Members’ regular online Zoom talks are a very enjoyable and informal way to find out more about aspects of life in Ancient Egypt. In May Christiane Cartwright gave us an insight into the magical world of the fearsome and powerful goddess Neith, and the real-life Egyptian queens who took her name.
We found out that Neith was not only the goddess of creation –“I am the things that are, that will be and that have been” – but also had war, wisdom, weaving and hunting in her portfolio, and was associated with crocodiles and death. Christiane explored all these functions and the archaeological evidence of Neith’s influence from the early Bronze Age to the coming of Rome: an amazing span of over three thousand years. We had the chance to comment on some of Christiane’s theories about Neith’s name and symbolism, and finally we were treated to a light hearted quiz, just to check that we’d all been paying attention!
Image shows a statuette of Neith from the Late Period (Wikimedia, Metropolitan Museum of Art)