Painting: Serqet, Protector of Children

A commissioned painting of Serqet, scorpion goddess of ancient Egypt. She rules over poisons, offering respite to the innocent and stinging the unjust; and, in more than one myth, She takes special care to watch over children. When Heru-sa-Aset (Horus the Younger) was an infant, and Aset (Isis) was hiding from Set in the papyrus marshes, Serqet tagged along in Her sevenfold scorpion form to help protect the child.

In an echo of that myth, the matte red scorpion in the painting cradles a metallic silver ankh, symbolic of both life and a child, near a swath of blue water and several green reeds. Serqet’s name in hieroglyphs is painted on Her back in metallic red.