PHOTO CREDIT: Abovephoto by John Rickman

The Goddesses of AncientThe Goddesses of AncientEgyptEgypt

by Shiraby Shira

Table of ContentsTable of Contents

BastetHathorIsisMa'atNekhbetNephthys

NutSekhmetSelkhetTaweretTefnutUadjet

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IntroductionIntroduction

Religious traditions from the ancient Middle East can be a rich sourceof creative inspiration for the modern-day dancer, poet, painter, orPagan practitioner. The attributes, personalities, and stories of deitiesare often a mirror for our own human foibles, and many fascinatingstories have come down to us through the centuries. This informationabout the goddesses of ancient Egypt may inspire your own creativeinterpretations.

BastBast

Also Known As: Bastet

Responsible For

JoyMusicDanceHealth & healingProtection against contagiousdiseases & evil spirits

Totemic Form

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Totemic Form

Cat

About Her Cult

Cult Center: Bubastis (Nile delta)

Rituals honoring Bast included light-hearted barge processions andorgiastic ceremonies. Her cult can betraced back to about 3,200 BCE, andshe became a national deity whenBubastis became the capital of Egyptcirca 950 BCE.

Legends

One legend said Bastet accompaniedthe sun god Ra's boat of a million yearson its daily journey through the sky,and at night she fought Ra's enemy,the serpent Apep.

Name in Hieroglyphics

Bastet's name means, "She of theperfume jar," and therefore the firstsymbol in her name is that of aperfume jar. Another name for theperfume jar is a "bas-jar". This symbolcan be written by itself to refer to Bast,or it can be followed by the loaf symbolwhich indicates that the feminine "t"sound should appear at the end of thename. The symbol of the seatedgoddess is also optional.

Depicting Bastet

In art, Bastet is depicted as either acat-headed woman carrying a sistrumand basket, or as a whole cat. Often, ineither form, there are kittens at herfeet.

If doing a theatrical portrayal of Bast,these elements may be useful inbuilding the character:

Dressing as a cat, or wearing acat mask.Carrying a sistrum.Incorporate music and dance intothe character.

HathorHathor

Also Known As: Het-heru

Responsible For

MusicDanceDrunkennessUnderworldWomenJoyMotherhoodLoveJusticePregnancy

Totemic Form

Cow

About Her Cult

Cult Center: Dendera (Upper Egypt)

Hathor was the Egyptian goddess ofmotherhood and all that is best inwomen. In her aspect as goddess ofmusic and dancing, her emblem wasthe sistrum, an ancient musicalpercussion instrument. All Egyptianwomen worshiped her, from the queento the lowliest woman of the land, andshe was the protectress of pregnantwomen.

Hathor was said to nurse the Pharaoh,the living Horus. This led to identifyingthe queen with Hathor, so the queen aschief priestess led the otherpriestesses, the concubines of the god,in the dancing and music-making whichwere their part in the temple ritual ofHorus and the other gods.

Legends

According to a story told on the wallsof a shrine in King Tutankhamen'stomb, as the sun god Ra grew older, hebecame fearful of his enemies andasked Hathor to help him. She took on

the job with a vengeance and turnedinto Sekhmet, the lioness goddess, andseemed to enjoy the killing.

Ra then worried that she would wipeout the entire human race, so he hadred dye mixed in ale and spread about

red dye mixed in ale and spread aboutthe land. Hathor, thinking it was blood,drank it and became so intoxicatedthat she forgot her assignment andhumankind was saved. Pacified by thebeer, she resumed her persona as thebeautiful Hathor and returned to Ra.

Name in Hieroglyphics

The name "Hathor" means "house ofHorus," and therefore in hieroglyphicsher name is written as a falcon(representing Horus) inside a box thatrepresents the floor plan of a house.

Depicting Hathor

According to legend, Hathor was thenurse of Horus the Younger, which iswhy she is often depicted as either acow or as a woman with the head of acow.

In some temples, such as the Templeof Hatshepsut at Thebes (Luxor), acow's head is carved at the tops ofsome columns to represent Hathor. Seethe example to the right. The EgyptianMuseum in Cairo also displays manymirrors showing the cow's head on thehandle.

Although Hathor was the earliestgoddess to be depicted wearing aheaddress of cow horns with a sundisk, Isis later also was depicted withthis style of headdress. In some cases,the only way to tell which goddess aparticular image represents is to lookat the hieroglyphics on the wall next toher, usually near the head. If Hathor, itwill show the falcon inside the box. IfIsis, it will show the throne.

If doing a theatrical portrayal ofHathor, these elements may be usefulin building the character:

Wear jewelry made of the mineralturquoise, particularly turquoisebeads made into the menit-necklace. In the desert regions ofSinai, miners seeking the mineralvenerated Hathor, "The Lady OfTurquoise."Carry either a sistrum (apercussion instrument thatbecame a representative cultobject of Hathor) and/or an ankh.

object of Hathor) and/or an ankh.Wear a menit necklace.Wear a horned headdress with acobra on the front. This might alsoinclude a circular red disc torepresent the sun.

IsisIsis

Also Known As: Eset, Aset, Iset, Ast,Auset

Responsible For

MotherhoodMarriageLoveSexualityHealth & HealingImmortalityMagic

About Her Cult

Cult Center: Heliopolis, Philae (inNubia)

Isis was celebrated at one festivalcalled The Lychnapsia, the Festival ofLights, on August 12, to commemorateseeking her spouse in the darkness bytorchlight, and her processionsresembled those of Bastet.

Legends

Isis was the daughter of Nut, wife ofOsiris, and mother of Horus. When Setkilled his brother Osiris and set hisbody adrift in the Nile, Isis began hersearch for him.

When she found Osiris, Set learned ofit and stole his body, chopped it intopieces, and threw it into the wateragain. Isis retrieved her husband andreassembled him. Because of her role

reassembled him. Because of her rolein bringing him back to life, she usuallyappears in funerary scenes, eitherleading the deceased toward theafterlife (as shown in the photo of herwith Nefertari to the right) or standing

behind Osiris to greet the deceased.

Isis instituted marriage and taughtwomen the domestic arts of grain-grinding, flax-spinning, and weaving.As mother-goddess, she introduced thepractice of agriculture. Her earlycharacter as the Great Enchantresswas reflected in her magic powers andin her knowledge of the arts ofmedicine, which she and Thoth taughtto humanity.

Name in Hieroglyphics

Typically Isis' name in hieroglyphicsincludes the symbol for "throne" as thefirst character, and the symbol for"goddess" as the last one. Thesemicircle in between is a "loaf"symbol, which is pronounced like aletter "t". The literal translation of hername means, "She of the Throne,"referring to Isis' position as Queen ofthe Gods. Sometimes the name isabbreviated to just the throne itself.

Other possible spellings exist, but the"throne" symbol is common to all ofthem.

Depicting Isis

Isis was often depicted in art nursingthe infant Horus. With the advent ofChristianity, many of the chapels of Isiswere converted to churches, andimages of Isis with her baby werereinterpreted to refer to the VirginMary holding Jesus.

In funerary scenes, Isis and her sisterNephthys stand behind Osiris, asshown in the drawing to the right.

Isis often appears with outstretchedwings, as shown in the drawing to theright.

However, other goddesses such asMa'at and Nut can also be portrayedthis way. Many people incorrectlyassume that every picture of a wingedEgyptian goddess is Isis. It's necessaryto look for other clues to identify whichgoddess it is.

In this drawing, the throne-shapedsymbol on top of the woman's headidentifies her as Isis. Alternatively, thethrone may appear with otherhieroglyphics next to the image of thegoddess.

If doing a theatrical portrayal of Isis,these elements may be useful inbuilding the character:

Consider using a red costume.Egyptians addressed her as "thoulady of the red apparel" and she isdepicted wearing red in many ofthe historical images of her. Ofcourse, she has also beendepicted wearing other colors, so

this is not a requirement.There are many works of artdepicting Isis with wings.Isis is frequently shown with athrone perched on top of her headto represent her position as queenof the gods.Isis is frequently shown with aheaddress that has a vultureresting on top of her hair, and ontop of that a pair of cow hornssurrounding a sun disk.Many images of Isis show herholding an ankh in one hand.

Other Comments

The great temple of Isis in Nubia onceresided on Philae Island, but whenEgypt decided to build the Aswan HighDam during the Nasser era, the risingflood waters threatened to bury itforever. An international engineeringeffort moved the temple from PhilaeIsland to its new home in the city ofAswan, where it now resides.

Ma'atMa'at

Responsible For

TruthJusticeLaw and OrderImmortalityPrimordial Being

Totemic FormFeather

About Her Cult

Cult Center: Throughout Egypt

The earliest surviving texts found thatmention Ma'at date from the OldKingdom, around 2,780 - 2,250. Theonly known temple dedicated to Ma'atwhich has been found so far appears inthe Karnak complex at Thebes (Luxor).Texts indicate that other temples to hermay have existed at Memphis and Deirel Medina, but these have not beenfound.

Those who lived by the laws of Ma'attook a sacramental drink whichconferred ritual purity in the samesense as the Christian HolyCommunion. Like baptismal water oflife, Ma'at's potion brought life afterdeath to the peaceful and law-abiding,but death to violent persons.

Legends

Ma'at gave the breath of life to thegods. Some say she was the daughterof Ra. Later depictions show her as theconsort of Thoth, who shared some ofthe same attributes as her.

Name in Hieroglyphics

Name in Hieroglyphics

Ma'at can be represented inhieroglyphics by just the feather itself.However, this can be misleadingbecause the feather can also be usedto symbolize the air god Shu. A closerlook at the context is required todetermine which the image representsin a specific situation.

For a longer name, the loaf symbol(semicircle) which indicates a femaleand the image of the seated goddesscan be added.

There are other ways that Ma'at can beidentified in hieroglyphics. Sometimesthe seated goddess figure has afeather on the top of the head.

Depicting Maat

In funerary scenes and picturesdepicting the underworld, the figure ofMa'at or her feather was placed on theopposite side of the scale from theheart of the deceased. If the scalebalanced, the deceased was allowed togo on to the afterlife. If not, s/he wasgiven to Ammit to devour. Thus thefeather of Ma'at itself became ahieroglyph for "truth".

In the excerpt from a funerary scene tothe right, Ma'at appears twice. Herhead appears on top of the scale, atthe center. The feather representingher appears on the right-hand cup ofthe scale. As usual, the feather isshown as being heavier than thedeceased person's heart.

Although the funerary scene aboveshows just a feather on Ma'at's side ofthe scale, some variations of the sceneshow the goddess in a seated position,such as the drawing to the right.

If doing a theatrical portrayal of Ma'at,these elements may be useful inbuilding the character:

Wear a white robe (although thereare many images depicting herwearing other colors)A narrow fabric headband holding

A narrow fabric headband holdinga single ostrich featherWingsCarry an ankh

NekhbetNekhbet

Also Known As: Nekhebit, Nekhebet,Nechbet

Responsible For

MotherhoodQueenshipWild BirdsCreator of LifeDeath & Rebirth

Totemic Form

Vulture

About Her Cult

Cult Center: Nekheb (in Upper Egypt)

Nekheb was the site of an ancientnecropolis (cemetery), and housed theoldest oracle in Egypt.

Legends

The ancient Egyptians viewed vulturesas being excellent models ofmotherhood. Therefore, the vulturebecame honored as a symbol ofmotherhood, and the name of thevulture goddess, Nekhbet, was also theword for "mother".

In Egypt, the queen was seen as themother of the next Pharaoh, andtherefore both mortal queens and Isiswere often portrayed as wearing thevulture headdress symbolizingNekhbet. In the papyrus image to theright, the mortal Queen Nefertari isshown wearing the headdress ofNekhbet.

Nekhbet spent much time at the

Nekhbet spent much time at thepalace, where she nursed the royalchildren, including the Pharaoh. Whenthe Pharaoh was grown, sheaccompanied him into battle, hoveringover his head in the form of a vulture.

Nekhbet was closely associated withher sister Wadjet, the cobra goddess,and together they were known as theNebti. As a pair, they representedcycles of birth and death, beginning

and ending.

Name in Hieroglyphics

The name Nekhbet means, "She of[the town of] Nekheb."

Depicting Nekhbet

In art, Nekhbet was usuallyrepresented as a vulture as shown inthe photo to the right or as a womanwith the head of a vulture.

Sometimes she was depicted as awoman wearing the white crown ofUpper Egypt (southern Egypt), perhapswith the vulture headdress over herhair, as shown above.

In the illustration to the right, Nekhbetand Uadjet are guarding the Eye Of Ra,the Utchat. Nekhbet is wearing thewhite crown of Upper Egypt, andUadjet is wearing the red crown ofLower Egypt. Together, they wereknown as the nebti, or "two ladies".

Images of Nekhbet, including the oneshown to the right, often depict hercarrying in her claws a circular objectwith a horizontal bar across one side.This object was known as the shenring, and it symbolized eternity.

Nekhbet sometimes appeared infunerary scenes such as the one to theright, hovering over Osiris as he wasapproached by the deceased.

If doing a theatrical portrayal ofNekhbet, these elements may be

Nekhbet, these elements may beuseful in building the character:

Wear a vulture-shaped headdressdraped over the hair.Wear a white crown in the style ofPharaohs from Upper Egypt.Wings.In art, Nekhbet is typicallyportrayed together with her sisterWadjet, who represents LowerEgypt. Therefore, a piece couldportray two dancers or actressesworking together.Carry a shen symbol (a ring witha bar across one side).

NephthysNephthys

Also Known As: Nebhet

Responsible For

ImmortalityJusticeWaterWeatherWild BirdsMoon and NightThe Underworld

Totemic Form

Moon

About Her Cult

Cult Center: Heliopolis, Abydos

Rituals that commemorated the murderand resurrection of Osiris includedNephthys as an important participant,due to her role in the legend.

Nephthys was honored in funeraryrituals as a guide who gave guidanceand assistance to the newly deceased.

Images found at Edfu, Dendera, andBehbeit depict Nephthys receivingofferings of beer from the Pharaoh, andtherefore beer consumption was oftenpart of her rites.

Legends

Nephthys was the personification of

Nephthys was the personification ofdarkness and all that belongs to it. Shewas the daughter of Nut, and sister ofIsis.

After Set murdered Osiris,dismembered him, and strewed hisbody parts throughout Egypt, Nephthyshelped his wife Isis search for thepieces. She was also one of thegoddesses linked to nursing the infantHorus.

Name in Hieroglyphics

The name Nephthys means, literally,"Lady of the House", but not in thesense of a dwelling where people live.Rather, the "house" referred to wouldbe a house of worship, a building on

the grounds of a temple complex.Therefore, her title is referring to heras being in the role of a priestessrather than that of a homemaker.

The "house and basket symbol" can beused by itself. Optionally, thesemicircular loaf symbol and theseated goddess symbol can be added.

Depicting Nephthys

Nephyths appears in funerary scenes,standing next to Isis, just behindOsiris. Her name means, "Lady of theHouse," and the hieroglyphic symbolsfor her name (a house and a basket)appear on her head.

If doing a theatrical portrayal ofNephthys, these elements may beuseful in building the character:

Wearing a green dressWearing a headdress resemblingthe one that is typically depictedin papyri, temple walls, andtombs.BeerThe moon

NutNut

Also Known As: Newet, Neuth

Responsible For

Sky & HeavensMother & GuardianDeath & BurialDemi-AnimalsImmortalityPhysical Prowess

Totemic Form

Cow or Pig

About Her Cult

Cult Center: No known temples

Because Nut was regarded to be acosmic deity, she wasn't worshiped asa "person" the way other goddesseswere.

Legends

Myths identify Nut as the mother ofOsiris, Isis, Nephthys, Horus the Elder,and Set.

Nut gave birth to the sun every dayand swallowed him every night. In thisway, she controlled the passing oftime.

Ra asked Nut to raise him into theheavens to remove him from theworld, which he found distasteful.Carrying him on her back, Nut roseupward, but the higher she reached,the dizzier she became. She wouldhave crashed to the ground if four godshad not steadied her legs and Shu heldup her belly. These gods became thefour pillars of the sky, and Nut's bodybecame the firmament, to which Raattached the stars.

Name in Hieroglyphics

Some believe that the pot symbol inNut's name also stands for the uterus.The pot can be used by itself torepresent Nut.

Depicting Nut

In art, Nut is most commonlyportrayed arched over the world,balanced on her hands and feet, asshown in the relief to the right.

Sometimes, as shown above at thebeginning of this section, a god isshown holding Nut up with his hands.This is Shu, the god of the air. Heseparates Nut from her husband, theearth god Geb, who is depicted as areclining man beneath Nut.

Nut is sometimes confused with Isis,because some images show her withwings. The best way to identifywhether a winged goddess is Nut, Isis,Ma'at, or someone else is to look forthe hieroglyphics appearing near herhead. In this specific image, just abovethe goddess' head is Nut's name inhieroglyphics.

On occasion, Nut may be depicted as awoman standing or sitting normally. Inthese cases, her name typicallyappears in hieroglyphics somewherenear her head, as shown in the imageto the right.

Less frequently, Nut is depicted aseither a sow or a cow nursing youngones.

In the Valley of the Kings, severaltombs contain blue ceilings with 5-pointed stars painted on them. Thesereach down the walls on either side,ending with Nut's feet on one side ofthe passage, and her upper body onthe other.

If doing a theatrical portrayal of Nut,these elements may be useful inbuilding the character:

Consider wearing a long-sleevedblue unitard, with light yellow 5-pointed stars drawn on it.Alternatively, a white shift dresscould be worn, with a potbalanced on the head.Carry an ankh.Wear a menit necklace.Use wings.Bring the stars of the night sky

Bring the stars of the night skyinto the scene in some way.

SekhmetSekhmet

Also Known As: Sakhet, Sechmet,Nesert, Sacmis

Responsible ForWarFireHeatVengeanceEnchantmentsMummificationHunting and Wild AnimalsCourage

Totemic Form

Lioness

About Her Cult

Cult Center: Memphis, Itjtawy (Fayoumregion)

When Upper Egypt in the Southconquered Lower Egypt in the deltaarea, the Pharaoh brought the cult ofSekhmet with him. She was viewed asa replacement for Bast, who wasdeemed to be less powerful becauseSekhmet's Pharaoh had conqueredBast's territory.

Legends

Sekhmet, the warrior goddess of UpperEgypt, was the wife of Ptah and motherof Nefertum.

On the battlefield, Sekhmet embodiedthe strength and bravery of the lion,expressing unbounded delight in theprey that fell to her. She was believedto protect the Pharaoh in battle. Shewas sometimes known as "the scarletlady" because of her lust for blood.

Sekhmet was sometimes known as

Sekhmet was sometimes known as"the eye of Ra".

As the sun god Ra grew older, hebecame concerned about his enemiesand asked Hathor to help him. Shetook on the job with a vengeance andturned into Sekhmet, the lionessgoddess. She took delight in killingpeople and drinking their blood.

Ra then worried that Sekhmet wouldwipe out the entire human race, so hearranged for red dye to be mixed intoale and spread about the land.Sekhmet, thinking it was blood, drankit and became so intoxicated that sheforgot her assignment. As a result,humankind was saved. Pacified by thebeer, she resumed her persona as thebeautiful Hathor and returned to Ra.

Name in Hieroglyphics

The first symbol in Sekhmet's name isthe scepter, which means "powerful" or"violent". It is known as the sekhem.The loaf symbol (semicircle) indicatesthe female gender and is pronouncedas "t". The seated woman representsthe fact that this is a goddess, butdoes not have a pronunciationassociated with it.

Depicting Sekhmet

In art, Sekhmet, known as "The

Powerful", was portrayed as either alion or a woman with the head of alion, often holding an ankh or asistrum.

If doing a theatrical portrayal ofSekhmet, these elements may beuseful in building the character:

Wear a headdress that looks likethe sun disk, including the Uraeus(cobra).Wear a red dress in reference toher title of "the scarlet lady".Wear a menit necklace.Carry an ankh or a sistrum.Wear jewelry depicting the Eye ofRa.Depict a battle, representing

Depict a battle, representingSekhmet as an archer.

SerketSerket

Also Known As: Selkis, Selkhet,Selkhit, Serqet

Responsible For

MagicProtectionChildbirthHealing Stings

Totemic Form

Scorpion

About Her Cult

Cult Center: Amarna, Western Delta

To date, archeologists have not yetfound any temples dedicated to Serket.

Serket's primary role was that of thegoddess who guarded people againstpotentially fatal scorpion bites andassisted with curing those who sufferedthem. In this way, she came to beassociated with a more general role ofhealing, particularly in protectingpeople from poisoning.

Due to this association with protectionagainst poisoning, Serket was believedto be the goddess who guarded the sonof Horus responsible for the canopic jarcontaining the deceased person'sintestines. This led to her becomingassociated with funerary functions.

According to legend, Serket is one ofthe goddesses who assisted Isis at thebirth of Horus. In particular, Serket wascharged with protecting the infantagainst scorpions and other potential

against scorpions and other potentialsources of poisoning. Through this, shebecame one of the goddesses fromwhom women sought assistance inchildbirth.

Legends

When the evil snake god Apep

participated in an attack against thesun god Ra, he was defeated and sentto the underworld. Serket was giventhe duty of guarding him. BecauseApep was bound with chains, Serketbecame known as the goddess whobinds the dead with chains.

Name in Hieroglyphics

Serket's name means "She who causesthe throat to breathe." Some scholarsbelieve that this is a reference to herrole as the patron of healing fromscorpion bites. The deadly variety ofscorpions found in Africa can produce abite that causes difficulty breathing.

The horizontal line in hieroglyphicsrepresents a door fastening, and wouldbe pronounced as a "z". Just below it isthe symbol for "mouth" which ispronounced as an "r". The semicirclesignifies female, and would bepronounced as a "t". The goddesssymbol is not pronounced, it simplyidentifies that this name is referring toa goddess.

Some variations of Serket's nameinclude the scorpion symbol.

Depicting Serket

In art, Selkhet appeared as a womanwith a scorpion on her head, as ascorpion with a woman's head, andsometimes as a scorpion holding anankh.

The statue in the photo to the rightwas found in King Tutankhamen'stomb. This is by far the most widely-seen image of Serket.

If doing a theatrical portrayal ofSerket, these elements may be usefulin building the character:

Wear a scorpion headdress.Carry chains.Carry an ankh.Wear a menit necklace.Hold a staff.

TaweretTaweret

Also Known As: Taueret, Tuat, Tuart

Responsible For

FertilityBirthUnderworldVengeance

Totemic Form

Hippopotamus

About Her Cult

Cult Center:

No temples dedicated specifically to

No temples dedicated specifically toTaweret have been found.

Legends

In childbirth, Taweret suckled andprotected the newborn. In theunderworld, she carried the deceasedtoward a new destiny.

Name in Hieroglyphics

Taweret's name means, "The GreatOne".

Depicting Taweret

In art, Taweret appeared as ahippopotamus standing on her hindlegs with pendulous breasts,sometimes with the back of a crocodileand the feet of a lion. In her role as anavenging deity, Taweret had the headof a lion and the body of ahippopotamus, brandishing a dagger,and sometimes carrying a crocodile onher shoulders.

Taweret was often portrayed with onehand resting on the sa symbol, whichrepresented protection.

If doing a theatrical portrayal ofTaweret, these elements may be usefulin building the character:

Wear a cape painted with a largeimage of a crocodile.Place a platform resembling the sa

Place a platform resembling the sasymbol on stage.Wear a sun disk headdress.Wear a hippopotamus mask.Carry an ankh.Pad the abdomen as if pregnant.

TefnutTefnut

Also Known As: Tefenet, Tefnet

Responsible For

Moisture, MistMoonOrderJusticeTimeHeaven and HellWeather

Totemic Form

Lioness

About Her Cult

Cult Center: Heliopolis, Leontopolis

Tefnut helped support the sky, andeach morning received the sun on theeastern horizon. She was one of the"great nine" who sat in judgment ofthe dead, and therefore frequentlyappeared in funerary scenes. She wasconsidered the goddess of the secondhour of the night of the fourteenthmoon.

Tefnut is credited with being themother of the twins Nut (the skygoddess) and Geb (the earth).

LegendsIn the mythology of Heliopolis, the firstevent of creation was the emergence ofthe god Atum from the chaotic wastesof Nun. He gave birth to his son Shu byspitting him out, and to his daughterTefnut by vomiting her forth. Shu andTefnut were brought up by Nun andlooked after by Atum's Eye. Atum hadonly one eye, and it was physicallyseparable from him and independent inits wishes.

Shu and Tefnut became separated from

Shu and Tefnut became separated fromAtum in the dark wastes of the watersof Nun. Atum sent his Eye to look forthem and eventually Shu and Tefnutcame back with the Eye.

While the Eye had been searching forthem, Atum had replaced it withanother, much brighter one. Theoriginal Eye was enraged with Atumwhen it returned at finding its placehad been usurped. So Atum took thefirst Eye and placed it on his foreheadwhere it could rule the whole world hewas about to create.

Once, Tefnut left Egypt and went to livein the Nubian desert, taking all themoisture in the atmosphere with her.Egypt suffered from a drought. Whilethere, Tefnut turned into a lioness andwent on a killing spree. Ra was lonelywithout his daughter and sent herhusband Shu and the baboon Thoth toask her to return to Egypt. She cameback, bringing with her the inundationof the Nile and there were greatcelebrations in all the temples.

Name in Hieroglyphics

The name of Tefnut translates to, "Sheof the mist". The syllable "TF" refers tomoisture or spittle, and is written usingthe symbols for a loaf of bread ("T"sound) and horned viper ("F" sound).The second syllable, "NT", contains apot symbolizing water for the "N" andanother loaf for the second "T".

Depicting Tefnut

In art, Tefnut usually was portrayed asa lion-headed goddess with a solar diskon her head, or as a woman, or as alion.

As one of the nine deities who sat injudgment of the dead, Tefnut oftenappeared in funerary scenes, seated ina row with the other members of thepanel. In these, she was typicallydepicted as a woman, and could be

depicted as a woman, and could beidentified by looking for her namewritten in hieroglyphics near her head.

If doing a theatrical portrayal of Tefnut,these elements may be useful inbuilding the character:

Wear a headdress of the solar diskwith two Uraeus (cobra) heads,one in center front, and the otherin center back.Carry either an ankh or a scepter.Wear a lioness mask.Bring water or clouds into the setdesign in some way.Use dry ice to create the effect ofmist.

WadjetWadjet

Also Known As: Uadjet, Wazit, Ua Zit,Wadjit, Wedjet

Responsible For

JusticeTimeHeaven & Hell

Totemic Form

Cobra

About Her Cult

Cult Center: Dep (Buto, in the NileDelta)

Wadjet figured prominently in thecoronation ceremony and in theunderworld, where she endowedjustice and truth and destroyed theenemies of the deceased. Wadjet wasthe goddess of the fifth hour of thefifth day of the moon.

An oracle operated in the goddess'name in the temple Per-Wadjet.

Legends

As her sister Nekhebet was the

As her sister Nekhebet was themotherly protectress of the Pharoah,so Wadjet was his aggressive defender.When Isis was hiding in the swampswith her baby Horus, Wadjet came tohelp her protect him.

Uadjet's sister was Nekhebet, andtogether the two were known as theNebti. They appeared together in art torepresent the unification of Upper andLower Egypt.

Name in Hieroglyphics

Wadjet's name was written using thesymbol of a cobra. Sometimes thecobra would be sitting on the symbol ofa basket.

Depicting Wadjet

In art, Wadjet often appeared with hersister Nekhmet, together guarding theEye of Ra. Nekhmet, as a vulture, worethe white crown of Upper Egypt whileWadjet, as a cobra, wore the red crownof Lower Egypt.

When depicted by herself, Wadjetusually appeared as a cobra,sometimes winged and crowned, andsometimes as a snake with the face ofa woman. She was the Uraeus (cobra-shaped symbol of sovereignty) thatappeared on the headdresses of theEgyptian Pharaohs and deities.

If doing a theatrical portrayal of

Uadjet, these elements may be usefulin building the character:

Wear a crown in the fashion of thered crown of Lower Egypt.Move with a sinuous, snake-likequality.Wear a cobra mask.

Recommended for FurtherRecommended for FurtherReadingReading

These books may be helpful for further education on the spiritual beliefsystem of ancient Egypt:

Egyptian Myths: TheLegendary Past. By GeorgeHart. A compact introductionto Egyptian mythology.Egyptian Mythology. ByVeronica Ions. From theLibrary Of The World's Mythsand Legends. This one has aparticularly excellent index,and the scholarly aspectsdon't get in the way oftelling a good story. Manyillustrations.

Goddesses In WorldMythology: A BiographicalDictionary. By Martha Annand Dorothy Myers Imel.Lists thousands of goddessesfrom mythological systemsworldwide, presented indictionary format. Chaptersare organized by region,with one entire chapterdedicated to ancient Egypt.

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Other articles on this web site that you may find helpful include:

Ancient Egyptian Art: AnIntroduction. Explains themeaning behind some of themore common images fromancient Egypt.Two-Dimensional AncientEgyptian Art. Explanation ofthe artistic style employedby ancient Egyptians and thereasons for it.Ancient Egypt: WhichGoddess Is Which? How toknow which goddess you'relooking at.Symbols From The MiddleEast. Pictures and history ofmany familiar symbolswhose origins lie in thespiritual traditions of theMiddle East.

Poems Inspired By MiddleEastern History & Culture.Several poems inspired bythe ancient legends from theMiddle East.Reviews of Books AboutAncient Cultures. Reviews ofbooks about Egypt andSumer.Making an EgyptianPharaonic Costume.Instructions by Arabella.How to Make a Cleopatra-Style Headdress. Viacrochet, instructions byShira.What Is Pharaonic Dance?An introduction by Shira.

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