What is goddess Bastet known for?
Bastet was the goddess of protection, pleasure, and the bringer of good health. She had the head of a cat and a slender female body. Bastet was the daughter of Ra, sister of Sekhmet, the wife of Ptah, and the mother of Mihos. Since the Second Dynasty, Bastet was worshiped as a deity, most commonly in Lower Egypt.
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.
What powers does Bastet have?
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.
What weapons did Bastet use?
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.
What clothes did Bastet wear?
Written By: Bastet, also called Bast, ancient Egyptian goddess worshipped in the form of a lioness and later a cat. The daughter of Re, the sun god, Bastet was an ancient deity whose ferocious nature was ameliorated after the domestication of the cat around 1500 bce.
When did Bastet become a cat god?
Dennis C. Turner and Patrick Bateson estimate that during the Twenty-second Dynasty (c. 945–715 BC), Bastet worship changed from being a lioness deity into being predominantly a major cat deity.
Why is Bastet the cat associated with Ra?
Of course, Bastet may also have been linked to Ra based on the affinity real cats showed for the sun. Because cats are fond of sleeping in warm patches of sunlight, their ancient owners might have imagined an affinity for the god of the sun.
Is Bastet a cat or a lion?
Both Bastet’s form and her function evolved over time, however. By the Third Intermediate Period (c. 1070 – 712 BC) she began to be depicted more as a domestic feline than a wild lioness. Unlike many gods of ancient Egypt, Bastet was shown in both human and animal form.