World History Encyclopedia. Seshat was believed to be an expert in the art of sighting the stars and planets. It occurs on the obverse of the Palermo Piece (at Palermo Museum), 1 of the 2 large pieces of the 7piece Palermo Stone. Ancient Egyptian Beauty: Seshat, the Goddess of Writing and Wisdom Statue: $260.00. Seshat was known by the epithet Mistress of the House of Books because she looked after the library of the gods and was the patron of all earthly libraries. A number of other women were depicted holding the scribes palette and brush, indicating that they could write, but not actually engaged in writing. I think if you go back and find the significance of a deity before new waves of religion overtake and warp belief systems, there is magic to be found there. Books There are other versions of Thoth's birth as well but they all make mention of his vast knowledge and the great gift of writing he offered to humanity. 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. According to the texts, the king was assisted in this ritual by Seshat (or Sefkhet-Abwy), the scribal goddess of writing and measurement. While this may be true, one cannot discount the possibility that female scribes were responsible for works of literature, either in creating or copying them. At this time, Thoth seems to have been considered a god of wisdom and knowledge as he remained and once a writing system was developed it was attributed to him. Pharaoh Tuthmosis III (1479 to 1425 BC) referred to her as "she of the seven points". Many ancient Egyptians believed that Seshat invented writing, while Thoth taught writing to mankind. In art, Seshat is often depicted as a young woman dressed in a leopard skin, which was an ancient form of dress worn by funerary priests, with a headdress consisting of a star or a flower above her head. Its most important function was to provide a means by which certain concepts or events could be brought into existence. Seshat Goddess Seven-Pointed Star Tic Toc Tic Toc Seshat was acutely aware of the passing of time. Goddess of magic, marriage, healing, and protection: She is the wife and sister of Osiris and the mother of Horus. Bunson's theory is substantiated by the known structures identified as a Per-Ankh at Amarna, Edfu, and Abydos, all important cities in ancient Egypt, but this does not mean there were not others elsewhere; only that these have not been positively identified as yet. In general, she was seen as the patron of libraries. apiKey: 'f97587f900f36918a9a61c58e6050144', Seshat was also associated with architecture, astrology, astronomy, mathematics and accounting. She was also depicted holding other tools and, often, holding the knotted cords that were stretched to survey land and structures. Writing made permanent that which had passed out of existence. "Seshat." Many were ranking priests in the various temples or noted physicians and served the various kings in many administrative capacities. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. Representations of her typically show her dress to be a plain sheath covered by a long panther skin, with the . Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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". moneyFormat: '%24%7B%7Bamount%7D%7D', or write down information. 17 Apr 2023. "Mistress of the House of Books" is another title for Seshat, being the deity whose priests oversaw the library in which scrolls of the most important knowledge were assembled and spells were preserved. During the New Kingdom, she was involved in the Sed festival held by the pharaohs, who could celebrate thirty years of reign, recording the regnal years of the king and his jubilees on leaves of the ished or persea tree. 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). Later years saw a decline in her being venerated by the Egyptians and she was made into the consort or also sometimes the daughter of the Ibis-headed God Tehuti ( Thoth) who took over more and more of her attributes and power. He has taught history, writing, literature, and philosophy at the college level. 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. She is a fierce protector said to possess the Utchat, the all-seeing eye of Horus. The Greek designation hieroglyphics for the Egyptian writing system means sacred carvings and is a translation from the Egyptian phrase medu-netjer, the gods words. As with most Egyptian goddesses, Seshat is identified by her unique headdress. Thoth and Seshat. options: { 2130 bce) and Middle Kingdom (c. 1938c. Artemis, Juno, Venus, Bast, Seshat, Brigid, Arduinna, Freyja, Hel, Yemaya, Mawu, Pele, Ix Chel, Kuan Yin, Tara, Sarasvati, Kali. [5], The famous 24th century BC Palermo Stone has multiple uses of Seshat's emblem. "product": { In addition to setting the foundation of the temple, Seshat also was responsible for the written works that temple produced and housed in its House of Life and, further, for gathering these works into her eternal library in the realm of the gods. The spells of The Egyptian Book of the Dead are the best examples of this concept. When translated, the name 'Seshat' means ' female scribe'. Omissions? Ancient Egyptian Beauty: Seshat, the Goddess of Writing and Wisdom Statue In some Egyptian accounts, Seshat is referred to as the wife of Thoth, the Egyptian God of science, literature, writing, and keeper of sacred books. She was the scribe of the pharaoh, recording all of his achievements and triumphs including recording both the booty and the captives taken in battle. "compareAt": { Thoth was worshipped as early as the Pre-Dynastic Period (c. 6000- c. 3150 BCE) at a time when Egyptian writing consisted of pictographs, images representing specific objects, prior to their development into hieroglyphics, symbols representing sounds and concepts. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; var scriptURL = 'https://sdks.shopifycdn.com/buy-button/latest/buy-button-storefront.min.js'; She was also recorded as having assisted the pharaoh in the ritual of stretching the cord associated with astronomical and astrological measurements for the location of temples. The floor plan of the temple was laid out through the stretching the cord ceremony after an appropriate area of land had been decided upon. Combinedwith sung god Ra to become more powerful. Sina is one of the best-known Polynesian deities. Seshat is only one of a number of female deities venerated in ancient Egypt reflecting the high degree of respect given to women and their abilities in a number of different areas of daily life. Since the gods were thought to literally reside in their temples, this arrangement would be comparable to having a permanent house-guest in one's home who takes care of responsibilities one may value but simply has not time for. The Two Truths in the Judgment Hall weigh the heart of the deceased against Truth, Ma'at. Together with Thoth, she bore a child named Hornhub, (Golden Horus). "styles": { Sign up now for weekly facts, the latest blogs, and interesting features. She was also an integral part of the temple through her supervision of the House of Life. World History Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. Egyptologist Gay Robins explains: In a few New Kingdom scenes, women are depicted with scribal kits under their chairs and it has been suggested that the women were commemorating their ability to read and write. A cookie which helps me track how many visitors come to my site and what pages they look at. AMONG SESHATS RESPONSIBILITIES WERE RECORD KEEPING, ACCOUNTING, MEASUREMENTS, CENSUS-TAKING, AND PATRONESS OF LIBRARIES & LIBRARIANS. Since Seshat was herself a divine female scribe it would make sense that women practiced the art of writing as well as men. The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. } The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. } }, This list may not reflect recent changes. } 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. Egyptologist Joyce Tyldesley writes: Although the only Egyptian woman to be depicted actually putting pen to paper was Seshat, the goddess of writing, several ladies were illustrated in close association with the traditional scribes writing kit of palette and brushes. Amun. She also kept track of tribute owed and tribute paid to the king and, beginning in the New Kingdom (c. 1570- c. 1069 BCE), was closely associated with the pharaoh recording the years of his reign and his jubilee festivals. } Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. "font-size": "15px" The floor plan of the temple was laid out through the "stretching the cord" ceremony after an appropriate area of land had been decided upon. 2017 The Core Apps. Writing made the transitory world of change into one everlasting and eternal. "margin-left": "-20px" /*