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Hatmehit
Hatmehit or Hatmehyt (Ancient Egyptian: ḥꜢt-mḥyt) was an Ancient Egyptian goddess associated with the city in the Nile Delta known as Djedet (Ancient Egyptian: Ḏdt) or Mendes (Ancient Greek: Μένδης).
Hatmehit's name is typically translated as "Foremost of Fish", literally from the words ḥꜢt "Chief, head, foremost" and mḥyt "fish" (as a mass noun). However, the word mḥyt in Hatmehit's name does not include the fish determinative, which allows it to have a double meaning. The root of mḥyt is mḥj, which also means "to flood". Therefore her name is sometimes considered to mean "Foremost of the Inundation", with a connection drawn between the floodwaters and the fish that come with them.
In Ancient Egyptian art, Hatmehit was traditionally depicted either as a fish or a woman with a fish emblem or crown on her head. The fish can be directly above her head or presented on a standard, as in the nome symbol of Nome 16 of Lower Egypt. Due to that, it is difficult to distinguish images that depict Hatmehit from that of a female personification of the Mendesian nome.
The identification of the fish that is her symbol has been debated, with various researchers identifying it as a dolphin, a lepidotes, or a schilbe. However, the iconography of the creature was consistent, with a relatively small head, prominent dorsal spine, and a long anal fin which extends most of the way down its tail. More recent interpretations of the Mendes fish by the current excavation headed by Donald and Susan Redford describe it as Schilbe mystus.
In later periods Hatmehit takes on the iconography of Isis and Hathor, with her fish standard or crown replaced by the horns and sun disk that both shared.
Hatmehit was part of the Mendesian triad which consisted of her, the god Banebdjedet, and Harpocrates (Horus the child).
Her cult was localized mainly to Nome 16 of Lower Egypt around Mendes although there are depictions of her found widely around Egypt. She can be found in the temples at Behbeit El Hagar, Dendera, and Edfu, as well as in tombs in Abusir and Bahariya Oasis. The first evidence of her dates back to the Old Kingdom as part of the titulary of the official Hetepi, who was called "Inspector of the Estate 'Seat of the Goddess Hatmehit' of the Great phyle" as well as on the walls of the mortuary complex of Sahure.
Due to the identical iconography, Hatmehit may have originated as the tutelary goddess of the city of Mendes and its accompanying nome. Her spheres of influence corresponded with the concerns and lifestyle of those who resided within Mendes. For example, due to Mendes' role as a center for perfume production, Hatmehit gained an association with good scents and perfumery. Some of her epithets included "Lady of Punt", "Lady of myrrh", and "She who creates everyone's scent".
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Hatmehit
Hatmehit or Hatmehyt (Ancient Egyptian: ḥꜢt-mḥyt) was an Ancient Egyptian goddess associated with the city in the Nile Delta known as Djedet (Ancient Egyptian: Ḏdt) or Mendes (Ancient Greek: Μένδης).
Hatmehit's name is typically translated as "Foremost of Fish", literally from the words ḥꜢt "Chief, head, foremost" and mḥyt "fish" (as a mass noun). However, the word mḥyt in Hatmehit's name does not include the fish determinative, which allows it to have a double meaning. The root of mḥyt is mḥj, which also means "to flood". Therefore her name is sometimes considered to mean "Foremost of the Inundation", with a connection drawn between the floodwaters and the fish that come with them.
In Ancient Egyptian art, Hatmehit was traditionally depicted either as a fish or a woman with a fish emblem or crown on her head. The fish can be directly above her head or presented on a standard, as in the nome symbol of Nome 16 of Lower Egypt. Due to that, it is difficult to distinguish images that depict Hatmehit from that of a female personification of the Mendesian nome.
The identification of the fish that is her symbol has been debated, with various researchers identifying it as a dolphin, a lepidotes, or a schilbe. However, the iconography of the creature was consistent, with a relatively small head, prominent dorsal spine, and a long anal fin which extends most of the way down its tail. More recent interpretations of the Mendes fish by the current excavation headed by Donald and Susan Redford describe it as Schilbe mystus.
In later periods Hatmehit takes on the iconography of Isis and Hathor, with her fish standard or crown replaced by the horns and sun disk that both shared.
Hatmehit was part of the Mendesian triad which consisted of her, the god Banebdjedet, and Harpocrates (Horus the child).
Her cult was localized mainly to Nome 16 of Lower Egypt around Mendes although there are depictions of her found widely around Egypt. She can be found in the temples at Behbeit El Hagar, Dendera, and Edfu, as well as in tombs in Abusir and Bahariya Oasis. The first evidence of her dates back to the Old Kingdom as part of the titulary of the official Hetepi, who was called "Inspector of the Estate 'Seat of the Goddess Hatmehit' of the Great phyle" as well as on the walls of the mortuary complex of Sahure.
Due to the identical iconography, Hatmehit may have originated as the tutelary goddess of the city of Mendes and its accompanying nome. Her spheres of influence corresponded with the concerns and lifestyle of those who resided within Mendes. For example, due to Mendes' role as a center for perfume production, Hatmehit gained an association with good scents and perfumery. Some of her epithets included "Lady of Punt", "Lady of myrrh", and "She who creates everyone's scent".