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Unique birds in Ancient Egypt

Chapter · January 2018

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Hoopoe in Ancient Egypt Venice Ibrahim Attia

Hoopoe in Ancient Egypt

By
Venice Ibrahim Attia

-The hoopoe , “Upupa, Epops and and north Asian hoopoes migrate to
Hudhud respectively are its Latin , the warmer areas of the world in
Ancient Greek and Arabic names”, winter.
it named after the sound which it
produces as they are known to be
vocal birds with a distinctive call
sounds like “Hooo -Pooo, oop-oop-
oop” and is repeated 3 – 5 times
each time it calls, it is known for its
colourful “black, white and The hoopoe
orangey-pink , quite similar to
tiger’s colours ” feathers and - The hoopoe is a medium sized
distinctive large erectile crest bird,about 25-32 cm long, 44-48 cm
“crown” composed of 28 feathers on wings, weighing about 46-89 grams.
its head, with a long, thin tapering
bill that is black with a fawn base ,
it posseses a long ,strong black beak
slightly curved as an adaptation for
the feeding on the ground, they are
widespread in North Africa,
Europe, and Asia, thus the African
populations of hoopoes are
sedentary all year but the European Abundace and distribution of hoopoe in the world

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Hoopoe in Ancient Egypt Venice Ibrahim Attia

Scientific classification which are usually milky blue (or

light blue-green) coloured on laying
and quickly changes to creamy to
Kingdom: Animalia
white colored and is responsible for
incubating them, thus an average
Phylum: Chordata egg weighs about 4.5 grams,
hatching after 15 to 18 days of
Class: Aves incubation.

Order: Bucerotiformes

Family: Upupidae
Leach, 1820

Genus: Upupa
Linnaeus, 1758

Species

 Upupa africana

 Upupa antaios

 Upupa epops

 Upupa marginata

-The hoopoe is monogamous ( male
& female) , the mating bond lasts
for a single season, the males are
territorial calling frequently to
advertise his ownership of the
territory, they don’t gather twigs
and find a nice nook on a tree
branchto make a nest they rather
nest in holes in tree trunks, cliffs,
and walls making a narrow
entrance, female lays 4 – 7 eggs
Milky blue coloured changing to creamy colored.
-Hoopoe female birds produces a
“stinky brown secretion” during
breeding season from its uropygial
gland as it enalrges exceptionally
producing dark brown fluid having
the odour of rotten meat, this
secretion discolours the eggs and
coats it forming anti-microbial
proteins, guarding the eggs against

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Hoopoe in Ancient Egypt
infection, thus the eggshell has
“specialized tiny craters( pits) to
hold the secretion in place”.
Under microscope pits in a hoopoe’s eggshell, & a
close up of the pits, with secretion inside.
-Hoopoe feeds on plants, insects
(crickets, locusts, beetles, earwigs,
cicadas, ant lions, bugs and ants),
small reptiles as frogs and lizards.
Hoopoe feeding chicks
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-Hoopoe birds has a special defence
technique where it spreads its tail
and wings flat to the ground
pointing its beak upwards when
attacked by a predator, as well as it
is a way of relaxing in tne sun and
showing terretorial ownership.
Hoopoe relaxing in the sunshine or in defensive
situation
-Hoopoe bird is known to give
warning on detecting climatic
changes in the atmosphere that
heralded an electrical storm, it also
detects earthquake piezoelectric
charges ten to twelve hours before
it happens, it is known also that it
has the ability of detecting
underground water.
May, 2018 Page 3
Hoopoe in Ancient Egypt
-The bird's crest is considered to be
an indication to his royal status,
and his long, sharp beak symbolizes
his violent nature.
–Albertus Magnus (Albert de Groot
1193–1280), a Dominican friar
from Cologne wrote the famous
“De Mineralibus ”Book of Minerals
and discovered “Arsenic”,
mentioned a stone named “ the
Hoopoe (Quiritia ) Stone” as
follows:- “Quiritia is a stone
sometimes found in the nest of the
hoopoe, a bird entirely [devoted to]
illusions and augury, according to
the magicians and soothsayers. This
stone reveals secrets and produces
hallucinations, if placed on the
breast of a sleeper (Wyckoff 1967,
114).
- In addition and according to
legend the quirin, also known as the
traitor's stone, is a magic stone
when placed on a sleeping person's
head, the stone causes him to reveal
his innermost thoughts
Albertus Magnus, saint Albert the great, Albert of
Cologne
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-Also Camillus Leonardus (
Leonardi, Camillo 1451-1550),
early-sixteenth-century Italian
astronomer, mineralogist and
physician author of “The Mirror of
Stone ” book first published in 1750
by J. Freeman in London.
– Also the book titeled “Mirror of
Stones” is one of the earliest
references that describes the
qualities and virtues of over two
hundred( 279 ) Gems, Stones,
precious gems and jewels, refers to
the hoopoe stone as “Quirinus, or
Quirus, a juggling Stone, found in
the “Nest of the Hoopoop”,
mentioning that “The virtue of it is
that if it is laid on the breast of one
who is sleeping, it forces him to
discover his rogueries” (Leonardus
1750, 222).
Camillus Leonardus ( Leonardi, Camillo)
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Hoopoe in Ancient Egypt Venice Ibrahim Attia

as its blood was used in medical

prescriptions, thus its medicinal
virtues were listed by Pliny, and in
the Syriac Book of Medicine, and
also was mentioned in 1752 in the
English translation of the
Pharmacopoeia Universalis.

Some pages of “The Mirror of Stones” by Camillus

Leonardus (Camillo Leonardi)

Some pages of “The Mirror of Stones” by Camillus

Leonardus (Camillo Leonardi)

- Hoopoes were considered as a

symbol of virtue in Persia; a hoopoe
was the leader of the birds in the
Persian book of poems “The
Conference of the Birds”, also
considered as the king of birds in
the ancient Greek comedy “The
Birds” by Aristophanes, thus one of
the tales involving a hoopoe is
related by Ovid in his
“Metamorpheses ”
- The Arabs in old times used to
name the hoopoe bird the “Doctor
due to what they thought to be
unique medicinal qualities.
- in Greco-Roman and Coptic
Egypt its various body parts as well

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Hoopoe in Ancient Egypt Venice Ibrahim Attia

Hoopoe in Ancient Egypt

- Hoopoe in hieroglyphs is written
as a letter in the shape of a hoopoe
having the phonetic value of Db

Hoopoe in hieroglyph (phonetic value of Db)

Drawing of a wall painting in the Mastaba of

-Hoopoe is named ḏbȝw in ancient Nianchchnuma and Chnumhotep V at Saqqara
Egyptian language bearing the (After Wolfgang Decker and Michael Herb).
meaning of “the crowned or crested
one”.
-Hoopoe bird (bears number G22 in
Sir Alan Gardiner’s list) was well
known in ancient Egypt , mainly
depicted on wall paintings in tombs.

Hoopoe depicted in a scene with the priestess of

Amun

Relief with the depiction of Amenhotep II, v dynasty

bearing the hoopoe word in 3 positions today at the Hoopoe depicted in a scene with the priestess of
Museum of Egyptian Art in Luxor Amun
(After Wolfgang Decker and Michael Herb)

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Hoopoe in Ancient Egypt Venice Ibrahim Attia

Userkaf (2494-2487, first ruler of

the 5th Dynasty) at Abusir,
depecting a flock of birds and a
butterfly in a papyrus thicket, with
other species of birds depicted: a
pied kingfisher hovers above, a
hoopoe, a scared ibis, a night heron
and a purple gallinule standing on
papyrus umbels or lotus flowers.
A depiction of a flying hoopoe in Mastaba no 5 in
Saqqara now in th Louvre Museum.

A panel, carved in bas relief, found in the mortuary

Wall painting depecting two males one of them is temple of Userkaf (2494-2487, first ruler of the 5th
holding a hoopoe in his hand and the other holding Dynasty), depecting a flock of birds and a butterfly in
another crested bird. a papyrus thicket. A pied kingfisher hovers above, a
Tomp of visir Ptahsepsese at Abusir hoopoe, scared ibis, night heron and a purple
gallinule stands on papyrus umbels or lotus flowers.
Egyptian Museum Cairo.
The main contexts where hoopoe
bird is found in ancient Egyptian
Depictions may be classified as
follows:-
1- bird-trapping scenes (e.g., in the
case of Saqqara tombs from the 5th
Dynasty).
2- perching on a tree; such context
is clearly explained in a panel,
carved in bas relief, housed and
kept in Egyptian Museum, Cairo
found in the mortuary temple of Close up to hoopoe carving

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Hoopoe in Ancient Egypt Venice Ibrahim Attia

-Also an early depiction of hoopoe

recorded is in a funerary Scene
painting on the wall of
Khnumhotep II “H̱ nmḥtp” tomb at
Beni Hasan dates from the
XIIth“12th Dynasty ”of Egypt, the
funerary Scene is a depiction of
different kinds and species of birds
perching on an acacia tree
branches ( tree of life) including a
hoopoe.

Different kinds and species of birds perching on an

acacia tree branches including a hoopoe.

- Also The solar hoopoe depicted

Lepsius, Denkmaler, v. 2, pl. 130, Courtesy of
Universitats- und Landesbibliothek Sachsen-Anhalt,
ULB-Halle
on Khnumhotep’s tree refers to
thier caring for and protectection of
the tombs owner on his journey to
rebirth, thus awaiting him in the
eastern sky after his rebirth that is
explained by the special habbit of
hoopoe birds of having sun bath ,
relaxing on the ground spreading
its wings enjoying the sun rays.
- In addition, there is a relief from
Ka-Em-Nofrets chapel dated to the
(V) 5th Dynasty depicting some
flying birds among them a flying
hoopoe is carved spreading its
wings in a flying position .

Earliest depiction recorded is in a painting on the

wall of Knumhotpe tomb at Beni Hasan, dates from
the XIIth Dynasty of Egypt

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Hoopoe in Ancient Egypt
Hoopoe spreading its wings in a flying positionon on
a relief from Ka-Em-Nofrets chapel 5th Dynasty
3- Held in the hands of children,
and in such case, the child often
holds hoopoe in one hand, and his
other hand holds his father’s staff.
– Such case is clearly of great
significant meaning in ancient
Egyptian religion as well as cult
where the child God Horus son of
Isis and Osiris was represented
holding a hoopoe bird in one of his
hands.
God Horus (Harpocrate) holding a pet hoopoe,
Brusells.
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God Horus (Harpocrate) holding a pet hoopoe,
Cairo
– such context where the hoopoe is
held in children’s hands is well
featured during the Old Kingdom
epoch of Egypt, where the hoopoe
was considered as a symbol
indicating that the child was the
heir and successor of his father,
such explanation and
interpretation of hoopoe held in
child hand has been mentioned by
several great Egyptologists and
famous historians as follows:
- Ludwig Keimer “Quelques
remarques sur la huppe (Upupa
epops) dans l'Égypte ancienne,
BIFAO 30 (1931), pl.III” .
Ludwig Keimer (Archiv des Deutschen
Archäologischen Instituts)
May, 2018 Page 9
Hoopoe in Ancient Egypt Venice Ibrahim Attia

Boy holding hoopoe, Ludwig Keimer, Quelques

remarques sur la huppe (Upupa epops) dans l'Égypte Boy holding hoopoe, Ludwig Keimer, Quelques
ancienne, BIFAO 30 (1931) remarques sur la huppe (Upupa epops) dans l'Égypte
ancienne, BIFAO 30 (1931), pl.III

Boy holding hoopoe, Ludwig Keimer, Quelques

remarques sur la huppe (Upupa epops) dans l'Égypte Senedjemib Mehi with his family( fifth dynasty)
ancienne, BIFAO 30 (1931)

Boy holding hoopoe, Ludwig Keimer, Quelques Details of Senedjemib Mehi where one of his
remarques sur la huppe (Upupa epops) dans l'Égypte children holds a hoopoe bird in his right hand
ancienne, BIFAO 30 (1931)

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Hoopoe in Ancient Egypt
A scene depicting a young boy standing at the feet of
his father , holding a hoopoe bird in one of his hsnds
and holding his father staff in the other hand.
-According to the bestiaries of Pliny
the Elder (Gaius Plinius Secundus)
and Isidore of Sville (Saint Isidore
of Seville) hoopoe is one of only
hand couple of animals whose youth
and adult birds deal with senior
and elder birds with sympathy
when they become old and feeble.
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Pliny the Elder (Gaius Plinius Secundus)
- In addition, Claudius Aelianus
(Greek: Κλαύδιος Αἰλιανός 175 –
235 AD), known as Aelian Roman
author and teacher of rhetoric who
flourished under Septimius Severus
& author of “ De Natura
Animalium”; stated that
Egyptians honored
the hoopoe because it cared for its
elders (De natura
animalium, 10.16), and this is the
case where the scene of an Egyptian
child holds a hoopoe in one hand
and his fathers staff in the other
hand , thus the staff
“staff of old age” of his father, and
this is a caring child who “feeds”
the elder just as the young hoopoe
feeds its parents.
May, 2018 Page 11
Hoopoe in Ancient Egypt
Saint Isidore of Seville
Author of an etymological encyclopedia which
assembled extracts of many books from classical
antiquity.
-Also according to Horapollo Nilous
(5th century, one of the last leaders
of Egyptian priesthood at a school
in Menouthis, near Alexandria,
during the reign of Zeno (AD 474–
491), A Greek Egyptian historian
and author of a treatise, titled
Hieroglyphica ) the hoopoe was
famous for being grateful towards
its parents, hence their depiction in
the hand of a child refers to his care
and attention towards of his parents
when they are old as he or she is the
heir and successor of his father .
Hieroglyphica of Horapollo Nilous
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4- Another context referring to the
hoopoe can be found in manuscript
texts for example:
-In the Great Magical Papyrus of
London and Leyden “in demotic
Egyptian language”, the Hoopoe
occurs several times
The London Magical Papyrus
British Museum
-Another papyrus in the Leyden
Museum is “in demotic Egyptian
language” contains a number of
animal fables where the hoopoe is
in friendly alliance with the falcon.
–In a magico-medical prescriptions
manuuscripts, where it has been
mentioned that hoopoe blood is
used as a charm and in an another
prescription its blood is used as a
medicament to be smeared on the
eyes to producing visions.
–It has been also mentioned in
other various manuscripts where
the hoopoe, its was referred to as
being used in medical prescriptions
and magic ingredients of several
spells such as :
- A love spell inscription calls for a
live hoopoe is found in the
“Demotic Magical Papyrus of
London and Leiden COL. XXV.”
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Hoopoe in Ancient Egypt
translated as follows:
“A method to put the heart of a
woman after a man; done in one
moment (?), and it comes to pass
instantly.You take a swallow (?)
alive, together with a hoopoe, (both)
alive. Ointment made for them:
blood, of a male ass, blood of the
tick (?) of a black cow; you anoint
their heads with lotus ointment; you
utter a cry before the sun in his
moment of rising; you cut off the
heads of the two; you take the heart
out of the right ribs of both of
them; you anoint it with the ass's
blood and the blood of the tick (?)
of a black cow, as aforesaid; you
put them into an ass's skin you lay
them in the sun until they are dry
for four days; when the four days
have passed, you pound them, you
put them into a box; you lay it in
your house”.
-Another prescription mentioning
hoopoe in COL. XXVII where the
hoopoe blood is used , the original
script is translated as follows:
“ Blood of a smune-goose, blood of
a hoopoe, blood of a night jar, (10)
ankh-amu plant, senepe plant,
Great-of-Amen-plant, qes-ankh
stone, genuine lapis-lazuli, myrrh,
'Foot-print (?)-of-lsis' plant, pound
and make into a ball, and paint (11)
your eyes with it upon (?) a goat's
tear, with a 'pleasure-wood' of ani
or ebony; you tie yourself at your
side (12) with a strip (?) of male-
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palm fibre”.
-A spell referring to the use of
hoopoe bird blood in bringing
woman to a man and in dreams
VERSO COL. XVII, translated as
follows: “(1) A spell to bring [a
woman] to a man (and ?) to send
dreams, otherwise said, to dream
dreams, also. (2) (A line of symbols
or secret signs.) (3) You write this
on a rush-leaf and you place (it)
under your head; you go to sleep;
then (4) it makes dreams and it
sends dreams. If you will do it to
send dreams, you put it (the leaf) on
the mouth of a mummy. (5) It
brings a woman also; you write this
name on the rush-leaf with the
blood of a .... or a hoopoe (?); (6)
and you put the hair of the woman
in the leaf, and put it on the mouth
of the mummy; and you write on
the earth with this name, saying:
'Bring (7) N. daughter of N. to the
house in the sleeping-place in which
is N. son of N.' (8) Now it is also an
agogimon”.
The "Oslo Papyrus" (P.Oslo 1.1 ), a magical
papyrus
May, 2018 Page 13
 Hoopoe in Ancient Egypt Venice Ibrahim Attia

References: al. "'Metamorphoses' by Ovid"

- Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921 - F.Ll. Griffith 1904 The Demotic
- Encyclopedia Americana. 1920. Magical Papyrus of London and
- HArrison .J. A, Species text in The Leiden,H.Grevel & Co., London.
Atlas of Southern African Birds.
- Jobling, James A The Helm
Dictionary of Scientific Bird
Names,. (2010) . London:
Christopher Helm. pp. 147, 396.
ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
–L. Keimer, Ibid 310-311
- Marshall, Amandine (2015) The
child and the hoopoe in ancient
Egypt, Kmt 26/2, pp. 59,. -
Quelques remarques sur la huppe
(Upupa epops) dans l’Égypte
ancienne, Keimer Ludwig, p. 305-
331. BIFAO 30 , 1930.
- Arlette David, Hoopoes and
Acacias: Decoding an Ancient
Egyptian Funerary Scene,
University of Jerusalem, Journal of
Near Eastern Studies.
- F. Ll. Griffith and Herbert
Thompson 1904 The Demotic
Magical Papyrus of London and
Leiden (The Leyden Papyrus) by.
- ‫كتاب "حياة الحيوان الكبرى" كمال الدين‬
‫الدميري‬
- Nicoll, M. J, (Michael John. 1880-
1925Handlist of the birds of Egypt.
- Shelley, G. E. (George Ernest),
1840-1910. A handbook to the birds
of Egypt .
- Garth, Samuel; Dryden, John; et

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