Cultures and beliefs around the world have been based on thoughts about heaven for centuries, creating various myths and legends. Our ancestors imagined gods and spirits, heroes and beasts that were born from the heavenly stars.
A new study of these beliefs suggests that for the ancient Egyptians, a key figure in their culture – the sky goddess Nut – may have been linked to the most important feature of the night sky: our own galaxy – the Milky Way.
In Egyptian mythology, Nut was the central deity, the goddess of the sky itself. She was often depicted as a woman arching above the ground, her body covered in stars.
Although Egyptologists have long known of Nut's symbolic connection to the sky, her specific connection to astronomical objects has been less clear.
Astrophysicist Or Graur of the University of Portsmouth and his colleagues believe that the ancient Egyptians may have understood the sky goddess Nut as the personification of the Milky Way.
Nut, the goddess of the sky, stars and the universe, was often shown with stars all over her body and leaning over her brother and husband, Geb, the god of the Earth. Scientists analyzed ancient Egyptian texts, including the Book of Music, which focuses on the movements of the moon, sun, planets and star cycles.
They also analyzed models showing what the Milky Way would have looked like from various locations in Egypt between 3,000 and 4,000 years ago, and how its appearance changed over the course of the night.
The astrophysicist determined that the orientation of the Milky Way in a simulated model of the ancient Egyptian night sky matched the description of Nut's body in the “Book of Music” – her head and back were on the western and eastern horizons.
“My research shows how combining disciplines can provide new insights into ancient beliefs, and it demonstrates how astronomy connects humanity across cultures, geography and time,” Graur concluded in an interview with SciEngine.
The 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. Thanks to new research, this aspect becomes a little clearer.