SESHAT

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SESHAT

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SESHAT

Seshat was the goddess of wisdom, knowledge, and writing. Her name means 'she who scrivens' (i.e she who is the scribe) and she is seen as a scribe and record keeper. She is credited with inventing writing, and she also became identified as the goddess of mathematics, astronomy, astrology, architecture, accounting, surveying, and building. In early forms of art she is shown as a woman with a seven-pointed emblem above her head, although it is not clear what the emblem represents. The emblem is the reason for her alternative name of Sefket-Abwy, which means 'seven-horned.'

In most forms of art, she is shown holding a palm stem, though she is also shown holding other tools such as the knotted cords that were stretched to survey lands and structures. Frequently, she's shown dressed in leopard or cheetah hide, which is a symbol of funerary practices. The patterns on the hide was thought to represent the stars, which were a symbol of eternity, and the night sky.

Seshat was believed to assist pharoahs in many practices, such as the practices of measuring and scribes, and 'stretching the cord' ritual. By notching on her palm, she recorded the timeline of the amount of time each pharoah stayed on earth. She was also known to be responsible for recording speeches the pharoah made during his crowning ceremony, and approving the inventory of foreign captives and goods that were gained in military campaigns.

The god Thoth was closely identified with Seshat, and in some accounts he was considered her father while in others he was said to be her husband, but neither are confirmed to be completely true.

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