Pakhet

**Pakhet**


 * Other Names:**

Pehkhet, Pachet, Phastet, Pasht


 * Meaning of Name:**

“The Tearer” or “She Who Scratches.” "Pasht" has been suggested as the origin for the word “puss.”


 * Titles:**

“Goddess of the Mouth of the Wadi”

“She Who Rends”

“Night Huntress With Sharp Eyes and Pointed Claws”

“She Who Opens the Ways of the Stormy Rains”


 * Family:**

She was a daughter of Ra.

The protectoress of mothers and little children, Pakhet was one of the most ancient goddesses of Egypt. She was believed to give inner strength to people, especially to women. The claw amulets worn by Egyptian queens and princesses evoked the protective might of this goddess. Associated with fierce desert storms, Pakhet was said to wander the desert alone at night, searching for prey.

She was honored in an underground temple or cave, and large numbers of mummified cats have been found buried there. Many are thought to have been brought great distances to be buried ceremonially during rituals at her cult center. Her huntress nature lead to the Greeks identifying her with Artemis, and consequently, her most famous temple, which was underground, became known as the Cave of Artemis. This cavernous shrine - //Speos Artemidos// – was built by Queen Hatshepsut.

Some theories state that Pakhet symbolized the mystery and power of women’s menstrual cycles. A woman named Pedekem held the title of "Prophet of the Living Cat of the Temple of Pakhet." Pakhet was pictured as a woman with the head of a lioness or as a caracal, often killing snakes with her sharp claws. Sometimes she was shown crouching over prostate captives of war, similar to Mafdet. Pakhet is believed to be the forerunner of both Bast and Sekhmet.


 * Quotes from the Book of the Dead and other sources:**

“O you of the dawn who wake and sleep, I have appeared as Pakhet the Great, whose eyes are keen and whose claws are sharp, the lioness who sees and catches by night.”

Egyptian Deities - P