Nut
The Egyptian Goddess
Nut
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Name: Nut -
Gender Male or Female:
Nut was a Goddess -
Depiction / Description
/ Symbol: Nut was depicted with with blue skin and her body is
covered with stars. She is also depicted with the body of a woman and the
head of a Cow -
Jurisdiction: Nut was
described as being the Goddess of Sky and a symbol of resurrection
and rebirth. -
Mythical Family or
Relatives: Nut was believed to have descended from the
Sun God Atum, Ra or Re, the Lord of
Creation who spat out the elements of moisture (the Goddess
Tefnut) and air (the God Shu)The twins, Shu and Tefnut, gave birth
to Nut and her brother Geb who also became husband and wife. Geb and
Nut had four children: Osiris, Isis, Seth and Nephthys
Information about
the Egyptian Goddess Nut
Nut was one of the Ennead, the collective name given to the nine
original deities (Gods and Goddesses) of the cosmogony of Heliopolis
(the birthplace of the Gods) in
the creation myths and legends.
The Egyptian God, Nut, was seen as the Goddess of the Sky.
She was seen as the
Goddess protected the world from the darkness outside it and all the
demonic creatures that dwelt within that darkness. She was the wife of her
brother, Geb. Incest was seen as an acceptable element in the lives of the
Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, retaining the sacred bloodline.
Nut was seen as a symbol of resurrection and rebirth as well as a friend
and protector of the dead.
Description &
Depiction of the Egyptian Goddess Nut - Part Human & Part Animal
The Egyptian Gods or Goddesses, such as Nut, were often depicted as
being part human and part animal. In the description of the Egyptian
Goddess Nut she was most frequently depicted with the body of a human
and with with the head of an animal - a Cow. In the Ancient Egyptian
religion certain animals were seen as sacred as they believed that the
Spirit of a God resided in these animals, such as the Cow, which were
revered and worshipped as reincarnated Gods during their lifetimes.
The Egyptian the
Goddess Nut - Creation and Relatives
The early Egyptian priests evolved a
creation myth, or Cosmogony, to explain how some of the Gods and
Goddesses came into being. The early Egyptian priests then evolved a
Family tree, the relatives of the main Egyptian Gods, like Nut, to
explain how some of the Gods and Goddesses were related.
Temple of Nut
The Temples dedicated to Nut, the Goddess of Sky, were believed to be the
dwelling place of this famous Egyptian God. Although no temples have been
traced dedicated to Nut she was such an important Goddess that small temples
might well have built in her honor. Only the Pharaoh and the
Priests of Nut were allowed inside the temple and the priests would
undergo ritual purification in a deep stone pool before they entered the
Inner Sanctum of the Temple. This not only cleansed them but also gave
them contact with the primeval moisture of life. Ordinary Egyptians were
only allowed to come to the gates, or forecourt, of the temple of Nut
to pay homage and offer gifts to the Goddess. The Priests of Nut
would collect the gifts and say prayers on behalf of the person in the
confines of the temple. The priests of Nut, the Goddess of Sky, would
conduct ceremonies, sacrifices and chant magical incantations, sometimes
referred to as spells. The temple of Nut would consist of heavy gates
which accessed a massive hall with great stone columns, and then a
series of many other rooms through which processions of priests would
pass. These rooms, or chambers, were lit by candles and incense would be
burnt to purify the air of the Temple. The chambers gradually decreased
in size, the lighting in the temple was deliberately and significantly
reduced to create an atmosphere of deepening mystery until the priests
reached the chapel and the shrine which contained the Naos. The Naos was
the stone tabernacle inside the shrine which housed the great Statue of
Nut, the Goddess of Sky.
The Statue of Nut
The large statue of the Goddess Nut, the God of Sky was situated in the
inner sanctum of the Egyptian temple. The statue of Nut would have been
depicted with the body of a man / woman and the head of Cow. This
sacred statue, in the dwelling place of the God, was the embodiment of
Nut. Food and drink would be offered to the God. The High Priest of
Nut, would conduct ceremonies and offer prayers and incantations but
there was another important priest, called the Medjty, who was
responsible for the toiletries. The statue of Nut would have been
washed and oiled. The statue was then dressed in fine linen and eye
make-up, powder and rouge was applied and sacred oil rubbed on the
forehead of the statue. The statue of Nut, with its head of the Cow,
was only seen by ordinary Egyptians at important festivals when the
effigy was paraded in magnificent processions.
The Egyptian Goddess
Nut
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