Wine Preparation in Ancient Egypt

“The appeasement of Hathor by means of wine, music and dance furthermore symbolised the victory of civilisation over untamed nature. Before Hathor [Sekhmet/Tefnut] came to civilised Egypt, she was a wild, ferocious lioness. After she made contact with the symbols of civilisation, namely music, dance and wine, she became the benevolent Bastet. 

This change of nature, however, did not mean that she had already abandoned her untamed character. This is why she needed constant appeasement. Hathor’s double nature reminds one of the character of the inundation, which is violent when it arrives and benevolent when it settles.”

― Wine & Wine Offering In The Religion Of Ancient Egypt, by Mu-chou Poo

Detail of a wall carving depicts wine preparation from the Mastaba of Ptahhotep, Saqqara necropolis.