Manuscript: | M126 |
Sigla: | PCM 1 4 |
Text no. ![]() | 3 |
Coptic Scriptorium: | |
Date: | 401 – 700 |
Text position: | p. 4 l. 1-p. 6 l. 2 |
Type of text: | Love spell (magical, formulary) |
Original title: | |
Original title (translated): | |
Conventional title: | Love spell |
Language: | Egyptian (Coptic) |
Dialect: | Sahidic with Fayumic features |
Script: | Coptic |
Image: |
Text: | Translation: |
p. 4 p. 5 p. 6 |
[p. 4 l. 1] The arrow goes around the sun, the water-wheel [2] goes around the moon. The Pleiades are in the [3] midst of the fire. The fire consumes [4] the three deities, they are kindling a fire [5] under the bones of Apis and Isis and [6] Osiris. The arrow will not stop going around [7] the sun, the water-wheel will not stop going around [8] the moon, the Pleiades will not cease to be in the midst [9] of the fire, the fire will not [10] stop consuming the three deities, [11] they will not stop kindling fire under the bones [12] of Apis, Isis, and Osiris, [13] Abrasax will not cease to be in the midst of [14] the fire, driving it on, calling [15] out, “I am not going to come out from [16] the midst of this fire, driving on NN, child of NN, to … [p. 5 l .1] to NN, child of NN! I restrain the [2] power of Seth until he does my desire! [3] Zeth, Iō Seth, Iō Pakerbeth, [4] Iō Phenix, Iō Paphulax, [5] Baōtōr! Bull-faced Petbe, [6] he who uproots the foundations of the earth, [7] move yourself, awaken yourself [8] against NN, the daughter of NN, carry her to [9] NN, child of NN! If you move yourself, [10] the foundations of the earth will shake, if you [11] move yourself [12] the firmaments of the heaven and [13] the thrones and those who sit upon them [11] will be shaken [14] and they will all worship you (f.s.) (?), and they run [15] down … one another, and [16] they will call out in a great voice, [p. 6 l. 1] “Seize NN, child of NN, bring her to [2] NN, child of NN, by ⟨the⟩ power of Iao Sabaoth!” ⟨Add the⟩ usual. |
Tableau: | |
Tracing by: |
Apparatus: | p. 4 1. ⲕ̣ⲱⲧⲉ : [ⲕ]ⲱⲧⲉ Pernigotti 1979 | ϫⲁⲗⲟⲟⲩ i.e. Sahidic ⲧ-ϣⲁⲗⲟⲟⲩ (note article ⲧ written twice) p. 5 1. ⲕⲁⲧ̣ⲓⲭⲉ i.e. Greek κατέχειν : ⲕⲁ[ⲧ]ⲓⲭⲉ Pernigotti 1979 | ⲇͅⲇͅ i.e. Sahidic ⲛ̅ⲇͅⲇͅ : ⲇͅⲇͅ l. ⲇ(ⲉⲓⲛⲁ) ⲇ(ⲉⲓⲛⲁ) i.e. Greek δεῖνα δεῖνα p. 6 1. ϩⲁⲣⲡⲁⲥⲥⲉ i.e. Greek ἁρπάζειν | ⲇͅⲇͅ l. ⲇ(ⲉⲓⲛⲁ) ⲇ(ⲉⲓⲛⲁ) i.e. Greek δεῖνα δεῖνα | ⲁⲛⲓⲧ̣ⲥ̣ : ⲁⲛⲓⲧⲥ Pernigotti 1979 |
Notes: | p. 4 1. ⲧⲥⲟⲧⲉ Here we follow the translation “the arrow” (Crum CD 361b) proposed by Pernigotti 1979 p. 36, 1993, p. 112-113 although it would also be possible to translate “the fire” (Crum CD 360a s.v. ⲥⲁⲧⲉ); Pernigotti 1979 understands it as the constellation of the same name (apparently Sagitta, Greek Οἰστός, although Pernigotti he refers to τόξον “the bow”). For a parallel, cf. Berlin P. 5565 (M 122, T179) ll. 7-8. p. 5 4. ⲡⲁⲫⲩⲗⲁⲝ could be understood as “my guardian” (ⲡⲁ-ⲫⲩⲗⲁⲝ i.e. Greek φύλαξ), but it seems to function simply as a vox magica here. |
Bibliography: | Bélanger Sarrazin, Roxanne. “Les divinités gréco-égyptiennes dans les textes magiques coptes : Une étude du syncrétisme religieux en Égypte tardo-antique et médiévale”. PhD Diss, University of Ottawa, 2020. |
Editor: | Text from Pernigotti, transcribed with provisional translation by KD (27/1/2020); text checked with photograph of the original, slight changes to translation and apparatus by EL (16/6/2020) (17/6/2020); edits KD (29/7/2020); checked based on photograph from Pernigotti 1993 (team and Roxanne Bélanger Sarrazin 16/12/2020) |