The ancients lived in close connection with nature. It is not surprising that the life-giving Sun was the central object of their worship. In the cults of different parts of the world, the sun gods were deeply revered and exalted. They were coaxed with offerings, celebrated in their honor and asked for their protection.
God Ra - protector from the forces of darkness
In Egyptian myths, the sun god Ra is the father and ruler of the world. During the day, sailing along the heavenly Nile, Ra carefully sends his warmth to earth. And with the coming of night, he goes to the afterlife, where he fights the coming darkness, illuminating the underworld. Ra fights the forces of darkness all night long. In the underworld, he meets his main enemy - the serpent Apophis, trying to swallow the Sun, so that the world plunged into eternal darkness. By morning, Ra kills Apophis, and with it dawn comes.
The god Ra is sailing on his boat across the heavenly Ocean of the goddess Nut.
world creation
According to myths, the god Amon-Ra, as he was also called during the New Kingdom, has always existed. Long before the creation of the world, he lived in the space of the Nun Ocean, which the ancient Egyptians likened to an egg. The sun god marked his exit beyond Nun with an act of creation.
Promotional video:
According to the myth, the god Amon-Ra came out of the abyss of Nun and created light by his will alone. Then he created wind and moisture out of himself, and from them came the earth and the sky. This is how four elements appeared in the images of two divine couples: Shu and Tefnut, Hebe and Nut. It was believed that the god Amon-Ra and his descendants were the first pharaohs of Egypt.
The earth god Geb (below) and the sky goddess Nut (above). Papyrus.
The symbolic image of Ra
The sun god Ra was depicted with a falcon head crowned with a red disk. In one hand he holds an ankh - an Egyptian cross, symbolizing eternal life and rebirth; in the other - a scepter - a symbol of divine power. Also in the mythology of Egypt, Ra sometimes takes the form of a phoenix rising from the ashes. Like a fiery bird, in the evening Ra fades away in the west, so that in the morning he is reborn in the east.
The solar disk above the head of the god Ra is his fiery Eye of retribution. The Eye of Ra protects him from numerous enemies and subdues the rebellious to his will. The Eye of Ra is also the personification of the destructive side of fire and a reminder of the dual nature of things. The creative power of light can turn into burning rays of heat. And what was previously the source of life will become the cause of death.
Bas-relief depicting Isis (right) and Sekhmet (left).
Once, when the god Ra was already very old, people stopped obeying him. And angry with people, he turned his sunny Eye into the fierce lioness Sekhmet. In the name of retaliation, Sekhmet began to destroy everything in her path in a rage, beating and killing people. Seeing this, Ra was horrified and decided to stop Sekhmet by tricking her with blood-colored beer.
The god Ra in the form of a cat defeats the snake Apop (on the right). Ani's papyrus.
The Sun God Ra appears in ancient myths in the form of his various hypostases. Ra himself is the daytime Sun. The Evening Sun was called Atum, which also corresponds to the name of the more archaic god Atum, who was popular in earlier times of Egypt. The Morning Sun was called Khepri, which means "scarab" - an ancient symbol of rebirth. And in the battle with the serpent Apophis, the god Ra fights in the form of a fiery red cat.
The departure of the god Ra from the world of people
According to the myths of ancient Egypt, upset by the disobedience of people, the sun god Ra decided to leave the earthly world. Upon learning of this, people repented and came to see Ra off. They gave him his word to fight his enemies and honor his memory. After that, Ra climbed onto the back of the Heavenly Cow to continue to rule the world from there. And earthly power passed into the hands of his children.
God Ra. Fresco on the tomb. XIII century BC.
Author: Elena Zakharchenko