Ancient Egyptian cat. Cats are sacred animals
The ancient Egyptians firmly believed that every animal is endowed with the greatest power, therefore, their attitude towards them was filled with respect and sacred awe - as to carefully kept relics. However, the Egyptian cat-goddess was considered the most revered animal.
The rise of the cat cult
Now it is difficult to explain the full depth of the worship of the cat, which is described by the Egyptian. If reduced to the simplest, then we can say that the people who lived in those days associated it with their home, love, marriage and, of course, a kind of protection from the devil.
The first hieroglyphs, meaning the words "cat" and "cat", are deciphered as "mint" and "miu", respectively. In Russian, the transcription of these words is similar to the usual “meow” for our hearing.
A lot of figurines and drawings of cats have been preserved. On many of them you can see how a scarab beetle is placed on the chest of a sacred animal. This is another symbol revered in Egypt, with which the concept of life was associated.
As told in documentary"Cats of Egypt: from deity to squalor", these animals were brought from Nubia. Before becoming ordinary domesticated animals, adored by people for their kindness, gentleness and grace, cats were protectors. They hunted small rodents and thus saved the provisions stored in barns. Cats are carriers of infection, such as plague, and this prevented epidemics.
When Egypt became powerful state, the basis of his well-being was granaries. Filled to the top with wheat, they served as a guarantee of well-being. For four whole months, when the Nile flooded, one could not be afraid of hunger. To ensure the safety of grain, cats were required, ruthlessly exterminating rats and mice.
Thus began the deification of these animals as creatures embodying specific gods in their images. Is it for this reason that the supreme god of the sun Ra was called the “great cat”? The cat-god Ra defeated the snake of darkness - Apep, and often the supreme god was depicted in the form of an animal holding a knife with one paw, and pressing the snake's head with the other.
Increasing under the influence of light cat pupils the Egyptians associated with the movement of the god of cats Ra on a chariot along the heavenly rivers, and the animal's eyes burning in the dark with the sign of a fiery chariot. When the sun rises - the cat's eyes become smaller, when it goes down - they increase.
The Egyptians compared the organ of vision of this unique animal with two reduced suns. For people, they were mystical windows to another world, access to which mere mortals did not have.
In the days of Ancient Egypt, cats were considered aliens from the underworld, so the dwelling in which this animal lived would never be disturbed by a dark entity. Why? Because cats feel them and see them even in the dark, they will never let anyone into the house that they protect from the devil.
Pay attention to how the Egyptian sphinx seems to freeze and gaze at one point, perhaps at this moment he is in contact with someone who came from a world invisible to man.
Goddess Bastet and her sacred black cats
The most significant in Ancient Egypt There was a cult of the cat-goddess Bastet, which lasted until 1 BC. e.
Cats of Ancient Egypt became famous all over the world thanks to the respectful attitude of the Egyptians to these delightful animals. They endowed them with positive human qualities. It was believed that cats have mystical powers and they know what secrets are kept in the other world. Cats became witnesses of religious ceremonies. They protected their owners and houses from evil spirits.
Here is what is written on one of the pedestals in the Valley of the Kings:
“You, the Great Cat, are the embodiment of justice, the patron of leaders and the holy spirit. You are indeed a Great Cat."
The high role of animals in Egyptian society is announced by the fact that the main industry in the state was occupation agriculture. And this means that it was constantly required to fight the invasion of mice, rats and snakes. Apparently, the Egyptians learned that cats can prey on uninvited guests and threw special food at them so that they would come to warehouses and fields more often.
All this took place next to settlements, so cats gradually began to get used to people and began to live together with them. Kittens began to appear already in a safe shelter - a human house. Cats were used to interpret dreams. They could predict whether the harvest would be good.
There was no difference between wild and domestic cats in Egypt. All of them were called "miu" or "miut". The origin of these words is unknown, but it is likely that they originated from the sound that animals utter - meowing. Even little girls were called so, emphasizing their excellent features: gentleness of character, cunning and intelligence.
Cats in the history of ancient Egypt
Ancient Egyptian catsThere were two breeds of cats in ancient Egypt. "Reed cat" and "African wild cat". The latter had more calm character and were domesticated. There is evidence that the entire pedigree of all domestic cats came from Egypt.
It is believed that the first animals were brought to Egypt from around 2000 BC. from Nubia during the New Kingdom. Although in fact this opinion is erroneous, since archaeologists found in a mound near Asyut in the south of the country a man interred with a cat. The burial dates back to around 6000 BC. Cats are thought to have been domesticated around 2000 BC. And dogs - about 3000 BC.
During the New Kingdom, images of cats can be found in the tombs of people. The owners often took cats with them for hunting to catch birds and fish. The most common drawings where the cat sits under or next to the chair of the owner of the house, which means protection and friendship.
When the city of Bubastis (Per-Bast) was built as a royal residence for Sheshenq I (XXII dynasty), the cult of the Bast cat was at the center of the great power.
Herodotus visited Bubastis around 450 BC. and noted that even though the temple of Bast was not as large as in other cities, but it was richly decorated and presented an interesting sight. He also confirmed that the annual Bast festival was held in one of the most popular cities in Egypt.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims came from all parts of Egypt to have fun, drink wine, dance, sing and pray to the cat. The festival was so famous that the prophet Ezekiel warned that "The young men of Aven and Bubastina will fall by the sword, and their cities will be taken captive" (Ezekiel 30:17, 6th century BC). Bubastine was destroyed by the Persians in 350 BC. The cult of Bast was officially banned by an imperial decree in 390 BC.
Cat worship in ancient Egypt
The most famous cat worship cult was Bast. Several other ancient idols associated with the animal also existed. Nate sometimes took the form of a cat. The cat was one of the sacred symbols of Mut.
The Book of Gates and the Book of the Cave indicate that the cat was a sacred animal named Miuti (Machi). Section 11 of the Duat in the Book of Gates (the wee hours) is dedicated to her. And the time when Ra is fighting enemies in the Book of Caves. It is possible that this cult was associated with Mauti, depicted in the tomb of Pharaoh Seti II and refers to Mau or Mau-Aa (" great cat”) as one of the manifestations of Ra.
In chapter 17, Ra takes the form of a cat to kill the snake Apep:
“I, the cat May, threw myself on the trees of Perse on the night of Anna, when the enemies of Neb-er-tcher” (view of Osiris) were destroyed!
Cats were also associated with the "Eye of Ra" and Isis because they were perceived as great mothers.
Killing a cat in ancient Egypt
Mummy of a cat in ancient Egypt Many animals, especially early period development of civilization, were assigned magical powers such as crocodiles, hawks and cows. Each cat was associated with other world and defended common man at his entrance to the Kingdom of the Dead. Only the pharaoh was considered so powerful that all the animals were under his care.
Very high fines were levied for harming her throughout Egyptian history.
During the popularity of the Bast cult, killing a cat was punishable by execution.
Diodorus Siculus wrote:
« Whoever kills a cat in Egypt will be sentenced to death, whether he committed this crime intentionally or accidentally. People are going to kill him. Poor Roman, he accidentally killed a cat, but his life cannot be saved. So commanded the king Ptolemy of Egypt".
However, studies of cat mummies indicate that they were injured or killed on purpose in Bubastis.
Smuggling flourished on the illegal export of cats to the center of the country. Court records confirm that the pharaoh's army was sent to rescue the stolen animals.
Herodotus claimed that when there was a fire in the house, the cats were taken out first. This was due to the fact that, frightened by the sight stranger cats can "jump into the fire". Perhaps this story is exaggerated, but it highlights the high status of the animal in Egyptian society.
The philosopher tells a story about the love of the Egyptians for cats. Apparently, the Persians captured several families of cats and took them outside of Pelusia. When the Egyptian troops saw frightened cats on the battlefield, they surrendered, helping out their faithful friends.
The process of mummification and burial of cats in Egypt
When a cat died, the owner's family fell into deep trouble and shaved their eyebrows. The cat's body was mummified and buried, equipping a warehouse with mice, rats and milk. Some graves have been found at Bubastis, Giza, Dendera, Beni Hasan and Abydos. In 1888, a cat necropolis with 80,000 cat mummies was found in Beni Hassan.
The cat's body was embalmed. Diodorus wrote:
« processed cedar oil and spices to give pleasant smell and preservation of the body for a long time.
Project work
Bogdanova Julia
Whoever has a cat may not be afraid of loneliness. /Daniel Defoe/
A man is as cultured as he is able to understand a cat. /Bernard Show/
Only cats know how to get food without labor, a home without a lock, and love without worry. /W.L. George/
The veneration of animals can be seen in all the major religions of the ancient world. Sacred animals were revered in ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome. But the unique attitude towards cats was in Egypt. Here they were valued and deified. Why did cats become sacred animals?
On the one hand, this was due to the country's economy, which "specialized" in the cultivation of crops, and cats came up perfectly to protect huge barns from all kinds of rodents.
Egypt 1550-1425 BC
But, watching cats, people paid attention to her cleanliness and touching care for offspring, and cats are also distinguished by playfulness and the ability to fawn on a person. All these qualities corresponded to the goddess of fertility, motherhood and fun - Bast. Therefore, this goddess was personified with a cat. BAST - was considered in ancient Egypt the goddess of fertility and the patroness of love. She served as a symbol of the Sun and Moon, provided patronage to the souls of the dead who fell into afterworld, and was also responsible for the fertility of animals and people. People prayed to her for a cure for many diseases. She had the head of a cat and mysterious cat eyes.
Goddess Bast
The Egyptian priests believed, and this belief has survived to this day, that cats are able to take on the karma of a person.
To ensure the immunity of such an amazing animal in ancient world there was only one way - to proclaim it sacred.
Egypt 664-380 BC
The priests of Ancient Egypt proclaimed cats sacred, and since then mere mortals had no right to touch cats, and only the pharaoh could own them. Thus, the cat became an object of religious worship for the Egyptians. This was reflected in the fact that these animals were immortalized in sculptures and paintings, they were honored as a deity. Harm done to a cat was punished severely, and killing an animal was punishable by death. For a dead cat, the owner was supposed to wear mourning for several days and shave off his eyebrows as a sign of the greatest sadness.
Mummy cat. France. Louvre.
The body of the deceased animal was mummified and, after a complex solemn funeral ceremony, was to be buried in a special cat cemetery. This is confirmed by archaeological data: in 1890, during excavations of the ancient city of Bubas-Tisa, near the temple of the goddess Bast, scientists discovered more than 300 well-preserved cat mummies.In ancient Egypt, cats enjoyed almost the same honor and respect as the pharaoh (ruler of the state).
There is also a case when generals used cats in battles with the Egyptians. Knowing how the inhabitants of Egypt revere sacred animals, the Persian king Cambysse ordered live cats to be tied to the shields of his soldiers. It was cruel to the animals, but the population of Egypt surrendered without a fight so as not to harm the cats.
Egypt 3rd century BC
It was forbidden to export these animals outside of Egypt, but according to legends, the Greeks stole several pairs of cats. Soon the animals proliferated and became very popular in Greece. They have successfully replaced semi-wild weasels and ferrets, which were previously used to control rodents - pests.
Villager appreciated the benefits that cats brought, and tried to tame them. Gradually, cats got used to living next to a person and at the same time maintaining the independence characteristic of these animals.
Egypt 3rd century BC
From Ancient Greece cats ended up in other European countries, where they also began to enjoy well-deserved honor, as they turned out to be not only excellent hunters, but also devoted friends person. In addition, the Greeks greatly appreciated the beauty in everything, and the cat is a beautiful and graceful animal.
Italian fresco in Pompei 70 AD
Ancient scientists and philosophers wrote about cats in scientific treatises. For example, the famous Roman historian Pliny the Elder first described the anatomical and physiological features cats in his book Natural History.In Europe, the cat was initially considered the keeper of the hearth and personified freedom and independence. Although the Europeans, unlike the ancient Egyptians, did not consider the cat a sacred animal, they treated it with great respect. Then the cat began to be perceived differently, because obscurantists associated it with the devil and witchcraft and exterminated it with the most cruel ways, allegedly destroying their satanic power. Black cats were considered accomplices of Satan, rumor attributed to them the qualities of creatures dangerous to people. This happened with the encouragement of the ministers of the church. After some time, rats spread in Europe - carriers terrible disease, the bubonic plague that killed more than half of the population of European countries.
Plague in Europe
After such circumstances, the cat regained popularity. Even the church changed its attitude towards these animals, which also contributed to the return of universal disposition towards cats.
But even in times of religious fanaticism, there were enlightened people who retained the ability to think rationally. Some monasteries continued to breed cats to catch rodents, which were still damaging people's food supplies. Perhaps because of this, cats were not completely exterminated when their numbers in Europe were greatly reduced.
A cat can be called a truly mystical animal, since many signs are associated with it, which exist to this day, and the interpretation of these signs will often take the opposite in different countries.
Cats gradually populated the countries of Asia, when the active development of trade between Europe and Asia began.
There is a version about pretty original way how the first cat got to the East: it was exchanged for a piece of silk fabric.
Ancient China. Silkworm cocoon processing
The attitude towards this animal in the East was rather peculiar. On the one hand, cats still protected the harvest of silkworm cocoons from mice and rats, and the silk trade is an important part of the economy of Japan and China. But besides this, cats performed another function - they served as a kind of talismans that invariably brought peace, prosperity and family happiness. So in the East they appreciated the charm of these animals. Even today, many people are convinced that with age, the mystical qualities of a living talisman intensify: the older the cat, the more happiness it brings to its owners.
Every Chinese had to have a small ceramic figurine of a cat, which not only decorated the house, but also drove away evil spirits from its inhabitants. It was believed that the presence of these animals contributed to meditation.
An ancient Egyptian inscription on an obelisk in Nebra reads: "Oh, wonderful cat, bestowed forever." cult of it little predator began in the days of the Old Kingdom and lasted for many centuries. Never, in any state of the world, this graceful animal was revered as in the country of the pyramids. Cats in ancient Egypt were not just full members of Egyptian families and favorite pets of the pharaohs, people assigned them a divine status and erected temples and even entire cities in their honor. It was a golden age in cat history.
The role of the cat in ancient Egypt: why were these animals deified?
Ancient figurines of Egyptian cats
The Past of Ancient Egypt and the History of Domestication wild cats are inextricably linked, since it was in the country of the pyramids that the ancestors modern cats for the first time began to live next to a person. This is evidenced by many sources dated to the III millennium BC.
Even then, on the paintings in the tombs of noble citizens and even the pharaoh himself, fluffy animals were depicted living in the house as honorary family members and wearing special collars. Egyptian artists tried to draw the sacred animal in any form and pose on gravestones or papyri. Sculptors sculpted them from gold, bronze, stone or wood, molded them from clay, and carved them from elephant tusks. Young Egyptian women always kept with them amulets with cat images, which were called "utchat" and were a symbol of childbearing.
Thanks to frescoes and other art objects decorated with graceful cat figurines, it also became known that the Egyptians called their pets “miu” or “miut”. There is an assumption that cats got such a nickname because of the meowing sounds they make. This name was also given to girls to emphasize their beauty, grace and softness.
The inhabitants of the country of the pyramids greatly honored furry animals. They admired their cleanliness and grace. A special secret for a person was the secret twilight lifestyle of a cat, its eyes glowing in the dark, silent gait, independent disposition. These unusual and inexplicable qualities awed the ancient people and instilled in their hearts boundless respect for the freedom-loving beast. In addition, mystical abilities were also attributed to the cat - according to the Egyptians, she could visit the other world.
Therefore, cats were welcome guests in many temple complexes of Ancient Egypt. There they were fed with fresh fish, which was specially bred in ponds. The care of temple animals was carried out by priests - "guardians of cats" and was one of the most honorable services in the state. Moreover, this respected profession was proudly inherited from father to children. Superstitious Egyptians believed that temple animals could predict the future. Therefore, the priests carefully followed their every gesture, and then interpreted the signs, believing that the gods themselves communicate with them in this way.
The practical side of the issue
The veneration of the cat in ancient Egypt also had economic prerequisites, in addition to mystical ones. In those distant times, the state was engaged exclusively in agricultural activities and was famous throughout the world for its rich harvest of grain crops. In fact, the life of the country of the pyramids directly depended on the amount of wheat grown and its preservation.
But the harvest was often completely destroyed by countless hordes of rodents. It was then that the ancient Egyptians paid attention to fluffy animals, each of which was able to save up to ten tons of grain per year. Thus, cats were vital animals for the survival of an entire nation.
And small predators deftly destroyed poisonous horned vipers, of which there were a great many in those lands. Cats were taken for hunting as game animals, they got birds and fish.
Thanks to the cat mummies that have survived to this day, archaeologists and scientists have managed to find out what these animals looked like in those distant times. They were small in size, thin, graceful and mostly of a solid reddish color.
The meaning of the goddess Bastet in a religious cult
Archaeologists suggest that the names of several hundred gods were listed in the ancient Egyptian pantheon. But one of the most popular deities included in the "sacred nine" (nine supreme deities) was considered a young and beautiful girl with a cat's head - the goddess Bastet (Bast).
Her statues were carved from stone, made of gold or bronze. In her hands she held a sistrum ( musical instrument), and four kittens frolicked at the feet of the goddess. Sacred prayers were carved on the bases of these statues and obelisks: “I am a cat, the mother of life. She can bestow life and strength, all the health and joy of the heart.”
The cats of Egypt were revered in a double guise: the sun god himself was often depicted in the form of a red cat (the male form of Bastet). And in the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead, Great Matu is depicted - a cat white color who saved humanity from the serpent Apophis.
Sometimes the goddess was depicted with a lion's head to emphasize the duality of nature. This is related to one interesting legend about the daughter of the supreme god Ra, who could take the form of a lioness - Sekhmed (or Muut). She was the mistress of the desert, a formidable and merciless goddess of war and the scorching sun. As weapons, she had the sultry winds of samum and arrows that hit enemies in the heart.
Despite the absurd nature, Sehmed was considered the guardian of the world and the protector of the human race. Thousands of believers prayed to her in moments of danger and asked for protection from ill-wishers.
According to the myth, Ra sent Muut to earth to punish the recalcitrant people. But having once got to mere mortals, the cruel goddess tasted human blood, became mad and crossed all permitted boundaries. She began to mercilessly exterminate humanity. Then the god Onuris decided to deceive the lioness and doused the earth with beer tinted red (according to another version, red wine).
Confusing the drink with blood, she began to lap it up and soon became drunk. It was then that the gods turned the bloodthirsty wild animal into a fluffy miniature cat. Therefore, in addition to the refined feline essence, Bast also had a second dark nature of the cruel predator Sekhmed. Over time, this myth was forgotten, and after 2000 BC, the images of Bastet changed significantly - they began to depict her exclusively in the form of a graceful cat.
In the country of the pyramids, Bast personified life itself, the fertility of women and the earth, was the patroness of the hearth and protector of the pharaoh and his family. In addition, the royal goddess was associated with the solar and moonlight. She was given the power to open the dawn of a new morning.
Also, the cat goddess was honored as the patroness of pregnant and childbirth girls, since these animals are easy to kitten. The ancient Egyptians believed that Bast protected children from bites. poisonous snakes and scorpions, as well as severe ailments. Therefore, amulets with the image of a cat were made for newborns, and appropriate tattoos were applied to older children.
Temples built in honor of a woman with a cat's head
In the religion of ancient Egypt, the divine cat was of great importance and influence. In her honor, near the Nile Delta, a religious center of worship was built - the city of Bubastis, in which there was a most beautiful temple dedicated to cat goddess, according to the description of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus. It was here that the annual religious celebrations associated with the cat cult were held, where many pilgrims flocked from all over the country. Archaeologists have even found ancient city the largest burial of mummified furry animals (about three hundred thousand mummies).
It is also known that in the temple complex of Sakkara, not far from the step pyramid of Djoserra, the Egyptians erected a large sanctuary in honor of the cat. In its center stood a gigantic statue of Bastet, made of expensive Aswan marble. During religious celebrations, the statue was taken out of the temple, loaded into a boat and transported along the river banks.
Historians associate such an elevation of the goddess with a cat's head with serious political changes in the country of the pyramids, when the central power passed from the Upper Kingdom to the Lower, and the state had a new capital - Per-Bast (Bast's house). The cult of Bastet lasted on Egyptian soil until the 4th century AD.
Little Known Facts
The descendants of the sacred Nubian cats are the modern Egyptian Mau, who became famous throughout the world due to their natural leopard color. There is also a version that the first cats of the country of the pyramids were descendants of reed and steppe cats. special role at the court of the pharaoh, hairless animals also played - sphinxes, which eventually disappeared from the territory of Egypt and were reborn in Canada only in the 70s of the XX century.
Interesting facts about ancient Egyptian cats, which only emphasize their importance for the inhabitants of the country of the pyramids:
- Almost all ordinary Egyptians had their own furry favorite. They left fresh fish for her as a treat, looked after her as the most honorable member of the family, and believed that for this she would protect all the residents of the house. If a fire suddenly started, the pet was taken out of the flaming building first and only then the children.
- The Egyptians protected sacred cat and prevented its export outside the country, since the animal was the property of the pharaoh himself. Violation of this rule was punishable by death, and animals that left the state were returned home with the help of a ransom or kidnapping.
- Even for the unintentional murder of a small rat catcher, the criminal paid own life. The Greek historian Diodorus Siculus testified to the case when one of the Romans accidentally drove over the animal in a chariot and was torn to pieces by angry Egyptians for this.
- If a furry pet died, her funeral was held with great honors and funeral songs, and the owners shaved their eyebrows and hair on their heads as a tribute and plunged into a long 70-day mourning.
The dead animals were mummified by wrapping them in linen cloth with ornaments and sacred prayers, and anointing the body with incense and oils. It was believed that the soul of a pet, thanks to this rite, would gain the ability to be reborn in a new body. Wealthy citizens put a golden mask on the mummy, placed it in a wooden, bronze or gold sarcophagus and left their favorite toys and embalmed mouse carcasses in the tomb.
Photo of a mummy of a cat exhibited in the Louvre
But the worship of a fluffy pet once played a cruel joke on the Egyptians. According to the records of the historian Ptolemy, in 525 BC. cats negatively affected the results of the siege by the Persian troops of the border city of Pelusium. Circumstances forced the Persians to stand under the walls, since they were not distinguished by their ability to storm well-defended cities.
Then King Cambyses II ordered to catch a lot of cats and tie them to the armor and shields of the soldiers walking ahead of the whole army. Seeing this, the Egyptians did not dare to use spears and arrows, so as not to cripple a single sacred animal. As a result, the battle was lost. But in spite of everything, cats continued to be deified in Egypt until the conquest of the country by the Greeks, and a little later by the Roman legions.
The inhabitants of Ancient Egypt believed that the universe was created by a pantheon of gods - all-powerful and uncompromisingly cruel to disobedience. Animals and Plants - Multiple Incarnations higher powers, their flesh and even parts of their bodies. Animals that were considered sacred were "tuned" to a certain channel through which they could communicate with the gods, and those, in turn, could look at humanity through them. The god Ra and the goddess Bastet looked at the world with cat's eyes, and it was through cats that one could pray to the creators and protectors of all things.
But not only the cat is the sacred animal of Egypt. In addition to graceful huntresses, the Egyptians considered sacred the black bull, falcon, crocodile, jackal, ibis, ram and some other animals and birds. However, the cat was lucky to be close to Bastet and Ra, and therefore these animals were given special honors. How else? After all, Ra is the supreme god, and Bastet is the goddess of fertility and the protector of the family principle.
In the 17th chapter of the book of the dead it is said: “I am Atum, the one, the one that exists. I am the sun god Ra in his first rising. I am a great god who created himself ... ". Atum was once the god of the gods, having created from his body the great nine deities, ruling the world. Among the nine heads of the pantheon was the Egyptian god Ra, who later displaced the "parent" from the heavenly throne. Ra became the supreme deity, in his story people wove many events from the legends of Atum, forgotten during the Old Kingdom (3200-2060 BC). For example, the sun god Ra, like Atum, created from own body nine supreme gods.
Cats in the history of Egypt were often identified with Ra. Probably such an honor mustachioed residents ancient state were awarded due to the structure of the eyes. According to the book of the dead, the god Ra changed his eyes depending on the time of day (the eye of Ra is the sun or the moon). Cats also do this "trick" - in bright light, the pupils narrow, turning into almost invisible slits. It was believed that during the day the cat absorbs sunlight eyes, and at night, giving the favor of Ra to people, gives sunlight - obviously, we are talking about night flicker cat eyes. Cats were considered messengers of Ra also because these animals hate snakes, destroying any that settled on their territory. According to mythology, Ra descends nightly into the underworld, where he kills his sworn enemy, the serpent Apep, and then returns to the waters of the heavenly Nile (that is, morning comes). The sacred animal associated with Ra is the scarab beetle, which is read on the chest or on the forehead of a tabby cat (namely, striped and spotted cats lived in ancient Egypt, having inherited this color from wild ancestors). Sometimes the god of Egypt Ra, killing Apep, acts in the form of a huge red cat (an animal that hates snakes plus red color - the color of the sun).
around 2060. BC (New Kingdom) Pharaoh Mentuhotep, ruling Upper Egypt, seeks the unification of the country, subjugating Lower Egypt. A single religion is formed, and as a result of the merger of the two cultures, Amon Ra, the sun god of the Egyptians, is “born”. He united in himself two gods - the above-described Ra and Amon, who was the main god of the Upper Kingdom. In order to unite the people, the priests endowed a new supreme deity common features Amon and Ra. On initial stage Amon Ra, the god of the sun, was still depicted in the form of a cat and was considered the patron of these animals, but over time, Amon "took the upper hand": Amon-Ra was depicted as a man in a golden crown or with a ram's head.
