Sekhmet, her consort Ptah and their son Nefertem made up the Memphite Triad. Her name meant "the mighty one" and she was associated with war and appropriate retaliation and was said to have an awesome appeareance, her weapons being arrows 'with which she pierces heats', her body was said to spread a fiery glow. She was depicted with a lioness´ head and her breath was associated with the hot winds of the desert.

Another name for her was 'The Eye of Re' showing her solar association and thereby also her association with the king. She was often called his mother and followed him in battle. Apart from her protective side she also represented the destructive side of the sun and was therefore sometimes called the daughter of Re. When Thebes was the seat of royal residence,(11th Dyn.) the local goddess Mut was merged with her. She was also called "Great of Magic" and was a goddess of healing and surgery.

Main center of worship:

Mennefer/Memphis, 1st Nome, Lower Egypt

Other sites:

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

to Sekhmet-Hathor

For a virtual page: Go Here

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

Article by Mirjam
Brought to you by Akhet
keions@telia.com

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