The Hidden Role Of The Milky Way In Ancient Egyptian Mythology

[Judi Lynn]

2. Milky Way's mystical role in ancient Egyptian beliefs explained by astrophysicist

View of the Milky Way galaxy from Cherry Springs State Park in Pennsylvania. (© Ridall Photography - stock.adobe.com)

APRIL 11, 2024

by Study Finds Editor

Cultures around the world have long projected myths and legends onto the night sky, imagining gods and spirits, heroes and beasts. Now, a new study suggests that for the ancient Egyptians, a key figure of their cosmos – the sky goddess Nut – may have been linked to the most prominent feature of the night sky: our own galaxy the Milky Way.

In Egyptian mythology, Nut (pronounced “noot”) was a central deity, the goddess of the sky itself. She was often depicted as a woman arched over the earth, her body covered in stars. The Sun god Ra was said to travel across her body each day, disappearing into her mouth at sunset and emerging again, reborn, at dawn from between her legs.

But while Egyptologists have long known of Nut’s symbolic connection to the sky, her specific link to astronomical features was less clear. Was she just a figurative representation, or did the Egyptians tie her to something they could actually observe?

That’s the question that Dr. Or Graur, an astrophysics professor at the University of Portsmouth, set out to investigate. Using advanced astronomical software, he simulated what the night sky would have looked like in ancient Egypt during different eras and seasons. Then, he compared those views to descriptions of Nut found in key Egyptian texts. His paper is published in the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage.

More:
https://studyfinds.org/milky-ways-mystical-role-in-ancient-egyptian-beliefs-explained-by-astrophysicist/







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