The Plan of Egyptian Glyphs and Phonemes
June 20, 2017
G.D.O'Bradovich III
1
The reasonable assumption that the twenty two cards of Major Arcana of the Tarot should be assigned to the twenty two letters of the Hebrew alphabet has been fraught with various difficulties. Perhaps the most perplexing problem is reconciling the numbered “Fool” with the consequence that it will have a numerical value, as all Hebrew letters have a primary numerical value. As A.E.Waite noted, either the “Fool” will have a value either of one or of three hundred. We believe this is Waite’s attempt to strongly suggest the solution of the Major Arcana is not to be found in the Hebrew alphabet.
We have long promoted the idea that the solution to the Major Arcana lies with the Egyptian alphabet. The main issue with this proposition is that Egyptian has twenty five, not twenty two, glyphs representing the phonemes, that is, there are an additional three letters that cannot be assigned a card in the Major Arcana. Therefore, there must be a satisfactory and non arbitrary reason for eliminating three phonemes from consideration.
The individual phonemes can be combined with at least one, and possibly two, other phonemes forming a different glyph representing the combined phonemes. Three of the phonemes do not combine with any phonemes to form a different glyph. Therefore, three glyphs are removed from consideration as providing a solution to the Major Arcana.
We have long promoted the idea that the solution to the Major Arcana lies with the Egyptian alphabet. The main issue with this proposition is that Egyptian has twenty five, not twenty two, glyphs representing the phonemes, that is, there are an additional three letters that cannot be assigned a card in the Major Arcana. Therefore, there must be a satisfactory and non arbitrary reason for eliminating three phonemes from consideration.
The individual phonemes can be combined with at least one, and possibly two, other phonemes forming a different glyph representing the combined phonemes. Three of the phonemes do not combine with any phonemes to form a different glyph. Therefore, three glyphs are removed from consideration as providing a solution to the Major Arcana.
2
While this solution is acceptable to the Tarot, it cannot be applicable to understanding the scheme of the Egyptian phonemes as a whole. The universe of the Egyptian glyphs must be understood without appeal to either the Tarot or the Tree of Life.
Classes of the Glyphes
There are three birds; quail chick, owl, and vulture; and are assigned to the horizontal lines.
Seven glyphs are associated with the household:
mat, basket, jar stand, cloth, house, door bolt, and wick.
Four glyphs are human:
leg, hand, arm, and mouth.
Two glyphs are associated with food:
the loaf of bread and the sieve.
One glyph is a man made pool of water.
These fourteen glyphs (7+4+2+1) are assigned to the diagonal lines.
There are two snakes (cobra, viper), two plants (single reed, double reed), two natural formations (hill, water), and two that are animal related (animal skin, cattle hobble).
These eight glyphs are assigned to the vertical lines.
mat, basket, jar stand, cloth, house, door bolt, and wick.
Four glyphs are human:
leg, hand, arm, and mouth.
Two glyphs are associated with food:
the loaf of bread and the sieve.
One glyph is a man made pool of water.
These fourteen glyphs (7+4+2+1) are assigned to the diagonal lines.
There are two snakes (cobra, viper), two plants (single reed, double reed), two natural formations (hill, water), and two that are animal related (animal skin, cattle hobble).
These eight glyphs are assigned to the vertical lines.
3
Organized from top to bottom (nasal to glottal), and left to right.
Quail chick approximate labial
Owl nasal labial
Vulture voiceless plosive glottal
Reed approximate palatal
Double reed approximate palatal
Water nasal dental
Cattle hobble voiceless plosive palatal
Cobra voiced plosive palatal
Hill voiceless plosive uvular
Viper voiceless fricative labial
Animal skin voiceless fricative palatal
Mat voiceless plosive labial
Leg voiced plosive labial
Loaf of bread voiceless plosive dental
Hand voiced plosive dental
Basket voiceless plosive velar
Jar stand voiced plosive velar
Cloth voiceless fricative dental
Door bolt voiced fricative dental
Water pool voiceless fricative post alveolar
Sieve voiceless fricative uvular
Wick voiceless fricative pharyngeal
Arm voiced fricative pharyngeal
House voiceless fricative glottal
Mouth trill dental
Quail chick approximate labial
Owl nasal labial
Vulture voiceless plosive glottal
Reed approximate palatal
Double reed approximate palatal
Water nasal dental
Cattle hobble voiceless plosive palatal
Cobra voiced plosive palatal
Hill voiceless plosive uvular
Viper voiceless fricative labial
Animal skin voiceless fricative palatal
Mat voiceless plosive labial
Leg voiced plosive labial
Loaf of bread voiceless plosive dental
Hand voiced plosive dental
Basket voiceless plosive velar
Jar stand voiced plosive velar
Cloth voiceless fricative dental
Door bolt voiced fricative dental
Water pool voiceless fricative post alveolar
Sieve voiceless fricative uvular
Wick voiceless fricative pharyngeal
Arm voiced fricative pharyngeal
House voiceless fricative glottal
Mouth trill dental
Excursion
Although there is no reason to believe the twenty five glyphs are nothing but random representations of certain elements, upon serious examination the glyphs can be broadly categorized and further subdivided. Gardiner make an attempt at categorizing the glyphs, but his result indicates he was not a capable Occultist; his scheme consisted of too many categories. Instead of various groups attempting to categorize hundreds of glyphs, Gardiner could have begun with the phonemes and two groups: natural and man-made.
Natural (13)
Owl, water, leg, hand, cobra, hill, vulture, viper, arm, quail chick, mouth, one reed, and two reeds.
Man made (12)
Mat, bread loaf, cattle hobble, basket, jar stand, cloth, door bolt, pool, animal skin, sieve, wick, and house.
We acknowledge Gardiner had no reason to suspect their was a coherent scheme to the phonemes.
The natural elements consist of human aspects (4): leg, hand, arm, and mouth.
Natural glyphs that are plants (2) are the reed and double reed.
Natural glyphs that are snakes (2) are the cobra and viper.
Natural glyphs representing natural formations (2) are water and a hill.
Natural glyphs representing birds (3) are the owl, vulture, and quail chick.
Man made elements that are derived from plants (8); mat, bread loaf, basket, jar stand, cloth,door bolt, sieve, and wick.
Man made objects that relate to animals (2): the cattle hobble and animal skin.
Man made glyphs made with earth(2): water pool and house.
From the preceding, one can conclude there is a scheme and that it may be more inclusive, that is, it may be organised according to where, if not how, the sounds are made in the mouth.
By placing the glyphs on the chart of the phonetic alphabet (even in the 1950s when Gardiner produced his sign list ), the result would be a non arbitrary scheme to “alphabetically” organise the phonemes. This effort would be followed by the organization of the bilateral, and, finally, the trilateral glyphs.
The removal of the “cattle hobble” and “hill” reduces the number of plosives from ten to eight. The removal of the “house scheme” reduces the number of fricatives from nine to eight.
While our solution to the phonemes and seemingly arbitrary glyphs is good evidence for a coherent scheme, we admit it is of little practical value to either Occultists or Egyptologists.
Although there is no reason to believe the twenty five glyphs are nothing but random representations of certain elements, upon serious examination the glyphs can be broadly categorized and further subdivided. Gardiner make an attempt at categorizing the glyphs, but his result indicates he was not a capable Occultist; his scheme consisted of too many categories. Instead of various groups attempting to categorize hundreds of glyphs, Gardiner could have begun with the phonemes and two groups: natural and man-made.
Natural (13)
Owl, water, leg, hand, cobra, hill, vulture, viper, arm, quail chick, mouth, one reed, and two reeds.
Man made (12)
Mat, bread loaf, cattle hobble, basket, jar stand, cloth, door bolt, pool, animal skin, sieve, wick, and house.
We acknowledge Gardiner had no reason to suspect their was a coherent scheme to the phonemes.
The natural elements consist of human aspects (4): leg, hand, arm, and mouth.
Natural glyphs that are plants (2) are the reed and double reed.
Natural glyphs that are snakes (2) are the cobra and viper.
Natural glyphs representing natural formations (2) are water and a hill.
Natural glyphs representing birds (3) are the owl, vulture, and quail chick.
Man made elements that are derived from plants (8); mat, bread loaf, basket, jar stand, cloth,door bolt, sieve, and wick.
Man made objects that relate to animals (2): the cattle hobble and animal skin.
Man made glyphs made with earth(2): water pool and house.
From the preceding, one can conclude there is a scheme and that it may be more inclusive, that is, it may be organised according to where, if not how, the sounds are made in the mouth.
By placing the glyphs on the chart of the phonetic alphabet (even in the 1950s when Gardiner produced his sign list ), the result would be a non arbitrary scheme to “alphabetically” organise the phonemes. This effort would be followed by the organization of the bilateral, and, finally, the trilateral glyphs.
The removal of the “cattle hobble” and “hill” reduces the number of plosives from ten to eight. The removal of the “house scheme” reduces the number of fricatives from nine to eight.
While our solution to the phonemes and seemingly arbitrary glyphs is good evidence for a coherent scheme, we admit it is of little practical value to either Occultists or Egyptologists.
4
Quail chick
Owl Vulture * Reed Double reed Water Cattle hobble Cobra Hill Viper Animal skin * Mat Leg Loaf of bread Hand Basket Jar stand Cloth Door bolt Water pool Sieve Wick Arm House Mouth |
Approximate
Nasal Voiceless * Approximate Approximate Nasal Voiceless Voiced Voiceless Voiceless Voiceless * Voiceless Voiced Voiceless Voiced Voiceless Voiced Voiceless Voiced Voiceless Voiceless Voiceless Voiced Voiceless Trill |
-
- Plosive * - - - Plosive Plosive Plosive Fricative Fricative * Plosive Plosive Plosive Plosive Plosive Plosive Fricative Fricative Fricative Fricative Fricative Fricative Fricative - |
Labial
Labial Glottal * Palatal Palatal Dental Palatal Palatal Uvular Labial Palatal * Labial Labial Dental Dental Velar Velar Dental Dental Post alveolar Uvular Pharyngeal Pharyngeal Glottal Dental |