Ma’at, far left, goddess of truth and justice, with outstretched wings. Worldhistory.biz
Ma’at
Ma’at the Egyptian goddess personified truth, balance, morality, justice, order and harmony. She was believed to have power over seasons, stars and how people and other gods behaved. Ma’at was the daughter of another prominent deity called Duat, who determined whether souls of the dead would reach paradise successfully. Egyptian pharaohs used Ma’at’s emblems to emphasize their authority in upholding the rule of law.
One of her most recognized emblems is the feather, which would be used by the gods to judge a newly-deceased person’s heart, or moral deeds. Ma’at is also associated with a moral code known as the 42 Negative Confessions – if a person’s conduct did not violate her code, their heart would be lighter than her feather, granting them access to the afterworld.
