Dictionary Of God And Godedesses

Beg-Tse 47BarastarChthonic underworld god. Ossetian [Caucasusregion]. The judge of souls, directing them eitherto paradise or to oblivion.BaršaminWeather or sky god. Pre-Christian Armenian.Probably derived from the Semitic god BAALŠAMIN.Bastet is the daughter of the sun god RE and isregarded as his instrument of vengeance, the “ragein his eye.” Alternatively she is the eldest daughterof AMUN. She has a son, the lion-headed godMIHOS.Texts recounting battles may describe thepharaoh’s enemies being slaughtered like the victimsof Bastet. Thus she is first depicted as alioness, and then in the guise of a cat from circa1000 BC onward when she becomes more peaceablein character. The cat was considered sacredto her and cat cemeteries, containing mummifiedanimals, have been found at various sites. Hername involves the hieroglyph for a sealedalabaster jar containing perfume. In the sanctuaryof Khafre at Giza, her name is engraved on thefacade with that of the goddess HATHOR, symbolizingthe protectresses of north and southrespectively. In Hellenic times she is partly syncretizedwith ARTEMIS.BasamumGod of healing. Pre-Islamic southern Arabian.The name probably derives from the remedialplant balsam.BASTETORIGIN Egyptian. Feline goddess associated withthe vengeance of the sun god.KNOWN PERIOD OF WORSHIP circa 2700 BC tothe end of Egyptian history (circa AD 400).SYNONYMS none.CENTER(S) OF CULT Bubastis in the Delta regionof Lower Egypt and probably at the Karnaktemple complex in Upper Egypt.ART REFERENCES sculptures, wall paintings,papyrus illustrations.LITERARY SOURCES Middle Kingdom coffintexts etc.BatCow goddess of fertility. Egyptian (Upper). Shewas probably well known in the Old Kingdom(circa 2700 BC onward). Associated principallywith Upper Egypt, for a while she may haverivaled Hathor in Lower Egypt but by the time ofthe New Kingdom (sixteenth century BC) herinfluence had waned. She may be represented onthe Narmer Palette (Cairo Museum) which commemoratesthe unification of the two kingdoms.Bat is only rarely found in large sculptures andpaintings, but is often the subject of Egyptianperiod jewelry, including amulets and ritualsistrum rattles. Depicted as a cow or anthropomorphicallywith bovine ears and horns. Also Bata.BauboMother goddess. Western Semitic (Syrian).Known locally from Priene and largely becamesyncretized with ATARGATIS, KYBELE, etc.Beg-Tse (concealed coat of mail)God of war. Buddhist and Lamaist [Tibet]. Oneof a group of eight DHARMAPALA with terribleappearance and royal attire. Stands with one footon a horse and one on a man. Color: red. Attributes:banner, fire, skin and sword. May appearwith three eyes. Also Cam-srin.