I have long wanted a
sistrum for ritual purposes. Problem
is, I have neither the skill to make one of my own, nor the money to buy a nice
one that I really like. So I did the next best thing and stole an idea from a
friend of mine, who decorates tambourines with deity images. I bought a
10" tambourine and decorated it with acrylic paint, dedicating it to the
super awesome Wepwawet. I made it for him not just for the fact that he's been my patron (for lack of a better word) lately, but also because according to
Per-Sabu "Wepwawet was one
of very few deities to have his own dedicated groups of both chantresses
and
dancers." This more celebratory side of Wepy isn't very well known, but it is reflected in
certain
epithets he has, such as the Lord of Jubilation, He With the Sweet Joy,
and He
Who Causes and Brings forth Goodness.
And here is the part where I show off Wepwawet's new tambourine. I painted him in a typical pose, as a jackal just standing there, being all stoic and cool. I put him on the "earth" hieroglyph with the
shedshed at his forepaws, and put Nut stars all around the edge (because Nut, that's why). All in all, I think it makes a great stand-in for a sistrum!
