Hathor was a goddess of great importance in ancient Egyptian religion, with diverse roles to play. One of her roles was as a sky deity. She was also one of the many goddesses who served as the Eye of Ra and his female counterpart.
She also had a benevolent side, representing dance, music, love, joy, and maternal care.
Likewise, she acted as the consort of various male deities and the mother of their children. Thanks to this, she embodied the concept of femininity as understood by the ancient Egyptians.
Iconographic representation of goddess Hathor
On certain occasions, goddess Hathor was depicted as a cow, symbolizing her most heavenly and maternal aspect.
However, her more common iconographic representation was that of a woman with cow horns, a headdress, and a sun disk.
Another representation showed her in the form of a lioness or a goat.
The dress she wore in her female form was usually red or turquoise, or even a combination of both.
However, in the New Kingdom, the goddess Isis was also depicted similarly, making it necessary to differentiate them based on their labels.
One of the most important deities of Ancient Egypt
During the Old Kingdom, Hathor was brought to light as one of the most important deities of Ancient Egypt.
More temples were dedicated to her than to any other deity, with Dendera being the most prominent in Upper Egypt. Similarly, she was highly revered in the temples of her male consorts.
She was often invoked by women seeking to have children. However, towards the end of the New Kingdom, the goddess Isis started to overshadow Hathor.
Nevertheless, Hathor continued to be revered until the ancient Egyptian religion died out around the turn of the 1st century AD.
