Herstory

Music: If I Ever Lose My Faith In You

Herstory--The Story of cats and the Goddess Bast

The Egyptian name for the cat was pronounced "miw", obviously in imitation of the distinctive feline cry. Hieroglyphs used to depict 'cat' in the latter half of the period known historically as The Middle Kingdom were the milk urn, the falcon and the cat:
M - I - W.

Animated Bast courtesy of CatStuff Bast, or Bastet as She is sometimes called, is an ancient Goddess of the North Sea Delta region of Egypt. Her worship began during the second dynasty, around the year 3200BC, a time when the first of the great pyramids were erected. She became more widely worshipped around 950BC, when the pharaohs of the 22nd dynasty built magnificent temples in Her honor.

It was during this phase of history that the capitol of Egypt was in the delta city of Bubastis, which, in the Egyptian language meant 'The House of Bast,' or more colloquially: the House of Cats.

Bast is sometimes depicted as a bare-breasted woman with the head of a cat. This image represents Her in the form She takes in the Afterlife. More often however, She is found in statuary and tomb paintings as a seated black cat with kittens clustered about Her feet. This is considered the form She takes while on the mortal plane. My Bast sketch-charcoal and pastels

She is the daughter of Ra, the Sun God, and many suggest Her consort is Ptah the "Opener." The Greeks knew of Bast and considered her the equivalent of their Goddess, Demeter. And though most of Egypt worshipped the Goddess Hathor as overseer of music, dance, drink and pleasure, Bast's high holy days drew Egyptians en masse to Bubastis to worship and celebrate Her. The occasion was filled with feasting, beer drinking, music and dancing with lustful abandon. Celebrants showed their joy and jubilation by shaking an instrument called a sistrum--a sacred rattle.

Bast is considered to be the more beneficent half of the Sun's powers, associated mostly with the ripening of crops and healing arts. Her sister, Sekhmet--pictured at left--represents the Sun's destructive powers, though Bast is a ferocious protectress in Her own right. Followers pray to Her for the protectiveness of Her keen eyes and ears, mighty voice, and daunting claws.
An example of such a prayer can be found in Moon Magick:Myth & Magic, Crafts & Recipes, Rituals & Spells
by D.J. Conway, pages 89-90.

As most people know, the cat was a highly treasured and revered being in ancient Egypt. Domesticated during the earliest days, they went from the destroyers of snakes to beloved members of every household and family. Cat papyrus from my original photograph

Egyptians adorned their homes and themselves with all manner of cat shaped amulets and jewelry. There were even sacred cats bred and kept in the Bubastic temples, worshipped as Bast's personification in the Earthly realm.

My cat mummy sketch--pencil and crayon An enormous cat necropolis, city of the dead, or cemetery, was discovered during the mid-20th century at Bubastis. It told the incredible story of the cat's major role in Egyptian culture. They were mummified just as family members would be. In fact, it has been revealed that many families would beggar themselves in order to assure their cats received the very best embalming and burial. Gifts of food and toys were found with many of the cat mummies.

To mourn the loss of a cat, family members would shave off their eyebrows and wail their lamentations in the streets. All candles would remain extinguished for 90 days, no music, singing or beer were allowed in the grieving household, and the family ate only flat bread and herbs.
Anyone causing the death of a cat--either by accident or with intent--faced a sentence of death by torture. One such example of this is the often recounted story of a Roman soldier who accidentally killed a cat in the street. He was immediately seized by an irate crowd, which proceeded to tear him limb from limb for the offense.

It was said that the Utchat, or Eye of Bast, watched over the faithful. No evil person could hide from its divine power. My utchat sketch in pastel and charcoal

My Bast Altarpiece in rough pastels and Eye Candy Even today, many Pagans choose to follow the benevolent Goddess, Bast.
She is still worshipped as the Goddess of fire and the moon. She is the granter of fertility--for both the Earth and womankind. She is the protectress of women and children, overseer of the healing arts, pleasure, music, and dance, bringer of joy, and the guardian of the family.

More than all else, She watches over cats.

Call upon the protection of Bast for your own beloved fur-human family members. Remember to place pictures of them upon your altar and light a green candle in honor of Bast.

Are you interested in Bast? Would you like to share your cat memories or stories? Perhaps you have a special prayer or spell that you would like to pass on to others who share your love of cats and the Cat Goddess. E-mail us here at the House of Cats, putting BASTPROSE in your subject line for stories, memories and the like. For your prayers and spells, please put BASTPRAYERS in your subject line.

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