Mafdet was a very old catlike goddess, predating both Bast and Sekhmet, and depicted in the Pyramid texts as killing a snake.

Her fame came mainly in the Old Kingdom and not so much is known about her. She could appear as a lynx, a leopard or a cheetah, but normally she was shown as a woman dressed in a cat's skin.

Mafdet was certainly a ferocious goddess, as were most of the feline deities. In the Pyramid Texts, she is described as killing a serpent with her claws. The mere touch of her claws was apparently lethal to snakes. She reputedly leapt upon the necks of serpents and was also famous for slaying scorpions. In one instance, she is described as having braided hair, which could symbolise the bodies of scorpions and snakes that she killed.

In the early New Kingdom she is also depicted attending in the Judgment Hall, perhaps to take care of the legal consequences. Her name can possibly mean "runner" and she is mentioned on the Palermo Stone from the fifth dynasty. She was somehow identified with Bes.