The ancient Egyptians are famous for their reverence ofcelestial bodies , yet the role that the Milky Way play in their cosmogeny remains poorly infer by Egyptologists . However , according to a raw analysis , the stripe of stars that streaks across the sky may have had a routine of mythological functions , acting as a path to the underworld while also guiding birds along their annual migration road .
Penned by astrophysicist Dr Or Graur from the University of Portsmouth , the new subject area try out the musical theme that the Milky Way was represent by the sky goddess Nut , who is often depicted as a star - studded woman arc over the Earth for protect it from the menacing waters of the abysm , hump as Nun . According to the Book of Nut , also known as The Fundamentals of the form of the Stars , the sky woman ’s primary Book of Job was to give birth to the Sun each morning , before swallowing it in the even .
To help her achieve this task , Nut is incessantly orient with her rear in the east and her head in the W . TheMilky Way , however , changes its position in the sky over the course of the year , running from eastern United States to west in the summertime months and Union to south in the winter .
This variance has cast doubtfulness over the idea that Nut play the galaxy . However , after refer numerousfunerary papyrifound in Ancient Egyptian grave , Graur identified several portrayal of Nut with her arms outstretched at 45 level to her body .
Such a pose activate the sky goddess to breed the various alignments of the Milky Way as the year progresses , thus suggesting that she may well have been the embodiment of our galaxy after all . For instance , Graur explains that “ in the winter , the Milky Way delineate Nut ’s arms , while during the summer calendar month , it sketches out her torso ( or anchor ) . ”
essay further assurance for Nut ’s affiliation with the Milky Way , the cogitation author attend for similarities between her theatrical role in Ancient Egyptian mythology and other representations of the whiz deity in cultures around the earth . For case , accord to one Egyptian Coffin Text , Nut is described as a “ ladder ” by which the souls of the dead are able to ascend to theafterlife , resound the role of the Milky Way in Native American mythology .
“ Many Native American people across North America consider the milklike Way as a road along which the spirits of the dead traveling to the hereafter , ” write Graur . “ The Lakota name for the Milky Way is Wanáǧi Thacháŋku , the Spirits ’ route , which the Lakota follow to heaven when they die . ”
Similarly , he explicate that “ The dead of the Yucatec Maya travel along the Milky Way at Nox , ” with the dark stripe of the Milky Way ’s expectant Rift envisioned as a main road leading flat to the underworld .
Yet another passage from the Book of Nut describes how birds come along from the goddesses ' northern end each winter as they migrate south from Europe to Africa . In isolation , this does short to prove that Nut represent the Milky Way , although such a link becomes clearer when one considers the association between the band of stars and bird migration in other autochthonic cultures .
“ This link still exists today in the name given to the Galaxy by Finland , Estonia , and several Baltic states : ‘ bird ’ Path ’ ( e.g. , Linnunrata in Finnish or Paukščių Takas in Lithuanian ) , ” writes Graur .
Overall , Graur ’s findings glow a luminousness on the secret of Nut and her relationship with the Milky Way , indicating that different parts of her soundbox are up to of represent the star at different times of yr . “ My study also designate that Nut ’s role in the transition of the deceased to the afterlife and her connection to the one-year hiss migration are consistent with how other civilization understand the Milky Way , ” he explain in astatement .
The study has been published in the Journal ofAstronomical History and Heritage .
