Sekhmet - Ancient Egyptian Goddess of Medicine and War
Sekhmet was portrayed as a lioness or as a human with the head of a lioness, and she wore a sun disc on her head, like Ra.
Photo by Christa Galloway
Sekhmet was one of the oldest known Egyptian deities. Sekhmet's name means "she who is powerful," and she was both a warrior goddess and the patron of healers.
As a daughter of Ra, she was once sent to earth in the form of a lion to punish the humans and almost destroyed humanity.
She was a fearsome warrior goddess and could breathe fire to burn her enemies. The hot desert wind was said to be her breath.
Sekhmet could bring plagues to the land, but she could also stop them. As the patron of healers, she was worshiped by healers and doctors, who prayed to her to help them cure patients.