Meretseger: Theban Cobra Goddess Who Presided Over The Valley of The Kings

A. Sutherland  – AncientPages.com – In Egyptian mythology, Meretseger presided over the Theban necropolis located on the west bank of the Nile, especially the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens.

Stela with priest Neferhor praying to Meretseger, Luxor, Deir el-Medina, New Kingdom, Dynasty 20, reign of Ramesses III, c. 1182-1151 BC, limestone – Oriental Institute Museum, University of ChicagoImage credit: Daderot – CC0 1.0

Meretseger was associated with one particular landmark among the desert hills, and it was the pyramid-shaped, natural mountain peak (420 m) in the Theban Hills, known as el Qurn (“The Horn”).

From there, she looked over the region. She was sometimes also called Dehenet-Imentet, (‘the peak of the West’) after her dwelling place, clearly recognizable on the horizon. Interestingly, her mountain peak was believed to be one of the entrances to the underworld. However, her most popular name was Metseger (‘she who loves silence’), and this name perfectly fitted her because she adored the desolate, quiet, and lonely place belonging to the deceased.

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