Nehebkau
Nehebkau is the primordial snake and funerary god associated with the afterlife. He is one of the forty-two assessors of Maat who judge the souls of the dead. This serpent deity plays a role in the judgment and protection of the deceased.
↻ synthesized from 6 sources
When
- First attested
- 3000 BCE
- Attested period
- -3000 – 300
- Historical notes
- Ancient Egyptian primordial deity from the pharaonic period.
Relationships
- co occurs with
- Wepwawet, Horus-nefer, Nepri, Renenutet, Qebehsenuef, Ihy, Panebtawy, Ra-Horakhty, Kothar-wa-Khasis, Mehen, Shepsy, Iah, Shezmu, Nebnerou, Peteese, Pihor, Ruty, Shemanefer, Mnevis, Sah, Kolanthes, Irer, Sedjem, Igai, Ḥutchai, Qebui, Shehbui, Khenti-kheti, Petbe, Rem, Rekhyt, Sepa, Maga, Imsety, Kemwer, Khenti-Amentiu, Khesfu, Kneph, Mau, Nefer Hor, Nekheny, Pataikos, Sahekek, Sebeg, Sed, Sekhemus, Sepes, Septu, Seta-Ta, Setcheh, Setem, Ma'at, Sed, Aker, Isis, Anubis, Seker, Nephthys, Hapi, Mot, Huur, Spandaramet, Andjety, Aqen, Assessors of Maat, Duamutef, Imset, Meretseger, Shai, Wadjet, Tefnut, Nut, Seth, Shu, Atum, Apep, Bastet, Sekhmet, Serapis, Kherty, Medjed, Mandulis, Sebiumeker, Resheph, Nemty, Neferhotep, Jupiter Ammon
Mentioned by
- Aker
- Isis
- Anubis
- Seker
- Nephthys
- Hapi
- Mot
- Huur
- Spandaramet
- Andjety
- Aqen
- Assessors of Maat
- Duamutef
- Imset
- Meretseger
- Shai
and 25 more
Sources
Source passages
“Nehebkau, the primordial snake and funerary god associated with the afterlife, and one of the forty-two assessors of Maat”
#12224 · extracted by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5
“Nehmetawy was the wife of snake god Nehebkau”
#23614 · extracted by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5
“More usually, Renenutet was seen as the mother of Nehebkau who occasionally was also represented as a snake. When considered the mother of Nehebkau, Renenutet was seen as having a husband, Geb, who represented the earth.”
#23636 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“In one of the Coffin Text spells Geb was described as father of the mythological snake Nehebkau of primeval times. His association with vegetation, healing and sometimes with the underworld and royalty brought Geb the occasional interpretation that he was the husband of Renenutet, a minor goddess of the harvest and also mythological caretaker (the meaning of her name is "nursing snake") of the young king in the shape of a cobra, who herself could also be regarded as the mother of Nehebkau”
#23961 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“Nehebkau is most often represented in Ancient Egyptian art, carvings and statues as an anthropomorphised snake: half human and half serpent. He is also commonly depicted as a falcon headed snake with human arms and legs”
#24454 · extracted by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5