Ancient Egyptian Religion · deity

Sekhmet

Sekhmet
also: Sekhmet
deitywarthe destructionthe raging eye of Ra

The lioness goddess of war and destruction; the 'raging eye of Ra' who is calmed back into Hathor.

Sekhmet — Granite Statue of Sitting Lioness Goddess Sekhmet
Granite Statue of Sitting Lioness Goddess Sekhmet · Unknown (Egyptian workshop) · 18th Dynasty, approx. 1391-1353 BCE (Temple of Mut, Karnak) · — (Wikimedia Commons) · Public domain
The account

Who they are

Sekhmet is the lioness goddess of war, destruction, and the raging aspects of the sun [S4]S4 · Hornung, 'The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Dead' / 'Nile Religion' (academic)modern (translation & scholarship)academic. She is the 'eye of Ra' in her enraged form: when Ra sends his eye out to punish humanity, it becomes Sekhmet, who slaughters the rebels [S3]S3 · Plutarch, On Isis and Osirisc. 79 CEtextOpen source ↗[S4]S4 · Hornung, 'The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Dead' / 'Nile Religion' (academic)modern (translation & scholarship)academic. To calm her, Ra (or Thoth) devises a trick: he brews a potion dyed red with beet juice (to look like blood) and floods the land with it; Sekhmet, thinking she has drunk the blood of her victims, becomes drunk and calm, and returns as Hathor [S3]S3 · Plutarch, On Isis and Osirisc. 79 CEtextOpen source ↗[S4]S4 · Hornung, 'The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Dead' / 'Nile Religion' (academic)modern (translation & scholarship)academic. Sekhmet is the warrior goddess, the patron of the pharaoh in battle, and the destructive power of the sun [S4]S4 · Hornung, 'The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Dead' / 'Nile Religion' (academic)modern (translation & scholarship)academic.
Worth knowing
  • Lioness goddess of war and destruction [S4]S4 · Hornung, 'The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Dead' / 'Nile Religion' (academic)modern (translation & scholarship)academic.
  • The 'raging eye of Ra' who is calmed into Hathor [S3]S3 · Plutarch, On Isis and Osirisc. 79 CEtextOpen source ↗[S4]S4 · Hornung, 'The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Dead' / 'Nile Religion' (academic)modern (translation & scholarship)academic.
  • Patron of the pharaoh in battle [S4]S4 · Hornung, 'The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Dead' / 'Nile Religion' (academic)modern (translation & scholarship)academic.
Uncertainties & variants
  • Sekhmet and Hathor are two aspects of the same 'Eye of Ra' — the sources treat them as distinct goddesses who are also the same [S4]S4 · Hornung, 'The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Dead' / 'Nile Religion' (academic)modern (translation & scholarship)academic.
Relationships (2)

Connections

Alliances & rule

ASSOCIATED_WITHHathor — Hathor and Sekhmet are two aspects of the 'Eye of Ra' (calm vs. raging).[S3] [S4]
SUCCESSOR_OFHathor — (Aspect-shift) Sekhmet is calmed and returns as Hathor.[S3] [S4]
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Their corner of the divine world

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hierarchical — generations top → bottom, partners side by side
Overlays
FocusSekhmetEgyptian
EGYPTIAN · 25variant♥♥♥♥Heka (the Crook…AnkhPschent (the Do…Amundeitythe hidden one1 relationsAnubisdeitythe mummification2 relationsApep (Apophis)monsterchaos2 relationsAtum-Ra (the primor…primordialcreation2 relationsBastetdeitythe home0 relationsHathordeitylove2 relationsHorus the Elder (Ha…deitythe elder sky-falcon1 relationsNun (the primordial…primordialthe primordial waters0 relationsHeh & Hehet (primor…primordialprimordial infinity (Hermopolitan account)1 relationsKhenunu & Khenunit …primordialprimordial mystery (Hermopolitan account)1 relationsNun & Naunet (prime…primordialthe primeval waters (Hermopolitan account)3 relationsSat & Satet (primor…primordialprimordial duration (Hermopolitan account)1 relationsPtahdeitycreation0 relationsRadeitythe sun6 relationsSekhmetdeitywar2 relationsShudeitythe air6 relationsTefnutdeitymoisture5 relationsThothdeitywisdom1 relationsGebdeitythe earth8 relationsNutdeitythe sky10 relationsIsisdeitymagic8 relationsNephthysdeitythe dead4 relationsOsirisdeitythe dead10 relationsSet (Seth)deitythe desert8 relationsHorusdeitythe sky9 relations
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Myths featuring Sekhmet

1 story

The Eye of Ra (Hathor/Sekhmet)

Ra's eye (variously identified with Hathor, Tefnut, or Sekhmet) was sent out to punish humanity for plotting against Ra. The eye became enraged and was transformed into Sekhmet, the warrior lioness, who slaughtered the rebels. To calm her, Ra (or Thoth) devised a trick: he brewed a potion dyed red with beet juice (to look like blood) and flooded the land with it; Sekhmet, thinking she had drunk the blood of her victims, became drunk and calm, and returned as Hathor [S3]S3 · Plutarch, On Isis and Osirisc. 79 CEtextOpen source ↗[S4]S4 · Hornung, 'The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Dead' / 'Nile Religion' (academic)modern (translation & scholarship)academic.

READ THE STORY →

Artworks

Depictions

Sekhmet — Granite Statue of Sitting Lioness Goddess Sekhmet
Granite Statue of Sitting Lioness Goddess Sekhmet · Unknown (Egyptian workshop) · 18th Dynasty, approx. 1391-1353 BCE (Temple of Mut, Karnak) · — (Wikimedia Commons) · Public domain
Granite Statue of Sitting Lioness Goddess Sekhmet · 18th Dynasty, approx. 1391-1353 BCE (Temple of Mut, Karnak)
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