Hathor by Lesley Jackson
HATHOR A Reintroduction to an Ancient Egyptian Goddess By Lesley Jackson “Hathor was once the most loved and pre-eminent goddess of Egypt. An ancient goddess, ‘Hathor… who descends from the primeval age’ soon held all Egyptians in her loving embrace. She was one of the most accessible of the deities so it was unsurprising that she was a favourite, Her cult, and encounters with her, were full of music, love and laughter. No stern, demanding deity, she rejoiced in her followers’ happiness and many could say ‘she placed joy in my heart’…” - author Lesley Jackson Hathor: A Reintroduction to an Ancient Egyptian Goddess is a comprehensive and thought-provoking study of one of the most important Ancient Egyptian deities. Primarily a Cow Goddess. Hathor was multifaceted, and her importance was emphasised through the many titles and roles she held. She was the goddess of the sky, sun, love, sex, dance, music, fertility, precious metals and gemstones, as well as being Protectress of Foreign Lands, Eye Goddess, Goddess of Desire, Lady of Drunkenness, and Lady of Fragrance. Present in all aspects of life, Hathor was a goddess of childbirth, who protected her worshippers during life and offered protection on the journey into the afterlife. Daughter of the Sun God Ra, she was linked to other cow goddesses, as well as other major deities such as Isis, Bastet and Horus. She was intimately associated with the lioness goddess Sekhmet, who was both an aspect of Hathor and a significant and powerful goddess in her own right. The Seven Hathors, a seven-fold manifestation of Hathor, predicted the destiny of newborn children and the time and manner of a person's death and were invoked in love spells and protection charms. This extensive work provides a welcome and much-needed exploration of one of the most influential goddesses of the ancient world. It explores Hathor's different roles and titles, her associations with other deities, alter-egos and assimilations, her temples, worship, festivals and her subsequent decline in popularity towards the end of the Greco-Roman period. Author Lesley Jackson draws on a wide range of historical sources, including magical papyri, stelae, statues, jewellery, ritual objects and archaeological evidence, employing these to reveal the captivating history and numerous functions of this mesmerizing goddess. In doing so, she succeeds in reintroducing Hathor to us as a sovereign, powerful, beautiful and lovely goddess, she ‘whose ba is powerful’. Other books by Lesley Jackson include Isis: The Eternal Goddess of Egypt and Rome, Sekhmet and Bastet: The Feline Powers of Egypt, Thoth: The History of the Ancient Egyptian God of Wisdom, and The Cobra Goddess & The Chaos Serpent. 2020, 310 pages. Paperback & Kindle editions available. ISBN 978-1-910191-22-4
"Lesley Jackson’s Hathor is often praised as one of the most approachable and engaging studies of this radiant Egyptian goddess. Jackson traces Hathor’s many roles - from celestial mother and patron of music to guide of the dead - with a balance of solid scholarship and vivid storytelling. Readers appreciate how she grounds her discussion in archaeological finds, temple inscriptions, and artistic depictions, making the goddess’s evolution feel both coherent and alive.
What makes the book particularly compelling is Jackson’s ability to present Hathor as a dynamic presence within Egyptian religious life rather than a static mythic figure. She shows how Hathor’s qualities of joy, beauty, and ecstatic celebration were woven into daily worship and state ritual alike. While some may wish for deeper exploration of her later syncretic forms, the book’s concise scope keeps it focused and readable. It stands as an elegant, illuminating introduction for anyone seeking to understand one of Egypt’s most beloved and multifaceted deities." M.C.P.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION NAMES & ICONOGRAPHY THE COW GODDESS The Forms of Hathor Pre-dynastic Goddesses The Emergence of the Hathor Cow The Celestial Cow Other Cow Goddesses THE SKY GODDESS THE SOLAR GODDESS THE TREE GODDESS Trees in Egypt Sacred Groves and Tree Cults OBJECTS ASSOCIATED WITH HATHOR The Sistrum The Menat Mirrors Spoons Papyrus ASPECTS OF HATHOR MUSIC & DANCE LOVE & SEX LADY OF DRUNKENNESS The Distant Goddess Beer in Egypt Wine in Egypt Ritual Offerings and Drunkenness Offerings to Hathor Offerings to the Deceased The Festival of Drunkenness Secular Drinking The Issue of Excess FRAGRANCE FERTILITY & CHILDBIRTH PROTECTING & NURTURING Nursing the King Provision of Food and Drink Healing and Hathor Hathor the Protector Protector of Ra The Battle Against Apophis A GEOLOGICAL GODDESS Mining in Egypt The Desert Specific Rocks and Minerals GODDESS OF TRADE & FOREIGN LANDS Protector of Sailors Goddess of Merchants Hathor of Byblos Hathor in Nubia Other Places THE AFTERLIFE & REBIRTH THE SEVEN HATHORS Foretellers of Fate Magic Afterlife Handmaidens Conclusion SEKHMET (Lion Goddess) RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER DEITIES Family Relationships Horus of Edfu Ptah Sobek Sons Horus the Younger Other Relationships ALTER EGOS & ASSIMILATIONS THE WORSHIP OF HATHOR The Egyptian Concept of Religion Propitiation Hathor and Royals The Worship of Hathor by Non-royals At Amarna Hathor the Women’s Goddess Hathor’s Help to Mortals Encountering Hathor Praising Hathor Hymns and Prayers Offerings Hathor Festivals Return of the Wandering Goddess or the Distant Goddess HATHOR’S TEMPLES Those Who Serve Hathor Hierarchy The Roles of Women Hereditary Positions Individual Priests and Priestesses Temple Rituals Temple Offerings WHAT HAPPENED TO HATHOR? The Decline of Hathor Isis The Rise of Isis Why Did Isis Triumph? HATHOR FESTIVALS CHRONOLOGY PLACE NAMES IN THE TEXT SACRED GEOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX
About the Author
Lesley Jackson has a lifelong interest in archaeology, ancient history and sacred myth and a fascination with the mysterious geographical, be they lost worlds, otherworlds or the sacred places of this world. She is a devotee of the Egyptian deities and since being blessed with early retirement has devoted much of her time to researching and writing about them.
Lesley is the author of Thoth: The History of the Ancient Egyptian God of Wisdom, Hathor: A Reintroduction to an Ancient Egyptian Goddess, Isis: The Eternal Goddess of Egypt and Rome, Sekhmet and Bastet: The Feline Powers of Egypt, and The Cobra Goddess & the Chaos Serpent in Ancient Egypt, all published by Avalonia. She has written a number of articles about Egyptian religion, some of which have been published in Pagan Dawn and Nile Magazine.
Despite the strong call of Egypt she is a Northerner at heart, preferring cooler climes and wooded landscapes. She lives in the East Riding of Yorkshire, close to the lost world of Doggerland.
LesleyJackson
