Ancient Egypt
Here I dip into Ancient Egyptian civilisation that had such a vibrant zest for life, immortality and of course have given us such astonishing cultural gifts to wonder at. Such lovers of life they wanted it forever.
Ancient Egypt was hugely influential in the Mediterranean and lasted for about 3,000 years. Its’ wealth came from the land and trade; its’ power from its Pharaoh led governments with enormous armies.
Egyptian Cats
Egyptian Cats were deeply venerated, sacred, even demi gods in Ancient Egypt, and considered good luck to their owners. Killing a cat was a sentence of death. Much is known about them because of widely painted and hieroglyphic references to them. Mummified cats were often placed with their owners in tombs to accompany them in the Afterlife. Thousands have been discovered in this way. Many of today’s domestic cats are directly descended from their Ancient Egyptian ancestors.
Protection, Health and Restoration.
Egyptian myth tells us that the falcon Horus, god of power, kingship and the sky lost his left eye while in a fight with Seth, the god of chaos, war, destruction. However, the all-important goddess Hathor, the goddess of the sky, and of women, children, fertility and childbirth. She was also the mother of Horus and restored his eye magically. So as a hieroglyphic symbol (somewhat more decorative than my images) the Eye of Horus represented healing; it protects, brings health, restores. We need her now!
The Afterlife.
How many Egyptians made it through the long and dangerous underworld to the eternal, perfect afterlife?
The Egyptian Goddess Bastet.
Ancient Egyptian gods were human / animal hybrids. Bastet had initially been half human, half lioness, but later became half cat. She had a cat’s head and a female body and represented protection, pleasure and bringer of good health.