Bast was an old cat goddess venerated in Bubastis, capital of the 18th province in Lower Egypt. She protected pregnant women and was patroness for singing, music and dancing and thus very popular.
The rays of the sun were also symbols of hers. She was as a woman with a cat's head, or just a sitting cat but originally wore a lioness' head. In depictions she can be seen as a cat with a mask of a lioness (with rounded ears) in her hand. Many mummified Bastet cats have been found from all times and amulets and figurines depicting her were very common showing her popularity among the all Egyptian social classes. Her festival was the peek of the year for her worshippers since she also was protector of love, joy and pleasure. During the New Kingdom she had a lion-headed son with the god Ptah: Maahes.       Main text.