OUADJET
neutralCobra goddess of Lower Egypt
Wadjet, called Buto or Uto by the Greeks, is a cobra goddess of ancient Egypt, protector of Lower Egypt. Originating from the city of Buto, in the Nile delta, she is the guardian of the North and her name evokes the papyrus and the green colour of the marshes. She is represented as a rearing cobra, often crowned with the red crown of Lower Egypt, or, in the Late Period, as a woman with a lioness's head. Wadjet embodies the uraeus, the serpent rearing on the brow of the pharaoh and the gods, ready to spit its fire upon the king's enemies. She is thus one of the eyes of Ra. With the vulture goddess Nekhbet, patron of Upper Egypt, she forms the Two Ladies, or Nebty, whose name enters into the royal titulary and symbolises unified Egypt. She is also said to be the protector of the young Horus in the marshes of the delta.
Era
3,000–30 BCE
Frequently asked questions
What does the goddess Wadjet protect?
Wadjet is the tutelary goddess of Lower Egypt, the North of the country. In the form of the uraeus, the rearing cobra, she also protects the person of the pharaoh.
Who are the Two Ladies?
Wadjet, cobra of Lower Egypt, and Nekhbet, vulture of Upper Egypt, form the Two Ladies, or Nebty. Together they symbolise the union of the two lands and figure in the royal titulary.
What is the uraeus bound to Wadjet?
The uraeus is the rearing cobra placed on the brow of the king and the gods. Wadjet embodies it, ready to spit her fire upon enemies, which ranks her among the eyes of Ra.
Related spirits
Sources and references
- Richard H. Wilkinson, The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt (2003)
- George Hart, The Routledge Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses (2005)
- , Wikipedia (FR/EN)