Egyptian Gods
Ancient Egyptian Gods, Goddesses and Religion
Tayet
Tayet was the goddess of weaving known from Old Kingdom
times when she appears in the Pyramid Texts, where it is
said that she is the king's mother who clothes him and
lifts him up to the sky (PT 741), and that she guards the
king's head, gathers together his bones, and grants him
favor with other Egyptian gods (PT 738).
In later mythology Tayet was also said to weave the
curtains or walls of the tent of purification in which the
embalmers worked, but the most significant role played by
this goddess is that she is the deity who provided the
bandages in which the mummy was wrapped.
The importance of these wraps to the ancient Egyptians and
the proper burial procedure which utilized them is seen in
the Middle Kingdom story of Sinuhe, where
the hero of the tale is urged to return to ancient
Egypt by Senwosret I who reminds him that only there
will he receive 'wrappings from the hands of Tayet'
upon his death.
The goddess was linked to Neith, who was also associated
with weaving, and with Osiris, Isis and Nephthys because of
her funerary role. Although she had no temples of her own,
Tayet was honored in sanctuaries of several deities with
whom she was associated.
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