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Two Aspects

As many other Egyptian deities, Sekhmet, whose name means 'Mighty One' or 'Powerful Feminine', had two different aspects; one protective and healing, the other destructive and retaliating. She was said to have an awesome appeareance, her weapons being arrows 'with which she pierces hearts', her body was said to spread a fiery glow. Her breath was associated with the hot winds of the desert.

But she was also called "Great of Magic" or 'Mistress of Life' and was a goddess of healing and surgery. As well as spreading pestilence, she was believed to be able to cure it.

Names

An early name for her was 'The Eye of Re' or 'Daughter of Re', which shows her solar association and thereby her association with the king. She is the most important one of the several manifestations of the 'Eye of Re'. This association she shared especially with Hathor and several other deities like Aset, Tefnut, Bast and Mut. She was also often called Mother of the King; already in the Pyramid Texts it says that she 'conceived' the king. She followed him in battle, protected him, and her rage induced the king´s victory over enemies. Her title of 'Lady of bright red linen' carries the meaning both of her place of origin in the Delta, as well as the blood-soaked garments of conquered enemies.

Worship

Physicians were 'priests of Sekhmet', this goes back to at least the Old Kingdom when they were already organized for her service. It seems they still held their position in later times. Prayers to the goddess were an integral part of every healing ministration. There was even a formal rite called 'Appeasing Sekhmet' which was recited by priests in effort to stop epidemics from spreading. Among common poeople there was a great fear of the 'Seven Arrows of Sekhmet', which were believed to bring unluck. Many spells and charms were used to avert the wrath of Sekhmet and there was the 'Book of the Last Day of the Year' which was recited over a piece of cloth worn around the neck at the end of they year, which was considered a dangerous period. On the first day of the new year (Wep Ronpet) People exchanged amulets in the form of Sekhmet or Bast for appeasing them. Still today, statues of Sekhmet can invoke some apprehension, even in museums. In the small temple of Ptah at Karnak, there is a statue of Sekhmet holding a was scepter in her hand, looking quite impressive.

Depictions

Sekhmet was mostly depicted in anthoropomorphic form as a seated woman with a lion´s face. She wore a wig and a sundisc on top of her head and there is often a was sceptre in her hand. There are also depictions of lionheaded goddesses wearing the Double Crown. This is usually a fusion of Sekhmet with Mut. More seldom is she represented in full leonine form.

Myth

Her destructive aspect is demonstrated in the myth 'The Destruction of Mankind', as she on the order of Re goes out to punish mankind for their transgressions against him. The breath of Sekhmet is here described as being of fire, and the host winds from the desert was called the 'Breath of Sekhmet'. In her rage and bloodthirst she nearly wipes out all humans and Re has to ask his high priest at Heliopolis to mix beer with the colour ochre from Elephantine. Many thousands of this red beer was placed out over the lands and believeing it is blood, Sekhmet drank of it, got so drunk she fell asleep and when she woke up, her rage was gone. There are several versions of this myth in tombs at Thebes.

Because of this fierceness, many ancient kings adopted her as a military patroness and she became their symbol in battle. Here her duality can be deomonstrated in that she used her power to protect the king in an almost motherly way. Already in the Pyramid Texts it is said that Sekhmet conceived the king.



Sekhmet in her shrine at the Temple of Ptah at Karnak.
Photo: author

Associations

With her consort Ptah and their son Nefertem she made up the Memphite Triad. Here she absorbed several other, minor deities, and was called 'Mistress of Ankh-Tawy' (meaning Mistress of the Two Lands). As the 'Eye of Re' she was associated with Hathor who also bore this title. At Waset (Gr: Thebes), she was associated with >Mut, the consort of Amun. This manifested the aggressive side of Mut or a counterpart of this deity. Sekhmet was also associated with Bast, perhaps also here because of her fierce side.

When Thebes was the seat of royal residence,(11th Dyn.) the local goddess Mut was merged with her. At the precinct of Mut at Karnak hundreds of statues of Sekhmet were erected, either in a sitting position, holding the ankh in her hand, or standing, with a sceptre in the form of a papyrus plant by her side. It is believed that these many statues were honoured with offerings, each of them on a specific day of the year.

During the Middle Kingdom, Sekhmet was also associated with the more or less local leonine goddess Pakhet at Beni Hassan in Middle Egypt.

Cult Centers

Her main cult center was in MenNefer (Gr: Memphis) but there were many temples and shrines erected to her all throughout Egypt and all the time into the Greco-roman Period. Through her association with other deities, special temples, like the one for Sekhmet-Hathor at Kom-el-Hisn, were also built.

Sekhmet statues from Karnak in the British Museum
Photo:author

Mennefer/Memphis, 1st Nome, Lower Egypt

Other sites:

at Imu/Kom-el-Hisn, 3rd N, Lower Egypt

to Sekhmet-Hathor

Festivals: (exact dates not historically verified)

12 August - 25th Thuti - Day of Sekhmet's repulsion of Set

17th Ocotber - 1st Koiak - Month of Koiak Begins; The feast of Sekhmet

31st October - 15th Koiak - Feast of Sekhmet, Bast and Ra

20th November - 5th Tybi - Day of Sekhmet and the Purifying Flame

24th November - 9th Tybi - Day of Offerings to Sekhmet

28th November - 13th Tybi - Feast of Het-Hert (Hathor) and Sekhmet

14th December - 29th Tybi - Tehuti (Thoth) sends Bast and Sekhmet to guide Egypt

28th December - 13th Mechir - Day of Sekhmet Going forth to Letopolis

31st December - 16th Mechir - Feast of Sekhmet

12th March - 27th Parmutit - End of the World by Sekhmet

Sources:

Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses - George Hart
Ancient Egyptian Literature Vol I - Miriam Lichtheim
The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts - transl. R.O. Faulkner
Ancient Egyptian Religion - Stephen Quirke
Handbook of Egyptian Mythology - Geraldine Pinch