HATHOR - THE MYTHOLOGY
 In both the novel and TV series, Hathor is one of the better choices for an antagonist because her character has a rich Egyptian mythological background. Often, writers or actors tend to add their own ideas to a character - Hercules and Xena being prime examples - and for this particular goddess, the myths were reinterpreted so that they could be tied to the Stargate universe.
While Hathor is one of many antagonists in both the "Stargate SG-1" TV series and the "StarGate" novel series by Bill McCay, it is important to note that her portrayal is not the same in either one, as these two series follow two different continuities.
In either Stargate universe, Hathor's role was that of The Destroyer of Men and Seductress. That is confusing because she was never known to be either in Egyptian myths. She was a benevolent deity; the Goddess of Love and Fertility. Also, she was never identified as being a Goddess of War. One would have to delve deeper into the myths to find that she had a previous incarnation to make the association. Prior to becoming Hathor, she was once known as Sekhmet, the Goddess of War.
In the myth, "Story of Ra," Ra created Sekhmet. From his eye she rose into being, and she was used as a weapon of vengeance. Under Ra's command, Sekhmet was ordered to destroy men for their wicked ways and disobedience to him (which is perfect Stargate background material).
However, Sekhmet continued in her rampage and was unstoppable. In one version of the myth, Ra had kegs of beer poured over a sea of blood and when she came to feast on it, she became drunk and was no longer able to kill. When she came to Ra, he decreed peace to fall upon her ravaged mind - and she was renamed "Hathor."
As Hathor, her role changed. Instead of being known as the Goddess of War and Destruction, the title held by Sekhmet, she had become not only the Goddess of Love but also the Protector of Women. She primarily wore the head of a cow, and the symbols associated with her were (to name a few) that of a lioness, falcon and cobra - some of these animals being reminders of her past heritage. Now, she is a kindlier, gentler goddess. She was often depicted nude in Egyptian art, and her role was that of protecting children and pregnant women - a far cry from her bloodthirsty attitude when she was known as Sekhmet.
Perhaps the most curious fact in the TV series was that Hathor did not wear a head-dress or bear any symbols of office - a sistra (rattle), a horn-and-sundisk headdress, a menat (ritual necklace) and mirrors. None of those were used to identify her in either of her two main appearances, "Hathor" and "Into the Fire." In the former, she eventually identified herself and she never wore any animal masks. For the latter, no special treatment was given to her Egyptian heritage as she wore no items identifying her to her Egyptian past.
However, in Bill McCay's first novel, "Rebellion," Hathor wore the helmet of a cat. That honor should have belonged to the Cat-Goddess, Bastet (Bast). While Bast was the goddess of fire, cats, the home and pregnant women, the overlap of title (protector of pregnant woman) does not mean that they were one in the same. Instead, McCay must have probed deeper into the Egyptian myths to find a lesser-known tale, "The Distant Goddess," to use as a basis for giving Hathor the mask of a cat.
In one version of the myth "The Distant Goddess," Hathor became angry with Ra and wandered away from Egypt. Without her, great sadness fell upon the land and Ra attempted to bring her back. But in the sandy wilderness, Hathor turned wild - became a cat - and no human or god could get near her. The Ibis-headed god of knowledge, Thoth, decides to go and manages to persuade her back. By using the magical waters of the Nile, her rage is washed away.
Of interest, her entombment in the sarcophagus in either of the two Stargate universes is an interesting one. It most likely symbolically represented Ra's control over her because he placed the seals upon it. When they were broken, by accident or not, Hathor awoke to become an uncontrollable wild beast, as told in the myth "The Distant Goddess." As detailed in "Resistance," with Ra dead and his forces scattered, her role becomes a mixed one since she carries memories of her past, which clearly places her into the role of Sekhmet before her entombment. Her rise from the coffin is a symbolic resurrection into the role of Hathor.
In future articles, Hathor's role in the TV series and novels will be explored more fully. What is mentioned here only scratches the surface of her role in the Stargate universe. Personally, I find her to be a better villain than Apothis because she brings some of the movie's charm strongly into the novels and weakly in the television version.
In the film, Ra had a queer feminine quality about him that was effectively creepy, and actor Jaye Davidson beautifully portrayed it. He had the look and his movement about the screen made him almost transsexual. The only time that he would act male was when he was presenting himself to his slaves, wearing the helmet-mask, otherwise his role was that of a motherly force protecting the godlings and being queen to the soldiers.
When trying to find that quality in the novels and television series, the former is more successful such that Hathor does become queen and she does quickly take over Ra's empire in the first trilogy of books.
The latter fails because Apophis is the Greek name of the deity, distancing this figure to Egyptian roots. His Egyptian name was Apep. Also, in "Children of the Gods," he is identified as a kingly figure - complete with a castle and a serpent queen looking for a new body to inhabit. This quickly kills any theory about Ra's race being a completely alien species.
Most importantly, Hathor has Egyptian mythological roots which better add to the Stargate mythology. The myths were reinterpreted in the novels and were quickly generalized in the television series. Both work in the constraint related to the medium (television and books), a fact that will be discussed in more detail in future articles.
Because the Hathor on TV once escaped from a fiery fate, should entombment in ice be any different? I think not.
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