KYP T-300

KYPRIANOS DATABASE OF ANCIENT RITUAL TEXTS

KYPRIANOS T300

Manuscript:	M83
Sigla:	Berlin P. 8320 BKU I 2 BKU 1 2
Text no. Position of the text within the manuscript.	1
Coptic Scriptorium:
Date:	651 – 800

Text position:	Ro ll. 1-9
Type of text:	Love spell (magical, formulary, erotic)

Original title:
Original title (translated):
Conventional title:	Love spell invoking devil

Language:	Egyptian (Coptic)
Dialect:	Sahidic with Fayumic features
Script:	Coptic
Image:

Text:

Translation:

Recto
→
1. (h1) ϣⲟⲩⲣⲓ̈ⲛ ϣⲁ̣ⲩⲣⲁⲛ ϣⲟⲩⲧⲁⲃⲁⲛ ϣⲟⲩⲧⲁⲃⲉⲛⲉⲓ̈ ⲃⲟⲛⲏⲥⲏ ϣⲁⲣⲥⲁⲃⲉⲛⲉⲣ̣[ . . . . ]
2. ⲥⲁⲧⲁⲛⲁⲥ ⲡⲇⲓ̈ⲁⲃⲟⲗⲟⲥ ⲡⲉⲛⲧⲁⲃϫⲁϩϫ ⲛⲡⲉϥϭⲉⲣⲟϥ ⲉⲡⲕⲁϩ ⲉϩ̣[ⲟⲩⲛ]
3. ⲉⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲉⲧⲟⲛⲁϩ ϫⲉ ⲁⲛⲕ ⲟⲩⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ϩⲱ ⲧⲓ̈ⲥⲉⲡⲥ̅ⲡ̅ ⲁⲩⲱ [ⲧ]ⲓ̈ⲡⲁⲣⲁⲕ̣[ⲁⲗⲉⲓ]
4. ⲛⲙⲟⲧⲉⲛ ⧹ⲧⲏⲣⲧⲉⲛ⧸ ⲛⲡⲟⲟⲩ ϫⲉⲕⲁⲁⲥ ⲉⲧⲉⲧⲛⲉⲉⲓ̈ ⲛⲁⲓ̈ ⲉ̣ϩ̣ⲣ̣ⲁ̣ⲓ̈ ⲉϫ[ⲛ . . . ] . . [ . . . . . ]
5. ⲛⲁⲓ̈ ⲉⲧϣⲟⲟⲡ ϩⲛ ⲛⲁ̣ϭⲓ̈ϫ ⲛⲡⲟⲟⲩ ϫⲉ ϩⲉⲛ ⲧⲉⲩⲛ̣ⲟⲩ ⲉⲓ̈ⲛⲁⲧⲁⲁⲩ ⲛⲓⲙ [ⲛ-]
6. ⲥⲟⲩⲱⲙ ⲏ ⲥⲱ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛϩⲏⲧⲟⲩ ⲉⲧⲉⲧⲛⲉⲙⲟⲩⲣ ⲛⲡⲉⲥϩⲏⲧ ⲙⲛⲧⲉ[ⲥⲥⲁ-]
7. ⲣⲉⲝ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲣⲟⲓ̈ ϣⲁ ⲓ̈ⲛⲉϩ ⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓ̈ϣ ⲁⲓⲱ ⲁⲓ̈ⲱ ϩⲛ ⲧϭ̣ⲟ̣ⲙ ⲛ̣ⲙ̣[ⲁⲥ-]
8. ⲕⲗⲓ̅ⲛ ⲙⲁⲥⲕⲗⲓ̈ⲛⲉⲙⲁⲥ ⲙ̣ⲁ̣ⲥⲕⲗⲓ̈ⲛⲁⲩⲱⲑ ⲁⲓⲱ ⲁⲓ[ⲱ . ? ]
9. + ⲟⲩⲃⲟⲧⲉ ⲛ[ⲙⲥⲑⲏ]ⲧ ⲟⲩⲥⲛⲟϥ ⲛⲧⲏⲏ⧹ⲃ⧸ⲉ

[Recto, 1] Šourin, Šauran, Šoutaban, Shoutabenei Bonēsē, Sharsabener[…] [2] Satanas, the devil, he who struck the earth with his staff [before] [3] the living god, saying, “I too am a God!”, I entreat you and I call upon [4] you (pl.), all of you, today, that you come down to me upon […] [5] these that are in my hand, today, so that as soon as I give them ⟨to⟩ NN [and] [6] she eats or drinks from them, you will bind her heart and her [7] flesh for me for all time, yea, yea, by the power of [8] Masklin, Masklinemas, Masklinaōth +, yea, yea […] ! [9] + Sweat from ⟨the⟩ chest (?), blood from ⟨a⟩ finger.

Tableau:
Tracing by:

Apparatus:

Recto
1. ϣⲁ̣ⲩⲣⲁⲛ : ϣⲟ̣ⲩⲣⲁⲛ Erman : ϣⲟⲩⲣⲁⲛ Beltz | ϣⲁⲣⲥⲁⲃⲉⲛⲉⲣ̣ : ϣⲁⲣⲥⲁⲃⲉⲛⲉⲓ̣ Dosoo 2021 : ϣⲁⲣⲥⲁⲃⲉⲛ ⲉⲣ . . Beltz
2. ⲥⲁⲧⲁⲛⲁⲥ i.e. Greek Σατανᾶς | ⲇⲓ̈ⲁⲃⲟⲗⲟⲥ i.e. Greek διάβολος | ⲛⲡⲉϥϭⲉⲣⲟϥ i.e. Sahidic ⲙ̅ⲡⲉ⸗ϥ-ϭⲉⲣⲱⲃ | ⲉⲡⲕⲁϩ : ⲉⲕⲁϩ Beltz
3. ⲉⲧⲟⲛⲁϩ corrected from ⲉⲧⲁⲛⲁϩ | ⲥⲉⲡⲥ̅ⲡ̅ : ⲥⲟⲡⲥⲡ Erman, Beltz | ⲡⲁⲣⲁⲕ̣[ⲁⲗⲉⲓ] i.e. Greek παρακαλεῖν : ⲧⲓ̈ⲡⲁⲣⲁⲕ̣ⲁ̣[ⲗⲉⲓ] Beltz
4. ⲛⲙⲟⲧⲉⲛ i.e. Sahidic ⲙ̅ⲙⲱ⸗ⲧⲛ̅ | ⲧⲏⲣⲧⲉⲛ i.e. Sahidic ⲧⲏⲣ⸗ⲧⲛ̅ | ⲛⲡⲟⲟⲩ i.e. Sahidic ⲙ̅-ⲡⲟⲟⲩ | ⲉϫ̣[ⲛ . . . ] . . [ . . . . . ] : “over this cup of wine” (“sur cette coupe de vin”), e.g. ⲉϫⲛ ⲡⲓⲁⲡⲟⲧ ⲛ̅ⲏⲣⲡ̅ Lexa | ⲉϫ[ⲛ] : ⲉϫⲛ̣ Beltz
5. ⲛⲡⲟⲟⲩ i.e. Sahidic ⲙ̅-ⲡⲟⲟⲩ | ⲛⲓⲙ i.e. Sahidic ⲛ̅-ⲛⲓⲙ
6. ⲏ i.e. Greek ἤ | ⲛⲡⲉⲥ- i.e. Sahidic ⲙ̅-ⲡⲉ⸗ⲥ-
6-7. [ⲥⲁ]ⲣⲉⲝ i.e. Greek σάρξ
7. ⲓ̈ⲛⲉϩ i.e. Sahidic ⲉⲛⲉϩ | ⲧϭ̣ⲟ̣ⲙ ⲛ̣ⲙ̣[ⲁⲥ-] : ϩⲛ ⲧϭⲓϫ ⲛⲟ[ⲩⲛⲁⲙ] Erman 1904, Beltz, Kropp, Lexa
8. ⲙⲁⲥⲕⲗⲓ̈ⲛⲉⲙⲁⲥ corrected from ⲙⲁⲥⲕⲗⲓ̈ⲛⲉⲙⲁⲙ | ⲁⲩⲱⲑ theta has a long strone on the horizontal bar, with what may be a small vertical cross towards its end resembling a ligature ⲑ+ : ⲁⲩⲱⲑ— Erman 1904 : ⲁⲩⲱ ⲑⲓ Beltz : l. ⲁⲩⲱ ⲑ(ⲩⲥⲓⲁ) i.e. Greek θυσία ? Kropp, Beltz | [ . ? ] : [ⲧⲁⲭⲏ ⲧⲁⲭⲏ] Beltz
9. ⲛ[ⲙⲥⲑⲏ]ⲧ cf. Cairo JdE 42573 p. 3 ll. 1-2 (KYP T1680) ⲧⲃⲱ ⲧⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲕⲙⲉⲥⲧⲛϩⲏⲧ
: ⲙ[ⲉⲥⲑⲏ]ⲧ van der Vliet : ⲛϩ̣[ⲟⲟⲩ]ⲧ Erman 1895, Kropp, Beltz | ⲟⲩⲥⲛⲟϥ ⲛⲧⲏⲏ⧹ⲃ⧸ⲉ : i.e. Sahidic ⲥⲛⲟϥ ⲛ̅-ⲧⲃ̅ⲃⲟ “menstrual blood” (“Menstruationsblut”) Beltz

Notes:

Bibliography:

Beltz, Walter. “Die koptischen Zauberpapyri der Papyrus-Sammlung der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin.”Archiv für Papyrusforschung und verwandte Gebiete 29 (1983): p. 71, no. I 542.

Erman, Adolf. Aegyptische Urkunden aus dem Koeniglichen Museen zu Berlin: Koptische Urkunden. Vol. 1. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1904, p. 3, no. 2,

Dosoo, Korshi. “Horus, Sabaoth, Satanas: La ‘Bibliothèque magique de Berlin’ et les autres fonds d’archives magiques de l’Égypte romaine et des premiers siècles de la période islamique”, in Jean-Charles Coulon (ed.), Magie et sciences occultes dans le monde islamique, Marseille: Diacritiques Éditions, 2021, p. 110-111.

Erman, Adolf. “Heidnisches bei den Kopten.” Zeitschrift für Ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde no. 33 (1895): 48-50.

Kropp, Angelicus. Ausgewählte koptische Zaubertexte. Übersetzungen und Anmerkungen. Vol. 2. Bruxelles: Édition de la Fondation Égyptologique Reine Élisabeth, 1931, p. 23-24, no. 9.

Lexa, František. La magie dans l’Égypte antique de l’ancien empire jusqu’à l’époque copte. Les textes magiques. Vol. 2. Paris: Librairie orientaliste P. Geuthner, 1925, p. 164, no. IV.

van der Vliet, Jacques. “Varia magica coptica.” Aegyptus 71.1/2 (1991): 227.

Editor:

Transcription and preliminary translation by KD (10/9/2019); transcription checked with the original by EL (21/11/2019), translation checked and edition completed with apparatus by EL (17/8/2020); team from photograph (15/3/2021); deleted redundant word (MPS 11/10/2023)

How to cite:

Korshi Dosoo & Markéta Preininger (principal editors). "KYP T300: Love spell invoking devil," Kyprianos Database of Ancient Ritual Texts and Objects, www.coptic-magic.phil.uni-wuerzburg.de/index.php/text/kyp-t-300. Accessed on 21/11/2025

How to cite:

Found a mistake? Let us know!