Summary
Sekhmet was the ancient Egyptian goddess of war, plague and healing, shown as a woman with the head of a lioness crowned by the sun disk. Her name means “the powerful one”. As the fierce eye of the sun god Ra, she could bring disease and destruction, and the same power could drive them away, so her priests were also Egypt’s doctors. King Amenhotep III set up hundreds of her granite statues at Luxor, and many still stand there today.
Who Was Sekhmet?
Sekhmet was the daughter of the sun god Ra and one of the forms of his burning eye, the “Eye of Ra”. She was a goddess of the desert sun, of the hot winds said to be her breath, and of the plagues that swept Egypt. In battle she marched before the king, and pharaohs such as Ramesses II compared their fury in war to hers.
At Memphis she formed a family with Ptah, the creator god of craftsmen, and their son Nefertem, god of the lotus. Read about the other members of the Egyptian pantheon in ancient Egyptian gods.
The Myth of the Destruction of Mankind
A famous myth, carved in the tombs of Seti I and Tutankhamun, tells how Sekhmet nearly ended the human race:
- Ra grew old, and people began to plot against him.
- He sent his eye, in the form of Hathor, to punish them. She became Sekhmet, the raging lioness, and began to slaughter humankind.
- Ra relented, but nothing could stop her. So he ordered 7,000 jars of beer to be coloured red with ochre and poured over the fields.
- Sekhmet saw what she thought was a lake of blood, drank it, became drunk and fell asleep. When she woke, her rage was gone, and humanity was saved.
The Egyptians remembered this in a yearly Festival of Drunkenness, with music, dancing and beer, to keep the goddess calm. The same goddess in her gentle form was Hathor.
Goddess of Healing
Because Sekhmet sent disease, she could also take it away. Her priests, the wab priests of Sekhmet, were among Egypt’s physicians, and medical papyri mention them treating patients. During epidemics, prayers and offerings to Sekhmet were made across the country to appease her. Read more about Egyptian medicine in Kom Ombo, whose famous relief is often read as a set of surgical instruments.
8-Day Cairo, Siwa and White & Black Desert Adventure
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View This TripThe Hundreds of Sekhmet Statues
King Amenhotep III commissioned one of the largest sets of statues ever made in Egypt: hundreds of seated and standing granite figures of Sekhmet, perhaps around 730, one for each day and night of the year. Scholars think they were a giant “litany in stone”, meant to protect the king, perhaps from illness. Many stood in his mortuary temple on the west bank and in the precinct of the goddess Mut at Karnak. Today they are spread across museums from Cairo to London, Paris and New York, and dozens remain in Luxor.
Where to See Sekhmet in Egypt
| Where | What to see |
|---|---|
| Karnak, the small temple of Ptah | A standing statue of Sekhmet in a dark sanctuary, lit only by a hole in the roof: one of the most atmospheric sights in Egypt |
| Karnak, the precinct of Mut | Rows of seated Sekhmet statues around the sacred lake |
| Luxor Museum | Fine statues of the goddess |
| Egyptian Museum, Cairo | Granite statues from Amenhotep III’s set |
Ask your Egyptologist to take you to the temple of Ptah at the north of Karnak on our Luxor East Bank tour.
Sekhmet: FAQ
What is Sekhmet the goddess of?
War, plague, the destructive heat of the sun and, in her other aspect, healing and medicine.
Why does Sekhmet have a lion’s head?
The lioness was the fiercest hunter the Egyptians knew, a fitting image for a goddess of war and the burning sun.
Is Sekhmet good or evil?
Neither: she was dangerous but protective. Her rage punished the enemies of order, and her power could also cure disease.
Who was Sekhmet’s husband?
Ptah, the creator god of Memphis; their son was Nefertem.
How many Sekhmet statues are there?
Amenhotep III had hundreds made, perhaps around 730. Many survive in Luxor and in museums around the world.
