Egypt is most often known for mummies, pyramids and other famous monuments such as the Sphinx at Giza. Egypt also made a name in art for its paintings, sculptures and the construction of its pyramids. All of these things were customarily created for the pharaohs and the worship of their gods and goddesses. Egyptian religion is polytheistic and their gods were anthropomorphic, meaning they had many gods that could take on both human and animal forms, including the feline. These animals were very well treated and worshiped just like a god or goddess. One of the most important animals considered divine in Ancient Egypt was none other than the feline. Egypt worshiped cats as gods and goddesses, mummified them to join their masters after death and even depicted them in statues and art (Ions, 126).
The feline was the most important animal given divine honors because it was admired for its energy or power, strength and agility (Ions, 103). Egyptians first domesticated cats around 2000 BCE in Egypt. This was essentially because of their instincts to catch and kill rats and other rodents (Michelle). Eventually these domesticated house pets surpassed other animals of its time and elevated its status to a worshipped deity. Goddesses that are often depicted with a lion or cat embodiment are; Mafdet, Bastet, Sakhemet, Tefnut (Pinch, 134). Egyptian gods depicted with a lion or cat embodiment are Atum-Ra and Bes. All w ere associated with the sun-god Ra, sometimes being identified as “The Eye of Ra”. Ra was viewed as one of the most important gods because the sun controls farming and crops (Pinch, 129). Egyptians considered cats as royalty and treated them as such through laws that protected them from any harm. Therefore, if any human ...
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...rk: The Hamlyn Publishing Group, 1968. 103,111. Print.
Michelle, Angela. "Cats Role in Ancient Egypt: Cats and their Egyptians." HubPages. hubpages, 2011. Web. 20 Feb 2011. .
Pinch, Geraldine. Handbook of Egyptian mythology. Santa Barbara: Abc-clio, 2002. 114- 115. Print.
Springer, Ilene. "The Cat in Ancient Egypt." Tour Egypt. Tour Egypt, 2010. Web. 20 Feb 2011. .
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Hawass,Zahi. The secrets of the Sphinx: restoration past and present. Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press, 1998.
The Egyptians often included lions to symbolize strength, leadership, loyalty, and war. The top of the palette also includes a human face with bull horns. This was done in attempt to represent the gods the ancient Egyptians believed in. These gods are associated with power, masculinity, and fertility.
Mythological Details: My novel is fiction because it involves the Egyptian gods in a modern day world, and also the main characters pet cat had been an Egyptian god, named Bast, that had been ordered to protect them. A quote to support this is "So, yeah. Our cat was a goddess" (Riordan, 114).
Ian Hodder, “The Leopard’s Tale Revealing the Mysteries of Çatalhöyük,” (London: Thames and Hudson, 2011), 44.
The first form of art that I will talk about that the ancient Egyptians are known for are sculptures. An example of this is the Sphinx of Hatshepsut. I just want to say a few things about King Hatshepsut since we all know a bit more about her from the lectures. Hatshepsut is known to be a successful female Pharaoh. She declared herself as the king when Thutmose III, the one next in line, was too young to rule. She ruled for about 20 years. Her reign was full of building projects and the most recognized building under her rule was the Deir el-Bahari. Like most Pharaohs, her tomb contained statues of her as well as gods to honour them and help her transcend into the afterlife.
Teeter, E. Egyptian Art. Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies, Vol. 20, No. 1 Ancient Art at The Art Institute of Chicago (1994), pp. 14-31
"The Role of Cats in Ancient Egypt." The Role of Cats in Ancient Egypt. N.p., 22 Mar. 1998. Web. 3 Aug. 2013.
Egyptians worshiped many gods and goddesses. Some of the gods they worshiped were Ra the sun god, Isis the god of nature and magic, Horus the god of war and Osiris the god of the dead. The act of worshiping many gods is called polytheism. The Egyptians had a god for almost everything.
In conclusion, Ancient Egypt has a very complex religion and beliefs that would be considered bizarre in many parts of the world. They believed in many gods, some took part in the creation of the universe. Others brought the flood every year, offered protection and took care of people after they died. The ancient Egyptians thought that it was important to recognize and worship the gods because they represented the peace and harmony across the land.
Wilkinson, Toby A. H.. The rise and fall of ancient Egypt. New York: Random House, 2010. Print.
The Felis genus of cats is the youngest known genus of the cat family and most domestic cats have derived from this genus. The most accepted ancestor of today’s modern domestic cats are the African Wildcat which is believed to have branched off and made the lineage of domestic cats about 70,000 to 100,000 years ago. The African wildcat was a hunting animal and gave all of its descendants their hunting traits. Today since domestic cats and small felines barely use these traits however, they have more or less become unfunctional or have been turned into weakened versions.
Maspero, Gaston. Manual Of Egyptian Archaeology And Guide To The Study Of Antiquities In Egypt. 1895. Print.
The domesticated feline has a rich and ancient history, starting a hundred thousand years ago in Mesopotamia where cats were used in farming to control pests like mice. However, ancient Egypt notably took the image of the domesticated agrarian feline and transferred it to the status of godly worship; it is even stated in historical texts that “the Egyptians cared so much for their cats that they placed their safety above human life and property” (Mark). Furthermore, the ancient Egyptians believed cats to be “magical creatures, capable of bringing good luck to the people who housed them” which is the main reason for the proclaimed demi-god status of the cat (Napoli). The ancient Egyptians associated many connotations with the cat, mainly stating cats to being embodiment
Seemingly static in appearance, to the untrained eye, Egyptian Art is somewhat formal and blocky, with very little to no naturalism; in opposition to ancient western art such as Greek and Roman artistic traditions. (Neer, 2012) However, Egyptian Art serves a purpose that celebrates the afterlife as well as appreciating life. Egyptian visual imagery expressed animals not in the typically assumed static and rigid form, but in naturalistic dynamism that is largely ignored in general Egyptian Art scholarship. Ancient Egyptian art endures a steady artistic tradition and despite various changes and modification in style occurred during the 3,000 years pharaohs ruled; they are recognizably Egyptian in origin. What was wholly unique was the artistic
Cats, almost everyone adores them. Cat videos are among the most viewed videos available on the internet and it is apparent why. There are over 70 million pet cats in America today, there is also one feral cat for every pet cat; so, there are approximately 70 million feral cats, that is an estimated 140 million cats in total. People love cats and have through the centuries, cats have lived and evolved with humans over the years and are a major part of most peoples lives. As much as people love and adore these furry, fluffy, and funny creatures there is a dark side to their habitation. As many people who own cats or have seen a cat know that many of these cats live outside. This is where our problem with outdoor cats begin. It is reported that