Meow Me wow

 

Egyptian Cat

Bastet, also called Bast, ancient Egyptian goddess worshiped in the form of a lioness and later a cat. The daughter of Re, the sun god, Bastet was an ancient deity whose ferocious nature was ameliorated after the domestication of the cat around 1500 BCE. She was native to Bubastis in the Nile River delta but also had an important cult at Memphis. In the Late and Ptolemaic periods large cemeteries of mummified cats were created at both sites, and thousands of bronze statuettes of the goddess were deposited as votive offerings. Small figures of cats were also worn as amulets; this too was probably related to the cult of Bastet.

Looking at a lineup of the Egyptian pantheon, you may feel like you’re being watched. Don’t make any sudden moves now! Just kidding, it’s nothing to worry about – that’s just the cat gods. Unless…you haven’t committed any crimes recently, have you? 

Those are protective deities, you know. They don’t take kindly to wrong-doers. If you’ve done anything legally questionable within the last 24 hours then…maybe you should go. Maahes is looking a little hungry and Mafdet is filing her nails; the last time she did that it took us a week to clean to floors.

In all seriousness, no other face jumps out at you amongst the ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses than that of a cat. Cat gods are prominent in most world cultures, though their fame is undoubtedly from the abundance of feline artifacts discovered over the centuries in Egypt. The respect and affection ancient Egyptians had for cats were well-known even back in their heyday.

Part of such reverence stems from the ancient Egyptians viewing cats (and other animals) as vessels for the gods. The other part is because…just look at them! Keep reading below to learn all you can about the Egyptian cat gods.