15/04/2024
Goddess Mut )0(
Egyptian Goddess
Written and fact-checked by
Article History
bronze statuette of Mut
Mut, wearing double crown and vulture's head on forehead, bronze statuette; in the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures Museum at the University of Chicago.
Mut, in ancient Egyptian religion, a sky goddess and great divine mother. Mut is thought to have originated in the Nile River delta or in Middle Egypt. She came to prominence during the 18th dynasty (1539–1292 BCE) as the companion of the god Amon at Thebes, forming the Theban triad with him and with the youthful god Khons, who was said to be Mut’s son. The name Mut means “mother,” and her role was that of an older woman among the gods. She was associated with the uraeus (rearing cobra), lionesses, and royal crowns.
At Thebes the principal festival of Mut was her “navigation” on the distinctive horseshoe-shaped lake, or Isheru, that surrounded her temple complex at Karnak. Mut was usually represented as a woman wearing the double crown (of Upper and Lower Egypt) typically worn by the king and by the god Atum. She was also occasionally depicted with the head of a lioness, particularly when identified with other goddesses, principally Bastet and Sekhmet.
Britannica Quiz
Pop Quiz: 18 Things to Know About Ancient Egypt
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.
Home
Philosophy & Religion
Ancient Religions & Mythology
History & Society
Khonsu
Egyptian deity
Also known as: Chons, Khensu, Khons
Written and fact-checked by
Article History
Khonsu (Khons)
Decorated wall hieroglyphic carving of Khonsu (Khons), the ancient Egyptian moon god, at the Temple of Kawm Umbū (Kôm Ombo), Egypt.
Khonsu, in ancient Egyptian religion, moon god who was generally depicted as a youth. A deity with astronomical associations named Khenzu is known from the Pyramid Texts (c. 2350 BCE) and is possibly the same as Khonsu. In Egyptian mythology, Khonsu was regarded as the son of the god Amon and the goddess Mut. In the period of the late New Kingdom (c. 1100 BCE), a major temple was built for Khonsu in the Karnak complex at Thebes. Khonsu was generally depicted as a young man with a side lock of hair, and on his head he wore a uraeus (rearing cobra) and a lunar disk. Khonsu also was associated with baboons and was sometimes assimilated to Thoth, another moon god associated with baboons.
Category: History & Society
Also spelled: Khons or Chons
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Zeidan.