Egyptian lore has it that the hieroglyphs were given to them by the ibis headed moon god Seth.

The hieroglyphs were considered to represent more than just language but in certain situations the essence of a person or thing. As long as they were read, the item had existence. The practice of removing the hieroglyphs of a person was considered the obliteration of their continued existence.

The burial chambers in pyramids were 'decorated' with hieroglyphs detailing spells and prayers to aid the deceased in their journey to the next life, dubbed 'pyramid texts' by Egyptologists. Later they appeared on the mummies and other items within the chamber. These were known as 'coffin texts'. Finally, when written on papyrus scrolls they took the generic name 'The book of the Dead' (more formally known as the 'Book of Amduat'). It is also helpful to be aware that it consists, in main, of a list of items to accompany the deceased and can therefore be easily translated in part by breaking it down into the inventory of standard items.