Note 714 — Goddess HIPPA.

There is an account given by [714]Palæphatus of one Metra, who in the more authentic manuscripts is called Μηστρα, Meestra. It is said of her, that she could change herself into various forms, particularly εκ κορης γενεσθαι βουν, και αυθις κυνα, και ορνεον, that she would instead of a young woman appear an ox, or a cow; or else be in the shape of a dog, or of a bird. She is represented as the daughter of Eresicthon: and these uncommon properties are mentioned by Ovid[715], who sets them off with much embellishment. The story at bottom is very plain. Egypt, the land of the Mizraim, was by the Greeks often styled [716]Mestra and [717]Mestraia: and by the person here called Mestra we are certainly to understand a woman of that country. She was sometimes mentioned simply as a Cahen, or priestess, which the Grecians have rendered κυνα, a dog. Women in this sacred capacity attended at the shrine of Apis, and Mneuis; and of the sacred heifer at Onuphis. Some of them in different countries were styled Cygneans, and also Peleiadæ, of whom the principal were the women at [718]Dodona. Many of them were priestesses of Hippa, and upon that account styled Hippai, as I have shewn. Hence the mythologists under the character of Meestra have represented an Egyptian priestess, who could assume many departments, which were misconstrued different shapes. She could become, if we may credit Ovid,