Gods & Goddesses MAAT The controlled order of ancient Egypt was personified by the goddess Maat. The ancient Egyptians believed the the world was in careful balance between the forces of chaos, called isfet, and order. or maat. The word maat is often translated as "truth." Maat is usually depicted as a woman wearing a single ostrich plume on her head. This feather is the same one that was placed on a scale opposite the heart during the judgment of the dead. The heart of the deceased had to equal the feather in order for the deceased to enter the afterlife. Small, seated images of this goddess were often shown being offered to the gods by the ruling king, showing that the king was upholding the order of the world.

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