Maat symbolized truth, balance and order, law, morality, and justice. Maat is the daughter of Ra and is the creator god of the egyptian civilization. Maat is also the pre-eminent solar deity who regulated the stars, seasons, and the actions of mortals and deities.
Maat; kneeling with her wings spread
Isfet is the opposite of Maat represents chaos, injustice, uncleanliness, political unrest, and "to do evil." In Egyptian Mythology the dead were "cleansed" of Isfet in order to pass onto Duat, in order to be judged by Maat.
Egyptian Panel which shows Isfet and other deities
It was thought by Egyptians that if the forces Maat and Isfet were held in equilibrium then harmony would befall Egypt. However, if one of them took more control then the other would suffer and so would Egypt.
The Goddess Maat
Maat also decided the fate of mortals in the underworld, weighting the hearts of the dead against her feather of truth, which she is usually depicted wearing on her forehead, in her scales of justice.
If the scaled balanced then the soul passed onto Aaru, the mythological Egyptian paradise, but if the balance tipped then the soul was eaten by Ammit, the "soul-eater" goddess who was part lion, hippopotamus, and part crocodile.
Isfet; represent chaos and destruction
In this way Maat and Isfet would watch over the deities and mortals and attempt to maintain balance and unity.
An artist's rendition of Maat
This is an excellent article. I was not familiar with the legend. The artwork you chose really brought it to life. Thank you for sharing. :D
ReplyDeleteThank you for your article. Seems like this is the times we are living in... in a world of "Isfet"
ReplyDeleteThe Goddess Ma' at resembles Mel Gibson and the faces or personifications of the Gods & Goddesses are too Eurocentric. Keep that tactic in Western Religions, the world is done with notion of Non-Black beginnings
ReplyDeleteThe truths, principles and wonders of the ancient world existed before Non-Blacks were even thought to have come from Black people yet. Cease with this continuation of lies through imagery and half truths.
ReplyDeleteThis is just a post on Egyptian imagery, it has nothing to do with European or Black features, as they were EGYPTIAN and all the beautiful skin tones that embody those people. Historically they were a mix of Black, Middle Eastern, and Greek people and all of the features that they embodied. However, much of the art from this post is from historical sites and/or artworks based on those historical drawings.
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