Hathor was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion. As a sky deity, she was the mother or consort of the sky god Horus and the sun god Ra, and the symbolic mother of their earthly representatives, the pharaohs. She was one of several goddesses who acted as the Eye of Ra, Ra's feminine counterpart, and in this form she had a vengeful aspect that protected him from his enemies. Her beneficent side represented music, dance, joy, love, sexuality and maternal care. These two aspects of the goddess exemplified the Egyptian conception of femininity. Hathor crossed boundaries between worlds, helping deceased souls in the transition to the afterlife. She was often depicted as a cow, although her most common form was a woman wearing a headdress of cow horns and a sun disk. More temples were dedicated to her than to any other goddess; her most prominent temple was Dendera. She was one of the deities commonly invoked in private prayers and votive offerings, particularly by women desiring children. (Full article...)