[Note: This was posted without pictures at 12:52m CST, on 4/10/09. Pictures were added at 1:56pm CST, 4/10/09. A Lion Queen postscript was added at 6:00pm CST, 4/10/09.]
[Hippo Goddess spell-check has been completed, my apologies.... Hmmm...
A mini-tower is... a taweret!]
[4/11/09 Addendum: I'm sure others have noted this already, but the function performed by the being on the left of the scene in Smokey's lair-- judging hearts/souls and determining which realm of the afterlife the person presented for judgment by Anubis will enter-- is certainly not unlike the duty performed by that good 'ol Entropy/Thermodynamic-violating gatekeeper.... MAXWELL'S
DEMON.... Yes, as per my postings in 2007 and 2008, you can see where this is headed.... ORDER (Negentropy) and CHAOS (Entropy) in the Netherworld.... This eternal struggle playing out and through the PSYCHIC BATTERY comprising the Black Rock-infused, electromagnetically-charged, Casimirically-enabled-mirror-domain that is.... The ISLAND OF LOST SOULS....]
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APEP, MA'AT, AND TAWERET:
SMOKING OUT A HEAD SNAKE IN THE BROTHERHOOD
AND THE TRUE IDENTITY OF THE LION QUEEN
Quite naturally, the scene depicted on the wall of Smokey's templar lair has sparked another round of fervent and heated speculation on the nature of the island, the Smoke Monster, Jacob, the identity of the four-toed statue, and more.... I was pleased to see further evidence consistent with my Brotherhood of the Snake theory, first outlined in the 3/5/09 "LaFleur" posting, with additions and expansions in my subsequent postings. In particular, please note the distinct snake forms found in the lower right hand side and lower center of the scene....
The most obvious interpretation of this scene is that ANUBIS is holding up a heart (soul) for Smokey to judge. 1 Some have argued for APEP as the being depicted on the left, and this certainly is consistent with my own initial interpretation that it is a malevolent manifestation. SET is another possibility, especially if the Lost creative combine decides to unpack an OSIRIS-ISIS-HORUS-based plotline in future episodes.
In my 4/9/09 "Dead Is Dead" posting, I noted the distinct structural similarities between the body of the being on the left, and the stylized snake depictions found in ancient times. As you can see from this example, the parallels are indeed striking....
I certainly would agree that APEP is a strong candidate for the 'Smokey' being shown to the left of Anubis. Interestingly enough, the APEP interpretation fits right into the Brotherhood of the Snake theory:
"As the personification of all that was evil, Apep was seen as a giant
snake,
crocodile,
serpent, or in later years, in a few cases, as a
dragon, leading to titles such as
Serpent 
from the Nile, and
Evil lizard. Some elaborations even said that he stretched 16
yards in length and had a head made of
flint. It is to be noted that already on a Naqada I (ca. 4000 BC) C-ware bowl (now in Cairo) a snake was painted on the inside rim combined with other desert and aquatic animals as a possible enemy of a (solar?) deity who is invisibly hunting in a big rowing vessel.
[2] Also, comparable hostile snakes as enemies of the sun god existed under other names (in the Pyramid Texts and Coffin Texts) already before the name Apep occurred. The etymology of his name ('3pp) is perhaps to be sought in some west-semitic language where a word root 'pp meaning 'to slither' existed."
So as you can see, APEP is most definitely and inherently implicated in the Brotherhood of the Snake theory.... Further details on the nature of APEP raise some additional intriguing parallels to Lost:
"In
Egyptian mythology,
Apep (also spelled
Apepi, and
Aapep, or
Apophis in
Greek) was an
evil demon, the deification of
darkness and
chaos (isfet in Egyptian), and thus
opponent of light and
Ma'at (order/
truth),...Apep formed part of the more complex cosmic system resulting from the identification of
Ra as
Atum, i.e. the creation of
Atum-Ra, and the subsequent merging of the
Ogdoad and
Ennead systems. Consequently, since Atum-Ra, who was later referred to simply as Ra, was the
solar deity, bringer of light, and thus the upholder of Ma'at, Apep was viewed as the greatest enemy of Ra, and thus was given the title
Enemy of Ra." [
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apep]
Per my prior surmises this year, I strongly suspect we'll see the upper level of the temple devoted to the 'light' side, along the lines of a RA-ATUM-OSIRIS connection. And speculation as to Lost character correlates for this 'light' side connection are sure to be interesting (Desmond? Aaron? Charlie Hume? Ji Yeon? etc.)
But we should not be so quick to overlook the important figure of MA'AT in all of this.... Indeed, the description of this deity sheds some critical light on a key character who will grow in prominence through the remainder of the series:
"
Maat or
Mayet, thought to have been pronounced as
*Muʔʕat (Muh-aht),
[1] was the
Ancient Egyptian concept of
truth, balance, order,
law,
morality, and
justice[2]-– sometimes personified as a
goddess.
[3][4] regulating the stars, seasons, and the actions of both mortals and the deities,
[5] who set the order of the universe from
chaos at the moment of creation. Later, as a goddess in other traditions of the
Egyptian pantheon, where most goddesses were paired with a male aspect, her masculine counterpart was
Thoth and their attributes are the same.
[6] Like Thoth,
[7] she was seen to represent the
Logos of
Plato." [
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma%27at]
Yes, this does indeed sound like JACOB, with its predilection for setting forth fatelines for us to follow: who is supposed to turn the Frozen Donkey Wheel, who to kill, who not to kill, who to follow (Ben, are you really listening to Jacob-incarnate-as-Alex, here?)
Another intriguing implication of the MA'AT connection is its implications for interpreting and unpacking next week's episode, "Some Like It Hoth". Yes, I would not be surprised to see significant deeper relationships to ancient Egyptian mythology established, particularly in the form of connections to THOTH....
Hmmm.... How interesting to read that MA'AT is sometimes personified as a goddess.... Who among the extant Lost characters is most concerned with balance, order, setting order in the universe, fighting chaos and chance? Yes indeed, Exhibit A would most certainly have to be that feisty old fate/timecop.... ELOISE HAWKING...
"Ma'at as a principle was at least partially codified into a set of laws, and expressed a 
ubiquitous concept of correct from wrong characterized by concepts of truth and a respect for, and adherence to, this divine order believed to be set forth by her at the time of the world's creation. This divine order was primarily conceived of as being modeled in various environmental, agricultural, and social relationships.... In addition to the importance of the Ma'at, several other principles within Ancient Egyptian law were essential, including an adherence to tradition as opposed to change, the importance of rhetorical skill, and the significance of achieving impartiality, and social equality. Thus, to the Egyptian mind, Ma'at bound all things together in an indestructible unity: the universe, the natural world, the state, and the individual were all seen as parts of the wider order generated by Ma'at!" [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma%27at]
So MA'AT not only relates in some crucial ways to the FATE side of the fate vs. free fill/choice/chaos dualism, but MA'AT also represents truth, tradition as opposed to change, impartiality, and a universe-al/holistic perspective on the proceedings.... All of which again bring us back to.... ELOISE HAWKING.... From her spacetime-spanning wisdom, to her consistent and devoted focus on fate/time order, to her solid and impartial demeanor, the leading candidates for a corporeal incarnation of MA'AT certainly would include our dear Ms. Hawking.... including her HAWK-ing feathers....
"The goddess Ma'at was the goddess of harmony, order, and truth.... Because it also was the pharaoh's duty to ensure truth and justice, many of them were referred to as Meri-Ma'at (Beloved of Ma'at). Since she was considered as merely the concept of order and truth, it was thought that she came into existence at the moment of creation, having no creator and made the order of the entire universe from the pandemonium.... In Duat, the Egyptian underworld, the hearts of the dead were said to be weighed against her single Shu feather, symbolically representing the concept of Ma'at, in the Hall of Two Truths. A heart which was unworthy was devoured by the goddess Ammit and its owner condemned to remain in Duat. The heart was considered the location of the soul by ancient Egyptians. Those people with good, (and pure), hearts were sent on to Aaru. Osiris came to be seen as the guardian of the gates of Aaru after he became part of the Egyptian pantheon and displaced Anubis in the Ogdoad tradition. The weighing of the heart, pictured on papyrus, (in the Book of the Dead, typically, or in tomb scenes, etc.), shows Anubis overseeing the weighing, the lioness Ammit seated awaiting the results so she could consume those who failed. The image would be the vertical heart on one flat surface of the balance scale, and the vertical Shu-feather standing on the other balance scale surface. Other traditions hold that Anubis brought the soul before the posthumous Osiris who performed the weighing." [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma%27at]
Here again we can see the importance of MA'AT to the Lost universe.... Time will tell in terms of the exact place and role of MA'AT in the JACOBian sentience controlling the island. As I noted in my prior postings, I would not at all be surprised to see OSIRIS playing a significant role in the JACOBian sentience. While the above material implicates AMMIT as an ancient Smokey alias, I would have to concur with APEP advocates at this point in time, as the being to the left of Anubis in the Smokey lair scene looks more like an APEP snake, than an AMMIT lioness goddess....
Hmmm.... Speaking of lioness goddesses.... What about the identity of that good 'ol four-toed lion-pawed statue on the beach? In my 4/9/09 posting I threw my hat in the ring of those claiming mounting evidence that the statue includes distinct elements found in the goddess Taweret, comprised of a corporeal amalgamation of three different animals:
"In Egyptian mythology, Taweret (also spelt Taurt, Tuat, Taueret, Tuart, Ta-weret, Tawaret, and Taueret, and in Greek, Θουέρις "Thoeris" and Toeris). Her name means (one) who is great. When paired with another deity, she became the demon-wife of Apep, the original god of evil. Since Apep was viewed as residing below the horizon, and only present at night, evil during the day then was envisaged as being a result of Taweret's maleficence. As the counterpart of Apep, who was always below the horizon, Taweret was seen as being the northern sky, the constellation roughly covering the area of present-day Draco, which always lies above the horizon. Thus Taweret was known as mistress of the horizon, and was depicted as such on the ceiling of the tomb of Seti I in the Valley of the Kings. In their art, Taweret was depicted as a composite of all the things the Egyptians feared, the major part of her being hippopotamus, since this is what the constellation most resembled, with the arms and legs of a lioness, and with the back of a crocodile."
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tawaret]
So we should not be surprised that the statue is situated on the beach of the island, facing outward from the island, toward the horizon, as TAWERET is the 'mistress of the horizon'. And it will be interesting to see if the statue is facing North, consistent with Taweret 'seen as being in the northern sky.'
In my 4/9/09 "Dead Is Dead" posting, I proposed that if the Lost creative combine does not opt to show Taweret's hippo face but instead shows us which Lost character is the human/corporeal incarnation of that goddess, 
considering the nature of the goddess, one would certainly not want to overlook the distinct possibility that the face on the four-toed-statue will be revealed as that of.... JULIET....
"Taweret became seen, very early in Egyptian history, as a deity of protection in pregnancy and childbirth. Pregnant women wore amulets with her name or likeness to protect their pregnancies. Her image could also be found on knives made from hippopotamus ivory, which would be used as wands in rituals to drive evil spirits away from mothers and children." [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tawaret]
While this depiction certainly does conjure forth the strong possibility that the face on the statue will be Juliet's, and I still believe she has the strongest case to date, let me propose an alternate 'dark horse' candidate for who will play Taweret, the Lion (Pawed) Queen....
* Who was instrumental in securing a pregnancy expert to deal with those problems on the island, deploying Ethan and Alpert under the guise of Mittelos, in this effort?
* Who saved Danielle Rousseau's baby (Alex) from the clutches of Charles Widmore's deadly edict?
* Whose heart over-ruled his calm, cool, and diabolically calculated head during an intended act of soulless murder, as young Charlie Hume tugged so deeply at his heart strings, sparing Penny Widmore in the process?
* Who has deep, direct, and personal knowledge/experience with the importance of motherhood, through personally enduring a difficult birth, the death of his mother, and the undeserved abusive from an angry and neglectful father?
* In short, in spite of his soulless manipulations and cold killings, which character REALLY has a demonstrably strong, protective concern for pregnancy, childbirth, and children?
* Who REALLY is depicted in the four-toed statue of Taweret?
You guessed it.... TAWERET the Lion-Pawed Goddess is really....
BENJAMIN (the) LINUS....
Yes, it's all starting to make sense, now.... Ben is a shizophrenic composite, a dichotomous incarnation of the APEP--TAWERET connection....
Stark good and evil reside side-by-side in the cheery/scary 'home' that is the body of Ben, the Lioness.... Apep and Taweret incarnate.... Capable of both cold and calculated evil and deeply heartfelt acts of kindness toward babies and children.
This may help to explain why the four-toed-statue is wearing a 'kilt' instead of adornment more commonly found on ancient Egyptian goddesses.... Is the statue an amalgam of APEP and TAWERET, incorporating features of both, as they are corporeally instantiated in Benjamin Linus/Lioness...?
And as Ben was welcomed into the others, and grew into manhood, who might begin to take notice of the strong and stark resemblance between the visage on the statue and.... Ben....? Who might, in a fit of rage, seek to thwart Ben's rise to power over the others by destroying this statue....?
I know what you're thinking.... to be sure, Alpert and his ANKHST line of eyeliner and anti-aging ointments may turn out to be who is depicted in the statue, but how interesting it is to consider the possibility that the goddess TAWERET has a masculine side/incarnation, and that one of the corporeal incarnations through which s/he has been manifest throughout the ages is in the form of Benjamin Linus, the Lioness....
And yes, I was thinking the same thing, too.... What a hoot it would be to see the Ben statue wearing a bra or, better yet, going topless with memories to show for it.... And this may also help shed further light on the relationship among Ben and his 'right-hand-man!', Mr. Oh-So-Friendly.... Tom....
Hmmm.... Benjamin Linus, the Lion Queen.... Sounds like an off-Broadway (off-island?) musical hit, to me...!
Until next time, may the THOTH be with you....
Dr. Todd J. Hostager
P.S. Yes, the bit about the Linus/Lioness Queen is a belated April Fools joke.... Of course, the real lion goddess is SEKHMET.... And the leading candidate for the HIPPO goddess TAWERET is still JULIET....
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ENDNOTE:
1. Please see my 4/9/09 "Dead Is Dead" posting for another interesting interpretation, drawing on structural and thematic similarities with the First Fall of Humanity, the Original Sin in the Garden of Eden, the initial Loss of Innocence....