The cat goddess Bastet represented both the home and the domestic cat and the war-like

aspect of a lioness
Bastet Profile & Fact File
Egyptian Name: Bastet also known as Bast, Baast, Ubasti and Baset. Bastet's name means,
"She of the perfume jar".
Role & Function: Sekhmet typified the vicious heat of the burning rays of the sun
Status of Bastet: Benign Goddess of cats the household pets and as a lion-headed warrior
goddess. She represented Lower Egypt.
Symbols:

The Ankh, the cat, the lioness and the sistrum

Cult Centers:

Bubastis and Leontopolis

Titles:
The "Lady of the East", the "Goddess of the Rising Sun", the "Cat Goddess" and the
"Devouring Lady"

Ancient Egyptian Gods: Bast

Bast
Bast (known as "Bastet" in later times to emphasise that the "t" was to be pronounced) was one
of the most popular goddesses of ancient Egypt. She is generally thought of as a cat goddess.
However, she originally had the head of a lion or a desert sand-cat and it was not until the New
Kingdom that she became exclusively associated with the domesticated cat. However, even then
she remained true to her origins and retained her war-like aspect. She personified the
playfulness, grace, affection, and cunning of a cat as well as the fierce power of a lioness. She
was also worshiped all over Lower Egypt, but her cult was centred on her temple at Bubastis in
the eighteenth nome of Lower Egypt (which is now in ruins). Bubastis was the capital of ancient
Egypt for a time during the Late Period, and a number of pharaohs included the goddess in their
throne names.
Her name could be translated as "Devouring Lady". However, the phonetic elements "bas" are
written with an oil jar (the "t" is the feminine ending) which is not used when writing the word
"devour". The oil jar gives an association with perfume which is strengthened by the fact that she
was thought to be the mother of Nefertum (who was a god of perfume). Thus her name implies
that she is sweet and precious, but that under the surface lay the heart of a predator. Bast was
depicted as a cat, or as a woman with the head of a cat, a sand cat or a lion. She is often shown
holding the ankh (representing the breath of life) or the papyrus wand (representing Lower
Egypt). She occasionally bears a was-scepter (signifying strength) and is often accompanied by a
litter of kittens.
Cats were sacred to Bast, and to harm one was considered to be a crime against her and so very
unlucky. Her priests kept sacred cats in her temple, which were considered to be incarnations of
the goddess. When they died they were mummified and could be presented to the goddess as an
offering. The ancient Egyptians placed great value on cats because they protected the crops and
slowed the spread of disease by killing vermin. As a result, Bast was seen as a protective
goddess. Evidence from tomb paintings suggests that the Egyptians hunted with their cats (who
were apparently trained to retrieve prey) and also kept them as loved pets. Thus it is perhaps
unsurprising that Bast was so popular. During the Old Kingdom she was considered to be the
daughter of Atum in Heliopolis (because of her association with Tefnut), however, she was
generally thought to be the daughter of Ra (or later Amun). She (like Sekhmet) was also the wife

of Ptah and mother of Nefertum and the lion-god Maahes (Mihos) (who may have been an aspect
of Nefertum).