Wadjet

Wadjet
Wadjet
	An illustration of Wadjet based on depictions in tombs.
Major cult center	Buto
Symbol	Egyptian cobra

Wadjet (/ˈwædʒət/; Ancient Egyptian: wꜢḏyt "Green One"),^[1] known to the Greek world as Uto (/ˈjuːtoʊ/; Koinē Greek: Οὐτώ) or Buto (/ˈbjuːtoʊ/; Βουτώ) among other renderings including Wedjat, Uadjet, and Udjo,^[2] was originally the ancient Egyptian local goddess of the city of Dep or Buto in Lower Egypt, which was an important site in prehistoric Egypt.^[3]^[4] Wadjet's worship originally started in the Predynastic period, but evolved over time from a local goddess to a patron goddess.^[5]

Wadjet was closely associated in ancient Egyptian religion with the Eye of Ra and the Eye of Horus symbols, each powerful protective deities.^[6] The hieroglyph for her eye is shown below; sometimes two are shown in the sky of religious images. There is little consensus on which eye is truly tied to Wadjet as both have some importance to her. The main differences between her eyes are which side of the face they are on, left or right.^[7] The color of these eyes in amulets and ceramics are usually created in vibrant blue and green colors, which resemble the goddess's name of "the green one". The green Wadjet eye amulets found in Egyptian daily life provided a token of fertility and protection to those who had them.^[8]

^ Also spelled Wadjit, Wedjet, Uadjet or Ua Zit
^ Budge, E. A. Wallis (1969). Gods of the Egyptians, The (Studies in Egyptian Mythology)
^ Wilkinson, Early Dynastic Egypt, p.297
^ Morenz, Ludwig, "The Early Dynastic Period", in The Oxford Handbook of Egyptology (2020), p. 600
^ "Wadjet | Ancient Egypt Online". Retrieved 2024-02-29.
^ Wilksinson, Richard H. (2003) The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. p. 227
^ Brown, Lawrence Parmly (November 1, 2018). "The Cosmic Eyes". The Open Court. 1918 (11): 686 – via Southern Illinois University.
^ admin. "Wedjat Eyes". JHU Archaeological Museum. Retrieved 2024-02-29.

[1] Also spelled Wadjit, Wedjet, Uadjet or Ua Zit

[2] Budge, E. A. Wallis (1969). Gods of the Egyptians, The (Studies in Egyptian Mythology)

[3] Wilkinson, Early Dynastic Egypt, p.297

[4] Morenz, Ludwig, "The Early Dynastic Period", in The Oxford Handbook of Egyptology (2020), p. 600

[5] "Wadjet | Ancient Egypt Online". Retrieved 2024-02-29.

[Wilkinson_22722-6] Wilksinson, Richard H. (2003) The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. p. 227

[7] Brown, Lawrence Parmly (November 1, 2018). "The Cosmic Eyes". The Open Court. 1918 (11): 686 – via Southern Illinois University.

[8] . "Wedjat Eyes". JHU Archaeological Museum. Retrieved 2024-02-29.

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