Sekhmet: The Lioness and the Crimson Trick

The Wrath of Ra

As the Sun God Ra grew old, he noticed that humans were no longer following the laws of Ma’at (truth). They were plotting against him and ignoring the gods. Furious, Ra decided to punish humanity. He took his "Eye" (the same power that can protect) and transformed it into a terrifying goddess: Sekhmet, the Lioness.

The Unstoppable Hunter

Sekhmet descended upon the Earth with a roar that shook the mountains. She was the "Lady of Flame," and she began to hunt. However, once she started, she couldn't stop. Her bloodlust was so great that she began to destroy everyone, not just the criminals. The Nile literally turned red, and Ra realized that if he didn't stop her, there would be no humans left to rule.

The Great Deception

Ra tried to order Sekhmet to stop, but she was in a divine trance and wouldn't listen. He had to use trickery. He ordered his servants to brew 7,000 jars of beer and mixed them with red ochre (a mineral) to make the beer look like blood.

They poured this mixture over the fields of Egypt at night. When Sekhmet woke up to continue her hunt, she saw the "sea of blood" and began to drink greedily.

The Peace of the Lioness

Because it was actually beer and not blood, Sekhmet became extremely intoxicated. She became so sleepy and happy that she forgot about her anger. When she woke up, her bloodlust was gone, and she transformed into the gentle Bastet (the cat goddess) or stayed as a protector of the Pharaoh.

From that day on, Egyptians celebrated a festival where they drank plenty of pomegranate wine and beer to honor the "cooling down" of the fierce Sekhmet.