Ra

**Ra**


 * Other Names:**

Re, Rei, Rah, Phra


 * Meaning of Name:**

"Creative Power," or, more properly, "The Creator." It is thought to be one of the oldest names for the sun.


 * Hieroglyphics:**

or


 * Titles:**

“Lord of Heaven”

//Nesu Netcheru// ("King of the Gods")

“Golden Aten (sun)”

//Mesenty// ("Lord of Creation")

“Father of the Gods”

//Harakhti// (“He Who Perches On the Horizon”)

//Har-em-akhet// ("Falcon of Gold")


 * Family:**

Ra was thought to be the son of Nun and Naunet, Neith, Mut, or Mehet-Weret. He was the father-husband of Bast and Hathor. Occasionally his mother-daughter was considered to be Nut or Selket. Ra was sometimes thought to be the father of Shu, Tefnut, Anuket, Horus, Heket, Ma’at, Satis, Min, Taweret, Selket, Sia, Hau, Hauhet, Nekhbet, Anubis, Wadjet, Astarte, Anhur, and Sekhmet.

Ra was the leader of the Ennead, the supreme sun god, and the embodiment of the rising sun. For the ancient Egyptians, the sun most basically represented light, warmth, and growth. This made Ra very important to Egyptians, and it is probably therefore no coincidence that he came to be seen as the ruler of all. The “Eye of Ra” was another name for the sun. Ra was also worshiped in the form of a giant obelisk - a petrified sun ray. The heavens were called the “House of Ra.”

Ra was a creator who made gods and men, and a powerful protector of the pharaoh. The pharaohs of Egypt held the title “Son of Ra,” as kings claimed their origin with the gods, and by the 5th Dynasty the name of Ra was incorporated into the throne name of every king from that point onwards. Ra himself was said to begat every pharaoh by coupling with the queen mother. The Egyptian people called themselves “the cattle of Ra.” Ra’s sun temples actually equaled, if not exceeded in some cases, the size of the royal pyramids. A papyrus called the “Book of the Litany of Ra” has been found, containing myths and hymns to the god.

According to the Heliopolitan cosmology, Ra created himself from a lotus flower that arose from the primeval waters of Nun. Ra was pictured as a man with a falcon head, often standing in a barque, wearing the sun-disk. Occasionally Ra wore the Double Crown or the Atef Crown. Sometimes, Ra is portrayed differently according to the position of the sun in the sky. At sunrise he was an infant, at noon a man, and at sunset an old man. The famous Riddle of the Sphinx is associated with him.

When pictured in a fully human form, Ra was described as having flesh of gold, bones of silver, and hair of lapis lazuli. Occasionally he was shown as a ram, a serval, a black bull called Mnevis, the Bennu bird, a lion, a ram-headed man, or as a falcon. Sacred falcons were kept in temples dedicated to Ra, and mummified when they died. The hieroglyph for “god” and “pharaoh” was a falcon on its perch. Ra was associated with the rising sun amulet, the Achet. Hymns from the New Kingdom praise the trio Amun, Ra, and Ptah: “Three are all the gods, Amun, Ra, and Ptah, their equal does not exist."

At Ra's principal temple at Heliopolis a giant, 170-ft obelisk stood, with an altar at the foot. Sacrifices of cattle to the sun-god were carried out on a prodigious scale. Much of this sacrificial meat, as well as offerings of bread, beer, and cakes, were distributed to the masses at feast times. During the 5th Dynasty, 100,600 meals were provided to the public on New Year's Day. Ra was praised as "The Radiant, whose serpent shines, who is bright in the eyes of all."

Ra was said to have two barques, called //Mandjet// (“Sunrise" or "Becoming Strong”) and //Mesketet// ("Sunset" or "Becoming Weak") with which he traveled around the earth each day, bringing sunlight to the world. He was accompanied by other gods, such as Thoth, Set, Ma’at, Sia, Neheb-Kau, Mehen, and Hau, as well as by helpful animals (swallows for //Mandjet//, baboons for //Mesketet//.)

Ra illuminated the sky with the "gold of his face." Ra was said to carry the prayers and blessings of the living along with the souls of the dead on the sunboat. Many acts of worship included hymns, prayers and spells to help Ra and the sunboat overcome the numerous dangers of the Duat which they passed through, including the great serpent Apophis. After death, the pharaoh was said to ascend into the sky to join the entourage of Ra.


 * Feast and Holy Days:**

August 17th (Rituals in the Temple of Ra)

August 26th (Day of Jubilation in the Heart of Ra)

September 16th (Land in Festival for Ra) October 9th (Ra Judges the Dispute of Set and Horus)

October 31st (Feast of Ra)

November 15th (Feast in the House of Ra)

December 6th (Day of Offerings to the Followers of Ra)

December 17th (Day the Heavens Receive Ra)

January 1st (Month of Ra)

March 4th (Feast of Ra in His Barque)

March 15th (Offerings to Ra)

March 21st (Coming Forth of the Great Ones from the House of Ra)

April 2nd (Day of Joy of the Crew of Ra)

April 14th (Celebrations in the House of Ra) April 16th (Holiday of Ra and His Followers)

May 26th (Holiday of the Receiving of Ra)

June 1st (Ma’at and Ra Go Forth In Secret)

June 28th (Ra Goes Forth)

July 13th (Birthday of Ra)


 * Quotes from the Book of the Dead and other sources:**

Hymns of Ra


 * Egyptian Names Honoring This Deity:**

Radjedef, Khafra, Ramesside, Ra-Atum, Userkare, Raiay, Raweben ("Strong Like Ra"), Sehetepibra ("The One Who Satisfies the Heart of Ra"), Merty-Ra ("Beloved of Ra"), Neferkara ("The Beautiful Ka of Ra"), Raned ("Great Lord Ra"), Nubuserra ("The Power of Ra is Golden"), Sehebra ("The One Who Adorns Ra"), Khakara ("The Ka of Ra Appears"), Seankibra ("The One Who Makes the Heart of Ra Live"), Ramses ("Born of Ra"), Neferibra ("The Heart of Ra is Beautiful"), Ranebsen ("Their Lord is Ra"), Sedwadjkara ("The One Who Causes the Ka of Ra to Flourish"), Sit-Ra ("Daughter of Ra"), Shepseskare ("Noble is the Ka of Ra"), Maaibra ("The Heart of Ra is Just"), Seqenenra ("The One Whom Ra Has Made Brave"), Sekhemkara ("The Ka of Ra is Powerful"), Rahotep ("Ra is Satisfied") Senakhtenre ("Perpetuated like Ra"), Rakhmira ("Wise Like Ra"), Maathornofrure ("She Who Sees the Beauty of Ra"), Heqa-Maat-Ra ("Ruler of Justice like Ra")


 * Outside of Egypt:**

Much like the Christian God, mythology told that Ra had created the world for man, and that evil was a result of mankind’s actions. The Hebrews enthusiastically adopted Ra and identified him with Yahweh. Well into Christian times, we find occasional texts appealing to Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Sun-God Ra.


 * Modern Influence:**

In Egypt today, the sun is still referred to as "Ra," especially on bright summer days.

Egyptian Deities - R