Sekhmet. Lion Headed War Goddess Of Egypt

Discover the story of Sekhmet, the Lion-headed Goddess of War from Egyptian mythology. Learn about her powers and legends.

Sekhmet Egyptian Goddess of War

Sekhmet lion-headed goddess of war, is one of the oldest known Egyptian deities. She protected the great pharaohs and guided them in war. From the breath of the goddess the desert was born. Her name derives from the Egyptian word for power, and she was known to be fierce and bloodthirsty.

The dominant goddess of the twelfth dynasty was also a solar deity, the daughter of the sun god Ra. She is often depicted dressed in red, to express her thirst for blood, and she wears a solar disk on her head surrounded by a cobra Ureaus, representing the story of her creation.

Sacrifices were offered to the goddess after the war in an effort to please her. Sekhmet was so widely venerated that Pharaoh Amenemhat I moved her cult center when the capital of Egypt was moved to Itjtawy.

Origin

As stated in the myth, the sun god, Ra, became angry with the people. They were not properly following the laws he had given them, and upholding justice. As punishment for disobedience, he drew from his eye an aspect of his daughter in the form of a cobra that transformed into a lion.

He then sent her to Earth to destroy the dissenters. The Eye of Ra became Sekhmet. She devastated the people and the earth was covered in blood. Witnessing the carnage, Ra began to feel pity and tried to stop the lioness, but she was bloodthirsty and ignored his plea.

Anxious to stop the slaughter, Ra poured thousands of jugs of beer stained with pomegranate juice into the Nile, staining it as red as blood. Sekhmet, thinking it was blood, drank it so fast that she became completely intoxicated and slept for days.

When Sekhmet awoke, his bloodlust had subsided and humanity was saved from his wrath. Justice and balance came back into existence. Also, as it happened, the first thing Sekhmet saw when she opened her eyes from her drunken sleep, was the creator god, Ptah.

She fell madly in love with him. Together, they had a son named Nefertum. The family of three became the Memphis triad.

Family of Sekhmet

Ptah

The handsome and brilliant Ptah was the creator of the physical universe. An artisan, the demiurge and craftsman of all things, he was known to be quite stubborn. Ptah is most often depicted wrapped in cloth as a mummy, but his hands are left free to hold a staff.

His head was shaved and he wore a skull cap. In addition to all the creating he had to do, Ptah was High Priest of his temple in Memphis, and held the title of Great Leader of the Artisans.

Nefertum

The son of the lioness and creator, Nefertum was born from a blue lotus bud floating in the water. He represents the dawn, and is said to have created mankind from his tears.

Imhotep

His adopted son Imhotep was the first known architect, engineer and physician in history. A sage and chief minister of the court of Pharaoh Djoser, Imhotep officiated over the construction of the Step Pyramid of Djoser.

Also known as an important figure in Ancient Egyptian medicine, he was granted deity status thousands of years after his death, despite being born human.

Historical Influence Sekhmet Goddess of War

In legends, Sekhmet was known as the Mighty One, a protector of the Pharaohs, with a bravery and style similar to the cobra Uraeus from which she was originally derived.

Armed with her qualities of aggression and bravery, she was a fierce warrior, also known for her divine retribution, destruction and conquest. Overall, she was a terrifying goddess symbolizing absolute power and authority.

As the warrior manifestation of the sun, her flaming arrows defeated the enemies of Egypt. She was the bringer of plagues upon the enemies. With incantations and magic spells, Sekhmet could also heal the sick. Her priests were the doctors and magicians of the royal families of Egypt.

To honor the goddess, an annual festival of intoxication was held. Egyptians drank beer to imitate the drunkenness of the goddess who once held back her wrath and saved mankind from destruction. There is historical evidence that tens of thousands of people attended the festivals.

Rituals for the goddess

As time went by, rituals began to honor the goddess Sekhmet and for this, different statues were made each year of this warrior goddess. This resulted in many statues of the goddess throughout Egypt. It is estimated that at one time there were 700 statues of her in the temple of Amenhotep III. One of the largest built at the time (covering approximately 86 acres).

Amenhotep III was the ninth pharaoh of the 18th dynasty who ruled Egypt in the 13th century BC. It was a time of prosperity and international power for Egypt.

In 2016, eight statues of the goddess were discovered during an excavation project at the temple. Which was built more than 3,000 years ago. Six of the statues depict her seated on a throne and holding the symbol of life. Two of the statues depict Sekhmet standing, holding a scepter in her left hand and a symbol of life in her right.

Three were discovered almost complete, while the remaining statues have been damaged, and only portions remain. It is not surprising that Sekhmet is depicted in all the statues with a tripartite wig and a long dress to bare the body, as both were the fashion in ancient Egypt.