KYP T-2797

KYPRIANOS DATABASE OF ANCIENT RITUAL TEXTS

KYPRIANOS T2797

Manuscript:	M18
Sigla:	P. Mich. Inv. 602
Text no. Position of the text within the manuscript.	8
Coptic Scriptorium:
Date:	501 – 700

Text position:	Ro ll. 43-47
Type of text:	Healing of vertigo (magical, formulary)

Original title:	ⲛⲧⲃⲉ ⲟⲩⲁ ϥⲥⲕⲟⲧⲉⲩ̣ⲉ ⲛⲛⲁⲩ ⲛⲓⲙ̅
Original title (translated):	For one who has vertigo all the time
Conventional title:	For treating vertigo

Language:	Egyptian (Coptic)
Dialect:	Sahidic (non-standard)
Script:	Coptic
Image:	http://quod.lib.umich.edu/a/apis/x-4638/602r_neg.tif

Text:

Translation:

↓
43. [preceding text] ⲛⲧⲃⲉ ⲟⲩⲁ ϥⲥⲕⲟⲧⲉⲩ̣ⲉ
44. ⲛⲛⲁⲩ ⲛⲓⲙ̅ ϫⲓ ⲛⲁ̅ⲕ̅ ⲛⲟⲩϭⲱⲃⲉ ⲙⲙⲟⲗⲟⲭⲉ ⲛⲁ̣ⲧⲕⲟⲣⲧⲉ ϥⲛⲁⲗⲟ (kharaktēres: ⳓ . Ω)
45. (kharaktēres: ƎƎƎƎƎƎƎƎƎ . ΥΙΚΟΙΑΠΑΡΙΩ̅Α̅Ω) ⲙⲁⲣⲉⲡⲉⲡⲟⲛⲏⲣ̅ⲓ̅ⲁ̅ ⲛⲓⲙ̅ ⲉⲓ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ
46. (kharaktēres: ƎƎƎ) ϩⲛ ⲧⲁⲡⲏ ⲙ ⲯⲱⲙ̅ⲁ̅ ⲇͅⲇͅ) (kharaktēres: Κ̣ϹΚΕΗΓΚΟ̅Ε̅ΚΕΙΡΡΒΡΗϹ̣¬ς)
47. (kharaktēres: ⊕ИϹ℧ΥΡΕΡϹΗϹΡΟ) (tableau)

[43] For one who has vertigo [44] all the time. Take for yourself an uncut mallow leaf. He will recover.
(kharaktēres: ⳓ . Ω) [45] (kharaktēres: ƎƎƎƎƎƎƎƎƎ . ΥΙΚΟΙΑΠΑΡΙΩ̅Α̅Ω)
May all evil come out [46] (kharaktēres: ƎƎƎ) from the head and the body of NN, child of NN.
(kharaktēres: Κ̣ϹΚΕΗΓΚΟ̅Ε̅ΚΕΙΡΡΒΡΗϹ̣¬ς)
[47] (kharaktēres: ⊕ИϹ℧ΥΡΕΡϹΗϹΡΟ) (tableau)

Tableau:
Tracing by:

Apparatus:

43. ⲥⲕⲟⲧⲉⲩ̣ⲉ i.e. Greek σκοτεύειν
44. ⲙⲟⲗⲟⲭⲉ i.e. Greek μαλάχη
45. ⲡⲉⲡⲟⲛⲏⲣⲓⲁ ⲉ corrected from ⲁ by overwriting i.e. Greek πονηρία
46. ⲙ i.e. Sahidic ⲙⲛ̅ | ⲯⲱⲙ̅ⲁ l. ⲡ-ⲥⲱⲙⲁ i.e. Greek σῶμα | ⲇͅⲇͅ l. ⲇ(ⲉ)ⲓ(ⲛⲁ) ⲇ(ⲉ)ⲓ(ⲛⲁ) i.e. Greek δεῖνα δεῖνα

Notes:

Parallel text: P. Mich. inv. 595 ro ll. 4–8 (KYP M15, T2805)

The ritual process here is not entirely clear. There are no instructions to recite the formula, and the kharaktēres are unlikely to have been pronounced. It seems likely that everything after ϥⲛⲁⲗⲟ is to be copied onto the mallow leaf, which is then worn as an amulet, but this is not explicitly stated.
43. ⲥⲕⲟⲧⲉⲩ̣ⲉ Speransky (2022: p. 148 and 189) identifies it as a Coptic rendering of the verb σκοτοῦν, which can mean “darken, blind” and “make dizzy”, or in the passive, “be in darkness”, “suffer from vertigo”, “be stupefied” (LSJ s.v. σκοτόω). It is related to several other words for dizziness and vertigo attested in the works of Greek medical authors, such as σκότομα (Galen, On Hygiene V 324K) σκοτοδινία/σκοτόδινος (Hippocrates, Aphorisms IV 17; Coan Prenotions 157; Epidemics II 7.84), and σκοτοδινῶ (Hippocrates, Aphorisms VII 87; Prorrhetic II 30). In two other manuscripts from the same archive, P.Mich.inv. 593 (KYP M9, KYP T871) p. 6 l. 17 and P. Mich. inv. 594 (KYP M15; KYP T913) ro l. 10, it appears as ⲉϥⲥⲕⲟⲧⲉⲩ̣[ⲉ]/ⲉϥⲥⲕⲟⲧⲉⲩⲉ. As the text mentions the head and body, but not the eyes, we interpret ⲥⲕⲟⲧⲉⲩ̣ⲉ there as “be dizzy, have vertigo”. In Coptic, σκοτοῦν also appears in that sense as ⲥⲕⲟⲑⲟⲩ and ⲥⲕⲟⲧⲉⲩⲉ in Pseudo-Cyril of Jerusalem, On the Life and Passion of Christ (cc0113) § 109-110 (Van den Broek 2013: p. 162-65), which describes Jesus as “becoming dizzy” (ϣⲁⲛⲧⲉϥⲥⲕⲟⲑⲟⲩ/ⲥⲕⲟⲧⲉⲩⲉ) and falling when struck by a crowd.
46. ⲇͅⲇͅ) Here a curved line similar to a right bracket is used to separate δεῖνα δεῖνα from the following text.

Bibliography:

Speransky, Nina. Transitivity and Aspect in Sahidic Coptic: Studies in the Morphosyntax of Native and Greek-Origin Verbs. Hamburg: Widmaier Verlag, 2022.

Van den Broek, Roelof. Pseudo-Cyril of Jerusalem, On the Life and Passion of Christ. A Coptic Apocryphon. Leiden-Boston: Brill, 2013.

Editor:

KD, MPS, RBS, SVS (23/7/2026)

How to cite:

[Editor names]. "KYP T2797: For treating vertigo," 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-2797. Accessed on 08/10/2026
For the "editor names", see the abbreviated names in the field "Editor", and to resolve the abbreviations, see the help page.

How to cite:

Found a mistake? Let us know!