Seth - "To Dazzle" God of chaos; killed Osiris. ShopifyBuy.UI.onReady(client).then(function (ui) { So one cannot be sure that the scribal kit belonged to the woman. Seshat was also sometimes depicted helping Nephthys revive the deceased in the afterlife in prepration for their judgment by Osiris in the Hall of Truth. Sokar God of the Memphis necropolis. [3] Usually, she is shown holding a palm stem, bearing notches to denote the recording of the passage of time, especially for keeping track of the allotment of time for the life of the pharaoh. These depictions usually show the king performing the rite with the help of Seshat, the goddess of writing and measurement, a mythical aspect which reinforced the king's central and unique role in the temple construction. The Trustees of the British Museum (CC BY-NC-SA). She was a scribe and record keeper credited with inventing writing. Perhaps because Thoth already had so many responsibilities, the Egyptians transferred the supervision of writing to the goddess Seshat. Seshat Goddess Seven-Pointed Star Egyptologist Gay Robins explains: In a few New Kingdom scenes, women are depicted with scribal kits under their chairs and it has been suggested that the women were commemorating their ability to read and write. Seshat is the only female Egyptian deity who has been portrayed with a stylus in her hand and depicted writing. The Egyptians referred to the institution as Per-Ankh (literally "House of Life") and it is first mentioned in inscriptions from the Middle Kingdom. If not shown with the hide over a dress, the pattern of the dress is that of the spotted feline. License. The spells of The Egyptian Book of the Dead are the best examples of this concept. Zahra - This name means "flower" or "blossom" and is associated with beauty, delicacy, and grace. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The goddess Seshat, with her seven-pointed-star headdress. Egyptologist Joyce Tyldesley writes: Although the only Egyptian woman to be depicted actually putting pen to paper was Seshat, the goddess of writing, several ladies were illustrated in close association with the traditional scribe's writing kit of palette and brushes. Even in the New Kingdom, where literature was more cosmopolitan, literature still adhered to a basic form which elevated Egyptian cultural values. She was also recorded as having assisted the pharaoh in the ritual of stretching the cord associated with astronomical and astrological measurements for the location of temples. Originally, she lived on earth, but got tired of the way her husband and family treated her. "footer": { He had sanctuaries and temples throughout Egypt, but his main cult center was at Thebes. The Greek designation hieroglyphics for the Egyptian writing system means "sacred carvings" and is a translation from the Egyptian phrase medu-netjer, "the god's words". "contents": { Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund (Public Domain). We contribute a share of our revenue to remove carbon from the atmosphere and we offset our team's carbon footprint. "productSet": { Seshat Seshat, depicted in a leopard skin, inscribing the years of reignfor the king on the palm-leaf ribhieroglyphfor "year". Since Seshat was herself a divine female scribe it would make sense that women practiced the art of writing as well as men. The Book of the Dead evolved from the Pyramid Texts of the Old Kingdom but, even before this time, one can see the Egyptian precision in writing at work in the Offering Lists and Autobiographies of tombs in the latter part of the Early Dynastic Period. Among her responsibilities were record keeping, accounting, measurements, census-taking, patroness of libraries and librarians, keeper of the House of Life (temple library, scriptorium, writer's workshop), Celestial Librarian, Mistress of builders (patroness of construction), and friend of the dead in the afterlife. Seshat was widely venerated as a goddess up through the Ptolemaic Dynasty [323-30 BCE], an era roughly coinciding with the creation of the biblical Old Testament and Greco-Roman con-version of itself as the "cradle" of human civilization and knowledge - a fiction which still largely persists. History, writing,. (Symbol & Magic, 174). Historian and Egyptologist Margaret Bunson describes their function: Research was conducted in the House of Life because medical, astronomical, and mathematical texts perhaps were maintained there and copied by scribes. Corrections? She was called the "Lady of Books," or celestial librarian, and was the patroness also of arithmetic, architecture and records, although she shared . Triple Goddess (Neopaganism) W. Werethekau; Y. Yumjao Leima This page was last edited on 31 May 2022, at 21:51 (UTC). Golgotha Cross What Is It and What Does It Mean? Etruscan mythology Menrva, goddess of wisdom. A man with the head of a ram, King of the gods, God of the wind. Seshat is an Egyptian goddess that has evolved over time. In general, she was seen as the patron of libraries. if (window.ShopifyBuy) { } Seshat assisted the pharaoh in the "stretching the cord" ritual. [1] Seshat is the inventor of writing and Thoth taught writing to man. "styles": { Bunsons theory is substantiated by the known structures identified as a Per-Ankh at Amarna, Edfu, and Abydos, all important cities in ancient Egypt, but this does not mean there were not others elsewhere; only that these have not been positively identified as yet. The scribes were most commonly associated with the sun god Ra in earlier times and with Osiris in later periods no matter which god resided in a particular temple. ), Seshat barely appears outside of her official role as the recorder of construction and written projects and did not have a temple or cult dedicated to her. The Book of the Dead evolved from the Pyramid Texts of the Old Kingdom but, even before this time, one can see the Egyptian precision in writing at work in the Offering Lists and Autobiographies of tombs in the latter part of the Early Dynastic Period. Owing to the great value Egyptians placed on writing, however, and her part in the construction of temples and the afterlife, she was venerated widely through commonplace acts and daily rituals from the Early Dynastic Period to the last dynasty to rule Egypt, the Ptolemaic Dynasty of 323-30 BCE. }, Seshat was also given the epithet Mistress of the House of Architects and from at least the Second Dynasty she was associated with a ritual known as pedj shes (stretching the cord) which was conducted as part of the foundation rituals when erecting stone buildings. Seshat is almost like the 'Egyptian Fairy Godmother' and her magic wand with its seven pointed star was the symbol which represented the source of all creative ideas. OF DIVINE WISDOM, BOOKS & LIBRARIES Her name means "Female Scribe" and the art of the scribe was her area: the burgeoning state of Egypt needed to keep records, formalize contracts and agreements, and make blueprints for buildings. 2130 bce) and Middle Kingdom (c. 1938c. She wasn't just a librarian though, she was a master of what we now call Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Scribe of the gods. Copyright Symbol Sage 2022 All Rights Reserved. "@media (min-width: 601px)": { Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. You may change your settings at any time. Egyptologist Joyce Tyldesley writes: Although the only Egyptian woman to be depicted actually putting pen to paper was Seshat, the goddess of writing, several ladies were illustrated in close association with the traditional scribes writing kit of palette and brushes. So one cannot be sure that the scribal kit belonged to the woman. As the goddess of the written word, Seshat took care of the library of the gods, and so became known as the Mistress of the House of Books. It Daughters of Isis: Women of Ancient Egypt. Bard, Kathryn (2008) An introduction to the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt, Budge, E Wallis (1904) The Gods of the Egyptians, Pinch, Geraldine (2002) Handbook Egyptian Mythology, Watterson, Barbara (1996) Gods of Ancient Egypt, Wilkinson, Richard H. (2003) The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. It is this connection to the magic that keeps her relevant among today's witches. Egyptologist Gay Robins explains: In a few New Kingdom scenes, women are depicted with scribal kits under their chairs and it has been suggested that the women were commemorating their ability to read and write. She is credited with inventing writing. Seshat is often shown with a palm stem in her hand with notches along it giving the idea of recording the passage of time. she who is the scribe), and is credited with inventing writing.. She also became identified as the goddess of architecture, astronomy, astrology, building . (Patricia Telesco, "365 Goddess: a daily guide to the magic and inspiration of the goddess".) According to one myth, it was Seshat who invented writing. To discover her intriguing story, keep reading. "variantTitle": false, Egyptologist Rosalie David notes how she wrote the kings name on the Persea tree, each leaf representing a year in his allotted lifespan (Religion and Magic, 411). Pharaoh Tuthmosis III (1479 to 1425 BC) referred to her as "she of the seven points". One prince of the Fourth Dynasty, Wep-em-nefret, is noted as the Overseer of the Royal Scribes, Priest of Seshat on a slab stela. }, The ancient Egyptians believed that what was done on earth was mirrored in the celestial realm of the gods. function loadScript() { Seshat also appeared in funerary contexts, where, along with Nephthys, she restores the limbs of the deceased. She has also been associated with fertility, music and physical pleasure. For Seshat: Digital History Databank, see, Seshat, depicted in a leopard skin, inscribing the, Last edited on 30 November 2022, at 07:40, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Gardiner's Sign List#R. The dead were not gone as long as their stories could be read in stone; nothing was ever really lost. The House of Life was a combination library, scriptorium, institute of higher learning, writers workshop, print shop/copy center, publisher, and distributor. 1630 bce) depict her as the recorder of quantities of foreign captives and booty in the aftermath of military campaigns. Credit: Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund - Public Domain. They had a child called Hornub. In 1924, Seshat's human host was eaten alive by ducks but she reformed rather quickly and accidentally took the form of a library book where she . [1], Hatshepsut and Seshat, from the Red Chapel, Goddess Seshat, ca. "font-size": "18px" (Handbook,199). Seshat - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). loadScript(); Seshat is the goddess of writing, measurement and the ruler of books. [7], The reading is approximately: "YEAR: To create (a) Statue for Seshait, Statue for Mafdet." World History Encyclopedia. This list may not reflect recent changes. Seshat - "Lady Scribe" Goddess of measurement. }, } The Egyptian goddess Seshat is one of the lesser-known Egyptian deities, and yet she was an enduring one. Among Seshat's responsibilities were record keeping, accounting, measurements, census-taking, and patroness of libraries & librarians. She also never had a cult or female worship. Wilkinson notes how "by virtue of her role in the foundation ceremony [Seshat] was a part of every temple building" (Complete Gods, 167). Thoth & Seshat, the Lady of Books. In the famous story of Osiris and his murder by Set it is not Osiris who is the hero of the tale but his sister-wife Isis. Seshat featured prominently in the concept of the eternal life granted to scribes through their works. } amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; Seshat was the keeper of ground plans and charts in the ritual. 2013-10 . Mark has lived in Greece and Germany and traveled through Egypt. European History American History Egyptian Artifacts Ancient Egyptian Art Ancient Greece Egyptian Things Marah Woolf Hieroglyphs on Ramesses Colossus Amun Temple, Luxor, Egypt Ancient Alphabets Art History Her symbols were the ankh, her wings, and her throne headdress. NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using. The members of the institution's staff, all scribes, were considered the learned men of their age. node: document.getElementById('product-component-3d475c3f992'), Seshat was the ancient Egyptian goddess of knowledge, wisdom, and writing. It symbolizes her triplicity as well as divine thought and rebirth. Seshat Egyptian Goddess of the Written Word, Cross Crosslets Meaning and History of This Unique Cross Type, Pan and Syrinx: A Tale of Love (or Lust?) Serapis, god of knowledge and education. /*