The Egyptian deity called Satis, also known by numerous related names, was a goddess of Upper Egypt who, together with Khnum and Anuket, was part of the Elephantine Triad. A protective deity of Egypt’s southern border with Nubia, she came to personify the ancient annual flooding of the Nile and to serve as goddess of war, hunting, and fertility.
She was sometimes conflated with Isis and Sopdet, goddess of the bright star Sirius, which the Egyptians connected with the onset of the Nile flood. Under Greek interpretation, she was conflated with Hera and Juno.
1. Origin
Like Anuket (and many other goddesses), she was originally thought to be the daughter of Ra and was sometimes considered the wife of Montu (the Theban god of war). By the New Kingdom, she was believed to be the wife of Khnum and the mother or sister of Anuket. These three gods formed the Abu (Elephantine) triad. When Khnum was linked to Osiris and Anuket to Nephthys, Satis became firmly linked to Isis. She was also linked to Hathor, as goddess of human fertility and love.
She was worshipped throughout the Aswan area (particularly on the island of Setet) and throughout Upper Egypt. However, objects found at Saqqara suggest that she was popular in Lower Egypt even in ancient times. She remained popular throughout Egyptian history and her temple at Abu (Elephantine) was one of the main shrines in Egypt.
She is depicted as a woman wearing the Hedjet (White Crown) of Upper Egypt decorated with ostrich feathers (the crown of Atef), or gazelle or antelope horns. Because of her connection with Sothis and the flood, she was sometimes depicted with a star on her head and carrying water jars. Occasionally, she carries a bow and arrows, but these are usually replaced by a scepter and an ankh (symbol of life).
2. Who was Satis?
Satis was an early goddess of war, hunting, and fertility, and was revered as the mother of the Nile River. Her conical headdress, the white crown, was called the Hedjet and was the symbol representing Upper Egypt (southern Egypt), reflecting her role as guardian goddess of Upper Egypt. Her crown was tied on both sides by antelope horns representing her role as a hunting deity.
According to ancient Egyptian mythology, she was the consort of Khnum, the Egyptian god of fertility, water, and procreation, and the mother of Anuket, the goddess of waterfalls. Together, the three gods were worshipped as a cult called the Elephantine Triad.
Satis was the Egyptian goddess of water and hunting, a protective deity of Upper Egypt. As a member of the Elephantine Triad, Satis was also seen as a goddess of fertility in connection with the annual flooding of the Nile River and the fertile black soil that came with the flood.
3. Names
The exact pronunciation of Egyptian is often uncertain, as vowels were not recorded until a very late period. In transcription, the goddess’s name also appears as Setis, Sati, Setet, Satis, Satit, and Sathit. Derived from sṯ, meaning “to expel,” “to shoot,” “to pour,” or “to throw,” her name can be translated in various ways as “She Who Shoots” or “She Who Pours,” depending on which of her roles is being emphasized.
Her name was originally written with the hieroglyph for the shoulder knot of a linen garment; it was later replaced by the animal hide of Anuket pierced by an arrow. She was also known by epithets such as “Lady of Elephantine” and “She Who Runs Like an Arrow,” which is believed to refer to the flowing river.
4. History
A goddess of the upper Egyptians, her cult is first attested in jars beneath the step pyramid at Saqqara (Third Dynasty). She appears in the Pyramid Texts (Sixth Dynasty) purifying the body of a deceased pharaoh with four jars of water from Elephantine.
Her main center of worship was at Abu (Elephantine), an island near Aswan on the southern edge of Egypt. Her temple there occupied an early predynastic site shown by Wells to be aligned with the star Sirius. Other centers include Swenet (Aswan proper) and Setet (nearby Sehel Island). She was particularly associated with the upper Nile, which the Egyptians sometimes considered to have its source near Aswan.
5. Myths
As a goddess of war, Satis protected Egypt’s southern Nubian border by killing the pharaoh’s enemies with her sharp arrows. As a goddess of fertility, she was thought to grant the wishes of those seeking love.
She seems to have been originally paired with the Theban god Montu, but later replaced Heket as consort of Khnum, guardian of the source of the Nile. By Khnum, her son was Anuket, goddess of the Nile. After Khnum became confused with Ra, she sometimes became an Eye of Ra instead of Hathor. Together, Khnum, Anuket, and Satis formed the Elephantine Triad.
Her most important role was as goddess of the flood (annual flooding of the Nile). According to myth, on the “Night of Tears,” Isis shed a single tear, which was captured by Satis and poured into the Nile, causing the flood. As a result, she (as Isis) was linked to Sothis, the personification of the star Sept (Sirius A, the “Dog Star”) that rose in the sky just before the arrival of the flood each year.
Satis in Egyptian mythology
Satis, the Egyptian goddess of water and cataracts, appears in the stories, myths, and legends of Egyptian mythology. As a goddess of water, she was strongly associated with the annual flooding of the Nile River. Her name links her to Setet Island (Sehel Island) and its surroundings. An important sanctuary on the island was dedicated to Satis on the island of Setet, and she was worshipped throughout the Aswan area in southern Egypt and became the guardian of the annual flooding of the Nile.
The annual flood, which is a vital part of the agricultural cycle, is of vital importance to the wealth of Egypt and the civilization of the Egyptians. Too little water would cause famine, and too much flood water would be equally disastrous by limiting the planting of fresh crops.
Satis – The Annual Flooding of the Nile River
The Nile River flows from south to north, to its delta in the Mediterranean Sea. The economy of ancient Egypt depended on its agricultural wealth and, therefore, on the Nile. Each year a torrent of water overflowed the banks of the Nile River, leaving behind a thick, rich mud (“black silt”) that fertilized the land, making it ideal for growing the crops that fed Egypt.
The flood (ancient Egyptian name ‘hapi’) was so important that the ancient Egyptians based their lives on it.
6. Representation
Satis was usually depicted as a woman in a sheath dress wearing the hedjet, the conical crown of Upper Egypt, with antelope horns. She is sometimes depicted with a bow and arrows, holding an ankh or scepter, or offering jars of purifying water. She also appears in the form of an antelope. Her symbols were the arrow and the flowing river.
Satis, as a warrior goddess, protected the pharaoh and the southern borders of ancient Egypt, and in her role as goddess of fertility, she caused flooding and purified the dead with water from the underworld (the mythical source of the Nile). Satis is described in the pyramid texts as performing this service for the king.
7. Facts about Satis
The following facts and profile provide a quick overview of Satis:
- Egyptian name: Satis, also Satis, Setet, Sathit, Satit, Sati, Setis
- Role and function: Satis’ role is described as the goddess of the water of the annual flooding of the Nile, guardian of the southern (Nubian) border of Egypt, and goddess of hunting.
- Status: She was part of the Elephantine Triad of deities.
- Symbols: The white conical crown and antelope horns
- Cultural center: Elephantine, an island in the Nile River bordering northern Nubia.
- Titles: “She who runs like an arrow,” “She who pours out.”
- Parents’ names: Khnum, the Egyptian god of fertility water, and Anuket, the goddess of waterfalls.
- Floods: Akhet, the time of the Nile flood (June-September)
- Sowing: Peret, the sowing season (October-January)
- Harvest: Shemu, the harvest season (February-May)
The ancient Egyptians believed that Satis released the flood when the Dog Star, Sirius, appeared in July, announcing the annual flooding of the Nile River.
8. Satis and the elephant triad
As the Nile River flowed northward, the annual floodwaters entered Egypt passing through Elephantine, and by the 18th Dynasty, its center of worship was established on Elephantine Island. Elephantine is located in Aswan, on the border between Egypt and Nubia.
Elephantine became the center of worship for the three gods Satis, the goddess of war and flooding, Khnum, and his daughter Anuket, the goddess of waterfalls, who were collectively known as the Elephantine Triad. The Egyptian god of the Nile, Hapi, was also worshipped at Elephantine as he was believed to bring silt to the banks of the Nile.
9. Functions of Satis
Satis was first worshipped as a goddess of war, protector and guardian of this strategic southern border (Nubian borders) of Egypt. As a goddess of water, Satis was also believed to purify the dead with her water and is associated with her title “She Who Pours” and the belief that the source of the Nile was the Underworld.
