- Bastet (mythology)
In Egyptian mythology, Bast (also spelled Ubasti, and later Bastet) is an ancient
solar andwar goddess , worshipped at least since the Second Dynasty. In the late dynasties, the priests of Amun began to call her Bastet, a repetitive and diminutive form after her role in the pantheon became diminished asSekhmet , a similar lioness war deity, became more dominant in the unified culture of Lower and Upper Egypt. In the Middle Kingdom, the cat appeared as Bastet’s sacred animal and after the New Kingdom she was depicted with a woman with a cat’s head carrying a sacred rattle and a box or basket. [http://www.egyptianmuseum.gov.eg/bastet.html Bastet] Egyptian Museum]Bast or Bastet was the cat goddess and local deity of the town of
Bubastis "Tell or Per-Bast in Egyptian, where her cult was centered. Bubastis was named after her. Originally she was viewed as the protector goddess ofLower Egypt , and consequently depicted as a fierce lioness. Indeed, her name means "(female) devourer". As protector, she was seen as defender of thepharaoh , and consequently of the later chief male deity,Ra , who was a solar deity also, gaining her the titles "Lady of Flame" and "Eye of Ra".The goddess Bast was sometimes depicted holding a ceremonial
sistrum in one hand and anaegis in the other – the aegis usually resembling a collar or gorget embellished with alion ess head.Bast was a goddess of the
sun throughout most of Ancient Egyptian history, but later was changed to a goddess of themoon byGreeks occupying Ancient Egypt toward the end of its civilization. In Greek mythology, Bast is also known as "Aelurus".History and connection to other gods
Due to the threat to the food supply that could be caused by simple
vermin such as mice and rats, cats, and their ability to fight and killsnake s, especiallycobra s, cats in Egypt were revered highly, sometimes being given golden jewellery to wear and being allowed to eat from the same plates as their owners. Consequently, later as the main cat (rather than lioness) deity, Bastet was strongly revered as the patron of cats, and thus it was in the temple at Per-Bast that dead (and mummified) cats were brought for burial. More than 300,000 mummified cats were discovered when Bast's temple at Per-Bast was excavated. Egyptians believe, when a cat in the family dies, to show respect, they display the body outside of the home.As a cat or lioness war goddess, and protector of the lands, when, during the
New Kingdom , the fierce lion godMaahes of Nubia became part of Egyptian mythology, she was identified, in the Lower Kingdom, as his mother. This paralleled the identification of the fierce lioness war goddessSekhmet , as his mother in the Upper Kingdom.As divine mother, and more especially as protector, for Lower Egypt, she became strongly associated with
Wadjet , the patron goddess of Lower Egypt, eventually becoming Wadjet-Bast, paralleling the similar pair of patron (Nekhbet ) and lioness protector (Sekhmet ) for Upper Egypt.Later prepiation
Later scribes sometimes renamed her Bastet, a variation on "Bast" consisting of an additional feminine suffix to the one already present, thought to have been added to emphasize
pronunciation ; but perhaps it is a diminutive name applied as she receded in the ascendancy ofSekhmet in theEgyptian pantheon . Since "Bastet" literally meant, "(female) of the ointment jar", Bast gradually became regarded as the goddess ofperfume s, earning the title "perfumed protector". In connection with this, whenAnubis became the god of embalming, Bast, as goddess of ointment, came to be regarded as his wife. The association of Bastet as mother of Anubis, was broken years later when Anubis becameNephthys ' son.This gentler characteristic, of Bastet as goddess of perfumes, together with Lower Egypt's loss in the wars between Upper and Lower Egypt, led to a decrease in her ferocity. Thus, by the Middle Kingdom she came to be regarded as a domestic cat rather than a lioness. Occasionally, however, she was depicted holding a lioness mask, hinting at potential ferocity. Because domestic cats tend to be tender and protective of their offspring, Bast was also regarded as a good mother, and she was sometimes depicted with numerous
kittens . Consequently, a woman who wanted children sometimes wore an amulet showing the goddess with kittens, the number of which indicated her own desired number of children. Eventually, her position as patron and protector of Lower Egypt led to her being identified with the more substantial goddessMut , whose cult had risen to power with that ofAmun , and eventually being syncretized with her as "Mut-Wadjet-Bast". Shortly after, Mut also absorbed the identities of the Sekhmet-Nekhbet pairing as well.This merging of identities of similar goddesses has led to considerable confusion, leading to some attributing to Bastet the title "Mistress of the
Sistrum " (more properly belonging toHathor , who had become thought of as an aspect of the later emergingIsis , as had Mut), and the Greek idea of her as a lunar goddess (more properly an attribute of Mut) rather than thesolar deity she was. Indeed, much of this confusion occurred with subsequent generations; the identities slowly merged among the Greeks during their occupation of Egypt, who sometimes named her Ailuros (Greek for "cat"), thinking of Bastet as a version ofArtemis , their own moon goddess. [ [http://www.messybeast.com/feline-deity.htm] ] Thus, to fit their owncosmology , to the Greeks Bastet was thought of as the sister ofHorus , whom they identified asApollo (Artemis' brother), and consequently, the daughter of the later emerging deities, Isis andOsiris .Appearances in literature
*Bastet has been an influential figure in literature since her cult was first formed around the Second Dynasty. From appearances in early papryi manuscripts to references in modern culture, she is a popular figure both as the paradigmatical cat and as a goddess.
*Bast is the central figure in the comic by
Marvel Comics titled Bast.*In the DC Comics series Catwoman Annual 1997,
Catwoman steals an amulet from a mummy, who comes to life and initially mistakes her for Bast.*Bastet makes three appearances in Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman" graphic novel series, in the story arcs "A Season of Mists", "Brief Lives", and "The Wake". She is depicted as an old friend and would-be lover of Dream, who is loyal to him as far as cats can be loyal. In 2003 she was central in the three-issue series "The Sandman Presents: Bast" written by
Caitlín R. Kiernan , and appears as a minor character in theNeil Gaiman novel "American Gods ". A cat-goddess named Bast is also portrayed as one of the major goddesses worshiped by the Amazons ofBana-Mighdall in theDC Comics book "Wonder Woman ".*In the
DC Comics graphic novel Watchmen , the character Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias has a pet large cat genetically modified by an extinct tiger species that he calls "Bubastis." This is in keeping with his fascination with Ancient Egypt.*Bast often appears in literature as the goddess of cats, either directly appearing as such or being mentioned in passing. Some such instances include references in and
The Three Lives of Thomasina .*Bastet makes an appearance in "".
*In the last episode of the first season of the CBC series
Twitch City , Lucky, the cat, tells Curtis that she is in fact Bastet.*Inspired by the goddess, a race of felines (some of whom are shapeshifters) called Bast were written into the core rulebook of the roleplaying gave
CJ Carella's WitchCraft , produced byEden Studios, Inc. *In the novel series "Wicked" by
Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie, the cat owned by the main character (Holly Cathers) is named Bast.*In the
Amelia Peabody series of mysteries byElizabeth Peters , the Emerson family adopts an Egyptian cat and names it Bastet. The cat often accompanies Walter Peabody "Ramses" Emerson, with noted dog-like devotion.In other media
*During the September 15th, 2008 episode of "
The Colbert Report " an image of Bast from a mural is displayed as the punch line of a joke. HostStephen Colbert regards Bast for a moment and remarks, "I'll bet she looks like a tiger in bed."References
External links
* [http://www.per-bast.org/ Exhaustive scholarly essay on the goddess]
* [http://www.per-bast.net/bast.html Bast: Feline Goddess Revered Throughout Egyptian History]
* [http://www.pantheon.org/articles/b/bastet.html "Encyclopedia Mythica":] Bast
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