In the Amduat funerary text, Neith is referred to as Njt-TAjt, and in Esna, she is said to be both male and female.”) - Divine Androgyny in Ancient Egypt "She was an independent goddess with her own temples and priesthood long before the Theban god 2/

"Ancient Egyptian goddess Mut was considered a primal deity, associated with the primordial waters of Nu from which everything in the world was born." (“Goddess Mut’s name could be written with the phallus glyph; above she is portrayed ithyphallically. 1/

For Indigenous People’s Day

the Hero Twins must navigate hazardous rivers including a river of blood and a river of pus. *Aztec Mythology (Apanohuacalhuia): The first of the nine subterranean levels of Mictlán. Souls cross this wide, turbulent river with the aid of a psychopomp dog (xoloitzcuintle). 8/

The difficulty of the crossing depends on the karma accumulated during life (passing via a bridge, a shallow ford, or a deep, monster-infested churning current). *Mayan Mythology (K'ich'ich' ha' & K'ich' saq ha'): In the underworld of Xibalba, 7/

It is crossed by the gold-decked Gjallarbrú bridge, guarded by the maiden Móðgúðr. *Japanese Buddhist Tradition (Sanzu River): The "Three-Crossing River" that the dead must traverse seven days after passing away. 6/

*In Greco-Roman mythology, the domain of Hades (or Pluto) is crossed or surrounded by five principal rivers. *Norse Mythology (Gjöll): The freezing river Gjöll flows through the icy realm of Niflheim and Hel. 5/

*Hindu Mythology (Vaitarna): A terrifying river of blood, filth, and suffering located at the entrance of Naraka (hell), which sinners must cross while holding a cow's tail for guidance. 4/

*Egyptian Mythology (The Duat River): The solar boat of the sun god Ra carries the sun and the souls of the deceased nightly through the winding waters of the Duat, an underworld filled with trials, monsters, and rebirth. 3/

Across global mythologies, the Milky Way is widely envisioned as a celestial river, spirit road, or bridge of souls that guides the dead to the afterlife. *Mesopotamian Mythology (Hubur): The river of the underworld (Irkalla) that all dead souls must cross. 2/

Rivers in or to the Afterlife? AI Overview: Mythology across many ancient cultures features sacred or supernatural rivers that mark the boundary between the living world and the realm of the dead. 1/