Nephthys
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| Nephthys in hieroglyphs |
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Nephthys was a goddess with wide power and capacity, and she was often referred to as "The Excellent Goddess."
She could also be dangerous, able to kill the enemies of the king with her fiery breath. In this capacity, she was considered a protector of the king. .
Nephthys has a central role in the popular myths of Osiris; it is her magical powers that helps to resurrect his body, as well as to protect and nurture Horus while he is a child.
She is in some contexts presented as a protector of the dead, in other as protecting the baboon-headed Hapi, one of the 4 canopic jars.
In the Late Period, she became linked with the goddess, Anuket.
Family
According to myth, Nephthys had four siblings. Her parents were Geb the god of the earth and Nut the goddess of the sky. She was the sister of Isis, Osiris, Horus, and sister/twin and consort of Seth. Nephthys was also the mother of Anubis, the jackal-headed one with black skin.
Cult
In the 19th Dynasty of the Ramesside Pharaohs, a temple of Nephthys called the "House of Nephthys of Ramesses-Meriamun" was built in the town of Sepermeru, midway between Oxyrhynchos and Herakleopolis, on the outskirts of the Fayyum and quite near to the modern site of Deshasheh.
Nephthys Media
- NephthysNmph
Nephthys on the outer coffin of Ankh-Wennefer
Detail, Funerary stele of Seba. Osiris is flanked by Isis and Nephthys. New Kingdom, c. 1250 BCE. From Memphis, Egypt. Neues Museum, Berlin
A mummy rests on a sacred boat guarded by Anubis. Above, figures of Osiris, Isis, and Nephthys. Greek-Roman, 332 BCE to 395 CE.Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow, UK.
References
- Relmer, Pat Egyptian Mythology A to Z
- Fisher, Leonard The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt
- Barett, Clive The Egyptian Gods and Goddesses