We want people all over the world to learn about history. . This iconography has been interpreted as symbolizing supreme authority in that it is common in Egyptian legend and mythology for one to wear the skin of a defeated enemy to take on the foe's powers, stars were closely associated with the realm of the gods and their actions, and the number seven symbolized perfection and completeness. It is a certainty that the majority of the priests and scribes of the Per-Ankh were men but some scholars have pointed to evidence for female scribes. (Symbol & Magic, 174). Seshat also had a role helping Nephthys, the goddess of the air, assisting the deceased and preparing them for their judgment by the god of the dead, Osiris, in the Duat. She was the consort of the god Djhuty (Thoth), and both were divine scribes (sesb). Seshat was the deity responsible for wisdom, writing and architecture in ancient Egyptian mythology. Bunson claims that probably only very important cities could support a Per-Ankh but other scholars, Rosalie David among them, cite evidence that every sizable town had one (Handbook, 203). The Egyptians placed great value on attention to detail and this was as true, if not more so, in writing as any other aspect of their lives. We care about our planet! Seshat carved on the back of the throne of the seated statue of Rameses II in the Amun temple at Luxor. His name meant "sky-bearer". The Seshat emblem is a hieroglyph representing the goddess Seshat in ancient Egypt. domain: 'thecoreshop.myshopify.com', Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. "@media (min-width: 601px)": { The written word was considered a sacred art. She was a scribe and record keeper credited with inventing writing. She was occasionally associated with Nephthys. amzn_assoc_design = "enhanced_links"; World History Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. "contents": { Seshat is the goddess of writing, measurement and the ruler of books. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. Its very title may reflect the power of life that was believed to exist in the divinely inspired writings composed, copied, and often stored thereIn one ancient text the books in the House of Life are claimed not only to have the ability to renew life but actually to be able to provide the food and sustenance needed for the continuation of life (Handbook, 203-204). Intriguing Goddess Seshat was one of the most intelligent deities of ancient Egypt. [1] It was she who recorded, by notching her palm, the time allotted to the pharaoh for his stay on earth. . 49. The spells the soul speaks help one to navigate through assorted dangers to arrive at the perfect paradise of the Field of Reeds. The Egyptians believed that if something were comitted to writing it could be repeatedly "made to happen" by means of magic. "margin-bottom": "50px" She was seen as a scribe and record keeper; her name means "female scribe". A demon with the head of a crocodile, the torso of a leopard, and the hindquarters of a hippopotamus. Oftentimes, she would be portrayed as bringing palm branches to the pharaoh, as it meant that, symbolically, she was gifting him many years to reign. Her powers of cause and effect were legendary in the earliest times of pre-Dynastic Egypt. Its most important function was to provide a means by which certain concepts or events could be brought into existence. Thoth was the god of wisdom and Seshat is often viewed as his feminine counterpart. 17 Apr 2023. Many ancient Egyptians believed that Seshat invented writing, while Thoth taught writing to mankind. Seshat was known as the goddess of wisdom, knowledge and writing amongst other things. })(); The Trustees of the British Museum (CC BY-NC-SA). Seshat (Sesha, Sesheta or Safekh-Aubi) was a goddess of reading, writing, arithmetic, and architecture who was seen as either the female aspect of Thoth, his daughter, or his wife. 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". The members of the institutions staff, all scribes, were considered the learned men of their age. Amunet. (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(script); It is certainly beyond doubt that at least some of the daughters of the king were educated and the position of private tutor to a royal princess could be one of the highest honour. When compared with the other deities of the Egyptian pantheon, Seshat is not very well known in the modern world. The Egyptians referred to the institution as Per-Ankh (literally House of Life) and it is first mentioned in inscriptions from the Middle Kingdom. A limestone relief slab depicting Seshat, the Egyptian goddess of writing. }, It dates from around 1250 BCE. 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. "variantTitle": false, Since Seshat was herself a divine female scribe it would make sense that women practiced the art of writing as well as men. A cookie which helps me track how many visitors come to my site and what pages they look at. } (Brooklyn Museum, USA). Bastet, goddess of the hearth, home, womens health and secrets, was popular among both men and women and the goddess Hathor was regularly invoked by both at festivals, parties, and family gatherings. Temple Furniture and Sacred Emblems, "Unveiling Seshat: New Insights Into The Stretching Of The Cord Ceremony", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Seshat&oldid=1124743366, This page was last edited on 30 November 2022, at 07:40. Credited with the invention of writing and the alphabet. Kebechet. Submitted by Joshua J. She was called the "Lady of Books," or celestial librarian, and was the patroness also of arithmetic, architecture and records, although she shared . The dead were not gone as long as their stories could be read in stone; nothing was ever really lost. "footer": { ca. The institution served as a workshop where sacred books were composed and written by the ranking scholars of the times. According to some sources, she invented the art of writing but her husband (or father) Thoth was the one who taught the people of Egypt to write. "imgWithCarousel": true, You may change your settings at any time. Etruscan mythology Menrva, goddess of wisdom. Copy. Copyright Symbol Sage 2022 All Rights Reserved. It is well substantiated that women could be, and were, scribes in that we have names of female physicians and images of women in important religious posts such as Gods Wife of Amun; both of these occupations required literacy. (Temples, 38). function ShopifyBuyInit() { Egyptian Seshat Goddess of writing and wisdom Magic Wicca Pagan Wicca Pewter Men's Women's Unisex Pendant Necklace Safe Travel Prosperity Talisman Lucky Charm Protection Amulet w Black adjustable cord. "text-align": "left", She first appears in the 2nd Dynasty (c. 2890- c. 2670 BCE) of the Early Dynastic Period (c. 3150 c. 2613 BCE) as a goddess of writing and measurements assisting the king in the ritual known as stretching of the cord which preceeded the construction of a building, most often a temple. Set (also known as Seth) is a god of the desert, chaos . Mark, Joshua J.. Isis is a goddess in Egyptian mythology. It is a certainty that the majority of the priests and scribes of the Per-Ankh were men but some scholars have pointed to evidence for female scribes. Sina is one of the best-known Polynesian deities. Bastet, goddess of the hearth, home, women's health and secrets, was popular among both men and women and the goddess Hathor was regularly invoked by both at festivals, parties, and family gatherings. Although Thoth was responsible for the initial gift of writing, his consort Seshat lovingly gathered the works that gift produced, presided over them in the libraries on earth, and kept them eternally safe on her shelves in the heavens. } She is credited with inventing writing. Like her father, she was the . Seshat featured prominently in the concept of the eternal life granted to scribes through their works. This item: Egyptian Seshat Goddess of writing wisdom Magic Wicca Pagan Paganism Khonsu Silver Pewter Men's Pendant Necklace Safe Travel Prosperity Talisman Lucky Charm Protection Amulet w Black Leather Cord . Goddess of scorpions: Seshat: Goddess of writing and measurement: Seth: God of chaos/change, deserts, storms, foreigners: Mortal enemy and brother to Osiris, Husband to Nephthys. Who Was Seshat? Credit: Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund - Public Domain. The priestess who officiated at these functions in her name also oversaw the staff of others who performed similar duties and were trained in mathematics and the related store of knowledge. if (window.ShopifyBuy) { This ritual is related to laying out the foundations of temples and other important structures in order to determine and assure the sacred alignments and the precision of the dimensions. Although the best-known creation myth features the god Atum standing on the ben-ben at the beginning of time, an equally popular one in Egypt has the goddess Neith creating the world. "compareAt": { For example, in the Pyramid Texts she is given the epithet The Lady of the House (nbt-hwt, ie Nephthys) while Nephthys is described as Seshat, Foremost of Builders. "contents": { The dagger represents Hecate's role as the goddess of witchcraft and magic. An Egyptian sky god and God of war. amzn_assoc_asins = "B075424LZX"; The Egyptians placed great value on attention to detail and this was as true, if not more so, in writing as any other aspect of their lives. Seshat, in ancient Egyptian religion, the goddess of writing and measurement and the ruler of books. "margin-left": "-20px" "variantId": "all", Egyptian society was quite conservative and written works generally adhered to a set structure and theme throughout the various periods of history. 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