Serket

Serket in hieroglyphs

Serket was an ancient Egyptian goddess. She was shown as a scorpion. She would sting "bad" people, but she could also cure scorpion stings and other poisons, such as snake bites. Because Serket could cure snake bites, she was sometimes known as the protector from Apep, the evil snake-god.

Serket. The staff she holds in her right hand is a symbol of power. In her left hand, she holds an Ankh, the Egyptian symbol for life.

She was shown in art as a scorpion or as a woman with a scorpion on her head. Serket did not have any temples, but she had many priests.

Many people in ancient Egypt who were bitten by poisonous animals died from the poison. Because of this, Serket was also known as a protector of the dead. She was associated with fluids that cause stiffening during embalming. This caused her to become known as a protector of embalmers' tents and of the canopic jar for the intestine (Qebehsenuf). The intestine's canopic jar was the one associated with poisons.

Because she was a protector of canopic jars, Serket was associated with Aset (Isis), and Nebet Het (Nephthys) and Neith. Later, Serket began to be known as Isis. Serket came to be known as a part of Isis, instead of a separate goddess.