Egyptian god with a lion's head. Ancient Egyptian goddess Sekhmet. See what "sekhmet" is in other dictionaries

The goddess Sekhmet (Sokhmet) is the wife of the creator god Ptah, who was considered the patroness of Memphis (along with Ptah himself).

Her name means “mighty” and fully characterizes her image in mythology.

Sekhmet “managed” various aspects of life:

She was the god of the sun, in particular, she was represented as the formidable eye of the solar god Ra;
She was also the goddess of war;
Sekhmet patronized doctors (they were her priests) and was considered the goddess of medicine;
She had enormous magical power, which gave her the ability to induce diseases and treat them;
She was the protector of the pharaohs.

Sekhmet had a difficult character, furious and unpredictable. She was depicted with the head of a lioness, which is why she was identified with other goddesses - Bast, Tefnut, Hathor. In one of the myths, Ra planned to destroy the entire human race.

Sekhmet, being the eye of the sun god, watched and enjoyed the torment of people, and this continued until the gods spilled red wine on the ground. Sekhmet thought it was blood, attacked him and got drunk, after which she became drunk and fell unconscious. Only after this did the beating of people stop.

In some myths, Sekhmet is considered the creator of Asians and Libyans. Due to her uncontrollable nature, Sekhmet had rather contradictory properties. She sent diseases and could cure them; she was the goddess of war and at the same time the protector of peace. They turned to her in times of danger - be it an attack by enemies or drought.

It is known that during another drought, Pharaoh Amenhotep III ordered the construction of as many as seven hundred Sekhmet statues to appease the gods. The sacred animals of Sekhmet were felines, primarily lions. Her temple in Heliopolis contained several lions, and temples were also erected in deserts where wild lions lived.

Shezmetet

Due to the similarity of the name and iconography, the goddess Shezmetet, the patron of magic, is considered a variant of Sekhmet. This goddess was first mentioned in the Pyramid Texts. However, Shezmetet was also called “Lady Punt,” which is why she can be considered an independent goddess, moreover, of foreign (Ethiopian or Nubian) origin. Shezmetet also acted as the protector of Ra and Osiris.

Images of Sekhmet

Sekhmet in different time depicted in different appearances and with different attributes. During the Hellenistic period, the image of this goddess in the form of a woman in mourning clothing became widespread. Previously, Sekhmet was depicted as an ichneumon, an Egyptian mongoose, lying on a pedestal - apparently, the Egyptians already noticed that the civet family, which includes mongooses, is related to cats.

In her hands Sekhmet held an ankh and “was” - a sacred scepter, as well as a snake and papyrus. In some drawings she stands on a two-headed snake. In other images, there is a solar disk or scorpions above her head. During the Middle Kingdom, the goddess was depicted with burning arrows in her hands, being the personification of Egypt's defense from enemies. The rulers at that time were compared to Sekhmet as commanders, warriors and protectors.

Family harmony

The family harmony between Sekhmet and her husband Ptah is curious. The goddess personified primarily destruction, while Ptah represented creation, including construction and craft. Together they seemed to complement each other, which could be a reflection of the universal formula of existence: destruction and death go hand in hand with creation and birth.

Sekhmet and Ptah gave birth to a son, who received the name Nefertum and personified beauty, prosperity and resurrection after death. The whole family formed a kind of divine triad.

Even when a lion is in a cage, it is capable of causing awe. Therefore, it is not surprising that in ancient times people often deified this animal. One of the most striking lion cults arose in Egypt. Its image is the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet.

“The Terrible Eye of Ra” is the main title of the goddess Sekhmet. It cannot be said that she personified evil, but it was in her image that everything that the ancient Egyptians could fear was combined: war, the scorching sun of the desert and epidemics. Hot winds and scorching Sun rays considered the breath of Sekhmet.

The character of the deity was not subject to control. According to mythology, it was Sekhmet who created the Libyans - one of the main enemies of the Egyptians. This goddess was considered the daughter of Ra and the wife of Ptah. Egyptologists also identify the so-called Memphis triad, which included Sekhmet, her husband Ptah and their son Nefertum.

It is not surprising that it was this formidable goddess who guarded the pharaoh. Ramses II claimed that during the Battle of Kadesh, Sekhmet helped him by destroying his enemies with fire. The goddess also did not favor the enemies of Osiris and Ra. Myths describe her as so strong that even Set and Anubis could not resist her. “Great” and “mighty” are the main epithets that were used to characterize Sekhmet in hieroglyphs. She was also called "the knife wielder."

It is worth noting that Sekhmet not only caused illnesses, but could also cure them; for this reason, the goddess was considered the patroness of doctors, and they were also considered her priests. For this reason, the goddess was sometimes called the “mistress of life.” During the period of treatment, prayers to Sekhmet were considered obligatory. Amulets with the image of the goddess were also supposed to contribute to recovery.

How was the goddess Sekhmet portrayed?

The woman with the head of a lioness is the canonical image of Sekhmet. The goddess's head is often decorated with a solar disk, thus artists emphasized her power over the destructive energy of the sun. The goddess is dressed in a long red dress, which emphasizes her warlike character. The color of the goddess was considered bright orange. The Egyptians associated it with the sultry sun at its zenith.

Another attribute of Sekhmet were flaming arrows. The “7 arrows of Sekhmet” symbolized terrible epidemics and destruction. As a protective goddess, Sekhmet sometimes holds knives in her hands. Sculptural images of the goddess were usually supplemented with such attributes as the ankh, uraeus and papyrus sprout, the latter being a symbol of health. The deity received the listed signs during the New Kingdom.

IN " Book of the Dead» The goddess is often depicted in a solar boat next to Ra. This emphasizes her role as a protector. The dead were usually buried with scrolls containing such images. The Egyptians believed that Sekhmet would protect the deceased from supernatural enemies.

How was the goddess Sekhmet revered?

The veneration of Sekhmet was of a pan-Egyptian character. This goddess was revered in Egypt from the time of the Old Kingdom to the Greco-Roman period. Sekhmet was the patroness of Memphis. The main temple to the goddess was located in Heliopolis, where lions dedicated to the deity were kept.

Temples of Sekhmet were usually built on the edge of the desert, since wild lions often roamed these places. One of these cult centers was built by Pharaoh Sakhur in Abusir. It was believed that the image of the goddess in this temple had healing properties.

Flint was considered the stone of the goddess. It was from flint that surgical instruments and embalming knives were made in Ancient Egypt. Ancient medicine developed at the temples dedicated to Sekhmet.

The ancient Egyptians were afraid of Sekhmet, but in case of danger they turned to her. When a plague broke out in Egypt during the reign of Amenhotep III, the pharaoh, in an attempt to appease Sekhmet, ordered the production of 700 statues of the goddess. They were installed on the shores of Lake Asheru and in the mortuary temple of the mentioned ruler, located in Thebes. The sculptures were carved from black granite and reached 2 meters in height. Now these statues can be seen in many major museums around the world.

During the Greco-Roman period, it was believed that the goddess could be appeased through special rituals that included drinking alcohol, in particular beer. Interestingly, the goddess's feast coincides with the date of modern Orthodox Christmas, that is, it was celebrated on January 7th. The ancient Egyptians scrupulously observed the movements of celestial bodies and noticed that during the indicated period the duration sunny day began to increase. For this reason, January 7 was dedicated to the goddess responsible for the solar heat.

The goddess Sekhmet was feared by the Egyptians even after her worship had faded into oblivion. This is evidenced by an incident that occurred already in the 20th century. Local residents mutilated one of the statues of the goddess, fearing that it would harm children.

December 20, 2017

Character ancient egyptian mythology, patroness of the city of Memphis, goddess of the scorching sun and war.

Mythology

The name Sekhmet translates to “Mighty One.” The goddess was also called “Lady of the Desert,” “Great” and “Powerful.” The lioness was considered the goddess's sacred animal, and Sekhmet herself was depicted as a woman with a lion's head. Other felines were also considered initiates of Sekhmet. Because of the lion's head, the goddess was identified with Bastet - the goddess of beautiful women, fun and fertility, who was depicted as a woman with a cat's head or a cat. Bastet was also depicted with the head of a lioness, but in this form she began to express an aggressive beginning.

The center of the cult of the goddess was the city of Memphis. In the middle of winter, when the sunny day began to increase, a holiday was dedicated to the goddess Sekhmet.

Sekhmet's "duties" extend to war and the destructive heat of the sun. The disk on Sekhmet's head is evidence of the goddess's connection with the energy of the Sun and heat. The goddess is also responsible for healing and has the ability to heal and cause diseases with the help of magic, and doctors in Ancient Egypt were considered priests of Sekhmet.

The goddess is called the menacing eye of Ra, the sun god. According to legend, Sekhmet was originally the goddess Hathor - the patroness of femininity, love, dancing and fun. However, then Amon Ra became angry with the people because they stopped obeying him, and decided to punish the disobedient. To do this, Ra turned Hathor into Sekhmet - an evil lioness.

In this form, the goddess began to exterminate people en masse and drowned the earth in blood. Ra was horrified by this sight and changed his mind about killing all people. The next day, God made Sekhmet drunk with a thousand jugs of blood-red beer, which the lioness goddess mistook for blood, and thereby saved the human race from final destruction.

The character of the goddess Sekhmet was unpredictable, and it was impossible to control her. At the same time, the furious Sekhmet was considered the pharaoh’s bodyguard. The pharaohs themselves were compared to Sekhmet. This goddess was engaged in the extermination of the enemies of the gods, and the pharaoh was also considered the defender of Egypt from external opponents. Burning arrows were depicted as an attribute of Sekhmet the Slayer.

Despite the fact that Sekhmet brutally dealt with people on the orders of Ra, the goddess is considered the protector of the human race and the guardian of the world. In moments of danger, the ancient Egyptians turned to Sekhmet. Epidemics and pestilence were attributed to Sekhmet's anger. When a plague epidemic swept through Egypt during the time of Amenhotep III, the pharaoh ordered the production of seven hundred statues of Sekhmet so that the goddess would change her anger to mercy.

Egyptian myths about the creation of people they claim that Sekhmet created the Asians and Libyans. Temples of the goddess were built on the edge of deserts inhabited by wild lions- animals of Sekhmet. In Heliopolis there was also a temple of the goddess, and the sacred lions lived right inside this temple.

Details of the goddess’s biography are revealed in many ancient Egyptian texts, including the “Book of the Earth”, “Book of Gates”, “Book of Caves”, “Pyramid Texts” and others.

Family

Sekhmet's husband is Ptah, the creator god. Ptah was depicted as a tightly wrapped man with a staff in his hands. Ptah was believed to be beyond the created world. Ptah was considered the creator of souls, the ruler of the other gods, the ruler of earth and sky. The center of the cult of Ptah, like the cult of Sekhmet, was in Memphis. The Temple of Ptah in Memphis was located outside the city walls, thereby emphasizing the mysterious nature of the god himself.

From Ptah, the goddess Sekhmet gave birth to Nefertum, the god of vegetation. This god was depicted as a young man with a lotus flower growing from his head, or as a baby sitting on a lotus flower. God was also depicted in the form of a lion or a youth with the head of a lion.

Sekhmet is a character in the animated series "Egyptus". There the goddess is depicted as a woman with the head of a lioness. The heroine has clawed metal gloves on her hands, and her legs are protected by knee pads. She is wearing a purple skirt with a train and a top. The animated series also depicts other gods of Ancient Egypt, for example, and, whom Sekhmet dislikes according to the plot.

The temple of the goddess Sekhmet is present in computer game"Assassin Creed" in the Imau location. There you can take on the quest “Bringer of Death”, upon completion of which the hero receives the Sekhmet costume. Also in this game you can pass a test, during which you will have to fight with the goddess Sekhmet herself.
Due to the prevalence of the image of Sekhmet in popular culture, the goddess has many fans. Fans create art depicting the goddess in all sorts of ways, and even write fan fiction featuring Sekhmet.

Statue of Sekhmet in the Hermitage

The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg houses a huge temple statue of the goddess Sekhmet, carved from black granite. The statue dates from the mid-14th century BC.

It is distinguished by its abundance and variety of characters. Among them is Osiris, treacherously killed by his own brother and resurrected thanks to the efforts of his beautiful wife Isis. There is the mighty Horus, a god often depicted as a falcon, who challenged the all-powerful Set, his own uncle, and managed to defeat him in a fair fight. The dead were accompanied to the underworld by the jackal-headed Anubis. There are also several little-known gods and goddesses, one of which, Sekhmet, we invite you to get acquainted with.

Description

The goddess Sekhmet patronized war and the hot sun, her main epithets were “mighty”, “ruthless”, “severe”. She personified the destructive power of the hot sun and was the mistress of the desert. The Egyptians believed that the goddess was familiar with magic and could use spells. She was often depicted as a woman with the head of a lioness. On some frescoes or sculptures she is represented as a lioness or lion-like goddess with a cobra.

Purpose

Goddess Sekhmet plays a huge role in different times it had different purposes:

She was considered the patroness of war.
She was the goddess of heat, desert and drought.
She appeared to be the mistress of pestilence and epidemics.
She had healing skills and could heal people, so she was considered the patroness of healers.
She was perceived as the patroness of the army; she accompanied the pharaoh during campaigns, bringing success to his army. Therefore, Sekhmet’s anger was terrible - a military victory could not be expected.
It was also believed that the stern goddess destroyed all living things in order to give birth to new life.
The Book of the Dead describes Sekhmet as the protector of Ra from the evil serpent Apep.

In addition, Sekhmet was considered the patroness of the capital of Egypt, Memphis, so the cult of the goddess was especially popular in this city. She was also revered in Heliopolis. The goddess's holiday was January 7th.

Temperament

It is known that the goddess Sekhmet was one of the most bloodthirsty deities in the land of the pyramids. So, in one of the myths, angry at people who became disrespectful to the gods, the great Ra tore out his eye and threw it to the ground. The eye of God turned into the harsh Sekhmet, she began to destroy unwanted humanity with pleasure. When the gods spilled red wine on the earth, the lioness goddess, mistaking it for blood, greedily attacked the drink and began to drink it. Only after getting drunk and falling asleep did she stop the bloodshed. According to another version of the myth, beer was poured, which acquired a blood-red hue due to the characteristics of the Egyptian soil.

During the era, the goddess was credited with protecting Egypt from external attacks, so Sekhmet began to be depicted with burning arrows. Often it was this goddess that the priests turned to when it was necessary to protect the Egyptian land from invaders. However, in anger she was terrible, she could send pestilence or epidemics to people, her breath caused winds from the desert, causing drought and heat. Therefore, the rulers of the country of the pyramids tried to appease the wayward goddess with rich sacrifices and the construction of temples. It was also believed that she patronized the capital of Egypt - Memphis and all of Upper Egypt.

Mythology ascribes amazing power to Sekhmet, so even the negative representatives of the pantheon, Set and the serpent Apep, feared her wrath.

Place in the pantheon

Sekhmet, according to Egyptian mythology, was the daughter of the solar Ra, the wife of the creator god Ptah. In later eras, it was often depicted as the winners of all those who dared to challenge the gods.

She is a representative of the so-called Creative (Solar) Triad of Egypt, which also included the following deities:

God Ptah, husband Sekhmet, demiurge (creator), is almost not mentioned in prayers, but was revered as the creator of all things.
Nefertum, patron of vegetation.

The triad enjoyed the greatest honor in Memphis and was perceived as the patroness of the pharaohs. Each of the Triad deities symbolized its own element. Thus, Sekhmet was identified with fire, her husband Ptah with the element of earth, so the union of the spouses symbolized the unity of the creative and destructive principles. Nefertum symbolized the water element. Interestingly, the sacred animal of this young god of vegetation was also a lion and he was often depicted with a lion's head, like his warlike mother.

Sacred animals, attributes

The main bloody goddess was the lion, so in Heliopolis, where her temple was located, these animals were kept by priests. Killing a lion was unacceptable. Since Sekhmet was sometimes identified with the goddess Hathor, another sacred animal was the cat. The goddess was the eye of Ra, she herself patronized the hot luminary, so she was often depicted with a solar disk on her head. In her hands was a sharp sword, a dagger, and later flaming arrows. In many images, the goddess holds an ankh in one hand and a papyrus scepter in the other.

The color of the goddess Sekhmet, the patroness of Memphis, is sunny orange, similar to the color of a scorching star at its zenith. Its tree was considered to be juniper, the berries of which were used by healers, and its stone was flint, from which in those days the simplest surgical instruments were made, including devices for embalming. Therefore, it can be noted that in the minds of the ancient Egyptians, the lioness goddess was directly related to medicine. She could both reward humanity and destroy the rebellious by sending an epidemic.

Temples of Sekhmet

Since the goddess Sekhmet was one of the most revered representatives of the Egyptian pantheon, temples were built for her a large number of. Often sanctuaries were erected in the desert, where the sacred animals of the mistress lived - wild lions.

The following historical fact is known: Pharaoh Amenhotep the Third, wanting to appease the goddess and save his country from a terrible epidemic, ordered about 700 of her statues to be made.

The temple in Karnak has survived to this day in good condition, one of the main decorations of which is the statue of Sekhmet with a solar disk on its head.

Goddess cult

Scientists believe that it is with the name of this stern and tough goddess that human sacrifices in Ancient Egypt are associated. However, the cult of Sekhmet also brought benefits to the inhabitants of the country of the pyramids. Thus, the goddess was revered as the conqueror of healing, so medical science actively developed in her temples, and the priests were often quite good healers for that time.

In the largest temples of the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet, a special Greek caste, the red priests, were trained, to whom secret knowledge was revealed in the field of surgery, medicine and even exorcism.

Goddesses with whom Sekhmet was identified

The mythology of Egypt is complex, since it was created over many centuries and was repeatedly modified. That is why the goddess Sekhmet was often identified with other deities of the pantheon. First of all, she is the patroness of love, family life and home. A version has been put forward that Bastet is a peace-loving version of Sekhmet. What do the goddesses have in common:

Both were daughters of Ra.
Both were often depicted with the heads of lionesses. Later, when the cat was tamed, Bastet took on the appearance of a pet.
Bastet was revered in some cities as the goddess of war.
The sacred animals of both goddesses belong to the cat family.

The second representative of the Egyptian pantheon, with whom Sekhmet was identified, is the patroness of wine and fun, who initially had a completely independent character and was depicted in the form of a cow or a woman whose head was decorated with horns. Both goddesses were considered daughters of the sun; later, when the cult of Ra became most significant in Egypt, Hathor began to be identified with Sekhmet, and images of the goddess appeared with the head of a cat or lioness. She began to be perceived as the patroness of the pharaohs.

Sometimes Sekhmet was identified with Tefnut, who was called the wife of the god Ptah and the daughter of Ra. She was often depicted as a woman with a cat's head; sometimes the husband was considered not Ptah, but Shu, the god of air, who was later reinterpreted as the patron of the midday sun. The center of veneration for Tefnut was Heliopolis.

Children of Sekhmet

According to mythology, Sekhmet, the patroness of Memphis, had several children. Her son by Ptah, Nefertum, has already been mentioned. Also, some myths attribute to the lioness goddess the birth of the god Hek, the patron of magic. According to other versions, his mother was the goddess Menkhit, also represented in the form of a warlike lioness. Sources also name the sons of Sekhmet as Ihi and even Horus, although in classical myth they are the children of Hathor and Isis respectively.

Her son is often called the god Mahes, who was also depicted with the head of a lion, was the patron of war, fought with the serpent Apep (in other variations, this function was performed by Sekhmet herself).

Many sculptural images of the goddess of the scorching sun have survived to this day, so we can clearly imagine what the ancient Egyptians thought she looked like. The role of this goddess in the history of ancient Egyptian civilization can be called significant. It was in her temples that wise priests learned the science of healing for years. Of course, medicine of those times was available only to a select few, but the knowledge passed on from one generation of the priestly caste to another had a significant impact on the development of medicine in subsequent eras. A great deal of information about Sekhmet has survived to this day, but the myths are so contradictory that we can only guess what the original functions of this bloodthirsty and harsh goddess were.

The most important lioness goddess of Ancient Egypt

Sekhmet was worshiped in all periods of ancient Egyptian history, including the Greco-Roman era.

Her name, which can be translated as "powerful", "mighty" or "mighty", first appears in the Pyramid Texts.

In the era of the New Kingdom, her common epithet was “Great Sekhmet, beloved by Ptah.” Her most important cult center was Memphis, where she was worshiped as the consort of Ptah and mother of Nefertum.

In the New Kingdom, Sekhmet returned to her role as mother goddess. During the same period, information first appears about the connection between Sekhmet and Mut, who was revered as the “Great Mother Goddess” and the wife of Amon. This probably happened because Thebes became the main city of the country, and there was a need to ideologically connect both new and old capital, as well as their characteristic religious traditions and beliefs. Ultimately, the cult of Sekhmet actually completely merged with the cult of Mut, of which she became one of the forms.

During the New Kingdom, Sekhmet was primarily considered the aggressive aspect of the great goddesses: first Hathor, then Mut, and finally Isis.

IN Last period the emphasis was again placed on her destructive side. Sekhmet appears in various texts as the destroyer of enemies, and also as one who must be appeased through special rituals and celebrations, usually including the consumption of alcohol (beer).

Egyptian goddess of war, incinerating the enemies of the pharaoh

Sekhmet was closely associated with the kingship. She was often described as the mother of Mahes, a fearsome lion god who was the patron of the pharaoh.

Because Sekhmet was believed by the ancient Egyptians to breathe fire on her enemies, she was adopted by many Egyptian pharaohs as a war goddess and a symbol of their own power in battle.

The 19th Dynasty pharaoh Ramesses II (c. 1279-1212 BC) claimed that Sekhmet was with him in his war chariot at the Battle of Kadesh, scorching enemy warriors with her fiery breath.

But not only fire was her weapon - she destroyed enemies with her bow. Of all the Sagittarius goddesses in the Egyptian pantheon, Sekhmet was the most feared. Her “seven arrows” were personified as seven messengers who brought plague and destruction.

Pharaoh of the XII dynasty Senusret III (c. 1878-1841 BC) in one of the hymns is called the one “who shoots an arrow, as Sekhmet does.”

The Egyptian rulers spared no effort and expense to ensure the favor of this goddess. A fragment of a limestone relief has reached us from the valley temple in Dashur of the IV dynasty pharaoh Snefru (c. 2613-2589 BC), who was the great builder of the pyramids. On the relief, the head of the ruler of Egypt is located next to the face of a lioness goddess, apparently Sekhmet. The earthly ruler, as it were, inhales the divine life force emanating from the mouth of the goddess.

Under Pharaoh Sahure of the 5th dynasty (c. 2487-2475 BC), a sanctuary-temple was built in Abusir in honor of Sekhmet.

Pharaoh Amenhotep III – admirer of Sekhmet

However, the pharaoh of the 18th dynasty, Amenhotep III (c. 1402-1364 BC), proved himself to be the most passionate admirer of the goddess. More than 700 statues of Sekhmet were installed south of big temple Amun in Karnak in the Mut zone on the shores of Lake Asherou, as well as in the mortuary temple of the pharaoh (Kom el Heitan) in western Thebes.

It was long believed that the pharaoh himself ordered the installation of statues in both places, but today most scholars believe that initially all the statues stood near the mortuary temple of Kom el Heitan. There they formed part of Amenhotep's major sculptural program.

These large statues (sometimes over 2 meters in height) are carved from black granite or diorite. The hardness of the stone from which the statues are made, their very quantity clearly speaks of the colossal stone-cutting work that was performed by the ancient Egyptian craftsmen.

The statues depict the lioness goddess sitting or standing. In one hand she usually holds an ankh - a symbol of life, in the other sometimes a scepter in the form of a papyrus sprout - a symbol of health and Lower Egypt.

Later, some of these statues were dismantled from their original places and installed in other Egyptian temples and sanctuaries (many of them ended up in Egyptological museums around the world).

Egyptologists, in particular French ones, suggest that initially two series of statues of 365 lioness goddesses were installed at the temple. Daily rituals performed in front of each statue followed the movements of the stars and the course of the sun. The Nile Valley depended on the state of these natural phenomena, which determined the time and timing of the flood of the great river. Amenhotep III apparently believed that in this way the law and order of the universe – maat – was ensured.

He also probably hoped that such a concentration of goddess statues would protect the country from external enemies, epidemics and crop failures.

Healer and patron of doctors

If the plague came to Egypt, it was said to be carried by the “messenger Sekhmet.” The Egyptians believed that if Sekhmet could send diseases, then she was also the one who could protect against them and cure in case of illness.

She had the power to ward off pestilence and could manifest herself as a medical deity and goddess of healing, receiving the epithet “mistress of life.”

Thus, the priests of Sakhmet were associated with medicine and magic, and the goddess herself began to be considered the patron saint of doctors. Its priests were considered medical experts and qualified doctors. One of the papyri, for example, attributes to these priests a detailed knowledge of the heart.

The priest turning to Sekhmet with prayers for the recovery of the patient was an integral part of the entire treatment process, along with the practical actions of the doctor (priest), who was also under the patronage of the goddess.

As the Egyptians believed, amulets and images of the goddess could promote recovery. For example, her image on the wall of the Sahura temple in Abusir was endowed with the ability to magically and miraculously heal the afflicted.

Since Sekhmet has dominant aggressive and dangerous traits, her images could naturally evoke feelings of fear or anxiety. And not only among the ancient Egyptians. The famous Sekhmet statue, now located in the Temple of Ptah in Karnak, was broken in the early 20th century by local residents who feared that it might harm their children.

Sekhmet and the "distant" goddess

Egyptian myths, in different versions, contain a story about a “distant” goddess who fled to Nubia in the guise of a lioness, who was later returned to Egypt. Such a plot is contained in the stories about Mehit, who was caught and returned by the god Onuris, who became her husband. Tefnut, the goddess of moisture, was also brought back from Nubia by the air god Shu.

There is a similar story about Sekhmet. The angry lioness goddess fled to Nubia. Her father, the god Ra, is trying to return his daughter to Egypt. However, the enraged Sekhmet killed every messenger who dared to approach her.

Then the gods, in order to appease the lioness, use music and dancing. Mesmerized by the loud music and the dance movements of the gods, Sekhmet plunges into the waters of the Nile near the first threshold and turns into beautiful woman. According to other versions of this myth, she gets drunk and turns into the peaceful Bastet or Hathor.

Every year, during the flood period, the Egyptians held a “Festival of Intoxication”, the purpose of which was to transform the frantic solar lioness into a peaceful goddess. Here theologians used certain parallels between the onset of water during a flood and that blood-colored beer that the gods poured out to deceive Sekhmet.

This celebration, during which the Egyptians drank alcohol and had fun, embodied an agricultural version of the myth of the eternal revival of nature. Blood and beer (wine) were closely linked in Egyptian mythology.

Iconography of Sekhmet: goddess with the head of a lioness

She is usually depicted as a woman with the head of a lioness. In the New Kingdom she acquired the sun disc, uraeus, ankh sign and papyrus scepter as attributes.

Sometimes, when emphasis is placed on her connection with Hathor, she is depicted holding a sistrum - musical instrument goddess Hathor.

As the goddess of war, the protector of Ra, Osiris, the pharaoh and all of Egypt, she sometimes holds knives (daggers) in her fights.

She often wears a long wig, which somewhat balances the sun disk on her head.

The long dress worn by the goddess is often colored red. On the one hand, red was the color of the Red Crown and the symbol of Lower Egypt, on the other hand, red was the color of blood, emphasizing the warlike nature of the goddess.

Sometimes a rosette was depicted on each breast of the goddess - they were an astronomical symbol of the constellation Leo.

However, in general, images of Sekhmet are difficult to distinguish from other lioness-headed goddesses that have similar iconography.