Before creation, according to Egyptian mythology, there was only darkness and the Primeval Ocean. An entity named Atum determined it was time for the beginning of creation. An island emerged from the water, out of which became Ra (also Re, Pra, or Atum). Ra created the first gods, Shu (Dryness and Air) and Tefnut (Humidity). These two gods created Geb the Earth god and Nut the Sky goddess. Geb and Nut created the Principles of life, Osiris the Perfect Being. Osiris would rule over the rest of the world that Ra created by naming the elements. Humankind was created from Ra's tears.
Ra was the main deity worshipped by the Egyptians. It has been argued by scholars that the Egyptians actually had a monotheistic religion and not a polytheistic one since Ra was held in such high esteem for so long. They considered him the father of creation, patron of heaven, power, light, and kingship. But he is probably most well-known as the sun god. Ra was responsible for governing the actions of the sun and could be the very sun itself.
At times he combined himself with other deities and was known as different aspects of the sun. Combined with Amun, a creator deity, he was then Anum-Ra (or Amon-Re) and represented the universal, raw power of the sun. Combined with Horus, he was then Ra-Horakhty (or Re-Harakhty, "Ra-Horus in the Horizon"). This was his human representation as to the Pharaoh of Egypt. He also took the form of one of his two daughters. Hathor was a loving form, and Sekhmet was a fierce form. Others were Sebek-Re and Khnum-Re.
As the sun god, during the day Ra sailed across the heavens in his boat, the "Barque of Millions of Years". At the end of every day, he was swallowed by Nut, the goddess of the sky and the heavens. He then sailed to the underworld, leaving the world bathed in moonlight. At the dawn of each new day he returned to make his journey once again. Nut is sometimes referred to as his mother since he is reborn from her every morning. During his daily journey, he fought with an evil serpent called Apep (or The Lord of Chaos). According to some accounts, Ra turned into a cat named Mau and defeated Apep. This is one of the reasons why cats are venerated in Egypt.
Ra was not alone on his journey. He was accompanied by other gods including Anet, Abtu, Hathor, Horus, and Thoth. When he started his journey in the morning, he was Kehpri the scarab god, and his boat was called Madjet (becoming strong). At the end of the day, he was Khnum the ram-headed god, and his boat was called Semektet (becoming weak).
Egyptian sun-gods (such as Horus), are often represented by the falcon, representing a kingly presence and high flying ability.The cobra encircling Ra's crown represents sovereignty, royalty, and divine authority. The right eye represents the sun. The left eye represents the moon.
The general timeline of the rise and fall of the cult of Ra:
2800 BCE: Old Kingdom, the king of Egypt was considered the son of Ra
2575–c. 2465 BCE: 4th Egyptian dynasty, Ra rose to power
1980 BCE: Late 11th Egyptian dynasty at Thebes, Ra was associated with Amon (Amon-Re). For more than a millennium he was the principal Egyptian god and patron of kings.
1539-c. 1075 BCE: New Kingdom, greatest period of solar religious development. Ra and Osirius, ruler of the underworld, became synchronized. Sun disk (Aton) worship became popular during the Amarna period (1353–1336 BCE).
30 BCE: end of Ra's popularity when the Romans conquered Egypt
Current day: the Sun Festival, celebrated at Abu Simbel in February and October. Rays of sunlight shining into the largest temple of the ancient world illuminate statues of deities like Ra, Ramses and Amun.
Ra's legacy still exists in modern culture, both in Egypt and around the rest of the world. Ra was a major character in the 1994 movie . He appears in , an animated T.V. series. In the card game, one of the three Egyptian god cards is called "The Winged Dragon of Ra". In by Rick Riordan, Ra is portrayed in all three books of the series.is an American alternative metal and post-grunge band from Los Angeles, California,
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Live Your Myths
Non-Fiction[OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS] Live Your Myths is a collection of myths and legends submitted by our very own Wattpad Community. Share your local myths and legends for a chance to be featured!
