The Two Goddesses of Egypt
There are a vast number of powerful Egyptian deities with different abilities. Most of the gods like Osiris, Horus and Ra have their own sphere of domain- but they all have one main duty- protecting the nation and its people.
For the harsh life of Ancient Egypt, there were two main deities whose sole responsibility was to provide protection to the land and its people.
The names of these two goddesses are Nekhbet and Wadjet.
They do not have any major stories in mythology but are essential part of the cosmogony and of the history of Ancient Egypt.
Upper and Lower Egypt
The history of Egypt (especially from the beginning) is complex in nature. For our knowledge, there is a period known as the Pharaonic Age. This just means the time when the first Pharaoh (often known as either Narmer or Menes) began ruling over Ancient Egypt.
A key factor of this glorious age was the “unification” of the two lands- Upper and Lower Egypt.
Upper Egypt is the southern part of Egypt- it is away from the Nile delta and is technically the lower portion of modern day Egypt. Lower Egypt is the northern part- it encompasses the Nile delta.
The confusion here can be easily explained. Ancient Egypt followed the path of the Nile till it reached the sea and hence their map has Lower Egypt in the North and Upper Egypt in the South.
Nekhbet
Nekhbet was an early patron deity of an ancient city called Nekhen, which was a capital city in Upper Egypt. By the time Egypt became unified as one land, she became known as the patron goddess of Upper Egypt. She was depicted as a vulture or as a woman with a vulture- looking crown. This crown was a symbol of protection.
She was a protectoral deity of royal women and pharaohs (she was known as the mother of pharaohs). Nekhbet became associated with the White Crown as well. This crown, also known as Hedjet, was a part of the pharaoh’s headdress and represented Upper Egypt. All of this symbolism shows the importance that the vulture goddess had in royal mythology.
This importance to Nekhbet, in my opinion, stems from her depiction as a ferocious vulture. The vulture was a vicious animal- its long wings and claws inspired fear in the desert regions of Ancient Egypt.
Wadjet
Wadjet, or ‘the green one’, was a goddess who took on the role as the patron goddess of Lower Egypt. Before “unified Egypt”, she started out as the local goddess of the ancient city known as Buto.
As she was symbolized with Lower Egypt, she was associated with Red Crown of Egypt, also known as Deshret. Just like Nekhbet, Wadjet gained superior status as an essential part of the royal mythology.
Wadjet was an even fiercer and aggressive deity when compared to her counterpart. This aggressiveness can be understood when one finds out that she is usually represented as a cobra, or as a woman with a cobra head. This aspect of Wadjet greatly established her role as a protectoral deity, who would spit out venom on her enemies, just like a cobra.
I would like to take a moment and look at the big picture when it comes to these two goddesses. The ancient Egyptians had numerous number of heavenly beings that they worshipped. Out of all the deities they had, they choose ones that were represented by animals that they themselves feared the most. The relationship that the ancient Egyptians have with nature is quite fascinating to explore.
The Two Ladies Name
Nekhbet and Wadjet had great influence as individual goddesses who symbolized the two lands of Egypt. But as a combined ideology, they gained great power as the dual protectors of Egypt and the Pharaoh. Every single king of Ancient Egypt had a royal titular system consisting of 5 main titles with numerous epithets and praises (like a crazy amount!).
Amongst them, there is one specially dedicated to our Two Ladies. This title was aptly known as the Two Ladies Name or the nebty name (in hieroglyphic terms).
The nebty name translates as the “The King of Dualities” and refers to the position that the king had as the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt. This title is particularly important as it emphasizes the king’s role as the man who unites the two lands and brings peace to Egypt with his protection with the aid of the two protectoral goddesses. Representations of Nekhbet and Wadjet through the fusion of the white and red crown, together known as the Pschent, showed the united prowess of the king.
