KYP T-246

KYPRIANOS DATABASE OF ANCIENT RITUAL TEXTS

KYPRIANOS T246

Manuscript:	M537
Sigla:	Aberdeen, King’s College inventory no. 193 P. Aberd. Inv. 193 P. Aberd. Copt. 5
Text no. Position of the text within the manuscript.	1
Coptic Scriptorium:
Date:	301 – 500

Text position:	Ro ll. 1-11
Type of text:	Curse (magical, applied, prayer for justice)

Original title:
Original title (translated):
Conventional title:	Applied curse against Maria and Martha

Language:	Egyptian (Coptic)
Dialect:	Akhmimic
Script:	Coptic
Image:

Text:

Translation:

→
1. vacat ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁⲥ
2. ⲙ̣[ⲓ]ⲭ̣ⲁⲏⲗ ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ ⲥⲟⲩⲗⲉⲏⲗ
3. ⲁⲕⲁⲛ̅ⲧϣ ⳉⲏⲛ ⲟⲩϩⲉⲉ ⲉⲛⲙⲁϣⲧ-
4. ⲱⲛⲉ ⲧⲱⲛⲉ ⳉ̅ⲛ ⲧⲉⲕⲟⲣⲅⲏ ⲕ̣ⲛ̅ⲧϣ
5. ⲁⳉⲣⲏ ⲁⲩⳉⲁⲉⲓ ⲏϣⳉⲁϣⲉ ⲁⲕ-
6. ⲁϣⲁⲗⲧ ⲁⲭⲣⲏ ⲁⲩ ⲧⲟⲩ ϭⲁⲗⲁⲧϣⲉ
7. ϣ̣ⲉϣⲟⲩⲟ ⲃⲛⲧ ⲁⲭⲣⲏ ⲙⲁⲣⲑⲁ
8. ⲡⲁϫⲁⲉⲓⲥ ⲓ̅ⲥ̅ ⲡⲉⲭ̅ⲥ̅ⲣ̅ ⲁⲕⲏ̣ⲛ̅ⲧϣ
9. ⲁⳉⲣⲏ ⲁⲩⳉⲁⲉ ⲁⲓⲉ ⲓ̅ⲥ̅ ⲭ̅ⲥ̅ⲣ̅ ⲁⲕⲁ̣-
10. ϣⲟⲩⲗⲉ ⲧϣⲉⲗⲡⲓⲥ ⲁⲃⲁⲗ ⲧⲏⲙ
11. ⲉⲗⲁⲩⲉ ⲟⲩϣⲉⲧⲧⲓ ⲛⲉⲥ +++

[1] Maria: [2] Michael, Gabriel, Suriel, [3] may you (s.) lead her to an irrevocable destruction! [4] Arise in your wrath and bring her [5] down to a painful end! May [6] you strike (?) ⟨her⟩ down and spoil (?) her womb [7] so that it pours forth worms!

Martha: [8] my Lord Jesus Christ, may you bring her [9] down to a painful end! Yea, Jesus Christ, may you [10] scatter her hope; [11] no-one will greet her! +++

Tableau:
Tracing by:

Apparatus:

3. ⲁⲕⲁⲛ̅ⲧϣ ⲕ corrected from ⲏ̣ by overwriting ? i.e. Sahidic ⲉ⸗ⲕ-ⲉ-ⲛ̅ⲧ⸗ⲥ
3-4. ⲉⲛⲙⲁϣⲧⲱⲛⲉ i.e. Sahidic ⲉ-ⲙⲉ⸗ⲥ-ⲧⲱⲟⲩⲛ : l. ⲙ̅-ⲙⲁϣⲡⲱⲛⲉ translate “by the method of an ulcerous tumor” (“dans un état de dartre”, “uno stato di malattia”) Crum, Kropp, Pernigotti, Ritner
4. ⲟⲣⲅⲏ i.e. Greek ὀργή | ⲕ̣ⲛ̅ⲧϣ i.e. Sahidic ⲛ⸗ⲅ̅-ⲛ̅ⲧ⸗ⲥ : ⲕ and ϣ smudged
5. ⲏϣⳉⲁϣⲉ ⲏ corrected from ⲉ̣ i.e. Sahidic ⲉ⸗ⲥ-ϩⲟⲥⲉ
5-6 ⲁⲕⲁϣⲁⲗⲧ ⲁⲭⲣⲏ i.e. Sahidic ⲉ⸗ⲕ-ⲉ-ϣⲁⲣ⸗ⲥ (?) ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲭ corrected from ϩ̣ by erasure and overwriting : i.e. Sahidic ϣⲗ̅⸗ⲧ ? Crum : ⲉ-ⲕⲁ-ϣⲉⲗⲉⲉⲧ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ “to put aside marriage” Ritner : l. ⲧⲁⲁ⸗ⲧ or ⲕⲁⲁ⸗ⲧ ? Lee
6. ⲁⲩ ⲧⲟⲩ ϭⲁⲗⲁⲧϣⲉ i.e. Sahidic ⲁⲩⲱ *ⲧϩⲟ *ⲕⲁⲗⲁϩⲧ⸗ⲥ : Crum, Kropp, Pernigotti do not translate : i.e. Sahidic ⲁⲩⲱ ⲧⲁⲩⲟ ⲟⲩ-ⲕⲟⲗⲁⲍⲉ i.e. Greek κολάζειν Ritner translate “and send forth (?) punishment” : i.e. τύχη ἀγαθή or cf. ⲙ̅ⲡϣⲁ? Lee
7. ϣⲉϣⲟⲩⲟ ⲃⲛⲧ i.e. Sahidic ⲛ̅⸗ⲥ-ϣⲟⲩⲉ ϥⲛⲧ first ϣ corrected from unclear letter by overwriting
7. ⲁⲭⲣⲏ i.e. Sahidic ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ
8. ⲓ̅ⲥ̅ l. ⲓ̅(ⲟⲩⲥⲏ)ⲥ̅ | ⲭ̅ⲥ̅ⲣ̅ corrected from ϩ̅ⲥ̅ⲣ̅ l. ⲭⲣ(ⲓⲥⲧⲟ)ⲥ i.e. Greek χριστός | ⲁⲕⲏ̣ⲛ̅ⲧϣ i.e. Sahidic ⲉ⸗ⲕ-ⲉ-ⲛ̅ⲧ⸗ⲥ
9. ⲓ̅ⲥ̅ l. ⲓ̅(ⲟⲩⲥⲏ)ⲥ̅ | ⲭ̅ⲥ̅ⲣ̅ corrected from ⲡⲥ̅ⲣ̅ i.e. ⲡ(ⲉ)-(ⲭ)ⲣ(ⲓⲥⲧⲟ)ⲥ i.e. Greek χριστός | ⲁⲕⲁ̣- smudge after final ⲁ̣
10. ϣⲟⲩⲗ i.e. Sahidic ϫⲱⲱⲣⲉ : i.e. Sahidic ϣⲱⲗ Crum | ⲧϣⲉⲗⲡⲓⲥ i.e. Sahidic ⲧⲉ⸗ⲥ-ⲉⲗⲡⲓⲥ i.e. Greek ἐλπίς | ⲧⲏⲙ i.e. Sahidic ⲧⲙ̅
11. ⲉⲗⲁⲩⲉ ⲟⲩϣⲉⲧⲧⲓ i.e. Sahidic ⲗⲁⲁⲩ ⲟⲩⲱϣⲧ, cf. Lycopolitan ⲟⲩⲁϣⲧⲉ in Kasser 242a : ⲗⲁⲁⲩ ⲟⲩⲱϣ ⲉ-ϯ Crum, Kropp, Pernigotti : Ritner translates “no one desires to help”

Notes:

This text is closely paralleled by three other curses from the same dossier: IFAO Copte 449 (KYP M26, T608), Louvre E 11036 A (KYP M407; TM 115765), Louvre E 11036 B (M1160, T1256), which are from the same archive (the Aberdeen Scribal Group, KYP A28). Compare also P. Lond. Copt. 1223 (KYP M533), another similar curse against a woman.

2. ⲥⲟⲩⲗⲉⲏⲗ Crum, noting the lambdacism, unexpected in an Akhmimic text, doubts that this is the angel Suriel, but cf. the invocation of the three angels “Michael, Gabriel, Suriel” (ⲙⲓⲭⲁⲏⲗ ⲙⲛ̅ ⲕⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ ⲙⲛ̅ ⲥⲟⲩⲣⲓⲏⲗ) in IFAO Copte 451 recto l. 6 (KYP M468, T382), another Akhmimic curse, suggesting that it is indeed this angel who is intended here.
3-4. ⲟⲩϩⲉⲉ ⲉⲛⲙⲁϥⲧⲱⲛⲉ “an irrevocable destruction”, literally “a fall which he never rises from”.
4. ⲧⲱⲛⲉ ⳉⲛ̅ ⲧⲉⲕⲟⲣⲅⲏ “arise in your wrath” cf. Psalm 7.6: ⲧⲱⲟⲩⲛ ⲡϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ ϩⲛ ⲧⲉⲕⲟⲣⲅⲏ ϫⲓⲥⲉ ϩⲛ ⲛϩⲁⲏ ⲛⲛⲁϫⲁϫⲉ (“arise, O Lord, in your wrath; be exalted by the ends of my enemies!).
6. ⲁⲩ ⲧⲟⲩ ϭⲁⲗⲁⲧϣⲉ This passage is difficult; the first word is likely Sahidid ⲁⲩⲱ cf. Akhmimic ⲁⲟⲩ. We understand the second as an unattested transitive form of ⲧϩⲟ (“to be bad”), i.e. to “make bad” or “spoil”; alternatively understand a form of ⲑⲓⲟ (“cause to fall”). The final word is certainly ⲕⲁⲗⲁϩⲏ (“womb”), but in a hitherto unattested pre-pronominal form; the final tau is to be expected from older Egyptian writings (cf. Sauneron 1961).
11. ⲟⲩϣⲉⲧⲧⲓ ⲛⲉⲥ “greet her” For ⲟⲩⲱϣⲧ used with ⲛⲁ⸗, see Crum 504b.

Bibliography:

Crum, Walter Ewing. “La Magie Copte: Nouveaux Textes.” In Recueil d’études égyptologiques dédiées à la mémoire de Jean-François Champollion à l’occasion du centenaire de la lettre à M. Dacier relative à l’alphabet des hiéroglyphes phonétiques, Paris: Champion , 1922, p. 539-540, no

Kropp, Angelicus. Ausgewählte koptische Zaubertexte. Übersetzungen und Anmerkungen. Vol. 2. Bruxelles: Édition de la Fondation Égyptologique Reine Élisabeth, 1931, p. 227-228, no. 67.

Lee, G. M. “Demotica et Coptica.” Aegyptus 48 1/4 (1968): p. 140.

Ritner, Robert, in Meyer, Marvin W., and Richard Smith. Ancient Christian Magic: Coptic Texts of Ritual Power. Princeton (New Jersey): Princeton University Press, 1999, p. 206-207, no. 100.

Pernigotti, Sergio. “La magia copta: I testi.” In Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt, edited by Hildegard Temporini and Wolfgang Haase, II.18. 5. Berlin and New York: Walter de Gruyter, 1995, p. 3725, no. 31.

Rémondon, Roger. “Un papyrus magique copte.” Bulletin de l’Institut français d’archéologie orientale 52 (1952): p. 157-161.

Sauneron, Serge. “Copte S. ⲕⲁⲗⲁϩⲏ.” In Mélanges Maspéro, vol. 1, fasc. 4. Cairo: Institut français d’archéologie orientale, 113–120.

Editor:

EL’s from Crum’s transcription, checked with printed photograph (22/8/2019); KD (21/1/2025); KD (28/3/2025); KD + MPS (24/10/2025)

How to cite:

[Editor names]. "KYP T246: Applied curse against Maria and Martha," Kyprianos Database of Ancient Ritual Texts and Objects, Korshi Dosoo, Markéta Preininger, & Roxanne Bélanger Sarrazin (principal editors), www.coptic-magic.phil.uni-wuerzburg.de/index.php/text/kyp-t-246. Accessed on 03/08/2026
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