In ancient Egypt the deities appear in various animal or hybrid animal apsects, such as Taweret, the hippopotamus Goddess; and the falcon-headed Horus. Nekhbet (Nekhebet) is held in high esteem as the Vulture Goddess, one of the oldest of the animal deities.
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First signs of her worship are in the pre-dynastic stage of Egypt, as far back as c. 5000 BCE. Nekhbet is the patron deity of Upper Egypt.
When Upper and Lower Egypt unify in 3100 BCE, Nekhbet rules jointly with the prehistoric winged snake goddess Wadjet as patron of all Egypt. They're called 'the Two Ladies.'
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For royalty, vulture and cobra crowns dress the heads of kings and queens for burial. While the uraeus or cobra crown is especially associated with kings, the vulture crown is that of the queen. A stylized form of the bird sits atop her head, face front with wings hanging down, like a type of helmet (see below).
Nekhmet holds a pair of rings in her talons. A shen ring is a common deific accessory. Images of Inanna (Ishtar) and other Mesopotamian also hold the shen ring as representation of eternal protection. It's the shape of a circe with a line or rod at one end.
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The hat worn by Nefertari above resembles a shallow bowl on her head. It's empty and represents an open receptive mind and willingness to acquire new knowledge.
In ancient Egypt, animal deities start off as animals themselves. As time goes on the God forms a hybrid human shape, appearing with a cat head like Bastet or Falcon, as Horus. Below is the Hippopotmas goddess Taweret.
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Sometimes all animal meanings fade away except as symbols or epithets. Other gods keep their primal form through time and changes, and Nekhbet is one of these. She symbolizes wisdom of the ages.
The soaring vulture is the most graceful of birds. Vultures find food by sight and can spot a meal from up to four mi (6.4 km) away. By circling overhead they call others to the feast. A larger group is better if it has to chase predators like wolves away from the kill.
Vultures are associated with death and the realm of the Underworld due to their abundant presence on battlefields, and role in nature to clean up carrion. If anyone profits throughout the early age of humans, it's the vulture.
The effect of mass warfare is an abundance of carrion. Vultures have the toughest stomach acid in the animal world, and can eat rotting meat which would kill a lesser scavenger. And, after wading through putrid bodies, the vulture can disinfect itself with its own urine.
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To the ancient Egyptians all vultures are female and spontaneously hatch without need for the male. Vultures correspond to purity, motherhood and the eternal cycle of death and rebirth. She is an important deity in the realm of Egypt, where it's said the sweep of her wings drives away evil and disease.
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