2. Why was she important to the ancient Egyptians and their culture?
3. What myths is she involved in?
4. Where were her major cult centers were (if she had any)?
5. What were her sacred animals or symbols, and why?
6. How did you learn about her?
7. What do you admire about this goddess, and/or why did you chose her?
8. What other gods and goddesses is she related to- by family ties, or by any other association?
9. Anything else which you find interesting!
Nebthet - Misstress of the House and Friend of the Dead
1.
Nebthet(Nephthys to the Greeks, and equated with their Goddess Persephone), means "Misstress of the House" in the ancient Egyptian tongue, and was the title given to every eldest daughter or woman in a household. Not only does this give the impression of great age(and She is in fact a very old Goddess, found as early as the Old Kingdom(about 2650-2134 BCE), where She was mentioned in funerary literature as riding with Ra in the "night barque/boat"); but it also gives the impression that She was first considered the aspect of another Goddess, Her name only being a title. In many instances She was first called by Nebthet-Seshat suggesting that She and Seshat were aspects of one another, such as in this prayer to bless the Akhu(dead/spirits):
"(name of deceased person], Heru protects you.
He causes Nebthet to hold you together,
To create you in Her name of Seshat,
Misstress of Potters.
She is a great lady, great of life in the Night-boat,
who raises Heru up."
-"Ancient Egyptian Prayerbook", by Tamara Siuda
Over time, the two of them(Nebthet and Seshat) were both considered to be specialized forms of the "Eldest of Goddesses", Nit. This is the "official stance" on the three in the Kemetic Orthodoxy faith.
2.
Often She's considered the comforter of both the dead and their living family and friends, and is said to walk behind the newly deceased as Aset(Isis), Her sister, would walk in front. She was always a very important part of funerary rites. I suppose one could say that She's the closest thing to "death personified" in Egyptian mythology, but this is not necissarily true. She can be more closely equated with Fate, as Her other aspects could be considered Creation and Time itself(Nit and Seshat, respectively).
3.
Her roles in myth were never large ones, but still important. In the myth of Aset and Wesir(Isis and Osiris), She was the faithful sister of the two, the companion of Aset as She looked for the deceased Wesir. It is also said, in some versions of stories of the parentage of Yinepu(Anubis), that She concieved Him by Wesir(Osiris)(although this version was probably just a misunderstanding on the Greek historian Plutarch's part, as either Set or Ra were most usually considered His father before the New Kingdom and beyond).
4.
She never had any major cult centers or temples of Her own until the late New Kingdom, although there is evidence suggesting that She was always a popular household Goddess. In addition to comforting the deceased and the mourning, She was said to comfort and protect woman, especially during childbirth, and would have been a beloved Goddess in any home.
5.
Nebthet was often depicted as a Kite(or hawk), a Vulture, or in more modern association, as a Raven or Crow. The Vulture wasn't associated with Nebthet until about the New Kingdom, but it is because of their eating habits and the belief that they were spontaneously created from the air(Nebthet was one of the protectors of the canopic jars equated with the son of Heru(Horus) "Hapy", that would hold the lungs, and is thus associated also with the air) that lead the Egyptians to believe that they are one of Her sacred animals.
Her most often depicted form, though, is that of a woman (usually in mourning, which is why "professional mourners" of ancient times were often called the "Hawks of Nebthet") with the hieroglyphs for Her name atop Her head(a house and basket). In some instances, She can be seen with wings, as well being said to have hair likened to linen mummy wrappings! Another interesting bit of information on Her depictions - In scenes of the Weshem-Ib, or Weighing of the Heart, she was most always seen behind Wesir and usually to the left of Aset(or rather in "front", as the ancient's usually drew things in profile). As She is most often spoken of alongside Her sister Aset, the two are almost inseperable when portrayed on sarcophogi, stelae, tomb paintings, etc. Their hair, in fact, is sometimes said to be braided together, to make more obvious what a strong bond the two share. Here's a few examples of Her sacred animals and depictions:
As a Kite:
As a woman:
6.
It was through studying Egyptian history and myth that I first found Her name, and it stuck. I was intrigued by this Goddess from the very start! Over time my love and respect for Her grew, and I made it a priority of mine to learn as much as I could about the Friend of the Dead and Lady of the West. She is the one whom lead me eventually to the House of Netjer, and I thank Her a million times over for it.
7.
My own experiences with Nebthet lead me to believe that although She may be associated with death, She is a comforting, loving, and caring Goddess. Other's make Her out to be the "dark twin" of Aset, but She's not so much darkness or death as inevitable change, either good or bad. As I follow a Kemetic reconstructionist religion, I see Her as one of the Gods I worship. But She is closer to me than others; She is my Mother, the one that created a part of my soul. If anyone is curious as to what types of things She likes offered, here is a list of things that I and other children of Nebthet have found are to Her liking:
-Mirrors
-Stones
-Bones and Skulls
-Pinwheels
-Cheetos
-Pink Lemonade
-Water
-Coca-Cola(Only the original; no Lime flavored, Cherry flavored, etc. And no Pepsi! :3)
-Things considered appropriate offerings to Nit and Seshat - books, weapons, etc.
Even if you are not affiliated with a form of Kemetic recon religion, I figured it would make for an interesting bit of information. If you'd like to know more, just ask in this thread!
8. Nebthet - Grandaughter of Shu and Tefnut; Youngest daughter of Geb and Nut; Youngest sister of Wesir, Heru-wer, Set, and Aset; Wife of Set; Mother of Yinepu; Aunt of Heru-sa-Aset.
I'm probably missing a lot here, but I figure this is a good simplified version for now.
9. A few of Nebthet's titles:
Lady of the Body(of the Gods)
Misstress of the Gods
Dweller within Senu
Lady of Heaven
Divine Sister
Misstress of Renewal
The Revealer
Misstress of the Nome of the Gazelle
Eye of Ra
Lady of the West
