I've read different things about this lion man deity, clearly Narasimha comes to mind, also kaal bhairava, however the imagery of this deity was also found in temples of Mithra. I've seen people say that this is a representation of Kronos, the sphinx also comes to mind, Is this one of our gods? If so who would it be?
I think Narasimha is probably a solar god, as lions relate to the sun. My guesses are Maahes(egyptian) or Mithras(roman).
Some of the themes on this page about Maahes sound very similar to Narasimha. He seems related to Maat and other egyptian gods, so maybe Maahes/Mithra is truly an aspect and not an individual god. I highlighted Narasimha-esque excerpts below.
ancientegyptonline.co.uk
"Maahes (Mahes, Mihos, Miysis, Mysis) was a solar war god who took the form of a lion. He was first referred to as a specific god in the
Middle Kingdom but he remained fairly obscure until the
New Kingdom.
He seems to have been of foreign origin..."
".. the first part of his name is also the first part of the word “ma” (lion) as well as the verb “maa” (to see) and it is spelled with the symbol of a sickle for the sound “m”, linking it with the word Ma’at (truth or balance). As a result, another possible translation is “True Before Her” (referring to
Ma’at).."
"Maahes was rarely referred to by name. Rather, he was usually referred to by his most common epithet, “The Lord of the Massacre”. He was given a number of other bloodcurdling titles including; “Wielder of the Knife”, “The Scarlet Lord” (referring to the blood of his victims) and “Lord of Slaughter”. Yet
, he was not seen as a force of evil. He punished those who violated the rules of Ma’at and so promoted order and justice. Thus, he was also known as the “Avenger of Wrongs” and “Helper of the Wise Ones”.
The Greeks associated Maahes with the Furies (who were also potentially dangerous but not specifically evil) and gave him their epithet “The Kindly One,""
"Maahes was so closely associated with
Nefertum (also a son of
Bast or
Sekhmet) that
it is sometimes suggested that he was only an aspect of this god, who did occassionally take leonine form. This connection gives Maahes an association with perfumed oils which was sometimes indicated by the depiction of a bouquet of lotus flowers near to his image. He was also linked to Shemsu (also a lion headed god),
Anhur (Onuris) (who was a god of war), and
Shu (who could take the form of a lion).
The cult centre of Maahes was Leontopolis (Nay-ta-hut, “city of lions”) in Lower Egypt, where tame lions were lovingly cared for in his temple. He was also venerated in Djeba (Utes-Hor, Behde, Edfu), Iunet (Dendera), Per-Bast (Bubastis), and Nubia (particularly in Meroe). He appears as a son of the triad in Memphis alongside Nefertum and occasionally Imhotep."
"By Greek times, he was described as a god of storms. Yet, despite his aggressive aspect, Maahes was also thought of as a protective deity.
He helped protect Ra from
Apep as he travelled into the underworld night and defended the pharaoh in battle.
He was also considered to be the guardian of sacred places and a protector of the innocent.
Maahes was often depicted as a lion-headed man carrying a knife and wearing the Double Crown of
Upper and
Lower Egypt, the atef crown or a solar disk and Ureas (royal serpent).
Less often, he was depicted as a lion devouring a victim."
@General Yeager
What are your thoughts on Narasimha?
