Neith, goddess of Egypt

Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses for kids - Neith

The Mythology & History of ancient Egypt surrounding Neith, the goddess of war

 

Neith, goddess of Egypt
Discover the legends and myths and religious beliefs surrounding Neith, the Egyptian creator goddess of war. In her role as a warrior goddess she was believed to be the consort of Set, the god of war and hostility and the mother of the crocodile god Sobek, the patron of the Egyptian army and royal warriors. Neith was also a goddess of weaving, a funerary goddess, being linked to the linen of mummy bandages because she was associated with weaving. Additional, interesting facts and information about ancient Egypt, and its mysterious gods and goddesses, is also available via:

Who was Neith?
Neith was the Egyptian creator goddess of war, a funerary goddess and the patron of domestic arts including weaving.

Facts about Neith
The following facts and profile provides a fast overview of Neith:
 

Neith Profile & Fact File

Egyptian Name:Neith. Alternative Names: Nit, Net, or Neit
 
Role & Function:The function of Neith is described as being a warrior goddess, a funerary goddess and the patron of weaving
 
Symbols:The bow emblem and a shield bearing crossed arrows, the Ankh and the Was Scepter
 
Cult Center:Sais, a famous ancient city in Lower Egypt (in the north)
 
Titles:The "Mistress of the bow", the "Ruler of arrows", the "Mistress of Mendes"
 
Name of Consort:According to one of the many other creation myths of ancient Egypt Neith was believed to be the consort of Set, the god of war and hostility and the mother of Sobek the ferocious crocodile god and patron of the Egyptian army and royal warriors.
 
Name in Hieroglyphics:

Translation of Hieroglyphics for Neith: Symbols for water, bread (giver of food), emblem of Neith & hieroglyph for bows and sitting goddess

 

The Egyptian Gods and Goddesses

 

Neith in Egyptian Mythology
Neith, the Egyptian goddess of war, featured in the stories, myths and legends in Egyptian Mythology. She was believed to be self-created and representative of the primordial waters of chaos and is linked with Set, the god of war and hostility who according to one creation myth was her consort and Sobek the crocodile god was their offspring. In another myth Neith was the consort of Khnum the creator ram-headed god of fertility whose offspring was Heka the god of magic who together formed the the Triad of Latopolis. For additional information refer to the
Triads of Egyptian Gods.

Picture of Neith

Neith Hieroglyph - Ancient Egyptian Bow
The hieroglyph and emblem for Neith, the Egyptian goddess of war, is a stylized depiction of a bow. The oldest hieroglyphs depicting bows were curved vertical depictions but as time passed this was changed to a horizontal depiction of a bow consisting of the curving horns of a scimitar oryx (a type of antelope) joined by a wooden centerpiece. The hieroglyph and emblem for Neith is two bows joined together without the centerpiece.

Scimitar oryx

Pharoah and warriors in battle

Pharaoh and warriors in battle

The Role of Neith
The role and duties of Neith were

  • Warrior Goddess - as a goddess of war Neith was believed to march into battle ahead of the soldiers
  • Patron of the military
  • Patron of Hunters
  • Arbitrator during military conflicts
  • Her name was invoked in ceremonies in which weapons were consecrated
  • Goddess of weaving in particular the linen used for mummy bandages
  • Funerary goddess and protector of Duamutef, one of the Sons of Horus who featured on Canopic Jars

Neith the Funerary Goddess
Neith as a funerary goddess was concerned with the magical protection of the body after death. As the Goddess of weaving in particular the linen used for mummy bandages and shrouds. The bandages and shrouds were considered gifts of Neith by which the deceased received her divine power in the wrappings of mummies. Linen was one of the first fibers used to make cloth. Linen comes from the flax plant, a tall, reed-like plant, with long fibers which made linen easy to spin into thread. Neith was also the powerful protector of Duamutef, one of the Sons of Horus who featured on Canopic Jars. The jackal-headed Duamutef protected the stomach and the upper intestines of the deceased.

The Symbols of Neith
The symbols of Neith included the bow, a shield with crossed arrows and the red crown of Lower Egypt as she was closely
associated with the royal family, primarily with the queens.

Sais the Cult Center of Neith
The principal cult center of Neith was Sais in Lower Egypt. Sais became the seat of power during the Twenty-fourth dynasty (c. 732–720 BC) and had a medical school associated with the city. A great festival was annually celebrated in Sais called the Feast of Lamps or the Festival of Lamps. Herodotus, the ancient Greek historian (c. 484 – 425 BC) wrote:

"When they assemble at Sais, on the night of the sacrifice, they all keep lamps burning in the open air round about their houses. These lamps are saucers full of salt and oil, the wick floating thereon, and burning all night. This is called the Feast of Lamps. Egyptians who do not come to this assemblage are careful on the night of sacrifice to keep
their own lamps burning, and so they are alight not only at Sais but throughout all Egypt..."

The Festival of Lamps was part of the Osirian Mysteries in which the light of the lamps mirrored the lights of the stars of heaven believed to be the pathway to the Starry Fields of the Heavens. On the night of the Festival of Lamps the veil between the worlds was drawn aside revealing the path that led the souls of the dead to the ancient Egyptian paradise for righteous souls.

The Triad of Latopolis at Esna
Neith was also a member of the Triad of Latopolis, consisting of Neith, Khnum and Heka. Khnum was the creator ram-headed god of fertility, water and procreation and Heka was the patron of magic and therefore also of medicine. The temple of Esna was dedicated to the Triad of Latopolis.

Map of Upper Egypt

 

Neith

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  • Neith, the Egyptian goddess of war

The Egyptian Gods and Goddesses

 

Facts about Neith in Egyptian Mythology
Discover interesting information and research facts about Neith, the Egyptian goddess of war. The facts about Neith provides a list detailing fascinating additional info to increase your knowledge about Neith in Egyptian Mythology.

History, Mythology and Facts about Neith

Neith goddess of Sais

Fact 1:Two Early Dynastic queens had names coupled with Neith - Neithhotep and Mernieth
 
Fact 2:The High Priestesses who served the cults of Neith were called 'hemet netjer' meaning "wife of the gods"
 
Fact 3:Weapons that had been consecrated to Neith were placed in tombs surrounding the mummy as protection against evil spirits.
 
Fact 4:The ancient Greek goddess Athena was the Greek counterpart of Neith
 
Fact 5:In the tomb of Tutankhamun Neith protects one corner of his golden shrine, at the other corners are Selkhet, Isis, and Nephthys.  
 
Fact 6:Neith was supplanted by Hathor in the Fourth Dynasty.
 
Fact 7:Her principal sanctuary was at Sais in the Nile delta, where she originally developed as a local goddess
 
Fact 8:After rising to national prominence, a sanctuary was dedicated to her at Memphis.
 
 

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