Editing Pharaoh (section)

== Titles ==
{{main|Ancient Egyptian royal titulary}}
During the [[Early Dynastic Period (Egypt)|Early Dynastic Period]] kings had three titles. The [[Horus name]] is the oldest and dates to the late pre-dynastic period. The Nesu Bity name was added during the [[First Dynasty of Egypt|First Dynasty]]. The [[Two Ladies#Nebty name|Nebty name]] (Two Ladies) was first introduced toward the end of the First Dynasty.<ref name="TW" /> The Golden falcon (''bik-nbw'') name is not well understood. The [[Prenomen (Ancient Egypt)|prenomen]] and [[Nomen (Ancient Egypt)|nomen]] were introduced later and are traditionally enclosed in a [[Cartouche (hieroglyph)|cartouche]].<ref name="DH"/> By the [[Middle Kingdom of Egypt|Middle Kingdom]], the official [[Ancient Egyptian royal titulary|titulary]] of the ruler consisted of five names; Horus, Nebty, Golden Horus, nomen, and prenomen <ref>Ian Shaw, ''The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt'', Oxford University Press 2000, p.&nbsp;477</ref> for some rulers, only one or two of them may be known.

=== Horus name ===
The Horus name was adopted by the king, when taking the throne. The name was written within a square frame representing the palace, named a [[serekh]]. The earliest known example of a serekh dates to the reign of king [[Ka (pharaoh)|Ka]], before the First Dynasty.<ref>Toby A. H. Wilkinson, ''Early Dynastic Egypt'', Routledge 1999, pp.&nbsp;57f.</ref> The Horus name of several early kings expresses a relationship with [[Horus]]. [[Hor-Aha|Aha]] refers to "Horus the fighter", [[Djer]] refers to "Horus the strong", etc. Later kings express ideals of kingship in their Horus names. [[Khasekhemwy]] refers to "Horus: the two powers are at peace", while [[Nebra (Pharaoh)|Nebra]] refers to "Horus, Lord of the Sun".<ref name="TW" />

=== Nesu Bity name ===
The ''Nesu Bity'' name, also known as [[Prenomen (ancient Egypt)|prenomen]], was one of the new developments from the reign of [[Den (pharaoh)|Den]]. The name would follow the glyphs for the "Sedge and the Bee". The title is usually translated as king of Upper and Lower Egypt. The ''nsw bity'' name may have been the birth name of the king. It was often the name by which kings were recorded in the later annals and king lists.<ref name="TW"/>

=== Nebty name ===
The earliest example of a ''Nebty'' ([[Two Ladies]]) name comes from the reign of king [[Hor-Aha|Aha]] from the [[First Dynasty of Egypt|First Dynasty]]. The title links the king with the goddesses of Upper and Lower Egypt, [[Nekhbet]] and [[Wadjet]].<ref name="TW"/><ref name="DH"/> The title is preceded by the vulture (Nekhbet) and the cobra (Wadjet) standing on a basket (the neb sign).<ref name="TW"/>

=== Golden Horus ===
The [[Golden Horus name|Golden Horus]] or Golden Falcon name was preceded by a falcon on a gold or ''nbw'' sign. The title may have represented the divine status of the king. The Horus associated with gold may be referring to the idea that the bodies of the deities were made of gold and the [[Egyptian pyramids#Pyramid symbolism|pyramid]]s and [[obelisk]]s are representations of (golden) [[sun]]-rays. The gold sign may also be a reference to Nubt, the city of Set. This would suggest that the iconography represents Horus conquering Set.<ref name="TW"/>

=== Nomen and prenomen ===
The [[Prenomen (ancient Egypt)|prenomen]] and [[Nomen (ancient Egypt)|nomen]] were contained in a cartouche. The prenomen often followed the King of Upper and Lower Egypt (''nsw bity'') or Lord of the Two Lands (''nebtawy'') title. The prenomen often incorporated the name of [[Ra|Re]]. The nomen often followed the title, Son of Re (''sa-ra''), or the title, Lord of Appearances (''neb-kha'').<ref name="DH">Dodson, Aidan and Hilton, Dyan. ''The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt''. Thames & Hudson. 2004. {{ISBN|0-500-05128-3}}</ref>
[[File:S F-E-CAMERON EGYPT 2005 RAMASEUM 01360.JPG|thumb|upright=2.05|center|Nomen and prenomen of [[Ramesses III]] ]]