Pakhet

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Pakhet
in hieroglyphs

In Egyptian mythology, Bast and Sekhmet were similar feline war gods, one for Upper Egypt and the other for Lower Egypt. Where the two groups met, at Beni Hasan, the similarity of the goddesses lead to a new merged form known as Pakhet (also spelt Pachet, Pehkhet, Phastet, and Pasht, Egyptian Pḫ.t), meaning (she who) tears.

By the time Pakhet appeared, during the Middle Kingdom, Bast was considered less a lioness, and more a gentle domesticated cat. Consequently her character lay somewhere between the gentleness of Bast, and the ferocity of Sekhmet, leading to her strength being considered an inner rather than outer quality. It became said that rather than simple domestic protector against vermin and venomous creatures, or fierce warrior, she was a huntress, who wandered the desert alone at night looking for prey, gaining the title Night huntress with sharp eye and pointed claw.

While this desert aspect lead to her being associated with desert storms, she was also said to be protector of motherhood, as was Bast. Consequently some modern feminist theories have developed suggesting that Pakhet represented the deified properties of the menstrual cycle, although this tends to be discounted by more mainstream Egyptologists.

In art, she was depicted as a feline-headed woman, or as a feline, often killing snakes with her sharp claws. The exact nature of the feline varied between a desert wildcat, which was more like Bast, or a lioness, which was more like Sekhmet. Her huntress nature lead to the Greeks identifying her with Artemis, and consequently, her most famous temple, which was underground, became known as the Cave of Artemis. This cavernous shrine was built by Hatshepsut, and mummified cats have been found buried there.