The Sacred Cat of Bast

The Sacred Cat of Bast is a rendition of the ancient Egyptian cat goddess, Bast. The sculpture in this picture was probably found in a temple dedicated to the goddess at Bubastis. That’s where most of the goddess worship was centred. Now it is on display in the Detroit Institute of Art. It is dated between 664 and 525 BC, from the 26 Dynasty, is made of bronze and it’s height is 10 3/8 inches. There is a similar sculpture in the Louvre in Paris. Actually, many statuettes and figurines of Bast have been found, made of various material. Bast - or Bast-et, as she was sometimes known - was thought to be the daughter of Isis and Ra. Originally she was a warrior goddess portrayed as a lion but she gradually evolved into a kinder, gentler form and became seen as a house cat. She was sometimes represented as a human figure with a cat’s head. They thought she could protect people from evil spirits and she had the power of healing. She also represented female fertility. She was widely worshipped and highly respected. Cats held a place of honour in Egyptian homes, likely because they protected the food supply from mice and rats and would attack snakes. Cats were given the run of the house, even being allowed to eat off of the human’s plates. When a cat died it was embalmed and all the members of the household would shave off their eyebrows. Killing a cat got you the death penalty.

Now does that story bear any resemblance at all to this???This is a picture of our cat, Malachi, taking a nap after dumpster diving. He didn't even have the decency to try to distance himself from what he did.