19. Nieth
On top of the western horizon in the Valley of the Kings is a simulacrum that changes appearance often. By providing three separate images taken at different times of the year, dissimilar times of the day, and from slightly changed observation points, examples of the transformation phenomena is perceived. The likeness shifts from that of a cat to a female criosphinx and sometimes is seen with the head of a women wearing the red crown. In the form of the cat her likeness is similar to that of the deity Bast. The deity Bast, in the form of a cat, represents the gentle aspect of the springtime sun. Bast is another deity that is known as “the eye of Re,” and in her cat form she slays the enemies of Re. Bast is sometimes present in the birthing chamber as a patron of pregnant women.
