July 16, Bastet - the Egyptian Cat goddess

Bastet is the goddess cat ancient Egyptian of the war, fertility, cats, the education of children and protection. Originally, she was named Bast (or Ubasti). The name became later Bastet, a nickname which has a more feminine connotations.
Bast is primarily represented as a woman with the head of a cat. However, it is also been portrayed as a regal and fierce desert cat.
Indeed, the cats were considered sacred animals of Bast and any act of violence or disrespect against a cat was seen as a direct attack against Bastet.
Archaeologists have found ancient statues and statuettes representing Liberian. Many of these statues show developed bugs, nose rings, necklaces and breastplates opulent with Bast.
Bast had two distinctive yet face aspects: on the one hand, she was the Mother Goddess of fertility and the education of children. It was also known under the name of the Lady of scents and secrets. However, it was the fierce protector and Avenger of the Pharaohs and the followers.
Bast was adored as early as the second dynasty (CA. 2890-2686 BC). It was considered a solar goddess.
According to legend, Bast is the daughter or Ra, the Sun God. It was considered one of the vengeful gods RAS. Bast was also seen as the protector of the Pharaohs. Later, the Greeks would change Bast ? known to them as Aelorus ? in a goddess of the moon as they have come to associate with the Greek goddess Artemis.
Importance of the Bast of the Egyptian Pantheon declined somewhat after the rise of Sekhmet, one of the other goddesses cats Egyptians. Many experts believe that the ascendancy of Sekhmet grew up after the consolidation of the upper and lower regions of the Egypt and as such, it has become a most popular deity. Sekhmet is perceived as a universal deity. However, Bast was more dominant in the low-Egypt. Some researchers say that Bast - and later Bastet - means Devourer of the goddess of the ointment jar and female. Without surprise, former Egyptian Bast was also the goddess of the balm for lips and perfumes. Incidentally, Bast was regarded as the consort of Anubis, the God of embalming.
As a solar goddess, Bast was also known as the Lady of flame and eye of RA. It was also called the Lady of the Orient.
Bast was regarded as the protector of the lower Egypt and Pharaohs and as such, it has been presented as a fierce lioness. It was also the goddess of the cat in the city of Bubastis (also known as the Per-Bast and Tell Bast), where she had a temple dedicated to her sacred cats.
The city of Bubastis was named Bast, whose original name was Ubasti. Bubastis was situated in the Eastern Nile delta region.
Ancient sculpture of Bastet. Outer wall, Temple of Horus at Edfu, Egypt. Bast was a constant source of inspiration for artists throughout history. She not only because of the apparitions in Egyptian hieroglyphs and papyrus, but it appears also in the more modern works and popular culture.
In the ancient Egypt, Bast decorated charms, jewelry, talismans, statues and even mirrors. Today, you can find inspiration Bastet paintings, statues, figurines, posters and other collectibles. You can also find necklaces and charms inspiration Bast.
The cat goddess has also inspired a comics? character. Indeed, it is the character of Marvel Liberian Comics?. The goddess Bastet is also mentioned in the books of Garfield: his 9 Lives (based on the characters and stories of Jim Davis) and the three lives of Thomasina by Paul Gallico. She?s also the inspiration for the novel Per-Bast: A Tale of Cats in the ancient Egypt by Lara-Dawn Stiegler.
By the way, if you or your friends-loving cat like reading, here's a list that may be interesting to you. And to learn more about Egyptian cats, see this article.

Prayer of a cat to Bast
As I set me to sleep
I pray Bast my soul to keep
I pray my soul to take Bast
And transport of sandy land
Where are my beloved ancestors
Where my ancient parents have been much revered
And where the cat first learned to Purring.
~ Author unknown
Poem any reading.
Books on Bastet goddess cat, Egyptian gods and goddesses, fiction and more - from Amazon.com
Bast and Sekhmet: eyes of Ra by Storm Constantine, Eloise Coquio
Bastet a book for children by Linda Talley and Itoko Maeno
The cat in the ancient Egypt by Jaromir Malek
The ancient Egypt: A reference shown for the myths, Religions, pyramids and Temples of the land of the Pharaohs by Lorna Oakes
The great goddesses of the Egypt by Barbara s. Lesko
Complete gods and goddesses of the old Egypt by Richard h. Wilkinson
The cat and the human Imagination: cat Images of Bast to Garfield by Katharine M. Rogers
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