A story about the Egyptian sun god. The main gods of ancient Egypt. Scarab: the earthly image of Ra
In the ancient world, people worshiped the sun as a deity, because it was the sun that brought light and warmth, driving away the darkness of night and cold. It is not surprising that the sun god Ra was the most revered in the pantheon of Egyptian gods.
The formation of the cult of the Egyptian god Ra
The name Ra was written in Egypt without a vowel, so the sun god is also called Re (or Re). This name was mysterious as well as magical. With the help of his name, Ra kept the whole world in subjection. Ra is translated as sun. The sun god was depicted as a falcon, less often as a giant cat, sometimes as a man with a falcon's head and a solar disk (like the god Horus).
The ancient city of Egypt Heliopolis was called the city of the sun, because it was here that the cult of the god Ra originated and was the center. Now the remains of this city are located near the suburbs of Cairo. When Ancient Egypt united its territories and the Ancient Kingdom was formed, the pharaoh became the head of all the cults of the gods , that is, deified. The dynasty from Heliopolis (V Dynasty of the Old Kingdom) rose in the 26th-25th centuries BC. Accordingly, the god of this city was exalted. The pharaohs called themselves the sons of Ra - “sa Ra”.
In other cities, Ra was identified with the local sun gods. For example, in the city of Thebes, Ra was united with Amon and called Amon-Ra, in Elephantine with Khnum - Khnuma-Ra, but the most widespread was Ra-Horakhty - the union of Horus and Ra.
Initially, Ra acted as the god of the deceased king, but at a later time the god Osiris became the “chief” in the afterlife. All the same, the sun god played an important role, as he provided warmth and light to the dead and participated in the trial of people.
In parallel with the cult of Ra, there was the worship of the Sun goddess Mafdet, who was depicted as a female cheetah. In that era, when Ancient Egypt had not yet united into the mighty Ancient Kingdom (that is, before the reign of the pharaonic dynasties), the Egyptians revered two other sun gods - Horus and Ver. Horus (horus) was directly the god of the sun, and Ver was the god of Light and Sky, but since the image of these two gods was the same (falcon), their images gradually merged into one - Harver.
Around the same period of time, the god Khepri (morning sun) began to be identified with the god Ra, who became one of the hypostases of the sun god. With the growing importance and strengthening of the solar cult, Ra becoming the main god of all Egypt, all of his hypostases were revered. There were four of them: Ra himself, “young Ra” in the form of Khepri, as well as two sides of Horus (Horus) - Harmachis and Horakhte.
The worship of Ra displaced the cult of the goddess Mafdet into the background, but her image as a cheetah influenced the image of Ra. On some historical monuments he is represented as a giant cat. There are more than 20 hypostases of the sun god, who was depicted as a man with the head of a falcon.
At the end of the reign of the XI and the beginning of the XII Dynasty, the city of Thebes became the new capital. And in this city the main god of the sun was Amon. He was supposed to become the main one in the pantheon of Egyptian gods, but the worship of the god Ra already had deep roots, so gradually, over time, a merger occurred and the appearance of a completely new god - Amon-Ra. In turn, Ra and Amon still existed separately from each other.
During the New Kingdom, priests tried to systematize the numerous pantheon of Egyptian gods, but the god Amun-Ra remained the main one.
The analogue of the Egyptian sun god in the myths of Ancient Greece was Helios.
Symbol of the power of Ra
God Ra was depicted with an unusual object in his hands. It is called Ankh (Ankh). This symbol was almost the most significant hieroglyph among the ancient Egyptians. It has been called the key of life or the key of the Nile, as well as the bow of life, the knot of life, the Egyptian cross, and the looped cross. Many names are due to the fact that in the images the god Ra holds in his hand a cross, which is crowned with a ring.
The meaning of the ankh is still controversial among Egyptologists, as well as other researchers and scientists. Today there are many different interpretations of this symbol. Since the ankh is similar to a Christian cross, it entered Coptic symbolism as a symbol of power and eternal life. The ankh was also considered a sign of protection, a symbol of wisdom, eternity and immortality. It can be found in images painted on all kinds of objects, on the walls of temples, on amulets, etc. This ancient symbol was actively used by the ancient Egyptians.
Myths about the Egyptian sun god Ra
God Ra was considered the creator of the whole world. People emerged from the tears of God. The sun god created the moon (god Thoth) in order to rest himself. When the earth god Geb quarreled with the sky goddess Nut, Ra ordered them to be separated. Thanks to this, the earth and sky appeared.
The mother of the sun god Nut swallows her son every day in the evening, and the next morning Ra is born, appearing on a lotus flower on the top of a hill from Nun - the primeval chaos. According to another legend, the fiery island, from which the sun god arose, gave him the power to destroy darkness and chaos and bring order to the world. His daughter, the goddess of truth and justice Maat, helped him in this. According to myths, she always stands at the bow of his boat.
During the day, Ra moves along the heavenly river (Nile) in the boat Manjet and illuminates everything around. Towards evening, another boat awaits him - Mesektet, in which he descends into the underworld (underworld). There he fights the forces of darkness and evil in the form of the serpent Apophis. Having won the victory, in the morning he appears in all his grandeur on the horizon.
God Ra rules all gods and the world like a pharaoh. From his boat he can see everything that happens on earth. Through the god Hu (god of the divine word), as well as the goddess of wisdom Sia, Ra sorts out complaints and gives instructions. The moon god Thoth is the highest official, he seals letters and writes orders.
The solar disk, depicted above the head of the sun god, was considered the visible part of the owner of the sky (stomach), sometimes interpreted as his Eye.
Eyes of the sun god Ra
In the culture and art of Egypt there were certain symbols that decorated amulets, clothing, dishes, steles, boats and even the sarcophagi of the pharaohs. The most powerful of all were the eyes of the god Ra. In general, they lived their own lives, sometimes regardless of Ra himself.
Studying various translations of ancient Egyptian texts, as well as myths and legends, scientists came to the conclusion that the Eyes of Ra are the main character. Sometimes, they are passed on to each other, or they themselves become individual heroes and work miracles.
If you lose your eyes, you will become weak and defenseless. The myth of Osiris speaks about this. His evil brother Set does not kill his nephew Horus (Horus), but tears out his eye. Isis (wife of Osiris) asks the god Ra for help and receives it. Horus defeats Seth and, with the help of the magic Eye, brings his father back to life.
The right eye - the divine serpent Uraeus, adorned the bridge of the nose of any pharaoh in the form of the “Right (burning) Eye of Ra”, its ability was to disperse enemies and opponents.
Later Egyptian myths attributed the left eye to the god Horus, son of the goddess Isis. Horus inherited the Eye, and it was associated with the art of healing. With the help of this eye, Horus healed his father Osiris, allowing the latter to swallow him. The origins of this myth are hidden in many millennia.
In the myth of punishment, the eye lived its own life. Based on this legend, the sun god Ra created the universe, which was considered the first and different from our world. He peacefully ruled the first people created from his own Eye, as well as the gods. A lot of time passed and God began to grow old.
People felt that Ra was becoming weaker and began to plan a plot to overthrow him. But God had supernatural insight and was able to discern evil intentions. Ra decided to punish the conspirators. Having gathered a council of gods and discussed the current situation, the sun god threw his Eye at the troublemakers and it became his furious daughter Sekhmet (according to other sources, Hathor).
According to another myth, Ra himself gave his right Eye (Urea) to the goddess Basti (goddess of joy and fun). He did this so that she could protect him from his main enemy - the snake Apep.
The goddess Tefnut was identified with the Eye of Ra. One day Tefnut became angry with God and left her father. Having gone into the desert, the goddess wandered alone in the form of a lioness. The sun god yearned for his daughter because he needed her, because she protected him from his enemies.
During the reign of the fifth dynasty, the god Ra was erected the tetrahedral obelisk Ben-Ben, which was his fetish. The solar disk aroused keen interest and fanatical worship among all peoples; the ancient Egyptians were no exception; on the contrary, it was in this the sun god was the most revered.
Ra (or Re) is the ancient Egyptian sun god. By the era of the V dynasty (XXV-XXIV centuries BC) he became one of the main gods of the Egyptian religion, identified primarily with the midday sun.
In later Egyptian dynasties, Ra was united with the god Horus (Horus) in the cult of Ra-Horakhty ("Ra, who is Horus of the two horizons"). He was believed to rule all parts of the world: heaven, earth and the underworld. Ra was associated with a falcon or hawk. When the cult of the god Amun rose in the era of the New Kingdom, he merged with Ra as Amon-Ra. During the Amarna period, Pharaoh Akhenaten suppressed the cult of Ra for the sake of another solar deity, Aton, the deified solar disk, but after the death of Akhenaten the worship of Amun-Ra was restored.
The cult of the black bull Mnevis, the incarnation of Ra, had its center in Heliopolis, to the north of which there was a special cemetery for sacrificed bulls.
The Egyptians believed that all life forms were created by Ra, who called each of them into existence by pronouncing their secret names. Man was created from the tears and sweat of Ra, which is why the Egyptians called themselves “The Cattle of Ra.” The myth of the Heavenly Cow tells how people plotted against Ra and how he sent your eye, in the form of the goddess Sekhmet, to punish them. Then Ra calmed the furious Sekhmet by giving her beer mixed with red paint instead of blood.
Ra - sun god in the religion of Ancient Egypt
Functions of the god Ra
Ra and the sun
For the ancient Egyptians, the sun was primarily a source of light, warmth and growth of living things. This made him a very important deity - the ruler of everything he created. The solar disk was considered the body or eye of Ra. Ra was the father Shu And Tefnut- god of the wind and goddess of the rain. The goddess Sekhmet, depicted as a fierce lioness, was born from the fire of the Eye of Ra.
Ra in the Underworld
According to ancient Egyptian mythology, Ra travels on two solar boats: the morning one - Manjet (Boat of Millions of Years) and the evening one - Mesektet. In them he makes his way across the sky and across Duatu- Underworld. While in the Mesektet boat, Ra takes on the appearance of a ram, identified with the god Atum. On trips on the solar boat, Ra is accompanied by divine energies: Sia (perception), Hu (command) and Heka (magical power). Sometimes members of the Ennead (Nine major Egyptian gods) helped him on these travels. The god Set defeated the serpent Apophis, who was trying to swallow Ra, and the god Mehen protected Ra from the monsters of the underworld.
Apophis, the god of chaos, a huge serpent, tries every night to stop Ra’s boat by swallowing it or bewitching it with a hypnotic gaze. The night boat Mesektet carries Ra through the underworld back to the east. Ancient Egyptian myths about Ra represented the rising of the sun as his rebirth by the sky goddess Nut. Thus, Ra was credited with constant rebirth and renewal, which strengthened his connection with creative forces.
Ra as Creator
The ancient Egyptians worshiped Ra as the Creator God. This side of his cult was especially strong in Heliopolis. It was believed that Ra created man from his tears while crying. Admirers of Ra said that he created himself, while adherents of another ancient cult, the god Ptah, believed that Ptah was the creator of Ra. In one excerpt from Books of the Dead, Ra cuts himself and his blood turns into two spiritual personifications: Hu (will) and Sia (mind). Ra was also recognized as the creator of the seasons, months, plants and animals.
The appearance and images of Ra
God Ra was represented in various forms. His usual image was a man with the head of a falcon and a solar disk entwined with a snake on top of it. In other cases, Ra was depicted as a man with the head of a beetle (Khepri), or a man with the head of a ram. Ra also had the appearance of a well-fed ram, a beetle, Phoenix birds, heron, snake, bull, cat, lion.
It was believed that in the Underworld he takes the form of a ram. In this form, Ra was called the "ram of the west."
In some works of Egyptian literature, Ra is described as an elderly king with golden flesh, silver bones and lapis lazuli hair.
Ra with the goddess Imentet. Image from the tomb of Ramses II's main wife Nefertari. XIII century BC
Cult of Ra
The main cult center of Ra was Iunu (“Place of the Obelisk”), later called by the Greeks Heliopolis (“City of the Sun”). Now it is one of the suburbs of Cairo. In Iunu he was identified with the local sun god Atum. Like Atum or Atum-Ra he was considered the head Enneads(“Nines” of the main gods), which also included Shu and Tefnut, Geb and Chickpeas, Osiris and Isis, Set and Nephthys. The holiday of the “meeting of Ra” was celebrated on May 26 according to the Gregorian calendar.
His cult in Heliopolis began to intensify around the Second Dynasty of Pharaohs, which proclaimed Ra as the solar god. The pharaohs of the IV dynasty were considered the incarnations of this god on earth and called themselves “sons of Ra.” The veneration of Ra further increased during the V Dynasty, when Ra became the state deity and the pharaohs erected special pyramids, obelisks and solar temples in his honor. The rulers of the Fifth Dynasty claimed that each of them was born from Ra himself and the wife of the Heliopolis high priest. These pharaohs spent enormous sums on sun temples. Then the first Pyramid Texts began to appear, giving Ra more and more importance in the pharaoh's journey through the underworld.
During the Middle Kingdom, Ra began to be actively combined with other important deities, especially Amun and Osiris.
During the New Kingdom, the worship of Ra became more complex and grand. The walls of the tombs were covered with detailed texts that recounted Ra's journey through the underworld. They claimed that Ra carried in his boat the prayers and blessings of the living along with the souls of the dead.
The service of Ra was accompanied by hymns, prayers and incantations in order to help this god and his solar boat triumph over the serpent Apep.
The establishment of Christianity in the Roman Empire put an end to the worship of Ra in Egypt. The cult of Ra now began to arouse only academic interest, even among the Egyptian priests.
Ra and other Egyptian gods
Ra's personal traits were often combined with those of other gods in fused religious images.
Amon-Ra
The god Amun was a member of the Theban Ogdoad ("Eight of Gods"). His cult probably came from Amaunet, the oldest divine patron of Thebes. Amon was also a creator god who created everything with the help of his breath, and at first was more associated with the wind rather than the sun. Over time, Amun began to be revered in Upper (Southern) Egypt as much as Ra in Lower (Northern) Egypt. They were eventually united in the form of Amon-Ra, the solar creator god. It is difficult to establish when this combination first arose, but references to Amun-Ra are already present in the Pyramid Texts of the early fifth dynasty. The new kingdom arose as a result of the struggle for the unification of Egypt from the south, and the rulers of the 18th dynasty began to support the cult of Amun-Ra in order to unite southern Amun with the previous beliefs in Ra. Amun-Ra received the official title of "king of the gods", and was depicted as a man with red eyes and a lion's head surrounded by a solar disk.
Atum-Ra
Atum-Ra (or Ra-Atum) was another "composite" god. WITH Atum Ra had more similarities than Amun. Atum was more closely associated with the sun and was sometimes recognized as the creator of the Ennead. Both Ra and Atum were considered the fathers of the gods and pharaohs, and both were widely revered. In a number of ancient myths, Atum, like Ra, was called the creator of Tefnut and Shu, and he himself was born from the “ocean of chaos” - Nun.
In late Egyptian mythology, the word "Ra-Horakhty" was more of a title or attribute than a composite deity. This word is translated as "Ra (who is) the Choir of Horizons." This image established a connection between Horakhti (the sunrise associated with Horus) and Ra. The image of Ra-Horakhty symbolized the path of the sun-Ra from horizon to horizon, emphasizing the aspect of Ra as the deity of hope and rebirth.
Ra-Horakhti, ca. II century BC
Ra, Khepri and Khnum
Khepri there was a scarab beetle that rolled the sun into the sky in the morning and was sometimes seen as the morning manifestation of Ra. IN Khnume, the ram-headed god, saw the evening manifestation of Ra. The idea of different deities (or different aspects of Ra) embodying different parts of the day was quite common. With such a detailed distinction, Khepri and Khnum personified the rising and setting of the sun, and Ra was often seen as the sun's peak at noon. Sometimes different aspects of Horus were associated with these same daytime periods.
Rat Taui
Rath or Rat-Taui was the female incarnation of Ra, who had little independent significance. In some myths, she was considered the wife of Ra or his daughter.
Gods created by Ra
Bast
Bast(Bastet), sometimes called the “cat of Ra.” She was also considered his daughter and was associated with the “vengeful function” of the Eye of Ra. Bast became famous for beheading the serpent Apophis (the sworn enemy of Ra, the “god” of Chaos). In one myth, Ra sends Bast as a lioness to Nubia.
Sekhmet
Another daughter of Ra is a goddess Sekhmet, often identified with Hathor. She is depicted as a lioness or a big cat and is also the “Eye of Ra” - the instrument of revenge of the sun god. In one myth, Sekhmet becomes so filled with anger that Ra is forced to turn her into a harmless cow. In another myth, Ra fears a plot against him by humanity and sends Hathor to destroy the human race. The next morning, Sekhmet-Hathor goes to finish the job of destruction and drinks what she thinks is blood. But this liquid turns out to be red beer, and the intoxicated Sekhmet does not have the strength to finish the massacre. In one papyrus calendar of lucky and unlucky days, Sekhmet, Horus, Ra and Buto are associated with the eclipsing binary star Algol.
Hathor
Hathor- another daughter of Ra, who is sometimes identified with Sekhmet. As stated above, she either as the embodiment of Sekhmet, or together with her, participated in an attempt to exterminate humanity hostile to her father. In one myth, Hathor, in order to cure Ra of a fit of irritation, dances naked in front of him until he begins to laugh. When Ra is deprived of Hathor, he falls into deep sadness.
Rival gods of Ra
Pta
Ptah is rarely mentioned in Old Kingdom pyramid literature. According to some, this is the result of hostility towards Ptah of the Heliopolitan worshipers of Ra, who were the main compilers of these inscriptions. The followers of Ra treated Ptah with jealous envy. They believed that Ra created himself, but others believed that Ptah created him.
Isis
Isis often plotted against Ra, because she wanted to elevate her son Horus. In one myth, Isis created a serpent to poison Ra, and only gave him the antidote when he revealed his true name to her. Ra began to fear Isis, because, knowing his secret name, she could use all his power against him - and deliver Horus the throne of the king of the gods.
Apep
The serpent Apep, also called Apophis, was the god of chaos and Ra's most dangerous enemy. They said that it lies just below the horizon and tries to devour Ra as soon as he descends into the underworld. When Apep begins to swallow Ra, the sun begins to set, and when he swallows him almost entirely, night falls. But he never manages to swallow Ra completely. In the end, Apep spits the sun god back out - and the sunrise begins.
In Ancient Egypt there were a very large number of gods. Each city had its own pantheon or Ennead– 9 main deities that people worshiped. However, for the first time such an ennead appeared in the city of Heliopolis (Heliopolis). It has been known since the times of the Early Kingdom, that is, from the origins of Egyptian civilization.
The priests who lived in this city were considered the most influential and powerful. It was they who named the very first nine deities. Therefore, it is believed that the main gods of Ancient Egypt originated in Heliopolis, and the pantheon itself began to be called Heliopolis or great ennead. Below is a list of the supreme deities and a brief description of them.
God Ra
This is the supreme ancient Egyptian deity. It personified the sun. After the creation of the world, Ra began to reign over it, and this was the most fertile time for people. The power of God lay in his mysterious name. Other celestials wanted to know this name in order to gain the same power, but the sun god did not tell it to anyone.
A lot of time passed, and Ra grew old. He lost his vigilance and told his mysterious name to his great-granddaughter Isis. After this, a period of chaos ensued, and people stopped obeying the supreme deity. Then the sun god decided to leave the earth and go to heaven.
But he did not forget people and continued to take care of them. Every morning he boarded a boat called Atet, and the sun's disk shone above his head. In this boat, Ra sailed across the sky and illuminated the earth from dawn to noon. Then, between noon and twilight, he transferred to another boat called Sektet and went in it to the underworld to illuminate the ordeals of the afterlife.
In this mournful place, the sun god met every night with the huge serpent Apep, who personified evil and darkness. A battle began between Ra and the serpent, and the sun god was always the winner. But by the next night evil and darkness were reborn again, and the battle was repeated again.
The ancient Egyptians depicted the god Ra with the body of a man and the head of a falcon, which was crowned with a solar disk. On it lay the goddess Wajit in the form of a cobra. She was considered the patroness of Lower Egypt and its pharaohs. This god had other names in some religious centers. In Thebes he was called Amun-Ra, in Elephantine Khnum-Ra. But this did not change the main essence of the solar deity, who had the status of the main god of Ancient Egypt.
God Shu
This deity personified the air space illuminated by the sun. Shu was the son of Ra, and when he ascended to heaven, he began to reign in his place. He ruled the sky, the earth, the mountains, the winds, the seas. After thousands of years, Shu also ascended to heaven. In terms of status he was considered second after Ra.
In some images he was shown as a man with the head of a lion. He sat on a throne carried by lions. But there are many more images of the god of air in the form of an ordinary person with a feather in his head. It symbolized the goddess of truth Maat.
Goddess Tefnut
This deity also belonged to the main gods of Ancient Egypt. Tefnut is the goddess of heat and moisture. She was the daughter of the god Ra and was the wife of Shu’s brother. The husband and wife were twins. But even before marriage, the god Ra sent his daughter to Nubia, having quarreled with her, and a drought occurred in Egypt. Then the sun god returned his daughter, and she married Shu.
The return of Tefnut and her marriage became a symbol of the blossoming of nature. Most often, the goddess was depicted as a man with the head of a lioness and a fiery disk above her head. The disk indicated her connection with her father Ra, since the daughter was considered his fiery eye. When the sun god appeared early in the morning on the horizon, a fiery eye shone in his forehead and burned all enemies and ill-wishers.
God Geb
Geb is the god of the earth, the son of Shu and Tefnut. He married his sister Nut - the goddess of the sky - and this couple had children: Osiris, Isis, Set, Nephthys. It is noteworthy that Geb constantly quarreled with Nut, who, before dawn, ate her children - the heavenly bodies, but gave birth to them again on the eve of twilight.
These quarrels tired Shu's father, and he separated the spouses. He raised the chickpeas high into the sky, and left Hebe on the ground. He reigned after his father, and then transferred his power to his son Osiris. He was most often depicted as a green man sitting on a throne with a royal crown on his head.
Goddess Nut
Nut is the goddess of the sky, daughter of Shu and Tefnut, sister and wife of Geb. She was the mother of Osiris, Isis, Set and Nephthys. In the morning, the goddess of the sky swallowed the stars, and in the late evening she gave birth to them, thereby symbolizing the change of day and night. She had an inextricable connection with the world of the dead.
She raised the dead into the sky and guarded the tombs of the dead. She was depicted as a woman with a curved body. It stretched across the horizon and touched the ground with the tips of his fingers and toes. Often, under the curved body of Nut, Geb was depicted lying on the ground.
It must be said that the main gods of Ancient Egypt would have lost a lot without Osiris. He was the great-great-grandson of the god Ra and ruled the earth after his father Geb. During his reign he taught people many useful things. He married his own sister Isis, and Seth and Nephthys were his brother and sister. But Seth, who lived in the desert in the south of Egypt, began to envy his successful brother, killed him and usurped royal power for himself.
Set not only killed, but dismembered the body of Osiris into 14 pieces and scattered them throughout the lands of Egypt. But the faithful wife Isis found all the pieces, put them together and called a guide to the underground kingdom of Anubis. He made a mummy from the body of Osiris, which became the first in Egypt. After this, Isis turned into a female kite, spread herself over the body of her husband and brother and became pregnant by him. Thus was born Horus, who became the last of the gods to rule the earth. After him, power passed to the pharaohs.
Horus defeated Set, sent him back south to the desert, and revived his father with the help of his left eye. After this, he remained to rule on earth, and Osiris began to reign in the afterlife. The god was depicted as a man in white robes and with a green face. In his hands he held a flail and a scepter, and his head was crowned.
Isis (Isis) was extremely popular in Ancient Egypt, considered the goddess of fertility, symbolizing motherhood and femininity. She was the wife of Osiris and the mother of Horus. The Egyptians believed that the Nile flooded when Isis cried, mourning Osiris, who left her and went to rule the kingdom of the dead.
The importance of this goddess increased significantly during the Middle Kingdom, when funerary texts began to be used not only by the pharaohs and members of their families, but also by all other inhabitants of Egypt. Isis was depicted as a man with a throne on his head, who personified the power of the pharaohs.
Seth (Seth) is the youngest son of Geb and Nut, brother of Osiris, Isis and Nephthys. He married the latter. He was born on the third New Year's day, jumping out of his mother's side. The ancient Egyptians considered this day unlucky, therefore, until the day ended, they did not do anything. Set was considered the god of war, chaos and sandstorms. He personified evil, which made him similar to Satan. Having killed Osiris, he reigned on earth for a short time until he was overthrown by Horus. After that, he ended up in the desert in southern Egypt, from where he sent sandstorms to fertile lands.
Seth was depicted as a man with the head of an aardvark or a donkey. He had long ears and in many depictions a red mane. Sometimes this god was given red eyes. This color symbolized desert sand and death. The pig was considered the sacred animal of the god of sandstorms. Therefore, pigs were classified as unclean animals.
The youngest of the children of Geb and Nut, named Nephthys, also belonged to the main gods of Ancient Egypt. She was born on the last day of the year. The ancient Egyptians viewed this goddess as a complement to Isis. She was considered the goddess of creation, which permeates the entire world. Nephthys ruled over everything ephemeral that could not be seen, touched or smelled. She had a connection with the world of the dead, and at night she accompanied Ra on his voyage through the underworld.
She was considered Seth's wife, but did not have the pronounced negative traits characteristic of her husband. This goddess was depicted in a human female form. Her head was crowned with a hieroglyph indicating the name of the goddess. On sarcophagi she was depicted as a woman with wings, symbolizing the protector of the dead.
Scientists estimate that there were more than five thousand gods in ancient Egypt. The large number of deities is explained by the fact that each city in this country worshiped “their” gods. Different gods from neighboring cities could duplicate functions. In addition to gods, there were monsters, spirits, and magical creatures. It should be noted that many gods of Ancient Egypt have not been fully studied to this day.
Let's talk about the “main”, most famous gods that were worshiped by the inhabitants of this country.
Ra. Sun God. The Supreme God, as, indeed, in other pagan cults, where the deity personifying the sun is the main one. He was depicted as a man with the head of a falcon, on which was mounted a solar disk. Son of the primeval chaos Nuna. Ra was the ruler of the whole world, and the pharaohs were his earthly embodiment. During the day, Sun-Ra rode across the sky on the barge Mandzhet, illuminating the earth, and at night, boarding the barge Mesektet, he illuminated the underground kingdom of the dead. In Thebes he was compared with Amun (Amon-Ra), in Elephantine - with Khnum (Khnuma-Ra). The most common comparison was with Horus - Ra-Gorakhti.
King of the dead and judge of souls. Son of the earth god Geb and the sky goddess Nut. Being the ruler of Egypt, he taught people agriculture, gardening and winemaking. He was killed by his envious brother Seth, who was flattered by his wife Queen Isis (also their sister) and the royal throne. According to mythology, he became the first mummy. The most beloved god among the common people of Ancient Egypt. He was depicted in the form of a swaddle with free hands, in which he holds symbols of royal power: heket and nehekha (scepter and flail).
God of the sky and sun. Son and Isis. He was miraculously, with the help of magic, conceived by Isis from the already dead Osiris. The winner of the murderer of his father and also his own uncle, Seth. After a long struggle with the hated Seth, he inherited the earthly kingdom from his father, who began to rule the kingdom of the dead. Patron of the pharaohs. All of Egypt worshiped Horus - his cult was very popular among all levels of society. Moreover, each region had its “own” Horus - the names and holidays attributed to it differed significantly. Depicted as a man with the head of a falcon.
The wife of Osiris and at the same time his sister. Mother Horus. It was she who found, after a long search, the body of Osiris, killed by Set. Having put together the body dismembered by the villain, Isis made the first mummy and even, with the help of spells, managed to get pregnant from her. She patronized children, the oppressed, sinners, artisans and the dead. The cult of Isis was very popular throughout Ancient Egypt. She was depicted with a headdress in the form of a royal throne.
Initially, he was the ruler of the kingdom of the dead, but with the strengthening of the cult of Osiris (father of Anubis), he transferred this position to him, becoming a guide in the kingdom of the dead. In addition, he was a judge in the kingdom of the dead, weighing the heart of the deceased on the Scales of Truth, on the second bowl of which he placed the feather of the goddess Maat, symbolizing truth. It is he who is credited with inventing the custom of embalming the dead - he took part in the creation of the first Egypt - the mummy of his father Osiris. He patronized cemeteries and necropolises. Depicted with the head of a jackal. He was also depicted as a jackal, or wild dog Sab.
Goddess of justice, truth, fairness and harmony. Being the daughter of the creator of the world, god Ra, when creating the world, she created harmony out of chaos. She controlled the stars, sunsets and sunrises, and the seasons. Symbolized law and divine order. She was one of the judges of the afterlife. She was depicted with an ostrich feather on her head. This is not an ordinary feather - it is the feather of truth. During the trial in the afterlife, the feather of Maat was placed on one scale, and the heart of the deceased (the only internal organ that was left in the mummy) on the other. If the heart outweighed, then the deceased led a sinful life, and he was devoured by the monster of the afterlife, Amat.
God of war, death, rage and chaos. The brother of Osiris, who killed him, coveting the throne and wife of the pharaoh. Initially, he was a very positive and popular god and even defended and helped the god Ra, but closer to the 7th century BC. (during the XXVI Dynasty) turned into the embodiment of universal evil, close in his habits to the devil. He began to embody savagery, anger, ferocity, and envy. Most often he was depicted with the head of a donkey, although there are images of him with the head of a crocodile and other animals. Associated with male sexual power.
God of wisdom and knowledge and, accordingly, the patron of scientists, libraries and all sciences, including magic. In addition, he patronized officials, being the guarantor of state order. One of the earliest gods of Ancient Egypt. Thoth is credited with the invention of writing, the invention of a year consisting of 365 days, and the division of time into months and years ("Lord of Time" is one of Thoth's many titles). He was depicted with the head of an ibis, holding a staff and an ankh (Coptic cross). 
Goddess of the sky, who controlled the cycle of day and night. Granddaughter of the god Ra. Mother of Osiris, Isis and Set. Patroness of the dead. She was mainly depicted as an elongated woman, curved in the shape of the sky, resting her hands and feet on the ground. At the same time, her body is decorated with either stars (representing the night) or suns (representing the day). There are images of Nut in the form of a woman with a jug on her head or a Heavenly Cow.
Goddess of war and the scorching sun. Daughter of the god Ra. Performed the function of the formidable eye of Ra on earth. She could both inflict illnesses and heal any of them. Being a healer, she patronized doctors. She had a very stern and hot-tempered character. Guarded the pharaohs. Depicted with the head of a lioness.
2017-02-25
The religion of the ancient Egyptians is a unique direction in world history. Its originality lay in the presence of various deities that the people revered. Moreover, in each region of the country the deities could be different, but there are also those whose worship went beyond the boundaries of the locality. They are the ones that are currently best studied.
The sources of information are the Pyramid Texts and the Books of the Dead. Very often, pharaohs were exalted to a divine pedestal. In this article we will talk about one of the most famous gods of Ancient Egypt - Ra.
1. Egyptian sun god Ra
Ra is the sun god in ancient Egyptian mythology. It was represented differently in different places. Information has reached our times that he was most often depicted in the form of a falcon, a man with a falcon’s head, or a huge cat. Ra was revered as the king of the gods. Very often he was depicted in the guise of a pharaoh.
According to mythology, Ra was the father of Wajit, a resourceful cobra that protected the pharaoh from strong scorching rays. It is believed that the god Ra sails along the celestial Nile during the day in the barque Mandzhet and illuminates the earth. And in the evening he transfers to the barge Mesektet and travels along the underground Nile. Here he daily defeats the mighty serpent Apep and returns to heaven at dawn. Let us dwell on this myth in more detail, according to the legends. At exactly midnight, the battle between the god Ra and the serpent takes place, the length of which is measured at 450 cubits. To prevent the further movement of Ra, Apep absorbs all the water of the underground Nile. However, the god pierces him with spears and swords and he has to return all the water back.
The ancient Egyptians believed that every deity should have his own home. The city of Heliopolis became the home of the sun god. The Jews called this area Beth Shemesh. A large temple of the god Ra and the house of Atum were built there. For a long period, these places were attractive to pilgrims and travelers.
1.1. Eyes of God Ra
Particular mystical significance was attached to the eyes of God. Their image could be seen everywhere: on ships, tombs, amulets, boats, clothes. At first glance, it seems that his eyes lead a life separate from the body.
The ancient Egyptians believed that the right eye of the god Ra, which was most often depicted as the Uraeus serpent, could defeat any enemy army. The left eye was credited with miraculous properties in the treatment of serious ailments. This can be judged from the texts and myths that have survived to our times. Very often, the eyes of Ra were presented as an object - a talisman or a heroic warrior performing feats.
Many myths in Egypt were associated with these images. According to one legend, the god Ra created a universe that was significantly different from the current one. He populated it with created people and gods. However, it was not eternal, like the life of the gods. Over time, old age came to Ra. Having learned about this, people began to plot against God. Angry Ra decided to take cruel revenge on them. He threw his eye in the form of his daughter to the goddess Sekhmet, who carried out a brutal reprisal against the rebels.
According to other sources, the god Ra gave his right eye to the goddess of fun Basti. It was she who had to protect him from the powerful serpent Apep. There is also a legend according to which the divine eye in the image of the unsurpassed goddess Tefnut was offended by Ra. It went into the desert, where it wandered through the dunes for a long time. Ra took this separation very hard.
1.2. Where does the name Ra come from?
The name of the Egyptian god was considered mysterious and had enormous magical potential, thanks to which the entire universe could be controlled. The translation of Ra was interpreted as "sun". Egyptian pharaohs were revered as the sons of the god Ra. Therefore, the particle Ra was very often used in their names.
There is one interesting legend associated with the name Ra. The goddess Isis decided to find out his secret name in order to use it in her spells. To do this, she created a snake, which bit Ra upon leaving his palace. The sun god felt a burning pain that did not go away. Gathering a council of the gods, Ra asked Isis for help in getting rid of pain. However, her spells only work with a secret name. Therefore, Ra had to name him. The effect of the snake's venom was neutralized. Isis promised to keep it secret and divulge it to other gods.
1.3. History of the cult
The cult of the god Ra began to take shape during the unification of the Egyptian state. He quickly supplanted the archaic cult of Atum. During the reign of the pharaohs of the 4th dynasty, the worship of Ra was proclaimed as the state religion. Some representatives of this clan bore names with the word “Ra”: Djedefra, Menkaure, Khafre. During the reign of the 5th dynasty of pharaohs, the cult of Ra only became exalted. The pharaohs of this dynasty were believed to be the sons of the god Ra.
1.4. How did Ra create the world?
In the beginning there was only an endless ocean. It was the home of the god Nun, who created the sun god. God Ra called himself: “Khepri in the morning, Ra in the afternoon and Atum at sunset.” Thus, a solar triad is formed. According to legend, Ra became the father of the gods and their king. It was he who created the wind god Shu and his wife Tefnut, the lion-headed goddess. This couple shone in the sky in the constellation Gemini. Then he created the god of the earth - Geb and the heavenly goddess Nut. According to mythology, they were the parents of the god Osiris and the goddess Isis.
The sun god read the prayers of creation and commanded the wind Shu to raise the heavens and earth. Thus, the firmament was formed, on which stars appeared. Ra spoke aloud words from which living beings arose on earth and on water. Then from his eye humanity was born. Initially, Ra took on human form and began to live on earth. Later he completely moved to heaven.
1.5. Symbols of the Egyptian god Ra
The sun god has a lot of symbols. The main one is the pyramid. Moreover, it can be of different sizes: from very small, worn as an amulet, to large. A common symbol is an obelisk with a pyramidal top with a solar disk. It should be noted that there are quite a lot of such obelisks in Egypt. In some areas, crypts made of mud brick were a divine sign. At first glance, they looked like truncated pyramids. Inside the temples dedicated to the theme of Ra, the obelisk ben-ben was kept. A little later, the ancient Egyptians began to worship the solar disk.
In addition to inanimate symbols, there were also animate ones. Very often Ra was animated with the phoenix bird. According to legend, every day he burned himself in the evening, and in the morning he was reborn from the ashes. This bird had a special place among the Egyptians. They specially raised them in sacred groves, and embalmed them after death.
2. Amon - the second sun god
The Great Ra was not the only solar god in Ancient Egypt. Amon replaced him. His sacred animals symbolized wisdom. These included a ram and a goose. Very often he was depicted as a man with the head of a ram holding turpentine in his hand. The Egyptian god Amun was initially revered only in the areas of the city of Thebes. With his rise above other cities in Egypt, the god's influence spread to other territories.
In the 16th -14th centuries BC he merged with the god Ra. During this period, a new god appears - Amon Ra. The first mention of it was recorded in the book of pyramids. This god becomes the head of the entire pantheon. He is worshiped and revered as a deity who brings victory. The Egyptians believed that it was he who helped Pharaoh Ahmose 1 expel the Hyksos from the country.