Goddess Nephthys - the deity of Ancient Egypt

The goddess Nephthys (the second name is Nebethet) in the mythology of Ancient Egypt was considered the sister of Osiris and Isis. She was the smallest daughter of Nut and Hebe. There are many legends and myths associated with the name of this deity. She was worshiped, revered, she was offered gifts and sacrifices. The mythical creation is always portrayed in the image of a girl with a hieroglyph on her head indicating her name. There are a lot of rumors about this person. There are no exact, confirmed by reliable facts about the goddess. So who was she? Who were her parents? This is for us to learn.

Parents of the glorified goddess

Nephthys is the daughter of Hebe and Nut. Her father was the god of the earth. His wife, and at the same time her sister, was considered the patroness of the sky. Geb was one of the most important deities of Ancient Egypt. His parents were the patron of the air Shu and the goddess of humidity Tefnut. Ancient Egyptian gods Geb and Nut, except for Nephthys, had other children: Isis, Osiris and Seth. Geb, being a symbol of fertility, was considered a good deity. He was depicted always with either a face or a body of a green hue. This palette personified flowering vegetation.

One of the myths says that the ancient Egyptian gods Nut and Geb caused contempt for the god Ra by always being in each other's arms. The patron of the sun ordered their father, Shu, to tear the girl away from her beloved and raise her high above the ground. He did so. As a result, a sky was formed, the patroness of which was Nut. Geb, grieving for his wife, continuously cried. Thus, the sea appeared on the planet.

Acquaintance with the goddess

The goddess Nephthys received her first and most common name from the ancient Greeks. In addition, that the girl was the sister of the above Seth, some sources call her also his wife. And in Egypt at that time, marriages between close relatives were not forbidden. On the contrary, they were encouraged and were quite normal. But the married life of Nephthys and Seth was not happy. In one text, the goddess was even called a "woman without a vagina." It is not known what caused this statement: either because Nephthys herself could not have given birth to the child, or because Seth was infertile.

According to another mythological tradition, Nebetheth deceived another her brother, Osiris, by fraudulent means. And she gave birth to his son Anubis - god of mummification and embalming. Despite the fact that there are many references to the goddess in various sources, her functions are not completely clear to this day. So, there are no specific names for temples and religious buildings dedicated specifically to Nebethet. Historians-Egyptologists consider it one of the most ancient goddesses of the Pyramid Country. Representations about this person have undergone powerful changes during the existence of Ancient Egypt.

Picture of Nebethete

Most often, the goddess Nephthys is portrayed as a girl. On her head there is a hieroglyph. He symbolizes the name of the woman - Nebethet. Sometimes, next to the image of the deity, you can see Isis - her sister. Often, Nephthys could take the form of a vulture. But even then, her connection with her relative was not lost. In the image of a bird of prey, the goddess usually guarded either the deceased pharaoh or Osiris.

But there are also images on which the goddess is represented simultaneously in two guises: in the image of a woman, behind which the wings of a vulture are seen. Such a picture can be seen on the luxurious breastplate of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. The presence of wings is associated with some magical need. When the sisters waved them, they create the so-called wind of life, allowing the resurrected person to be resurrected. Together, Isis and Nephthys guard the sarcophagi and the Jed Column, which is a symbol of permanence.

Holidays dedicated to Nephthys

Nephthys is the goddess of Egypt, to whom at least two holidays were dedicated. The first was celebrated in the temple of the god Horus. The cathedral was located in Edfu. Here on the 28th of the month pharmuti (today it is February-March), the Egyptians celebrated the event, called "The Heart of Nephthys rejoice." Such a celebration must be associated with the name of Horus himself. Simultaneously, the "Weeping Day of Isis and Nephthys" was not such a joyful holiday as the previous one. Celebration is associated with the cult of Osiris. This can be judged from the name of the event, where the name of the goddess is placed next to the name of her sister and wife Osiris. This holiday was celebrated from November to March.

Interesting facts about the mysterious deity

The Goddess Nephthys was a special person who was addressed during the burial of a person. But at the same time her name was also when her help was needed at the time of the birth of the child. Thus, Nebehat met the first breath of the newborn, then she saw him off to the last earthly road. And she met this man after his death near the eastern sky. Nephthys was considered one of the main goddesses of weaving. The Egyptians said that it was associated in a special way with strips of linen cloth used for wrapping mummies. Such scraps are often called "Neftida's curls".