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Nut (Art by Riccardo Gualdi)

Nut was the Egyptian goddess of the sky, stars, cosmos, mothers, astronomy, and the universe.

Description[]

Her headdress was the hieroglyphic of part of her name, a pot, which may also symbolize the uterus. Mostly depicted in nude human form with a starry body, Nut was also sometimes depicted in the form of a cow whose great body formed the sky and heavens, a sycamore tree, or as a giant sow, suckling many piglets (representing the stars).

Nut is also the barrier separating the forces of chaos from the ordered cosmos in the world. She was pictured as a woman arched on her toes and fingertips over the Earth; her body portrayed as a star-filled sky. Nut's fingers and toes were believed to touch the four cardinal points or directions of north, south, east, and west.

Overview[]

Nut is a daughter of Shu and Tefnut. Her brother and husband is Geb. She had four children–Osiris, Set, Isis, and Nephthys–to which is added Horus in a Graeco-Egyptian version of the myth of Nut and Geb. She is considered one of the oldest deities among the Egyptian pantheon, with her origin being found on the creation story of Heliopolis. She was originally the goddess of the nighttime sky, but eventually became referred to as simply the sky goddess.

Ra, the sun god, was becoming agitated with Nut and Geb's sexual activity every day as he passed them. Ra decreed that "Nut shall not give birth any day of the year." At that time, the year was only 360 days. A distraught Nut spoke to Thoth, god of wisdom, and he had a plan. Thoth gambled with Khonsu, god of the moon, whose light rivaled that of Ra's. Every time Khonsu lost, he had to give Nut some of his moonlight. Khonsu lost so many times to Thoth that Nut had enough moonlight to make five extra days. Since these days were not part of the year, Nut could have her children. She had five children: Osiris, later ruler of the gods and then god of the dead; Horus the Elder, god of war; Set, god of evil and the desert; Isis, goddess of magic; and Nephthys, goddess of water. When Ra found out, he was furious. He separated Nut from her husband Geb for eternity. Her father, Shu, was given the job to keep them apart.

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