Is this a beautiful womanย ๐ค๐๐๐๐ย or a cowย ๐ค๐๐๐๐?! The answer is both because this image ๐๐ ฑ๐ from The Book of the Dead of Imhotep (at the MET) is of the goddess ๐น๐ Hathor ๐ก in her cowย ๐ค๐๐๐๐ย form!
Hathor ๐ก is one of the most prominent goddesses ๐น๐น๐น๐ of the Egyptian pantheon, and her roles evolved over time. Along with Isis ๐จ๐๐ฅ, she is regarded as the โdivine motherโ of the pharaoh ๐๐ป, but is also the goddess ๐น๐ of love, joy ๐ซ๐๐ฃ, music ๐๐๐ธ (she was often depicted on sistrums ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ช), and dance – basically the fun things in life ๐น! Hathor is also mentioned as the the wife ๐๐๐ of Horus ๐ ๐ญ, and the daughter ๐ ญ๐of Ra ๐ณ๐บ๐, though through times some of these relations have changed/evolved.
The name ๐๐ โHathor ๐กโ in Middle Egyptian translates to โHouse of Horusโ which links Hathor ๐ก to the sky ๐ช๐๐ฏ (because the sky ๐ช๐๐ฏ is where Horus ๐ ๐ญ dwells). Absorbing the roles of pre-dynastic deities, Hathor was associated with both the night ๐ผ๐๐๐ sky ๐ช๐๐ฏ and the Milky Way Galaxy ๐๐ด๐๐๐.
Another function that Hathor ๐ก possessed that not many are aware of was that she was also a prominent funerary goddess ๐น๐! One of her roles was to provide peace and solace to the souls ๐๐๐ of the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ as they entered the afterlife ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐. She was referred to as โMistress of the West,โ and could be found welcoming the dead ๐ ๐๐ฑ with fresh water ๐. She also earned the title โLady of the Sycamore,โ and was also seen as a tree ๐ญ๐ ๐ญ goddess ๐น๐.