KYP T-32

KYPRIANOS DATABASE OF ANCIENT RITUAL TEXTS

KYPRIANOS T32

Manuscript:	M84
Sigla:	Berlin P. 8321 BKU 1 5 BKU I 5
Text no. Position of the text within the manuscript.	1
Coptic Scriptorium:	http://data.copticscriptorium.org/texts/magicalpapyri/curse-to-undo-sinews/
Date:	651 – 800

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

Original title:
Original title (translated):
Conventional title:	Curse to undo sinews

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

Text:

Translation:

1. [ ca. 15 ? ] ⲧⲓⲉⲡⲓⲕⲁⲗⲉ ⲙ̅ⲙⲟⲕ ⲙ̅ⲡⲟⲟⲩ
2. ⲥⲟⲩⲣⲟⲭⲭⲁⲧⲁ ⲛⲓϫ̣[ⲱⲱ]ⲣⲉ ϩⲛ̅ ⲧⲉⲩϭⲱⲙ ⲛⲉⲧ-
3. ⲟⲩⲱϣϥ̅ ⲉⲛⲉⲛ̅ⲡⲉⲧⲣⲉ ϩⲛ̅ ⲟⲩⲃⲱⲗ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ
4. ⲙⲁⲣⲉⲡⲁϩⲣⲟⲟⲩ ⲉⲓ ϣⲁⲣⲟⲧⲛ̅ ⲛⲉⲧⲃⲱ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ
5. ⲉⲛ̣ⲉⲙ̅ⲙⲟⲧ ⲙⲛ ⲉⲛⲙⲏⲣⲉ ⲙⲛ̇ ⲉⲛϩⲁⲣⲙⲟⲥ ⲉⲧⲉⲧⲛ̅ⲃⲱⲗ
6. ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲉⲛⲉⲙ̅ⲙⲟⲩⲧ ⲙ̅ⲙⲉⲓ̣ϣⲉ ⲛⲓⲙ̅ ϣⲁ ̅ⲉⲓⲛⲏϩ ⲟⲩⲟ-
7. ⲉⲓϣ ϩⲁⲓⲟ ⲧⲓⲱⲣⲉⲕ ⲉⲣⲟⲧⲛ̅ ⲧⲓⲱⲣⲉⲕ ⲉⲛⲉ-
8. ⲧⲛⲣⲁⲛ ⲙⲛ̇ ⲛⲉⲧⲛⲫⲏⲗⲁⲕⲧⲏⲣⲱⲛ
9. ϩⲁⲓ̣ⲟ̣ ϩ̣ⲁ̣ⲓ̣[ⲟ]

[1] [ … ] I invoke you (s.) today, [2] Sourokhkhata, the strong ones in their power, who [3] crush the rocks in a dissolution! [4] Let my voice come to you (pl.), they who dissolve [5] the sinews and the ligaments and the joints, that you might dissolve [6] the sinews of NN, forever! [7] Yea, I adjure you! I adjure [8] your names and your amulets! [9] Yea, yea!

Tableau:
Tracing by:

Apparatus:

1. [ ca. 15 ? ] : [ 14 ] Erman : Beltz assumes vacat | ⲉⲡⲓⲕⲁⲗⲉ i.e. Greek ἐπικαλεῖν | ⲙ̅ⲙⲟⲕ : ⲙⲙⲟⲕ Beltz
2. ϭⲱⲙ i.e. Sahidic ϭⲟⲙ
3. ⲟⲩⲱϣϥ̅ the supralinear stroke over the phi resembles a sigma, but would not seem to make sense as such : ⲟⲩⲱϣϥ Beltz | ⲉ- i.e. Sahidic ⲛ- | ⲛⲉⲛ̅- i.e. Sahidic ⲛ- | ⲡⲉⲧⲣⲉ i.e. Greek πέτρα
4. ⲛⲉⲧⲃⲱ l. ⲛⲉⲧⲃⲱ⟨ⲗ⟩
5. ⲛⲉⲙ̅ⲙⲟⲧ i.e. Sahidic ⲙ̅-ⲙⲟⲩⲧ | ⲙⲛ ⲉⲛⲙⲏⲣⲉ l. ⲙⲛ ⟨ⲛ⟩ⲉⲛ-ⲙⲏⲣⲉ haplography i.e. Sahidic ⲙⲛ ⲙ̅-ⲙⲣⲣⲉ : eta corrected from . | ⲙⲛ̇ ⲉⲛϩⲁⲣⲙⲟⲥ l. ⲙⲛ ⟨ⲛ⟩ⲉⲛ-ϩⲁⲣⲙⲟⲥ i.e. Sahidic ⲙⲛ ⲛ̣-ϩⲁⲣⲙⲟⲥ i.e. Greek ἁρμός : ⲙⲛ ⲉⲛϩⲁⲣⲙⲟⲥ Erman, Beltz | ⲉⲧⲉⲧⲛ̅- i.e. Sahidic ⲛⲧⲉⲧⲛ̅-
6. ⲉⲛⲉⲙ̅ⲙⲟⲩⲧ i.e. Sahidic ⲉ-ⲙ̅-ⲙⲟⲩⲧ | ⲙ̅ⲙⲉⲓ̣ϣⲉ i.e. Sahidic ⲙⲉϣⲉ Crum CD 201b : ⲙ̅ⲙⲉϣⲉ Erman, Beltz | ⲉⲓⲛⲏϩ i.e. Sahidic ⲉⲛⲉϩ
6-7. ⲉⲓⲛⲏϩ ⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓϣ i.e. Sahidic ⲉⲛⲉϩ ⲛ̅ⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓϣ Crum CD 57b
7. ⲱⲣⲉⲕ i.e. Sahidic ⲱⲣⲕ (twice)
8. ⲙⲛ̇ : ⲙⲛ Erman | ⲫⲏⲗⲁⲕⲧⲏⲣⲱⲛ i.e. Greek φυλακτήριον
9. ϩ̣ⲁ̣ⲓ̣[ⲟ] : ϩⲁ̣ⲓ̣[ⲟ . . . . . . . . ] Erman : ϩⲁⲓⲟ ϩⲁⲓⲟ Beltz

Notes:

2. ⲭⲁⲧⲁ in ⲥⲟⲩⲣⲟⲭⲭⲁⲧⲁ also readable as Greek κατά, although less likely given ⲥⲟⲣⲟⲭⲭⲁ̣ⲧⲧⲁ in P. Berlin P 8324 (T264) l. 1 and ⲥⲟⲣ̅ⲟ̅ⲭ̅ⲁ̅ⲧ̅[ⲁ] in British Library MS Or 6796 (1-3) (T337) l. 56 (Kropp). Kropp and Beltz suggest to compare Zorokthora Melkhisedek, see Erin Evans, The Books of Jeu and the Pistis Sophia as Handbooks to Eternity, Leiden, Brill, 2015, p. 65-66, 136, and Zoroktho in PGM VII.510 (T2660).
5-6. Lexa translates “you who undo cords, knots, and chains, that you undo all these chains” (“vous qui dénouez des cordes, des noeuds et des chaînes, afin que vous dénouiez toujours toutes chaînes”).

Bibliography:

Beltz, Walter. “Die koptischen Zauberpapyri der Papyrus-Sammlung der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin.” Archiv für Papyrusforschung und verwandte Gebiete 29 (1983): p. 72, no. I 543.

Erman, Adolf. Aegyptische Urkunden aus dem Koeniglichen Museen zu Berlin: Koptische Urkunden. Vol. 1. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1904, p. 6, no. 5.

Lexa, František. La magie dans l’Égypte antique de l’ancien empire jusqu’à l’époque copte Vol. 2 Les textes magiques. Paris: Librairie orientaliste P. Geuthner, 1925, p. 165, no. VII.

Kropp, Angelicus. Ausgewählte koptische Zaubertexte. Übersetzungen und Anmerkungen. Vol. 2. Bruxelles: Édition de la Fondation Égyptologique Reine Élisabeth, 1931, p. 25-26, no. 11.

Meyer, Marvin W., and Richard Smith. Ancient Christian Magic: Coptic Texts of Ritual Power. Princeton (New Jersey): Princeton University Press, 1999, p. 224, no. 111.

Editor:

EL’s edition based on Erman’s transcription (20/4/16; 5/9/19); team (18/11/2020)

How to cite:

Korshi Dosoo, Edward O.D. Love & Markéta Preininger (chief editors). "KYP T32: Curse to undo sinews," Kyprianos Database of Ancient Ritual Texts and Objects, www.coptic-magic.phil.uni-wuerzburg.de/index.php/text/kyp-t-32. Accessed on 25/04/2025

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