Holy Cows

Nebamun’s cattle, fragment of a scene ,Thebes, Egypt Late 18th Dynasty, around 1350 BC.

The Egyptians considered cows an essential element of life and survival. As the once fertile area of Northern Africa became a desert, the domesticated cow brought life and nourishment. The goddess Hathor was also frequently depicted as a cow's, or at least with the horns of cows as part of her crown.

Before They Were Popular Memes

The Gayer-Anderson Cat (also named Figure) the Egyptian Cat goddess, Late period after 600 BC, The British Museum.

Bronze figure of a seated cat. The cat mummies were buried in honor of the goddess Bastet the daughter of the sun god Re.