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Bast

Bast

2 9.9
An ancient Egyptian goddess with a cat or lioness head who protects people and helps life grow
  • proper noun
  • Literature
: Bastet
  • The cat goddess, Bast.
  • Bast, the goddess
  • Egyptian goddess Bast
  • cat goddess Bast

Examples

  • The festival of Bast celebrated fertility and the sun's life-giving power with music and dance.

  • The goddess Bast.

  • The tribes lived in constant war with each other... until a warrior shaman... received a vision from the Panther Goddess Bast... who led him to the Heart-Shaped Herb... a plant that granted him superhuman strength, speed and instincts.

  • In ancient times, priests performed rituals to honor the goddess Bast, protector of the home and family.

  • Statues of the lioness-headed goddess Bast were placed in households to ensure prayers were heard.

Synonyms

Bastet
vsBast
  • Literature
1 9.9

An ancient Egyptian goddess with the head of a cat who protects the home and family

focuses on sun power, protection, and fertility but not on the home aspect

Compounds

bast fiber
  • Specialized
1 8.8

A strong plant fiber from the inner stem used to make rope or cloth

9.9

A tree from Cuba and Jamaica with hairy leaves and orange flowers used for furniture and gunstocks

Surface Forms

Bast main

Etymology

Bast comes from ancient Egypt, where the goddess was called Bastet and was shown as a lioness or as a woman with a cat's head. She was seen as a protector of homes, children, and the life-giving sun, so thinking of Bast as a 'cat goddess' helps explain why she stands for protection and fertility.