Ancient Egyptian gods: Rattawy
also Raet, Raiyet, Rat-tawy- Raet-tawy etc.
Rattawy,
,[1] was the female counterpart of Re since the fifth dynasty and called Raet at first, the female form of Re. Later she became known as Rattawy, (female) Sun of the Two Lands. Of little importance in the Egyptian pantheon,[2] she was still referred to as
Rattawy, who resides at Thebes, lady of the Heavens, mistress of the gods and goddesses.Temple of Deir el Medina, Ptolemaic Period [3]
Associations
Together with her consort Montu and son Harpocrates she formed the Triad of Medamud in Upper Egypt. Pakhet, a lion goddess, was associated with Rattawy.[4] Like other goddesses close to Re she bore the epithet of Eye of Re:Lady of Heliopolis of the South, the Eye of Re, lady of the Heavens, mistress of all the gods.Her Greek name was Ratus and they identified her with Leto.[7]Temple of Deir el Medina, Ptolemaic Period [5]
Cult
Rattawy's festival was held in the fourth month of the harvest season.[2] Her cult centres were at Medamud, el Tod and at Thebes. Fragments of a demotic manual from the Roman period with hymns to Rattawy have survived.[6]Iconography
She was generally depicted like Hathor: as a woman, at times wearing a vultures crest,[7] a Hathoric head dress of cows horns and sun disk with occasionally two plumes on top.[2]
Footnotes:
[1] MdC transliteration ray.t-tawj, Wb 2, 402.11
[2] Wilkinson 2003, p.164
[3] After a transliteration and French translation on the Thesaurus Linguae Aegyptiae web site: Leuven Online Index of Ptolemaic and Roman Hieroglyphic Texts, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, R. Preys (ed.), Deir el-Medina => sanctuaire => décoration intérieure => paroi sud - moitié est => 1e reg => 1e scène: fAi.t jx.t => Maat
[4] Monaghan 2009, p.35
[5] After a transliteration and French translation on the Thesaurus Linguae Aegyptiae web site: Leuven Online Index of Ptolemaic and Roman Hieroglyphic Texts, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, R. Preys (ed.), => Deir el-Medina => portail de l'enceinte => linteau => scènes sud => 2e scène: Hnk mAa.t => Rat-taouy
[6] Kockelmann 2003, pp. 217-229
[7] Lurker 2004, p.160
Bibliography:
Holger Kockelmann, "A Roman Period Demotic Manual of Hymns to Rattawy and other Deities (P. Ashm. 1984.76)" in The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 89, (2003)
Manfred Lurker, The Routledge Dictionary of Gods, Goddesses, Devils & Demons, Routledge 2004
Patricia Monaghan, Encyclopedia of Goddesses and Heroines, ABC-CLIO, 2009
Richard H. Wilkinson, The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt, Thames & Hudson 2003
[1] MdC transliteration ray.t-tawj, Wb 2, 402.11
[2] Wilkinson 2003, p.164
[3] After a transliteration and French translation on the Thesaurus Linguae Aegyptiae web site: Leuven Online Index of Ptolemaic and Roman Hieroglyphic Texts, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, R. Preys (ed.), Deir el-Medina => sanctuaire => décoration intérieure => paroi sud - moitié est => 1e reg => 1e scène: fAi.t jx.t => Maat
[4] Monaghan 2009, p.35
[5] After a transliteration and French translation on the Thesaurus Linguae Aegyptiae web site: Leuven Online Index of Ptolemaic and Roman Hieroglyphic Texts, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, R. Preys (ed.), => Deir el-Medina => portail de l'enceinte => linteau => scènes sud => 2e scène: Hnk mAa.t => Rat-taouy
[6] Kockelmann 2003, pp. 217-229
[7] Lurker 2004, p.160
Bibliography:
Holger Kockelmann, "A Roman Period Demotic Manual of Hymns to Rattawy and other Deities (P. Ashm. 1984.76)" in The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 89, (2003)
Manfred Lurker, The Routledge Dictionary of Gods, Goddesses, Devils & Demons, Routledge 2004
Patricia Monaghan, Encyclopedia of Goddesses and Heroines, ABC-CLIO, 2009
Richard H. Wilkinson, The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt, Thames & Hudson 2003
