ushabti

[prettygoodword]

ushabti (yoo-SHAB-tee, oo-SHAB-tee) or shabti (SHAB-tee) or shawabti (shuh-WAB-tee) - n., a figuring placed in an Egyptian tomb to labor for the soul.


Both as servant in general but also to perform labor required of the soul in the afterlife. The multiple terms come from the Egyptian name changing over time. They came into use during the Old Kingdom (3rd through 6th Dynasties), and after the 11th Dynasty were called 𓆷𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 šwbtj (from which shabti), which is possibly from a derivative of 𓈙𓍯𓃀𓆭 šwꜣb, a type of wood from which they were made. Starting around the 21st Dynasty, they started being called 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 wšbtj (from which ushabti), an alteration by folk etymology to mean answerer/respondent, pointing to being the person who responded to the call to labor in the afterlife. During the New Kingdom (18-20th Dynasties) a specific variety were called shawabti (I don't have the Unicode hieroglyphs for this one), which later merged into a general synonym.


Thanks, WikiMedia!

---L.

Comments

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[minoanmiss]

I find them fascinating. They come in all skill levels from exquisite portraits to blobs. I'd like to think some of them are made by family members as tangible expressions of love.

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[prettygoodword]

Some, at least, or at least commissioned with love from a craftsman.

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[minoanmiss]

absolutely.

Now I want to write historical fiction.