Nuit, Mother Sky-Goddess and Goddess of the Starry Sky

Submitted by: swampy

"Nebes, nebes, nebes
Nebes em hotep
Nehes em neferu
Tu a atu...."

Nuit (also called Nut, Nwt, or Neuth) is the ancient Egyptian sky-goddess. Nuit is the consort and twin sister of Geb, the Earth God; and is the daughter of Shu and Tefnut (wow, these Egyptian deities are really into the sibling/mate thing ). She is the mother of the major Egyptian deities Osiris, Isis, Seth (Set), Nephthys, and sometimes Haroeris. The circumstances of Their births is described in the Story of Re. They were born on the five epagomenal days of the year (in Egyptian, "the five days over the year"). Every year these days were celebrated throughout Egypt.

Nuit is the personification of the sky and of the heavens, especially the starry sky of nighttime which all people can look up into and see eternity. It is said that She swallows the stars every morning and then gives birth to them later into the night sky. As sky-goddess Nuit is portrayed either as a cow or as a naked woman covered with painted golden stars with 5 points who wears on Her head a vase of water. Many times She is shown as a woman whose hands and feet touch the ground so that her body forms a semi-circle. Her hands and feet each touched one of the four cardinal points or directions and the arc of Her body represents the arc of heaven and the stars of the Milky Way. Her arms and legs represent the four pillars on which the sky rests. She is held up by Her father Shu (the God of the air). Her husband Geb lies on the ground reclining on one elbow and His knees in the air. In this position He depicts the hills and valleys of the land. It was said that when Shu raised Nuit (the sky) above Geb (the earth) He brought an end to chaos and if He ever left this position, chaos would return.

The principal sanctuary of Nuit was at Heliopolis. The priestesses of Nuit were known for their erotic dance ritual, the forerunner of modern erotic dance and stripping. At Heliopolis, Nuit is honored as a death Goddess and plays a part in the resurrection of the dead. Nuit's star-studded body is often painted on the inside of coffins and sarcophagi with outstretched arms, so that she may "embrace the deceased.". The pharaoh was said to enter Her body after death, from which he would later be resurrected.

The modern English words "night", "nocturnal", and "equinox" (as well as the French "la nuit", meaning night) are all derived from Nuit's name.

Nuit's symbols are the stars, the night sky, and cows. Lapis Lazuli is also sacred to Her. Nuit is associated with Thursday and also with March.