Mafdet 1

Mafdet

In early Egyptian mythology, Mafdet (also spelled Maftet) is depicted as a woman with the head of a cheetah. Her name means (she who) runs swiftly. She is present in the Egyptian pantheon as early as the First Dynasty. Mafdet was the deification of legal justice, or rather, of execution. Thus she was also associated with the protection of the king's chambers and other sacred places, and with protection against venomous animals, which were seen as transgressors against Ma'at. Since venomous animals such as scorpions and snakes are killed by felines, Mafdet was seen as a feline goddess, although it is uncertain whether alternately, she also was meant to be a cat, a mongoose, or a leopard. In reflection of the manner in which these animals kill snakes and she was given titles such as, slayer of serpents. In art, Mafdet was shown as a feline, a woman with a feline head, or a feline with the head of a woman, sometimes with braided hair which ended in the tails of scorpions. At times she was shown with a headdress of snakes. She also was depicted as a feline running up the side of an executioner's staff. It was said that Mafdet ripped out the hearts of wrong-doers, delivering them to the pharaoh's feet, in a similar manner as domestic cats who present people with rodents or birds that they have killed or maimed. During the New Kingdom, Mafdet was seen as ruling over the judgment hall in Duat where the enemies of the pharaoh were decapitated with Mafdet's claw.

Her cult was eventually replaced by that of Bast, another cat-goddess, a lioness warrior who was seen as the pharaoh's protector, but her cheetah imagery continued in association with the pharaohs including personal items and the bed upon which their mummies were placed. Mafdet as the bed upon which a mummy of

a pharaoh is being attended to by Anubis

Mafdet: The Runner Unlike many of the Egyptian deities, Mafdet was not a lion. She is usually depicted as a woman with the head of a cheetah and her name translates as (she who) runs swiftly. Some images show her looking more lynx-like, so an alternate cat form may have been the quick caracal. As probably the first Egyptian cat deitiy, dhe appears in the Egyptian pantheon as early as the First Dynasty. She predates both Bat and Sekhmet. Mafdet was the deification of legal justice, specifically execution of criminals. She was also associated with the protection of the king's chambers and other sacred places, and with protection against venomous creatures, which were seen as transgressors against Ma'at (truth). One of the things that endeared felines to the ancient Egyptians was that they killed venomous scorpions and snakes. Mafdet, slayer of serpents, was depicted as a woman with a feline head, sometimes with braided hair ending in the tails of scorpions. She was also shown with a headdress of snakes making her resemble the gorgon Medusa! As the administrator of justice, Mafdet was depicted as running up the side of the executioner's staff. (On the staff image we found, Mafdet resembles a civet or, perhaps, a mongoose.) Like a cat presenting her owner with a slain bird, Mafdet would rip out the hearts of evildoers and drop them at the pharaoh's feet. Mafdet ruled the judgement hall in Duat (Egyptian Underworld) .It was in this hall that the king’s enemies and rebels were executed with his harpoon, which closely resembled a feline’s claw. This weapon was known as Mafdet’s claw. Although Mafdet was later replaced by Bast as the pharaoh's protector, she continued to be shown as a

cheetah on personal items for the royal family. Even the beds upon which the mummies were placed often bore the cheetah image

The Goddess Mafdet (?) This fragmentary relief was excavated in the debris over and around a tenlple of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty (664–525 B.C.). However, its precise date, nature, and subject matter are uncertain. The female feline with lotus flower may be related to Hathor or some other goddess, and the falcon heads below her are possibly celestial symbols. • • • • • • •

Medium: Limestone Place Made: Mendes, Nile Delta Region, Egypt Dates: 3rd century B.C.E. Period: Ptolemaic Period Dimensions: 11 x 16 1/8 x 3 3/4 in. (28 x 41 x 9.5 cm) (show scale) Collections:Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art Museum Location: This item is on view in Egypt Reborn: Art for Eternity, 19th Dynasty to Roman Period, Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Gallery, 3rd Floor

Panther Base for a Statuette of Amenhotep II: Possibly representing the fierce goddess Mafdet, a protector of the dead, who killed the snakes and scorpions that may have hindered the deceased’s journey. The graceful form of this animal is a testament to the skill of ancient Egyptian sculptors. This panther was one of two found in the tomb of Amenhotep II