While Bast presided over light-hearted revelry and motherhood in Lower Egypt, her counterpart was Sekhmet, a fierce cat goddess from Upper Egypt. Her cult center was at the ancient city of Bubastis. She hails from ancient Egypt and was depicted as a black cat or as a woman with the head of a cat. Don’t Forget, the Ancient Egyptian Cat Goddessesīast is probably the most well-known of all ancient cat goddesses. Cybele, one of the most ancient Greek goddesses, rules over large cats like the lion and tiger. The Roman goddesses Diana and Juno have close ties to big cats, as well. Circe, the Greek goddess of transformation and sorcery, has a prison of men whom she’s turned into pigs and lions. Also, the sphinx makes an appearance on Athena’s headdress in an ancient sculpture of her that once stood in the Parthenon. Athena, the goddess of wisdom, is mostly depicted with owls and snakes however, Athena aids Heracles in slaying a monstrous lion. The Greeks saw the Egyptian cat goddess Bast alive in their Greek goddess of the forest – Artemis. The Greek goddesses Artemis and Athena both have connections to cats. But it wasn’t just the Egyptians who revered our feline friends… First, Greek and Roman Cat Goddesses The Egyptian deities particularly enjoyed a romp in the hay and purification rituals, so the cat seems like a justifiable choice for this pantheon. Two things that many of the gods smiled upon and were known to embody. In addition to being independent and otherworldly, cats are sexual and cleanly animals. Has your cat ever stared up at the ceiling in a corner, with seemingly nothing there visible to the naked eye? Played with something invisible? Cats have an inherent link to the spirit world and to the old gods. If they’re wild, then they’re also typically found on the hunt. They spend most of their time napping and the rest of the time eating or playing. They are independent, otherworldly creatures. Have you ever owned a cat as a pet? If you have, then you probably already know, you can’t quite “own” a cat. Why did some of the Gods manifest as Cats? Learn more about cat goddesses and male cat gods from various cultures below. We see the cat appearing in dozens of European folk tales, being particularly linked to witches as their familiars. The cat was held in high regard by many ancient civilizations, namely ancient Egypt. This is because our ancestors’ beliefs were animistic – they believed everything on earth had consciousness and a soul. Gods and Goddesses of the ancient world held a connection with certain animals.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |