Bastet

 

Egypt

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Egyptian Gods

Bastet

Bastet

The goddess Bastet is one of the daughters of Ra, the solar disc and the wife of Ptah. Originally from Bubastis, this cat goddess lived her apogee when the pharaohs of the 20th dynasty chose her town as their capital.

The goddess Bastet is one of the daughters of Ra, the solar disc and the wife of Ptah. Originally from Bubastis, this cat goddess lived her apogee when the pharaohs of the 20th dynasty chose her town as their capital. Gradually Bastet would lose her ferocious lioness face and replace it with that of a sweet, affectionate cat, remaining however unpredictable. She is the goddess of the household and patron of births. She is represented in the form of a cat either lying down or seated suckling her litter but also as a woman with a cat’s head holding a sistrum. The popularity of Bastet can be measured by the huge number of cat necropolises discovered in Egypt. Once buried, cats would be venerated in the same way as humans. One of the most celebrated necropolises is to be found in Saqqara.
Category : Egyptian Gods
items Date : 01/10/2009
Author of items : Senakht