To understand this ritual, it is important to comprehend the concept of Arrows and the Distant Eye.
Bast, as an Eye of Ra, is part of the myths and celebrations related to the flight to Nubia, return, and appeasement. The significant difference between the celebrations of Bast and those of other Eyes like Sekhmet, Mut, and Aset is that a large portion of Her worship centers did not survive. Consequently, unfortunately, we have very few concrete pieces of information about how the Appeasement of Bast was performed. However, it is possible to gather some information and connect some dots based on the patterns found in other Appeasement festivals: Bast flees to Nubia, destroying everything in her path with her flame, is brought back by a lunar deity, appeased with water, carnival-like festivities, and processions along the Nile or at Isheru lakes.
The most detailed description we have of these festivals in Bubastis comes from Herodotus, who recounts that all the people would go to the streets or to boats to play instruments, sing, make offerings, and drink a lot of beer and wine while the image of Bast sailed on the Nile. This connects perfectly with the celebrations of Sekhmet in Dendera and Mut in Karnak, where these goddesses were welcomed upon their return with much dance, music, and drunkness.
Therefore, I decided to gather some materials I have here about the rituals of these festivals and developed them for Bast! Many ways of appeasing these goddesses occurred, ranging from small offerings of water with short liturgies to be recited, pots and pots of Nile water poured at the feet of the statue, to massive processions of celebrations. I sought to bring something simple that would allow for either an intimate celebration with the Goddess or something that could be expanded.
All the texts presented here are inspired – if not literal copies – from texts found in various temples, primarily Dendera, Esna, and Edfu. However, the basic structure for the liturgy is based on the appeasement texts of Sekhmet from the temple of Edfu that took place during the Intu’es celebrations and at the beginning of the Kemetic year. In these liturgies, we find an addition that is not always present in sḥtp rituals but is quite common when dealing with Sekhmet: the invocation and expulsion of the Arrows of this Goddess.
Just like Sekhmet, Bast was frequently invoked against the Arrows of the year, where some sources allow us to know who these Arrows are. There are two paths through which Bast’s Arrows can be understood. The first is the most common among other goddesses: a group of demons related to diseases, who act as agents of Ma’at, and people ask for these Arrows to be averted. In Dendera, the Seven Arrows of Bast are given individual names:
- A’a-Pehety (ʾꜣ pḥty) – Great Of Power
- Khenep-Ib (ḫnp ib) – Heart Thief
- Neb-Khenenu (nb ẖnnw) – Lord of Rebellion
- Her’ef-em-Sedjet (ḥr.f m sḏt) – Whose Face is Flame
- Imy-Wety-Hapy (imy wty ḥʾpy) – One who is in the middle of the flood
- Shed-Kheru-em-Khenu-Tjemsu’ef (Sd ḫrw m ẖnw ṯmsw.f) – ‘Of Loud Voice/Troublemaker in the midst of his anger
- Ka-Desher (kꜣ dšr) – Red Bull
However, the distinctive feature of Bast’s Arrows is that we find another variation, which are actually names of gods. These names likely represent gods as emissaries of diseases, and they must be appeased, or they could be manifestations of Bast herself who has control over the Arrows and can send or withhold her messengers wherever she pleases. Unfortunately, the names of two out of the seven arrows are not known. Still, Reverend Shefytbast of the House of Netjer conducted a divination ritual to discover the missing names, and here they are:
- Bast, Lady of Bubastis (bꜣstt nbt bꜣst)
- Nefertem, Son of Bast (nfr tm sꜣ bꜣstt)
- Heru-Hekenu (ḥr-ḥknw)
- Khonsu, Son of Bast, Lady of Happiness (ḫnsw sꜣ bꜣstt nbt ꜣwt ib)
- [NAME LOST] (Identified by Rev. Shefyt as Wadjet)
- Wenut, Eye of Ra (wnwt iryt rʾ)
- [NAME LOST] (Identified by Rev. Shefyt as Herishef)
In the ritual of the Festival that I developed, I included both groups of Arrows – the Netjeru as controllers and the Netjeri as emissaries. As mentioned earlier, I aimed for the ritualistic celebration to be relatively simple. Therefore, the items needed for it are: a candle, incense, a musical instrument (traditionally the sistrum), water, and a libation vessel.
It’s important to remember, as Herodotus recounts, that it is a festival full of fun and sharing with friends or Bast herself. Therefore, first and foremost, it’s good to emphasize that this ritual is a time for celebration and enjoyment!
sḥtp bꜣstt
The Appeasement of Bast
FURY OF BAST (Based on Dendera)
Words spoken by Bast, Eye of Ra, Lady of the Sky, Sovereign of all Gods, who spits her fiery breath against her enemies, Red Lady of Red Linen, Luminous one who cleanses the Earth when she settles: I give you your body purified from impurity, I protect around you every day.
[Lights Candle]
PROTECTION (Based on Edfu)
Words spoken by Bast, the Great, Lady of all Iru of Bast. The Distant One, Daughter of Ra, who resides in Bubastis, Lady of Terror in Bubastis. Lady of Joy who resides in Dendera. The Great One of the Great Gods. Ten times Eye of Ra in all her names: I protect you against every ill will, I guard your body against the Arrows!
[Lights Incense]
OPENING RITUAL (Based on Esna)
Bast, you are the noble and Mighty One, in whom Ra rejoices upon seeing! Great in Love, the One from Bubastis, Ichneumon. The Great goddess of the festival ‘She is Led Back,’ the beginning of joy is for You!
[Shakes Sistra]
PACIFICATION (Based on Esna)
Bast, Lady of Purity, who becomes pleasing with cleanliness, who has made what is and created what exists. Eye of Ra of numerous festivals! I bring the coming of Hapi to you, Grandly great!
Bast, of Great Heat, Sopdet of effective life in all the Two Lands. I bring the Great Inundation, which causes the fields to be impregnated for you, in your cycles!
[Pours Libation]
PACIFIED (Based on Dendera)
Words spoken by Bast, Eye of Ra, Lady of the Sky, Sovereign of all the Gods, Pacified in all her manifestations: I spread your love across the lands and rivers for the Remetju, All the Gods rejoice in your respect!
INVOCATION OF THE SEVEN ARROWS (Based on the structure of Edfu with the Arrows of Dendera)
- O, Bast-Lady-of-Bubastis, Protector of your father, Ra. Save me, Protect me, and Guard me against the first Arrow of the Year, A’a-Pehety (‘Great Of Power’).
- O, Nefertem-Son-of-Bast, your mother rejoices to see You. Save me, Protect me, and Guard me against the second Arrow of the Year, Khenep-ib (‘Heart Thief’).
- O, Heru-Hekenu, Lord of Ma’at. Save me, Protect me, and Guard me against the third Arrow of the Year, Neb-Khenenu (‘Lord of Rebellion’).
- O, Khonsu-Son-of-Bast-Lady-of-Joy, who seeks the Distant Eye in the [Barke] ‘Great in Love.’ Save me, Protect me, and Guard me against the fourth Arrow of the Year, Her’ef-em-Sedjet (‘Whose Face is Flame’).
- O, Wadjet, Who is in the heart of Bubastis, The Great Flame. Save me, Protect me, and Guard me against the fifth Arrow of the Year, Imy-Wety-Hapi (‘One-who-is-in-the-middle-of-the-flood’).
- O, Wenut, Eye of Ra, the perfect guardian. Save me, Protect me, and Guard me against the sixth Arrow of the Year, Shed-Kheru-em-Khenu-Tjemsu’ef (‘Of Loud Voice/Troublemaker in the midst of his anger’)
- O, Herishef, Foremost of the throne of Wesir, with twisted horns. Save me, Protect me, and Guard me against the seventh Arrow of the Year, Ka-Desher (‘Red Bull’).
ENDING (Based on Edfu)
Words to speak when Bast appears on the horizon of the sky, and the gods rejoice at her sight:
How beautiful is Bast, Lady of Happiness, Daughter of Atum, Eye of Ra. The Creator speaks: Adoration, adoration! Be at peace, daughter of Ra. Khonsu has come and appeased you, your Arrows are averted, and all the people celebrate at your Navigation Feast.
SOURCES:
Abdel-Raziq, Abdalla. Sacred Bark of Bastet.
Cauville, Sylvie. Dendera: Porte d’Hathor.
Cauville, Sylvie. Dendera: Porte d’Horus.
Cauville, Sylvie. Dendera: Porte d’Isis.
Germond, Philippe. Sekhmet et la Protection du Monde.
Rondot, Vincent. Une Monographie Bubastite.
Sauneron, Serge. Le nouveau sphinx composite du Brooklyn Museum et le rôle du dieu Toutou-Tithoès. Avaiable HERE
Sauneron, Serge. Le Temple d’Esna, II. Translated by David Klotz, avaiable HERE
Sauneron, Serge. Le Temple d’Esna, III. Translated by David Klotz, avaiable at HERE
Spencer, Neal. A Naos of Nekhthorheb from Bubastis.
Asethepetwi 