Sekhmet : The Goddess of Healing and Destruction in Ancient Egyptian Mythology

Have you ever imagined yourself as a lionist in ancient Egypt to be able to build and destroy heal and damage love and hate millions of people worshiping and fearing you to be the son God's daughter the Creator God's bride and the mother of the sunrise God if so you might be interested in knowing more about seked one of Egypt's most interesting and complicated Gods sekat was more than a lionist in a human form she was a full-fledged Divinity complete with qualities symbols and legends of her own she represented the sun fire plagues healing conflict and Justice she was also known as she before whom AAL trembles the Mistress of dreed Jo the mler and the lady of Slaughter she was both a kind mother and a fierce adversary she had the ability to both transmit and cure sickness she had the ability to both both defend her people and kill their foes seat's Origins are unknown but she appears to have been born in the Delta region where lions were rare and enigmatic According to some stories she was the solar deity raw's firstborn produced from his own eye or breath others believe she was born as a manifestation of haor the goddess of love and song Who assumed her appearance when she was Furious or in any event sekmet grew up to be a strong and independent desert lioness T the deity of creation and knowledge was seat's spouse he was also known as the Lord who made all things or the maker he was represented as a ram-headed guy or an Ibis headed man with a flail or a mallet he was friends with Artisans Architects scribes and Painters he taught people how to create tools weapons structures books paintings sculptures Jewels pottery and jewelry nephrom the deity of Daybreak and scent was the son of seet and P he was shown as a young guy holding a lotus flower or as a blue lotus blossom he was linked to Beauty pleasure and healing he also supported Aroma therapists perfumers and healers every morning he brought new life into the world seet was a mother as well as a warrior she commanded raw's Army which fought against his adversaries the forces of chaos and darkness she was also the guardian of the Pharaohs who were thought to be living embodiments of raw she gave them combat spirit Power and Triumph she was frequently seen with a crimson gown a sundisk and a Urus a snake on her head she clutched a scepter and an ank a life sign in her hand she wore a pectoral a breast adornment with the eye of Raw on it from time to time to indicate her might and alertness the mythology of the destruction of mankind is one of the most well-known seet myths raw according to this tale was enraged with Humanity because they had rebelled against him and forgotten his Commandments he chose to punish them by dispatching sekmet to destroy them sekmet Unleashed her wrath on the world murdering and consuming everyone she encountered she became Unstoppable because she relished the slaughter so much raw quickly regretted his decision realizing that sekmet would extinguish all life on the world he attempted to stop her but she defied him he then devised a cunning scheme he directed his priests to make a big quantity of beer and color it with ochre the beer was then spilled over the fields where sekmet was hunting when seket saw saw the red liquid he assumed it was blood she drank it enthusiastically till she was inebriated and passed out raah then returned her to his boat and sailed away sekmet felt Serene and tranquil when she awoke she let go of her rage and returned to her Duty as a kindly goddess raw was relieved yet saddened since he had lost part of his power and authority he chose to leave the ground and Ascend to the sky leaving the world's control to the Pharaohs this myth demonstrates seat's dual character as both a destroyer and a Healer she was also known as the goddess of plagues because she had the ability to send or heal diseases with her breath doctors surgeons and magicians worshiped her and invoked her name for protection and healing women admired her as a symbol of fertility sexuality and empowerment she was frequently associated with other goddesses including baste the Cat Goddess of pleasure and song and haor the cow goddess of love and beauty she was also a member of the Memphis Triad together with p and neerum which created a family of deities that presided over the city sekmet was a well-known and important deity in ancient Egypt she was honored with several temples shrines and monuments she was also portrayed prayed in literature art and music she instilled Terror and awe as well as love and loyalty she was a complicated and strong person who embodied the Lioness and the sun she was seet the sun lioness