Amaunets

Amaunets is a term referring to the ancient Egyptian goddess Amaunet, sometimes spelled Amunet. In the corpus of Egyptian religion, Amaunet is typically presented as the feminine counterpart or consort of the creator god Amun and is associated with hidden or primeval aspects of the cosmos. The name itself is the feminine form of Amun and is generally understood to mean “the Hidden One.”

Etymology and role. Amaunet’s name derives from the same root as Amun, with a feminine suffix, emphasizing a close theological link between the two. In many traditions, the pair symbolizes the union of hidden power with the visible world, a pairing that underpins creation and sovereign authority in Theban theology. Amaunet is sometimes treated as a primordial goddess connected to the quiet, underlying forces of existence rather than to explicit, anthropomorphic narratives.

Worship and iconography. Amaunet is attested from the Old Kingdom through the Late Period, though her cult is typically secondary to that of Amun. In Thebes and adjacent religious centers, she appears in inscriptions and reliefs alongside Amun, within the broader Amun-worship network centered at temples such as Karnak. Her images are usually more reserved than those of principal deities, reinforcing her role as a manifestation of hidden power rather than a distinctly personified goddess with a large independent cult.

Amaunets as a plural. The form “Amaunets” is not common in scholarly writing for the goddess herself. When encountered, it generally refers to multiple textual references, artifacts, or depictions of Amaunet across different sites or periods, rather than to a separate, distinct set of entities.

See also: Amun, Egyptian mythology, Thebes.