Who was the Egyptian Goddess Nut, and why were depictions of her unique in Egyptian art? Why was her image used on coffin sarcophagi?
Iconography of Nut
The iconography of Nut, the Egyptian sky goddess, is complex and engaging. Similar to other Egyptian goddesses, she is depicted in various forms and manifestations. Some of these forms however, defy expectations of Egyptian art; particularly those in which the body is contorted and stretched.
Who was Nut?
In brief, Nut was one of the principal sky deities. She was the personification of heaven, and was associated with the afterlife, water, the sun, the stars and the celestial cycle. Nut symbolizes the movement of all heavenly bodies. She was the granddaughter of Atum (the sun god), the daughter of Shu and Tefnut (air and moisture deities) and mother of Osiris, Isis, Horus, Seth and Nephthys. Nut was also known as the mother of the sun. These two variations of myth are expressed through her different incarnations.
Common Iconography
The most common form of Nut depicts her as a woman carrying a round water pot on her head. As mentioned above, Nut had a close association to water even though she was a sky deity. The water pot is symbolic of gestation and the uterus. Since she is the embodiment of the celestial cycle, this association is appropriate. In this form, Nut is also depicted wearing a long, tightly fitted dress. This dress would often be painted blue and decorated with stars and other heavenly objects. In her hands she holds a staff and an Ankh, the symbol of life. The Ankh is also very appropriate, due to Nut’s association with gestation and the cycles. The treatment of the figure itself remains typical of Egyptian art. Nut is depicted on a flat two-dimensional surface, with the shoulders shown frontal while the head and feet remain in side profile. This method of conveying the body was established on the Palette of Narmer, and remained constant for over two thousand years.
Nut as Cow
In contrast to her human form, Nut is also represented as a cow. The reason for this depiction lies in mythology, and pertains to the cycles of the universe. This is the form she acquired when carrying Re (a sun god) to heaven after he renounced his kingship on earth. Nut is often associated with Hathor in this form, since she was a principal cow deity. Sometimes their roles were reversed or interchanged, due to this connection. In her cow form, Nut is supported by Shu and other Heh gods. Her head and body are shown in side profile. The horns are in twisted perspective, with one shown frontal and one in side profile. A sun god with a solar disk above his head is shown sailing along the side of her body. A row of stars are depicted on the side of Nut’s stomach. This image strengthens the connection between Nut and the celestial heavens. This variation of Nut is also reminiscent of a suckling cow, conveying the idea of Nut and her divine children, or the child bearer. The idea of cycles, life and rebirth are stressed here.
Contorted Body and Sarcophagi
While Nut was intimately connected to life and birth, she was also strongly associated with death. There are three typical forms of Nut associated with death: an outstretched frontal figure, a winged figure, and a stretched and contorted nude figure. The first of the three, the outstretched frontal figure could be found on the inner lids of royal sarcophagi. In this form, Nut is depicted once again in a tightly fitted long dress, adorned completely with stars. She stands on her toes and reaches outward covering the sky. This image remains dramatic and engaging, due to its entire frontal quality. When the inner lid of the coffin was shut, the deceased would now be one with Nut. She would be their protector, throughout resurrection and rebirth.
Nut was also depicted on the outer lid of anthropoid coffins. On earlier anthropoid coffins, an image of a vulture was shown spreading his wings. This image was replaced by a winged variation of Nut, during the reign of Amenhotep III. Nut is shown kneeling, with arms and wings fully spread. Again, she is wearing a typical blue dress adorned with stars. Beneath her, a scene relating to Osiris is often depicted. Nut is meant to be seen as a protective goddess here, watching over the deceased. Winged images of Nut could also be found on pectoral armor. Nut is not kneeling in this pose, but is shown standing. The idea however remains the same; one of a protective deity.
Contrary to her other forms, the stretched and contorted nude figure of Nut is unique and unusual in Egyptian art. The most striking aspect of this depiction is the position of the body. The arch-like form and lightness of the arms contrast heavily to standard depiction of the human body. In fact, the body itself "ignores anatomical form and structure in favor of the movement of line". (Scranton, Robert L. Aesthetic Aspects of Ancient Art. Chicago, 1964) This depiction has two various forms, one in which Nut is completely contorted into an arch and one where her back forms a long, straight vertical line . Another striking aspect of this depiction is that she is completely nude. Only stars and sun disks adorn her body. Again, the stars signify her relationship to the heavens, and the sun symbolizes her act of gestation. This variation of Nut also engulfs all her surroundings. In the tomb of Ramesses VI for example, two immense images of Nut were painted side by side representing the day and the night. Beneath her, a figure of Shu was usually shown separating her stretched body from Geb. Geb was an earth god, and was also Nut’s brother and companion. He was the father of her divine children - Osiris, Isis, Horus, Seth and Nephthys. All these deities are associated with resurrection, and Nut’s contorted body imitating the heavens reinforces this idea. These images of Nut also relate to the concept of her as mother of the sun. In this mythology, Nut swallows the sun every evening and gives birth to a new one every morning. The solar disks represented in her body convey this image. These variations of Nut would be painted on the ceilings of tombs, due to their connection to death, resurrection and rebirth.
Other Forms of Nut
While the six forms described above are her main manifestations, Nut can also appear in other less popular forms as well. Sometimes she is represented in a sacred sycamore tree, and is giving offerings to the dead. Nut was also depicted as a pig with her divine children, or even as a hippopotamus.
Useful Links
Nut Image Gallery (text in German)
