Bastet Figure Candle

Cats were very important to the ancient Egyptians and were even considered to be deities. Not only did they protect the crops and slow the spread of disease by killing rodents, but they were also thought to be the physical form of the goddess Bast/Bastet. Bast's name means, "She of the ointment jar". This ties in with the observation that her name was written with the hieroglyph for the ointment jar and that she was associated with protective ointments, among other things.

Bastet was originally a fierce lioness warrior goddess of the sun worshiped throughout most of ancient Egyptian history known as Sekhmet, but later she was changed into the cat goddess that is familiar today, becoming Bastet. She then was depicted as the daughter of Ra and Isis.

As protector of Lower Egypt, she was seen as a defender of the king, and consequently of the sun god, Ra. Along with other deities such as Hathor, Sekhmet, and Isis, Bastet was associated with the Eye of Ra. In addition to her solar connections, sometimes she was called the "eye of the moon". It was believed that every day she would ride through the sky with her father, as his boat pulled the sun through the sky she would watch over and protect him. At night, she would protect Ra from his greatest enemy, the serpent Apep.

Due to her protective duties, she was nicknamed the Lady of the East, Goddess of the Rising Sun, and the Serpent Slayer. The Greeks sometimes equated Bastet with the goddess, Artemis.

The ancient Egyptians used candles as early as 300 BC. The wicks were made of plant reeds that were soaked in tallow animal fat. Beeswax was used for embalming and mummification as well as a protective coating for paintings and papyrus scrolls. Beeswax is mentioned in 32 descriptions from papyrus dating to 1550 BC. Beeswax was used for the making of figures and cult objects for altar worship as well.

beeswax, non-scented.