Ra - The Sun God
Jan 14th, 2007 by admin
Ra, the Sun God of Heliopolis, was also known to the Egyptians as Re or Annu. Ancient Egyptians believed the Sun God to be self created and the creator of all other things.
Ra is probably one of the hardest Egyptian gods to understand. Either by design or by confusion through the ages he has come to be known by many names. One belief is that his “persona” altered through the day.
Beginning each day as Khepera, symbolised by the sacred scarab, the Sun God then changes with the sun. At midday when the sun is at it’s hottest he transforms into Ra.
As the sun sets in the evening and loses it’s power Ra again changes, this time becoming Temu or Tem. He traverses the darkening sky in two boats, carrying the sun upon his head.
When the sun finally set it is said that Ra travelled into the underworld to do battle with his nemesis, Apep. For the most part Ra defeated Apep and so was born anew the following morning as Khepera once again.
As was usual in ancient Egyptian culture, Ra would often be associated with other gods, often being seen as a dual entity with them. For instance, in later years, Ra was associated with a Theban god - Amen - which led to both deities being perceived as the singular entity of Amen-Ra.