Want to learn more about the Egyptian goddess sekhmet? Read on for facts and info about the mythological character of the fiercest warrior goddess called Sekhmet…
Amongst the many different divine characters in ancient Egyptian mythology was the warrior Goddess of Upper Egypt known as Sekhmet. She is most commonly depicted in the form of a lioness and was regarded as being the fiercest of all hunters. The Egyptians associated the creation of the desert with her breath and she was also regarded as being the protector of the royalty and their leader in warfare.
Sekhmet reached the zenith of her popularity in the 12th dynasty during the reign of Amenemhat I. It was during this time that a dedicated cult of followers of Sekhmet had attained ruling authority over Egypt. They decided to shift the capital of Egypt from its previous location to the headquarters of Sekhmet’s cult which was in Itjtawy.
The fierce warrior goddess was also considered to be a solar deity. The Egyptians drew association between Sekhmet and other deities such as Bast and Hathor who were also considered to be goddesses. Sekhmet was responsible for bearing the solar disk and she gained her association with the royalty and Wadjet by being the bearer of Uraeus. This is why she was also considered to be a divine character of order and justice. She was also connected with Tegnut through the eye of Horus.
Sekhmet’s Domain
Originally Sekhmet’s domain was in Upper Egypt which is the region in the North of the country. However with the passage of time Upper Egypt actually conquered the delta region which was classified as Lower Egypt. This expanded the domain of Sekhmet and made her more powerful than two warrior goddesses combined.
Following this expansion in Sekhmet’s domain she was now being considered as the sole avenger of wrongs and also acquired the title of “Scarlet Lady”. The latter title was given to her because of her lust for blood because of which she is also regarded as being the original inspiration for the creation of the vampire.
The female goddess was also considered to be a special deity for women because she was supposed to be ruling over menstruation as well. After taking over Lower Egypt Sekhmet had actually entered into the territory of another female warrior goddess by the name of Bast. Although she could not remove the former governor of Lower Egypt, Bast’s role was restricted to being a lesser deity.
In later dynasties the Egyptians started to associate Sekhmet with the Sun God Ra. They believed that she was the daughter of the most powerful deity for the Egyptians. This new belief came into existence when the cult of Sekhmet joined forces with the worshipers of Horus.
During this time the role of many Egyptian deities and mythological characters was being changed. These changes continued to occur with the advent of the Greeks into the Egyptian land.
The name Sekhmet actually translates as “the one who is powerful”. She was also given a number of other titles such as “The Mistress of the Dead”, “Lady of Slaughter” and the “One Before Whom Evil Trembles”.
