Serket Responsible For * Magic * Protection * Childbirth * Healing Stings

Serket

Also Known As: Selkis, Selkhet, Selkhit, Serqet Responsible For Magic Protection Childbirth Healing Stings Totemic Form Scorpion About Her Cult Cult Center: Amarna, Western Delta To date, archeologists have not yet found any temples dedicated to Serket. Serket's primary role was that of the goddess who guarded people against potentially fatal scorpion bites and assisted with curing those who suffered them. In this way, she came to be associated with a more general role of healing, particularly in protecting people from poisoning.
Due to this association with protection against poisoning, Serket was believed to be the goddess who guarded the son of Horus responsible for the canopic jar containing the deceased person's intestines. This led to her becoming associated with funerary functions. According to legend, Serket is one of the goddesses who assisted Isis at the birth of Horus. In particular, Serket was charged with protecting the infant against scorpions and other potential sources of poisoning. Through this, she became one of the goddesses from whom women sought assistance in childbirth.
Legends When the evil snake god Apep participated in an attack against the sun god Ra, he was defeated and sent to the underworld. Serket was given the duty of guarding him. Because Apep was bound with chains, Serket became known as the goddess who binds the dead with chains.
Name in Hieroglyphics Serket's name means "She who causes the throat to breathe." Some scholars believe that this is a reference to her role as the patron of healing from scorpion bites. The deadly variety of scorpions found in Africa can produce a bite that causes difficulty breathing. The horizontal line in hieroglyphics represents a door fastening, and would be pronounced as a "z". Just below it is the symbol for "mouth" which is pronounced as an "r". The semicircle signifies female, and would be pronounced as a "t". The goddess symbol is not pronounced, it simply identifies that this name is referring to a goddess. Some variations of Serket's name include the scorpion symbol.
Depicting Serket In art, Selkhet appeared as a woman with a scorpion on her head, as a scorpion with a woman's head, and sometimes as a scorpion holding an ankh. The statue in the photo to the right was found in King Tutankhamen's tomb. This is by far the most widely-seen image of Serket. If doing a theatrical portrayal of Serket, these elements may be useful in building the character: Wear a scorpion headdress. Carry chains. Carry an ankh. Wear a menit necklace. Hold a staff.