Shezmu
| Shezmu | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shezmu presenting offerings | |||||||||||
| Name in hieroglyphs |
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| Symbol | Oil, Wine, Perfume, Ointment, and Blood | ||||||||||
Shezmu (alternatively Schesmu and Shesmu) is an ancient Egyptian deity with a contradictory character. He is an Underworld judge of the damned. He was worshiped from the early Old Kingdom period.
He was considered a god of ointments, perfume, and wine. In this role, he was associated with festivities, dancing, and singing. But he was also considered a god of blood, who could slaughter and dismember other deities. It is thought possible that the ancient Egyptians used red wine to symbolize blood in religious offerings, explaining why Shezmu is associated with both blood and wine.
Shezmu is an ancient Egyptian deity associated with the process of embalming, as well as with violence and protection. He is sometimes considered an aspect of Nefertum, Sometimes, they are even presented as brothers, with Nefertem having a lion’s head and Shezmu as the beautiful youth.
Shezmu was an ancient Egyptian deity who fought and defeated Apep, the serpent of chaos, during the sun god Ra’s nightly journey through the underworld. By destroying Apep, Shezmu prevented the annihilation of the sun and saved the world from falling into nonexistence.