Egyptian Oedipus, Volume 3

THEATER OF HIEROGLYPHS. CHAPTER II.

The difference between Chinese characters and the Hieroglyphics of the Egyptians.

The handled cross and the statue of Serapis among the Chinese characters.

We have said in the preceding pages that it is likely that the descendants of Ham, having propagated colonies as far as the most remote region of the Chinese, also propagated letters at the same time; however, these were not adorned with as much apparatus of mysteries as the Egyptian hieroglyphs, but were prepared with a simple wit original: "rudi Minerva," a Latin idiom meaning simply or without much artifice as much as was sufficient for explaining the concepts of the mind. Certainly, among the Chinese characters, the Cross—which is held in such great honor among the Egyptians—is very frequently seen, as figure O shows; just as among the Egyptians, it signifies the number ten, a symbol of perfection. If they place another line beneath this, as appears in N, a character is formed that signifies the earth. If they add another line at the top, parallel to the lower one, as appears in M, a character is formed that signifies a King. If they add a small stroke to this figure, as appears in L, a character is formed that signifies a gem. Just as these last three characters indicate a certain perfection in their own kind, so they are not incongruously formed by means of the cross.

10 ten

Earth

King

Stone, gem, yú Kircher correctly identifies "yu" as the Chinese word for jade.

A vertical column of four large Chinese characters, each identified by a letter and a Latin gloss.

• O: 十 (the character for ten, which Kircher interprets as a cross).
• N: 土 (the character for earth).
• M: 王 (the character for king).
• L: 玉 (the character for jade/gem).
  The labels provided in the left margin correspond to these characters respectively.

The difference between the characters of the Chinese and the hieroglyphs of the Egyptians.

And although the Chinese, no differently than the Egyptians, expressed the meanings of their minds from a variety of animals, plants, and tools, there nevertheless existed a great difference between both methods of writing. For the Egyptians by no means employed hieroglyphics in common conversation, nor was it permitted for just anyone to learn them, but only those who were deputed to it by law and political institution. For they did not use the figures of animals randomly or without reason original: "ἀλόγως" (alogōs), but signified the highest mysteries in the nature of things through their hidden virtues and operations, as is evident from this entire Work. Furthermore, hieroglyphic letters did not involve simple utterances or names, but entire ideal concepts; thus, looking upon the Scarab, they did not understand the animal, or the Sun precisely, but the hidden operations which not only the material Sun effects in this sensible World, but also the archetype effects in the intelligible World. All of these things are lacking in the structure of Chinese characters, since these were instituted precisely only to indicate the simple concepts of words and names, with no other mystery lying hidden beneath them. I do not deny, however, that the Chinese occasionally adapt the meanings of different characters in such a way that a meaning of ingenious allusion emerges from them; these, however, by no means approach the subtlety and the clever allusions of the hieroglyphs, as is evident from the following compositions of letters; where the character C signifies the same thing as "to be afflicted," and is composed of two characters, B and A, of which the former signifies the heart, and the latter a gate; as if...

Various examples of Chinese characters and their explanation.