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Statuette of Neith 7th-6th centuries B.C. Cast bronze Height: 20 cm Neith was a very ancient goddess of war and hunting who played a particularly important role in the Early Dynastic Period (31st-29th centuries B.C.) and later under the 26th dynasty (7th-6th centuries B.C.), when the centre of her cult - the city of Sais in the Nile Delta - became the capital of Egypt. She was also associated with the waters of the primaeval ocean and the creation of the world, which made her the mother of the gods and of humans. Neith was also often identified with sky goddesses, such as Nut and Hathor. The crocodile god Sebek was considered the son of Neith. Neith is one of the few Egyptian deities customarily depicted in human guise - as a woman wearing the Red Crown that was also worn by the kings. Since sky goddesses were often depicted in the form of a cow, Neith also acquired this guise, although it did not come into common use. Neith's martial spirit caused the Greeks to associate her with Athene.
Copyright © 2011 State Hermitage Museum
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