Information AboutWadjet |
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| egyptian goddesses | |
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| fire goddesses | |
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In Egyptian Mythology , Wadjet ( Egyptian ''''; also spelt '''Wadjit''' or '''Wedjet''', and in Greek, '''Udjo''', '''Uto''', '''Edjo''' and '''Buto''') was originally the local goddess of the city of DepWilkinson, ''op.cit.'', p.297 which became part of Buto , ''Per-Wadjet'' (House of Wadjet).''Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache'', 1, 268.18 As the Patron Goddess , she was associated with the land, depicted as a Snake , usually a Cobra , poisonous snakes which were common in the region. Eventually, she became the patron goddess of the whole of Lower Egypt , and since she was linked to the land, she was thought of as the wife of Hapy , the god of the Nile , which flowed through it.Ana Ruiz, ''op.cit.'', p.119 As tutelary goddess of Lower Egypt, she became associated with Nekhbet , who held the same position in Upper Egypt , and together they were known as the ''two ladies''.Wilkinson, ''op.cit.'', p.292 TUTELARY GODDESS OF GODS AND KINGS Depicted as a cobra she became confused with Renenutet , with whom her identity eventually merged. As patron and protectress, she was often shown coiled upon the head of Ra , the Egyptian chief deity, in order to act as his protection, an image of her which became the Uraeus symbol. The ancient Egyptian word ''wadjet'' signifies blue and green. It is also a name for the ''Eye of the Moon''''Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache'' 1, 268.13 associated with the '' Eye Of Ra ''. Indeed, in later times, she was often depicted simply as a woman with a snake's head, or as a woman wearing an Uraeus, which had originally itself been her. ASSOCIATIONS WITH OTHER DEITIES In becoming the protectress of Ra, who was also a sun deity and was associated with heat and fire; she was sometimes said to be able to send fire onto those who might attack just as the cobra spits poison into the eyes of its enemies.Curl, ''op.cit.'', p.469 Consequently, she later became identified with the war goddess of Lower Egypt, Bast , who acted as another figure symbolic of the nation, consequently becoming ''Wadjet-Bast''. In this position, since Bastet was a lioness, Wadjet-Bast was often depicted with a lion's head. Eventually, her position as patroness led to her being identified as the more powerful goddess Mut , whose cult had come to the fore in conjuntion with rise of the cult of Amun , and eventually being absorbed into her as ''Mut-Wadjet-Bast''. ETYMOLOGY The name Wadjet''Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache'', 1, 268.17 is derived from the term for the symbol of Lower Egypt, the '' Papyrus ''.''Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache'', 1, 263.7-264.4 Its hieroglyphs differ from those of of the Green Crown ( Red Crown ) of Lower Egypt only by the determinative, which in the case of the crown was a picture of the Green Crown''Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache'', 1, 268.16; and in the case of the goddess a rearing cobra. REFERENCES
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