Bast part 3

Original:

Her cult center at Bubastis in Lower Egypt became one of the richest and most luxuriant cities in Egypt as people from all over the country traveled there to pay their respects to the goddess and have the bodies of their dead cats interred in the city.

The goddess's popularity grew over time and in the Late Period and Graeco-Romantimes she enjoyed great status. The main cult centre of this deity was the city of Bubastis - Tell Basta - in the eastern Delta, and although only the outlines of the temple of Bastet now remain, Herodotus visited the site in the 5th century BC and praised it for its magnificence. The festival of Bastet was also described by Herodotus The people of Egypt came annually to the great festival of Bastet at Bubastis which was one of the most lavish and popular events of the year. Geraldine Pinch, citing Herodotus, claims, "women were freed from all constraints during the annual festival at Bubastis. They celebrated the festival of the goddess by drinking, dancing, making music, and displaying their genitals" (116). This "raising of the skirts" by the women, described by Herodotus, had as much to do with freedom from social constraints as it did with the fertility associated with the goddess. As with many of the other festivals throughout Egypt, Bastet's celebration was a time to cast aside inhibitions much in the way modern revelers do in Europe during Carnivale or in the United States at Mardi Gras. Herodotus presents a vivid picture of the people traveling to Bubastis for the festival:

When the people are on their way to Bubastis, they go by river, a great number in every boat, men and women together. Some of the women make a noise with rattles, others play flutes all the way, while the rest of the women, and the men, sing and clap their hands. As they travel by river to Bubastis, whenever they come near any other town they bring their boat near the bank; then some of the women do as I have said, while some shout mockery of the women of the town; others dance, and others stand up and lift their skirts. They do this whenever they come alongside any riverside town. But when they have reached Bubastis, they make a festival with great sacrifices, and more wine is drunk at this feast than in the whole year besides. It is customary for men and women (but not children) to assemble there to the number of seven hundred thousand, as the people of the place say (Histories, Book II.60).

Although Herodotus claims that this festival outstripped all others in magnificence and excess, in reality there were many festivals celebrating many gods which could claim the same. The popularity of this goddess, however, made her celebration of particular significance. In the passage above, Herodotus makes note of how the women in the boats mocked those on shore and this would have been done to encourage them to leave off their daily tasks and join the celebration of the great goddess.

Herodotus is the primary source for information on the cult of Bastet and, unfortunately, does not go into great detail on the particulars of her worship. It seems both men and women served as her clergy and, as with the other Egyptian deities, her temple at Bubastis was the focal point of the city providing services ranging from medical attention to counseling to food distribution. Herodotus describes this temple:

Save for the entrance, it stands on an island; two separate channels approach it from the Nile, and after coming up to the entry of the temple, they run round it on opposite sides; each of them a hundred feet wide, and overshadowed by trees. The temple is in the midst of the city, the whole circuit of which commands a view down into it; for the city's level has been raised, but that of the temple has been left as it was from the first, so that it can be seen into from without. A stone wall, carven with figures, runs round it; within is a grove of very tall trees growing round a great shrine, wherein is the image of the goddess; the temple is a square, each side measuring a furlong. A road, paved with stone, of about three furlongs' length leads to the entrance, running eastward through the market place, towards the temple of Hermes; this road is about 400 feet wide, and bordered by trees reaching to heaven. (Histories, II.138).

The popularity of Bastet grew from her role as protector of women and the household. As noted, she was as popular among men as women in that every man had a mother, sister, girlfriend, wife, or daughter who benefited from the care Bastet provided. Further, women in Egypt were held in high regard and had almost equal rights which almost guaranteed a goddess who protected women and presided over women's secrets an especially high standing. Cats were also greatly prized in Egypt as they kept homes free of vermin (and so controlled diseases), protected the crops from unwanted animals, and provided their owners with fairly maintenance-free company. When Herodotus went to Bubastis he wrote extensively about the cult. Turner and Bateson suggest that the status of the cat was roughly equivalent to that of the cow in modern India. The death of a cat might leave a family in great mourning and those who could would have them embalmed or buried in cat cemeteries – pointing to the great prevalence of the cult of Bastet. One of the most important aspects of Bastet's festival was the delivery of mummified cats to her temple. When the temple was excavated in 1887 and 1889 CE over 300,000 mummified cats were found. Wilkinson, commenting on her universal popularity, writes:

Amulets of cats and litters of kittens were popular New Year gifts, and the name of Bastet was often inscribed on small ceremonial `New Year flasks', probably to evoke the goddess as a bestower of fertility and because Bastet, like other lioness goddesses, was viewed as a protective deity able to counter the darker forces associated with the `Demon Days' at the end of the Egyptian year (178).

Bastet was so popular that, in 525 BCE, when Cambyses II of Persia invaded Egypt, he made use of the goddess to force the Egyptian's surrender. Knowing of their great love for animals, and cats especially, he had his soldiers paint the image of Bastet on their shields and then arranged all the animals that could be found and drove them before the army toward the pivotal city of Pelusium. The Egyptians refused to fight for fear of harming the animals and offending Bastet and so surrendered. The historian Polyaenus (2nd century CE) writes how, after his victory, Cambyses II hurled cats from a bag into the Egyptian's faces in scorn that they would surrender their city for animals. The Egyptians were undeterred in their veneration of the cat and their worship of Bastet, however.  Her status as one of the most popular and potent deities continued throughout the remainder of Egypt's history and on into the era of the Roman Empire until, like the other gods, she was eclipsed by the rise of Christianity.  ((Mark,2016))

Incense offerings were made on a daily basis and scent played such an important part in temples, daily life and magical rituals. Only priests, priestesses and royalty were allowed inside temples. Ordinary Egyptians worshipped and made offerings at small shrines in their homes. A statue of the goddess Bastet might have been placed on the altar table and ancient Egyptians prayed and gave offerings to the god whilst kneeling on a reed mat. (Alchin, 2015)

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Her cult centered at Bubastis in Lower Egypt became one of the richest and most luxuriant cities in Egypt as people from all over the country traveled there to pay their respects to the goddess and have the bodies of their dead cats interred in the city. Although Little of the temple remains today, when Herodotus visited it in the 5th century he was awed and spoke of its magnificence. While there he observed the Annual Festival of Bastet. People from all over Egypt came to the festival which was one of the most exuberant events of the year. Geraldine Pinch, citing Herodotus, claims, "women were freed from all constraints during the annual festival at Bubastis. They celebrated the festival of the goddess by drinking, dancing, making music, and displaying their genitals". This "raising of the skirts" by the women, described by Herodotus, had as much to do with freedom from social constraints as it did with the fertility associated with the goddess; also one of the reasons that Bast was latter associated with pleasure and sexuality. As with many of the other festivals throughout Egypt, Bastet's celebration was a time to cast aside inhibitions in a similar way poeple in Europe do in times of Carnival and Mardi Gras in America. Herodotus presents a vivid picture of the people traveling to Bubastis for the festival:

When the people are on their way to Bubastis, they go by river, a great number in every boat, men and women together. Some of the women make a noise with rattles, others play flutes all the way, while the rest of the women, and the men, sing and clap their hands. As they travel to Bubastis, whenever they come near any other town they bring their boat near the bank; then some of the women do as I have said, while some shout mockery of the women of the town; others dance, and others stand up and lift their skirts. They do this whenever they come alongside any riverside town. But when they have reached Bubastis, they make a festival with great sacrifices, and more wine is drunk at this feast than in the whole year besides. It is customary for men and women (but not children) to assemble there to the number of seven hundred thousand, as the people of the place say (Histories, Book II.60). PUT THIS INDENTED

Although he said this festival outdid all others, the same could be said about any other festival put on by any other gods' worshippers - but it clearly left an impression on him. The popularity of this goddess, however, made her celebration of particular significance. Although as Herodotus says the women mock the other women on the shore, they do this not out of malice, but rather to encourage them to join in the celebration of their beloved goddess.

Although Herodotus is the main source for information on the cult and worship of Bast he did not give any particular detail to the finer workings of her worship and ritual (Mark,2016). It is assumed that Incense offerings were made on a daily basis as scent played such an important part in temples, daily life and magical rituals at that time. "Only priests, priestesses and royalty were allowed inside temples. Ordinary Egyptians worshipped and made offerings at small shrines in their homes. A statue of the goddess Bastet might have been placed on the altar table and the Egyptians prayed and gave offerings to the god whilst kneeling" (Alchin, 2015). It is known that both men and women worshiped her and served as her priests/priestesses and that her temple served many purposes; it acted as a clinic, counseling center, and was even used for food distribution. Herodotus describes this temple:

Save for the entrance, it stands on an island; two separate channels approach it from the Nile, and after coming up to the entry of the temple, they run round it on opposite sides; each of them a hundred feet wide, and overshadowed by trees. The temple is in the midst of the city, the whole circuit of which commands a view down into it; for the city's level has been raised, but that of the temple has been left as it was from the first, so that it can be seen into from without. A stone wall, carven with figures, runs round it; within is a grove of very tall trees growing round a great shrine, wherein is the image of the goddess; the temple is a square, each side measuring a furlong. A road, paved with stone, of about three furlongs' length leads to the entrance, running eastward through the market place, towards the temple of Hermes; this road is about 400 feet wide, and bordered by trees reaching to heaven. (Histories, II.138). (Mark,2016)

Her populariy

The majority of Bast's popularity came from her role as the protector of women. She was honored by both women, whom she protected, but also by men because "every man had a mother, sister, girlfriend, wife, or daughter who benefited from the care Bastet provided." This was also because Women were held in high esteem in Egypt. They had nearly all the same rights as men - meaning that a goddess wou protected them and their secrets would be held in equally high esteem. Cats were honored as well, because they protected the home from pests which controlled disease and also the crops. They also served as companions, who did not require much care, being very independent animals.It is suggested that cats held such a sacred place that they are equal to the venerated cow in India in modern times. Cats were so loved that the death of a cat might leave a family in mourning. They would show this by shaving off their eyebrows and the mourning would last until their hair grew back. Those that could, embalmed or mummified their cats and had them buried in special cemeteries. In fact, one of the important parts of Bastet's festival was the bringing mummified cats to her temple. When it was excavated at least in 1887 300,000 mummified cats were found.

However, Bast's popularity was used against the Egyptians in 525 BC by Cambyses II, the ruler of Persia. He knew of the people's love for Bast and her sacred animal, so he had his soldier paint her likeness on their shields. He also ordered as many cats to be rounded up and captured as possible. When the fight was about to start he had all the creatures released. The Egyptians surrendered rather than risking the wrath of Bast should they harm one of the cats by accident in the struggle. After winning the victory Cambyses II mocked the people by throwing cats out of a bag at them and scorned them for giving up their city over an animal. Despite this, the Egyptians never gave up their love and worship of Bast and the honoring of the cats that served her. It wasn't until the time of Rome and Christianity did Bast's cult dwindle and die out.(Mark,2016)