Serket

For the scientific journal on arachnology, see Serket journal.

Serket or Selket

Serket in hieroglyphs

In Egyptian mythology, Serket (also spelt Selchis, Selket, Selkis, Selkhit, Selkit, Selqet, Serkhet, Serket-hetyt, Serqet and Serquet) is the goddess of healing stings and bites who originally was the deification of the scorpion.

Scorpion stings lead to paralysis and Serket's name describes this, as it means (she who) tightens the throat, however, Serket's name also can be read as meaning (she who) causes the throat to breathe, and so, as well as being seen as stinging the unrighteous, Serket was seen as one who could cure scorpion stings and the effects of other poisons such as snake bites.

In Ancient Egyptian art, Serket was shown as a scorpion (a symbol found on the earliest artifacts of the culture, such as the protodynastic period), or as a woman with a scorpion on her head. Although Serket doesn't appear to have had temples, she had a sizable number of priests in many communities.

The most dangerous species of scorpion resides in North Africa, and its sting may kill, so Serket was considered a highly important goddess, and was sometimes considered by pharaohs to be their patron. Her close association with the early kings implies that she was their protector, two being referred to as the scorpion kings.

As the protector against poisons and snake bites, Serket often was said to protect the deities from Apep, the great snake-god of evil, sometimes being depicted as the guard when Apep was captured.

As many of the venomous creatures of Egypt could prove fatal, Serket also was considered a protector of the dead, particularly being associated with poisons and fluids causing stiffening. She was thus said to be the protector of the tents of embalmers, and of the canopic jar associated with poison—the jar of the intestine—which was deified later as Qebehsenuf, one of the Four sons of Horus.

As the guard of one of the canopic jars and a protector, Serket gained a strong association with Aset (Isis), Nebet Het (Nephthys), and Neith who also performed similar functions. Eventually, long into Egyptian history that spanned thousands of years and whose pantheon evolved toward a merger of many deities, Serket began to be identified as Isis, sharing imagery and parentage, until finally, late in their history Serket became said to be merely an aspect of Isis, whose cult had become very dominant.