Cats in ancient Egypt: Divine and Domestic.

Cats were beloved pets in ancient Egypt. In tomb scenes, they often appear under the chair of the tomb owner’s wife. As attackers of vermin, they were seen as guardians of the home. In the divine realm they transformed into protectors of the sun god, who defeated Aphosis every evening. It is in this guise we see them in the Book of the Dead, which provided the deceased with the means for a successful afterlife. In addition, they were associated with both Hathor and Bastet, powerful female deities. Bastet in feline form, is often represented with her kittens, and was an emblem of fertility. She frequently holds a sistrum, and a lion-headed aegis, so linking her to both Hathor and Sekhmet in a protective capacity.This lecture will explore the role cats played in the domestic and divine realms in ancient Egypt, with particular reference to the links with women.

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Tullie - Museum & Gallery, Castle Street, Carlisle, United Kingdom

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