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Figure 2. Line drawings of Heterobranchus and malapterurus electricus Nile River catfish. heterobranchus is known to produce a mild electric current, and to an observer above water looking down on it swimming in the water, it is hard to distinguish from its more powerful cousin, the electric catfish malapterurus electricus [Figure 2]. The electric catfish can grow up to 120 cm in length and weigh over 20 kg and, when attacked, will discharge between 100-450 volts. The electric catfish is nocturnal with a voracious appetite, being most active in the feeding 4 to 5 hours after sunset. These features would have been highly significant in Egyptian religious thought — i.e. the passage through the hours of darkness of Osiris who had his phallus eaten by a fish, and even allegorically in the 'Tale of the Two Brothers' where the young brother castrates himself and throws his member to the catfish in the river.

Figure 2 Line drawings of Heterobranchus and malapterurus electricus Nile River catfish. heterobranchus is known to produce a mild electric current, and to an observer above water looking down on it swimming in the water, it is hard to distinguish from its more powerful cousin, the electric catfish malapterurus electricus [Figure 2]. The electric catfish can grow up to 120 cm in length and weigh over 20 kg and, when attacked, will discharge between 100-450 volts. The electric catfish is nocturnal with a voracious appetite, being most active in the feeding 4 to 5 hours after sunset. These features would have been highly significant in Egyptian religious thought — i.e. the passage through the hours of darkness of Osiris who had his phallus eaten by a fish, and even allegorically in the 'Tale of the Two Brothers' where the young brother castrates himself and throws his member to the catfish in the river.

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The earliest representation of catfish which also names the species is the famous record on the slate palette of Narmer - the conquering king who unified Egypt in 3100 BC. The heraldic animal adopted as his totem and used as a spelling rebus for ‘Narmer’ is uppermost in the serekh-frame of both sides of the slate palette. What made the catfish so awesome that the ruthless Narmer chose it over all the Nile predators as his particular emblem of power [Figure 1]. Figure 1. King Narmer as catfish smiting his bound enemies (after Kaplony, 1963).
The earliest representation of catfish which also names the species is the famous record on the slate palette of Narmer - the conquering king who unified Egypt in 3100 BC. The heraldic animal adopted as his totem and used as a spelling rebus for ‘Narmer’ is uppermost in the serekh-frame of both sides of the slate palette. What made the catfish so awesome that the ruthless Narmer chose it over all the Nile predators as his particular emblem of power [Figure 1]. Figure 1. King Narmer as catfish smiting his bound enemies (after Kaplony, 1963).
Figure 3. Ebers 250 in hieroglyphs and transliteral. Kt nt mrwt m gs tp dant n<r snwh hr mrht gs tp im r hrw “Another for disease in one half of the head: skull of catfish fried in oil/fat; the ‘half-head’ (? condition) is anointed therewith on 4 days”. As this discussion must be brief, let us dive into the semantics of the medical prescription of Ebers 250 — and review a unique type of headache and its suggested cure. The translation of Ghaliounghui (1987) is herewith shown in hieroglyphs and transliteration [Figure 3]:
Figure 3. Ebers 250 in hieroglyphs and transliteral. Kt nt mrwt m gs tp dant n<r snwh hr mrht gs tp im r hrw “Another for disease in one half of the head: skull of catfish fried in oil/fat; the ‘half-head’ (? condition) is anointed therewith on 4 days”. As this discussion must be brief, let us dive into the semantics of the medical prescription of Ebers 250 — and review a unique type of headache and its suggested cure. The translation of Ghaliounghui (1987) is herewith shown in hieroglyphs and transliteration [Figure 3]:
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