Egyptian Mythology and Magick Forum ☥

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Golden Falcon ☥ on April 18, 2015, 10:24:44 pm


Title: Egyptian Mythology, Predynastic Period, The Goddess, Sekhmet
Post by: Golden Falcon ☥ on April 18, 2015, 10:24:44 pm
The Goddess, Sekhmet

For other uses, see Sekhmet (disambiguation).
Sekhmet
Goddess of fire, war, vengeance, menstruation, and medicine
Sekhmet.svg
Sekhmet with head of lioness and a solar disk and uraeus on her head

Major cult center   Memphis, Leontopolis
Symbol   Sun disk, red linen, lioness
Consort   Ptah
Parents   Hathor and either Ra or Horus
Siblings   Presumably Hathor, Bast, Serket, Shu and Tefnut
Offspring   Nefertem
In Egyptian mythology, Sekhmet /ˈsɛkˌmɛt/[1] or Sachmis (/ˈsækmɨs/; also spelled Sakhmet, Sekhet, or Sakhet, among other spellings) was originally the warrior goddess as well as goddess of healing for Upper Egypt, when the kingdom of Egypt was divided. She is depicted as a lioness, the fiercest hunter known to the Egyptians. It was said that her breath formed the desert. She was seen as the protector of the pharaohs and led them in warfare.

Her cult was so dominant in the culture that when the first pharaoh of the twelfth dynasty, Amenemhat I, moved the capital of Egypt to Itjtawy, the centre for her cult was moved as well. Religion, the royal lineage, and the authority to govern were intrinsically interwoven in Ancient Egypt during its approximately three millennia of existence.

Sekhmet also is a Solar deity, sometimes called the daughter of the sun god Ra and often associated with the goddesses Hathor and Bast. She bears the Solar disk and the uraeus which associates her with Wadjet and royalty. With these associations she can be construed as being a divine arbiter of the goddess Ma'at (Justice, or Order) in the Judgment Hall of Osiris, associating her with the Wedjat (later the Eye of Ra), and connecting her with Tefnut as well.

This golden cultic object is called an aegis. It is devoted to Sekhmet, highlighting her solar attributes. Walters Art Museum, Baltimore.
Sekhmet's name comes from the Ancient Egyptian word "sekhem" which means "power or might". Sekhmet's name suits her function and means "the (one who is) powerful". She also was given titles such as the "(One) Before Whom Evil Trembles", "Mistress of Dread", "Lady of Slaughter" and "She Who Mauls". She also was seen as a special goddess for women, ruling over their menstruation cycle.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia