Wadjet
In Egyptian mythology, Wadjet (also spelt Wadjit, Wedjet, or Uadjet, and in
Greek, Udjo, Uto, Edjo and Buto) was originally the local goddess of the city of
the same name, Per-Wadjet, named after her. As the patron goddess, she was
associated with the land, and so became considered a snake, usually a cobra,
which were omnipresent around the area. Indeed, her name means papyrus coloured,
a reference to the Cobra's skin.
Wikisource has an original article from the 1911 Encyclopędia Britannica about:
ButoEventually, she became the patron goddess of the whole of Lower Egypt, and
since she was linked to the land, she was thought of as the wife of Hapy, the
god of the Nile, which flowed through it. As patron of Lower Egypt, she
automatically became associated with Nekhbet, who held the same position in
Upper Egypt, and together they were known as the two ladies of the pharaoh.
As a cobra, she was depicted as such, and became confused with Renenutet, with
whom her identity eventually merged. As patron and protectress, she was often
shown coiled upon the head of Ra, the chief deity, in order to act as his
protection, an image of her which became the Uraeus symbol. The ancient Egyptian
word wedjet signifies blue, and the same word is used for the human eye. Wadjet
beacame the Eye of Ra. Legend says that wadjet who is Ra's daughter was sent out
to be his eye so she could rescue tefnut and shu when they where lost in the
waters of Shu. Ra(Atum)was so overjoyed he put her on his crown in the form of a
cobra so all men would fear her. Indeed, in later times, she was often depicted
simply as a woman with a snake's head, or as a woman wearing an Uraeus, which
had originally itself been her.
In becoming the protectress of Ra, who was also a sun god, she became a goddess
associated with heat and fire, and so was sometimes said to be able to send fire
onto those who might attack. Consequently, she later became identified with the
war goddess of Lower Egypt,Sekhmet who acted as another figure symbolic of the
nation. In this position, since Sekhmet was a lioness, Wadjet-Sekhmet was often
depicted with a lion's head. Eventually, her position as patroness lead to her
being identified as the more powerful goddess Mut, whose cult had risen to power
with the cult of Amun, and eventually being absorbed into her as
Mut-Wadjet-Sekhmet.