Meskhenet
ALSO KNOWN AS:
Meshkent; Meshkhenet
ORIGIN:
Egypt
Meskhenet, Goddess of Childbirth, protects laboring women and newborn babies. She is a mistress of magic and an expert on charms, spells, and incantations. Meskhenet is a spirit of destiny who may reveal or ordain the child’s future at birth. She also assists with rebirth into the afterlife, following a person’s death.
FAVOURED PEOPLE:
Midwives
MANIFESTATION:
She manifests as a beautiful woman wearing a headdress in the form of a cow’s uterus. She sometimes appears to laboring women in her guise as the Four Meskhenets: dancing girls. They also dance at Khnum’s side, chanting incantations and banishing evil.
ICONOGRAPHY:
A brick topped by a woman’s head
ATTRIBUTE:
The birthing brick on which Egyptian women would kneel during labor
Emblem: Cow’s uterus
SEE ALSO:
Anubis; Fairy, Birth; Hathor; Isis; Khnum; Ma’at
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.