In ancient Egypt, ostrich feathers were associated with which goddess?

In ancient Egypt, the ostrich was acquired through trade with a number of countries in Africa. Evidence on wall reliefs show the Pharaohs receiving ostriches from conquered nations. While the ostrich wasn’t one of the Egyptians’ sacred animals, it was greatly valued for its feathers and eggs.

The ostrich feather was associated with the goddess Ma’at. It was the symbol used to depict her and images show her wearing an ostrich feather in her hair. She was the daughter of the sun god Ra and she was the goddess of truth and justice. When a man died and wished to enter the afterlife, Ma’at weighed their heart against the weight of an ostrich feature. Only if a man’s heart weighed less than the feather was he allowed to enter the afterlife.

Also during this time in Egyptian history, ostrich feathers were worn by men in the hair of soldiers. Later, only men of royal blood were allowed to wear the ostrich feather. When a man died, two ostrich feathers were placed with the body and the ostrich plumes were provided as a sort of vehicle for the soul, meant to float upon a gust of wind to the afterlife with the soul as a passenger.

Additionally, ostrich eggs have been found amongst grave goods, thought to be a part of religious ceremonies.

Egyptians painted ostrich eggs and decorated them with a variety of different designs. The eggs were also used during the New Kingdom (16th to 11th century BCE) era as a food source and an ingredient for some medical recipes.