The pantheon of the Egyptians contained numerous deities, but Bastet was given the primary position. She was portrayed to have a cat-head, due to which Egyptians placed cats in a place of reverence. As decades passed by, her clothing underwent a constant change so that its portrayal also kept changing.
Originally this deity was depicted as a fierce lioness. However with the passage of time the Egyptians developed a fascination with cats and since these cats were domesticated the depiction of their god changed from a fierce lioness to that of a cat headed woman.
The ancient Egyptians established a unique temple for the goddess, namely, the Bubastis. Within this temple, there were many sculptured images of the cat-headed deity. After a thorough examination, Egyptian historians have drawn a conclusion regarding her clothing.
An idol with a cat's head over the body of a young lady is the label of the deity. Many of these idols show her as a cat-headed goddess, with the exception of some idols, wherein a leopard or a lion is found.
The clothing of the deity was decorative with lots of stylish features added to make it intricate. A small purse carried by her adorned several of the sculpted images, whereas some others portrayed her holding a musical instrument namely, the Sistrum in one of her arms whereas, she has a tender basket worn on the other arm.
Also part of her attire was a breastplate which formed the center of her attire. According to Egyptian mythology this deity had a love for music and dance. She was also regarded as having a generous nature while being very rich as well. In fact the basket that the statue of Bastet was wearing was meant to represent the bountiful harvest which the goddess was associated with.
The reverence ascribed to cats caused many living cats to adorn the temple dedicated to this goddess. Lots of cat-bodies that have undergone mummification formed a major part of the archaeological discoveries in the temple of Bubastis. Tamed cats of Egyptian households were buried in Bubastis.
The People would keep statues of the deity in her trademark clothing and attire made out of bronze as a symbol of good luck. They would also leave offerings in the form of these bronze statues at the site of the temple which is why archeologists have found numerous bronze statues at the site.
As Bastet is held in high position as a deity, cats were also highly respected by Egyptians. Laws to particularly ensure the safety of cats had been put to practice. Persons indulging in harmful activities with an intention to hurt cats were liable to be punished without a doubt. Moreover, Egyptian people performed customary rituals during the burial ceremony of a tamed cat.
Originally this deity was depicted as a fierce lioness. However with the passage of time the Egyptians developed a fascination with cats and since these cats were domesticated the depiction of their god changed from a fierce lioness to that of a cat headed woman.
The ancient Egyptians established a unique temple for the goddess, namely, the Bubastis. Within this temple, there were many sculptured images of the cat-headed deity. After a thorough examination, Egyptian historians have drawn a conclusion regarding her clothing.
An idol with a cat's head over the body of a young lady is the label of the deity. Many of these idols show her as a cat-headed goddess, with the exception of some idols, wherein a leopard or a lion is found.
The clothing of the deity was decorative with lots of stylish features added to make it intricate. A small purse carried by her adorned several of the sculpted images, whereas some others portrayed her holding a musical instrument namely, the Sistrum in one of her arms whereas, she has a tender basket worn on the other arm.
Also part of her attire was a breastplate which formed the center of her attire. According to Egyptian mythology this deity had a love for music and dance. She was also regarded as having a generous nature while being very rich as well. In fact the basket that the statue of Bastet was wearing was meant to represent the bountiful harvest which the goddess was associated with.
The reverence ascribed to cats caused many living cats to adorn the temple dedicated to this goddess. Lots of cat-bodies that have undergone mummification formed a major part of the archaeological discoveries in the temple of Bubastis. Tamed cats of Egyptian households were buried in Bubastis.
The People would keep statues of the deity in her trademark clothing and attire made out of bronze as a symbol of good luck. They would also leave offerings in the form of these bronze statues at the site of the temple which is why archeologists have found numerous bronze statues at the site.
As Bastet is held in high position as a deity, cats were also highly respected by Egyptians. Laws to particularly ensure the safety of cats had been put to practice. Persons indulging in harmful activities with an intention to hurt cats were liable to be punished without a doubt. Moreover, Egyptian people performed customary rituals during the burial ceremony of a tamed cat.
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Ancient Egyptian Bastet Clothes are becoming more known around the world. For more reading about a related subject select the link to Ancient Egyptian Symbols.
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