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When Cats Were Gods | Bast | Sekhmet | Maahes | Mafdet SekhmetAs an ‘Eye of Ra’ it was Sekhmet’s duty to destroy the Pharaoh’s enemies in battle. She brought about plague and pestilence when appropriate - none of her actions were ever undeserved. She was also a goddess of healing and of surgery. She held the power to cure the ailments which she had caused, thus priests of Sekhmet often studied the art of medicine linked with magical rites. Pharaoh Amenhotep III had commissioned over 700 granite statues of Sekhmet to help cure himself of medical aliments. There’s a myth which tells of Sekhmet’s rage against mankind: When men would no longer listen to Ra, during his earthly reign as Pharaoh, he sent Sekhmet to destroy them. She would have succeeded had a plot not been conceived to mix together beer and red orche paint. When Sekhmet saw the paint spilled across the ground she lapped up what she thought had been blood, then became drunk and pacified and turned into the goddess of love - Hathor.
Malek, Jaromir (2006). The Cat in Ancient Egypt. London: British Museum Press. ISBN 978-0714119700. "Sekhmet" Gods and Mythology of Ancient Egypt. Seawright, Caroline. "Sekhmet, Powerful One, Sun Goddess, Destructor . . ." Gods and Mythology of Ancient Egypt. |
Sekhmet embodied the destructive force of the sun. Her arrows pieced with fire, her breath was the scorching desert winds, and her body reflected the glare of the midday sun. A headdress featuring a solar disc and a rearing serpent were often part of Sekhmet’s image. It was as early as 1850 BC that Bast and Sekhmet began to be seen as complimentary opposites. The lion was linked with ferocity and power, whereas the housecat was associated with affection and playfulness.
