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LIPTAY, ÉVA: Between Heaven and Earth. The Motif of the Cow Coming out of the Mountain

Some scholars pointed out

13 that the side-decoration of 21

st Dynasty inner coffin-cases originated from the stock of scenes painted in Ramesside tomb chapels. For lack of a private burial place in the Theban necropolis during the 21

st Dynasty, a set of three coffins tended to replace and symbolize the tomb itself.

14 As it was stated, the scene with the Hathor-cow always occupies the same terminal position in the row of panels and inscriptions on the sides of the inner coffin. A similar phenomenon can be observed in case of another 21

st Dynasty group of funerary equipment: the scene of "the cow coming out of the mountain" is regularly placed at the end of the so-called "mythological papyri".

15 The solar aspect of the goddess, which is strongly related to the sun god, the Eye of Re, and the sun bark, is directly expressed in New Kingdom BD-versions by the enumeration of Hathor's different epithets. On the 21

st Dynasty coffins of Araonpriests, the winged ureus above the cow hints at the same association, since the ureus is the Eye of Re, or at least one of its possible manifestations. The Eye of Re as a winged ureus is the first-born daughter (i.e. the first creature) of the creator god Atum-Re, who protects the deceased „tili sunrise, as he descends to the necropolis" it is she who „shines for him" along the way and accompanies him in the netherworld.

16 As the deceased proceeds in the dark netherworld, the Eye of Re shines for him like a torch, helps him to get through the gates, and her „red glow" overcomes all the enemies of the wandering soul.

17 In the New Kingdom BD-versions the cow-goddess occurs not alone, but in the company of a pregnant hippopotamus-shaped creature, who stands either directly in front of her, or under the terrace, at the foot of the mountain.

18 The latter often wears a Hathor-headdress placed on the usual modius. She normally has an 'nh-sign in front of her legs, and holds an vWs-sceptre in her hand, however, a torch may appear in place of the sceptre. BD Ch. 137 B identifies this pregnant hippo goddess as Jp.t who embodies the maternal protective-nursing aspect. Similarly to the Hathor-cow, the hippopotamus goddess plays a role in both the solar and the chthonic netherworld concepts. Holding a torch, she appears on her 13 Heyne, loc.cit. (n. 1)61; other motives such as the frieze of uraei with sun disks on top of a canopy also testify that Ramesside tomb decoration should have been the antecedent for the 21st dynasty coffins: van Walsem, R., The Coffin of Djedmonthuiufankh in the National Museum of Antiquities at Leiden, Leiden 1997, 181-182. 14 Heyne, loc.cit. (n. 1) 67-68: in the eyes of the Amon-priesthood at Thebes, the goddess signifies both the tomb building in the cemetery (which in fact does not exist, but is represented by the set of coffins!), and the maternal protective and nursing aspect - the latter is further supported by drawing a parallel between the cow of the western mountain and the tree-goddess. 13 Ibid., 62. 16 Willems, H., Chest of Life, Leiden 1988, 142-143; CT I 250 a-e; Darnell, J.C., The Apotropaic Goddess in the Eye, SAK 24 (1997) 40-42. 17 Liptay, É., Bandeau sur la tête. Aspects religieux d'un motif iconographique de la 21

e dynastie, BullMusHongrBA 96 (2002) 15. 18 Her cult is attested at Deir el-Medine from the New Kingdom on: Altenmüller, H., Die Apotropaia und die Götter Mittelägyptens, Diss. München 1965 (henceforth abbreviated Apotropaia), 151; Sadek, A.I., Popular Religion in Egypt during the New Kingdom (HÀB27), Hildesheim 1987,125-127; Koenig, Y., Le contre-envoûtement de Ta-i.di-Imen. Pap. Deir el-Médineh 44, BIEAO 99 (1999) 277-279.