Anubis Speaks!: A Guide to the Afterlife by the Egyptian God of the Dead (9 page)

But Ra was not a vengeful god. He did not want all of humankind destroyed. He called Sekhmet back. But with the blood matting the fur on her face, she only roared,

“Mmmmm, good. More! Must have more human blood!”

And off she went on the hunt again. She vowed to keep hunting until all of humanity was destroyed.

Ra had to do something to stop her, so he came up with a plan. He sent his fastest messengers to gather the reddest clay they could find, bright red dirt called ochre. He ordered his servants to brew seven thousand clay jars of beer, and then he had the red ochre mixed in with the drink. As Sekhmet slept, Ra’s servants emptied all seven thousand jars of beer into a field before her.

She awoke to what seemed like a lake of blood and pounced on it, gulping it down.

But soon she grew full and woozy. After one mighty belch, she lay down to sleep. When she awoke she saw the remnants of the “blood” lake and thought,

“My work here is done. I have killed all the humans in the world.”

Her rage gone, Sekhmet turned back into Hathor, the placid divine cow, and returned to Ra. Ra was happy to have Hathor back, but he continued to resent humans for plotting against him. After all, if they had done so once, they would likely do so again.

“I am old and tired,” Ra announced. “I wish to sink back into the waters of Nun until I am ready to be born again.” He wanted to undo all that he had created!

18

So Nun called upon the sky goddess Nut to help Ra. Nut transformed into a cow with golden flanks and gilded horns, and told Ra to climb on her back. He did so and she carried him high into the heavens. But Nut grew dizzy at the height of the sun, and Ra called upon many gods, including Shu, the god of air, to support her as she supported him.

Removing himself to the heavens during the day meant Ra also traveled to the underworld at night to do battle with Apophis, the spirit of darkness and chaos.

The people of earth, however, were frightened by the darkness and called out to Ra.

“I will provide light until I am born again,” Ra announced. “I appoint Thoth as my assistant on earth.”

Ra commanded Thoth to provide some light during the dark hours. Thoth, then, came to represent the moon, as well as wisdom.

Ra always returned at dawn with the sunrise, though he never again mixed with the people and world he created.

Remember, young mortal, it was you humans and your greedy grasping that led to Ra’s departure. So keep it under control while you’re with me, or else. . . .

19