In ancient Egypt, Bastet was one of the most popular and respected goddesses.This feline goddess has the body of a female human and the head of a cat. She was most popular among communities of Lower Egypt.Egyptian mythology depicts her holding a sistrum (a musical instrument of the percussion family) and an aegis (a band for the neck) while gazing ahead. She is also portrayed with kittens at her feet. Bastet’s sculptures or images are usually found to be made of alabaster.Stephen Quirke, an Egyptologist, suggests that the name ‘Bastet’ literally translates to ‘She of the Ointment Jar’. When written in Egyptian, Baset uses the same hieroglyphics as the phrase ’the ointment jar’. The feline goddess’ name refers to the protective ointment that helps prevent and cure disease and illness, deeming her to have powers related to health and wellness.Humans, in general, can get very attached to their pets; this sentimental feeling combined with religious beliefs often led wealthy families in Egypt to give earnest burials to their pet cats. In areas where the cat goddess Bastet was popular in the community, burial sites with more than 3 million mummified cats have been excavated.For an animal to reflect in Egyptian mythology, you can assume it must have had a long journey with the inhabitants and also positively influenced them. Egyptian religion loves and respects the domestic cat deeply.The cat that camps on your bed or lap right now comes from a glorious past. Below, we have discussed the Egyptian gods, Egyptian goddesses, Egyptian mythology, and Egyptian history while centering on Egypt’s favorite cat deity.Bastet Origin HistoryEarly reference of the feline goddess Bastet is seen in the Pyramid Text (conceived during the Old Kingdon Period) dating back to 2890 BC. Here, Basset is portrayed as a fierce lioness.The ancient texts and images of almost 2,000 years later, between 1070-712 BC, showed a transformed image. Bastet’s aura has been altered from an avenging goddess to a protective one. She now donned a cat’s head rather than a lion’s head.The power and countenance of the cat goddess evolved over many centuries from her first reference in ancient text. She appeared as a ferocious lioness-goddess along with her sister, goddess Sekhmet, an equally ferocious warrior. However, they took complementary natures over time as Bastet became more protective and domestic while Sekhmet took on the offensive and exterior role.The transformation was simultaneous to the change in the community where cats were beginning to be domesticated. The virtues of a cat began to reflect in the powers possessed by the feline goddess. Even her name evolved over the years to be more descriptive of her aura: from Baast to B’sst and then to Bastet. An additional ’t’ is believed to have been added to the name to make it sound more feminine.The cult center of this deity lies in Bubastis in the Nile Delta, currently Zagazig, the capital of the governorate of Sharqia. In Egyptian, the name Bubastis is translated to ‘per Bastet’, which literally translates to ‘house of Bastet’.Herodotus, a Greek historian that traveled to the Bastet temple in the fifth century BC, described Bastet’s temple. It was said to be surrounded by water on three or four sides which formed a type of lake. This is a key feature found in many Egyptian temples. Some mythology also suggests that the fierce goddess was calmed by this water, and the lioness’ head transformed into a cat.The feline goddess was celebrated with solemn festivities as men and women traveled annually to Bubastis to pay their respects to goddess Bastet. An entry from the book ‘Histories’ describes 7 million people arriving in crowded ships and celebrating by drinking wine (which is considered auspicious in Egyptian cultures), dancing, and singing in merriment as they visit her temple. The king, Amenhotep III, also paid his respects with offerings and presents. As offerings, people donated small bronze Bastet status to her temple.Domestic cats were adorned with gold ornaments and expensive clothes in wealthy homes. It is not hard to believe that even in ancient Egypt, owners pampered their cats. Some of them even let cats eat from the same plate as them.During the peak of Bastet’s prevalence and popularity, the punishment for killing any cat was death.Bastet ParentsBastet is the daughter of Ra, the Sun god, and of Isis, goddess of healing and magic.Bastet is often considered in duality with Ra’s other daughter Sekhmet. Over the years, Sekhmet took the fiercer nature of a fighter while Bastet took on the protective role of the warrior. It is similar to the images of these deities, where Sekhmet wears the fierce head of a lion and Bastet portrays the tamed cat.Bastet was married to Ptah, the god of creation, re-birth, craftsmanship, and architecture. Their first son, named Maahes, has a similar feline countenance to his mother. Maahes is the lion-headed god of war and protection.Bastet and Ptah then had another son called Nefertum, the god of perfume and smell. Bastet also means ’the ointment jar’, which, apart from describing her protective aura, lends to the name of her second son.Bastet is also represented as the feminine counterpart of the Sun god, hence gaining the name ‘Eye of the Moon’. She also forms the ‘Eye of the Ra’, the all-seeing eye, which is an extension of the Sun god. There are other gods and goddesses that collectively form the ‘Eye of Ra’, and it involves Bastet’s other siblings, such as Sekhmet.Bastet had proven herself as the Sun god’s trusted warrior and had destroyed his archnemesis Apep. Apep is the serpent god and is associated with chaos and darkness.Mythology says that Apep wanted to destroy the Sun god and spread darkness all over the world. When all methods to contain him failed, Bastet, the cat goddess, with her night vision, transversed through the darkness and killed him. Hence, the Sun god prevailed. With light, the land remained fertile and bore crops garnering the power of fertility to Bastet.Power Of BastetThe evolution of Bastet from a ferocious fighter to a protective warrior occurred over a period of 2,000 years.The Egyptian goddess, Bastet, was also bestowed with more powers as her reverence grew in the ancient Egyptian community. These powers entailed a domestic air that included fertility, motherhood, tenderness, protection from diseases and illness, and the afterlife.As domestic cats are known to be tender and caring towards their offspring, Bastet is said to have the power of motherhood. Bastet was touted as a good mother who attended to her children with love, care, and tenderness. The popular goddess is gentle and protects her family and home.A house cat is also considered a symbol of fertility in some myths and legends, and similar suggestions are made by the ancient Egyptians about the power of Bastet. Folklore suggests that she would grant wishes of women who sought her with cat amulets, granting them as many children as there were amulets. Pregnant women wore clothes with kitten prints to invoke the protection and fertility of the sacred cats.Cats came to be domesticated for their ability to kill vermins such as rats, snakes, and especially cobra; their ability to curb damage to food and protect human lives was why humans started keeping them close. In a similar likeness, the feline goddess Bastet also came to be known as a protector from contagious diseases and evil spirits.The name of this protector goddess, ‘a jar of ointment’, as translated by Stephen Quirke, speaks of her ability to protect against diseases and help cure illnesses.Bastet has powers over the afterlife, and cats were often buried in tombs with their owners. She is also associated with the Persea tree, which is symbolic in the mythology of protection and the afterlife. It is believed that Bastet was on this tree when she slew the Sun god’s enemy, Apep.What is Bastet known for?Apart from being the great feline goddess of ancient Egypt, below are some additional facts about the majestic Bastet.Bastet, the cat goddess, was considered the protector of Lower Egypt, while Sekhmet, the lioness goddess, was the protector of Upper Egypt. They remained counterparts even in the way they protected the land and inhabitants of Egypt.Another lore says that Sekhmet was released upon the land by the Sun god Ra when he grew angry with ancient Egyptians. To then stop her, he spilled red wine on the land, and Sekhmet drank it and fell asleep. When she woke up, she was transformed into Bastet.She is popular, even in recent books and pop cultures. Bastet appeared in many literary works such as ‘American Gods’ by Neil Gaiman and Robert Bloch’s ‘Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos’. A character based on Bastet appears in video games such as ‘Smite’ and ‘Dungeons and Dragons’.There are still some cult centers where people continue to worship Bastet.‘Eye of Ra’ is an amalgamation of other female gods and goddesses such as Sekhmet, Hathor, and Wadjet.Bastet is considered the creator of the turquoise color. According to a myth, turquoise is a color that forms when Bastet’s blood touches the ground.Bastet is one of the major gods of the Egyptian pantheon.Cults often consider animals as an extension of a god or goddess rather than just being a symbol.The annual festival celebrated to venerate this Egyptian goddess involved music and dancing, accompanied by wine.Bastet is famously said to have two siblings, both deities. Apart from Sekhmet, she has another sister called Hathor.
In ancient Egypt, Bastet was one of the most popular and respected goddesses.
