I can vividly recall seeing Tut's funeral mask in person for the first time. First it is indescribably life like! Pictures don' t do it justice and if you want to know what Tut REALLY looked like, go see the mask in person and I believe you will know.

The other most striking thing is that all down the back of the shoulders are heiroglyphs. I suspect it's a prayer or something, but does anyone know for sure what is written there?

I'll look into it - I could probably do a very crude translation, but I'll give it a shot! ..That is, if I can find suitable pictures.

here's the best I can find
http://www.bill.edwards1.btinternet.co. ... hamun.html

Hmm... All I can make out is something about power over the common man and something about the afterlife. This picture is a lot better of a source than the little 3d image I was trying to go off of before; still... I'm afraid my skills are quite minimal for now

I hope someone else can redeem my failure?

Wait- I'm sure I'll be able to find an image in one of the hefty tomes I have upstairs in my room. . . .hang on. . . .here we are! There's a nice clear picture of the reverse of the mask in 'Egypt- world of the Pharaohs'. I'll try to scan it in for you, and we can attempt a translation. I've been doing hieroglyphs for about a year now, but I think I've picked it up quite quickly . The passage begins in the upper right hand corner and most of it seems to relate to names of the Gods and parts of the body. It might be comparable to the section of the BOTD that follows the negative confessions in the Papyrus of Ani. Anyway- I'll try and scan in the picture, and attempt a crude translation.[/i]

An image, the hieroglyphs, the transliteration and a translation into German You can see .

Hi Psusennes I

Schoengesichtiger (nefer-her) = Beautiful of Face (the epithet of Ptah)
Abendbarke (Mesketet) = lunar barque (of the night)
Morgenbarke (Mandjit) = the barque of morning (solar barque)

You made a good translation, thank you

Edit

"Strahlenglanzes" means something like "shining ray". I think it's a reference to the sun.

So it starts out something like:

Greetings, Lord of the Shining Ray, beautiful of face
whom Ptah Sokar finished (created?) and Anubis raised.....

The translations looks a bit strange?
Is this supposed to be some part of the Book of the Dead or something?

Try this on for size:

1.) jnD Hr=k nfr-Hr nb-mAwt
Hail Beautiful of Face, lord of sight

2.) qn.n ptH-skr soAj.n jnpw rdj.n n=f
finished by Ptah-Sokar, raised by Anubis, whom there has been given

3.) DHwtj sTsw nfr-Hr jmj nTrw jrt=k wnmt (m)
the support of Thoth, Beautiful Face that is in the Gods. Your right eye is the

4.) msktw jrt=k jAbjt m manDtt jw jnHwj=k
Evening Boat, your left eye the Morning Boat, Your eyebrows are the

5.) m psDt jw wpt=k m jnpw jw mkHA=k
Nine Gods, the top of your head is Anubis, the back of your head

6.) m Hr jw Hns(kt)=k m ptH-skr m HAt wsjr mA=f
is Horus, Your tress (hair) is Ptah-Sokar. (You are) before Osiris

7.) jmj=k sSm=k sw r wAwt nfrwt Hwj=k n=f
so he may see by you, May you guide him to the fair ways, that he may smite

8.) smAyt stS sxr=f xftjw nw=k xr
the gang of Seth for you, that he may fall your foes for you before

9.) psDt m Hwt-sr wrt jmj jwnw jT n=f wrrt jA-xr Hr
the great Ennead in the great temple in Iunu (Heliopolis) and take the Great (White) Crown there before Horus,

10.) nb-pat
lord of the nobles.

11.) wsjr-nsw (nb-xprw-ra)| mAa-xrw dj anx mj ra
The Osiris King (the dead king), Neb-Kheperu-Re, True of Voice (justified), given life like Re.


I believe this is Chapter 151 of the book of the dead.

I'm impressed...

And so it is part of the Book of the Dead. Interesting.

I must admit to it sounding very book-of-the-dead-esque. Well done Nebsy!