Bastet Major Egyptian deity protects homes, embodies joy, she carries the rays of the sun within her and takes care of children and pregnant women. A warm goddess particularly appreciated by the Egyptian population. She was seen as loving and caring. Bastet was often called upon to protect against disease and evil spirits.
Depicted with pricked ears and almond-shaped eyes, she sometimes takes on the appearance of a cat and is always depicted with a ankh and a sistrum (musical instrument associated with religious cults).
Daughter of the Egyptian Sun God Ra , Bastet, intervenes in the natural cycle of day and night. Each night, Apophis, the serpent god, was trying to seize the sun disk of the god Ra. Bastet being a protective deity she defended Ra to stop Apophis in his destructive works.
Bastet in the myths
In the Horus myth, Bastet stands alongside the goddess Isis giving birth to Horus. In this story, Isis is in mortal danger during her delivery, but Bastet intervenes to protect and heal her.
In the Osiris myth, Bastet plays a role in the resurrection of Osiris after his death and dismemberment by his brother Seth. In this account, Anubis, the funerary god, embalms the body of Osiris and Bastet protects the embalmed body as a protective goddess.
Bastet in popular culture
- In the novel “The House of Leaves” by Mark Z. Danielewski
- In the video game “Assassin's Creed Origins” as the protective patroness of the city of Bubastis.
- In the series “Stargate SG-1”
- In the song “Mon Amour Monique (Bastet)” in 2014 by the group “Epica”
His story in pictures
Bibliography
- Hart, George (2005). “The Routledge Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses”.
- Wilkinson, Richard H. (2003). “The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt”.
- Pinch, Geraldine (2002). “Handbook of Egyptian Mythology”.
- Quirke, Stephen (2001). “The Cult of Ra: Sun Worship in Ancient Egypt”.
- Lesko, Barbara S. (1999). “The Great Goddesses of Egypt”.
- Budge, E. A. Wallis (1904). “The Gods of the Egyptians: Or, Studies in Egyptian Mythology”.
Other Egyptian deities