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In Egyptian mythology,
Maahes (also spelt Mihos, Miysis, and Mahes) was a lion-god.
The first mentions of Maahes occur in the New Kingdom, and many
think he was a god of foreign origin; indeed there is some evidence
that he may have been copied from the lion-god Apedemak worshipped
in Nubia. His name was the start of the Hieroglyphs for lion,
although in isolation it also means (one who can) see in front.
However, the first glyph is also part of the glyph for Maàt,
meaning truth/order and so it came to be that Maahes was considered
to be the devourer of the guilty and protector of the innocent.
Maahes was rarely referred to by name and was instead referred
to as "The Lord of the Massacre."
The lion hieroglyphic was used in words such as prince, strength,
and power, since the lion was considered to have such attributes,
and so lion-gods and goddesses were associated with the pharoahs,
and became patrons of Egypt. As a lion-god and patron, he
was considered the son of Bast, the
lion-goddess and patron of Lower Egypt, or of Sekhmet,
the lion-goddess and patron of Upper Egypt. As his cult was
centred in Leontopolis and Per-Bast, he was more usually the
son of Bast. As patron of Egypt, his
father was said to be the chief god - either Ptah,
or Ra (at this time Atum
had already merged into Ra as Atum-Ra).
When considered the son of Ra, it was
said that he fought Apep during Ra's
daily night voyage.
He was pictured as a man with the head of a lion, occasionally
wearing the double crown of Egypt, holding a knife. Sometimes
Maahes was shown with a bouquet of lotuses near him, but he
was also depicted as a lion devouring a captive. Some of Maahes’s
titles were Lord of Slaughter, Wielder of the Knife, and The
Scarlet Lord. Tame lions were kept in a temple dedicated to
Maahes (thus the name of the city Leontopolis), and an ancient
Greek historian, named Aelian, said: In Egypt, they worship
lions, and there is a city called after them [leontopolis]...
the lions have temples and numerous spaces in which to roam;
the flesh of oxen is supplied to them daily ... and the lions
eat to the accompaniment of song in the Egyptian language.
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and Goddesses Menu
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