Gods and Goddesses
Throughout the ancient Egyptian period there were many gods and goddesses who the Egyptians worshipped; these deities each possessed special powers. It is thought there were over 2000 deities in total, some of which were worshipped throughout the entire of Egypt and others only locally
Four Goddesses on Tutankhamun’s Gold Canopic Shrine
Tutankhamun’s gold canopic shrine was protected by a statue of four deities, Nephthys, Neith, Isis and Selket, who had the role of warding off evil; the outside of the shrine was also decorated with these goddesses, among other gods. Inside the shrine was the canopic chest which was again, decorated with the goddesses but also with their counter gods – Horus’s four sons – Hapy, Duamutef, Imsety and Qebehsenuef whom they protected. Inside the canopic chest were canopic jars that had the four sons of Horus’s heads as lids; these jars protected the decease’s organs inside for eternity.
Nephthys
Nephthys was a goddess of death, service, grief, sorrow, birth, air, night time and rivers; she is also associated with funeral rites due to her being a protector of her brother/brother-in-law, Osiris. Due to being the goddess of air she could transform into a bird; her spouse/brother, Set, was seen as the desert and Nephthys was seen as a barren and therefore was thought to take the form of a vulture. Vultures fed on dead, decayed animals which is why Nephthys was linked to death. Professional mourners – people who were hired to make as much noise and draw as much attention as possibly to let the gods know that this was an important person who died – were referred to as the "Hawks of Nephthys" which is why she’s associated with mourning. Nephthys was thought to protect women while they were in labour; which her sister, Isis, also helped with, linking them to life as well as death. Other names for this goddess are Nebthet, Nebthwt, Nebhhwt or Nebthet; her name translates to Lady of the House/Lady of the [Temple] Enclosure.
This deity was linked to the North and usually seen on the North side of canopic chests; but on Tutankhamun’s shrine her statue is found on the East side. Nephthys usually protects the god Hapy who looks after the lungs of the deceased.
Nephthys was portrayed as a woman with a headdress in the shape of a house and a basket on top; this links back to the meaning of her name. Her hair was sometimes thought to be made of the bandages that were used in the
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mummification process. She was often seen holding the lotus staff and ankh (symbol of life). Nephthys could also be seen in the form of a kite or hawk as the noise that these animals make, mimics the sound of crying and links back to grief. She’s sometimes been seen as a woman with falcon wings; these wings could be stretched out from both sides or both in one direction and Isis mirroring this opposite her to protect and stop evil getting past them.
Nephthys had several siblings but the ones she was closely linked to were here sister Isis, her brothers Osiris and Set. The sisters seem to have a very close bond and worked in conjunction with one another; they also looked almost identical but can be told apart from their headdresses. In one story it was thought the Nephthys protected Osiris when Isis was trying to bring him back to life; and later in the story protected Isis and her son, Horus, when Set was searching for them to kill his nephew. She was also the mother of the funeral god Anubis, which again, links back to her being connected to the death experience.
I don't like this illustration of Nephthys because of the bright block colours, however the simplistic design and pose she is in could be used for the design of her on the main body of the coffin. I also like the fact she is holding her accessories; the anhk and the lotus staff, I think I will include these in my design.
I really like this engraving of Nephthys with wings slightly spread out because I think it shows her ready to enclose her wings in a form of protection or to challenge any enemies.
I feel like the wings on the human form of Nephthys is a nice cross over between her human form and her bird form.
I'm thinking about incorporating wings into the design of the statues of the four goddesses to show them protecting the coffin.
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Along with Nephthys, her sister Isis is also commonly drawn with wings. I adore this joining and overlap of their wings as it appears they have created the ultimate circle of protection, no doubt for Osiris.
I'm considering having two statues on each side in this pose, showing they are protecting the coffin and stopping any enemies getting to the person within.
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Instead of the human statue of this goddess I am debating using her animal form instead. I don't particularly like the pose so I would probably find a pose of a falcon/similar bird with their wings outstretched and use this instead; then add her head piece on top to show it's her and not just a typical bird.
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This image with both Nephthys and Isis on either side of Osiris' dead body is similar to the one of the sisters with their wings outstretched and joining. I feel it conveys the same message of protection as they seem to be guarding him.
I could possibly have these two engraved on each side facing each other to show they're watching over him.
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Neith
Neith was a fierce goddess of war, hunting, weaving, wisdom and of maker of weapons for warriors. When warriors died in battle, she guarded their bodies to stop them from coming to anymore harm. Neith’s name varies to Nit, Net and Neit.
This deity is thought to be the cow of heaven, similar to other goddess such as Nut and Mehet. This cow goddess is thought to give birth to the sun each day and has also been referred to as the Great Mother Goddess/Virgin Mother Goddess who has both masculine and feminine elements as she can create live on her own; she is thought to have created all 30 gods and goddesses.
This goddess was linked to the East which is usually considered the front, so she was commonly engraved on the East side of the canopic chest; however on Tutankhamun’s gold canopic shrine her statue can be found on the North side. Neith usually protects the god, Duamutef, who guards the stomach, which links back to Neith’s trait of being the goddess of war, as the stomach is the most vulnerable part during battle due to it being an easy target.
Neith was commonly portrayed as a woman with a shield on top of her head with arrows crossing over; in one hand she usually holds the Was sceptre – displaying the responsibility she has for caring for the dead – and in the other
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she holds the ankh – the symbol of life. She is also sometimes seen wearing the red crown of Lower Egypt.
I prefer Neith's sheild to be horizontal rather than vertical as I feel like it balances out her body; when it's vertical it makes her look extra tall.
I don't like what she's wearing in this image, it appears to be some kind of bathing suit or leotard; I think I would prefer her and the other goddesses in something a little more conservative, like a long dress.
I'm not fond of this head piece; it's the crown of lower Egypt but I think she should be wearing her personal head piece rather than a general one.
Interesting to have her holding a bow as it implies to anyone who doesn't know her talents, that she must be a warrior or a hunter; both of which display her as a strong deity.
I do also however, like the lotus staff she often holds and am thinking of having all four of the goddesses holding the staff they are commonly see with as it also says something about their personality.
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Isis
Isis was the goddess of health, marriage, wisdom, children, re-birth and protector of the dead. The variants of her name include Eset and Aset.
In one story, this goddess protects her partner/brother, Osiris, dead body; she turns into a kite and uses her wings to make a wind and breathe life into him. This temporarily revived him and allowed them to create the baby and god, Horus, before he died again. Another part to this story is that Isis was trying to save her partner/brother’s body and later had to protect her son from her other brother, Set.
Due to being the wife of the dead pharaoh and trying to protect his body once he passed, Isis was seen as the protector of the pharaoh which links to one of her headdresses, the throne, as this is where the pharaoh sits. In some drawings and statues she has been seen to breast feed the pharaoh, which is a form of nurturing and protecting him.
This goddess is linked to the South which means she would be carved on the South side of the canopic chest; on Tutankhamun’s shrine however, Isis statue was on the West side. Isis commonly watched over the god Imsety, who would in turn, protect the liver of the deceased.
Isis was commonly seen as a woman with a headdress of a throne on top of her head; she has the same roles as the goddess Hathor so
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sometimes has the same headdress as her of a pair of horns with a solar disk inside them and sometimes seen as a complete cow with stars on her stomach. Due to the story of her transforming into a kite, she is sometimes portrayed as a kite and can be seen as a woman with wings; these wings not only gave Osiris live, but also were seen as a sign of protection. When in woman form she’s seen to be holding a lotus staff and the sign of life, an ankh. Isis was thought to be associated with Upper Egypt.
I love the extended wings and really want toincorporate them into the statues.
The texture of her playsuit is really interesting and adds enough element; I'm thinking of doing this pattern on the statue's dress.
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I'm debating showing the goddesses in their animal form for the statues but I'm not sure they will be as easily recognised.
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I love the head piece on the cow and may use this instead of the throne.
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Selket
Selket was the goddess of scorpions, medicine, healing venomous bites from animals, magic, fertility, nature and protection. Her name varies and can be pronounced/spelt as Serket, Serqet, Serqet, Selcis, among other variants, however thy all refer to the same goddess.
This goddess seems to have had two sides to her, on one hand she could protect and look after a person if she liked them by making poisonous animals avoid them; on the other hand, she was known to cause harm and pain to a person she disliked by encouraging poisonous snakes and scorpions to inject their venom into them.
In one story she is said to make the god Ra, help Isis’s son, Horus, when he was bitten by the venomous snake sent by his uncle, Set. From this story it was thought that Selket offers special protection to help pregnant women and children avoid venomous animals. She was also thought to protect Ra from the dangerous twists in the path when he travelled through the underworld, and
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guarded him from the serpent Apep; after this itwas said that Selket would protect anyone who travelled through the underworld.
This goddess was linked to West which is associated with death and rebirth; she was also thought to have control over the breath of life. Her enemy’s breath would be taken away when they were bitten by a venomous creature; she alternatively gave the breath of life to her friends in the afterlife. Another version of her name translates to “She Who Lets Throats Breathe” which would be true to her friends; however it can also mean “She Who Stiffens/Paralyses The Throat” which would refer to her enemies.
Since originally Selket was linked to the West, she would be engraved on the side of the canopic chest pointing to the West; however on Tutankhamun’s gold canopic shrine her statue can be seen on the South side. Selket commonly protected Qebehsenuef, who guarded the intestines within the canopic chest.
Selket was commonly associated with Isis and Nephthys due to her being able to perform magic and her link with the underworld; she was also often linked with the goddess Neith. She’s usually portrayed with the body of a woman with a scorpion on top of her head; alternatively she was sometimes seen as a scorpion body with the head of a woman. Selket was sometimes shown wearing the headdress of Hathor – cow horns with a solar disk inside them – although this could have been due to her connect with Isis.
Selket's head piece is the most intriguing for me.
I don't like how exposed she is in this image though and would prefer her to be slightly more covered for my statues.
I don't like the colours in this image; I did consider making the statues coloured but I think the solid gold works better.
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I do like the original statues so I will use them as a basis for mine but will probably add to them as well.
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The Four Sons of Horus
The four sons of Horus - Hapy, Duamutef, Imsety and Qebehsenuef - were extremely important as they each protected one of the vital organs removed from a deceased’s body; it was thought that without these organs, the deceased wouldn’t be able to live in the afterlife – the ultimate goal for the Ancient Egyptians. Each son was associated with a different point on the compass; North, East, South and West. The four sons combined with the gods Maa-atef-f, Kheri-beq-f, and Horus-Khenti-maa made up the Seven Shining Ones who protected Osiris’s body.
The sons were each seen as humans with an animal head (apart from one who had a human head); the reason for this is unknown, however the animals they’re associated with have certain roles within Ancient Egyptian mythology. The baboon was thought to be linked with the moon and the
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Hapy
The god Hapy – also referred to as Hapy and Xapi – is one of the four sons of Horus who guarded the lungs of the deceased person. He was the baboon headed god who was thought to be connected to navigation and was protected by the goddess Nephthys; both this god and goddess are in connection with the North. One of the hieroglyphs used in writing his name was linked to steering a boat, which is why he is thought to be connected to navigation; this could be why he was etched onto canopic chests and protector of one of the main organs, to lead the way to the afterlife.
In the Book of the Dead there was a spell – spell 151 – that Hapi states "I have come to be your protection. I have bound your head and your limbs for you. I have smitten your enemies beneath you for you, and given you your head, eternally."
god Thoth – god of wisdom and knowledge. Baboons also chatter during sun rise and raise their hands; this was thought to be a sign of them worshiping the sun god, Ra. The jackal was associated with Anubis – god of mummification and the afterlife. The hawk was connected with the gods Horus – patronal god – and Seker – god of the Memphis burial grounds. The son with the human head could have been connected to either the god Osiris – god of the dead and the underworld – or Onuris – god of war.
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Duamutef
The god Duamutef – who is also referred to as Tuamutef and Thmoomathph – was one of Horus’ sons who watched over the deceased person’s stomach; Duamutef’s protector was the goddess Neith, both of who were connected to the East. He had the head of a jackal and was thought to have the responsibility to worship the deceased; his name translates to "he who worships his mother"
In texts found within coffins Horus was said to have told Duamutef "Come and worship my father N for me, just as you went that you might worship my mother Isis in your name Duamutef." Isis was Duamutef’s grandmother but seems to also be referred to as his mother; this could mean Isis is literally his mother, but terms such as “mother”, “father” and “decedent” were used loosely, so this could just mean a woman relation to him. This God is seen to have the power of protecting the dead from harm through the use of his worship of Isis; this would explain why Duamutef was chosen to protect one of the vital organs needed
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by the dead and why he would be visibly present in drawings/statues inside tombs.
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Imsety
The god Imsety – whose name is sometimes changed to Imseti, Imset, Amset, Amsety, Mesti, and Mesta – was another of
the sons of Horus who looked after the dead’s liver and had the goddess Isis watching over him; both himself and Isis were associated with the South. Imsety was the only one of the four sons to have the head of a human; his purpose was to give new life to the dead person. His role would explain why the Ancient Egyptians would want him in their tomb and their family and friends tombs; so he could give their dead loved ones new life.
Horus is said to have told him "You have come to N; betake yourself beneath him and lift him up, do not be far from him, (even) N, in your name of Imsety."
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Qebehsenuef
The god Qebehsenuef – who also had the names Kebehsennuf, Kebechsenef, Qebshenuf, Qebehsenuf or Kabexnuf – was one of Horus sons who protected the deceases intestines and was watched over by the goddess Selket; both of these were linked to the West. Qebehsenuef was the son with the falcon head; his name translated as “He Who Refreshes His Brothers”, which links back to his protector, Selket, as she was said to have power over the throat. His role was exactly what his name meant, to literally give water to his siblings.
Covering a person in water was traditionally thought to be a way to worship them; this has the purpose of both cleaning/purifying them and to refresh them.
In one version of the story of Isis and Osiris, Qebehsenuef is said to have collected the scattered remains of Osiris and put
them all correctly back together; without this occurring the deceased wouldn’t be able to move on to the afterlife, therefore his role was crucial and understandable why they would
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want him craved/drawn on the canopic chest and walls of the tomb.
In the Book of the Dead – Spell 151 – Qebehsenuef states "I am your son, Osiris, I have come to be your protection. I have united your bones for you, I have assembled your limbs for you, have brought you your heart, and placed it for you at its place in your body."
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