The autobiography of Weni the Elder
INTRO
TEXT
Glyphs
 
Inscriptn.
 
Translitn.
 
Comments
 
Vocab.
References
HELP
Credits
AEL
Welcome to the AEL website focussing on the inscribed text of Weni. The inscription, which is carved on a large slab of limestone, originally formed one wall of Weni's single-room tomb-chapel (or perhaps a cenotaph rather than a tomb) in the ancient city of Abydos. Although badly damaged, the stone contains fifty-one vertical columns of finely carved hieroglyphs, with one horizontal line on the top containing a prayer for offerings.
 
The damage to the stone means there are many lacunae (lost signs), and even published photographs are very difficult to interpret. To help overcome this problem, this website contains a published hand-drawn copy of the inscription. Line numbering varies between publications and I have used that of K.Sethe (Urk.I).
 
The actual inscribed stone is at the Cairo Museum, No. 1435, and dated to the Sixth Dynasty
(c.2345-2181 BCE).
 
Weni's remarkably long career spanned the 6th Dynasty reigns of Teti, Pepi I, and Merenre.
[Mike Dyall-Smith, October, 1997. Site last updated, 30/12/98]
Help
å
 
 
 
 
 
HELP ! What the various headings mean:
 
Introduction
Background to the text.
Old Egyptian [by G. Graham]
 
Text
Typeset versions of the hieroglyphic inscription. Three versions: see note.
 
Inscription
A hand-copy of the actual inscription.
[by P. Piacentini]
 
Transliteration
Geoffrey Graham's transliteration
Comments
Edited AEL discussion of the text, including a running translation.
 
Vocabulary
Click a sign to find the meaning !
- or here for no-frames version
 
References
Useful books and publications.
 
top
Links
LINKS TO THE FOLLOWING PAGES

 
AEL Page Number
Hieroglyphic pages
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Vocabulary
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Commentary
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Inscription (Lines)
0-10, 10-20, 20-28, 28-36, 35-44, 44-50

 

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NOTE
 
There are three different formats of the hieroglyphic text of this inscription:
 
a) A typeset version of K.Sethe's publication (from 1932).
This is available here.
 
b) An interlinear version for writing your transcription and translation under each line of hieroglyphs. This is available here.
 
c) A compact typeset version, ie. the AEL version found on this website.
 

    [Typesetting by M. Dyall-Smith, to whom all comments should be directed]

 
 
Credits
 
Mike Dyall-Smith - Amateur egyptologist. Designer, builder and maintainer of this web site. Source of all bugs and errors.
 
Geoffrey Graham - Egyptologist, enthusiast of the internet, and major contributor to this project (see the Introduction, Transliteration, many expert commentaries, etc.).
 
Mark Wilson - Amateur egyptologist, AEL discussion list moderator and active supporter of this project.
 
AEL participants - my thanks for all the translations, ideas, discussion, argument, and fun!
The names of all contributors are stated wherever possible, along with details of their posts to the AEL.

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