Ancient Egyptian Post 2

Statuette of the Goddess Taweret. N.d. Photograph. Michael C. Carlos Museum, Atlanta

Medicine had only come so far in the days of Ancient Egypt therefore people needed deities from whom they could seek protection. The Goddess Taweret was one such deity whose supposed role was to protect women during pregnancy and after giving birth. She has the head of a hippopotamus, the limbs and paws of a lion, a crocodile's tail, all of which are animals feared by Egyptians, breasts, and a pregnant belly. Her appearance is thought to ward off evil spirits who may have intentions to harm pregnant women or their children. At first she was seen as a dangerous force, but by the Old Kingdom her reputation had become one of protection and nurture. Expectant mothers would carry amulets of Taweret for protection, even once Akhenaten took power and transformed Egypt into a monotheistic society. 
One thing I find fascinating about this piece is the use of animals feared by the Egyptians to create an image for a god or goddess. I wonder what made them begin using animals or where that practice came from. My assumption is because animals where abundant throughout the region and they may have had questions as to where they came from. Perhaps because they were unsure as to the origin of these animals and therefore saw them as being from the gods or of a godly nature. 
Another thing that I find interesting is the possible connection between women carrying these small amulets around and displaying them in their homes and how people devoted to the Catholic faith do the same with small sculptures of Mary. Did this Ancient Egyptian practice influence how people of other religions show their dedication? Obviously, both have vastly different purposes but I do wonder if one influenced the other. 

"Taweret." Ancient Egyptian Gods;. J. Hill, 2010. Web. 23 Oct. 2012. <http://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/taweret.html>.

"Michael C. Carlos Museum: Permanent Collection: Ancient Egyptian Art." Michael C. Carlos Museum: Permanent Collection: Ancient Egyptian Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2012. <http://carlos.emory.edu/COLLECTION/EGYPT/egypt10.html>.


Breccia Statue of the Goddess Taweret. N.d. Photograph. British Museum, London. 

This sculpture is another example of a small amulet dedicated to Taweret. This one is quite different from the above example. It is more rigid than the other and it's pregnant belly is not emphasized as much as in the previous example. I suppose that different artists not only had different techniques as to how they make their art, but different artists also had different views of how this goddess would look in physical form.