Ra - The Sun God
The Gods of Ancient Egypt were not like many people imagine gods today. The Egyptians, like many other cultures of the past, believed that Gods were more akin to endless spirits. These spirits occupied the earth, air, water, and many creatures that inhabited the world. Due to this, many of the God’s names and forms were disputed or differed from one area to the next. I will present you with some of the more agreed upon Gods and stories (Budge, 1969). I’ll begin with the gods. You’ll need to know some of the characters before you learn the stories.
Ra, the Sun God
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| Ra shown with a sun disc atop his head |
The ancient Egyptians were a people whose history and mythology were deeply in tune with the lands in and around the Nile River. The Egyptians relationship with their land is heavily reflected in the many Gods they worshiped and prayed to. However, none of these Gods more so reflected the world around the Egyptians than Ra, the Sun God.
Ra was often depicted with the head of a falcon. This is another example of the Egyptians use of significant symbols in their mythology. Because falcons were often seen flying high in the sky and close to the sun, Egyptians associated them closely with Ra. Ra was also depicted with a large sun disc on top of his head to symbolize his role in mythology.
Who Was Ra?
Ra was the King of the Gods and the most powerful of them all. He ruled over not only the other Gods but over the Sun as well. It was Ra’s job each and every day to ride across the sky in his solar boat and carry the sun’s light with him. At night, Ra would continue his journey into the Underworld, leaving only the moon to light the earth.
As he traveled through the Underworld, Ra would pass through twelve doors that represented the 12 hours of night. While in the Underworld, the sun’s light illuminated the souls of the dead and awakened them for a short time. These awakened souls were said to sometimes pull Ra’s boat through the stagnant waters of the Underworld when they could (Müller, 1918). Unfortunately this journey across the sky and Underworld each day was not without peril. Each night, Ra would defend the Sun’s light from a great serpent named Apophis (Budge, 1969).
Ra’s Many Names
Ra is sometimes called by different names. Some may attribute this to Egyptians sometimes conflicting mythologies. Others believe that the different names denoted the different forms of Ra as he carried the sun across the sky. In the early morning, he is called Horus. In the afternoon, he is called Ra or Re. In the evening, he is called Atum or Amun. Many refer to him simply as Ra because it is the most recorded form (Müller, 1918).
Sources:
Budge, E. (1969). The Gods of the Egyptians. New York, NY: Dover Publications, Inc.
Müller, W., Max, S., Scott, J. (1918). Egyptian [Mythology]. London: Marshall Jones Compan
