Ancient Egyptians were known for their religious beliefs and astronomical knowledge of the sun, moon, and planets, but until now it was unclear what role the Milky Way played in Egyptian religion and culture.
New research by an astrophysicist at the University of Portsmouth sheds light on the connection between the Milky Way and the Egyptian sky goddess Nut.
Nut is a sky goddess often depicted as a star-filled woman bending over her brother, the earth god Heb. It protects the Earth from being inundated by the rushing waters of the void and plays an important role in the solar cycle, absorbing the Sun at dusk and rebirthing it at dawn.
The role of the Milky Way
The article draws on ancient Egyptian texts and simulations to argue that the Milky Way may have shed light on Nut’s role in the sky. This shows the Milky Way highlighting Nut’s outstretched arms in winter and outlining her spine in the skies in summer.
Astrophysics Associate Professor Dr. Ohr Graur said: “I came across the sky goddess Nut while writing a book about galaxies and studying the mythology of the Milky Way. I took my daughters to the museum and they were fascinated by the sight of this curved women’s belt and wanted to hear stories about it. “This intrigued me and I decided to combine astronomy and Egyptology to conduct a dual analysis (astronomical and cross-cultural) of the sky goddess Nut and determine whether she could truly be connected to the Milky Way.”
Dr. Graur used a rich collection of ancient sources, including the Pyramid Texts, Casket Texts, and the Book of Nuts, and compared them to a complex simulation of the Egyptian night sky. He found convincing evidence that the Milky Way highlights Nut’s divine presence.
Cultural Comparisons and Future Research
Also Dr. Graur related Egyptian beliefs to those of other cultures, showing similarities in how different societies interpreted the Milky Way.
He said: “My research also shows that Nut’s role in the deceased’s passage to the afterlife and her connection to the annual migration of birds are consistent with how other cultures understand the Milky Way. For example, the path of souls between different peoples of North and Central America, or Finland and the Baltic States Like the bird path in .
“My research shows how combining disciplines can offer new insights into ancient beliefs and highlights how astronomy unites humanity across cultures, geographies, and time. This paper is an exciting start to a larger project to catalog and examine the multicultural mythology of the Milky Way.”
Source: Port Altele
