Ra (deity)

Symbol: human with hawk’s head; sun disk

Culture: ancient Egypt

Children: Shu; Tefnut

Ra, also spelled Re, was one of the central figures of the Egyptian pantheon. Worshipped as the embodiment of all the sun gods associated with Egyptian culture, Ra was believed to be the creator of everything perceivable. Because the Egyptian pharaoh was so closely identified with Ra, this mortal ruler was likewise deemed to be divine. The worship of Ra reached its peak during the reign of Egypt’s Fifth Dynasty (2494–2345 BCE), when multiple sun temples were erected in his honor. The sun temples were built with open courts, demonstrating Egyptian belief that the sun’s rays were the essence of Ra himself. The main cult center of Ra was located in Heliopolis on the eastern bank of the Nile River.

Scholars believe that as power transferred from one group of rulers to another during different eras of Egyptian history, some deities became more important and some became less important over time. For example, the popularity of Ra waned with the decline of the Fifth Dynasty, leading later generations of rulers to emphasize other gods of Egypt. But his cult would re-emerge at several points throughout Egyptian history. The god Amun-Ra was considered to be another manifestation of Ra himself and an important object of worship in his own right during later periods. Furthermore, Amun-Ra was essentially a reinterpretation of another important Egyptian deity, Amun. Amun-Ra is often associated with the Greek god Zeus because of his status in Egyptian mythology as the king of all gods. Worship of Ra in different forms and incarnations was an important part of the religion of ancient Egypt for a long time.

In Mythology

Multiple mythologies about the origin of Ra have survived to the present day. While some myths claim that he arose from the primordial watery abyss called Nu through an act of self-creation, others said that he emerged from a lotus flower in the form of a child. Myths associated with the origin of Ra were often part of the creation myths of other important deities. The ancient Egyptians often linked these origin stories because they believed Ra was the first deity who spawned all the others

Because Egyptians believed Ra to be the manifestation of the sun itself, they thought he sailed across the sky from dawn to dusk on a solar boat called the Mandjet. Different forms of Ra were associated with dawn and night. Khepri was the name given to the form of Ra that appeared in the sky as the sun rose at dawn; at night, Ra was known as Atum. Egyptians believed that humanity sprang from his tears, so they sometimes referred to Ra as the weeper. Creation myths associated with Ra recounted how his children Shu and Tefnut, representing air and water, were directly responsible for the creation of Earth and life itself.

Ra was also closely associated with the underworld in Egyptian mythology. He was often connected with Osiris, the god of the underworld. According to Egyptian mythology, Ra died every evening at sunset and traveled to the underworld in another boat, the Mesektet. Upon reaching this destination, Ra would then fight with Apophis, a snake god. Because Apophis represented chaos and death, the Egyptians considered him to be the antithesis of Ra. The Egyptians also believed Apophis could put an end to their very existence, a fate that was considered to be even worse than eternal punishment. The mythology further related that Ra died every night to fight and defeat Apophis in the underworld. However, Ra was only capable of defeating Apophis temporarily and had to return every night to subdue the snake god once again.

Origin and Cults

The solar cults associated with Ra had their own temples, and these temples were both connected to the daily lives of the population and also tied Ra to the material aspects of life, such as children, virility, and health. The Pyramid Texts are a set of inscriptions found on the pyramid of Wenis, one of the Fifth Dynasty pharaohs. Dating from about 2350 BCE, the Pyramid Texts speak of the early origin of the sun god cult. Much of the information scholars have about the significance of Ra comes from funeral inscriptions. These texts were essentially meant to act as a traveler’s guide for the dead in their journeys through the underworld. Although such inscriptions are important, they are also of limited value because they tend to illustrate an idealized view of ancient Egypt rather than its reality. Nevertheless, they still provide information about the complex theological customs and beliefs connected to Ra.

At many points in its history, ancient Egypt was plagued by strife and war. Adoption of a single deity who appeared to endorse the state helped the pharaohs consolidate power, solve internal conflicts, and promote unity in the region. Thus, the changing popularity of Ra often reflected the political decisions of different rulers during their individual reigns. Likewise, to shore up their power, different rulers responded to the changing political landscapes by adopting such deities as Horus, Ptah, and Amon as central gods because these immortals were associated with state power. The continued worship of Ra throughout the long history of ancient Egypt and the merging of Ra with other deities in response to the changing political climate make it clear that he was one of the most—and perhaps the most—important figure in the belief structure of ancient Egypt.

Bibliography

Bunson, Margaret R. Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt. Rev. ed. Facts On File: New York, 2002. Print.

Editors of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Re." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2015. <http://www.britannica.com/topic/Re>.

Hart, George. The Routledge Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses. 2nd ed. Routledge: Abingdon, 2005. Print.

Okon, Etim E. "Religion and Politics in Ancient Egypt." American Journal of Social and Management Sciences (2012): 93-98. Web.

<http://www.scihub.org/AJSMS/PDF/2012/3/AJSMS-3-3-93-98.pdf>.

Shaw, Ian. The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford UP: New York, 2000. Print.