Many would go on to speculate that this war god also embodies military justice: Depictions of him holding the shackles of prisoners of war as well as eating captives suggests grave outcomes for anyone opposing the rule of the sitting king. There are countless images of Apedemak in a complete leonine form on the walls of temples that show him devouring enemies and granting aid to kings in the midst of war. Many of those kings that paid their respects to this war deity claimed his favor, swearing that he would lead them to victory against their adversaries. Due to its close proximity to Egypt, there was a degree of cultural overlap: Records indicate that Egyptian gods were worshiped in some cities, that the people of Kush also mummified their dead, and that they also built burial pyramids. It lay within the fertile land of the Nile Valley and was a hub for ironworking. The Kingdom of Kush was an absolute monarchy that was established in 1070 BC. Depicted most frequently as a man with the head of a lion - or as in the case at a temple in Naqa, three lion heads - Apedemak represented the unwavering authority of the ruling class in Kush. This war god was a favorite amongst the king of ancient Kush, Egypt’s southern neighbor.
Giant temples constructed out of fear and veneration for these all-mighty deities. For they - and they alone - could possibly carry one to victory.įor hundreds of millennia, war gods have been worshiped by civilians and warriors alike by kings far and wide. There is guarantee of surviving the next battle, of seeing a white flag wave, or of drinking from the victor’s cup cold hard truths such as these have stirred the minds of battle-hardened soldiers for generations.Īmong the chaos and cruelty, however, arose a reverence for the lion-hearted war gods and goddesses who played their cards on the battlefield.
Although the question has been tossed around for eons, there is no cookie-cutter answer.
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