Tawaret Facts for Kids

Statue of Tawaret

In ancient Egyptian mythology, Tawaret (also spelled Taweret) was a special goddess. She was often shown as a hippopotamus. Female hippos are known for being very protective of their babies. Because of this, pregnant women in ancient Egypt wore amulets (small charms) of Tawaret. They believed these amulets would keep them and their babies safe during pregnancy.

Tawaret was a very popular goddess, especially during the First Dynasty of Egypt. She was seen as the main protector of women during pregnancy and childbirth. People in ancient Egypt believed that praying to Tawaret was important for a safe delivery.

Who Was Tawaret?
- Why Was Tawaret Important?
- How Did People Worship Tawaret?
Tawaret's Appearance and Symbols
- Common Objects with Tawaret's Image
Tawaret in the Afterlife
Images for kids
See also

Who Was Tawaret?

Tawaret was a powerful goddess in ancient Egyptian beliefs. Her name means "The Great One." She was often shown as a hippopotamus standing on her back legs. She had the head of a hippo, the legs of a lion, and the tail of a crocodile. Sometimes, she also had the breasts of a human woman. This mix of animals showed her strength and fierce protective nature.

Why Was Tawaret Important?

Tawaret was extremely important to everyday people in ancient Egypt. She was not a goddess of kings or pharaohs as much as she was a goddess for families. Her main job was to protect mothers and babies. Childbirth was very dangerous in ancient times, so people relied on Tawaret for help.

She protected women during pregnancy.
She helped mothers during the difficult process of childbirth.
She also guarded babies and young children from evil spirits and dangers.

How Did People Worship Tawaret?

People honored Tawaret in many ways. They didn't build large temples just for her. Instead, her worship was more personal and happened in homes.

Many families had small statues or amulets of Tawaret in their houses.
Pregnant women often wore Tawaret amulets around their necks.
People would pray to her for safe pregnancies and healthy children.
She was also linked to fertility and the flooding of the Nile River, which brought life to Egypt.

Tawaret's Appearance and Symbols

Tawaret's unique appearance made her easy to recognize. Her body parts from different animals each had a special meaning.

Hippopotamus Head: The hippo was a symbol of fierce protection, especially for mothers.
Lion's Paws: These showed her strength and power to fight off evil.
Crocodile Tail: The crocodile was another powerful and protective animal in Egypt.
Human Breasts: These highlighted her role as a nurturing goddess of motherhood.

Common Objects with Tawaret's Image

Many everyday objects and religious items featured Tawaret.

Amulets: Small charms made of faience, stone, or metal were very common.
Household Statues: Families kept small figures of Tawaret in their homes for protection.
Magic Wands: Some special wands used in rituals for birth and protection had her image.
Furniture: Her image sometimes appeared on beds or headrests to protect sleepers.

Tawaret in the Afterlife

Tawaret's protection wasn't just for this life. She was also believed to help people in the Afterlife.

She guided the deceased through the dangers of the underworld.
She helped ensure a successful "rebirth" into the afterlife, just as she helped with birth in the living world.
Statues of hippos, often representing Tawaret, were placed in tombs to help the dead.

Images for kids

This red jasper Ptolemaic amulet shows Tawaret. It's part of a long tradition of hippo amulets in ancient Egypt. Walters Art Museum, Baltimore.
Faience hippo statues like this one were placed in tombs and temples. They helped people be reborn into the afterlife. Brooklyn, Brooklyn Museum.
Images of protective gods like Tawaret and Bes were put on temple walls. This was to keep evil forces away. Edfu, Egypt.
This clay statue of Tawaret was found under a pyramid wall. It belonged to the Nubian King Anlamani (around 623–595 BCE). Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
This apotropaic wand (from about 1880 to 1700 BCE) shows protective gods, including a hippo goddess. Such wands were used in birth rituals. They might have drawn a magic circle around the mother and child. Walters Art Museum, Baltimore.