About

Alternate Names: Het-heret, Het-Heru, Hathor 

Hethert's origins stem back to predynastic times. She is seen as the 'Universal cow-Neter', and is portrayed as the symbolic mother of the pharoahs. Hethert was considered to be the living incarnation of dancing. It is written that She danced before Ra to lift his spirits. She represents femininity as is reflected in several of Her symbols: the sistrum, the cow, and the mirror. She is a patroness of women and the arts. 

Hethert is the daughter of Re. Her name, directly translated, means 'mansion of Heru'. Symbolically, Her name stands for 'lady of the sky', whose womb protected Heru. During the time when Heru and Set fought for the throne of Egypt, Aset assumed the role of Heru's mother to assure the kingship (see 'Hethert and the Pharaoh').

Hethert has been depicted in a variety of ways through Egyptian art and architecture. She is depicted as a lithe lady wearing a crown of cow horns with the sun disc in the center. Another depiction is that of a pillar with a human head wearing Hethert's crown. The third form which Hethert is depicted is that of a bovine. As a bovine, She is called the 'divine cow' or the 'great wild cow'. On occasion, Hethert is depicted as either a lioness, a snake (who laughs with Wadjet ) or as a sycamore.

Hethert held the papyrus plant sacred, and there was a ritual plucking of the papyrus held in Her honor. While Her nature was predominantly benign, She is shown to have a destructive streak. This is evident in the myth of Sekhmet where mankind narrowly avoided dstruction from Hethert as the 'Eye of Re'.

The priests of Hethert were different from most of the other priests of Neter. Hethert had both male and female priests. Usually, the priests would be the same gender as the Name. Many of these priests were musicians, artisians, and dancers. The ritual that are said to have been performed are compared to works of pure artistry. Royal ladies often took the title of 'priestess of Hethert'.

Her Temples were centers for both healing and midwifery. Some of those temples held an area where people would sleep and have their dreams translated by the priests the next morning. 

Nefertary's spectacular temple at Abu Simbel in Nubia depicts the Great Royal Wife as Hethert in many places. Ramses II, her husband, is depicted in the sanctuary suckling from the udder of Hethert (as the Divine Cow).