Nehebkau
Sign in to saveNehebkau (also spelled Nehebu-Kau) was the primordial snake god in ancient Egyptian mythology. Although originally considered an evil spirit, he later functions as a funerary god associated with the afterlife. 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.
Key facts
- Deity.type
- Egyptian
- Deity.member_of
- the Assessors of Maat
- Deity.name
- Nehebkau
- Deity.image
- Nehebkau (God).png
- Deity.caption
- Illustration of Nehebkau based on depictions in papyri/papyrus
- Deity.hiero
- G21-V28-b-Z9-D28-Z2-D30 or n-V28-G21-b-w-D28-D28-D28
- Deity.parents
- Serket or Geb and Renenutet
- Deity.consort
- Nehmetawy
- Deity.abode
- Heliopolis
- Deity.other_names
- Nehebu-Kau
- Deity.gender
- Male
- Deity.venerated_in
- Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
13 sectionsContents
- Name
- Mythology
- Roles
- Funerary God
- Attendant of Re
- Successor of Re
- Relationship to other gods
- Iconography
- Worship
- Magic and Spells
- Festivals
- References
- Further reading
Nehebkau (also spelled Nehebu-Kau) was the primordial snake god in ancient Egyptian mythology. Although originally considered an evil spirit, he later functions as a funerary god associated with the afterlife. 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 Ra 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.