Still on Palette of Pharaoh Narmer

I intend to “live” on the Narmer Palette until I am convinced that I fully understand what it is, and what it is saying. The reader is therefore advised not to despair when I occasionally seem to contradict myself. Always consider the later opinion to be derived from a more enlightened view whenever an earlier view seems to be contradicted. 

I start off my analysis with the topmost register on the palette where “Narmer” is in a procession of officials, with ten decapitated bodies just in front of them.  

Starting with the ten decapitated bodies on the right: I think it is an exclamation, meaning “put your heads to the ground!” – BIGANI MIHOLO PASI in Ikalanga language.

The standards follow thereafter. First, the two falcons: It’s generally accepted that that means “two kings”. I would add a “one”, to make it “two kings in one!” – BOHE BABILI

After the falcons comes the lion – (ZHI)SHUMBA

Next comes the (inverted) stomach - GULU

Then comes the officer with an inscription “tshet”. This is inverted. It should be “tetshi”,meaning “master” – TETSHI

Then comes the figure of Meno himself, wearing the two crowns. His name is inverted of course – MENO or MENGWE.

The rear official, a figure after Meno has an inscription in the form of a Flower/Flowers – MALUBA; and carries two shoes –HANGU MBILI.

I believe this is a play on the sounds of words, like in a dream. “MALUBA HANGU MBILI” sounds like “MALOBA HANGO MBILI”, meaning “the one who (or you) defeated the two lands”

The same official has a kettle in his right hand. This could represent the Nile – GUNGWA, i.e. the drinking one.

Next to, and just above the rear official is a rectangle, with a triangle (or pyramid) on it. The rectangle is the (Egyptian) federation. The triangle is a pyramid – BUNDO. This could mean “united into one federation of ka-Mabunde, i.e. the Bundes federation” – KAMABUNDE.

Thus, the register declares the following in Ikalanga  language: BIGANI MIHOLO PASI; SHE WABO SHE, ZHISHUMBA GULU, TETSHI WENYU MENGWE, MALOBA HANGO MBILI DZAKA SENGA GUNGWA (nile) KA DZI HANGANYA KA BAKA KA-MABUNDE, WOYO!

The closest translation I can render in English is as follows: "Bow down your heads to touch the ground; Welcome Mengwe, King of Kings, the biggest lion, your master, the one who defeated the two lands that carry the Nile and united them into one Federation of MaBunde".

That this register makes declarations in Ikalanga language reinforces the view that Mengwe was not a Baroe King, but rather that he was a Bazwina (army) general who united the Baroe (Upper Egypt) and BaKalanga (lower Egypt) into one federation. If Mengwe had been a Baroe King, his palette would have been written in the Baroe (i.e. Sesotho/Setswana) language, and not in Ikalanga language as it undoubtedly is.