Wast : a personified locality and goddess

Abstract EN

Despite the inclusive research into personified localities and deities of ancient Egypt, little is known about WAst, the goddess and personification of the fourth Upper Egyptian nome, Thebes.

New Kingdom Theban temples reveal a number of scenes with presentations of WAst.

Examples can be found in the triple shrine of Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis III in the temple of Luxor as well as the triple shrine of Seti II in the open court of the temple of Amun Ra at Karnak.

WAst was frequently depicted in anthromorphic form as a goddess, holding the WAs scepter, the symbol of power to which a plume and a ribbon were attached.

She was also often recognized by her headdress consisting of the WAs scepter and a feather, the hieroglyphic symbol of the nome.

Moreover she could be represented in a martial guise with bow, arrows and mace.

Through studying the epigraphic sources and iconographic aspects of WAst, this article aims at investigating the iconography, epithets and functions of the goddess in ancient Egypt till the end of the Late Period.