One of the most popular deities in Ancient Egypt and still popular among Kemetic followers today, Hathor (𓉡) is the Egyptian Goddess of women, love, and many other things.
Let’s get to know this Kemetic queen!
Parents and Siblings
Ra is her father in most mythology
Shu (brother)
Tefnut (sister)
Sekhmet (sister)
Mafdet (sister)
Bastet (sister)
Satet (sister)
Anhur (brother)
Ma'at (sister)
Mut (sister)
Lovers or Partners
Due to her role as a “queen” goddess, she often subsumed the role of other goddesses and was commonly said to be the wife of whoever the ruling god of the city was.
Horus the Elder - The most popular version
Thoth - in Hermopolis
Atum
Amun
Khonsu
Children
Ihy
Neferhotep of Hu
Horus the Child (sometimes)
Epithets
Being as popular and ancient comes with many names, here is a non-exhaustive list of some:
Lady of Dendera
Eye of Ra (an epithet shared with other goddesses)
Lady of the sky
Ruler of all gods
Lady of the Two Lands
Lady of bread, who brews beer
Lady of Dance
Ruler of the jba-dance
Lady of drunkenness
Lady of making music
Lady of jubilation
Ruler of joy
The Primeval
The Lady of All
Lady of the West
Lady of the Holy Country
The Foremost One in the Barque of Millions
The Distant Goddess
Hathor of the Sycamore
Lady of the Southern Sycamore
Hathor of the Sycamore in All Her Places
Hathor in All Her Places
Hathor Mistress of the Desert
Hathor Mistress of Heaven
Notes
Hathor’s worship likely started in the early dynastic times.
Her name means “Estate/House of Horus”--referring to both the sky and the royal family.
She is one of the oldest gods in the comedic pantheon.
She is depicted as a woman with a bull's head, a woman with cow ears, a cow, a woman with cow horns and a sundisc.
She was also portrayed as a lioness, a serpent, a papyrus plant and a sycamore tree.
She is associated with the constellation Ursa Major or Mesketiu.
She is regarded as a goddess of love, fertility, marriage and motherhood.
She was also known as a goddess of gratitude and as a sky goddess.
She also represents a vengeful aspect protecting Ra from his enemies.
She would be considered a psychopomp helping deceased souls transition to the afterlife.
In Greco-Roman times, she was seen as a manifestation or another version of Aphrodite.
She is also the goddess of pleasure and music with the sistrum being an important part of her worship.
Her imagery was found often on beer or wine containers, and she is linked to alcohol.
She is often seen wearing a menat, which is a beaded necklace representing rebirth.
Hawthorne's cult became popular in the 4th and 5th dynasty, and her cult believed that she played a huge role in the creation of the universe. They also believed due to her role in the creation of the Earth that she is her own mother.
She was considered to some as being connected to foreign lands.
She is often misrepresented and conflated with Isis.
She was the main deity in Gebelein, Denderah, and had separate temples in Memphis and Heliopolis.
Her most prominent temple was located in Denderah.
In Imu/Kom el-Hisn she was fused with Sekhmet.
Daily offerings were common in Ancient Egypt.
Goods such as incense, semi precious stones and other votive offerings were a part of her worship.
She is connected to the dead and said to nourish those in the afterlife by providing food and milk from her seven sacred cows.
These these seven cows were called the Seven Hawthorns and were named in the Book of the Dead:
Lady of the Universe
Sky-storm
The Hidden One-Presiding Over her place
“You from Khemmis”
Red-hair
Bright-red
"Your Name Prevails Over the West."
The Seven Hathors may or may not also represent the Pleiades constellations. The Seven Hathors were said to have a red ribbon that binds evil.
She was often depicted wearing red, the color of passion.
She is honored in the festival of sacred marriage, which is 18 days into the month of Paoni.
As mentioned earlier, she often absorbed the roles of other goddesses as her popularity grew. Some of these roles included Seshat's role of a witness at the judgment of the dead.
While she was worshiped among all social classes. She was especially popular among the poor.
She had both priests and priestesses, which was uncommon since most clergy had to be the same sex as the god they served.
In the funerary text known as the Book of the Heavenly Cow, her father, Ra, sends her to punish humans for plotting against his rule. She is sent as Sekhmet, the lioness goddess, and massacres the rebellious humans relentlessly. But in order to prevent the wiping out of all of humanity, Ra orders that beer be dyed red and poured all over the land to mimic blood for the (literally) blood-thirsty goddess. Sekhmet then sees the “blood” and drinks all of it. In an inebriated state she passes out and reverts to a benign and calm Hathor.
Correspondences
Rocks/crystals/metals
Selenite, hematite, gold, turquoise
Plants
Papyrus, sycamore tree, lotus flower
Animals
Bull, cow, snake
Symbols
Sistrum, Bull horns with sundisc
Offerings
Milk
Gold
Makeup
Mirrors
Beads
Incense
Stones, especially those worn by royalty in Ancient Egypt such as turquoise or carnelian.
Jewelry
Acts of Devotion
Read the Book of the Heavenly Cow
Daily prayers
Show and share gratitude
Donate either money, clothes, or time to those less fortunate
Dance
Play music
Create a song for her (or a playlist!)
References and Further Reading
Ancient Egypt Online - Hathor
Britannica - Hathor
Hathor and Music
Hathor Epithets
Music and Dance in Ancient Egypt
Mythopedia - Hathor
The Complete Gods And Goddesses of Ancient Egypt by Umair Mirza
The Pleiades: the celestial herd of ancient timekeepers. By Amelia Sparavigna
i went out listening to khonsu's playlist, wearing Nut's necklace. I listened to Hathors as i had my hair dyed, cut and washed for three hours. I lit a candle and put it on the egyptain deitys altar, i might read kane for them later if i finish the new season of arcane at a good time! Bless the gods!
I also finally bought bandannas to veil with! A black one for ares and a white one for everything else. I put new tea candles for the altars that needed new ones!
I might do some kemetic research later. Im now watching gods of egypt for them!
This prayer was written by me, and is part of a series of prayers to recite when going through rough times. Everyone is going through the ringer right now, given the state of everything, so hopefully this can help you get through some tough things too. Enjoy!
O Lady Hathor, the house of heaven and mother of light,
She who is adorned with stars,
I call out to you in my hour of needing, trusting you to hear me!
Beautiful Lady Hathor, mistress of turquoise,
You who gladden the hearts of men with jubilant dance and song,
I ask you to help me in this time of depression and strife.
Please, my great lady, take me by the hand and lead me in dance,
Show me the lightness of the world once more;
May my eyes always find the beauty in life, even in all its chaos,
And may I never doubt that it is a wondrous thing to be alive in the world!
You who art the throne of peace, the inspiration of delight,
I ask you to guide the world into harmony and find an end to our suffering,
For in dark times, it is you, the bringer of prosperity,
Who we look to to bring back the light.
Your people sought you out for joy and an end to agony,
And so too do I, fair lady of the house of jubilation.
Dua Hathor, the nourisher of souls,
And may you bring an end to my pain and the suffering of all.
