Sekhmet phone home



Sekhmet (by Jeff Dahl)



Now that lions are sending text messages (as reported by Rob Adams of Newsoxy.com), it’s time for Sekhmet to phone home.

She whose breath is said to have created the desert is an ancient Egyptian goddess with the head of a lioness.  She has also been known as Sachmet, Sachmis, Sakhet, Sekmet, Sakhmet and Sekhet during her 3,000-year heyday.  These names are derived from the Egyptian word Sekhem, which

means “power” or “might.”  This power was used both creatively and destructively since Sekhmet was the goddess of both war and healing. She was also very much associated with the sun, and was sometimes known as the “Eye of Ra.”

Ra, the ancient Egyptian sun god, was said to have once been angry with humans because they were not following his laws of justice and balance(Ma’at).  He therefore sent his “Eye” (Sekhmet) to take care of business.  When the fields began running with human blood (to say that Sekhmet had a temper would be an understatement), the kinder and gentler Ra decided that enough was enough.  However, Sekhmet was beyond stopping at that point.  Ra therefore had to resort to clever subterfuge.

Because of Sekhmet’s “blood lust” about the whole affair, Ra deceived her by mixing 7,000 jugs of beer with pomegranate juice.  (Caution:  Do not try this at home, it might stain the carpet.)  Thinking this was

human blood, Sekhmet slurped it up with abandon.  The more she gorged, the drunker she got.  The alcohol soon drowned all the fight in her.  Humanity (for better or for worse) was saved.

Now that’s certainly something to phone home about.

Resources

http://www.newsoxy.com/technology/lions-send-text-messages-40802.html

http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/Sekhmet.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_depictions_of_lions

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sekhmet

Copyright December 1, 2011 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved