More about Goddesses: The Egyptian
Goddess Bast
by Tim Kavi
Bast is an influential
goddess in Egyptian mythology, representing sensual pleasure. Bast also acts as
the guardian saint of firefighters, protector of the household and a bringer of
wealth. Bast may also be known as Basthet or Bastet and is widely represented
as the cat goddess. Due to her role in protecting Ra, her father, from his
enemies, she has also taken on the role of the All-Seeing Eye. This is
occasionally represented as the Goddess of the Rising Sun or Lady of the East.
Bast is one of the most
ancient goddesses, she is depicted in many versions of Egyptian art. She is
frequently depicted as a beautiful, slender woman with the head of a cat. The
grounds of her temple hold a large cat cemetery where her companions could be
mummified or entombed to join her in the spirit world. Cats are frequently
honored at her temple, many taking up permanent residence. These cats were
known to run into local homes when they caught fire, leading the residents to
safety, which led to Bast’s association with fire-fighting and protection of
the home. Some say that cats that lost their lives in this undertaking could be
brought back to life by Bast’s power, which may be the source of the belief
that cats have multiple lives.
During the day, Ra
would fly through the sky, using his boat to pull the sun through the sky. When
darkness falls Bast transforms into a cat, taking advantage of the creature’s
superior night vision to watch for Apep, a serpent that acts as Ra’s greatest
enemy. Legend has it that Bast was able to kill the serpent when the priests of
Ra failed to hex him with the sacred wax models. Due to this dual nature of her
story, Bast is one of few sun goddesses that is also known as a moon goddess.
Her sacred all-seeing eye reflects the light of the moon, protecting her
followers from enemies in the darkness.
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