Hor Lady of Wawat
Hat-Hor Lady of Momemphis
Hat-Hor Lady of Imet."

The Bremner-Rhind papyrus is held at the British Museum. The "colophon" spoken of here is generally attributed to a priest called Nes-Min and dated to some time in the 3rd or 4th century BCE, during the Ptolemaic period. More information about the Bremner-Rhind papyrus can be found here.