Ra (Re)

Ra (Re)

One of the most important deities in Egyptian mythology, the sun god Ra (or Re) was the supreme power in the universe. The giver of life, he was often merged with the god Amun as Amun-Ra. Some myths present Ra as the head of the Egyptian pantheon and ruler of all the gods. Others say that he was the only god and that all other deities were merely aspects of Ra.

In some creation myths, Ra emerged from either a primeval mound or primeval waters as Ra-Atum and created Tefnut (Moisture) and Shu (Air). From this first divine pair sprang the sky goddess Nut and earth god Geb, who created the universe and gave birth to the gods Osiris*, Isis*, Set*, Nephthys, and Horus.

deity god or goddess

pantheon all the goods of particular culture

primeval from the earliest times

underworld land of the dead

Ra appeared in many myths and legends, and stories about him varied. As the sun god, he rode across the sky in a golden ship, bringing light and warmth to all creatures living on earth. When the sun set in the evening, he descended to the underworld and brought light and air to the people who dwelled there. Each evening Ra's servants helped him battle his eternal enemy, the mighty snake Apep (known also as Apophis), who tried to swallow

* See Names and Places at the end of this volume for further information.

Ra and all his creations. Some stories said that Ra sailed along the body of Nut, the sky goddess, during the day and then traveled through her body at night.

According to one series of myths, Ra first ruled during a golden age. Everything he saw was perfect, and the sight of such wonders brought tears to his eyes. The tears fell to earth and grew into human beings. In time, however, Ra became angry with the humans because of their actions. He summoned his divine eye, the beautiful goddess Hathor, and transformed her into Sekhmet, a savage lioness. Ra sent the lioness to earth to kill humans, but after she had caused massive bloodshed, he decided to save the humans that remained. He played a trick on Sekhmet, getting her so drunk on beer that she forgot to continue killing. Nevertheless, death had now been introduced into the world.

In another myth, the goddess Isis wished to learn the secret name of Ra. The name contained great power, which Isis planned to use to make her magical spells stronger. By this time, Ra had become quite old. Isis collected some of the spit that drooled down his chin, mixed it with clay, and made a poisonous snake. One day as Ra was out walking, the snake bit him. Tormented by terrible pain, Ra summoned the other gods to help him. Isis promised to relieve his suffering, but only if he revealed his powerful secret name. He finally agreed, and Isis used the name in a magical spell to remove the poison and heal the sun god.

cult group bound together by devotion to a particular person, belief, or god

The chief center for Ra's cult in ancient Egypt was the city of Heliopolis (city of the sun). As worship of Ra grew, it challenged the supremacy of all other cults and eventually became a part of them. Ra remained the principal god throughout the history of ancient Egypt, and Egyptian kings claimed to be the sons of Ra in order to link themselves to him. In ancient art, the god is commonly shown with the head of a falcon wearing a shining solar disk on its head.

See also Amun; Atum; Creation Stories; Egyptian Mythology; Hathor; Isis; Nut; Osiris; Set; Sun; Thoth; Underworld.