TYPE: Cow goddess of fertility
ORIGIN: Egyptian (upper)
INFORMATION: She was probably well known in the Old Kingdom (Circa 2700 BCE onward). Associated principally with Upper Egypt, for a while she may have rivaled Hathor in Lower Egypt but by the time of the New Kingdom (sixteenth century BCE) her influence had waned. She may be represented on the Narmer Palette (Cairo Museum), which commemorates the unification of the two kingdoms. Bat is only rarely found in large sculptures and paintings, but is ofent the subject of Egyptian period jewelry, including amulets and ritual sistrum rattles. Depicted as a cow or anthropomorphically with bovine ears and horns. Also Bata.