SHE WAS BOTH A GODDESS ASSOCIATED WITH MOTHERHOOD AND THE TUTELARY DEITY OF THE" PHARAOH". SHE WAS ALSO CONSIDERED THE SOURCE OF NOURISHMENT, THUS A GODDESS OF THE HARVEST. SHE WAS DEPICTED AS A GODDESS OF RICHES AND GOOD FORTUNE, AND OFFERINGS WERE MADE TO HER DURING HARVEST TIME. HER GAZE WAS SAID TO HAVE THE POWER TO VANQUISH ALL ENEMIES AND ALSO TO ENSURE THE FERTILITY OF THE CROPS AND THE BOUNTY OF THE HARVEST.
"RENENET" IS SOMETIMES DEPICTED IN THE FORM OF A SNAKE- HEADED WOMAN SUCKLING A CHILD, THE TWO PLUMES ON HER HEAD INDICATE THAT SHE WAS RECOGNIZED BOTH IN UPPER AND LOWER EGYPT. IN THE "AFTERLIFE," SHE WAS SEEN AS A FIRE-BREATHING COBRA WHO WAS thE PROTECTOR OF THE CLOTHING WORN BY THE PHARAOH IN THE UNDERWORLD, AND THUS THOUGHT TO INSTILL FEAR IN HIS ENEMIES. SHE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MAGICAL PROPERTIES BELIEVED TO INHERE IN LINEN BANDAGES; HENCE, SHE WAS ALSO LINKED TO MUMMY BANDAGES, OFFERING THEM TO THE DEAD.
SHE HAD AN IMPORTANT CULT CENTER IN THE FERTILE "FAIYUM" REGION, WHERE SHE WAS CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOCAL CROCODILE GOD SOBEK. IN THE GRECO-ROMAN PERIOD SHE WAS ALSO WORSHIPPED AS THE GODDESS, "HERMOUTHIS, "AND IT WAS IN THIS FORM SHE CAME TO BE COMBINED WITH "ISIS."
