User blog comment:Hakaishin Aro/Goddess Sekhmet/@comment-30061283-20170122062432/@comment-29602226-20170122092205

Well, depending on whose myth you were reading, Sekhmet, under her other name, Hathor (cow goddess of breasfeeding, milk, music, dance, love, sex and happiness; yes, Sekhmet-Hathor is a murderous Sphinx when angry, and a singing dancing Holstaur when happy) was the great-aunt, daughter in law, and granddaughter of Isis... Egyptian mythology is confusing.

You see, Hathor-Sekhmet was the daughter of Ra, the Sun God of Heliopolis.

Isis was the great-granddaughter of Atum and the mother of Horus, both of which have been identified with Ra, so Ra is his own great-great-grandson. To make things more confusing, Horus married Hathor.

This is a consequence of Heliopolitan religion being a gestalt of other, more ancient cults and religions independent from each other, and of priests having their gods usurping the identity and portfolio or rival gods (Ra taking the role of Atum as creator god, and Horus taking the role of Ra as god of rulership and the sun...).

And it becomes even more confusing when you add gods from other cities, like Ptah from Memphis, who was the creator god of the Universe, just like Atum-Ra, and the husband of Hathor-Sekhmet, just like Horus-Ra...Or Amun, a wind god from Thebes, who merged with Atum and Ra..

The Egyptians fixed it by making their gods more mystical and abstract, more like cosmic forces than a superpowered, bickering family. Horus "became" Ra-Atum when he inherited the cosmic crown. the same way the Pharaoh "became" Horus and Osiris when he died and ascended to Heaven, by gaining their qualities.

EDIT: You know what, @Hakaishin Aro? You can keep Sekhmet, I'm taking Hathor, the dancing singing Holstaur goddess of breasfeeding, happiness, love and sex! *grabs Hathor and escapes away*