The religion of the ancient Egyptians was based on polytheism, that is, polytheism. Ra is the god of the sun in Egypt. He was the most important figure in mythology. Often he was identified with the god Amon. The Egyptians believed that the name "Ra" has a certain magical potential. In translation, it means "the sun". Egyptian pharaohs were considered sons of the sun god , therefore in their names the particle "Ra" was often present.
Who was the sun god in Ancient Egypt?
In general, Ra is considered a many-faced god and in different parts of Egypt he could be represented in different ways. Interestingly, the appearance of the sun god could be different depending on the time of day. During the sunrise, Ra was pictured as a small child or a calf with a white skin with black spots. In the daytime he appeared to be a man crowned with a solar disk. According to some testimonies, Ra was a lion, falcon or jackal. In the evening and night time, the god of the sun from the ancient Egyptians was portrayed as a man with a ram's head. The most popular and widespread image is a person with a falcon head or a pharaoh look. Often, Ra personified the bird Phoenix, who every night burned himself in ashes, and in the morning revived. This bird was worshiped by the Egyptians, so they grew them in special groves, and then embalmed.
People believed that in the daytime, Ra moved along a celestial river on a boat called the Cuff. Toward evening, he turns into another ship - Mesektet and already on it travels through the underground Nile. In the dark kingdom he fights against the serpent Apopa and after the victory returns to heaven. To every god the Egyptians considered a certain place of residence, so for Ra his own house was the city of Heliopolis. In it was a huge temple dedicated to the ancient Egyptian god of the sun.
In place of Ra came another deity responsible for the sun - Amon. His sacred animals were considered to be sheep and goose - symbols of wisdom. On many images Amon is represented in the image of a man with a ram's head. In his hands is a scepter. The Egyptians revered Amon as well as a god helping in victory. They built huge temples for him, where they held celebrations dedicated to the sun god.
Symbols of the sun god
The most mystical significance was attached to the eyes of the god Ra. They were depicted on different subjects, for example, on ships, tombs, clothes and on various amulets. The Egyptians believed that the right eye, depicted mainly in the role of the snake Urey, could defeat a whole host of enemies. The left eye was endowed with magical abilities to heal serious illnesses. This is evidenced by various myths that have survived to our time. Many myths are connected with the eyes of this god. For example, according to one of them, Ra created the world and the earth, and populated it with people and gods. When the sun god became old, mortals organized a conspiracy against him. To punish them, Ra threw his eye, which turned into his daughter, who dealt with disobedient people. Another myth tells that the right eye Ra gave the goddess of fun, and in return she had to protect him from the snake Apopa.
Another significant sign of the sun god - Ankh, which in translation from Egyptian is called "life." He presents a cross with a loop at the top. On many images Ra holds this symbol in his hands. Ankh connects two objects: a cross means life and a circle or a loop is an eternity. Their combination can be interpreted as a combination of spiritual and material aspects. They depicted Ankh on amulets, believing that this is how a person extends his own life. Together with him they buried the dead people to be sure that in the other life they will be all right. The Egyptians believed that the Ankh is the key that opens the gates of death.
Other symbols of the sun god include a pyramid, which could be quite different in magnitude. A popular symbol is the obelisk, which has a pyramidal top with a solar disk.