Bastet

The Egyptian Cat Goddess

Bastet was the daughter of Re, the sun god. Cats were sacred to Bastet. She was known as the goddess of joy and protector of women. The goddess was usually represented as a woman with the head of a domesticated cat, but until 1000 BC she was portrayed as a lioness. The goddess of fire, cats, the home, and pregnant women , she is associated with sunlight. Her center of worship was in Bubastis.

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