Amunet
- For the Stargate character, see Amonet (Stargate).
| Amunet in hieroglyphs | ||||||
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imnt the hidden one |
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imnt the hidden one |
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Amunet, Amaunet, or Amonet was a primordial goddess in Ancient Egyptian religion. She is a member of the Ogdoad and the consort of Amun. Her name, meaning "the female hidden one", was simply the feminine form of Amun's own name. Therefore, it is likely that she was never an independent deity, but was created as his female counterpart. The Egyptians also identified her with Neith and as the mother of Ra. By at least the Twelfth dynasty she was overshadowed as Amun's consort by Mut, but she remained locally important in the region of Thebes where Amun was worshipped, and there she was seen as a protector of the pharaoh. At Karnak, Amun's cult center, priests were dedicated to Amunet's service. The goddess also played a part in royal ceremonies such as the Sed festival. Amunet was depicted as a woman wearing the Red Crown and carrying a staff of papyrus.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ George Hart, The Routledge dictionary of Egyptian gods and goddesses, Psychology Press, 2005, via Google Books
- ^ Wilkinson, Richard H. (2003). The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. pp. 136–137
