Selket

Selket, also spelled Serket, Serqet, or Selkhet, is an ancient Egyptian goddess associated with protection against venomous creatures and with funerary rites. Her name is commonly interpreted as “the venomous one,” reflecting her role as a guardian against dangerous stings.

Iconography typically portrays Selket as a woman with a scorpion either resting on her head or placed upon her headdress. In some representations she appears as a scorpion herself. This imagery underscores her power to ward off venom and to protect the living and the dead from poisonous bites.

Functions and roles in myth and cult are closely linked. Selket is regarded as a protector of the deceased, particularly within tombs and funerary rituals, where she helps ensure safe passage through the perilous journey in the afterlife. She is also associated with healing, as the venom she embodies can be both deadly and curative when invoked properly. In the afterlife texts and commonly in tomb reliefs, she is invoked alongside other protective deities to guard the dead from venomous threats.

Cultural significance and worship spanned many periods of ancient Egypt, with references to her in funerary contexts and in amulets meant to provide protection. She appears in various forms across temples, tombs, and the Book of the Dead, illustrating the dual Egyptian view of venom as a danger that can be mastered by divine protection.

In modern times, Selket remains a subject of Egyptological study and appears in popular culture and scholarly translations of ancient Egyptian religion, where she continues to be recognized as the scorpion goddess of protection and healing.