She was part of the pantheon of ancient Egyptian deities that was prominent during the First Dynasty of Egypt.

In the Pyramid Texts of the Old Kingdom of Egypt, she was mentioned as protecting the sun god Ra from venomous snakes.

She would hunt by night (earning the epithet "Piercer of Darkness") and ensure the coming of dawn.

[5] Depictions in royal tombs associate the symbol of Mafdet with the symbol of Anubis, suggesting that Mafdet accompanied the gods as a hunter or executioner while Anubis fulfilled his role as messenger and attendant.

It was said that Mafdet ripped out the hearts of wrong-doers, delivering them to the pharaoh's feet like cats that present humans with rodents or birds they have killed or maimed.