Sekhmet is one of the most powerful and revered goddesses in Ancient Egypt. In different sources, this mythical creature is mentioned under several names - Sahet, Sokhmet or Sekhmet. The magical power of the deity is unique. On the one hand, Sekhmet is the goddess of war, with an arc - a great healer.
Who is Sekhmet
According to the ancient Egyptian legend, the God Ra originally lived among people and was a ruler. Old age became the reason that the population of Egypt decided to overthrow the weak ruler. Ra turned to the gods for help, who advised him to send his Eye to earth. The deities in this case meant the daughter of Ra, whose name was Sokhmet.
Sekhmet was a goddess who personified female beauty. Along with her belligerent qualities, she was considered a symbol of love and a keeper of home comfort.
The exhausted ruler followed the advice of the gods. The girl came to earth in the form of a huge lioness with an uncontrollable and ruthless character. The bloodthirsty animal killed everyone who met on her way. It was the image of a lioness that caused the goddess Sokhmet to be portrayed as a woman with a lion's head.
Abilities of the goddess Sekhmet
Sekhmet in Egyptian mythology is the goddess of war and the personification of the scorching sun. In addition, this deity was considered the main protector of the pharaohs and the entire mythical world. Sekhmet accompanied the rulers during military campaigns, exterminated enemies and sent diseases to them. She could instantly bring epidemics, hunger and drought to the earth. The goddess of war had a cruel and harsh character. She was especially pleased with the massacres and humiliation of people.
Along with the belligerent abilities, Sekhmet is credited with magical powers. The fact is that she could both send and heal diseases. Thanks to such qualities, she was also considered the patroness of doctors.
The cult of Sekhmet in Egypt
The ancient Egyptians had great respect for the image of Sekhmet. On the territory of Egypt, a huge number of temples were built, erected in honor of the goddess. Moreover, in most of them, the priests kept lions. Animals were treated with respect and considered sacred. It is noteworthy that mainly deserts and especially places inhabited by wild lions were chosen for the construction of temples.
If the population suffered from epidemics, lack of crops due to drought or from the attack of enemies, then first of all people turned to Sekhmet for help, believing that this was the result of her anger. By order of one of the pharaohs, several thousand figurines of this goddess were even made.
The image of Sekhmet was closely associated not only with lions, but also with cats. In Egypt, people were sentenced to death for killing a four-legged pet.
In addition, Sekhmet was one of the representatives of the great Solar Triad, which also included her son Nefertum and her husband Ptah. It was these three deities who were the patrons and protectors of Memphis, and Sekhmet symbolized the fiery power that destroys evil.
