The study, published in the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, reveals data on the importance of the Milky Way in the cosmology of ancient Egypt, suggesting that the galaxy was not only a celestial phenomenon, but also a mythological icon deeply rooted in their culture and beliefs.

THE ANCIENT EGYPTIAN PERSONIFICATION OF THE MILKY WAY AS THE SKY-GODDESS NUT: AN ASTRONOMICAL AND CROSS-CULTURAL ANALYSIS
The Milky Way’s name and role in ancient Egyptian culture remain unclear. One suggestion is that the Milky Way may have been a celestial depiction of the sky goddess Nut. In this work, I test this association using an interdisciplinary approach. In the first part of this paper, I combine astronomical simulations of the ancient Egyptian night sky with primary Egyptian sources to map the goddess Nut onto the Milky Way. With her head and groin firmly associated by primary texts with the western and eastern horizons, respectively, I argue that the summer and winter orientations of the Milky Way could be construed as figurative markers of Nut’s torso (or backbone) and her arms, respectively. In the second part of this paper, I situate Nut within the global, multicultural mythology of the Milky Way. Specifically, I show that Nut’s roles in the afterlife and the autumn bird migration are consistent with similar roles attributed to the Milky Way by other cultures. Finally, I show that Nut’s identification with the Milky Way may even have echoes in contemporary African conceptions of the Galaxy.
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The research proposes that the Milky Way may have been represented by Nut, the goddess of the sky, and played a multifaceted role in guiding both the souls of the dead and migratory birds.

The Milky Way has long confused Egyptologists as to its exact meaning in Ancient Egyptian beliefs. The new analysis introduces an interpretation of the Milky Way as a path to the underworld and a guide to bird migration, drawing parallels with similar beliefs in other cultures.

In Egyptian mythology, Nut is depicted as a woman adorned with stars, stretching out over the Earth. Traditionally, the representation of Nut with her head to the west and her back to the east was thought to be inconsistent with the changing positions of the Milky Way, which change from east to west in summer to north-south in winter, explains IFLScience.

In Ancient Egypt, The Milky Way Was A Ladder To The Afterlife
The galaxy was seen as a conduit for the souls of the dead in many other ancient cultures.
IFLScienceBenjamin Taub


However, the study points out that Nut's poses in various funerary arts, specifically his arms extended at 45 degrees, could mimic the changing alignment of the galaxy through the seasons.

The study also explores the representation of Nut and the Milky Way in the Book of Nut, where it is suggested that during the winter, the Milky Way aligns with Nut's arms, and in the summer, it outlines his torso or spine. This alignment supports the theory that the physical representation of Nut could in fact mirror the galactic plane.

The research also examined cultural parallels, noting that, as in some Native American and Yucatec Mayan traditions, where the Milky Way is seen as a route for spirits in transition to the afterlife, ancient Egyptian texts describe Nut as a "ladder" that helps souls in their ascent to the afterlife. This metaphorical representation aligns with other global mythologies.

In addition, the study addresses the role of the Milky Way in bird migration, an aspect portrayed in the Book of Nut. Each winter, the birds are said to emerge from the northern end of Nut, a narrative that resonates with the "Way of the Birds" terminology used in modern Baltic and Finnish languages for the galaxy.