Maat the Goddess of Truth and Justice

Goddess Maat while wearing
the feather of truth

Close associated with truth and order, the goddess Maat appears on temple ramparts in one of the most important religious ceremonials in ancient Egypt. The showing of Maat shows the pharaoh offering  truth to the gods of Egypt.  Maat  is ordinarily  shown  with  a  feather the  hieroglyph  for truthon her head. Spell 80 of the Coffin Texts addresses her the daughter of God Atum, the creator god, but in later texts she is named the daughter of Ra. Hymns to Maat engraved on temple walls invoke Maat to be with the King invariably.

Because of their opinion in the goddess Maat, the Egyptians could be constructive about the future. If a man lived in accord with Maat, or divine order, he could require to do well, both in this life and in the next. In the ancient Egypt papyrus (The Eloquent Peasant), the main character indicates: Speak maat, do maat; for it is mighty, it is great, it endures. This is an early version of the modern adage Honesty is the best insurance policy. The Egyptians had such a firm opinion that  the  goddess  Maat  would  inflict  her  order  on the world that they had no written laws. With Goddess maat, there was no require for laws to be created by humans.In periods of anarchy and political excitement, Maat was temporarily sworn from her rightful situation, and the priests prayed. Maat will regaining to her throne; Evil will be dispelled.

Maat is several from most other Egyptian goddesses in that we have few mythological stories about her interactions with the other gods and goddesses. She appears to be more formal, more like the conception of order itself than a goddess.