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Learn about the ancient Egyptian goddess Ma'at, the goddess of truth and justice. Ma'at is also the ancient Egyptian concept of cosmic order.

Ancient Egypt Home Pharaohs Egyptian Gods Egyptian Pyramids Hieroglyphics Temples Life in Ancient Egypt Maps of Ancient Egypt History of Egypt The Queens of Egypt Mummies Religion Cities and Regions Ancient Egypt Facts Ancient Egypt For Kids Ma'at Father: Ra Companions: Thoth Symbols: The Ostrich Feather Cult center: All cities of Ancient Egypt Home Ancient Egyptian Gods Ma'at Ma'at | The Goddess Of Truth And Justice Ma'at (aka Maat) was the ancient Egyptian concept of cosmic order and balance. The philosophy of Ma’at allowed them to rationalize the events occurring around them. As long as the universe revolved around Ma’at there would be a purity that ensured balance and justice. Through this ideology, Ma’at became the basis of Egyptian culture. The Ma'at concept was personified as the goddess of truth and justice. From the earliest eras in Egypt, people considered her as essential for the stability of life. She represented truth, justice, harmony and balance. The opposite of chaos, Ma’at gave order to nature and society. Reaching beyond being simply a goddess, Ma’at became a focus for leadership, philosophy and law. Born a Goddess Over All Creation Historians found the first written accounts of Ma’at in the Pyramid Texts, written between 2375 and 2345 BCE. However, the divine concept of the goddess is a much older idea. Ma’at is a central figure in the Egyptian creation story. She was with her father Ra on his celestial barque, or sailing boat, as he came from the waters with the Egyptian gods and goddesses. © Ashley Van Haeften - Figurine of Goddess Ma'at Egyptians saw Ra as the most important god in Egyptian society. He made Ma'at even more important by standing on her pedestal to establish all creation. This placed Ma’at as the order that transformed chaos into creation. She ruled both gods and people. Over time, Ma’at developed beyond being simply the daughter of Ra and responsible for order to being the reason that the universe existed. Some of her other responsibilities include: Relationships The cycle of seasons The movements of the sun, moon and stars All parts of religion How people behaved The positive characteristics of men Rulers, leaders and judges The afterlife Historical texts transform Ma'at from a goddess to actually being creation. In many instances, ancient Egyptians considered their society and religion to be "Ma'at", while the wilderness and other cultures were considered chaotic and unjust. The Ideal Egyptian Woman Ma’at is often represented as a slim woman with a white ostrich feather on her head. She often carries a scepter or an ankh. Some ancient representations feature Ma’at with wings of divinity outstretched. Egyptians viewed her slim figure and symmetrical features to represent the appearance of the perfect Egyptian woman. © genibee - sarcophagus with Ma'at The symbol of Ma’at is a primeval mound. The symbol represents Ma’at as being the mound on which the gods stood upon when creating the universe. Other symbols associated with Ma'at are the ostrich feather and scales. Family Tree Father: Ra, the sun god. Sister: Shu, the air god. Husband: Thoth, the moon god © Steven Zucker - Detail of Ma'at Role as a Goddess Ma’at ruled everything, which made her a very busy goddess. Every day she helped Ra to steer his boat across the sky, making a path for the sun. She was the partner of Thoth and the mother of the eight deities known as the Chief Gods and Goddesses of Hermopolis. Beyond being the force which kept the Egypt functioning as an orderly society, Ma’at held an important role in the afterlife. She not only kept order among the living, but served as the judge of the afterlife. Ma'at's ability to view truth and justice was key in judging a soul. © Karen Green - Osiris room at Dendera -- Ma'at flanks Osiris mummy When an Egyptian died, the process of mummification included leaving the heart within the body. Egyptians considered the heart to be the soul of the person, by which he or she would be judged in the afterlife. After death, Ma’at would judge the hearts of the dead in Osiris’s Judgment Halls of the Dead. Once the dead reached the halls, Ma’at would weigh the heart of each person against the weight of her ostrich feather. If the heart weighed the same or less than the feather, they were considered just and worthy of continuing into the Duat, or everlasting afterlife. If the scales indicated that the heart was heavier than the feather, then the person was shown to not be a follower of Ma’at during his or her life. The consequence of this was that the deceased was refused an afterlife and the heart was eaten by a demon. In some versions of the judgment, the crocodile-headed Ammut would devour the entire person. More Than Just a Goddess © euphbass - Ra & Ma'at The many different names of Ma’at give an idea of her importance to Egyptian society. Egyptians referred to Ma’at as: Eye of Ra Mistress of the Underworld Queen of the Earth Lady of Heaven Lady of the Gods and Goddesses ...

Ma'at | The Concept And Goddess Of Truth And Justice