Neith

Neith (/neɪθ/ or /niːθ/; also spelled Nit, Net, or Neit) was an early goddess in the Egyptian pantheon. She was the patron deity of Sais, where her cult was centered in the Western Nile Delta of Egypt and attested as early as the First Dynasty. The Ancient Egyptian name of this city was Zau.

Neith also was one of the three tutelary deities of the ancient Egyptian southern city of Ta-senet or Iunyt now known as Esna (Arabic: إسنا), Greek: Λατόπολις (Latopolis), or πόλις Λάτων (polis Laton), or Λάττων (Laton); Latin: Lato), which is located on the west bank of the River Nile, some 55 km south of Luxor, in the modern Qena Governorate.

Symbolism

Neith was a goddess of war and of hunting and had as her symbol, two arrows crossed over a shield. However, she is a far more complex goddess than is generally known, and of whom ancient texts only hint of her true nature. In her usual representations, she is portrayed as a fierce deity, a human female wearing the Red Crown, occasionally holding or using the bow and arrow, in others a harpoon. In fact, the hieroglyphs of her name are usually followed by a determinative containing the archery elements, with the shield symbol of the name being explained as either double bows (facing one another), intersected by two arrows (usually lashed to the bows), or by other imagery associated with her worship. Her symbol also identified the city of Sais. This symbol was displayed on top of her head in Egyptian art. In her form as a goddess of war, she was said to make the weapons of warriors and to guard their bodies when they died.

Neith (disambiguation)

Neith may refer to:

Neith (wife of Pepi II)

Neith was an ancient Egyptian queen consort, one of the principal queens of the Old Kingdom pharaoh Pepi II Neferkare, who ruled (c. 2278 BC–c. 2184 BC). Queen Neith was named after goddess Neith.

Family

Neith is thought to have been a daughter of the pharaoh Pepi I and queen Ankhesenpepi I, making her half-sister and cousin to pharaoh Pepi II. Neith may be the mother of King Nemtyemsaf II. There is a legend about Queen Nitocris who, if she indeed existed at all, may have been a daughter of Neith.

Titles

Her titles as a royal daughter include: King’s Daughter (s3t-niswt), Eldest King’s Daughter of his body (s3t-niswt-smswt-n-kht.f), Eldest King’s Daughter of his body of Mennefer-Meryre (s3t-niswt-smswt-n-kht.f-mn-nfr-mry-r’), and Hereditary Princess (iryt-p`t),

As a wife of the pharaoh she used the titles: King’s Wife (hmt-nisw), Beloved King’s Wife of Men-ankh-Neferkare (hmt-nisw meryt.f-mn-‘nkh-nfr-k3-r’), Great of Praises (wrt-hzwt), Great one of the hetes-sceptre (wrt-hetes), She who sees Horus and Seth (m33t-hrw-stsh), Attendant of Horus (kht-hrw), Consort and beloved of the Two Ladies (sm3yt-mry-nbty), Companion of Horus (tist-hrw), and Companion of Horus (smrt-hrw)