One calls titulature of a king or Pharaon all five name by which it is indicated in the texts and inscriptions. The titulature of the king of Egypt (cf Pharaon) is thus composed of five “Great names” ( RN wr ), each one formed of a title followed by a name itself. These five Great names define royal nature and constitute at the same time an ideology of the capacity: with his advent, “Pharaon appears (titles) and is defined (names)”. They are followed in a canonical order: Horus or ḥr , Two Mistresses or nbty , gold Horus, King de Haute and of Low-Egypt or njswt-bjtj , Re wire or sȝ rˁ .
The Name of Horus
It appoints Pharaon at the same time like incarnation and as protected from Horus, the god falcon of Hiérakonpolis, city from where Narmer is resulting, first king d' Égypte. It is the oldest name. It is introduced by the Hiéroglyphe of the god.
During the first dynasties (cf Ancient Empire), the name of Horus was generally registered inside a Serekh.
Examples (in transcription):
- Amenhotep {{III}}: “ Her ka ouser kha EM Maât ” (Horus, powerful bull which appears radiant as a Maât);
- Toutânkhamon : “ Her ka nakht all mesout ” (Horus, powerful, perfect Bull of birth);
- Nekhtnebef {{Ier}} (Nectanébo 1st): “ Her shema ” (Horus, which inspires fear);
The Name of Nebty
It places the king under the protection of the two guardian goddesses of Egypt, Nekhbet, the goddess vulture of High-Egypt and Ouadjet, the goddess cobra of Low-Egypt. The two goddesses are posed each one on the “main” hiéroglyphe meaning or “main”, from where the designation of nbty , “Two Mistresses” or “Two Ladies”.
Examples:
- Amenhotep {{III}}: “ Nebty semene hep segereh taouy ” (Nebty, which establishes the laws durably and alleviates the Double Country);
- Toutânkhamon : “ Nebty nefer hepou segereh taouy sehetep netcherou nebou ” (Nebty, whose laws are perfect, which pacifies the Two Grounds and satisfies all the gods);
- Ramsès {{II}}: “ Nebty mek-Kemet ouaf-khasout (Nebty, which protects Egypt and makes fold the foreign countries).
The Name of gold Horus
The title is written by means of a falcon posed on the hiéroglyphe indicating gold ( nbw ). It may be that this title identifies the king in solar and celestial Horus, although this interpretation does not achieve the unanimity.
Examples:
- Amenhotep {{III}}: “ Her in neb neb âa khepesh hoe Setetyou ” (Horus d' Or, with the great power, which terrace the Asian ones);
- Toutânkhamon : “ Her in neb outjes khaou sehetep netcherou ” (Horus d' Or, which carries the crowns, which delights the gods);
- Nekhtnebef {{Ier}} : “ Her in neb neb ir meret netcherou ” (Horus d' Or, which acts according to the desire of the gods).
The Name of Nesout-bity
The title probably means “That which belongs ( N (J) ) to the snap ring ( swt ) and to the bee ( bjtj )”, the symbols High and of Low-Egypt. It is thus about certain that one can translate it by “King de Haute and of Low-Egypt”. It is followed name of crowning registered in a cartouche.
Examples:
- Hatchepsout : “ Nesout-bit Maât ka Re ” (the spirit of Re is Justice);
- Amenhotep {{III}}: “ Nesout-bit Neb Maât Re ” (King de Haute and of Low-Egypt, Re is the lord of Justice);
- Toutânkhamon : “ Nesout-bit Neb kheperou Re ” (King de Haute and of Low-Egypt, Re is the Master of the transformations);
- Nekhtnebef {{Ier}} : “ Nesout-bit Kheper ka Re ” (King de Haute and of Low-Egypt, Ka of Re appears).
The Name of Its-Re
The title qualifies the Re wire king “” and, by indicating its divine filiation, charnellement attaches it to the god-sun. It is consisted of the hiéroglyphe duck, which means wire , and of that of Re, and is followed name of birth of Pharaon registered in a cartridge.
Examples:
- Amenhotep {{III}}: “ its ruffle imen hetep heqa Ouaset ” (Wire of Re, Amon is satisfied, prince de Thèbes);
- Toutânkhamon : “ its ruffle all ankh imen heqa iounou shemaou ” (Re Wire, alive image of Amon, Sovereign of Héliopolis of the south);
- Nekhtnebef {{Ier}} : “ its ruffle nekhet nebef ” (Wire of Re, powerful is its Lord).
It is starting from Khéphren that the last two names are registered in a cartridge, the Shenou, whose name is formed starting from a verb meaning to surround, to encircle . It is about a cord in the form of oval, tied with the one of the ends and which undoubtedly symbolizes what the sun encircles: in other words, Pharaon proclaims main universe.
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