Nehebkau (also spelled Nehebu-Kau) is the primordial snake god in
ancient Egyptian mythology
Egyptian mythology is the collection of myths from ancient Egypt, which describe the actions of the Egyptian gods as a means of understanding the world around them. The beliefs that these myths express are an important part of ancient Egyptia ...
. Although originally considered an evil spirit, he later functions as a funerary god associated with the
afterlife
The afterlife (also referred to as life after death) is a purported existence in which the essential part of an individual's identity or their stream of consciousness continues to live after the death of their physical body. The surviving ess ...
. As one of the
forty-two assessors of Ma’at, Nehebkau was believed to judge the deceased after death and provide their souls with
ka – the part of the soul that distinguished the living from the dead.
Nehebkau was ultimately considered a powerful, benevolent and protective deity. In late mythology, he is described as a companion of the sun god
Re and an attendant of the deceased King. As he is so closely associated with the sun god, his name was evoked in magical spells for protection. His festival was widely celebrated throughout the
Middle and
New Kingdoms.
Name
Nehebkau's name – also spelled Neheb-Kau
and Nhb-K3w
– has been translated in many ways by Egyptologists. These translations include: “that which gives Ka”;
[ “he who harnesses the spirits”;][ the “overturner of doubles”;] “collector of souls”;[ “provider of goods and foods”][ and “bestower of dignities”.]
Mythology
Nehebkau is the “original snake” of Egyptian mythology, and was believed to be both an ancient and eternal god.[ Although he is occasionally represented as a son of ]Serket
Serket ( egy, , italics=no, translit=srqt) is the goddess of healing venomous stings and bites in Egyptian mythology, originally the deification of the scorpion. Her family life is unknown, but she is sometimes credited as the daughter of Neith ...
, Renenutet
Renenūtet (also transliterated Ernūtet, Renen-wetet, Renenet) was a goddess of nourishment and the harvest in the ancient Egyptian religion. The importance of the harvest caused people to make many offerings to Renenutet during harvest time.
In ...
or Geb
Geb was the Egyptian god of the earth and a mythological member of the Ennead of Heliopolis. He could also be considered a father of snakes. It was believed in ancient Egypt that Geb's laughter created earthquakes and that he allowed crops to g ...
, he is sometimes believed to have simply "emerged from the earth".[ He was believed to have lived in the Great Temple of Heliopolis, which was also the centre of worship for Re and ]Atum
Atum (, Egyptian: ''jtm(w)'' or ''tm(w)'', ''reconstructed'' ; Coptic ''Atoum''), sometimes rendered as Atem or Tem, is an important deity in Egyptian mythology.
Name
Atum's name is thought to be derived from the verb ''tm'' which means 'to com ...
.[
Nehebkau is a considerably powerful deity, which contemporary Egyptologist and author Richard Wilkinson credits to his demonic origins and snake-like qualities.][ After he swallows seven cobras in a myth, Nehebkau cannot be harmed by any magic, fire or water.<][ In an early myth, he demonstrates an ability to breathe fire.] Nehebkau first appears in the Pyramid Texts
The Pyramid Texts are the oldest ancient Egyptian funerary texts, dating to the late Old Kingdom. They are the earliest known corpus of ancient Egyptian religious texts. Written in Old Egyptian, the pyramid texts were carved onto the subterranea ...
,[ and he is described as an evil, long and winding serpent who devoured human souls in the afterlife.][ In this context, he is believed to be an enemy of the sun god,][ and Re is said to have built his sun boats to be able to be pushed by the wind in order to escape Nehebkau's many coils.][
Nehebkau was later honoured][ among other dangerous gods as one of the forty-two judges in the Court of Maat,][ judging the innocence of deceased souls.][ Additionally, orientalist Professor Wilhelm Max Muller describes Nehebkau to have personally guarded the gates of the ]underworld
The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld.
...
.[
As a snake god, Nehebkau was also considered a dangerous, furious and fearsome demon.][
In the ]Coffin Texts
The Coffin Texts are a collection of ancient Egyptian funerary spells written on coffins beginning in the First Intermediate Period. They are partially derived from the earlier Pyramid Texts, reserved for royal use only, but contain substantial ...
, however, the ancient god Atum
Atum (, Egyptian: ''jtm(w)'' or ''tm(w)'', ''reconstructed'' ; Coptic ''Atoum''), sometimes rendered as Atem or Tem, is an important deity in Egyptian mythology.
Name
Atum's name is thought to be derived from the verb ''tm'' which means 'to com ...
places his fingernail against a nerve in Nehebkau's spine, calming his chaotic and fearsome nature.[
Throughout and following the Coffin Texts, Nehebkau is considered a benevolent and helpful deity who may be befriended by gods and men and enlisted into service.][ After this transformation, he appears as a servant and partner to the sun god Re,][ and is said to provide food and assistance to the deceased King in the afterlife.] In this position, he became increasingly powerful and important, eventually assuming Re's role as a King of The Sky.[
It is in this peaceful form that he mostly appears in Egyptian mythologies,][ and he was often evoked as a protective god in religious rituals, ]amulet
An amulet, also known as a good luck charm or phylactery, is an object believed to confer protection upon its possessor. The word "amulet" comes from the Latin word amuletum, which Pliny's ''Natural History'' describes as "an object that protects ...
s and spells.[
]
Roles
Funerary God
As a funerary god and one of the forty-two judges in the Court of Maat, Nehebkau played a significant role in the Ancient Egyptian perception of the afterlife.[ As well as guarding the underworld, he was occasionally represented as a personal guard of ]Osiris
Osiris (, from Egyptian ''wsjr'', cop, ⲟⲩⲥⲓⲣⲉ , ; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎𐤓, romanized: ʾsr) is the god of fertility, agriculture, the afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He was ...
.
When a deceased spirit enters the afterlife in Ancient Egyptian mythology, the most important stage is their trial in the Court of Maat,[ also known as the Law-Court of ]Osiris
Osiris (, from Egyptian ''wsjr'', cop, ⲟⲩⲥⲓⲣⲉ , ; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎𐤓, romanized: ʾsr) is the god of fertility, agriculture, the afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He was ...
[ or the Dead Court.][ This tribunal consisted of forty-two fearsome deities who represented all possible types of evil,][ and to whom the deceased had to declare their innocence.][
Nehebkau had a specific role in examining the individual's purity and sinlessness, and he was specifically responsible for protecting the neck and throat of the deceased.][
Once the deceased is justified and found innocent by the Court, Nehebkau is believed to have absolved the soul of sin][ and provided the deceased with food and drink.][ He additionally nourishes the deceased with ka - the 'life force' of the individual - allowing their spirit to endure in the afterlife.]
Attendant of Re
After he was subdued by Atum
Atum (, Egyptian: ''jtm(w)'' or ''tm(w)'', ''reconstructed'' ; Coptic ''Atoum''), sometimes rendered as Atem or Tem, is an important deity in Egyptian mythology.
Name
Atum's name is thought to be derived from the verb ''tm'' which means 'to com ...
, Nehebkau was characterised as benevolent, beautiful and peaceful.[ It is in this state that he became the servant and partner of the sun god Re. In later myths, he assists Re in his moving of the morning boat through the sky to the east][ and throughout the flight of the day.][ In the ]Book of The Dead
The ''Book of the Dead'' ( egy, 𓂋𓏤𓈒𓈒𓈒𓏌𓏤𓉐𓂋𓏏𓂻𓅓𓉔𓂋𓅱𓇳𓏤, ''rw n(y)w prt m hrw(w)'') is an ancient Egyptian funerary text generally written on papyrus and used from the beginning of the New Kingdom ...
, this passage is described as making all people happy, filling hearts with “joy and justice”.[
Additionally, Nehebkau is said to have served the dead Kings in this period: providing food,][ transmitting messages][ and intervening with other deities on their behalf.][
]
Successor of Re
Nehebkau eventually assumed Re's role in the afterlife:[ becoming “the King of Heaven and ruler of ]the Two Lands
In Egyptian history, the Upper and Lower Egypt period (also known as The Two Lands) was the final stage of prehistoric Egypt and directly preceded the unification of the realm. The conception of Egypt as the Two Lands was an example of the dua ...
” and bestowing crowns, ka and other desirable qualities upon the spirits of the deceased.[ He acted as a mediator between the deceased and the gods,][ and was additionally responsible for assigning the dead their positions in the afterlife.][
]
Relationship to other gods
Nehebkau continuously appears alongside the sun god Re, as an assistant, companion and successor.[
As an assessor of Maat in the Court of Osiris, he was also associated with ]Osiris
Osiris (, from Egyptian ''wsjr'', cop, ⲟⲩⲥⲓⲣⲉ , ; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎𐤓, romanized: ʾsr) is the god of fertility, agriculture, the afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He was ...
himself: the god of the dead, fertility and the afterlife.[ Although not all of the forty-two assessors have been identified by scholars, Wilkerson considers significant deities such as the ibis ]Thoth
Thoth (; from grc-koi, Θώθ ''Thṓth'', borrowed from cop, Ⲑⲱⲟⲩⲧ ''Thōout'', Egyptian: ', the reflex of " eis like the Ibis") is an ancient Egyptian deity. In art, he was often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis or a ...
and crocodile Sobek
Sobek (also called Sebek or Sobki, cop, Ⲥⲟⲩⲕ, Souk) was an ancient Egyptian deity with a complex and elastic history and nature. He is associated with the Nile crocodile or the West African crocodile and is represented either in its f ...
to be included in the tribunal, and these gods can therefore be considered associates of Nehebkau.[
As a snake deity, he was associated with and likely modelled after the great snake ]Apep
Apep, also spelled Apepi or Aapep, ( Ancient Egyptian: ; Coptic: Erman, Adolf, and Hermann Grapow, eds. 1926–1953. ''Wörterbuch der aegyptischen Sprache im Auftrage der deutschen Akademien''. 6 vols. Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs'schen Buch ...
- the enemy of Ra and embodiment of chaos in Egyptian myth.
Additionally, as a visiting god of Heliopolis and an ancient deity, Nehebkau was often associated with Atum
Atum (, Egyptian: ''jtm(w)'' or ''tm(w)'', ''reconstructed'' ; Coptic ''Atoum''), sometimes rendered as Atem or Tem, is an important deity in Egyptian mythology.
Name
Atum's name is thought to be derived from the verb ''tm'' which means 'to com ...
: the creator god who calms his chaotic nature.[
Nehebkau was represented as a consort of the minor goddess Nehmtaway, who is also a known partner of the wisdom god ]Thoth
Thoth (; from grc-koi, Θώθ ''Thṓth'', borrowed from cop, Ⲑⲱⲟⲩⲧ ''Thōout'', Egyptian: ', the reflex of " eis like the Ibis") is an ancient Egyptian deity. In art, he was often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis or a ...
.[ She was depicted as a goddess holding an infant, with a distinguishing headdress shaped like a ]sistrum
A sistrum (plural: sistra or Latin sistra; from the Greek ''seistron'' of the same meaning; literally "that which is being shaken", from ''seiein'', "to shake") is a musical instrument of the percussion family, chiefly associated with ancient ...
- an Ancient Egyptian musical instrument.[
He sometimes appeared as a consort to the scorpion goddess ]Serket
Serket ( egy, , italics=no, translit=srqt) is the goddess of healing venomous stings and bites in Egyptian mythology, originally the deification of the scorpion. Her family life is unknown, but she is sometimes credited as the daughter of Neith ...
,[ who protected the deceased King and was often evoked to cure poison and scorpion stings.][ Some myths also describe Nehebkau as Serket's son.][
Alternatively, he was believed to be the son of the earth god ]Geb
Geb was the Egyptian god of the earth and a mythological member of the Ennead of Heliopolis. He could also be considered a father of snakes. It was believed in ancient Egypt that Geb's laughter created earthquakes and that he allowed crops to g ...
. This is common with Egyptian snake gods and associated with the imagery of snakes crawling across the earth.[ When Geb is represented as his father, Nehebkau's mother is considered to be the harvest goddess ]Renenutet
Renenūtet (also transliterated Ernūtet, Renen-wetet, Renenet) was a goddess of nourishment and the harvest in the ancient Egyptian religion. The importance of the harvest caused people to make many offerings to Renenutet during harvest time.
In ...
:[ the ‘good snake’ who ensured bountiful fields, harvests and kitchens for the living][ and nourished the kas of the dead.][
The image of Nehebkau also appeared on depictions of the thrones of feline goddess ]Sekhmet
In Egyptian mythology, Sekhmet ( or Sachmis (), also spelled Sakhmet, Sekhet, Sakhet among other spellings, cop, Ⲥⲁⲭⲙⲓ, Sakhmi), is a warrior goddess as well as goddess of healing. She is depicted as a lioness.
Sekhmet is a solar de ...
and Bastet
Bastet or Bast ( egy, bꜣstjt, cop, Ⲟⲩⲃⲁⲥⲧⲉ, Oubaste , Phoenician: 𐤀𐤁𐤎𐤕, romanized: ’bst, or 𐤁𐤎𐤕, romanized: bst) was a goddess of ancient Egyptian religion, worshipped as early as the Second Dynasty (289 ...
.[ Wilkerson theorises that this iconography would have likely symbolised his protection over them.][
]
Iconography
Nehebkau is most often represented in Ancient Egyptian art
Ancient Egyptian art refers to art produced in ancient Egypt between the 6th millennium BC and the 4th century AD, spanning from Prehistoric Egypt until the Christianization of Roman Egypt. It includes paintings, sculptu ...
, carvings and statues[ as an anthropomorphised snake: half human and half serpent.]
However, early texts and mythologies usually represented Nehebkau as a full serpent[ with a long body and multiple coils.][ It is in this form that often appears on the sides of divine thrones, likely in reference to his protective qualities and powerful nature.][
In later periods, he appeared in a semi-anthropromophised form, as a man with the head and tail of a serpent][ or a serpent with human arms or legs.][ In this form he appears on amulets, small statues and plaques,][ with his arms “raised to the mouth to proffer small vessels for food or drink,” reflecting his function in the afterlife.][
Nehebkau was occasionally shown as having two heads on two separate necks, and a third head on his tail supported by the figure of a man.][ Egyptologist Magali Massiera suggests that the two heads could be a representation of his dual good and evil nature,][ as well as his ability to simultaneously attack from two directions at once. In one artifact from Heliopolis, he appears as an eight headed snake.][
These detailed descriptions of his appearance were common for guardians of the underworld, and were done so Nehekbau could be recognised by the deceased.][ Occasionally, Nehebkau is represented with the features of other snake demons: such as multiple heads and wings.][
]
Worship
Although there was no specific priesthood associated with Nehebkau,[ scholars including Wilkinson consider it likely that he was widely worshipped in popular religion.][
This worship was likely centred at his temple in ]Herakleopolis
Heracleopolis Magna ( grc-gre, Μεγάλη Ἡρακλέους πόλις, ''Megálē Herakléous pólis'') and Heracleopolis (, ''Herakleópolis'') and Herakleoupolis (), is the Roman name of the capital of the 20th nome of ancient Upper Eg ...
,[ although its exact location is rarely mentioned in sources.][ Nehebkau was also often associated with the Great Temple of Heliopolis, where he may have had a funerary chapel, as well as a statue that dates back to the reign of King Ramses II.][
Nehebkau was also depicted in many ]amulet
An amulet, also known as a good luck charm or phylactery, is an object believed to confer protection upon its possessor. The word "amulet" comes from the Latin word amuletum, which Pliny's ''Natural History'' describes as "an object that protects ...
s from the New Kingdom's third intermediate period
The Third Intermediate Period of ancient Egypt began with the death of Pharaoh Ramesses XI in 1077 BC, which ended the New Kingdom, and was eventually followed by the Late Period. Various points are offered as the beginning for the latt ...
and later.[ These amulets were often found in ]burials
Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...
, which indicates a belief that Nehebkau would protect the deceased through their journey to the underworld.[ Kalloniatis also associates these amulets with Nehebkau's ability to sustain ka in spirits and nourish the deceased with food and drink in the afterlife.][
His image also appears on amulets designed to protect against poison, snake-bites and scorpion venom.][
]
Magic and Spells
Anti-snake spells are incredibly common in Egyptian texts, appearing in the Pyramid Texts
The Pyramid Texts are the oldest ancient Egyptian funerary texts, dating to the late Old Kingdom. They are the earliest known corpus of ancient Egyptian religious texts. Written in Old Egyptian, the pyramid texts were carved onto the subterranea ...
, Coffin Texts
The Coffin Texts are a collection of ancient Egyptian funerary spells written on coffins beginning in the First Intermediate Period. They are partially derived from the earlier Pyramid Texts, reserved for royal use only, but contain substantial ...
and The Book of the Dead
The ''Book of the Dead'' ( egy, 𓂋𓏤𓈒𓈒𓈒𓏌𓏤𓉐𓂋𓏏𓂻𓅓𓉔𓂋𓅱𓇳𓏤, ''rw n(y)w prt m hrw(w)'') is an ancient Egyptian funerary text generally written on papyrus and used from the beginning of the New Kingdom ...
, alongside other spells designed to repel dangerous animals.[ Many magical objects are inscribed with scenes of benevolent deities protecting humanity from snakes.][
After becoming associated with Ra, Nehebkau's name was often evoked in magical spells to function as a magical protector.][ His image was depicted as a protective deity on some ivory wands.][
]
Festivals
Nehebkau's festival was recorded as occurring thirty-two times in the New Kingdom
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
,[ but is known to have been celebrated since at least the Middle Kingdom.][
The exact date of the festival is contested by scholars: it may have been celebrated nine days after the festival of ploughing the earth, on the first day of the first month of the winter season][ or alternatively during the coronation of the King during the ]Ramesside period
The Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt (notated Dynasty XX, alternatively 20th Dynasty or Dynasty 20) is the third and last dynasty of the Ancient Egyptian New Kingdom period, lasting from 1189 BC to 1077 BC. The 19th and 20th Dynasties furthermore togeth ...
[
Individuals would often celebrate this festival by eating hsjitt plants and cakes made of khersait plants. The festival is believed by researcher Sharon LaBorde to have been a feast celebrating redemption and rebirth; potentially associated with the lion goddess ]Sekhmet
In Egyptian mythology, Sekhmet ( or Sachmis (), also spelled Sakhmet, Sekhet, Sakhet among other spellings, cop, Ⲥⲁⲭⲙⲓ, Sakhmi), is a warrior goddess as well as goddess of healing. She is depicted as a lioness.
Sekhmet is a solar de ...
.
References
Further reading
{{Ancient Egyptian religion footer, collapsed
Egyptian gods
Underworld gods
Snake gods
Egyptian underworld
Legendary serpents