About
Alternate Names: Mayet, Maat, Ma-at, Ma at
Ma'at is not just a Name, but also a concept (a lifestyle promoting Truth, Justice, Balance, Moral Integrity, and that which is considered to be good or right). She was considered to be the first of Ra's emmanations, and personifies all of the elements of cosmic harmony. As daughter to Ra, She is also sister to Heru. Her presence was felt in both the physical world as well as the other worlds. All of the Neteru deferred to Her judgement.
Ma'at is depicted as a woman with wings, or as a woman with a single white ostrich feather attatched to her head. She is the patroness of judges, magistrates, and all court officials. Often times, Ma'at is depicted by a single white ostrich feather (Her symbol). In hieroglyphs, Her name is shown with a plinth (representing the mound from which the creator emerged).
Ma'at's symbol, the white ostrich feather, would come to be very widely known, and even feared by some. To the people of Kemet, that symbol was their final test. They held the belief that when a person passes on, that the ba is taken to the Hall of Double Truth. This was what some would call judgement day for that person. The heart of the ba was to be wieghed against the feather of Ma'at. Should the person in question have led a good and honorable life, their heart would not be weighed down and thus balancing the scales. In this case, the person would then be welcomed by Wesir into the Duat. Should the heart be heavy with misdeeds and wrongdoings, the heart would then be fed to Am-mit. When Am-mit consumed the heart, the ba was utterly destroyed.
Ma'at's name would be invoked when there was something that required judging. This was done so that the judge would rule fairly, correctly and without bias.
In the Old Kingdom, Ma'at was well established as an integral part of Re and Wesir. She stands behind Re, or in the Middle Kingdom, at the nose of Re. Ma'at acquired the title of 'daughter of Re' during Dynasty XVIII. In the pyramid texts, Wesir is called the 'lord of Ma'at', and similarly his Ennead was called the 'council of Ma'at'.
Pharaoh's would see Ma'at as their authority to govern, and they would stress how their reign upheld the law's of the universe which Ma'at is said to embody. There are also many numerous occurances of the kings being called 'beloved of Ma'at'.
Ma'at is not just a Name, but also a concept (a lifestyle promoting Truth, Justice, Balance, Moral Integrity, and that which is considered to be good or right). She was considered to be the first of Ra's emmanations, and personifies all of the elements of cosmic harmony. As daughter to Ra, She is also sister to Heru. Her presence was felt in both the physical world as well as the other worlds. All of the Neteru deferred to Her judgement.
Ma'at is depicted as a woman with wings, or as a woman with a single white ostrich feather attatched to her head. She is the patroness of judges, magistrates, and all court officials. Often times, Ma'at is depicted by a single white ostrich feather (Her symbol). In hieroglyphs, Her name is shown with a plinth (representing the mound from which the creator emerged).
Ma'at's symbol, the white ostrich feather, would come to be very widely known, and even feared by some. To the people of Kemet, that symbol was their final test. They held the belief that when a person passes on, that the ba is taken to the Hall of Double Truth. This was what some would call judgement day for that person. The heart of the ba was to be wieghed against the feather of Ma'at. Should the person in question have led a good and honorable life, their heart would not be weighed down and thus balancing the scales. In this case, the person would then be welcomed by Wesir into the Duat. Should the heart be heavy with misdeeds and wrongdoings, the heart would then be fed to Am-mit. When Am-mit consumed the heart, the ba was utterly destroyed.
Ma'at's name would be invoked when there was something that required judging. This was done so that the judge would rule fairly, correctly and without bias.
In the Old Kingdom, Ma'at was well established as an integral part of Re and Wesir. She stands behind Re, or in the Middle Kingdom, at the nose of Re. Ma'at acquired the title of 'daughter of Re' during Dynasty XVIII. In the pyramid texts, Wesir is called the 'lord of Ma'at', and similarly his Ennead was called the 'council of Ma'at'.
Pharaoh's would see Ma'at as their authority to govern, and they would stress how their reign upheld the law's of the universe which Ma'at is said to embody. There are also many numerous occurances of the kings being called 'beloved of Ma'at'.
