In ancient Egypt, the gods and goddesses believed to protect and guide the living, and the dead wouldn’t matter more. However, of these deities, Nut, the sky goddess, was essential. Through her symbolism in Egyptian art, we often feel that her body arches over the earth, protecting the world beneath her celestial form. However, what comes to mind when we enter deeper into Egyptian burial practices, especially the practice of preserving the body? The story of the mummy’s breast covering decorated with an image of a Nut promises to provide a unique insight into the world of religious belief and funerary customs. But this isn’t just pretty writing on a pretty building. This is an insight into some beliefs and protective practices the Egyptians integrated into their culture.
In this article, the story of the origin, meaning, and cultural significance of the mummy breast covering is followed through. Through our investigation of the image of Nut on these coverings, we will show how she ensures that the deceased are under divine protection and cosmic rebirth.
The Role of Nut in Egyptian Cosmology
Understanding the Egyptian creation myth is a prerequisite for comprehension of the symbolism of the Nut. Nut is the mother goddess of the sky, often shown as a woman curving above the earth with her body arched across the heavens, her fingers and toes reaching the planet. She is also the mother of Osiris, Isis, Seth, and Nephthys (who also appear in Egyptian cosmology) and plays a crucial role in Egyptian cosmology. Sometimes, she is depicted as a cow, that is to say, as an embodiment of fertility, and sometimes, she is depicted as a woman, covered in stars, that is to say, as heaven and the heavenly bodies.
In Egyptian cosmology, Nut was also a symbol of rebirth and was not only a Mother goddess. Characterised by a tendency to be associated with the cycles of life and death, the ancient Egyptians thought that Nut would help protect the deceased in their afterlife journey. That would have been a comforting image for the deceased, making sure to help them be protected by the divine as they fought their way through the gauntlet of challenges and judgment on their way to the afterlife.
It is even more poignant, though, in the context of burial and mummification. In one or another, it was believed that the deceased experienced reincarnation on the journey to the afterlife, and Nut was a crucial element in the process. Those who saw the mummy breast coverings with her image would have considered them amuletic, calling on Nut to protect them in the body and on the journey to the afterlife.
Mummy Breast Coverings: A Glimpse into Ancient Egyptian Burial Practices
One of the subtler but more powerful elements of Egyptian burial rites is mummy breast coverings. These were linen or cloth garments usually put over the breast of the deceased. The covering functioned in terms of both its protective nature as a clothing piece and its iconic presence as a final clothing covering, which would protect the deceased in his or her journey through the afterlife.
While the purpose of mummy breast coverings varied depending on the era, the overarching theme remained consistent: These were meant to protect the deceased in their passage into the underworld, or ‘Duat.’ Often, the coverings were decorated with representations of gods and goddesses—Nut, Isis, or Anubis—and so were necessary for spiritual protection.
Of particular importance was the image of Nut on these coverings. Though thought to control the sky, she was said to be able to guard the soul, keep out evil, and keep a dead person in good standing for rebirth into the next life. The Egyptians used the placement of her image over the chest of the deceased to line up the mortal body with the cosmos, calling upon Nut’s powers of protection and the integrity of the body for the next life.
The Material and Crafting of Mummy Breast Coverings
The resource that was needed was the meticulous creation of these coverings. A breast covering was often woven from linen, a fabric valued for its strength and its connection to purity, and frequently embroidered or painted into shape. Embroidered with sacred texts, spells, or prayers developed to protect the wearer from evil and spiritualise the journey in the afterlife, some of these coverings were included. Some included images of the Nut or her symbol, the cow horns or starry heaven to bring the presence of the divine right onto the body.
Archaeologists have found evidence that these breast coverings were often made for the individual and carried depictions of particular deities to protect the dead’s needs or wants. While personal, this belief in divine protection was so deepened in Egyptian society. Each individual in the community would have a specific relationship with the gods, so they had to have specific celestial guidance.
The Symbolism of Nut’s Image on the Breast Covering
The fitting placement of Nut’s image over the chest is symbolic in deep meaning. The heart was always believed to be the seat of the soul and, consequently, the centre of being in ancient Egypt. Accordingly, it was expected that the heart would remain with the deceased, burdening them following judgement by Osiris in the afterlife. Below the feet and directly over the heart, this position was thought to securely place Nut’s presence directly over the heart to bring spiritual protection, including espousing the heart around its lightness and purity at the moment of judgment.
There’s another layer to this symbolism of the Nut’s connection to the sky and the heavens. According to Egyptian mythology, the body of Nut arched the earth and contained all the stars of the night sky inside of her. This cosmic image would help the deceased remember their place in the universe and about the divine. The stars were often represented with Nut, symbols of eternity and continuity necessary for immortality.
Spiritual Rebirth and Cosmic Protection
Her proximity to spiritual rebirth was one of the most compelling reasons for Nut to be included on the mummy breast covering. Thirteen metres tall, Nut is the goddess of the sky who owed her name to the sea of stars our eyes gaze out on every night. As a goddess of the sky, she was intimately connected to the cycles of life and death, and Nut oversaw the deceased’s rebirth into the afterlife. The Egyptians considered life in the cycle and death merely an entrance to another life form. Nut’s image symbolised the protection this transformation required so that the deceased would be reborn into a new life in the afterlife, as the sun is resurrected each morning.
The mummification process was a ceremonial act of preservation whereby the body was kept intact, each organ to itself, for the soul to have a fitting home and body to inhabit in the afterlife. Nut’s image was also important because it reminded everyone on the soul’s journey that divine forces would aid the transition to eternity. But these rituals weren’t tied to keeping the body together for the ancient Egyptians—they were about saving the soul in consort with the divine order, a precondition of eternal life.
The Cultural and Emotional Context
Nut, a deity in ancient Egyptian spiritual beliefs, reflected upon this spiritual belief so much that they included it on mummy breast coverings. At a time when death was considered a necessary but dangerous change, the Egyptians did their best to make sure the dead were appropriately apprehensive about the afterlife. In so doing, they linked the physical body to Nut, who, through that association, gave the deceased access to the divine cosmos, which was an assurance and comfort to the deceased.
There’s something fascinating about how this practice could have imprinted itself on the emotions of the people who took part in the rituals of burial. In mourning relatives, they would have felt comfort that their loved ones were prepared slowly for their spiritual journey. The presence of a Nut over the body would have represented the mother’s love and cosmic protection to travel safely on and emerge into rebirth. This would have been an intensely emotional connection to the divine for the ones left behind and, by implication, their conviction that there was life after death intact.
The Discovery of Mummy Breast Coverings with Nut’s Image
Archaeological excavations in Egypt have unveiled many of these mummy breast coverings. Among the most remarkable discoveries were made in the Valley of the Kings, a site where pharaohs and nobles were buried, and elaborate burial customs were almost always in use. In these tombs, remarkable artefacts have been found, including mummy breast coverings adorned with an image of Nut and other divine symbols.
However, researchers said the discovery of these objects provides tangible proof that the ancient Egyptians’ concepts of the afterlife included the idea of visiting loved ones. By learning about these relics, we can get an idea of the physical practice of mummification and the spiritual and emotional depth of these burial customs.
Conclusion
Not only are these amazing artefacts the mummy breast coverings adorned with the goddess Nut, but they also reflect ancient Egyptians’ emotional and spiritual lives. Nut’s role as a protector, guide and symbol of rebirth can be tied to the broader idea that the Egyptians had that life and death cycle each other. Above all, these were not just useful to protect the body but were part and parcel of the spiritual journey of the deceased, who, having grown dependent on them, would invoke divine protection to facilitate their relatively safe journey into the hereafter.
Using Nut’s image, we learn how the ancient Egyptians combined art, religion, and funerary practises in an all-encompassing system of beliefs designed to achieve immortality. The divine presence of Nut set over the deceased’s heart is the ultimate connection of the earthly realm and cosmos… a beautiful, spiritual bridge of time and link between the divine.
As excited as we are about what this new knowledge continues to reveal about the past, these artefacts — from the mummy coverings to the sacred symbols of the gods — help us make sense of a complex ancient world. The story of Nut and her role in Egyptian burial practices reminds us of the enduring power of symbolism, the depth of cultural practices, and the eternal quest for meaning and protection in the face of life’s greatest mystery: death.
