RA

BORN IN WORLD OF GODS -7904

IS THE STRONGER GOD IN GAME

This article is about the Egyptian deity. For other uses, see Ra (disambiguation).

**Ra** (/rɑː/;[1] Egyptian: ***Rꜥ***, *Rˤ*) or **Re** (/reɪ/; Coptic: ⲣⲏ, *Rē*) is the ancient Egyptian sun god. By the Fifth Dynasty in the 25th and 24th centuries bc, he had become a major god in ancient Egyptian religion, identified primarily with the noon sun.

In later Egyptian dynastic times, Ra was merged with the god Horus, as Ra-Horakhty ("Ra, who is Horus of the Two Horizons"). He was believed to rule in all parts of the created world: the sky, the earth, and the underworld.[2] He was associated with the falcon orhawk. When in the New Kingdom the god Amun rose to prominence he was fused with Ra as Amun-Ra. During the Amarna Period,Akhenaten suppressed the cult of Ra in favor of another solar deity, the Aten, the deified solar disc, but after the death of Akhenaten the cult of Ra was restored.

The cult of the Mnevis bull, an embodiment of Ra, had its center in Heliopolis and there was a formal burial ground for the sacrificed bulls north of the city.

All forms of life were believed to have been created by Ra, who called each of them into existence by speaking their secret names. Alternatively man was created from Ra's tears and sweat, hence the Egyptians call themselves the "Cattle of Ra." In the myth of the Celestial Cow it is recounted how mankind plotted against Ra and how he sent his eye as the goddess Sekhmet to punish them. When she became bloodthirsty she was pacified by drinking beer mixed with red dye.

## Role

### Ra and the sun

To the Egyptians, the sun represented light, warmth, and growth. This made the sun deity very important, as the sun was seen as the ruler of all that he created. The sun disk was either seen as the body or eye of Ra. Ra was the father of Shu and Tefnut, whom he created. Shu was the god of the wind, and Tefnut was the goddess of the rain. Sekhmet was the Eye of Ra and was created by the fire in Ra's eye. She was a violent lioness.

### Ra in the underworld

Ra was thought to travel on two solar boats called the *Mandjet* (the Boat of Millions of Years), or morning boat and the *Mesektet*, or evening boat.[3] These boats took him on his journey through the sky and the *Duat*, the literal underworld of Egypt. While Ra was on the *Mesektet*, he was in his ram-headed form.[3] When Ra traveled in his sun boat he was accompanied by various other deities including Sia (perception) and Hu (command) as well as Heka (magic power). Sometimes members of the Ennead helped him on his journey, including Set, who overcame the serpent Apophis, and Mehen, who defended against the monsters of the underworld. When Ra was in the underworld, he would visit all of his various forms.[3]

Apophis, the god of chaos, was an enormous serpent who attempted to stop the sun boat's journey every night by consuming it or by stopping it in its tracks with a hypnotic stare. During the evening, the Egyptians believed that Ra set as Atum or in the form of a ram. The *Mesektet*, or the Night boat, would carry him through the underworld and back towards the east in preparation for his rebirth. These myths of Ra represented the sun rising as the rebirth of the sun by the sky goddess Nut; thus attributing the concept of rebirth and renewal to Ra and strengthening his role as a creator god as well.

When Ra was in the underworld, he merged with Osiris, the god of the dead, and through it became the god of the dead as well.[3]

### Ra as creator

Ra was worshipped as the Creator god among some Ancient Egyptians, specifically followers of his cult at Heliopolis.[3] It was believed that Ra wept, and from his tears came man.[3] These cult-followers believed that Ra was self-created, while followers of Ptah believed that Ra was created by Ptah.[4] In a passage of the Book of the Dead, Ra cuts himself, and his blood transforms into two intellectual personifications: *Hu*, or authority, and *Sia*, or mind.[3] Ra is also accredited with the creation of the seasons, months, plants, and animals.

### Gods created by Ra

Bastet
Bastet (also called Bast) is sometimes known as the "cat of Ra".[10] She is also his daughter and is associated with Ra's instrument of vengeance, the sun-god's eye.[10] Bastet is known for decapitating the serpent Apophis (Ra's sworn enemy and the "God" of Chaos) to protect Ra.[10] In one myth, Ra sent Bastet as a lioness to Nubia.[10]
Sekhmet
Sekhmet is another daughter of Ra.[11] Sekhmet was depicted as a lioness or large cat, and was an "eye of Ra", or an instrument of the sun god's vengeance.[11] In one myth, Sekhmet was so filled with rage that Ra was forced to turn her into a cow so that she would not cause unnecessary harm.[11] In another myth, Ra fears that mankind is plotting against him and sends Hathor (another daughter of Ra) to exterminate the human race.[11] In the morning Sekhmet goes to finish the job and drinks what appears to be blood.[11] It turns out to be red beer, and she is too intoxicated to finish the slaughter.[11] Sekhmet, Horus, Ra and Wadjet were connected to the eclipsing binary Algol in the Calendar of Lucky and Unlucky Days of papyrus Cairo 86637.[12]
Hathor
Hathor is another daughter of Ra.[13] When Ra feared that mankind was plotting against him, he sent Hathor as an "eye of Ra" to exterminate the human race, later sending Sekhmet to finish the job.[11] In one myth, Hathor danced naked in front of Ra until he laughed to cure him of a fit of sulking.[13] When Ra was without Hathor, he fell into a state of deep depression.[14]