Also called Shesmu, Lord of the Wine Press, Lord of Perfume.
Their story
Shezmu was the god of the wine press and of the pressing of oils and perfumes. In the fearsome Cannibal Hymn of the Pyramid Texts he is the butcher who prepares the gods for the king to eat, taking his power from the press that crushes grapes. Yet he also gave good things, the wine and fragrant oils the dead would need in the afterlife. In later times he was seen chiefly as a benevolent perfume maker.
Best times to give to them
- grape harvest
- the Wag festival
What they like being given
- grape juice
- perfumed oil
- bread
How to honour them
- Make or buy a fine scented oil and dedicate the first use to him.
- Offer grape juice at the grape harvest.
How they can help you
- making perfumes and oils
- abundance
- transforming raw material into something fine
Symbols
- wine press
- lion
- jars of oil
Sources
- Pyramid Texts, Utterances 273-274 (the Cannibal Hymn)
- Wilkinson, The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt
More Egyptian gods
- Osiris Lord of the afterlife and new growth
- Horus The falcon, protector of the rightful king
- Ra The sun who sails the sky
- Thoth Scribe of the gods, lord of wisdom
- Anubis Guardian and guide of the dead
- Khonsu The Traveller, the moon who heals
- Amun The hidden king of the gods at Thebes
- Ptah Creator by word and patron of craftsmen