Episode 184: Irascible Immortals: Bast

The folklore of Bast in a nutshell and how I reimagined it for my writing.

Written and narrated by Ronel Janse van Vuuren.

Copyright 2025 Ronel Janse van Vuuren — All rights reserved.

Learn more about Bast here.

Get the transcript here.

Links mentioned in the episode:

• Newsletter: https://ronel-the-mythmaker.kit.com/671d4c97de
• Audiobooks of the podcast: https://payhip.com/RonelJansevanVuuren/collection/faeries-and-folklore-podcast-audiobooks
• Irascible Immortals books: https://www.ronelthemythmaker.com/my-books/the-irascible-immortals-series/

Learn more about the author and her writing here.

Music: Secrets by David Fesliyan (FesliyanStudios.com) and Dramatic Heartbeat by FesliyanStudios.com

Transcript

You’re listening to the Faeries and Folklore podcast by Ronel.

I’m dark fantasy author Ronel Janse van Vuuren. With nearly a decade of digging around in dusty folklore books, researching creatures of imagination that ignited my curiosity, I’m here to share the folklore in a nutshell and how I reimagined it for my writing in an origin of the fae.

This is the Faeries and Folklore podcast.

Hi, I’m your host Ronel Janse van Vuuren. You can just call me Ronel. In today’s episode, we’re continuing our exploration of the fae realm.

This episode is brought to you by my Irascible Immortals series, available in ebook, paperback, hardback and audiobook. They’ve been alive forever. They’ve been bored for some time. And now they’re showing it. Go to ronelthemythmaker.com/my-books/the-irascible-immortals-series for more.

We’re continuing our exploration of the Immortals.

Today’s immortal: Bast

Folklore in a nutshell by Ronel

At first, Bast was represented by a woman with a lion’s head, much like the goddess Sekhmet. But as time went on, she became a gentler goddess and was represented with a cat’s head, surrounded by kittens. She was still a goddess to be feared, but this showed her to be a loving, maternal deity. Bast was lethal to anyone who threatened her kittens – or those under her protection (probably also seen as kittens). She was mainly worshipped at Bubastis and people travelled there to bury their mummified cats in her honour. She was a popular deity in Ancient Egypt among men and women. She was the goddess of cats, creatures who were revered in Ancient Egypt for their ability to rid the home of pests. To harm a cat was a terrible affront to this goddess. She could turn into a cat or a lion, depending on what (or who) she was hunting. Bast was known by many epithets: the eye of Ra, the Renderer, Lady of Slaughter, Great Conjuress of the Casket, and more. Mainly, they just mean she’s a protector of the living and the dead.

Origin of the fae: Bast

Bast is the goddess of cats and protects them wherever they are. Wherever she goes, cats will find her. She treats those under her protection like she would kittens, and is frequently found calling them “kitten”. Though she was a terror in her younger days, when she was still depicted with a lion’s head, she had calmed through time. But that bloodthirsty creature within can be triggered and all she would want is blood… She loves eating ice-cream. Bast also sees herself as the protector of the Egyptian Pantheon, whether they like it or not. She takes her role seriously. Her magic lies in fighting (for she’s a protector) and nurturing (for she’s a maternal goddess). She can transform into a cat, a lion, a human form, and that of a human with a cat’s or lion’s head. She is one of the only goddesses who can fight the giant snake of chaos, Apophis.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this episode of the faeries and folklore podcast and that you’ve learned something new about faeries.

Remember that you can get a transcript of this episode in the description. If you’re new to the podcast, why not go and grab your free copy of Unseen, the second book in the Faery Tales series, on my website ronelthemythmaker.com? Loads of folklore, magic and danger await! Take care!

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