Wadjet (/ˈwædʒət/; Ancient Egyptian: wꜢḏyt "Green One"),[1] known to the Greek world as Uto (/ˈjuːtoʊ/; Koinē Greek: Οὐτώ) or Buto (/ˈbjuːtoʊ/; Βουτώ) among other renderings including Wedjat, Uadjet, and Udjo,[2] was originally the ancient Egyptian local goddess of the city of Dep or Buto in Lower Egypt, which was an important site in prehistoric Egypt.

The green Wadjet eye amulets found in Egyptian daily life provided a token of fertility and protection to those who had them.

[15] The image of Wadjet with the sun disk is called the uraeus, and it was the emblem on the crown of the rulers of Lower Egypt.

[18] A clear example of these three gods being tied together was found on a Triad amulet in Tel Azekah, closer to Jerusalem, Israel.

[14] With the help of his mother Isis, they protected Horus from his treacherous uncle, Set, when they took refuge in the swamps of the Nile Delta.

[20] A similar portrayal of Wadjet as a nurse, found in the tomb of Tutankhamun on a pendant, instead depicts the King as fully grown and standing straight up while being breastfed.

He is dressed in his traditional royal attire, using the Goddess's milk to help him be successful in his position of king.

[20] This pendant of Wadjet and the king was found in the context of funerary rituals and could serve multiple purposes of both resurrection and coronation.

[23] Wadjet, as the goddess of Lower Egypt, had a large temple at the ancient Imet (now Tell Nebesha) in the Nile Delta.

[23] In her snake form, she was depicted as striking and biting those who try to harm the King, which is why she is featured as a protective symbol on crown emblems and amulets.

[29] Later Wadjet often was shown coiled upon the head of Ra; in order to act as his protector, this image of her became the uraeus symbol used on the royal crowns as well.

[23]Another early depiction of Wadjet is as a cobra entwined around a papyrus stem,[19] beginning in the Predynastic era (prior to 3100 B.C.)

Many bronze statues of Wadjet are argued to contain Icheumon remains however confirmation on this being forensic or a visual observation is unknown.

In the relief shown in the gallery, which is on the wall of the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut at Luxor, there are two images of Wadjet: one of her as the Uraeus with her head through an ankh and another where she precedes a Horus hawk wearing the pschent, representing the pharaoh whom she protects.

Notably, she is found in Queen consort Nefertari's tomb in a rearing position wearing a double crown, or Pschent.

[35] Along with her double crown, Wadjet is posed holding a Was-sceptre, a valued symbol of authority or divine power.

[37] The unification of the sisters shows Sety I's control over all of Egypt, not just of Lower or Upper Egypt.Wadjet, as mentioned above, is often depicted as a winged cobra.

These wings serving a dual purpose as a protective embrace and being capable of creating the breath of life often connected to the image of the Ankh that she is often depicted with.

Within the wider relief it contains a depiction of a Roman pharaoh offering the Wadjet Eyes to Haroeris and Senetneferet (meaning the good sister), his consort.