Taweret, the hippopotamus goddess with the pendulous breasts and long pleated hair, was the protectress of child-bearing women and their infants and children.

As such, this often fierce goddess enjoyed huge popularity throughout Egyptian households. Thousands of smiling hippopotamus statues have been found. Amulets of Taweret were common and her image has been found on cosmetic tools, headrests, jewelry and pottery.

Taweret's theophany, the hippopotamus, was venerated not only for her mothering skills, but for brute strength and staying power -- and for her ability to scare away just about anything that shouldn't be there. Her home in the rich Nile mud reminded Egyptians of the fertility of the harvests as well as female sexuality and pregnancy.

Taweret was also associated with the fruitfulness that comes from water, especially the water of birth, and she was often thought of as the ''midwife' of rebirth into the afterlife.

Taweret was often called Opet in her association with Amun and the great Opet Festival, first of the Egyptian year, held at Karnak and Luxor in honor of Amun, the gods and the royal family.