Egyptian Goddess-Neith

Egyptian Goddess-Neith: "Neith Great Goddess. Cult Center: Sais in the western Delta Attributes: Neith was

a goddess of the hunt.

She may have

also been

a war

goddess. Her worship dates

from pre dynastic history.

In early times she was called 'mother of

the gods' and

'Great Goddess'. She was

considered the guardian

of men and gods. Later, Neith was seen

as a

protector of the

dead, she is often seen standing with

Nephthys at the head of coffins.

Or assisting

Isis, Nephthys, and Serqet to

guard the Canopic jars. As

'Opener of the Ways', she was a guide

in the underworld, a female Anubis. In

the Eighteenth

Dynasty she took on

the

attributes of Hathor,

as a protector of

women. As a creative deity she was said to be

the wife of Khnum at Elephantine. She

was appealed to for her wisdom

as an arbitrator during the great quarrel

of Horus and Seth. Neith assumed the role

of state deity during the

Twenty-sixth Dynasty, when

the kings of Sais repeled the invading

Assyrians and reunited

Egypt. This period lasted

for about a century and a

half and the tendency

in art and religion was

to try to regain

the glories

of the past. This was

a suitable time for

the worship of an ancient goddess. Representation:

Neith was pictured as a woman

wearing the red crown of Lower

Egypt, holding a

bow and crossed arrows. Her

cult sign was a shield and crossed arrows.

Occasionally she was

represented as the

great cow, mother of Ra. Relations: Varied with

time period. Mother of Sobek,

Isis, Horus and Osiris.

Or mother of Ra. The pharaoh

Nectanebo II of the

Twenty-sixth Dynasty,

claimed her as his Mother.

Wife of Khnum."