Kebechet
Encyclopedia
In Egyptian mythology
, Kebechet (spelt in hieroglyph
s as Qeb-Hwt, and also transliterated
as Khebhut, Kebehut, Qébéhout, and Kabehchet) is a goddess
, a deification of embalming liquid. Her name means cooling water.
and his wife Anput
, who is just his female aspect. Her home is Duat
.
As the deification of embalming, Kebechet was seen as the goddess
of freshness and purification via water
. She is the goddess of freshness and purification through water who washed the entrails of the deceased and brought the sacred water to Anubis for his tasks. She was thought to give water to the spirits of the dead while they waited for the mummification process to be complete. She was probably related to mummification where she would fortify the body against corruption, so it would stay fresh for reanimation by the deceased's ka.
Like all female concepts from the Ogdoad
belief system, Kebechet was depicted as a snake
, or simply as a woman with the head of a snake, although in rare instances she was pictured as an ostrich
, which was representative of Ma'at. It is also said that that Kebechet helped purify the mummies for Anubis.
Egyptian mythology
Ancient Egyptian religion was a complex system of polytheistic beliefs and rituals which were an integral part of ancient Egyptian society. It centered on the Egyptians' interaction with a multitude of deities who were believed to be present in, and in control of, the forces and elements of nature...
, Kebechet (spelt in hieroglyph
Egyptian hieroglyphs
Egyptian hieroglyphs were a formal writing system used by the ancient Egyptians that combined logographic and alphabetic elements. Egyptians used cursive hieroglyphs for religious literature on papyrus and wood...
s as Qeb-Hwt, and also transliterated
Transliteration
Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
as Khebhut, Kebehut, Qébéhout, and Kabehchet) is a goddess
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
, a deification of embalming liquid. Her name means cooling water.
Myths
Kebechet is a daughter of AnubisAnubis
Anubis is the Greek name for a jackal-headed god associated with mummification and the afterlife in ancient Egyptian religion. In the ancient Egyptian language, Anubis is known as Inpu . According to the Akkadian transcription in the Amarna letters, Anubis' name was vocalized as Anapa...
and his wife Anput
Anput
Anput is a goddess from Egyptian mythology. She is also called Input, Inpewt and Yineput. Her name is written in hieroglyphs as inpwt.- Mythology :Anput is a female aspect of god Anubis. She is his wife and mother of goddess Kebechet...
, who is just his female aspect. Her home is Duat
Duat
In Egyptian mythology, Duat is the underworld. The Duat is a vast area under the Earth, connected with Nun, the waters of the primordial abyss. The Duat is the realm of the god Osiris and the residence of other gods and supernatural beings...
.
As the deification of embalming, Kebechet was seen as the goddess
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
of freshness and purification via water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
. She is the goddess of freshness and purification through water who washed the entrails of the deceased and brought the sacred water to Anubis for his tasks. She was thought to give water to the spirits of the dead while they waited for the mummification process to be complete. She was probably related to mummification where she would fortify the body against corruption, so it would stay fresh for reanimation by the deceased's ka.
Like all female concepts from the Ogdoad
Ogdoad
In Egyptian mythology, the Ogdoad were eight deities worshipped in Hermopolis during what is called the Old Kingdom, the third through sixth dynasties, dated between 2686 to 2134 BC...
belief system, Kebechet was depicted as a snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
, or simply as a woman with the head of a snake, although in rare instances she was pictured as an ostrich
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
, which was representative of Ma'at. It is also said that that Kebechet helped purify the mummies for Anubis.