Cursive hieroglyphs
A handwritten form of Egyptian hieroglyphs for religious texts.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Cursive hieroglyphs, sometimes called hieroglyphic book hand, were a style of Egyptian writing reserved mainly for handwritten religious texts, including the Book of the Dead. Scribes used a reed brush and ink to write on papyrus, wood, or leather. This script was especially widespread during the Ramesside Period, and notable works like the Papyrus of Ani were produced in it. It also appeared on wooden surfaces for religious compositions such as the Coffin Texts.
This script should not be mistaken for hieratic, the truly cursive form of Egyptian hieroglyphs. Hieratic has its own unique signs and many ligatures, though some of its visual features influenced the appearance of certain cursive hieroglyphic signs. A key difference lies in reading direction: cursive hieroglyphs could be read either right to left or left to right, depending on the context, while hieratic is always read right to left. In practice, cursive hieroglyphs were most often written right to left, but they were typically arranged in vertical columns rather than horizontal rows. The distinction between cursive hieroglyphs and hieratic only became clear after the Old Kingdom, starting in the First Intermediate Period. From that time onward, cursive hieroglyphs were used almost exclusively in sacred contexts.
- field
- Egyptian writing system
- known_for
- Handwritten religious documents, such as the Book of the Dead
- period
- Common during the Ramesside Period
- materials
- Papyrus, wood, leather
- tools
- Ink and reed brush
Lore & Background
Cursive hieroglyphs should not be confused with the truly cursive form of hieroglyphs known as hieratic. Hieratic has many ligatures and signs unique to itself. However, there is a certain degree of influence from hieratic in the visual appearance of some signs. One significant difference is that the orientation of cursive hieroglyphs is not constant, reading right to left or left to right depending on the context, whereas hieratic is always read right to left. A right-to-left reading direction is also most common in the writing of cursive hieroglyphs, but they are usually arranged in columns rather than rows.
Reader's Guide
The differences between cursive hieroglyphs and hieratic only became apparent after the end of the Old Kingdom, beginning with the First Intermediate Period. From this point, cursive hieroglyphs were mainly only used in sacralised contexts. Their significance lies in their use for important religious manuscripts, bridging the gap between monumental hieroglyphs and the more cursive hieratic script. They provide insight into the evolution of Egyptian writing and the scribal practices of the Ramesside Period, particularly in the production of funerary and religious literature.
Did You Know?
- Cursive hieroglyphs are also called hieroglyphic book hand.
- They were commonly used for the Book of the Dead and the Coffin Texts.
- Cursive hieroglyphs can be read right to left or left to right, unlike hieratic which is always read right to left.
- The differences between cursive hieroglyphs and hieratic became apparent after the Old Kingdom, starting in the First Intermediate Period.
More in Egyptian inventions 1-24
Elsewhere in the Egyptian Inventions universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record