Nut
Nut West AsiaThe Egyptian sky goddess. Atum arose from Nun, the primeval waters, and created Shu and Tefnut, air and moisture; from their union came Geb, the earth god, and Nut, whose offspring included Osiris, Seth, Isis, and Nepthys. The sky goddess was usually portrayed as a naked, giant woman whose arched back, supported by Shu, contained the heavens. Legend accounted for day and night in terms of solar rebirth. The sun was a child who entered the mouth of Nut in the evening, passed during the night through her body, and was born from her womb again in the morning.
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Oxford University Press Titles
- The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology
- The Oxford Dictionary of Economics
- The Oxford Companion to American Literature
- The Oxford Companion to American Military History
- The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization
- The Oxford Companion to English Literature
- The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales
- The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare
- The Oxford Dictionary of Plays
- The Oxford Dictionary of Art
- Oxford Dictionary of Sociology
- Oxford Dictionary of World History
- Oxford Dictionary of World Mythology
