Female deities played a prominent role as counterparts for male deities. They had the same status as male gods.
There were many important female goddesses. Bastet was the goddess of joy and Lady of Bubastis, who was portrayed as a cat or as a woman with a cat's head. She was considered to be the daughter of Atum and was also identified with Tefnut, Hathor, and Mut.
Hathor was the goddess of love, music, beauty, and goodness. She was depicted as a cow or as a lady with cow's horns with the sun disk between them. She had her main cult center and temple at Dendera. She was also worshiped at Giza and Thebes.
Isis was the goddess of charm and motherhood. She was portrayed as a woman with either the throne sign on her head or the cow's horns with the sun disk between them. Isis was also depicted as a woman suckling her son Horus. She was worshiped in many places in Egypt, especially in Philae, Coptos, and Abydos. Isis was also worshiped in Palestine, Phoenicia, and Europe.
Maat was the goddess of justice, order, and truth. She was represented as a lady with the feather of justice on her head. She was the daughter of the sun god Re and was worshiped all over the country.
Mut, the wife and counterpart of Amun-Re, was worshiped in Thebes and had her own temple at Karnak. She was depicted as a lady with the double crown upon her head or as a lady with the head of a lioness.
Neith of Sais in the Delta was one of the deities who protected the coffin and the canopic jars and boxes. She was represented as a woman wearing the red crown and her symbol was the shield with crossed arrows. Nekhbet was the patroness of Upper Egypt, shown as a woman with a vulture's head or as a vulture wearing the double crown. She was the goddess of Nekheb or El Kab near Edfu.
Nut was the sky goddess, wife of Geb of the Earth. She was portrayed as a woman bending over the earth.
Sekhmet was the wife of Ptah of Memphis. She was the goddess of war, protector of kingship, and was represented as a lioness or as a lady with the head of a lioness. She was also identified in her figures with Mut at Karnak.
Selket was the scorpion goddess who protected the coffins and canopic jars. She was mostly identified as a scorpion or as a woman with a scorpion on her head.
Seshat was the goddess of script, represented as a lady with a fan upon her head.
Taweret was the goddess of fertility and helper and protector of mothers in childbirth. She was depicted as a female hippopotamus with human arms.
Figures of female deities were given the features of contemporary queens to strengthen the belief in the queens' divine role and origin. This would enable the queens' sons, when becoming kings, to also claim divine origins as being the sons of deities .
There were many important female goddesses. Bastet was the goddess of joy and Lady of Bubastis, who was portrayed as a cat or as a woman with a cat's head. She was considered to be the daughter of Atum and was also identified with Tefnut, Hathor, and Mut.
Hathor was the goddess of love, music, beauty, and goodness. She was depicted as a cow or as a lady with cow's horns with the sun disk between them. She had her main cult center and temple at Dendera. She was also worshiped at Giza and Thebes.
Isis was the goddess of charm and motherhood. She was portrayed as a woman with either the throne sign on her head or the cow's horns with the sun disk between them. Isis was also depicted as a woman suckling her son Horus. She was worshiped in many places in Egypt, especially in Philae, Coptos, and Abydos. Isis was also worshiped in Palestine, Phoenicia, and Europe.
Maat was the goddess of justice, order, and truth. She was represented as a lady with the feather of justice on her head. She was the daughter of the sun god Re and was worshiped all over the country.
Mut, the wife and counterpart of Amun-Re, was worshiped in Thebes and had her own temple at Karnak. She was depicted as a lady with the double crown upon her head or as a lady with the head of a lioness.
Neith of Sais in the Delta was one of the deities who protected the coffin and the canopic jars and boxes. She was represented as a woman wearing the red crown and her symbol was the shield with crossed arrows. Nekhbet was the patroness of Upper Egypt, shown as a woman with a vulture's head or as a vulture wearing the double crown. She was the goddess of Nekheb or El Kab near Edfu.
Nut was the sky goddess, wife of Geb of the Earth. She was portrayed as a woman bending over the earth.
Sekhmet was the wife of Ptah of Memphis. She was the goddess of war, protector of kingship, and was represented as a lioness or as a lady with the head of a lioness. She was also identified in her figures with Mut at Karnak.
Selket was the scorpion goddess who protected the coffins and canopic jars. She was mostly identified as a scorpion or as a woman with a scorpion on her head.
Seshat was the goddess of script, represented as a lady with a fan upon her head.
Taweret was the goddess of fertility and helper and protector of mothers in childbirth. She was depicted as a female hippopotamus with human arms.
Figures of female deities were given the features of contemporary queens to strengthen the belief in the queens' divine role and origin. This would enable the queens' sons, when becoming kings, to also claim divine origins as being the sons of deities .
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