Worship

In Middle Kingdom texts Mut is called ‘mistress of Megeb’, a location in the tenth nome of Upper Egypt close to modern Qaw el-Kebir, but little more is known of her association with this area. She is also known to have had sanctuaries at Heliopolis and at Giza, and a large precinct at Tanis, in addition to her presence at Thebes. Yet although she was depicted along with her husband Amun on most of the major walls of the Great Temple at Karnak, and

(Opposite) The goddess Mut, in lion-lteaded form, with the notched palm brmich of recorded time. Luxor Temple.

(l?ft) Gold bracelet mth image of winged Mut from Meroe. National Collection of Egyptian Art, Munich.

(Below) The goddess Mut with horned sun disk, temple of Khonsu, Karnak. As the mythological mother of Khonsu, Mut played a part in the cult of that god along mth Amun, his mythological father. 20th dynasty.

(Right) Bronze statuette of the goddess Ne ith in characteristic pose. Chiginalty the goddess would have held an - ankh and staff. Late Period-Ptokmaic era. Haver Colkctton, San Bernardino.

In chapels and representations in many other temples throughout Egypt, Mut maintained a level of independence, and the goddess’s main cult centre was her own ‘Isheru’ precinct to the south of Karnak Temple. The major part of her temple was constructed during the 18th dynasty, much by Amenophis III (who also set up the many statues of Sekhmet around its precincts), though construction was continued by rulers of later periods through Ptolemaic times. Mut participated in many of the great festival processions with her husband Amun and was transported in her own sacred barge for these occasions. She also exercised independent power in her own cultic rituals and ceremonies such as the important‘Festival of the Navigation of Mut’ held on the great Isheru lake. Another of her important temple rituals both at her Isheru precinct and in her other sanctuaries was that known as the ‘overthrowing of Apep’, the inimical serpent who threatened the sun god. In this ritual wax models were made representing the physical enemies of Egypt which were identified by name before being-destroyed. Mut is known to have had a temple oracle to which worshippers brought problems, and the ‘Great Mother’ was represented in many votive statues and amulets showing a high degree of personal veneration of the goddess.