Ancient Egypt
Elements of its Cultural History

  by Sjef Willockx

Hathor columns

The Hathor column is a representation in stone of an old cult symbol of the goddess Hathor. It is therefore not surprising that we find it in temples (e.g. in Dendera) and shrines that are dedicated to this goddess. We will take a look at the Hathor shrine of Hatshepsut's mortuary temple at Deir el Bahri.

Here you see a typical Hathor column: a cylindrical shaft with a Hathor capital.

The capital consists of two parts:

• below a Hathor face (with the characteristic cow ears),

• and above this an element of unknown meaning, vaguely reminiscent of a naos.

Together, these elements have exactly the same shape as a certain type of sistrum (a musical instrument that was also sacred to Hathor).

Here you see a Hathor pilaster: a decorative adjunct for a pillar. As it is just a decorative device, its form can be freer. This results in a more faithful representation of the original Hathor cult symbol.

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