The goddess of truth of ancient Egypt - the majestic Maat, is unique in nature. She personifies both justice in social terms and the stability of the state - from pharaohs to slaves. Lies, deceit, the Egyptians considered a great crime, and not only before Maat. They violated the laws of nature and cosmic balance. The goddess of truth was assigned the main role, she was what the rest of the representatives of the Egyptian Olympus ate, despite the fact that Ra occupies the supreme position. Thus, Maat can be called a gray cardinal.
The birth of mythology
Initially, the Egyptians preached the so-called natural belief. It was based on the unity between man and nature. But later this was not enough, mythology began to emerge.
In the 3rd millennium BC. e. Egypt had already developed a serious religious system. Researchers believe that cults originally appeared, where they worshiped different gods and deities. There were many, but the scaleminimum. Then they join together.
In the process of confluence of cults, the heavenly world is being built in accordance with the Egyptian state, which at that time was already quite developed. It is believed that the first gods emerged from the cosmic chaos. This indicates that the most ancient civilization had some ideas about the origin of the universe.
In the long stage of the formation of Egyptian mythology, the goddess of truth appears one of the first. She is presented as the daughter of the sun god Ra, who later becomes supreme.
Description
Maat is the goddess of truth in Egypt, who was depicted as a winged woman with a feather crowning her head. Symbols have changed throughout history. The only thing that has always remained untouched is the smallest detail on the head. This is probably why the ostrich feather became the symbol of Maat herself.
The Egyptians, as a civilization developed for their time, honored the law and wisdom, which were the result of truth. Therefore, Maat had a special significance and position among the gods. It was believed that after death on earth, the soul of a person was transferred to outer space, becoming the very truth, justice and purity.
The symbol of Maat, the ostrich feather, was the minimum measure of weight. This is how much, the Egyptians believed, the soul weighs. In this regard, the smallest monetary unit was invented. Its mass was equal to the weight of a feather. She was called Shetit. But at the same time, the Egyptians did not exchange feathers among themselves. They simply measured some amount of gold, silver, oranother resource in shetites.
Principles of Maat
The goddess of truth in ancient Egypt and in the formation of a civilized state plays almost the main role. Its principles correspond to the requirements of people at the stage of formation of society. Between the population of Egypt, as well as in its relations with neighboring states, conflict situations are inevitable. And Maat smoothes them, defends universal justice. It is the adoption of laws and regulations that allows Egypt to develop systematically, avoid wars when they are not needed, judge criminals and reward virtuous people.
The priests of the goddess of truth are directly involved in the judicial system, which is quite logical. The pharaohs were depicted with a figurine of Maat in their hands. This emphasized their role in making and enforcing laws. And in all history there was no such pharaoh who would not bow before the goddess of truth, did not defend her principles.
Strange Family
The Egyptian goddess of truth, according to mythology, appeared a little later than Ra, which is why it is customary to consider her his daughter. Initially, the population represented her as a young woman standing on top of a hill, around which there was emptiness. Ra hasn't created anything yet. Maat held a scepter and ankh in her hands, symbolizing power and eternal life, respectively.
Later there comes a time when the feminine and masculine aspects come together. Then the Egyptians decide to "marry" Maat and Thoth, the god of wisdom. In marriage, they have 8 children. Each of them occupies one of the main places of Hermopolis.
Uniquely, the most revered and important god among the sons of Maat and Thoth is Amun. Initially there were two different cults. Amon and Ra existed separately from each other. Then they merge. And a strange phenomenon is created: Maat, being the daughter of Ra, becomes his own mother. Perhaps this is how the Egyptians wanted to show the circulation of anything in outer space.
Maat's place in mythology
The Goddess of Truth was depicted as a woman with a feather on her head. It was her symbol. Maat played a big role not only in the court of life, but also in the afterlife. Osiris gave people scales that were used after the death of each person. A figurine of Maat (later a feather) was placed on one bowl, and the heart of the deceased was placed on the other.
There were two outcomes:
- Balance of scales. It meant that the person's life was righteous. For this, Osiris honored him with eternal bliss.
- The greater or lesser mass of the human heart. This pointed to an unrighteous life. Amt, a monster represented as a lion with a crocodile head, was eaten for the sins of a person.
Later it was believed that Maat has a sister of the same name. Then they started calling her Maati.
Judges wore goddess emblems pinned to their chests. They conducted their business in special rooms, which were called "the hall of two truths." The center of the cult is located in the Theban necropolis. Services to the goddess were carried out by individual priests - viziers. Thus, the place of the goddess of truth in Egyptian mythologyhard to overestimate.
Symbolism
The name of the goddess of truth, as well as her image, reflected only a superficial essence. The Egyptians themselves claimed that Maat was an abstraction. She is the universal order, which must be observed by the gods, and the rulers, and ordinary inhabitants. Nature could not exist without her participation.
The image of Maat is a woman sitting on the ground with her knees pressed to her chest. A feather crowns her head. Such a doll was always held in the hands of the pharaohs. This meant that on earth they were responsible for order, they could judge fairly.
The cult of the goddess affected not only earthly, but also cosmic norms. Pharaoh could not only condemn sinful lives, but also reward obedience. So he fulfilled his duties to the gods. As a result, he helped to maintain a fine line, cosmic harmony between deities and people.
In the beliefs of the Egyptians there is a clear distinction between good and evil. For example, Seth personifies everything dark that can only be in the world. Osiris, in turn, acts as his complete antipode. He personifies goodness. As for Maat, the goddess of truth exists, as it were, on her own. Its abstract characteristic does not allow it to be classified as good or evil. It is everywhere: in the body and soul of a person, in the swords of warriors, in outer space, in young animals and in plants.
