Het-Heru and the Rainbow Serpent
In this entry, we explore the similarities between Het-Heru (Hathor), an ancient Egyptian goddess, and the Rainbow Serpent from the First Australian Dreamtime. Both deities share similar themes of fertility, life, death, and renewal, and are associated with musical instruments and the concept of the great mother or cosmic womb.
The similarities between the two deities suggest that there may be a deeper connection between the two cultures than previously thought. We already know that ancient Egyptians were present in Australia, as evidenced by the hieroglyphics found there. Is it possible that the two cultures had even greater contact?
Het-Heru (Hathor)
Het-Heru or Hathor is described as The Golden One or The Queen of Gods. Het-Heru, also known as Hathor, is an ancient Egyptian goddess associated with love, beauty, music, fertility, motherhood, and joy. She was often depicted as a cow or a woman with cow horns and a solar disk on her head. Het-Heru was one of the most popular and beloved deities in ancient Egypt and was worshipped as a protector of women and children, as well as a guide for the dead in the afterlife.
After a mystical gestation, she also acts as the guide for all the deceased, who are thus considered her children as they transition to a new life in another plane or dimension. Hathor embodies the primordial feminine element and symbolises the dual nature of love: both life and death, as well as heaven and hell.
Hetheru is similar to Heru in that she urges the initiate to battle with Apep, which represents the ego or lower self.
“I am the lotus, pure, coming forth out into the day. I am the guardian of the nostril of Ra and keeper of the nose of Hetheru. I make, I come, and I seek after he, that is Heru, I am pure going out from the field.”
In The Egyptian Book of the Dead, Chapter 24/41.
The Rainbow Serpent
The Rainbow Serpent is a prominent figure in First Australian mythology in Australia. It is an important creator being that is believed to have created the world and all living things. The Rainbow Serpent is often associated with water, and is believed to be responsible for the formation of rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water. It is also associated with fertility and is often depicted as a symbol of renewal and growth.
According to First Australian cosmology, the Great Dreamtime Ancestors shaped the Earth, including its natural features such as land, water, and minerals. Their activities resonate in the shapes and energies that affect all life processes, often symbolised as the Rainbow Serpent, which represents a spectrum of colours, frequencies, or powers similar to other energy fields.
“The Dalabon First Australians hold that the Earth was originally an expanse of water, coloured as the rainbow and that all life was held inside this female Rainbow Serpent.”
Kenneth Maddock
Similarities
Het-Heru
The Rainbow Serpent
Birth
Represents rebirth and a guide for the decease
A symbol of renewal and growth
Life & Death
Represents life and death, heaven and hell
Has control over life and death in the desert
Fertility
Symbolised as a cow, she represents fertility and motherhood.
Associated with rituals of abundance and propagation in the natural world, and of fertility and well-being in human society
Musical Instruments
The Sistrum/Sesheshet or Sekhem is a musical instrument that is linked to the notion of birth
The Ubar is a musical instrument with a long, hollow body. Its interior is referred to as the uterus of the great mother, while its external form is referred to as the penis or male aspect of the male serpent.
Great Mother/Womb
Referred to as the "Cosmic Womb," from which Heru is born.
The hollow inside of the Ubar, which was created by the rainbow serpent, is often referred to as the womb of the great mother
Oldest Deities
Het-heru is suggested to be one of ancient Egypt's oldest deities. This can be seen in some of the earlier ancient artifacts, such as the Narmer Palette
The earliest depictions of the Rainbow Serpent date back 20,000 years and were found in cave paintings, making it one of the oldest deities
Androgynous
Hetheru and Heru combine to form a composite archetype figure with complementary male and female qualities.
The hollow inside of the rainbow serpent is considered as the uterus of the Great Mother, while the external form is the penis of the male.
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Ashby, M. (2009). Pert em hru: The Ru Pert em Hru. Cruzian Mystic Books.
West, J. A. (2006). Magical Egypt, Episode 1.
Antelme, R. S., & Rossini, S. (2001). Sacred sexuality in ancient Egypt: The erotic secrets of the forbidden papyrus. Inner Traditions/Bear & Co.
Salim, M. J. K. N. H. H. (2014). The spiritual warriors are healers. Malachi Books.
Malek, J. (1999). Egyptian Art. Phaidon Press.
Rainbow Serpent Dreamtime Story - Japingka Aboriginal Art Gallery. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2023, from [https://japingkaaboriginalart.com/articles/rainbow-serpent/]
Tefnut – Journeying to the Goddess. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2023, from [https://journeyingtothegoddess.wordpress.com/tag/tefnut/]
