Neith
Neith is a member of the pantheon often worshiped in Ancient Osirion1 as a deity with a wide domain.2
She is worshipped as a funerary deity in her role as protector the bodies of fallen soldiers and the stomachs of the embalmed dead. Those who worship her as a goddess of war and the hunt believe that she taught humans how to make weapons for war. In both domains, she uses a loom to weave bandages and burial shrouds for warriors injured or killed in battle. Through her weaving, she is also regarded as a goddess of creation, believed to weave the world daily.2
She is also worshipped as the goddess of the oceans around Osirion.2
History
Since the Age of Destiny and the founding of Osirian civilization, the people of Osirion have worshiped their own local deities, including Neith, in addition to those deities venerated more commonly throughout the Inner Sea region. Their worship was most popular during the early millennia and waned as the Osirian people gradually turned to foreign deities. During the Age of Enthronement, the Osirian deities, while continuing to guide Osirion from afar, retreated from Golarion and turned their attention towards the distant land of Kemet.2
When Osirion was under Keleshite rule, the foreign overlords sought to eradicate the faith of the indigenous deities, but they remain a part of the history of Osirion's land and people. Since the restoration of native Osirian rule in 4609 AR,3 interest in these ancient divinities has been rekindled.45
Appearance
Neith is typically depicted as a woman with a red deshret crown, a bow, and a quiver of arrows. Some depictions show her clad in armor.2
Relationships
Neith is the mother of Sobek, who was conceived after a desert hunting tryst with Set. Neith is seen as a mediator between Set and Horus thanks to her wisdom.2 She is known to protect canopic jars along with Anubis, Isis, Nephthys, and Selket, often paired with the latter.6
Worshippers
Neith is worshipped by a wide variety of people. Hunters and rangers worship her as a patron of the hunt, while soldiers and warriors worship her as a patron of war. Sailors worship her as goddess of the sea, while weavers and smiths worship Neith as a patron of craftspeople. Neith's clergy, especially her clerics, are often skilled craftspeople, especially smiths and weavers, who never marry.2
References
- ↑ The deities Ra, Horus, Anubis, Osiris, Ma'at, Isis, and Thoth stopped answering prayers in 4724 AR after events described in War of Immortals. The ramifications of this change in this context might not yet be defined in a canon source. See Meta:Osirian pantheon.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 . “Gods of Ancient Osirion” in Empty Graves, 70. Paizo Inc., 2014
- ↑ . “Golden Road” in World Guide, 51. Paizo Inc., 2019
- ↑ Rob McCreary. (March 13, 2014). The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Osirion, Paizo Blog.
- ↑ . “Gods of Ancient Osirion” in Empty Graves, 65. Paizo Inc., 2014
- ↑ . “Gods of Ancient Osirion” in Empty Graves, 73. Paizo Inc., 2014
External links
- Neith (real-world deity) on Wikipedia