KYP T-34

KYPRIANOS DATABASE OF ANCIENT RITUAL TEXTS

KYPRIANOS T34

Manuscript:	M474
Sigla:	Strasbourg Bibliothèque Nationale P. K 135
Text no. Position of the text within the manuscript.	1
Coptic Scriptorium:
Date:	641 – 900

Text position:	Ro ll. 1-14
Type of text:	Curse against virility (magical, applied) Virginity (magical, applied)

Original title:
Original title (translated):
Conventional title:	Curse against Shinte to protect the virginity of Seine

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

Text:

Translation:

1. ϣⲓⲛⲧⲉ ⲡϣⲉ ⲛⲧⲁⲛϩⲏⲩ ⲡⲉϯⲛⲁⲉⲣ ϩⲱⲃ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲙⲟⲩⲣ
2. ⲕ̅ⲉ̅ⲩ̅ⲉ̅ⲛ̅ϯ̅ⲟ̅⧸ⲩ⧹ⲥ̅ ‧ ⲡ̅ⲁ̅ϯ̅ⲗ̅ⲟ̅ⲥ̅ ‧ ⲕ̅ⲟ̅ⲩ̅ⲥ̅ ‧ ⲙ̅ⲁ̅ⲕ̅ⲟ̅ⲩ̅ⲥ̅ ‧ ⲡⲉⲛⲧⲁϥϩⲉ ϩⲓϫⲛ
3. ⲡⲉϥϩⲁⲕ̣ⲓ̣ⲁ ⲛ̣ⲁⲱⲣⲁⲧⲟⲛ ‧ ⲁϥⲛⲟⲩϫⲉ ⲙⲟⲟϥ̣ · ⲉⲡⲕⲁⲕⲉ ⲧ-
4. ϩⲓⲃⲟⲗ ‧ ⲙⲟⲩⲣ ‧ ⲧⲁϫⲣⲟ ‧ ⲛⲧⲥⲁⲣⲕⲝ ⲛϣⲓⲛⲧⲉ ⲡϣⲉ ⲛ-
5. ⲧⲁⲛϩⲏⲩ ‧ ⲃ̅ⲁ̅ⲣ̅ ‧ ⲃ̅ⲁ̅ⲣ̅ⲉ ⲁ̅ⲡ̅ⲁ̅ⲕ̅ⲏ̣̅ⲛ̣̅ⲧ̅ⲱ̅ⲣ̅ ⲙ̅ⲉ̅ⲑ̅ⲁ̅ⲗ̅ⲁ̅ⲓ̅
6. ⲙⲟⲩⲣ ⲧⲁϫⲣⲟ ⲛⲧⲥⲁⲣⲕⲝ ‧ ⲉϣⲓⲛⲧⲉ ⲡϣⲉ ⲛⲧⲁⲛ-
7. ϩⲏⲩ ‧ ⲛⲛⲁⲧⲱ̣ⲟⲩⲛ ‧ ⲉⲛⲁⲧⲱⲥ ‧ ⲉⲛⲁϯ ⲥⲡⲉⲣⲡⲉ ̇ ⧸ ϣⲓⲛⲧⲉ ⳽⳽ ⲧⲁⲛϩⲏⲩ ⧹
8. ⲙⲁⲣⲉϥϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲛⲑⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲣⲉⲃⲙⲟⲟⲩⲧ ‧ ⲉϥⲛⲏϫ
9. ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲉⲧⲁⲡⲟⲥ ‧ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲑⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲧⲟⲉⲓⲥ ⲛⲡⲏⲗ-
10. ϭⲉ ⲉⲥⲛⲏϫ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ · ϩⲛ ⲧⲕⲟⲩⲡⲣⲓⲉ ‧ ⲛⲛⲉϥⲏϣ ⲕ-
11. ⲉⲛⲟⲛⲓⲁ ‧ ⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲛⲉϥⲏϣ ⲃⲱⲗ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛⲧⲡⲁⲣⲑⲉ-
12. ⲛⲓⲁ ⲛⲥⲉⲓⲛⲉ ⲧϣⲉ ⲛⲙⲟⲩⲛ̣ⲉ
13. ⲁⲓⲟ ⲁⲓⲟ ⲧⲁ-
14. ⲭⲏ ⲧⲁⲭⲏ

[1] It is upon Shinte, the son of Tanhēu, that I shall work in a binding procedure. [2] Keuentious, Patilos, Kous, Makous, he who fell from [3] his invisible chariot (?) and cast himself into the outer darkness; [4] bind, make fast the flesh of Shinte, the son of [5] Tanhēu! Bar, Bare, Apakēntōr, Methalai; [6] bind, make fast the flesh of Shinte, the son of Tanhēu, [7] unable to rise, unable to harden, unable to ejaculate. Shinte, the son of Tanhēu, [8] let him become like a dead person, lying [9] in a grave, and like a torn rag [10] lying on the dungheap. He will not be able to [11] have intercourse nor will he be able to release the virginity [12] of Seine, the daughter of Moune, [13] yea, yea, [14] quickly, quickly!

Tableau:
Tracing by:

Apparatus:

1. ⲡⲉϯⲛⲁⲉⲣ i.e. Sahidic ⲡ(ⲉ)-ⲉⲧ-ϯ-ⲛⲁ-ⲣ̅ | ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲙⲟⲩⲣ : ⲛⲟⲩⲙⲟⲩⲣ
2. ⲕ̅ⲉ̅ⲩ̅ⲉ̅ⲛ̅ϯ̅ⲟ̅⧸ⲩ⧹ⲥ̅ : ⲕ̅ⲉ̅ⲩ̅ⲉ̅ⲛ̅ϯ̅ⲟ̅ⲥ̅ Crum
3. ϩⲁⲕⲓ̣ⲁ : i.e. Greek ἃρμα ? Crum, does not translate : i.e. Greek ἅγιος Lexa : Kropp, Pernigotti do not translate : i.e. Greek ἃρμα ? Meyer | ⲁⲱⲣⲁⲧⲟⲛ i.e. Greek ἀόρατον | ⲁϥⲛⲟⲩϫⲉ ⲙⲟⲟϥ̣ or translate “he cast him” ? : ⲁϥⲛⲟⲩϫⲉ ⲙⲟⲟⲩ̣ translate “has been cast” (“s’est précipité, “è precipitato”) Crum, Meyer, Pernigotti : l. ⲁⲩⲛⲟⲩϫⲉ ⲙ̅ⲙⲟϥ van der Vliet
3-4. ⲧϩⲓⲃⲟⲗ i.e. Sahidic ⲉⲧ-ϩⲓⲃⲟⲗ (haplography)
4. ⲥⲁⲣⲕⲝ i.e. Greek σάρξ : ⲥⲁⲣⲝ Crum
6. ⲥⲁⲣⲕⲝ i.e. Greek σάρξ | ⲉϣⲓⲛⲧⲉ i.e. Sahidic ⲛ̅-ϣⲓⲛⲧⲉ
7. ⲛⲛⲁⲧⲱⲟⲩⲛ omega corrected from unclear letter i.e. Sahidic ⲛ̅-ⲁⲧ-ⲧⲱⲟⲩⲛ | ⲉⲛⲁⲧⲱⲥ ie. Sahidic ⲛ̅-ⲁⲧ-ⲧⲱⲥ | ⲉⲛⲁϯ ⲥⲡⲉⲣⲡⲉ i.e. Sahidic ⲛ̅-ⲁⲧ-ϯ ⲥⲡⲉⲣⲙⲁ i.e. Greek σπέρμα : ⲉⲛⲁϯ ⲥⲡⲉⲣⲙⲉ Crum | ⧸ ϣⲓⲛⲧⲉ ⳽⳽ ⲧⲁⲛϩⲏⲩ ⧹ l. ϣⲓⲛⲧⲉ (ⲡϣⲉ) ⲛ̅ⲧⲁϩⲏⲩ : Crum prints this in the following line, after ⲛⲟⲩⲣⲉⲃⲙⲟⲟⲩⲧ
8. ⲣⲉⲃⲙⲟⲟⲩⲧ i.e. Sahidic ⲣⲉϥⲙⲟⲟⲩⲧ
9. ⲉⲧⲁⲡⲟⲥ i.e. Greek τάφος
9-10. ⲡⲏⲗϭⲉ i.e. Sahidic ⲡⲗ̅ϭⲉ
10. ⲧⲕⲟⲩⲡⲣⲓⲉ i.e. Greek κοπρία : ⲟⲩⲕⲟⲡⲣⲓⲉ Crum | ⲛⲛⲉϥⲏϣ i.e. Sahidic ⲛ̅ⲛⲉ⸗ϥ-ϣ̅
10-11. ⲕⲉⲛⲟⲛⲓⲁ i.e. Greek κοινωνεῖν
11. ⲟⲩⲧⲉ i.e. Greek οὔτε | ⲛⲉϥⲏϣ i.e. Sahidic ⲛ̅ⲛⲉ⸗ϥ-ϣ̅ : ⲛⲉϥⲏ̣ϣ Crum
11-12. ⲡⲁⲣⲑⲉⲛⲓⲁ i.e. Greek παρθένια
12. ⲛⲙⲟⲩⲛ̣ⲉ : ⲛⲙ̣ⲟⲩⲛ̣ⲉ Crum
13-14. ⲧⲁⲭⲏ i.e. Greek ταχύ
14. ⲧⲁⲭⲏ i.e. Greek ταχύ

Notes:

2-3. ⲡⲉⲛⲧⲁϥϩⲉ ϩⲓϫⲛ ⲡⲉϥϩⲁⲕ̣ⲓ̣ⲁ ⲛ̣ⲁⲱⲣⲁⲧⲟⲛ For a discussion of this problematic passage, see van der Vliet p. 411-412. Ritner in Meyer proposes to translate “the one who has found his state of blessedness untimely” ( cf. Greek ἂωρος), suggesting that this might refer to a martyr, although this seems unlikely to us.
7. ⳽⳽ This seems to be a variant of the abbreviation for δεῖνα δεῖνα (“NN (child of) NN”), whose fuller form is , but here it seems to be used as an abbreviation for “child of”.

Bibliography:

Crum, Walter E. “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. 541-542.

Kropp, Angelicus. Ausgewählte koptische Zaubertexte. Übersetzungen und Anmerkungen. Vol. 2. Bruxelles: Édition de la Fondation Égyptologique Reine Élisabeth, 1931, p. 228, no. 68.

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, no. XVI.

Meyer, Marvin W., and Richard Smith. Ancient Christian Magic: Coptic Texts of Ritual Power. Princeton (New Jersey): Princeton University Press, 1999, p. 181, no. 87.

Pernigotti, Sergio. “La magia copta: i testi.” In Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt II 18.5, edited by W. Hasse and H. Temporini. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1995, p. 3723-3724, no. 29.

van der Vliet, Jacques. “Satan’s Fall in Coptic Magic.” In Ancient Magic and Ritual Power, edited by Marvin Meyer and Paul Mirecki. Leiden: Brill, 1995, p. 411–412.

Editor:

EL’s edition from Crum (1922); EL (27/1/2020); edited from autopsy by KD (1/12/2021); team (19/1/2022)

How to cite:

Korshi Dosoo & Markéta Preininger (principal editors). "KYP T34: Curse against Shinte to protect the virginity of Seine," Kyprianos Database of Ancient Ritual Texts and Objects, www.coptic-magic.phil.uni-wuerzburg.de/index.php/text/kyp-t-34. Accessed on 24/10/2025

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