View source for Ra

{{short description|Ancient Egyptian solar deity}}
{{about|the Egyptian deity}}
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{{Infobox deity
| type = Egyptian
| name = Ra
| image = Re-Horakhty.svg
| caption = Ra-Horakhty one of the many forms of Ra, god of the Sun, has the head of a falcon and the [[sun disk]] inside the [[Uraeus]] resting on his head.
| hiero = <hiero>r:a-N5:Z1-C2</hiero><br>or<hiero>N5:Z1-C2</hiero><br>or<hiero>C2-N5</hiero><br>or<hiero>C2</hiero><br>or<hiero>N5</hiero>
| cult_center = [[Heliopolis (ancient Egypt)|Heliopolis]] but was worshipped everywhere in [[Ancient Egypt]].
| symbol = [[Solar symbol#Solar disk|Sun Disk]]
| parents = None (most accounts)<br>[[Khnum]] and [[Neith]] (alternative sources)<br>[[Hathor]] (In the cycle of rebirth)
[[Mehet-Weret]] (some accounts)
| siblings = [[Apep]], [[Sobek]] and [[Serket]] (as son of Khnum and Neith)
| consort = [[Hathor]], [[Sekhmet]], [[Bastet]], [[Satet]] (in some myths)
| offspring = [[Shu (Egyptian deity)|Shu]], [[Tefnut]], [[Hathor]], [[Sekhmet]], [[Mafdet]], [[Bastet]], [[Satet]], [[Anhur]], [[Ma'at]], [[Mut]], [[Anat]], [[Qetesh]]
| greek_equivalent = [[Helios]]<ref>{{cite book | title = The Routledge Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses |first1 = George |last1= Hart | publisher = [[Routledge]] | date = 2005 |page = [https://books.google.com/books?id=0L83uBijeZwC&pg=PA110 110] | isbn=0-415-34495-6}}</ref>}}

{{Ancient Egyptian religion}}
'''Ra''' ({{IPAc-en|r|ɑː}};<ref>''Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition''. Merriam-Webster, 2007. p. 1023</ref> {{langx|egy|[[wikt:rꜥ|rꜥ]]}}; also transliterated {{Transliteration|egy|rꜥw}}, {{IPA|egy|ˈɾiːʕuw|pron|Ra pronounciation (egy).ogg}}; cuneiform: {{Script/Cuneiform|𒊑𒀀}} ''ri-a'' or {{Script/Cuneiform|𒊑𒅀}}''ri-ia'';<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ifqhPlmMqiwC&q=%22ni-im-mu-ri-ia%22&pg=PA117|title=Amarna Personal Names|last=Hess|first=Richard S.|date=1993|publisher=Eisenbrauns|isbn=9780931464713|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216164027/https://books.google.com/books?id=ifqhPlmMqiwC&lpg=PA117&ots=0jz3yPzFUt&dq=%22ni-im-mu-ri-ia%22&pg=PA117#v=onepage&q=%22ni-im-mu-ri-ia%22&f=false|archive-date=2017-12-16}}</ref> [[Phoenician language|Phoenician]]: 𐤓𐤏,<ref>[[Corpus Inscriptionum Semiticarum|CIS]] I 3778</ref> romanized: rʿ) or '''Re''' ({{langx|cop|ⲣⲏ|translit=Rē}}) was the [[ancient Egyptian]] [[solar deity|deity of the Sun]]. By the [[Fifth Dynasty of Egypt|Fifth Dynasty]], in the 25th and 24th&nbsp;centuries&nbsp;BC, Ra had become one of the most important gods in [[ancient Egyptian religion]], identified primarily with the [[noon|noon-day Sun]]. Ra ruled in all parts of the created world: the [[sky]], the [[Earth]], and the [[Duat|underworld]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hart |first=George |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0L83uBijeZwC&pg=PA133 |title=The Routledge Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses |date=2005 |publisher=Psychology Press |isbn=978-0-415-34495-1 |pages=133 |language=en}}</ref> He was believed to have ruled as the first [[pharaoh]] of [[Ancient Egypt]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ra, the Sun God {{!}} Ancient Egypt Online |url=https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/ra/ |access-date=2023-05-22 |language=en-GB}}</ref> He was the god of the Sun, order, kings and the sky.

Ra was portrayed as a [[falcon]] and shared characteristics with the sky-god [[Horus]]. At times, the two deities were merged as '''Ra-Horakhty''', "''Ra, who is Horus of the Two Horizons''". When the god [[Amun]] rose to prominence during Egypt's [[New Kingdom of Egypt|New Kingdom]], he was fused with Ra as '''Amun-Ra'''.

The cult of the [[Mnevis]] [[bull (mythology)|bull]], an embodiment of Ra, had its center in [[Heliopolis (ancient Egypt)|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. In some accounts, humans were created from Ra's tears and sweat, hence the Egyptians call themselves the "Cattle of Ra". In the [[Book of the Heavenly Cow|myth of the Celestial Cow]], it is recounted how humankind plotted against Ra and how he sent his eye as the goddess [[Sekhmet]] to punish them.

== Religious roles ==

=== Journey of the Sun ===
[[File:Ra on sun boat.svg|thumb|Ra on the solar barque on his daily voyage across the sky (𓇯), adorned with the sun-disk|left]]According to [[Egyptian mythology|Egyptian myth]], when Ra became too old and weary to reign on Earth, he relinquished and went to the skies.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/TheCompleteGodsAndGoddessesOfAncientEgypt |title=The Complete Gods And Goddesses Of Ancient Egypt |language=English}}</ref> As the Sun god, his duty was to carry the Sun across the sky on his [[solar barque]] to light the day. When the sun set and twilight came, he and his vessel passed through the ''akhet'', the horizon, in the west, and traveled to the underworld.{{sfn|Hart|1986|pp=68–72}} At times, the horizon has been described as a gate or door that leads to the Duat. There, he would have to sail on the subterrestrial [[Nile]] and crossed through the twelve gates and regions.{{sfn|Hart|1986|pp=68–72}} Through the course of his underworld journey, he would transform into his Ram-headed form.<ref name="Hart Ra">{{harvnb|Hart|1986|pp=179–182}}.</ref> Every night, [[Apophis]] would attack Ra in an attempt to stop the sun-boat's journey. After defeating the snake, Ra would leave the underworld, returning at dawn, lighting the day once again. He was said to have traveled across the sky in his falcon-headed form on the Mandjet Barque through the hours of the day, and then switch to the Mesektet Barque in his ram-headed form to descend into the underworld for the hours of the night.<ref name="Abubakr1955">{{cite journal |last1=Abubakr |first1=Abdel Moneim |date=1955 |title=Divine Boats of Ancient Egypt |journal=Archaeology |volume=8 |issue=2 |pages=96–101 |jstor=41663287}}</ref>

=== Sun as a creator ===
[[File:Tutankhamun - Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh (49587454536).jpg|left|thumb|Jewelry of Ra as a falcon with spread wings, adorned with the sun-disk and holding the [[ankh]], the  [[Egyptian hieroglyphs|hieroglyphic symbol]] of life]]
The Sun is the giver of life, controlling the ripening of crops that were worked by man. Because of the life-giving qualities of the Sun, the Egyptians worshipped the Sun as a god. The creator of the universe and the giver of life, the Sun or Ra represented life, warmth and growth. Since the people regarded Ra as a principal god, creator of the universe and the source of life, he had a strong influence on them, which led to him being one of the most worshipped of all the Egyptian gods and even considered [[King of the Gods]]. 
[[File:Inlay depicting the squatting god Re MET DP239682.jpg|thumb|Inlay depicting the squatting Ra with the sun-disk placed atop his falcon head]]
At an early period in Egyptian history, his influence spread throughout the whole country, bringing multiple representations in form and in name. The most common form combinations are with Atum (his human form), [[Khepri]] (the scarab beetle) and Horus (the falcon).{{sfn|Pinch|2004|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=3hgGNb6wM2kC&pg=PA184 184]}} The form in which he usually appears is that of a man with a falcon's head, which is due to his combination with Horus, another sky-god. On top of his head sits a solar disc with a cobra, which in many myths represents the [[Eye of Ra]]. At the beginning of time, when there was nothing but chaos, the sun-god existed alone in the watery mass of [[Nu (mythology)|Nun]] which filled the universe.<ref name="Shorter-2009">{{Cite book |title=The Egyptian Gods |last=Shorter |first=Alan |year=2009 |publisher=Borgo Press |isbn=978-1434455147}}</ref> The universe was enrapt by a vast mass of [[Cosmic ocean|primordial waters]], and the [[Benben]], a pyramid mound, emerged amid this primal chaos. There was a [[Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea|lotus flower]] with Benben,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-07-13 |title=Ancient Egyptian Creation Myths: From Watery Chaos to Cosmic Egg |url=https://www.glencairnmuseum.org/newsletter/2021/7/13/ancient-egyptian-creation-myths-from-watery-chaos-to-cosmic-egg |access-date=2023-05-21 |website=Glencairn Museum |language=en-US}}</ref> and from this, when it blossomed, emerged Ra.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lotus – Sunnataram Forest Monastery |url=https://www.sunnataram.org/dhamma-teachings/lotus |access-date=2023-05-21 |website=www.sunnataram.org}}</ref>  "I am Atum when he was alone in Nun, I am Ra when he dawned, when he began to rule that which he had made."<ref name="Shorter-2009" /> This passage talks about how Atum created everything in human form out of the chaos and how Ra then began to rule over the Earth where humans and divine beings coexisted. He created Shu, god of air, and the goddess of moisture, Tefnut. The siblings symbolized two universal principles of humans: life and right (justice). Ra was believed to have created all forms of life by calling them into existence by uttering their secret names. In some accounts humans were created from Ra's tears and sweat.<ref name="Shorter-2009" />

=== In the underworld ===
[[File:Book_of_Gates_Barque_of_Ra_cropped.jpg|thumb|Ra in his ram-headed form traveling through the underworld in his solar barque on the subterrestrial Nile, from the copy of the Book of Gates in the tomb of Ramses I ([[KV16]])]]
Ra was thought to travel on the Atet, two solar barques called the ''Mandjet'' (the Boat of Millions of Years) or morning-boat and the ''Mesektet'' or evening-boat.<ref name="Hart Ra"/> These boats took him on his journey through the sky and the ''[[Duat]]'' – twelve hours of night which is also the literal underworld of Egypt. While Ra was on the ''Mesektet'', he was in his ram-headed form.<ref name="Hart Ra"/> When Ra traveled in his sun-boat, he was accompanied by various other deities including [[Sia (god)|Sia]] (perception) and [[Hu (mythology)|Hu]] (command), as well as [[Heka (god)|Heka]] (magic power). Sometimes, members of the [[Ennead]] helped him on his journey, including [[Set (mythology)|Set]], who overcame the serpent [[Apep|Apophis]], and [[Mehen]], who defended against the [[monster]]s of the underworld. When Ra was in the underworld, he would visit all of his various forms.<ref name="Hart Ra"/>

Apophis, the god of chaos (''[[Isfet (Egyptian mythology)|isfet]]''), was an enormous [[Serpent (symbolism)|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 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.<ref>Kemboly, Mpay. 2010. ''The Question of Evil in Ancient Egypt''. London: Golden House Publications.</ref>

When Ra was in the underworld, he merged with [[Osiris]], the god of the dead.<ref name="Hart Ra"/>

== Iconography ==
[[File:Maler_der_Grabkammer_der_Nefertari_001.jpg|upright|left|thumb|Ra and [[Imentet]] from the tomb of [[Nefertari]], 13th&nbsp;century&nbsp;BC]]
Ra was portrayed as a man with the head of most likely either a [[Lanner falcon|lanner]] or [[peregrine falcon]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Horus Falcon – NCMALearn |url=https://learn.ncartmuseum.org/artwork/horus-falcon/ |access-date=2023-02-25 |website=learn.ncartmuseum.org}}</ref> adorned with a sun disk with a [[Cobra]] around it,<ref name="Hart Ra" /> and shared characteristics with the sky-god [[Horus]].

Ra was represented in a variety of forms. Other common forms are a man with the head of a beetle (in his form as [[Khepri]]), or a man with the head of a ram. Ra was also pictured as a full-bodied ram, beetle, phoenix, heron, serpent, bull, cat, or lion, among others.{{sfn|Wilkinson|2003}}

He was most commonly featured with a ram's head in the Underworld.<ref name="Hart Ra"/> In this form, Ra is described as being the "ram of the west" or "ram in charge of his harem.<ref name="Hart Ra"/>

In some literature, Ra is described as an aging king with golden flesh, silver bones, and hair of [[lapis lazuli]].<ref name="Hart Ra"/>

==Worship==
The chief cultic center of Ra was ''Iunu'' "the Place of Pillars", later known to the [[Ptolemaic Kingdom]] as [[Heliopolis (ancient Egypt)|Heliopolis]] ({{langx|grc-x-koine|Ἡλιούπολις}}, {{abbr|lit.|literally}}&nbsp;"[[Helios|Sun]] [[polis|City]]")<ref>The Routledge Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, George Hart {{ISBN|0-415-34495-6}}</ref> and today located in the [[Ain Shams|suburbs]] of [[Cairo]]. He was identified with the local sun god [[Atum]]. As Atum or Atum-Ra, he was reckoned the first being and the originator of the [[Ennead]] ("The Nine"), consisting of [[Shu (Egyptian god)|Shu]] and [[Tefnut]], [[Geb]] and [[Nut (goddess)|Nut]], [[Osiris]], [[Set (deity)|Set]], [[Isis]] and [[Nephthys]].

[[File:Stèle de la dame Tapéret - Musée du Louvre Antiquités égyptiennes E 52 ; N 3663 - photo 3.jpg|alt=Painted wood panel showing a woman with arms upraised toward a man with a falcon's head and a sun-disk crown. Chains of flowers-like shapes radiate from the disk toward the woman's face.|thumb|A woman worships Ra-Horakhty, who blesses her with rays of light.{{sfn|Wilkinson|2003|p=33}}]]

Ra's local cult began to grow from roughly the [[Second Dynasty of Egypt|Second Dynasty]], establishing him as a sun-deity. By the [[Fourth Dynasty of Egypt|Fourth Dynasty]], [[pharaoh]]s were seen as Ra's manifestations on Earth, referred to as "Sons of Ra". Ra was called the first king of Egypt, thus it was believed pharaohs were his descendants and successors. His worship increased massively in the [[Fifth Dynasty of Egypt|Fifth Dynasty]], when Ra became a state-deity and pharaohs had specially aligned [[pyramid]]s, [[obelisk]]s, and [[Egyptian sun temple|sun temples]] built in his honor. The rulers of the Fifth Dynasty told their followers that they were sons of Ra himself and the wife of the high priest of Heliopolis.<ref name="Hart Ra"/> These pharaohs spent much of Egypt's money on sun-temples.<ref name="Hart Ra"/> The first [[Pyramid Texts]] began to arise, giving Ra more and more significance in the journey of the pharaoh through the [[Duat]] (underworld).<ref name="Hart Ra"/>

During the [[Middle Kingdom of Egypt|Middle Kingdom]], Ra was increasingly affiliated and combined with other chief deities, especially [[Amun]] and Osiris.

At the time of the [[New Kingdom of Egypt]], the worship of Ra had become more complicated and grander. The walls of [[tomb]]s were dedicated to extremely detailed texts that depicted Ra's journey through the underworld. Ra was said to carry the prayers and blessings of the living with the souls of the dead on the sun-boat. The idea that Ra aged with the sun became more popular during the rise of the New Kingdom.

Many acts of worship included [[hymn]]s, prayers and spells to help Ra and the sun-boat overcome Apophis.

The rise of [[Christianity in the Roman Empire]] put an end to the worship of Ra.<ref>Quirke, S. (2001). ''The Cult of Ra: Sun-worship in ancient Egypt''. New York: Thames and Hudson, p.144.</ref>

==Relationship to other gods==
=== Gods merged with Ra ===
{{redirect|Ra-Horakhty|the Egyptian month named in his honor|Mesori}}
As with most widely worshipped Egyptian deities, Ra's identity was often combined with other gods', forming an interconnection between deities. 
;Amun and Amun-Ra
: [[File:Ra and Amon - Ramses IV tomb.jpg|thumb|Ra and [[Amun]], from the tomb of [[Ramses IV]].]][[Amun]] was a member of the Ogdoad, representing creation-energies with [[Amaunet]], a very early patron of [[Thebes, Egypt|Thebes]]. He was believed to create via breath and thus was identified with the wind rather than the Sun. As the cults of Amun and Ra became increasingly popular in Upper and [[Lower Egypt]] respectively, they were combined to create Amun-Ra, a solar creator god. It is hard to distinguish exactly when this combination happened, but references to Amun-Ra appeared in pyramid texts as early as the Fifth Dynasty. The most common belief is that Amun-Ra was invented as a new state-deity by the Theban rulers of the [[New Kingdom of Egypt|New Kingdom]] to unite worshippers of Amun with the older cult of Ra around the 18th Dynasty.<ref name="Hart Amun">{{harvnb|Hart|1986|p=6}}.</ref> Amun-Ra was given the official title "King of the Gods" by worshippers, and images show the combined deity as a red-eyed man with a lion's head that had a surrounding solar disk.<ref name="Hart Amun"/>
;Atum and Atum-Ra
: Atum-Ra (or Ra-Atum) was another composite deity formed from two completely separate deities; however, Ra shared more similarities with [[Atum]] than with [[Amun]]. Atum was more closely linked with the Sun, and was also a creator god of the [[Ennead]]. Both Ra and [[Atum]] were regarded as the father of the deities and pharaohs and were widely worshipped. In older myths, Atum was the creator of [[Tefnut]] and [[Shu (Egyptian god)|Shu]], and he was born from the [[ocean]] [[naunet|Nun]].

; Ra-Horakhty

: [[File:Pyramidion of Khonsu font.jpg|upright|thumb|Pyramidion of Khonsu, with the image of Ra-Horakhty in the middle.]]In later Egyptian mythology, '''Ra-Horakhty''' was more of a title or manifestation than a composite deity. It translates as "''Ra'' (''who is) [[Horus (god)|Horus]] of the [[Akhet (hieroglyph)|Horizons]]''". It was intended to link Horakhty<ref>{{cite web | url=https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/horakhty/ | title=Horakhty &#124; Ancient Egypt Online }}</ref> (as a sunrise-oriented aspect of Horus) to Ra. It has been suggested that '''Ra-Horakhty''' simply refers to the sun's journey from horizon to horizon as Ra, or that it means to show Ra as a symbolic deity of hope and rebirth. (See earlier section [[#Journey of the Sun]]). 
:He is proclaimed king of the gods in the tomb of [[Horemheb]]. Pharaoh [[Thutmose III]] dedicated the pillars of [[Heliopolis (ancient Egypt)|Heliopolis]] to Horakhty.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Zahan|first=S.|title=Mishor (Egypt)|publisher=Aranyaman|year=2018|location=KOLKATA, INDIA|pages=106}}</ref>
:Ra-Horakhty is very present in the Book of the Dead of the 3rd Intermediate Period. He can be seen sitting on his throne in the Book of the Dead of Nedjmet,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA10541|title=papyrus &#124; British Museum|website=The British Museum}}</ref> Padikhons,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA10312|title=papyrus &#124; British Museum|website=The British Museum}}</ref> Nestanebetisheru,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA10554-66|title=papyrus &#124; British Museum|website=The British Museum}}</ref> Djedkhonsiusankh,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA10328|title=papyrus &#124; British Museum|website=The British Museum}}</ref> Tameniu<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA10002-1|title=papyrus &#124; British Museum|website=The British Museum}}</ref> and in the Amduat Papyrus Inscribed for Nesitaset.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/551141|title=Amduat Papyrus Inscribed for Nesitaset &#124; Third Intermediate Period|website=The Metropolitan Museum of Art}}</ref>
;Khepri and Khnum
: [[Khepri]] was a scarab beetle who rolled up the Sun in the mornings and was sometimes seen as the morning manifestation of Ra. Similarly, the [[Sheep|ram]]-headed god [[Khnum]] was also seen as the evening manifestation of Ra. The idea of different deities (or different aspects of Ra) ruling over different times of the day was fairly common but variable. With Khepri and Khnum taking precedence over sunrise and [[sunset]], Ra often was the representation of midday when the sun reached its peak at noon. Sometimes different aspects of Horus were used instead of Ra's aspects.

;Montu and Montu-Ra
: [[File:Sculpture of Thutmose III, with the god Montu-Ra and goddess Hathor, 18th Dynasty, from temple of Amun-Ra at Karnak, housed in the British Museum.jpg|upright|thumb|Sculpture of [[Thutmose III]] (now headless), who stands hand in hand with the god Montu-Ra (falcon-headed) and the goddess Hathor.]]
A very ancient god, [[Montu]] was originally a manifestation of the scorching effect of Ra, the sun – and as such often appeared under the epithet Montu-Ra. It is possible that Montu-Ra and Atum-Ra symbolized the two kingships, respectively, of [[Upper and Lower Egypt]].{{sfn|Pinch|2004|p=166}} Montu had several consorts, including a female aspect of Ra, [[Raet-Tawy]].{{sfn|Wilkinson|2003|pp=203–4}} In [[Art of ancient Egypt|Egyptian art]], Montu was depicted with his head surmounted by the solar disk, because of his conceptual link with Ra.<ref>[[Guy Rachet|Rachet, Guy]] (1994). ''Dizionario della civiltà egizia''. Rome: Gremese Editore. {{ISBN|88-7605-818-4}}. p. 208.</ref>

;Raet-Tawy
:'''Raet''' or [[Raet-Tawy]] was a female aspect of Ra; she did not have much importance independent of him. In some myths she was considered to be either Ra's wife or his daughter,{{sfn|Wilkinson|2003|p=[https://archive.org/details/completegodsgodd00wilk_0/page/164 164]}} as well as [[Montu]]'s wife.

====Images====
<gallery>
File:Ra-Khepri (solar disc and scarab beetle).svg|Ra-Khepri was sometimes depicted as a [[Scarabaeus sacer|scarab]] pushing a sun disk.
File:Ra as falcon.svg|Ra-Horakhty depicted as a falcon wearing a sun disk
File:Ra depicded as a ram headed falcon with spread wings.png|The ba of Ra depicted as a ram-headed [[falcon]] based on a depiction in [[KV14]], the joint tomb of [[Tausert]] and [[Setnakhte]] 
File:Re-Horakhty.svg|Ra-Horakhty was depicted like [[Horus]], but wearing a sun disk instead of a [[Pschent]], in modern and ancient times, Ra proper is often just represented like this.
File:Khnum-Ra.svg|While in the [[duat|underworld]], Ra ([[Khnum]]-Ra) was depicted with the head of a [[Sheep|ram]] and a sun disk.
Amun-Ra post Amarna (azure skin color).svg|[[Amun-Ra]] was depicted similar to [[Amun]] but had a sun disk on his headdress.
File:Amun-Ra-Min.svg|Amun-Ra (himself a combination of Amun and Ra) was occasionally equated with [[Min (god)|Min]] to form a God called Amun-Ra-Kamutef, who was depicted similar to [[Min (god)|Min]] but had a sun disk on his headdress.
</gallery>

=== Gods created by Ra ===
In some myths, Ra was thought to have created almost every other Egyptian god.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Pearson |first1=Patricia O'Connell |title=World History: Our Human Story |last2=Holdren |first2=John |date=May 2021 |publisher=Sheridan Kentucky |isbn=978-1-60153-123-0 |location=Versailles, Kentucky |pages=29}}</ref>

;Bastet
:[[Bastet]] (also called Bast) is sometimes known as the "cat of Ra".<ref name="Hart Bastet">{{harvnb|Hart|1986|pp=54–56}}.</ref> She is also his daughter by [[Isis]] and is associated with Ra's instrument of vengeance, the sun-god's eye.<ref name="Hart Bastet"/> Bastet is known for decapitating the serpent [[Apep|Apophis]] (Ra's sworn enemy and the "God" of Chaos) to protect Ra.<ref name="Hart Bastet"/> In one myth, Ra sent Bastet as a lioness to Nubia.<ref name="Hart Bastet"/>

;Sekhmet
: [[Sekhmet]] is another daughter of Ra.<ref name="Hart Sekhmet">{{harvnb|Hart|1986|pp=187–189}}.</ref> Sekhmet was depicted as a lioness or large cat, and was an "eye of Ra", or an instrument of the sun god's vengeance.<ref name="Hart Sekhmet"/> 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.<ref name="Hart Sekhmet"/> In another myth, Ra fears that humankind is plotting against him and sends Hathor (another daughter of Ra) to punish humanity. While slaughtering humans she takes the form of Sekhmet. To prevent her from killing all humanity, Ra orders that beer be dyed red and poured out on the land. Mistaking the beer for blood, Sekhmet drinks it, and upon becoming intoxicated, she reverts to her pacified form, Hathor.<ref>Graves-Brown, Carolyn (2004). ''Dancing for Hathor: Women in Ancient Egypt''. Continuum. pp. 74–75</ref>

;Hathor
: [[Hathor]] is another daughter of Ra.<ref name="Hart Hathor">{{harvnb|Hart|1986|pp=76–82}}.</ref> When Ra feared that humankind was plotting against him, he sent Hathor as an "eye of Ra".<ref name="Hart Sekhmet"/> In one myth, Hathor danced naked in front of Ra until he laughed to cure him of a fit of sulking.<ref name="Hart Hathor"/> When Ra was without Hathor, he fell into a state of deep depression.{{sfn|Harris|1981|p=[https://archive.org/details/godspharaohsfrom00harr/page/26 26]}} In the New kingdom, Ra came to be associated with the epithet "Kamutef" ('Bull of his mother') alongside Amun. As Kamutef, he was seen as the son and husband of Hathor who impregnates his own mother to give birth to himself.<ref>Lana Troy: ''Patterns of queenship in ancient Egyptian myth and history''. Almqvist & Wiksell International, Stockholm 1986, ISBN 91-554-1919-4, S.&nbsp;21–22&nbsp;und&nbsp;S.&nbsp;54–59.</ref>

=== Other gods ===
[[File:Apep_2.jpg|thumb|180x180px|Ra in the form of Great Cat, slays Apophis<ref>tomb of Inherkha, [[Deir el-Medina]]</ref>]]
;Ptah
:[[Ptah]] is rarely mentioned in the literature of Old Kingdom pyramids.<ref name="Hart Ptah">{{harvnb|Hart|1986|pp=172–178}}.</ref> This is believed by some to be a result of the Ra-worshipping people of Heliopolis being the main writers of these inscriptions.<ref name="Hart Ptah"/>

;Isis
: In one myth, [[Isis]] created a serpent to poison Ra and only gave him the antidote when he revealed his true name to her. Isis passed this name on to Horus, bolstering his royal authority.{{sfn|Harris|1981|pp=[https://archive.org/details/godspharaohsfrom00harr/page/24 24–25]}}
;Apep
: [[Apep]], also called Apophis, was the god of chaos and Ra's arch-enemy. He was said to lie just below the horizon line, trying to devour Ra as Ra traveled through the underworld.{{sfn|Pinch|2004|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=3hgGNb6wM2kC&pg=PA106 106–108]}}

;Aten
: [[Aten]] was the focus of [[Atenism]], the religious system established in ancient Egypt by the Eighteenth Dynasty pharaoh [[Akhenaten]]. The Aten was the disc of the sun and was originally an aspect of Ra.{{sfn|Pinch|2004|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=3hgGNb6wM2kC&pg=PA109 109–110]}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Traditional African religion}}
* [[List of solar deities]]
* [[Solar myths]]

==References==
{{citation style|date=August 2024}}
{{reflist}}

===Works cited===
* {{cite book |title=Gods & Pharaohs from Egyptian Mythology |last=Harris |first=Geraldine |year=1981 |isbn=978-0-87226-907-1 |publisher=Eurobook Limited |location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/godspharaohsfrom00harr |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |last=Hart |first=George |title=A Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses |publisher=Routledge & Kegan Paul Inc. |year=1986 |isbn=978-0-415-05909-1 |location=London}}
* {{Cite book |last=Pinch |first=Geraldine |title=Egyptian Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses, and Traditions of Ancient Egypt |date=2004 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-517024-5}}
* {{cite book |last=Wilkinson |first=Richard |title=The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt |year=2003 |publisher=Thames and Hudson |location=London |isbn=978-0-500-05120-7 |url=https://archive.org/details/completegodsgodd00wilk_0 |url-access=registration}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last1=Collier |first1=Mark |last2=Manley |first2=Bill |title=How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs |edition=rev. |place=Berkeley |publisher=University of California Press |year=1998 |ref=none}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline}}

{{Ancient Egyptian religion footer|collapsed}}
{{Kushite religion footer}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Ra| ]]
[[Category:Avian humanoids]]
[[Category:Creator gods]]
[[Category:Egyptian gods]]
[[Category:Falcon deities]]
[[Category:Lion gods]]
[[Category:Nubian gods]]
[[Category:Solar gods]]
[[Category:Sky and weather gods]]
[[Category:Personifications]]
[[Category:Underworld gods]]
[[Category:Kings of the gods]]
[[Category:Legendary progenitors]]