Introducing the Goddess Neith

By Elda Lantz, ArchDrs., Grove of the Avalon Rose/SPrsA, Solar Iseum of the Twin Suns

Hymn to Neith

The following hymn is taken from the Pyramid Texts illustrating her power as "The Great Goddess" of both the eastern and western horizons: 

Open the gates of the horizon.

Withdraw the bolts (of Heaven) for he has come to thee, O Neith.

He has come to thee, O Flame.

He has come to thee, O Great One.

He has come to thee, O Great One of Spells.

He is pure for thee, for he fears thee. Yet art thou satisfied with him.

Thou art satisfied with his purity. Thou are

Satisfied with the words he speaks unto thee:

‘How beautiful is thy face, happy, renewed,

Refreshed as when God, the father of gods,

First fashioned thee.’

He has come to three, Great Lady of Spells.”

~ from "Feasts of Light" by Normandi Ellis, pg. 22

Each year the annual Convocation of the Fellowship of Isis/Temple of Isis is dedicated to a Goddess, usually of the Egyptian Pantheon. In 2007, that Goddess will be Neith. To help those of you who are planning to attend this event, scheduled for October 5-8, I offer this introduction. For those of you who cannot attend, I offer this article as a way of getting to know this very powerful and loving Goddess.

Common Names: Neith, Neit. Nit. Net. Nit.

Associated With: Anubus. Athena. Isis. Khnum. Osiris. Ra. Sobek. Tutu.

Meaning of Her Name: “The One Who Belongs To The Red Crown”. “The One Who Belongs To The Primeval Floods”. “Weaver”. “Nit, the Cow Who Gave Birth to Ra”. “Opener of the Ways.” “Guardian of Hidden Mysteries.”

Attributes: Goddess of Hunting and War. Mother Goddess. Protectress Goddess. Water Goddess.

Depiction: Often represented as a woman wearing the Red Crown of Lower Egypt, holding a bow and arrows in her hand. She is also often seen with some sort of spindle/shuttle. She was also shown with a sceptre, as well as an ankh. Rarely, she was also shown In the form of a cow. She has also been depicted as a lion headed goddess.

Neith’s origin is presumed to be in Lower Egypt. She was one of the most important of the gods and goddesses of that region until the “unification of the Two Lands”. Her cult at Sais (Zau, Sau, Sai) during the XXVI dynasty restored her popularity. It was here, that her largest temple, Sapi-meht could be found and one of the most famous inscriptions attributed to Neith, “I am all that has been, that is, and that shall be. Nor moratal has yet been able to lift the veil which covers me.” Also, during the Greek-Roman era, she had a cult following in Upper Egypt in the city of Esna.

The Egyptians believed her to be an ancient and wise goddess, to whom the other gods and goddesses would come should they be unable to resolve their own disputes. Neith’s aggressive nature is called upon to repel evil in general and Egypt’s foes in particular. She is also one of four goddesses who protect the mummified organs of the deceased by weaving the linen bandages (known as “the gifts of Neith”) for the dead, thereby protecting the body from decomposition. She was also a Protectress of Osiris and guarded the coffin and one of the canopic jars along with one of the sons of Horus. She was also known as the protectress of Duamutef, the guardian of the deceased’s stomach.

Neith was also considered to be a creatrix goddess. But not just any creatrix goddess. She was considered to be androgynous -- therefore, her name was often written using the hieroglyph of an ejaculating phallus (could there be a stronger link to the male creative force to a female figurehead?)

Myths:

“In late dynastic times there is no doubt that Nit was regarded as nothing but a form of Hathor, but at an earlier period she was certainly a personification of a form of the great, inert, primeval watery mass out of which sprang the sun god Ra…”

-- "The Gods of the Egyptians," E. A. Wallis Budge

Neith is described as the personification of the primeval waters out of which the entire creation was born. Her aquatic character may also be the reason why she shared the Esna-temple with Khnum, the god venerated on the island of Elephantine as the source of the Nile’s inundation. It should also be pointed out, that being associated with the primeval void, Nun, the Egyptians also believed Neith to be the mother of Ra. In this capacity, her name might have been linked to a word for water - nt - if so, this would provide us with a direct connection between Neith and the primeval waters.

As a water goddess, Neith is also given credit for the creation of the evil serpent, Apep, enemy of Ra, who was believed to have been created when Neith (Nit) spat into the waters of Nun, her spittle turning into the giant snake.

As the mediator of the gods and goddesses, Neith was called upon to settle the dispute between Seth and Horus for the throne of Egypt, the gods could not decide how to resolve the issue. They called upon Thoth to send a letter to Neith requesting her advice. She suggested that Horus be made king and that Seth be given two Semetic goddesses as a consolation. All the gods (but Seth) agreed with the wisdom of her solution.

Bibliography

Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition 2006. Columbia University Press. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Neith.html

Ellis, Normandi. "Feasts of Light, Celebrations for the Seasons of Life," Quest Books. Illinois: Wheaton. 1999. Pages 22-24, 28, 60, 66, 83-85, 106, 114-116, 121, 124, 127, 144.

Forrest, M. Isidora. "Isis Magic". Llewellyn Publications. Minnesota: St. Paul. 2001. Pages 30, 70, 134, 141, 277, 323, 398, 409, 450-452, 456.

Jacques. "Gods and Religion In Ancient Egypt". November 2006. http://ancient-egypt.org/index.html

Matthews, Caitlin. "The Elements of the Goddess". Element Books. Massachsetts: Rockport. 1989. Page 122.

Matthews, Caitlin, "Sophia: Goddess of Wisdom." Thorsons. England: Hammersmith, London. 1992.Page 67, 68, 71, 197, 257, 311.

Patai, Raphael. "The Hebrew Goddess". Wayne State University Press. Michigan: Detroit. 1978. Page 56.

Seawright, Caroyln. "Nit (Neith), Goddess of Weaving, War, Hunting and the Red Crown,Creator Deity, Mother of Ra". http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/nit.htm

Tate, Karen. "Sacred Places of Goddess: 108 Destinations". www.cccpublishing.com. 2006. Page 111.

Temple, Robert K.G. "The Sirius Mystery". Destiny Books. Vermont: Rochester. 1987. Pages 97, 159.

Witt, R.E. "Isis in the Ancient World". The Johns Hopkins University Press. Maryland: Baltimore. 1971. Pages 20, 28, 65, 67, 92, 122, 122, 153.