In Egyptian culture, women occupied an important place in society, even much more than in Greek and later cultures. His assessment was not only inclined to the female gender as such, but also because of its importance in religion, which is evidenced in the Egyptian pantheon where various female deities could be seen. In this post we will talk about the 10 most important Egyptian goddesses in history.
The ancient Egyptians were characterized by their rich culture, their colossal pyramids, their monumental buildings and their huge temples. These buildings were not built for nothing, but had a purpose and that was to worship the gods and goddesses that were part of their great pantheon.
These Egyptian gods, most of the time, represented forces and natural phenomena, but they also represented merchants, ranchers and slaves. After the Egyptian state was founded in 3100 BC, the authorities in charge of religion and offerings were the pharaohs. Unlike other cultures, Egyptian women enjoyed certain privileges, so the number of goddesses within the Egyptian pantheon is not surprising.
isis
Isis is perhaps one of the most famous Egyptian deities, she was even worshiped in the Roman Empire. The rituals to this deity have been maintained over time and today there are many religions and movements that worship it. The goddess isis considered as the mother of nature and magic. She was the patron saint of artisans, fishermen, slaves and the oppressed. Also the aristocrats and leaders adored her, for which she was related to the political power.
The figure of Isis wore a crown where a small throne was shown, which represented the pharaoh power. The temples where this deity was worshiped were located in Behbeit El-Hagar and on the island of File.
amonet
The meaning of this deity called Amonet is “the hidden one”. She was part of eight Egyptian deities that were primordial, called Ogdóada. They also received the name of thoth. In the city of Thebes it was considered as protector of the pharaoh. Was the female variant of the god Amun and was described as an elegant woman in a deshret, holding a scroll of papyrus in her hands.
The archaeological evidence where this goddess is represented is always shown in the company of her husband Amón. It was in the twelfth dynasty that her image was replaced by Mut as the new consort of Amun.
Mut
The name of the egyptian goddess Mut it is translated as “mother”, which tells us what its meaning suggests. she associated with the waters and was regarded as a primordial goddess. Her image was associated with a vulture that the Egyptians related as a maternal figure. On an artistic level, the goddess Mut was a woman with wingswith a Egyptian cross (“ankh”) in his hands and wore a red or blue dress. On her head she wore a crown where upper and lower Egypt were united.
Bastet
The goddess Bastet was worshiped in the second dynasty, back in the year 2890 BC, was known as a Goddess of War and she was also called Bast. In ancient representations of her she was a warrior in the shape of a lion and over time it became a cat deity. It was especially worshiped in the city of Budastis and in the temples where the tradition was the mummification of cats.
Anuket
Anuket represented the Nile River, was the goddess owner of him. She was also known as Anaka and Anqet what did they mean “the hugger” and the animal with which it was associated was the gazelle. This goddess was represented as a woman carrying a reed or ostrich feathers and in her hands a scepter. She was also seen in an image nursing the pharaoh. In one period of civilization she was known as the goddess of lust.
Hemsut
According to Egyptian mythology, the goddess Hemsut represented destiny and protection and it was associated with the idea of ”ka”, which was an Egyptian word that was interpreted something like the spirit. It was the personification of the feminine, or it was the counterpart of the masculine ka. She was represented holding a shield with two crossed arrows or a woman holding a child in her arms on her knees.
Wadjet
She was a local goddess worshiped as patron and protector of lower Egypt and then became the protectress of upper egypt. The representation of him was a crown of governors of lower Egypt. The goddess Wadjet was associated with the earth and it was a figure represented as a serpent-headed woman surrounded by a sun disk and she adopting the form of ureus. The latter was highly stylized small cobra-shaped ornaments with Egyptian masks and crowns.
Iusaaset
call too goddess Saosiswas considered the grandmother of all goddesses. Her representation was woman wearing a vulture crown, with a horn and a solar disk surrounded by an aura that holds a scepter in its hands. He was also associated with the tree of life, the acacia tree. Iusaaset and Atum were said to be the parents of Shu and Tefnut, the first gods.
qebehut
Considered the curious goddess and also called Kebechet, because in Egyptian mythology it personified the embalming fluid, an essential substance to preserve mummies. Her name is interpreted in the Egyptian language as “refreshing water”.
Nephthys
This Egyptian goddess was part of the great Pasedyet, which was a group of gods that formed the cosmogony of Heliopolis. The gods that were part of it were: Shu, Atum, Nut, Tefnut, Geb, Osiris, Isis, Nephthys and Seth. Nephthys was the sister of Isis and the daughter of Nut and Kebab.symbolized the death experience (his sister represented the experience of life). Her figure was woman with falcon wings and her functions were similar to those of her sister Isis. These goddesses were represented as twin sisters.
Do you want to know more history? Do not miss this post where we reveal the names of the Greek and Egyptian goddesses: