NEKHBET
neutralVulture goddess of Upper Egypt
Nekhbet is a vulture goddess of ancient Egypt, protector of Upper Egypt and of the kingship of the South. A very ancient deity, she is the patron of the city of Nekheb, present-day Elkab, on the eastern bank of the Nile. She is figured as a vulture with wings outspread above the sovereign, whose protection she ensures, or as a woman crowned with the white crown of Upper Egypt. Her epithets name her Lady of Nekheb, the White One of Nekheb and Mother of the sun. In the New Kingdom, her role extends to the protection of royal births. With the cobra goddess Wadjet, patron of Lower Egypt, she forms the Two Ladies, or Nebty, who symbolise the union of the two lands on the pharaoh's diadem and in his titulary. The Greeks assimilated her to Eileithyia, goddess of childbirth, and renamed her city Eileithyiaspolis.
Era
3,000–30 BCE
Frequently asked questions
Which region does Nekhbet protect?
Nekhbet is the tutelary goddess of Upper Egypt, the South of the country. A vulture with outspread wings, she also protects the pharaoh and the southern kingship.
Which animal represents Nekhbet?
Nekhbet is figured as a vulture, often with wings open above the king. In human form, she wears the white crown of Upper Egypt.
What is the link between Nekhbet and Wadjet?
Nekhbet, vulture of the South, and Wadjet, cobra of the North, form the Two Ladies, or Nebty. Together they embody the union of Upper and Lower Egypt in the royal titles.
Related spirits
Sources and references
- Richard H. Wilkinson, The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt (2003)
- George Hart, The Routledge Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses (2005)
- , Wikipedia (FR/EN)