THE DEITIES TAWARET / TAURT / THOERIS (goddess) - She is a goddess associated with the protection of women in childbirth. She is usually depicted with a hippopotamus`s head, the arms and legs of a lion and the back and tail of a crocodile, pendulous breasts and a distended belly. She wears a low conical headdress surmounted by two plumes, sometimes with a disc and horns. Sometimes she holds a "sa" amulet (a hieroglyphic sign meaning protection) and an "ankh" (a hieroglyphic sign meaning life). Illustration of Tawarett, courtesy of Lyn at IMMORTAL EGYPT at:- http://www.geocities.com/lin_hensby/Index.html The hippopotamus-goddess was known by three names as early as the Old Kingdom; Opet or Ipy ("harim" or "favoured place"), Tawaret ("the great goddess") and Reret ("the sow"). There is a late/Ptolemaic period temple dedicated to Opet at Karnak. It was Tawaret that became the most well known. Tawaret didn`t have any cult temples that have been discovered but she was portrayed in scenes in temples dedicated to other deities and several statues of Tawaret have been found. The hippopotamus was linked to the northern sky according to the Egyptian constellations. Tawaret was known as "mistress of the horizon" when she was depicted on Sety I `s (1294 1279 BC) tomb ceiling in the Valley of the Kings (KV 15). Many amulets have been found from as early as the Old Kingdom (c 2686 - 2181 BC). Some were even found at Armarna (c 1340 BC), the city where Akhenaten moved the royal court to from Thebes and promoted the worship of the god Aten. Images of Tawaret have also been found on beds and headrests. TEFNUT (goddess) - Tefnut was the goddess of moisture or damp, corrosive air. Along with her brother-husband Shu, they were the first deities created by Atum according to the Heliopolitan creation myth. Their children were Geb and Nut. Tefnut was associated with the moon whereas Shu was associated with sunlight, creating a symmetrical pair. Illustration of Tefnut, courtesy of Lyn at IMMORTAL EGYPT at:- http://www.geocities.com/lin_hensby/Index.html As Atum became linked with the god Ra, Tefnut and Shu took on the role of the "Eyes of Ra". Tefnut became represented as a lioness and Shu as a lion. They were both worshipped at Leontopolis (Tell el-Muqdam) in the Delta region. Tefnut could also be depicted as a rearing cobra, and was associated with the ureaus on the front of the royal headdress. In this form she became linked to "kingship" and is mentioned in the "PyramidTextss" as a cobra rearing from a sceptre. THOTH / DJEHUTY (god) - He was the god of wisdom, knowledge and writing and was the patron of scribes. Thoth was depicted as a baboon, an ibis, or a man with an ibis`s head. Picture of a statue of Thoth. With kind permission from Kings Royal Imports at http://www.kingsroyalimports.com/ During the early dynastic period (c 3100 - 2686 BC) Thoth was associated, in his baboon form, with the baboon-god Hedj-wer ("the great white one"). From the Old Kingdom (c 2686 - 2181 BC) Thoth was more often as an ibis headed man and was usually shown holding a scribe`s palette and a pen or notched palm leaf. He was often depicted in the act of writing. He is mentioned in the "Pyramid Texts", in Utterance 359, when he helps the gods to enter the underworld, "on the wing of Thoth" across to the other side of the "winding waterway". An illustration of Thoth. Courtesy of NEFERCHICHI`S TOMB at http://www.neferchichi.com His consort was Nehmetaway and their main cult centre was at Hermopolis Magna (modern el-Ashmunein or ancient Khmun) in Middle Egypt. There are only two baboon statues which were erected by Amenhotep III ( c 1390 - 1352 BC) that remain now from the temple. Other temples dedicated to Thoth were erected at Dakhla Oasis and Tell Baqliya in the Delta. Thoth was closely associated with the moon and was sometimes depicted with a lunar disc and crescent headdress on his head. In this form he was known as the second "Eye of Ra". He was often shown in scenes from the "Book of the Dead" during the "New Kingdom" (c 1550 - 1069 BC) recording the outcome of the "weighing of the heart ceremony". Thoth was believed to be a guardian to the deceased in the underworld. He also acted as an intermediary between the gods and was therefore associated with the Greek god, Hermes, during the Ptolemaic Period (c 332 30 BC). His cult centre of Khmun was renamed as "City of Hermes" or "Hermopolis" for this reason. WADJET / EDJO / UTO / WADJYT (goddess) - She is the cobra-goddess who has been worshipped from the Pre-dynastic period. Wadjet was usually depicted as a rearing cobra, sometimes wearing the "Red Crown" of Lower Egypt. Illustration of Wadjet as a snake, courtesy of Lyn at IMMORTAL EGYPT at:- http://www.geocities.com/lin_hensby/Index.html Her name means, "the green one" or "she of the papyrus". Her main cult centre was at Buto (Tell el-Farain) in the Delta. Along with the vulture goddess, Nekhbet, she was thought to protect the king. Together these two goddesses were known as the "nebty" ("two ladies") who were the tutelary goddesses of Lower and Upper Egypt. The "nebty" was one of the king`s five names and dates back to the 1st dynasty. She was represented on the ureaus ("she who rears up") on the headdress of the king and was thought to protect him by spitting venom at his enemies. Wadjet could also be depicted as a lioness and was then known as the "Eye of Ra". Illustration of Wadjet in her lioness`s form, courtesy of Lyn at IMMORTAL EGYPT at:- http://www.geocities.com/lin_hensby/Index.html WAPWAWET (god) - He was usually represented as a jackal or jackal-headed man. He was seen on the Narmer Palette from the fourth millennium BC. His main cult centre was at Shut and during the Ptolemaic period (c 332 30 BC) this city was renamed Lykopolis ("wolf city"). He was also worshipped along with Osiris at Abydos. Wapwawet was known as the "Opener of the two ways" and was believed to open the way for the king to conquer his foreign enemies. He is also mentioned in the "Pyramid Texts" performing the "opening of the mouth" ceremony on the king. He was also believed to lead the deceased through the underworld. He was also associated with the god Sed, another canine deity. The name of sed is best known for the royal jubilee, the "Sed Festival".