Bastet
Bastet or Bast was an Ancient Egyptian deity, worshiped as early as the Second Dynasty (2890 BCE). As Bast, she was the goddess of warfare in Lower Egypt; her counterpart in Upper Egypt was Sekhmet. After the unification of Egypt, instead of merging, these two goddesses diverged further.
Bastet is usually depicted as having the head of a black cat, and as such is symbolized by them, though all cats are considered her avatars.[1]
The city of Bubastis was the home and center of Bastet's worship, containing the temple of Bastet. Over the course of his journeys, the Medjay Bayek of Siwa made the acquaintance of said temple's High Priestess, and bid a man he met in Alexandria to seek out the temple and the priestess.[2]
In around 38 BCE, Bayek, while exploring Aten helped an old man, Khui, preserve his fading memory of the Old Divine ones by searching for statuettes of three old gods, Bastet being one of them, Bayek later gave the man the statuettes.[3]
Trivia
- Bastet's name has been transliterated also as B'sst, Baast, Ubaste, and Baset.[4] In ancient Greek religion, she is also known as Ailuros. Her name later became associated with the lavish jars in which Egyptians stored their ointment used as perfume, and thus she gradually became regarded as the goddess of perfumes. Bastet was also depicted as the goddess of protection against contagious diseases and evil spirits.[5]
- Herodotus wrote about Bastet in length in Book II of his Histories.
References
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Origins – The Curse of the Pharaohs – The Cat
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Origins – Cat's Cradle
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Origins – The Curse of the Pharaohs – Gods or Creed
- ↑ Badawi, Cherine (2004). Footprint Egypt. Footprint Travel Guides
- ↑ Shira. Goddesses of Ancient Egypt Retrieved 18 July 2018