The Hedgehog Goddess Abaset

Abstract

The egyptian goddess abaset was a minor hedgehog-deity. her presence was attested only in the 26th dynasty (656-525 bc). She was solely venerated on the eastern fringe of el-bawiti, the capital of bahariyya oasis, which is situated far from the nile Valley. This paper aims at presenting a reliable interpretation for the name of the goddess abaset. It focuses on the history and the development of her cult. The ancient egyptian depicted abaset in an anthropomorphic form. The crown of hedgehog was specific to abaset; it is a key element in the identification of the goddess, especially if the scene was not labelled with her name. The exact reason for this iconography is unclear. The occurrence of the images of abaset and the use of her legends was restricted to specific location, i. e. el-bawiti.