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Unveiling the Secrets: Top 13 Fun Facts About the Ancient Egyptian Goddess Hathor

illustration of hathor
Get ready to dive into the enchanting world of Hathor, the cow-goddess of love, motherhood, and merriment, as we unravel some truly fascinating and lesser-known tidbits about this beloved ancient Egyptian deity.

1. Beer: The Original Peacemaker

Beer: the original peacemaker! In ancient Egypt, hilarity ensued during the Festival of Drunkenness, as beer—masquerading as blood—saved humanity from Hathor's divine temper tantrum: The Council of the Gods flooded fields with red-tinted beer, causing both Hathor and her subjects, from the elites to the peasants, to get thoroughly sloshed and pass out in a verdant sea of drunken debauchery, saving mankind from annihilation and celebrating the annual life-giving floods of the Nile.
Source => brookstonbeerbulletin.com

2. Party with the Egyptian Queen

Party like an Egyptian – with Hathor, the original queen of good times, rolling out barrels of beer and hosting divine shindigs: Hathor, a venerated goddess in ancient Egypt, not only made her followers dance, sing, and responsibly sip on fermented delights during her festivals, but also doubled as a guardian figure for women, children, and homes, transforming her temples into refuge havens packed with oracular revelations.
Source => worldhistory.org

3. Heavenly Nile GPS

The Ancient Egyptian's GPS was a river in the sky: Hathor, the celestial cow goddess, represented the Milky Way, which they deemed a heavenly Nile. Her association with the Milky Way and the dog-star Sothis, which heralded Nile floods, made her an emblem of fertility and abundance.
Source => crystalvaults.com

4. Hathor's Moover and Shaker Skills

Hathor, the holy cow of Egyptian mythology, was quite the moover and shaker with her udderly divine musical abilities: As the goddess of fertility and motherhood, she rocked the ancient world with her horns, cow ears, and instrumental prowess, playing the sistrum and tambourine to delight the gods and goddesses.
Source => people.vcu.edu

Hathor: The Cow with a Beautiful Personality

5. Hathor: The Cow with a Beautiful Personality

So Hathor walks into a bar, and the bartender says, "Why the long face?": Actually, Hathor, the ancient Egyptian goddess, was depicted as a cow to symbolize her celestial and maternal aspects, with her beauty shining through in her associations with music, dance, joy, love, and maternal care as the mother or consort of the sky god Horus and the sun god Ra.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Hathor: Goddess of Cow-mouflage

Picture Hathor, goddess of cow-mouflage, doing backbends and orchestrating a clap-a-palooza in ancient Egyptian temples: Hathor, the goddess of fertility and sexuality, would be channeled by women wearing her trademark cow horns and sun disk headdress during sacred temple ceremonies, all to ensure babies had safe passage into the world and to invoke her blessings during passionate moments of lovemaking.
Source => getty.edu

7. Modern Hathor: Influencer Extraordinaire

If Hathor were a modern-day influencer, she'd have a line of beauty products, a dance workout, and a hit single in the charts: This ancient Egyptian goddess was not just the goddess of love, music, and dance, but also fertility, beauty, and protector of women and families, making her one of the most celebrated and worshipped deities of her time.
Source => worldhistory.org

8. Hathor's Long Horns and Solar Bling

Hathor walks into a bar: the bartender asks, "Why the long horns and solar bling?" Little did he know that Hathor, a multifaceted ancient Egyptian goddess, represented joy, music, and celebration, often portrayed as a cow or a woman donning cow horns and a sun disk headdress, while also sharing some sun-kissed connections with the god Ra.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

9. Hangover Cure: Festival of Drunkenness

Get ready for the original hangover cure: the ancient Egyptians had a goddess-sponsored boozefest that would put even the wildest frat party to shame. During the Festival of Drunkenness, participants would guzzle down beer mixed with haematite (yes, the metallic mineral), turning it blood-red to mimic the legendary salvation of mankind by the sun god Ra. This divine rager wasn't just about getting sloshed, though: it was a sacred event celebrating the goddess Hathor, complete with dancing, torch lighting, and some very fertile extracurricular activities in the hopes of ensuring a bountiful Nile flood and, ultimately, the survival of the nation.
Source => ancient-origins.net

Hathor: The Globetrotting Influencer

10. Hathor: The Globetrotting Influencer

If Hathor were an influencer in today's world, she'd be globetrotting and racking up followers by the thousands across various platforms: This ancient Egyptian goddess, known for her connections with valuable goods such as incense and semiprecious stones, enjoyed a diverse fan base beyond her homeland—receiving warm welcome and worship from the people of Nubia and Canaan, while women in particular adored her for granting a smoother childbirth experience.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

11. Hathor: The Fertility Party Animal

Before you call the stork or summon the birds and bees, you might want to send an invite to this ancient party animal who moonlights as a fertility expert: Hathor, the Egyptian goddess of fertility and motherhood, was usually portrayed clutching an ankh, that all-important symbol of life, and was often sought after by women praying for safe childbirth and successful pregnancies.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

12. Hathor: The Original Queen of Dance

Step aside, Beyoncé: the original "Queen of Dance" could very well be Hathor, the ancient Egyptian goddess of love and beauty. Not only did she inspire awe with her divine persona, but this fabulous diva was also worshipped as the goddess of music and dance: her temple at Dendera was a hub for talented musicians and dancers, who would come together and put up electrifying performances in her honor during festivals and celebrations.
Source => timelessmyths.com

13. Hathor: Mistress of Music and Dance

Shake, rattle, and roll those worries away as you groove to the seductive sounds of the ancient Egyptian fertility goddess herself: Hathor, the mistress of music, was honored with tambourines, harps, lyres, and the sensual sistrum as her loyal followers sang her praises, hoping she'd bestow pleasure, beauty, and prosperity upon their land.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

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