Nebethet

Biographical Sketch

 * Name: Nebethet
 * Aliases: Ivory Goddess, Queen of Darkness, Mistress of Night
 * Identity: Deity
 * Gender: Female
 * Aspect: Darkness, Night.
 * Appearance: Ivory skin, bleached skull-head, appearance of a young half-naked woman.
 * Symbol:
 * Powers and Abilities: Body possession, can kill with a finger.
 * Weakness: 

Affiliations

 * Group Membership: Hyborian Pantheon
 * Allies: Jamankh the Hyena-Demon
 * Enemies:
 * Known Relatives:
 * Base of Operations: Punt
 * Culture: Puntian

History and Cult Practices
Nebethet is a deity of the Puntian people. Only mentioned in The Ivory Goddess by de Camp, (and later comic adaptations) the only details known is that her temple is to be empty by royal Puntian law, and is inhabited by an Oracle (assumed by Conan). The Puntians seek advice and clarity from the Goddess by speaking to her statue, and the deity does indeed respond to her followers, though it is unclear if Conan spurred this by his actions.

Notes of Interest
Despite Puntian law, there are two inhabitants of the temple the story centers on. The supposed Oracle (an old woman), and her demon-son (whose father is Jamankh). The deity does take direct action against blasphemies, (evidenced by her killing a man), yet a demon-spawn is allowed in her temple. In the beginning of the story, a priest of the deity communicates with the priests of Keshan. Specifically thanking his "brother priests". The priests of Keshan worship the Goddess Yelaya among others, so raises the question of how similar the Cult of Yelaya is to Nebethet.

Jamankh being a demon, and the deity being titled Queen of Darkness substantiates the idea that Nebethet either rules over him, or is related to. Concerning Muriela, the deity tells Conan that she will be provided for once she is no longer needed. As Conan theorized, the old woman is an Oracle of the deity, perhaps once possessed a long time ago. It can be theorized that Muriela will live out the rest of her days serving a dark deity, with who knows what other demons as her companion.

On one last note, Nebethet holds a real life equivalent; Nebet-Het or Nephthys, an ancient Egyptian deity.