Maat, daughter of the god Ra (Ra), major deity of Egyptian mythology, she is the goddess of justice and order. Embodying fairness for all things, she is both a life guide in the existence of the Egyptians but also the judge who will render his verdict during the judgment of the soul.
Its symbolism, its characteristics
Maat symbolizes the universal norm, the balance of the world and peace. Maat is a goddess different from other deities, she does not have a precise function but a general role. Maat is everywhere in all places at all times and for all that is alive, Maat is omniscient. More than a deity, a cosmic force. Its importance in Egyptian mythology is almost unparalleled. Concerning her genealogy it remains imprecise, many sources attribute to Maât different mothers, brothers and sisters. However all indicate that she would be the daughter of the sun god and creator of the universe. Ra (D).
It carries with it justice, equity and order. In the ancient Egyptian world temples and chapels are often dedicated to the various gods. But for Maât the treatment is different. As she is omnipresent so little she had temples dedicated in her honor. It seems paradoxical but it is not. To draw a parallel with the Catholic religion, we note that churches and basilicas are often in honor of a saint, but that each Catholic building will have a cross erected at its summit. It's a similar thing when it comes to Ma'at in ancient Egypt. Many temples in honor of various gods and Ma'at will always be present somewhere.
Always represented and wearing an ostrich feather, she takes on the appearance of a young woman with ocher skin. She is regularly represented with wings and carrying a Djed, a ouash and an ankh. Unlike other gods she has no totem animal. Its oldest known representation is on the palette of Narmer, a palette dating from XXXIIe century before our era. (discovery of the palette in 1897 by archaeologists JE Quibell and FW Green). We can observe a Pharaoh fighting the enemies of the sun and maintaining order with the help of Ma'at.
In the XNUMXst century, presidents take an oath before the constitution, but in ancient Egypt when a Pharaoh ascends the throne, he must take an oath before Maat, certifying that he will be faithful to his teachings. Its role is therefore active in laws, spirituality but also in political rites.
Its role in the judgment of the soul
The judgment of the soul in the Book of the Dead is probably the most important myth of ancient Egypt and Ma'at occupies a central place in it. The judgment of the soul or the court ofOsiris its function is to judge the life of the deceased in order to know whether or not his existence would be worthy of remaining in heaven. When the deceased attends his judgment he must face several gods. Osiris presides over judgment, Anubis to for him the burden of weighing the heart and weighs it with the feather of Maât. If the heart is heavier than the feather then the goddess Ammit will have to devour the heart. As for Thot, god of wisdom and scribes, he will have to record the result of the weighing.
His 42 laws
In the Book of the Dead in chapter 125 are the 42 laws of Maat. They are the equivalent for the Egyptians of the 10 commandments of the Hebrew people. Laws for individual righteousness which will serve as a basis in the judgment of the soul. Here is the list:
- I did not commit murder.
- I did not steal.
- I have not committed adultery.
- I did not lie in testimony.
- I did not cause violence.
- I was not unfair.
- I was not envious.
- I took no food from the burial offering.
- I didn't speak badly about the dead.
- I have not been negligent with the products of the earth.
- I didn't take what belongs to someone else.
- I did no wrongdoing.
- I did not take part in conflicts.
- I was not brutal.
- I was not cruel.
- I was not irritable.
- I was not intrusive.
- I was not selfish.
- I have not been ungrateful.
- I have not been unfair to the workers.
- I did not steal the cattle.
- I was not greedy.
- I was not angry.
- I was not violent.
- I have not been unfair to the poor.
- I have not been unfair to the common people.
- I have not been unfair to the children.
- I have not been unfair to old people.
- I have not been unfair to women.
- I have not been unfair to the slaves.
- I have not been unfair to the servants.
- I have not been unfair to the animals.
- I have not been unfair to foreigners.
- I have not been unfair to the gods.
- I did not violate the graves.
- I didn't take the food from the altar.
- I did not commit violence against people.
- I have not been unfair to the landowners.
- I haven't been greedy with people.
- I haven't been cruel to people.
- I have not been unfair to people in my own family.
- I did not cause terrorism.
His story in pictures
Ma'at in popular culture
Maât is also present in contemporary popular culture. She is often a point of reference in literature and films, but also in some video games and comics:
- In the series of video games “Assassin's Creed” as the guardian of Truth and Justice, she guides the main protagonist in his quest.
- In the manga “Saint Seiya”
- In the film “The Mummy Returns”, Maât is mentioned as being the saving force of the invasion of Anubis, the god of the dead.
- In the song “Ma'at” by American hip-hop artist Talib Kweli
- In the comic “The Adventures of Papyrus” created by Belgian author Lucien De Gieter
Other Egyptian deities