Tawaret facts for kids
In ancient Egyptian mythology, Tawaret (also Taweret) was the demon-wife of Apep, the first god of evil. She was often shown as a hippopotamus. Because female hippos are aggressive to protect their young, pregnant women wore amulets of Tawaret to protect their pregnancies.
Tawaret was a very popular goddess in the first Dynasty. She was, overall, the goddess who protected women during childbirth and pregnancy. In ancient Egypt, it was believed that if you wanted to live through childbirth it was necessary to pray to Tawaret.
Images for kids
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This red jasper Ptolemaic amulet bears Taweret's likeness and represents a longstanding tradition of female hippopotamus amulets in ancient Egypt. Walters Art Museum, Baltimore.
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Faience hippopotamus statuettes like this one were placed in tombs and temples to help the deceased be successfully reborn into the afterlife. Brooklyn, Brooklyn Museum.
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Images of protective deities like Taweret and Bes were placed on the outer walls of Ptolemaic temples in order to keep evil forces at bay. Edfu, Egypt.
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This clay statuette of Taweret was found in a foundation deposit under the enclosure wall of the pyramid of the Nubian King Anlamani (c. 623–595 BCE). Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
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This apotropaic wand (c. 1880 to 1700 BCE) shows a procession of protective deities, including a hippopotamus goddess. Such a wand would have been used in rituals associated with birth and were perhaps used to draw a magical circle around the mother and child. Walters Art Museum, Baltimore.
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See also
In Spanish: Tueris para niños
