Ra

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Revision as of 03:00, 3 Mar 2005


The Ennead
Ra Shu Tefnut Nut Geb	Nephthys Osiris Isis Set
The Ogdoad
Nu/Naunet Amoun/Amaunet	Kuk/Kauket Huh/Hauhet
Other Egyptian Gods
Anubis Anuket Apophis Apis Astarte Aten Bast Bes Hapi Hathor Horus Harpocrates	Khepri Khonsu Khnum Maat Mentu Neith Nut Ptah Sebek Sekhmet Tahuti Tawaret Tum

Ra (sometimes spelled Re) is the sun-god of Heliopolis in ancient Egypt. From the fifth dynasty (ca. 2400 BCE) onward he was combined with the Theban god Amon to become the foremost deity of the Egyptian pantheon. He remained paramount for centuries except for a brief suspension during the time of Akhenaten (1350-1334 BCE) when direct and exclusive worship of Aten, the sun disk itself, was imposed on the kingdom of Egypt. In later times, he was associated with Heryshaf.

He was also the father of Heget.

Ra is a self-creating god, fashioning himself from Mehturt, a mound (see Ogdoad) that came from the waters of Nu, or a lotus flower. He also created Shu and Tefnut out of his semen or mucus, Hu and Sia from the blood from his penis and humanity from his tears.

The sun is either the entire body of Ra, or just his eye. In Heliopolis (the capital of his cult), Ra was worshipped as Atum (the setting sun), Re-Harachte (Venus) and Khepri ("the rising sun"). He was later associated with Horus.

Though Ra and Atum ("he who completes or perfects") were the same god, Atum was used in distinctive fashions. He was primarily the symbol of the setting sun and was also a substitute for Ra as the creator of Shu and Tefnut from either masturbatory semen, (perhaps via autofellatio) or mucus. Atum was himself created by Ptah in some mythologies. Atum was the father of Hike.

Atum was the head of the Ennead and was represented by Mnewer, the black bull. He was associated with the snake, lizard, beetle, mangust, lion, bull, and ichneumon (mongoose).

Ra traveled through the underworld every night in a ship, and was protected (such as from the monster Apep) by Set and Mehen. During this journey, he was known as Auf or Efu Ra.

Hathor and Ra once argued, and she left Egypt. Ra quickly decided he missed her, but she changed into a cat that destroyed any man or god that approached. Thoth, disguised, eventually succeeds in convincing her to return.

Amon-Ra's identity with Zeus or Jupiter was acknowledged by the Greeks and Romans. The Greeks even gave the name Diospolis, City of Zeus, to Thebes. He was also associated with the Phoenix.

The symbols of Ra are a golden disk or the symbol ⊙ (Circle with a point at its centre), see Solar symbols.

References

Wikipedia (2005). Ra (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra). Retrieved March 1, 2005

Retrieved from "http://thelemapedia.org/index.php/Ra"

 {{egyptiangods}}
-'''Ra''' was the god of the sun during dynastic [[Egypt]]; the name is thought to have meant "creative power", and as a proper name "Creator", similar to English Christian usage of the term "Creator" to signify the "almighty God." Very early in Egyptian history Ra was identified with [[Horus]], who as a hawk or falcon-god represented the loftiness of the skies. Ra is represented either as a hawk-headed man or as a hawk. <br>
+'''Ra''' (sometimes spelled '''Re''') is the sun-god of [[Heliopolis]] in ancient Egypt. From the fifth dynasty (ca. 2400 BCE) onward he was combined with the Theban god [[Amon]] to become the foremost deity of the Egyptian pantheon. He remained paramount for centuries except for a brief suspension during the time of Akhenaten (1350-1334 BCE) when direct and exclusive worship of [[Aten]], the sun disk itself, was imposed on the kingdom of Egypt.  In later times, he was associated with [[Heryshaf]].
-<br>
-Owing to the fact that the sun was a fire, the Egyptians realized that in order to travel through the waters of Heaven and the [[Underworld]], it required a boat, and so Ra was depicted as traveling in a boat. During the day the boat was a great galley called Madjet ("becoming strong") and during the night, a small barge called Semektet ("becoming weak"). <br>
-<br>
-During dynastic Egypt Ra's cult center was Annu (Hebrew "On", Greek "Heliopolis", modern-day "Cairo"). In Dynasty V, the first king, [[Userkaf]], was also Ra's high priest, and he added the term "Sa-Ra (Son of Ra)" to the titulary of the pharaohs. <br>
-<br>
-Ra was father of [[Shu]] and [[Tefnut]], grandfather of [[Nut]] and [[Geb]], great-grandfather of [[Osiris]], [[Set]], [[Isis]], and [[Nephthys]], and great-great-grandfather to [[Horus]]. In later periods (about Dynasty 18 on) Osiris and Isis superseded him in popularity, but he remained "Ra netjer-aa neb-pet" ("Ra, the great God, Lord of Heaven") whether worshiped in his own right or, in later times, as half of the Lord of the Universe, [[Amen-Ra]].<br>
-----
+He was also the father of Heget.
-Reference: http://www.amberwood.org/egypt.htm
+Ra is a self-creating god, fashioning himself from [[Mehturt]], a mound (see [[Ogdoad]]) that came from the waters of [[Nu]], or a lotus flower.  He also created [[Shu]] and [[Tefnut]] out of his semen or mucus, [[Hu]] and [[Sia]] from the blood from his penis and humanity from his tears.
+The sun is either the entire body of Ra, or just his eye.  In [[Heliopolis]] (the capital of his [[cult]]), Ra was worshipped as Atum (the setting sun), Re-Harachte ([[Venus (astrology)|Venus]]) and [[Khepri]] ("the rising sun").  He was later associated with [[Horus]].
+Though Ra and Atum ("he who completes or perfects") were the same god, Atum was used in distinctive fashions.  He was primarily the symbol of the setting sun and was also a substitute for Ra as the creator of [[Shu]] and [[Tefnut]] from either masturbatory semen, (perhaps via autofellatio) or mucus.  Atum was himself created by [[Ptah]] in some mythologies.  Atum was the father of [[Hike]].
+Atum was the head of the [[Ennead]] and was represented by [[Mnewer]], the black bull.  He was associated with the snake, lizard, beetle, mangust, lion, bull, and ichneumon (mongoose).
+Ra traveled through the [[underworld]] every night in a ship, and was protected (such as from the monster [[Apep]]) by [[Set]] and [[Mehen]].  During this journey, he was known as Auf or Efu Ra.
+[[Hathor]] and Ra once argued, and she left Egypt.  Ra quickly decided he missed her, but she changed into a cat that destroyed any man or god that approached.  [[Thoth]], disguised, eventually succeeds in convincing her to return.
+Amon-Ra's identity with [[Zeus]] or [[Jupiter (godform)|Jupiter]] was acknowledged by the Greeks and Romans. The Greeks even gave the name Diospolis, City of Zeus, to Thebes.  He was also associated with the [[Phoenix]].
+The symbols of Ra are a golden disk or the symbol &#8857; (Circle with a point at its centre), see Solar symbols.
+==References==
+*Wikipedia (2005). ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra Ra].'' Retrieved March 1, 2005