82 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XIII. 



Merte? or Milt? (PL 67. Part 2.) 

 This Goddess is frequently met with in the oldest 

 temples, where she always accompanies the King, 

 when represented running with a vase and the fla- 

 gellum of Osiris in his hands, amidst various em- 

 blems. Her name appears to be Milt, or Merte. 

 In the Lower Regions, she has sometimes the 

 united heads of a lion and crocodile, with the 

 globe of Re and the two long feathers of Amun ; 

 but this figure is of rare occurrence, and I believe 

 only in funeral subjects, among the Genii or minor 

 Deities connected with the dead. 



She usually bears on her head a cluster of the 

 northern water plants, upon a cap terminating in a 

 peculiar form at the back ; from which it might 

 seem that she was more particularly connected 

 with the Lower Country, those water plants being 

 emblematic of that part of Egypt. Sometimes, 

 however, she has those of Upper Egypt ; but the 

 more frequent assumption of the former suffi- 

 ciently proves that her name was not Mares *, one 

 of the appellations of the Thebaid. 



(PI. 67. Part 3.) 

 The name of this Deity is uncertain. I had 

 supposed her to represent Phut, or Libya ; but this 

 opinion does not seem to be supported by subse- 

 quent observations. She was one of the contem- 

 plar Deities of Tentyris ; and occurs also at Thebes ; 

 but at Esneh her hieroglyj)hics are totally different, 

 or may, indeed, be of another Goddess, who has 

 assumed her form and attributes. 



* Whence tlic modern Egyptian name Alcrccs, or Mcrcescc, given to 

 the south wind. 



