Among the numerous deities invested with special spheres of responsibility in ancient Egypt
Mr.t is charged with the salutation of the deity (king or god) and the provision of cult-music. Since there is no lack of source material relating to the goddess from all periods right down to Roman times,
Mr.t readily provides an exemplary demonstration of a minor deity's transformation through time. Her original deification must have taken place during the 4th and 5th dynasties when the chorus designated
Mr.t came to be personified as the ritual figure "
Mr.t upon the house of Gold" at the Hebsed and the first "Priests-of-
Mr. t"-titles appeared. To the characteristic iconography, tress of hair and special gesture taken over from the chorus by the deity more symbols came to be added: the mysterious House of Gold, the place where statues were fashioned; the heraldic plants of Upper and Lower Egypt; and, in Ptolemaic times, the harp.
'
Riche de sources, documents iconographiques soignés, traductions et commentaires fouillés, la thèse refondue et enrichie de Mme Guglielmi constitue la somme actuelle des connaissances sur un problème difficile...'
Jean-Claude Goyon,
Bibliotheca Orientalis, 1994.
This book is principally intended for readers interested in the history of the ancient Egyptian religion.