Sunday, July 5, 2015

Bastet

Image of Bast or Bastet from wikipedia

Bastet or Bast, the cat goddess, was one of the most popular of ancient Egypt. She was associated with the sun, the moon, and fertility.

Though we often see images of Bast with the head of a domestic cat, in the beginning, she had a lion's head, or that of a desert sand-cat. As well as being fierce, Bastet was considered to be cunning. Yet she was graceful, playful, and affectionate too. 

Her cult, from the Late Period, was located in Bubastis (Tel Basta), on the Nile Delta in Lower Egypt. Once a capital, the city once commanded by this sensual deity now lies in ruins.

Cats were sacred to Bast, and Ancient Egyptians were careful not to harm them.

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