LV. How They Represent Gratitude

Hieroglyphics of Horapollo, tr. Alexander Turner Cory, [1840], at sacred-texts.com

LV. HOW THEY REPRESENT GRATITUDE.

 ¹

To represent gratitude, they delineate a CUCUPHA, because this is the only one of dumb animals, which, after it has been brought up by its parents,

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repays their kindness to them when they are old. For it makes them a nest in the place where it was brought up by them, and trims their wings, and brings them food, till the parents acquire a new plumage, and are able to assist themselves: whence it is that the Cucupha is honored by being placed as an ornament upon the sceptres of the gods.

Footnotes

75:1

The top of the sceptre placed in the hands of the gods is ornamented with a crated head which appears to be that of some beast, but was evidently considered by Horapollo to be the Hoopoo of Egypt. See Ch. 8. and title page.