Lady Of Drunkenness And How God Ra Wanted To Teach Humans A Lesson
A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - In ancient Egyptian beliefs, before Egypt had human kings, the ruler was the god Ra. He was the creator sun god and the ruler of gods and humankind.
Ra - the creator of all things - was born each morning and died each evening. The time of his reign is attested by a text inscribed on one of the shrines found in the tomb of King Tutankhamun (c. 1336 BC- 1327 BC).
The text was also found on the walls of royal tombs. It is also believed that the original version of this myth may have originated much earlier, probably in a year when the great Nile River failed to flood and thousands of people died.
When Ra grew old, people came out against him and began plotting to overthrow him. Their lack of respect for the highest deity, angered him very much and he decided to take revenge on them.
He summoned his divine Eye, in the form of the goddess Hathor accompanied by the eight primeval deities of the Ogdoad pantheon. He also sent for Geb, god of earth, Shu (a personification of dry air and wind), his wife Tefnut (goddess of moisture, moist air, rain dew), and their daughter Nut, the sky goddess.
One advice was to punish humankind by burning them with his blazing heat. However, when Ra directed his Eye on humans, most people on earth ran for shelter to the rocks and thus, managed to escape his fury.
See also:
Hapi: Early Egyptian God Of The Nile And Bringer Of Fertility, Abundance And Life
Serket: Scorpion Goddess Who Could Heal Poisonous Bites And Sting Evildoers
Eye Of Ra – Powerful Ancient Egyptian Symbol With Deep Meaning
Frustrated, Ra called for another conference during which, the gods decided that Sekhmet, would be the best candidate to obey his order and punish people.
"No eye is better for this task than yours," concluded Nun.
"Let it go forth as Hathor- Sekhmet."
Hathor did as she was ordered.
He commanded his Eye Hathor to turn into Sekhmet, the lioness goddess and ordered her to teach the rebels a lesson.
Sekhmet slaughtered some of the people and splashed in their blood. No doubt, she could continue this malicious slaughter and totally destroy the rest of humankind, but Ra did not want it. By his revenge on humans, Ra only wanted to teach them a lesson but definitely not to wipe them out. It was time to act quickly to stop Sekhmet’s killing.
The Egyptian God Ra. Image credit: Bill Stanley (via ancient-egypt-online)
Ra ordered the high priest of his temple at Heliopolis to prepare 7,000 jars of beer and to dye it red. When this had been prepared, the beer-like intoxicating beverage was poured out on the ground so that it looked like a lake of blood. The lioness Sekhmet also assumed the lake was full of blood and without hesitation, she swooped down for a drink. She lapped up too much the dyed beer and became so drunk that she forgot about her killing mission.
When she finally regained her senses, she was immediately transformed from the ferocious lion into the beautiful and benevolent goddess Hathor. Humanity was safe again.
To restore friendly relations between the gods and humanity, Ra declared that the Egyptian people could drink as much as they liked at Hathor's festivals, in commemoration of Hathor, Lady of Drunkenness.
Written by – A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer
Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com
More From Ancient Pages
-
Red Paint On 1,000-Year-Old Gold Mask From Peru Contains Human Blood Proteins
Archaeology | Nov 1, 2021
-
Sutton Hoo Ship Burial And Famous Helmet That Could Belong To Raedwald, King Of All The Kings Of Britain
Artifacts | Jan 9, 2018
-
African Skeletons From Early Colonial Mexico And First-Generation Slaves
Archaeology | May 4, 2020
-
7 Magnificent Thracian Gold Bracelets Found In Romanian Forest By Amateur Archaeologist
Archaeology | May 23, 2023
-
Unique 1800-Year-Old Roman Coin Unearthed On Southern Carmel
Artifacts | Mar 1, 2021
-
Seven 1,600-Year-Old Arjai Grottoes With Frescoes – Restored
Archaeology | Jul 11, 2020
-
Artificial Intelligence Reveals The Out Of Africa Expansion Is More Complex Than Previously Thought
Archaeology | Oct 18, 2021
-
3,500-Year-Old Egyptian Tomb Of Guardian Of Pharaoh’s Secret Archive Discovered In Saqqara
Archaeology | May 7, 2022
-
Unique Tomb Of Egyptian Commander Discovered In Abusir Sheds Light On ‘Globalisation’ In Ancient World
Archaeology | Jul 20, 2022
-
Menes – Legendary First Monarch Probably Under Different Names Who Unified Egypt
Featured Stories | Nov 7, 2016
-
On This Day In History: Henry VIII Ascended The Throne Of England – On Apr 22, 1509
News | Apr 22, 2016
-
Discovery In Alabama Reveals Evidence Of Skull Surgery In North America Thousands Of Years Earlier Than Previously Thought
Archaeology | Apr 2, 2022
-
Cupbearer Was Privy To Conversations And Political Secrets Hidden Behind Closed Doors
Featured Stories | Oct 5, 2020
-
On This Day In History: SS City of Glasgow Leaves Liverpool And Is Never Seen Again – On March 1, 1854
News | Mar 1, 2017
-
Coyote: Hero, Trickster, Immortal And Respected Animal In Native American Myths
Featured Stories | May 10, 2016
-
Mystery Of The Lydenburg Heads
Artifacts | Jun 13, 2014
-
41,500-Year-Old Ivory Pendant Is The Oldest Evidence Of Humans Decorating Jewelery In Eurasia
Archaeology | Nov 26, 2021
-
Next Discovery In Tepe Ashraf, Isfahan – Archaeologists May Have Stumbled Upon Ancient Necropolis
Archaeology | Aug 16, 2020
-
Curious Giant Shaped Rock In China – An Ancient Man-Made Construction Or Natural Formation?
Featured Stories | Jun 26, 2017
-
Ancient Sahul: Its Submerged Landscapes Reveal A Mosaic Of Human Habitation
Archaeology | Dec 26, 2023