On his crown the pharoah bore the protective uraeus, the cobra that symbolized Wadjet, goddess of Lower Egypt. Wadjet was said to protect the king by spitting fire at his enemies. In the creation mythof Heliopolis we learn why th uraeus was so powerful.

Atum created his children Shu and Tefnut to alleviate years of solitude as the only beings in the waters of chaos. But they were poor companions-they drifted away and could not be found. Atum was alone once again, but he was determined to find his newly created offspring, and so he removed one eye from his face and filled it with his own power, elevating it to the status of a goddess. He then called the Eye his daughter, manifested as both Hathor and Sekhmet. Atum them commanded Hathor-Sekhmet to scour the universe for signs of his children. Eventually, she discovered Shu and Tefnut and brought them back to their father. Atum, weeping for joy, embraced them. The tears fell to earth and were transformed into the first human beings. As a reward for her services, Atum placed th Eye on his forehead in the form of a cobra. In this position, he promised, she would be feared forever by gods and men alike.