Seshat

This is an image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Seshat 𓋇𓏏𓁐 on a Roman-era (60-70 A.D.) mummy mask. Seshat 𓋇𓏏𓁐 is the goddess 𓊹𓏏 of writing, wisdom and knowledge. This is actually the only object at the MET that contains an image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 of Seshat 𓋇𓏏𓁐! Seshat 𓋇𓏏𓁐 does not appear much in ancient Egyptian art, and there are no temples or cult centers dedicated to her worship. 

Seshat’s 𓋇𓏏𓁐 name 𓂋𓈖 literally translates to “female scribe,” and she is also the goddess 𓊹𓏏 of scribes 𓏟𓀀𓏪! I have always really liked Seshat 𓋇𓏏𓁐 because she was a female figure associated with hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 and I related to that aspect of her! I always wished there were more depictions of her in ancient Egyptian art!

In this image 𓏏𓅱𓏏, she is holding writing with a stylus, which is very typical of artistic depictions of her! You can easily pick Seshat 𓋇𓏏𓁐 out in Egyptian art because of the seven pointed emblem 𓋇 that she wears on her head (I call it a star – but no one really knows what it is). This symbol is also part of her name 𓂋𓈖, which makes it easy to spot in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! 

Seshat 𓋇𓏏𓁐 is also the goddess 𓊹𓏏 of architecture, accounting, mathematics, and surveying. This is what made her an essential part of a building ceremony called the “Stretching of the Cord.” The “Stretching of the Cord” was part of the foundation ritual that occurred when a building was constructed in ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. It involved nailing four 𓏽 stakes into the ground at the four 𓏼 corners of the building and then linking them with a cord. 

Seshat 𓋇𓏏𓁐 is definitely related to and shares some of the same functions as the god 𓊹 Thoth 𓅝𓏏𓏭𓀭, who was also considered to be the god 𓊹 of writing 𓏟𓏛𓏥, knowledge 𓂋𓐍𓏏𓏜 and wisdom. Usually Thoth 𓅝𓏏𓏭𓀭 is credited with inventing writing 𓏟𓏛𓏥/hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 (hence his title “Lord of the Divine Words/Writing 𓎟𓊹𓌃𓂂𓂂𓂂𓏟”), however, some mythology credits Seshat 𓋇𓏏𓁐 with inventing writing/hieroglyphs, while Thoth 𓅝𓏏𓏭𓀭 was the one who taught writing 𓏟𓏛𓏥 to man! 

Here are some ways to write Seshat’s name in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪: 

Seshat 𓋇

Seshat 𓋇𓏏𓁐

Seshat 𓋴𓈙𓄿𓏏𓅆

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