Mafdet
Encyclopedia
In early Egyptian mythology, Mafdet (also spelled Maftet) was a goddess who protected against snakes and scorpions and was often represented as either some sort of feline
or mongoose
. She is present in the Egyptian pantheon
as early as the First Dynasty
. Mafdet was the deification of legal justice, or possibly of execution. She was also associated with the protection of the king's chambers and other sacred places, and with protection against venomous animals, which were seen as transgressors against Ma'at.
Since venomous animals such as scorpion
s and snake
s are killed by feline
s, Mafdet was seen as a feline goddess, although it is uncertain whether alternately, she also was meant to be a cat
, civet
, or a mongoose
. In reflection of the manner in which these animals kill snakes and she was given titles such as, slayer of serpents.
The goddess was prominent during the reign of the First Dynasty pharaoh Den
, whose image appears on stone vessel fragments from his tomb and is mentioned in a dedicatory entry in the Palermo Stone
. She is also mentioned in the Old Kingdom
Pyramid Texts
as protecting the sun god Re
from poisonous snakes.
, Mafdet was shown as a feline, a woman with a feline head, or a feline with the head of a woman, sometimes with braid
ed hair which ended in the tails of scorpions. At times she was shown with a headdress of snakes.
She also was depicted as a feline running up the side of an executioner's staff
. It was said that Mafdet ripped out the hearts of wrong-doers, delivering them to the pharaoh
's feet, in a similar manner as domestic cats who present people with rodents or birds that they have killed or maimed.
During the New Kingdom
, Mafdet was seen as ruling over the judgment hall in Duat
where the enemies of the pharaoh were decapitated with Mafdet's claw.
Her cult was eventually replaced by that of Bast
, another cat-goddess, a lioness warrior who was seen as the pharaoh's protector, but her feline imagery continued in association with the pharaohs including personal items and the bed upon which their mummies were placed.
Felinae
Felinae is a subfamily of the family Felidae which includes the genera and species listed below. Most are small to medium-sized cats, although the group does include some larger animals, such as the Cougar and Cheetah....
or mongoose
Mongoose
Mongoose are a family of 33 living species of small carnivorans from southern Eurasia and mainland Africa. Four additional species from Madagascar in the subfamily Galidiinae, which were previously classified in this family, are also referred to as "mongooses" or "mongoose-like"...
. She is present in the Egyptian pantheon
Egyptian pantheon
The Egyptian pantheon consisted of the many gods worshipped by the Ancient Egyptians. A number of major deities are addressed as the creator of the cosmos. These include Atum, Ra, Amun and Ptah amongst others, as well as composite forms of these gods such as Amun-Ra. This was not seen as...
as early as the First Dynasty
First dynasty of Egypt
The first dynasty of Ancient Egypt is often combined with the Dynasty II under the group title, Early Dynastic Period of Egypt...
. Mafdet was the deification of legal justice, or possibly of execution. She was also associated with the protection of the king's chambers and other sacred places, and with protection against venomous animals, which were seen as transgressors against Ma'at.
Since venomous animals such as scorpion
Scorpion
Scorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...
s and 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...
s are killed by feline
Felidae
Felidae is the biological family of the cats; a member of this family is called a felid. Felids are the strictest carnivores of the thirteen terrestrial families in the order Carnivora, although the three families of marine mammals comprising the superfamily pinnipedia are as carnivorous as the...
s, Mafdet was seen as a feline goddess, although it is uncertain whether alternately, she also was meant to be a cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
, civet
Civet
The family Viverridae is made up of around 30 species of medium-sized mammal, including all of the genets, the binturong, most of the civets, and the two African linsangs....
, or a mongoose
Mongoose
Mongoose are a family of 33 living species of small carnivorans from southern Eurasia and mainland Africa. Four additional species from Madagascar in the subfamily Galidiinae, which were previously classified in this family, are also referred to as "mongooses" or "mongoose-like"...
. In reflection of the manner in which these animals kill snakes and she was given titles such as, slayer of serpents.
The goddess was prominent during the reign of the First Dynasty pharaoh Den
Den (Pharaoh)
Den, also known as Hor-Den, Dewen and Udimu, is the Horus name of an early Egyptian king who ruled during the 1st dynasty. He is the best archaeologically attested ruler of this period. Den is said to have brought prosperity to his realm and numerous innovations are attributed to his reign...
, whose image appears on stone vessel fragments from his tomb and is mentioned in a dedicatory entry in the Palermo Stone
Palermo stone
The Palermo Stone is a large fragment of a stele known as the Royal Annals of the Old Kingdom of Ancient Egypt. It contains records of the kings of Egypt from the first dynasty through the fifth dynasty....
. She is also mentioned in the Old Kingdom
Old Kingdom
Old Kingdom is the name given to the period in the 3rd millennium BC when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilization in complexity and achievement – the first of three so-called "Kingdom" periods, which mark the high points of civilization in the lower Nile Valley .The term itself was...
Pyramid Texts
Pyramid Texts
The Pyramid Texts are a collection of ancient Egyptian religious texts from the time of the Old Kingdom. The pyramid texts are possibly the oldest known religious texts in the world. Written in Old Egyptian, the pyramid texts were carved on the walls and sarcophagi of the pyramids at Saqqara during...
as protecting the sun god Re
Re
Re, bre, moré is an interjection common to Cypriot Greek, the languages of the Balkans, Turkish, and Venetian, with its "locus... more in the Greek world than elsewhere". It is used in colloquial speech to gain someone's attention, add emphasis, insult, or express surprise or astonishment, like...
from poisonous snakes.
Art
In artArt
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, Mafdet was shown as a feline, a woman with a feline head, or a feline with the head of a woman, sometimes with braid
Braid
A braid is a complex structure or pattern formed by intertwining three or more strands of flexible material such as textile fibres, wire, or human hair...
ed hair which ended in the tails of scorpions. At times she was shown with a headdress of snakes.
She also was depicted as a feline running up the side of an executioner's staff
Staff of office
A staff of office is a staff, the carrying of which often denotes an official's position, a social rank or a degree of social prestige.Apart from the ecclesiastical and ceremonial usages mentioned below, there are less formal usages. A gold- or silver-topped cane can express social standing...
. It was said that Mafdet ripped out the hearts of wrong-doers, delivering them to the pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
's feet, in a similar manner as domestic cats who present people with rodents or birds that they have killed or maimed.
During the New Kingdom
New Kingdom
The New Kingdom of Egypt, also referred to as the Egyptian Empire is the period in ancient Egyptian history between the 16th century BC and the 11th century BC, covering the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties of Egypt....
, Mafdet was seen as ruling over the judgment hall in 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...
where the enemies of the pharaoh were decapitated with Mafdet's claw.
Her cult was eventually replaced by that of Bast
Bast (goddess)
Bastet is the name commonly used by scholars today to refer to a feline goddess of ancient Egyptian religion who was worshipped at least since the Second Dynasty...
, another cat-goddess, a lioness warrior who was seen as the pharaoh's protector, but her feline imagery continued in association with the pharaohs including personal items and the bed upon which their mummies were placed.