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Meaning & History
Means "(she who) massacres". Originally a Nubian war goddess, adopted into Egyptian mythology as a female counterpart to Anhur; also occasionally known as a crown goddess, and one of the goddesses who represented the protective 'uraeus' on royal crowns. She was typically depicted with a lion's head, as lionesses were viewed as exceptional and aggressive hunters. She was believed to advance ahead of the Egyptian armies and cut down their enemies with fiery arrows. In Upper Egypt she was said to be wife of Khnum and mother of Heka, while in Lower Egypt she was linked with Wadjet and Neith. Eventually she came to be strongly identified with Sekhmet, another lion-goddess, until she was seen as simply another aspect of Sekhmet.