What Does The Egyptian Goddess Bastet Represent?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Bastet is the Egyptian

goddess of the home, domesticity, women’s secrets, cats, fertility, and childbirth

. She protected the home from evil spirits and disease, especially diseases associated with women and children.

What was the symbol of Bastet?

Represented as

a woman with a cat’s head

, Bastet carries an ancient percussion instrument, the sistrum, in her right hand; a so-called aegis, or breastplate (in Bastet’s case, surmounted with the head of a lioness), in her left hand; and a small bag over her left arm. She wears an elaborately ornamented dress.

Who is the most evil Egyptian goddess?


Apep/Apophis
Symbol Snake Personal information Parents Neith (in some myths) Siblings Ra

Does Bastet have any special powers?

Appearance. Like all gods Bastet

can change her appearance for war she takes the form of a lioness

, for her gentle side she takes the form of a domestic cat and finally another form that the goddess takes is a human to interact with humans better.

How do you honor Bast?

  1. Create an altar in Bast’s name, and decorate it with images of cats and lions, baskets, brightly colored crystals or gemstones, and sistrums or rattles.
  2. Offer a prayer to Bast or Bastet, in the form of a song or chant.

What did Aten look like?

The solar Aten was extensively worshipped as a god in the reign of Amenhotep III when it was depicted as

a falcon-headed man much like Ra

.

What is Osiris the god of?

Osiris, also called Usir, one of the most important gods of ancient Egypt. … This dual role was in turn combined with the Egyptian concept of divine kingship: the king at death became Osiris,

god of the underworld

; and the dead king’s son, the living king, was identified with Horus, a god of the sky.

What is the oval name plate attached to your coffin called?


A cartouche

is a name plate. It’s usually oval with your name written in the middle of it. A cartouche is attached to your coffin. The ancient Egyptians wanted to make sure that their two souls – the Ba and the Ka – could find their way back to their tomb at night, after they died.

Who is the darkest god?


EREBUS (Erebos)

The primeval god of darkness.

What are Bastet’s weaknesses?

Bastet incorporated the qualities of a protector and a sensual being, therefore, is the essence of femininity for the Ancient Egyptians. However, the goddess also had certain weaknesses; particularly, her

inconsistency and fierceness deserve to be mentioned

.

Who is Bast Black Panther?

In the comics, Bast was

the protector of the Panther Clan

and is also referred to as the “Panther God”. She was the one who gave Bashenga, and the rest of his lineage, the power of the Black Panther and control over Wakanda. Also in the comics, Bast is related to Khonshu and Sekhmet.

What is sacred to Bast?


Cats

were sacred to Bast, and to harm one was considered to be a crime against her and so very unlucky. Her priests kept sacred cats in her temple, which were considered to be incarnations of the goddess.

What does the name Bastet mean?

Egyptian Baby Names Meaning:

In Egyptian Baby Names the meaning of the name Bastet is:

Eat

.

What stones are associated with Bastet?

Crystals: Gold. Brightly colored jewels;

citrine

(for prosperity), Turquoise (for healing), garnet (for sexuality) carnelian (for power) and black tourmaline (for protection.) Sacred Associations: Cats, lions, the sun (in many myths, Bastet is daughter of the sun god Ra.)

Are Bast and Sekhmet the same?

Bast and Sekhmet were

the same soul – Bast primarily a Northern goddess

(since Her main place of worship was in Lower Egypt), while Sekhmet (as a form of Het-hert) was a Southern goddess.

Is Aten male or female?

Aten was the sun disk, once an aspect of Ra, a much older Egyptian deity. Aten is described as the giver of all life, and as

both male and female

.

Who was pharaoh after Hatshepsut?


Thutmose III

, who was technically co-ruler with Hatshepsut, succeeded the female pharaoh after her death.

Was Osiris black?

Osiris was called

‘the black one’

in various funerary texts and is often depicted with black skin and in the guise of a mummified body. Black is also the colour associated with the alluvial silt deposited on the banks of the River Nile after the annual flood receded.

Did Akhenaten think he was a god?

For thousands of years the Egyptians had worshiped a variety of gods such as Amun, Isis, Osiris, Horus, and Thoth. Akhenaten, however,

believed in a single god named Aten

.

What does Osiris symbolize?

Osiris is the

Egyptian god of the underworld, fertility, and agriculture

. … The Ancient Egyptians believed Osiris had the power to give new life and to control the Nile River. Common symbols associated with Osiris include the flail, staff, and white crown of Upper Egypt.

Was Osiris human?

He argued that Osiris was

originally the human ruler of

a unified Egypt in prehistoric times, before a rebellion of Upper Egyptian Set-worshippers.

Why do pharaohs get mummified?

The purpose of mummification was

to keep the body intact so it could be transported to a spiritual afterlife

.

Who built the Sphinx?

Most scholars date the Great Sphinx to the 4th dynasty and affix ownership to Khafre. However, some believe that it was built by

Khafre’s older brother Redjedef (Djedefre)

to commemorate their father, Khufu, whose pyramid at Giza is known as the Great Pyramid.

Who opened the door to the afterlife?

Historians refer to this “place” as the afterlife or the netherworld. To the ancient Egyptians, it was the place, an actual place, you went to after you died. One of the reasons the

god Osiris

was so honored in ancient Egypt is because it was Osiris who opened the door to the Land of Two Fields for everyone.

What is Thanatos personality?

Personality. Thanatos was believed to be

merciless and undiscriminating

, sharing a mutual hatred for most of the other gods and mortals.

Who is the most evil goddess?

  • Eris, the goddess of discord.
  • Enyo, the goddess of destruction.
  • Deimos and Phobos, the gods of panic and terror.
  • Apate, the goddess of deceit.
  • The Erinyes, goddesses of vengeance.
  • Moros, the god of doom.

Did Bastet have wings?

Sometimes Bastet was fused with Sekhmet and the sun god Re in a deity called Sekhmet-Bastet-Re, and this deity, clearly associated with the power of the sun, was represented as a female body with a human male head and two vultures’ heads sprouting from her neck.

She had wings on her arms and the claws of

a lion.

What breed of cat is Bastet?


Egyptian Mau

. Egyptian Maus are a small to medium-sized short-haired cat breed.

What is the relationship between Bastet and Anubis?

they are

identified as lovers

, while in others, Bastet is thought to be Anubis’ mother. Both Anubis and Bastet continue to be memorialized in artistic pieces and ancient relics, making them highly recognizable symbols of Egyptian culture in modern times.

Is there a god of evil?

Some

people believe that evil deities indeed existed

—and perhaps still do. In contrast, others regard them as mere intangible manifestations of human fears. Some are evil gods of the underworld, and some exist to torment humanity.

What was Cleopatra’s cats name?


Tivali

meaning ‘gift of god’.

This is one of the best Ancient Egyptian cat names as Queen Cleopatra named her favorite cat Tivali.

Who is the Egyptian goddess Bastet?

Bastet is probably the

best-known feline goddess from Egypt

. Initially depicted as a lioness, Bastet assumed the image of a cat or a feline-headed woman in the 2nd millennium BCE. Although she combined both nurturing and violent qualities, her shielding and motherly aspects typically were emphasized.

Why did Egyptians worship cats?

Egyptians believed cats

were magical creatures, capable of bringing good luck to the people who housed them

. To honor these treasured pets, wealthy families dressed them in jewels and fed them treats fit for royalty. When the cats died, they were mummified.

How powerful is Bastet?

Power Bestowal: Bast is believed to be

extremely powerful

, though she typically acts through surrogates or possesses and grants power to others (usually some degree of superhuman strength, speed, agility, senses, etc.). Each of the Black Panther’s abilities is connected to Bast and derives power from her support.

What happened Bast?

Bast was

eventually freed by Ruby

and Julius Kane, who sensed that Bast would be destroyed by Apophis but fail to destroy him, leaving him free to escape his prison.

Who did Bastet marry?

Bastet Parents Ra and Isis Siblings Horus and Anhur (half-brothers) Consort

Ptah
Offspring Maahes

Who is Sobek?

Sebek, also spelled Sobek, Greek Suchos, in ancient Egyptian religion,

crocodile god whose chief sanctuary in Fayyūm province

included a live sacred crocodile, Petsuchos (Greek: “He Who Belongs to Suchos”), in whom the god was believed to be incarnate. Ombos: column with a carving of Sebek.

Who made the sacred cat of bast?

Artist

Egyptian
Title Sacred Cat of Bast Date between 7th and 6th century BCE Medium Cast bronze

What is the goddess Isis?

Isis was

the daughter of the earth god Geb and the sky goddess Nut

and the sister of the deities Osiris, Seth, and Nephthys. She was also wife to Osiris, god of the underworld, and bore him a son, Horus. … Her cult subsequently spread throughout the Roman Empire, and Isis was worshipped from England to Afghanistan.

What does the crystal citrine mean?

Citrine is in the mineral class of quartz.

Citrine tends to have a hexagonal crystal system and in its natural form has a cloudy or smoky look. The meaning of citrine is

focused on prosperity, joy, and energy.

Maria Kunar
Author
Maria Kunar
Maria is a cultural enthusiast and expert on holiday traditions. With a focus on the cultural significance of celebrations, Maria has written several blogs on the history of holidays and has been featured in various cultural publications. Maria's knowledge of traditions will help you appreciate the meaning behind celebrations.