Neith
Neith /ˈniː.ɪθ/ (Koinē Greek: Νηΐθ, a borrowing of the Demotic form Ancient Egyptian: nt, likely originally to have been nrt "she is the terrifying one"; also spelled Nit, Net, or Neit) was an early ancient Egyptian deity. She was said to be the first and the prime creator, who created the universe and all it contains, and that she governs how it functions. She was the goddess of the cosmos, fate, wisdom, water, rivers, mothers, childbirth, hunting, weaving, and war.
| Neith | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Egyptian goddess Neith, the primary creator, bearing her war goddess symbols, the crossed arrows and shield on her head, the ankh, and the was-sceptre. She sometimes wears the Red Crown of Lower Egypt. | |||||
| Name in hieroglyphs | |||||
| Major cult center | Sais, Esna | ||||
| Symbol | bow, shield, arrows, ankh, loom, mummy cloth | ||||
| Consort | usually none, later paired with Ptah-Nun, Khnum, Set | ||||
| Offspring | Sobek, Ra, Apep, Tutu, Serket | ||||
Neith was the tutelary deity of Sais (Coptic: ⲥⲁⲓ Sai from Egyptian Zau), where her cult was centered in the western Nile Delta of Lower Egypt. It is attested as early as the First Dynasty. Neith was also one of the three tutelary deities of the southern city of Latopolis (Koinē Greek: Λατόπολις) or Esna (Snē) (Sahidic Coptic: ⲥⲛⲏ from earlier Egyptian: t3-snt, also iwnyt). Latopolis was located on the western bank of the River Nile some 55 kilometres (34 mi) south of Luxor (Thebes).