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Hathor: A Reintroduction to an Ancient Egyptian Goddess
A Reintroduction to an Ancient Egyptian Goddess is a comprehensive and thought-provoking study of one of the most important Ancient Egyptian deities. Primarily a Cow Goddess, Hathor was multifaceted, and her importance was emphasised through the many titles and roles she held. She was the goddess of the sky, sun, love, sex, dance, music, fertility, precious metals and gemstones, as well as being Protectress of Foreign Lands, Eye Goddess, Goddess of Desire, Lady of Drunkenness, and Lady of Fragrance. Present in all aspects of life, Hathor was a goddess of childbirth, who protected her worshippers during life and offered protection on the journey into the afterlife. Daughter of the Sun God Ra, she was linked to other cow goddesses, as well as other major deities such as Isis, Bastet and Horus. She was intimately associated with the lioness goddess Sekhmet, who was both an aspect of Hathor and a significant and powerful goddess in her own right. The Seven Hathors, a seven-fold manifestation of Hathor, predicted the destiny of newborn children and the time and manner of a person’s death and were invoked in love spells and protection charms. This extensive work provides a welcome and much-needed exploration of one of the most influential goddesses of the ancient world. It explores Hathor’s different roles and titles, her associations with other deities, alter-egos and assimilations, her temples, worship, festivals and her subsequent decline in popularity towards the end of the Greco-Roman period. Author Lesley Jackson draws on a wide range of historical sources, including magical papyri, stelae, statues, jewellery, ritual objects and archaeological evidence, employing these to reveal the captivating history and numerous functions of this mesmerizing goddess. In doing so, she succeeds in reintroducing Hathor to us as a sovereign, powerful, beautiful and lovely goddess, she ‘whose ba is powerful’.
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 14, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 25, 2019
This book is definitely not your typical look at the Egyptian goddess Hathor. Other books I have read about her either gave her best known attributes (being connected to mothers and childbirth; the drunkenness festivals in her name and her cow ears and hair) and basically glossed over any reasons why she is known for these things or they have gone all airy fairy to the point of irrelevance.
Hathor is indeed a complicated goddess. I suppose you would be too if you had existed since Neolithic times. Jackson takes a deeper look at several of her aspects and explains just why she is connected to those things (such as childbirth: she was and is a Goddess of female sexuality and the enjoyment of it. Childbirth was seen as a logical conclusion of that.) Jackson also takes a look at Hathor's connection to other goddesses, sacred objects, and temples.
As with any good book of this nature, there are some necessary tangents. The tangents are well slotted into the narrative of the book and clarify the points the author is trying to make. There are a few points in the book where the author goes into brief speculation, but it is clear that it is exactly that and doesn't become anything more than a "possibly."
This is a good, deep look into the goddess Hathor and why she is who she is. The author shows that this is one goddess that has been misunderstood. She is no mere pastel and airy fairy "goddess of mothers, children and childbirth." Jackson reminds us that Hathor is also an Eye of Ra, more than capable of wielding the wrath and power that role entails.
Hathor is indeed a complicated goddess. I suppose you would be too if you had existed since Neolithic times. Jackson takes a deeper look at several of her aspects and explains just why she is connected to those things (such as childbirth: she was and is a Goddess of female sexuality and the enjoyment of it. Childbirth was seen as a logical conclusion of that.) Jackson also takes a look at Hathor's connection to other goddesses, sacred objects, and temples.
As with any good book of this nature, there are some necessary tangents. The tangents are well slotted into the narrative of the book and clarify the points the author is trying to make. There are a few points in the book where the author goes into brief speculation, but it is clear that it is exactly that and doesn't become anything more than a "possibly."
This is a good, deep look into the goddess Hathor and why she is who she is. The author shows that this is one goddess that has been misunderstood. She is no mere pastel and airy fairy "goddess of mothers, children and childbirth." Jackson reminds us that Hathor is also an Eye of Ra, more than capable of wielding the wrath and power that role entails.
May 25, 2018
Un excellent petit ebook sur l'évolution d'Hathor, de la préhistoire aux dernières religions polythéistes, notamment en Grèce et au Moyen Orient ( on suit son parcours jusque dans ces contrées ).
On frôle un chouilla le new age quand même sur certains passages ( comprendre : les raccourcis faciles entre Hathor et autres déités par exemple ) ... ceci dit, j'ai pu recoupé pas mal d'écrits et de thèses d'historiens pour vérifier la véracité de bon nombres de propos ... et il est vrai que cette Déesse a été copiée/collée/arrangée/ au fil de l'Histoire ( notion qui manque énormément dans cet ebook, remettre les différents cultes et évolutions de cette déesse dans l'Histoire ).
( Bon, en même temps, dans le polythéisme, c'était chose courante de faire ça, on s'entends bien ).
Pour le prix, je ne vais pas chipoter non plus ... c'est une très bonne introduction assez complète sur l'évolution de cette Déitée Egyptienne, ses cultes, attributs, représentations ...
Un ebook qui intéressera surtout ceux qui sont intéressés par les cultes etc. de cette déité, plus que l'histoire en elle même et les découvertes archéologiques ...
A recouper avec des livres historiques pour avoir des notions plus complètes notamment sur son évolution au fil de l'Histoire.
On frôle un chouilla le new age quand même sur certains passages ( comprendre : les raccourcis faciles entre Hathor et autres déités par exemple ) ... ceci dit, j'ai pu recoupé pas mal d'écrits et de thèses d'historiens pour vérifier la véracité de bon nombres de propos ... et il est vrai que cette Déesse a été copiée/collée/arrangée/ au fil de l'Histoire ( notion qui manque énormément dans cet ebook, remettre les différents cultes et évolutions de cette déesse dans l'Histoire ).
( Bon, en même temps, dans le polythéisme, c'était chose courante de faire ça, on s'entends bien ).
Pour le prix, je ne vais pas chipoter non plus ... c'est une très bonne introduction assez complète sur l'évolution de cette Déitée Egyptienne, ses cultes, attributs, représentations ...
Un ebook qui intéressera surtout ceux qui sont intéressés par les cultes etc. de cette déité, plus que l'histoire en elle même et les découvertes archéologiques ...
A recouper avec des livres historiques pour avoir des notions plus complètes notamment sur son évolution au fil de l'Histoire.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews