Amentat : Lady of the West
Amentat is the friendly spirit who welcomes dead souls to the ancient Egyptian realm of the dead, Amenty, the Western Land. She may or may not be a path of Hathor. She may be a spirit whose veneration and identity were eventually absorbed by Hathor. She may or may not be identical with Amunet. Amentat resides in a tree on the edge of the desert from whence she can guard and observe the gates to Amenty.
She is invoked for a peaceful death and for assistance in the afterlife.
ALSO KNOWN AS:
Ament; Amentit; Imentet; Imentit
ORIGIN:
Egypt or Libya
ICONOGRAPHY:
Amentat wears the hieroglyph indicating “west” on her head. She may have wings. Her image appears frequently on ancient Egyptian tombs and sarcophagi.
ATTRIBUTES:
A scepter and an ankh (symbolic of life, because in Egyptian cosmology life continued after death, at least for those who passed the final judgment)
Bird:
Hawk
Spirit allies:
Isis and Nephthys
SEE ALSO:
- Amunet
- Hathor
SOURCE:
Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses– Written by :Judika Illes Copyright © 2009 by Judika Illes.
