My hypothesis is the Destruction of Mankind is a variation of the ANE flood myths, only ported to Egyptian climate. While the Nile could flood beyond its banks, and such flooding could be dangerous, the real danger of mass casualty environmental events in ancient Egypt would have been from heat waves, which the Eye of Ra as Sekhmet could symbolize. I tend to look at Sekhmet as the oppressive heat of the noonday sun in the desert, a sort of "orbital solar cannon" of Ra's like the satellite in the film "Diamonds are Forever". She is the avenging angel of sorts, a smiter of evil. A heat ray.
Sure she goes too far and needs to be reeled back, but I see this as a valuable lesson on containing raw aggression and vengeance; perhaps the Jungian concept of shadow work. As for Hathor, my impression of her is as an incredibly popular and beloved Goddess; I never got the impression she was considered "pliable", but rather associated with joyfulness and exhuberance. Even cooler, by the Ptolemaic times she is associated with Ma'at herself, a ground of being, perhaps like the Hindu Shakti. Yet Sekhmet continued to be venerated alongside her, not ignored, indicating the Egyptians didn't see it as an either/or issue.
I see parallels here with Sekhmet to Sutekh, the male concept of "unbridled forces" who likewise needs to be tamed by Horus, then channeled to good use against Apep. Even as Sutekh fell from favor to be recast as the adversary in Ptolemaic times, Sekhmet retained her role as avenger and is prominent in the Edfu temple. I think Sobek may also have replaced Sutekh as the warrior against evil as well, although I would need to explore that dynamic more.
My hypothesis is the Destruction of Mankind is a variation of the ANE flood myths, only ported to Egyptian climate. While the Nile could flood beyond its banks, and such flooding could be dangerous, the real danger of mass casualty environmental events in ancient Egypt would have been from heat waves, which the Eye of Ra as Sekhmet could symbolize. I tend to look at Sekhmet as the oppressive heat of the noonday sun in the desert, a sort of "orbital solar cannon" of Ra's like the satellite in the film "Diamonds are Forever". She is the avenging angel of sorts, a smiter of evil. A heat ray.
Sure she goes too far and needs to be reeled back, but I see this as a valuable lesson on containing raw aggression and vengeance; perhaps the Jungian concept of shadow work. As for Hathor, my impression of her is as an incredibly popular and beloved Goddess; I never got the impression she was considered "pliable", but rather associated with joyfulness and exhuberance. Even cooler, by the Ptolemaic times she is associated with Ma'at herself, a ground of being, perhaps like the Hindu Shakti. Yet Sekhmet continued to be venerated alongside her, not ignored, indicating the Egyptians didn't see it as an either/or issue.
I see parallels here with Sekhmet to Sutekh, the male concept of "unbridled forces" who likewise needs to be tamed by Horus, then channeled to good use against Apep. Even as Sutekh fell from favor to be recast as the adversary in Ptolemaic times, Sekhmet retained her role as avenger and is prominent in the Edfu temple. I think Sobek may also have replaced Sutekh as the warrior against evil as well, although I would need to explore that dynamic more.