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KYPRIANOS T576

Manuscript: M1159
Sigla:

Os. Mil. Vogl. inv. 1
Cairo Nahman Bone A
Text no. question mark icon Position of the text within the manuscript.1
Coptic Scriptorium:
Date: 901 – 1000

Text position:

Convex ll. 1-67
Type of text:

Curse (applied, magical)

Original title:
Original title (translated):
Conventional title: Applied curse against Harōn

Language:

Egyptian (Coptic)
Dialect:

Sahidic (non-standard)
Script:

Coptic
Image:

Text: Translation:

Convex

1. χμγ̣̣
2. ⲕ̅ⲟ̅ⲩ̅ⲭ̅ⲟ̅ⲥ̅
3. ⲧⲣⲟⲫⲱⲥ̣
4. ⲕ̅ⲓ̅ⲙ̅ⲫ̅ⲓ̅ⲁ̣̅ⲥ̅
5. ⲡ̅ⲥ̅ⲟ̅ⲑ̅ⲟ̅ⲙ̅ⲓ̅ⲥ̅
6. ⲙⲉⲛ ⲡⲗⲉ-
7. ⲙⲟⲥ
8. ⲙ̅ⲏ̅ⲟ̅ⲗ̅ⲓ̅ⲁ̅⧸ⲧ̣⧹
9. ⲛⲁⲓ ⲛⲉ
10. ⲉⲛⲣⲁⲛ ⲉⲛ-
11. ⲧⲥⲟ ⲉⲛⲧⲏ̣-
12. ⲛⲁⲙⲓⲥ ⲉⲙ-
13. ⲡⲙⲟⲩ ⲛⲁ̣ⲓ
14. ⲉⲧⲓⲛⲉ ⲉⲛ̣-
15. ϣⲱⲛⲉ ⲛⲓⲙ
16. ⲉϩⲣⲁ ⲉϫⲉⲛ
17. ⲉⲛⲣⲱⲙⲉ
18. ⲛⲓⲙ ⲛⲁ̣ⲓ
19. ⲉⲧⲓⲛⲉ ⲉⲛ̣-
20. ⲡⲥⲓⲭⲏ ⲛⲓⲙ
21. ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲉⲛ
22. ⲥⲱⲙⲉ ⲛⲓⲙ
23. ⲧ̣ⲓ̣ϣ̣ ⲡ̣ⲓⲱⲣⲉⲕ
24. ⲉⲣⲱⲧⲉⲛ ⲉⲛ-
25. ⲛⲉⲧⲉⲛⲣⲁⲛ ⲙ-
26. ⲉ ⲛⲉⲧⲉⲛ-
27. ⲣⲁⲛ ⲙⲉⲛ
28. ⲛⲉⲧⲉⲛϭⲟⲙ
29. ⲙⲉⲛ ⲛⲉⲧⲉⲛ-
30. ⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲙⲉⲛ
31. ⲡⲟⲩϫⲁⲓ ⲉⲙ-
32. ⲡⲙⲟⲩ ϫⲉ-
33. ⲕⲁⲁⲥ ⲉⲧⲉⲃⲱⲕ
34. ϣⲁ ϩⲁⲣⲱⲛ ⲡϣ-
35. ⲉ ⲛⲧⲕⲟⲩⲓⲕⲓⲣⲁ
36. ⲧⲉⲧⲉⲃⲓ ⲉⲛⲧⲉ-
37. ϥⲯⲓⲭⲏ ⲧⲓⲧⲁⲣ-
38. ⲕⲟ ⲙⲉⲙⲟⲕ ⲱ ⲡⲉϥ-
39. ⲙⲟⲩⲧ ⲉⲛⲧⲉϩⲓⲏ
40. ⲉⲛⲁⲩϫⲓⲧⲉⲕ
41. ⲉⲣⲟⲥ ⲙⲉⲛ ⲧⲁ-
42. ⲕ̣ⲟ̣ⲗ̣ⲁ̣ⲥ̣ⲓ̣ⲥ̣ ⲉⲛ-
43. ⲧⲁⲥⲓ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛⲁⲕ
44. ⲉⲛⲧⲁⲕⲥⲱⲧⲉⲙ
45. ⲉ̣ⲣ̣ⲟⲥ ⲙ̣ⲉ̣ⲛ̣ ⲧ̣ⲁ̣ⲕⲟ-
46. ⲗ̣ⲁ̣ⲥⲓ̣ⲥ ⲉⲛⲧⲁⲕ-
47. [ⲛⲁ]ⲩ̣ ⲉⲣⲟⲟⲩ̣
48. ⲙ̣ⲉⲛ ⲉⲛϩⲟ
49. ⲉⲛⲧⲁⲕⲛⲁⲩ
50. ⲉⲣⲟⲩ ⲙⲉⲛ
51. ⲡⲓⲉⲣⲟ ⲉⲛⲕⲱ-
52. [ϩⲧ] ⲉ̣ⲃⲃⲓ ϩⲟⲓⲙⲉ
53. ϩⲟⲓⲙ ϫⲉ
54. ⲧⲉⲓⲛⲁ-
55. ⲕ̣ⲱ ⲉⲛⲧⲓ
56. ϩⲉⲛ ⲧⲉⲩ-
57. ⲛⲟⲩ ⲉⲓⲛⲁ-
58. ⲕⲱ ⲉⲛⲧⲓ-
59. ⲕⲉⲥ ϩⲁ
60. ⲡⲉⲕⲥⲟⲓ
61. ϫ̣ⲉ ⲑⲉ ⲉⲛ-
62. ⲧ̣ⲁⲕϩⲓⲥⲉ
63. ⲉ̣ⲕⲉⲉⲓⲛⲉ
64. [ⲉ]ⲙ̣ⲡⲉⲕϩⲓ-
65. ⲥ̣ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ
66. [ⲉ]ϫ̣ⲉⲛ ϩⲁⲣ-
67. [ⲱ]ⲛ ⲡϣⲉ ⲛ-
68. [ⲧ]ⲕ̣ⲟⲓ̣ⲩⲓ̣ⲕ̣ⲓ̣̈-
69. ⲣ̣ⲁ̣ ⲁⲓⲟ ⲁⲓ̣ⲟ̣
70. ⲧⲁⲭ[ⲏ ⲧⲁⲭⲏ]
71. [ⲥ]ⲱ̣ⲕ̣ ⲧ̣[ⲁⲭⲏ]

[1] ΧΜΓ [2] Koukhos, [3] Trophōs, [4] Kimphias, [5] Psothomis, [6-7] and Plemos, [8] Mēoliat: [9] these are [10] the names of [11] the six [12] powers of [13] Death, they [14] who bring [15] every sickness [16] down upon [17-18] every man, [19] that bring [20] every soul [21] out of [22] every body, [23] I call (?), I adjure [24] you (pl.) by [25] your names [26] {and your [27] names} and [28] your powers [29] and your [30] places and [31] the wellbeing of [32] Death [33] that you go [34] to Harōn the [35] son of Tkouikira [36] and you take his [37] soul! I adjure [38] you (s.), O [39] dead one, by the way [40] upon which they took you [41] and the [42] punishment that [43] came upon you, [44] and that you heard [45] of, and the [46] punishment that you [47] saw, [48] and the faces [49] that you saw, [50] and [51] the river of fire, [52] which casts wave [53] upon wave, that [54] {I will [55] place this} [56] at the moment that I [58] place this [59] bone under [60] your back, [61] that just as [62] you have suffered, [63] you shall bring [64] your suffering [65] down [66] upon Harōn [67] the son [68] of Tkouikira! [69] Yea, yea! [70] Quickly, quickly! [71] Go, quickly!

Tableau:
Tracing by:

Apparatus:

1. χμγ : ⲭ(ⲣⲓⲥⲧⲟ)ⲩ Drescher : ⲭⲩ⟨ⲭⲟⲥ⟩ ? Ritner
2. ⲕ̅ⲟ̅ⲩ̅ⲭ̅ⲟ̅ⲥ̅ perhaps initial writing ⲕⲭ with the chi uncompleted.
4. ⲕ̅ⲓ̅ⲙ̅ⲫ̅ⲓ̅ⲁ̣̅ⲥ̅ : “Kimphas” Ritner
5. ⲡ̅ⲥ̅ⲟ̅ⲑ̅ⲟ̅ⲙ̅ⲓ̅ⲥ̅ : “Psotomis” Ritner
7. ⲙⲟⲥ flourish on sigma taking up remainder of line.
8. ⲙ̅ⲏ̅ⲟ̅ⲗ̅ⲓ̅ⲁ̅⧸ⲧ̣⧹ : “and Ouliat” Ritner
11-12.ⲧⲏ̣ⲛⲁⲙⲓⲥ i.e. Greek δύναμις
16. 16. ⲉϩⲣⲁ : ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ̣ Drescher
20. ⲡⲥⲓⲭⲏ i.e. Greek ψυχή
21. ⲉⲃⲟⲗ corrected from ⲉⲃⲟ. ?
22. ⲥⲱⲙⲉ i.e. Greek σῶμα
23. ⲧ̣ⲓ̣ϣ̣ i.e. Sahidic ϯⲱϣ ? : … Drescher, Ritner | ⲡ̣ⲓⲱⲣⲉⲕ i.e. Sahidic ϯⲱⲣⲕ̅
30. ⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ i.e. Greek τόπος
33. ⲉⲧⲉⲃⲱⲕ i.e. Sahidic ⲉⲧⲉⲧⲛⲉⲃⲱⲕ
36. ⲧⲉⲧⲉⲃⲓ i.e. Sahidic ⲛ̅ⲧⲉⲧⲛ̅ϥⲓ
37. ⲯⲓⲭⲏ i.e Greek ψυχή
38. ⲙⲉⲙⲟⲕ i.e. Sahidic ⲙ̅ⲙⲟⲕ
39. ϩⲓⲏ “manner” Ritner
40. ⲉⲛⲁⲩϫⲓⲧⲉⲕ l. ⲉⲛⲧⲁⲩϫⲓⲧⲕ
41-42. ⲧⲁ|ⲕ̣ⲟ̣ⲗ̣ⲁ̣ⲥ̣ⲓ̣ⲥ̣ i.e. Greek κόλασις : ⲧⲁ|ⲓ̣ⲕ̣ⲟ̣ⲗ̣ⲁ̣ⲥ̣ⲓ̣ⲥ̣ Drescher
45-46. ⲧ̣ⲁ̣ⲕⲟ|ⲗ̣ⲁ̣ⲥⲓ̣ⲥ i.e. Greek κόλασις : ⲧ̣ⲁ̣ⲓ̣ⲕⲟ|ⲗⲁⲥⲓⲥ Drescher : “punishments” Ritner (noun s., resumptive pronoun in l. 47 pl. (ⲉⲣⲟⲟⲩ̣))
48. ⲛϩⲟ “the (terrifying) face” Ritner
50. ⲉⲣⲟⲩ̣ : ⲉⲣⲟⲥ̣ Drescher
50-51. ⲙⲉⲛ ⲡⲓⲉⲣⲟ “and by the river” Ritner
51-52. ⲉⲛⲕⲱ|[ϩⲧ] Drescher places ϩⲧ on its own line, but it is not visible to me (KD 11/10/2019).
54-55. ⲧⲉⲓⲛⲁ|ⲕⲱ : ⲧⲉⲓⲛⲁ|ⲕⲱ Drescher
64-65. ⲉⲙⲡⲉⲕϩⲓ|ⲥ : ⲉⲙⲡⲉⲕϩⲓ|ⲥⲉ Drescher
68-69. ⲕⲟⲓ̣ⲩⲓ̣ⲕ̣ⲓ̣̈|ⲣ̣ⲁ̣ ⲕⲟⲩⲓⲕⲓ|ⲣⲁ Drescher
70. ⲧⲁⲭ[ⲏ ⲧⲁⲭⲏ] i.e. Greek τάχη τάχη
71. ⲧ̣[ⲁⲭⲏ] i.e. Greek τάχη : ⲥⲱⲕ ⲧⲁⲭⲏ Drescher

Notes:

1. χμγ̣̣ This scribal mark is to be understood either as an isopsephism for 643 = θεὸς βοηθός (“God is help”), or as an abbreviation of Χριστὸν Μαρία γεννᾷ (“Mary bore Christ”), see Lincoln Blumell, “Lettered Christians. Christians, Letters, and Late Antique Oxyrhynchus”, Leiden: Brill, 2012, p. 47-48.
31-32. ⲡⲟⲩϫⲁⲓ ⲉⲙ|ⲡⲙⲟⲩ This refers to the wellbeing of the Death, the personified concept or Angel of Death who the Powers serve; such phrases are common in oaths in Late Antique Egypt; cf. Drescher p. 270 n. 6.

Bibliography:

Drescher, James. “A Coptic Malediction.” Annales du Service des antiquités de l‘Égypte (ASAE) 48 (1948), p. 267-276.

Ritner, Robert in Marvin W. Meyer and Richard Smith Ancient Christian Magic: Coptic Texts of Ritual Power. Princeton (New Jersey): Princeton University Press, 1999, no. 98, pp. 204-206.

Editor:

From Drescher, with corrections by KD (23/5/2019) and EL (23/5/2019) based on high quality photograph; translation by KD (11/10/2019); team (30/10/2020)

How to cite:
Korshi Dosoo & Markéta Preininger (principal editors). "KYP T576: Applied curse against Harōn," Kyprianos Database of Ancient Ritual Texts and Objects, www.coptic-magic.phil.uni-wuerzburg.de/index.php/text/kyp-t-576. Accessed on 21/11/2025

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