Hathor,

Hathor Hathor Was An Egyptian Goddess, Depictions Of Hathor Have Been Dated Back As Far As The Pre-dynastic Period In Ancient Egypt. Hathor Was Known By Many Names Most Commonly Mahturt Meaning Great Flood, And Hethara Meaning The Mistress Of Heaven. Although In Original Mythology Hathor Was Known As A Warrior God And Revenger She Later Became Known As A Goddess Of Joy, Love, Music, Pregnancy, And Female Sexuality. Revered By The General Egyptian Population Particularly Women, Hathor Was Considered The Perfect Example Of An Egyptians Women's Role As Wife, And Mother. Her Third Eye Represented And Was Said To Control Maat (Order, Peace And Balance) Something Which Was Very Important To The Egyptian Belief System. Hathor Is Depicted In Many Different Ways As Both A Women And A Cow, All Depictions Of Hathor Feature Her Symbol Of The Two Large Cow Horns Holding A Solar Disk. She Is Symbolised By By Things Relating To Beauty, Hunting And Music Including Drums, Mirrors, Cosmetics, Falcons, And The Cobra. She Was Also Said To Represent The Pharaohs Wife's Particularly The Queen. Hathor Was The Most Commonly Worshipped Goddess In The New Kingdom, With More Children Being Named After Her Than Any Other God At The Time, This Was Because Egyptians Believed That Hathor Appeared At The Births Of Children And Would Announce The Child's Fate, It Was Believed That Naming The Child After The Goddess Would Provide It With A More Prosperous Future. Hathors Main Temple Is At Dendera And Still Stands Today, Is Was Cared For By Both Male And Female Priests Which Was Not Common At The Time, Most Of Hathors Priests And Priestesses Were Artists, Musicians And Dancers. Music, Dance And Food Were Major Parts Of Festivals Worshiping Hathor These Festivals Were So Popular It Is Believed That At One Stage There Were Over Twenty In One Year, Pregnant Women, And Couples With Fertility Problems Would Make A Pilgrimages To Hathor's Temple In Dendera In Order To Be Blessed. A Common Hymn Said By Women To Hathor When Calling For Her So That They Could Be Blessed Translates As Follows "thou Art The Mistress Of Jubilation, The Queen Of The Dance, The Mistress Of Music, The Queen Of The Harp Playing, The Lady Of Choral Dance, The Queen Of Wreath Weaving, The Mistress Of Inebriety Without End" (Bleaker 1973, P36) Mythology On Hathor's Relationships With The Other Gods Vary, She Is Known As Both The Mother And Daughter Of Horus Her Name Literally Translating To "house Of Horus", Hathor Is Also Represented In Many Different Relationships With Ra She Was Shown As His Mother, His Daughter, His Lover, His Wife And He's Eye. Her Earthly Form Is Also Said To Be The Mother Of Anubis And Isis. Hathor Was Worshiped In Her Many Forms Outside Of Egypt As Far Away As Canaan And Had A Major Temple Complex Constructed At The Copper Mines Of Edomite Seir. Hathor Was Still Highley Respected After Egypt Came Under Greek Rule As The Greeks Believed Hathor Was Just Another Face Of Their Own Goddess Aphrodite, The Romans Similarly Associated Hathor With The Roman Goddess Hathor And Had Hathors Temple Complex In Dendera Restored (Pinch 1993, P271) Bibliography Bleeker, CJ 1973 Hathor And Thoth: Two Key Figures Of The Ancient Egyptian Religion Brill Redford, DB 2003 Oxford Guide To Egyptian Mythology Oxford Press Pinch, G 1993 Votive Offerings To Hathor Griffith Institute Seawrighte, C Hathor Goddess Of Love, Music, Beauty....... Http://www.touregypt.net/godsofegypt/hathor2.htm 3.03.11 Ancient-egypt -hathor- Http://www.ancient-egypt.org/index.html 3.03.11 Egyptianmyths.net Hert-hert Http://www.egyptianmyths.net/hathor.htm 4.03.11 Cass, S Hathor Http://www.pantheon.org/articles/h/hathor.html 3.03.11 Crysalinks Hathor Rebirth Http://www.crystalinks.com/hathor.html 4.03.11