Nut - The Sky Goddess

Nut - The Sky Goddess

Nut, the sky goddess is known by a legend that her body created a vault or canopy over the earth. Her appearance as a woman whose body arches across the sky wearing a dress adorned with stars is very popular. Nut is said to have been the mother of Isis, Osiris. Nepthys and Seth and she was the wife and sister of the god of the earth, Geb. There was a popular myth associated with goddess Nut in ancient Egypt who thought that Nut swallowed Sun god Ra at the end of the day and gave him birth again on the next morning. The birth of the children of Nut is said to coincide with the five epagomenal days of the years and every year each of these five days were celebrated in Egypt.

More about Nut

Nut was the personification of the heavens and the sky and she was the daughter of Shu and Tefnut and the granddaughter of Atum or Ra who was often popular as the creator god. The husband and brother of Nut was the earth god, Geb. She was even said to be the mother of Ra, the sun god. In one myth it’s said that Ra used the Atet (or Matet) boat to travel across her body until noon and then used the Sektet boat until sunset.

The role and representation of goddess Nut

Nut was often referred as a cow goddess who got some of the qualities of Hathor. It’s believed that when Ra became tired of ruling she took him up into the heavens on her back in the form of a cow. She is more commonly represented as a naked woman covered with stars and her body is held in an arch facing downwards. Her legs and arms are the pillars of the sky and the feet and hands touch the ground at four cardinal points on the horizon. Geb is often depicted beneath Nut. Because of her association with rebirth of sun, Nut became a mother like figure and protector of the dead whose picture was painted on the inside lid of the sarcophagus in order to protect the mummy. There were many festivals dedicated in the honor of Nut and celebrated throughout Egypt. Festival of Nut and Ra" and the "Feast of Nut" are two of them. Nut is said to appear in numerous depictions, yet no temples or specific cult centers are linked to her.

The most important Myth

The myth of Nut swallowing the Sun god at the end of the day and giving rebirth at the start of next morning is very famous and the same is told with many alterations.