Re

**Re**, also known as **Ra**, is a principal god of the Ancient Egyptian religion, who was associated with the sun and the act of creation.

## Overview

### Re as the creator of the world

According to myths from the ancient city of Heliopolis, the demiurge Re was the first being that emerged from the primordial waters (personified as the ancient deity Nu) and created everything in existence. The myths vary with details, such as where Re emerged from (such as an ancient cosmic mount or a lotus flower) or what shape he had (a child, heron, falcon or scarab beetle). As the creator Re created all living beings, including the other deities and humanity (*remetj*), who emerged from his tears (*remut*). In some other creation myths Re also circumcised himself, and the blood that spilled from this produced the deities Hu (authority) and Sia (mind).

### Re on Earth

Re would reign on Earth as the first monarch according to the Egyptian ideology of Egypt, and he would also control the three seasons of Egypt and the annual flooding of the Nile, and through that also the harvest of food.

### Re in the Sky

Re would eventually become too old and senile to rule over the Earth, and by orders of Nun, the sky-goddess Nut would lift him as the ruler of the Heavens and become the very sun itself. The god would travel across the sky in his *mandjet* (day barque) explaining rising and setting of the sun. During these travels he was accompanied by several other deities, such as his daughter Maat, the goddess of truth and order.

He was also associated with the constellation that would later be known as Leo (Unicode ♌).

### Re in the Underworld

After every sunset Re would decent into the underworld in a life-death-rebirth cycle, now traveling in the *mesketet* (evening barque). He would often interact with the Osiris, the lord of the underworld, and was sometimes said to merge with the god to form Re-Osiris. Re would also have to face the monstrous Apophis during the his travels in the underworld, who would try devour solar god, but Re would always survive the ordeal, as he will always be protected by other Egyptian deities, such as Isis, the Queen of the gods, Neith, an ancient mother goddess, Serket, goddess of medicine and poisonous animals, and Set, the god of chaos, deserts and storms. Re would eventually ascend from the underworld starting a new day.

### Syncretism

Re has been syncretised with other several others important Egyptian gods, such as Amun (forming supreme god **Amun-Re**), Khnum (who was seen as the *ba* or divine of Re), Horus (forming **Re-Horakhty**) and Sobek (forming **Sobek-Re**). He would eventually be eclipse the Atum, the solar and creator god, within the city of Heliopolis.

## Pop Culture

* Re appears is one of many Egyptian gods to appear in the *Kane Chronicles* by Rick Riordan, which are based on Egyptian mythology. His battle against Apophis is an important component in the story-line of the books.
* In the 1994 film *Stargate* Re was portrayed by actor Jaye Davidson. He served as the main antagonist of the story, being an ancient alien warlord who enslaved humanity under he guise of being a deity.
* In the 2016 film *Gods of Egypt*, Re was portrayed by Australian actor Geoffrey Rush.
* Re appears in *Hercules: The Animated Series*, notably in the episode *Hercules and the Romans*, alongside the fellow Egyptian gods Khnum and Bastet.
* Though not confirmed directly, it's heavily implied in the article of SCP-3223 the figure of SCP-3223-1 might be Re.

## References

1. ↑ Assmann, Jan, *Re* (p.689), in Toorn, Karel van der; Bob Becking; Pieter W. van der Horst. *Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible*
2. ↑ Wilkinson, Richard. *The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt*
3. ↑ Wilkinson, Richard. *The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt*
4. ↑ Wilkinson, Richard. *The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt*
5. ↑ Wilkinson, Richard. *The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt*
6. ↑ Wilkinson, Richard. *The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt*