Egyptian Sun God Ra, The Greatest Among Gods
It is true that in ancient Egypt, there were many deities considered very powerful in their pantheon. For example, gods such as Thoth, who was said that he created himself, or Geb, the god of the earth, were worshipped as almighty deities.
However, there was a particular god that was very well known. The sun was his main symbol and he was known under the name of Ra.
The Egyptian god Ra is considered to be the most distinguished and the greatest among the gods in Egyptian Mythology. The Egyptian Sun God Ra is also known as the god of creation and was known by several names including Amun-Ra and Ra-Horakhty.
Amun-Ra Egyptian God: the origin of his name
The name of the Egyptian Sun God Ra had a long history.
It originated from the terms “Re” and “Amun” which basically came from the upper and lower part of Egypt, respectively.
When both sides came together, they combined the two terms and came up with “Amun-Re.”
Over the years, Amun-Re would become “Amun-Ra” until it became “Ra” from thereon.
As a matter of fact, in the Egyptian language, the term “Ra” meant “mouth.”
Pictures of Egyptian god Ra in a wall
What was Ra the god of?
Ra is considered by the Egyptians as the King of the Gods and creator of all things. He is the patron of the pharaoh and the people in ancient times gave due praise for him.
Because he is the god of the sun, historians suggested that the pyramids were built in honor of him, and these great monuments serve as a representative of the rays of light from the sun which connected the pharaoh with the Sun god Ra.
Because of the people’s high regard for the Egyptian god Ra, they built solar temples, obelisks, and pyramids across Egypt in honor of him.
Ra takes on several forms. The most notable of his forms is that of a man with the head of a falcon and a figure of the sun above his head.
Other writings depicted him as a scarab beetle, a ram, or simply a man.
Amon-Ra Egyptian God picture, represented as a man
History of the Egyptian Sun god Ra
Even when Ra, the Egyptian god of the sun may be the father of the gods, he is not the first to come about.
It was said that before all creatures were conceived, the entity called “Atum” decided to begin the creation from the primeval ocean embraced by the darkness.
An island first appeared from the primeval ocean and later, the Egyptian Sun god Ra. From the island, Ra created the first god Shu, the god of drought and air, and Tefnut, which was Shu’s co-equal and the god of moisture or humidity.
Afterward, both Geb, the god of the earth, and Nut, the goddess of the sky, followed.
Osiris was created after them and he was tasked to rule the whole world. While all of this was happening, the Egyptian god Ra created and named the elements. Humankind would soon appear from the tears of Ra’s eyes.
The wrath of the Egyptian Sun god Ra and his decision
It was said that while Ra was perfecting all his creations, humanity became disobedient to him.
From there, Ra decided to annihilate man through his tear-giving eye, which was the eye from which mankind originated.
The eye turned into a raging lioness and began butchering humanity. Ra saw the slaughter and felt sorry for his deed. He decided from then on, that he will not live among humans.
So, he sailed the sky every day for 12 hours starting from the East to shine bright to the world and nourish his creations. For another 12 hours, he sailed the Underworld starting from the West on a mission to destroy the enemies of his creation.
Thus, explaining the 12-hour cycle of day and night.
The eye of Ra who turned into a raging lioness was actually the goddess Hathor transformed into the lioness called Sekhmet, the warrior goddess who would slaughter the humans.
If you want to learn more about Hathor and her transformation due to the eye of Ra take a look at this article or this one about Sekhmet.
A statue representing Ra the sun god
Ra Egyptian god powers
The Egyptian Sun God Ra enjoyed the title of the “Supreme God” and “God of the gods” by ancient Egyptians.
He was revered by the Egyptians thousands of years ago that they did not want to offend him. His powers include the following:
Fertility and War
This is symbolized by his depictions of the ram. These two words are the forces that create and destroy humanity.
Creator of the Universe
This was shown when he created gods to rule over a specific element, principle, phenomenon, or object.
Immortality
Because of his never-ending journey which represents day and night, the Egyptian god Ra is continually reborn.
Possession of the Tree of Life
The tree of life is a vital symbol for the ancient Egyptians. It was said that whoever eats the fruit from the tree of life can become immortals. It was said, however, that the fruit is prohibited to humans and is reserved only for pharaohs.
In one of the ancient stories, Ra’s true power is hidden in his secret name.
When he grew old and became weak eventually, Isis, the goddess of wisdom and the wife of Osiris, set out to steal his true power.
From the saliva that came from Ra’s mouth, Isis created a snake which she set in Ra’s path to bite him.
Because of the pain inflicted from the snake’s bite, Ra allowed Isis to heal him, and she was able to get his powers.
The most important symbols of the Egyptian Sun god Ra
The symbology of the ancient sun god Ra is wide. Let us take a look at the most important symbols of this deity
Ra Egyptian god symbol: The Eye of Ra
According to the creation story, the tears of the eye of Ra are where humankind came from.
It is also the one used by Ra to slaughter the humans when the time came that they became rebellious to him because of his old age and weakness in his human form.
The myth suggests that the eye serves as Ra’s feminine counterpart and acts as a separate entity from him, as was the case with the goddess Hathor. The eye has both creative and destructive aspects that can both restore and wreak havoc.
A representation of the eye of the Egyptian sun God Ra
Ra Egyptian god symbol: Sun Disc
The disc is encircled by a cobra named “Uraeus” that is depicted above his head.
Ra Egyptian god symbol: Animal Forms
The animal forms of the sun god Ra are a hawk, scarab beetle, lion, ram, and snake. These animals are important symbolism in ancient Egypt. Actually, in one of the most important myths, Ra would fight the demon god snake, Apophis in the form of a lion.
Ra Egyptian god symbol: Ankh
Another term for this is “key of life.” It is an ancient Egyptian symbol commonly used to represent “life.” It holds the shape of a cross but with a loop at the top of the bar. The sun god Ra is depicted to hold the Ankh in his right hand.
Ra Egyptian god symbol: “Was” Scepter
Also known as the “tcham” scepter, this item symbolizes power and authority over the brethren of a ruler. Pharaohs often have this scepter during their reign and this item can be seen at the left hand of the sun god Ra. The “was” scepter was also seen carried by Set, the god of chaos and confusion.
Pictures of Ra, the sun god
Some additional facts about Egyptian god Ra
The Egyptian Sun God Ra was highly regarded as the god of the gods in the old kingdom of Egypt.
He was praised by the Egyptians and made monuments in his honor. The center of the cult of Ra was “lunu” (the Place of Pillars) or what is termed by the Greeks as Heliopolis or the “Sun City.”
The cult of Ra grew in influence starting from the second dynasty and continued to grow where on the fourth, Pharaohs of Egypt were referred to as the “Sons of Ra.”
During the fifth dynasty, the worship of Ra became more intense because massive monuments like sun temples, obelisks, and pyramids were built to worship him.
A statue of the Egyptian Sun god Ra
When Egypt started to unite, we can see that the beliefs merged as well. It is noteworthy that Ra had several names but even if it is the case, Egyptians refer to the same God.
However, the worship of this God would be put to an end because of the rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire.
