Aset Goddesses of Nabia was a Black Woman and Upon close examination of the history and culture of Nubia, it becomes apparent that Black Women played an important role. Unlike the rest of the world at the time Black Women in Nubia exercised significant control. In the Nubian valley, worship of the Queen of all Goddesses Aset, was paramount.

From the capital of Meroe, warrior queens fought for the interests of the Nubian/Kushite empire. Throughout history, Black Women were portrayed in Nubian art as the bearers of the offspring of the Gods. Today, Nubian women have a much different experience. Nevertheless, Nubian women fulfill a demanding and unique series of roles.

Throughout Kemet and Nubia, the worship of Aset had a tremendous and devoted following. Aset was not only the Kemetic Goddess of magical powers she was the representation of the Queen mother. In the most famous time of the period, Aset roams the world in search of the corpse of her husband Ausar. She returns Ausar to his rightful resting place, only to have Ausar’ brother Set cut him to pieces and scatter him throughout the land. Aset then takes her son Heru and sets out to find every piece of the corpse so she may tenderly bury it in the hopes that she can resurrect him again.

She is successful, and Ausar becomes the God of the underworld. Although Aset, Ausar, and Heru are then established as a trinity, Aset immediately became the most popular of the three. This can be partially attributed to her role as the devoted, untiring, nurturer of the land and culture of Kemet and Nubia. Aset was personified as a God which became one of the strongest religions in Nubia. In contrast, the Egyptians worshipped Ra (Re) in larger numbers. Ra was the God of the sun, and distinctly male at that. The worship of Aset began with the Meroitic period and extended into X-Group.

Many Nubian rulers of the time were pictured with Aset on their crowns. This was considered a homage to her role as the “Queen of All Gods, Goddesses and Women”. Since the ruler was considered to be born of the Gods, it was only natural that the mother should be paid such a tribute. Another example of this type of tribute is the amulet of Aset suckling a Queen. With the exception of the Nubian/Kushite Empire, Aset was never shown with a queen. This tribute was always given to a male ruler, never a female.

However, since both Aset and the Queens played such important roles in Nubia, the exception was made. Another example of the reverence of Aset was the “co-sponsorship” by Egypt and Nubia of her temple at Philae. Here her worship continued, populated largely by Nubians, until the sixth century A.D. (24).

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