KYP T-1679

KYPRIANOS DATABASE OF ANCIENT RITUAL TEXTS

KYPRIANOS T1679

Manuscript:	M44
Sigla:	Cairo JdE 42573 Cairo, Egyptian Museum JdE 42573
Text no. Position of the text within the manuscript.	14
Coptic Scriptorium:
Date:	901 – 1100

Text position:	p. 3, ll. 6-11
Type of text:	Procedure to make woman confess her lovers (magical, formulary, erotic)

Original title:	ⲉϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲧⲉⲕⲟⲩⲱϣ ⲉⲙ ⲉϫⲉ ⲁⲩⲉⲣ ⲟⲩϩⲱⲃ ⲉⲩⲥϩⲓⲙⲉ
Original title (translated):	If you wish to know if a work has been done to a woman
Conventional title:	To make a woman confess her lovers

Language:	Egyptian (Coptic)
Dialect:	Sahidic (non-standard)
Script:	Coptic
Image:

Text:

Translation:

p. 3
6. ⲉϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲧⲉⲕⲟⲩⲱϣ ⲉⲙ ⲉϫⲉ ⲁⲩⲉⲣ ⲟⲩϩⲱⲃ ⲉⲩ-
7. ⲥϩⲓⲙⲉ ϭⲁⲧ ⲡⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲛϩⲁⲧ ⲙⲛ ⲡⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲛⲛⲟⲩⲃ ⲙⲛ
8. ⲡⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲛⲥ̅ⲧⲁⲕⲧⲏ ϩⲓ ϭⲣⲟϭ ⲛⲏϭⲉ ϭⲁⲡ ⲡⲉⲩ-
9. ⲙⲟⲟⲩ ϩⲉⲗϩⲱⲗϥ ⲉⲡⲉⲥϩⲟ ⲛⲑⲁ ⲣⲟⲩϩⲉ ⲙⲡⲟⲩ-
10. ⲱϣ ⲉⲡⲛⲁⲥⲭⲁ ⲙⲟⲛ ϣⲁⲥϫⲱ ⲛϩⲱⲃ ⲛⲓⲙ ⲛ-
11. ⲧⲁⲁⲩ ϫⲓⲛ ⲛⲧⲉⲥⲙⲛⲧⲣⲟⲟⲩⲛ – – – – – – – – – – – –

[6] If you wish to know if a work has been done to a [7] woman. Take silver water and gold water and [8] myrrh water and leek seeds; take their [9] water. Sprinkle it on her face on the last evening of the Thursday [10] of Easter. Certainly, she will say everything which [11] ⟨she⟩ has done since her virginity.

Tableau:
Tracing by:

Apparatus:

6. ⲉⲙ i.e. Sahidic ⲉ-ⲉⲓⲙⲉ (haplography) | ⲉϫⲉ i.e. Sahidic ⲉϣϫⲉ : ϫⲉ Drescher
6-7. translate “if you desire to exercise a magical power over a woman” (si tu désires exercer un pouvoir magique sur une femme”) Chassinat
7. ϭⲁⲧ i.e. Sahidic ϭⲁⲡ
8. ⲥⲧⲁⲕⲧⲏ i.e. Greek στακτή
9. ⲛⲑⲁ i.e. Sahidic ⲛ-ⲧ-ϩⲁⲉ (?)
9-10. ⲙⲡⲟⲩⲱϣ ⲉⲡⲛⲁⲥⲭⲁ ⲙⲟⲛ : l. ⲙⲡⲟⲩⲱϣ ⲉⲡⲛⲁⲥⲭⲁⲙⲟⲛ translate “of the shameful desire” (“du désir honteux”) Chassinat
10. ⲉⲡⲛⲁⲥⲭⲁ i.e. Sahidic ⲙ̅-ⲡⲁⲥⲭⲁ i.e. Greek πάσχα | ⲙⲟⲛ i.e. Sahidic ⲙ̅ⲙⲟⲛ
10-11. ⲛⲧⲁⲁⲩ l. ⲉⲛⲧ-ⲁ⸗ⲥ-ⲁⲁ⸗ⲩ or ⲉⲛⲧ-ⲁ⸗ⲩ-ⲁⲁ⸗ⲩ
11. ⲙⲛⲧⲣⲟⲟⲩⲛ i.e. Sahidic ⲙⲛⲧ-ⲣⲟⲟⲩⲛⲉ

Notes:

6. ⲟⲩϩⲱⲃ “Work” here seems to refer to sexual intercourse, as in p. 2 l. 6 (T1682)
7. ⲡⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲛϩⲁⲧ Chassinat suggests “silver water” to be mercury, cf. Greek ὑδραργύρον.
9-10. ⲡⲟⲩⲱϣ For the translation “Thursday” see Till 1947: p. 134-135.

Bibliography:

Chassinat, Émile. Le manuscrit magique copte no. 42573 du Musée égyptien du Caire. Bibliothèque d’études coptes. Vol. 4. Cairo: L’Institut français d’Archéologie Orientale, 1955, pp. 80-91.

Drescher, J. “Review of Le Manuscrit magique copte No. 42573 du Musée Égyptien du Caire by É. Chassinat”. In The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 43 (1957): 120.

Richter, Tonio Sebastian. “Texte und Riten in koptischer Schrift”. In Altägyptische Zaubersprüche, edited by Hans.-W, Fischer-Elfert. Stuttgart: Philipp Reclam, 2005, 128.

Till, Walter.“Neue koptische Wochentagsbezeichnungen”, Orientalia n.s. 16.1 (1947): pp. 130-135.

Editor:

From Chassinat, entered by KD (22/1/2020), checked with photograph of the original and given translation and apparatus by EL (17/3/2020); Team (21/4/2021)

How to cite:

Korshi Dosoo & Markéta Preininger (principal editors). "KYP T1679: To make a woman confess her lovers," Kyprianos Database of Ancient Ritual Texts and Objects, www.coptic-magic.phil.uni-wuerzburg.de/index.php/text/kyp-t-1679. Accessed on 21/11/2025

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