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Wadjet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In Egyptian mythology, Wadjet (also spelt Wadjit or Wedjet, and in Greek, Udjo, Uto, Edjo and Buto) was originally the local goddess of the city of the same name, Per-Wadjet, named after her. As the patron goddess, she was associated with the land, and so became considered a snake, usually a cobra, which were omnipresent around the area. Indeed, her name means papyrus coloured, a reference to the Cobra's skin.
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. As patron of Lower Egypt, she automatically became associated with Nekhbet, who held the same position in Upper Egypt, and together they were known as the two ladies of the pharaoh.
As a cobra, she was depicted as such, and 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 chief deity, in order to act as his protection, an image of her which became the Uraeus symbol. The ancient Egyptian word wedjet signifies blue, and the same word is used for the human eye. Consequently she became 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.
In becoming the protectress of Ra, who was also a sun god, she became a goddess associated with heat and fire, and so was sometimes said to be able to send fire onto those who might attack. 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 risen to power with the cult of Amun, and eventually being absorbed into her as Mut-Wadjet-Bast.