Egyptian Gods
Tyniquwa Singleton
Ms. Dobson
American Literature
November 23, 2012
Ra, the Egyptian God
“My name is Ra
God of the Sun
I have no parents
I grew out of Nun
The sun goes up
I’m born at dawn
The sun sets…
Then I’m gone” (“Egyptian God”)
“In the beginning there was only water a chaos of churning bubbling water.” This is what the Egyptians referred to as Nu or Nun. It was out of Nun that everything began. Ra emerged out of primeval chaos. He came out of a blue giant lotus flower that appeared on the surface of the water. (Creation Myth)
Ra is almost always depicted as a hawk (sometimes falcon) headed man. (“Ra Father of the Gods”) This was a common trait of all Egyptian gods and goddesses; having the body of a human and head of an animal. It usually signified something about their personality. Atop his head like a halo was a solar disk. It resembled the sun; however it was encircled by a cobra. The Egyptians believed that the cobra would spit fire at approaching enemies. It also suggested his fierce and destructive nature. The disk resembled the sun by being round and giving off heat. In one hand he held a scepter and in the other the ankh. The ankh is a symbol of life held by his nostrils so that the breath of eternal life would enter his body. The scepter symbolized power or dominion. (“Gods and Myths of Ancient Egypt”)
Ra was known for many things one of which being his relation to the rising and setting of the sun. Every sunrise and sunset symbolizes his death and rebirth. Each day he begins a journey across the sky. He travels by way of a manjet boat accompanied by a number of other gods. (“Ra Father of the Gods”). He sailed through twelve provinces (12 hours) of daylight and at the end of each day he died and began his journey through the Underworld. When which the moon would shine light on the world. This began his night voyage where he traveled through twelve hour of darkness. “Apep was a demon
Ms. Dobson
American Literature
November 23, 2012
Ra, the Egyptian God
“My name is Ra
God of the Sun
I have no parents
I grew out of Nun
The sun goes up
I’m born at dawn
The sun sets…
Then I’m gone” (“Egyptian God”)
“In the beginning there was only water a chaos of churning bubbling water.” This is what the Egyptians referred to as Nu or Nun. It was out of Nun that everything began. Ra emerged out of primeval chaos. He came out of a blue giant lotus flower that appeared on the surface of the water. (Creation Myth)
Ra is almost always depicted as a hawk (sometimes falcon) headed man. (“Ra Father of the Gods”) This was a common trait of all Egyptian gods and goddesses; having the body of a human and head of an animal. It usually signified something about their personality. Atop his head like a halo was a solar disk. It resembled the sun; however it was encircled by a cobra. The Egyptians believed that the cobra would spit fire at approaching enemies. It also suggested his fierce and destructive nature. The disk resembled the sun by being round and giving off heat. In one hand he held a scepter and in the other the ankh. The ankh is a symbol of life held by his nostrils so that the breath of eternal life would enter his body. The scepter symbolized power or dominion. (“Gods and Myths of Ancient Egypt”)
Ra was known for many things one of which being his relation to the rising and setting of the sun. Every sunrise and sunset symbolizes his death and rebirth. Each day he begins a journey across the sky. He travels by way of a manjet boat accompanied by a number of other gods. (“Ra Father of the Gods”). He sailed through twelve provinces (12 hours) of daylight and at the end of each day he died and began his journey through the Underworld. When which the moon would shine light on the world. This began his night voyage where he traveled through twelve hour of darkness. “Apep was a demon
Cited: Richard Duerer. “Ra Father of the Gods.” Welcome to the Galleries of Egypt Art. Copyright 1996-2010 Duerer. Nov. 24.2012 www.egyptartsite.com/ra.html N.p. “Sun Worship.” Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition (2011):1. Literary Reference Center.Web.12.Nov.2012http://www.factmonster.com/encyclopedia/society/sun-worship.html Armour, Robert. Gods and Myths of Ancient Egypt. Sharia Kasr el Aini, Cairo, Egypt; Kevin B. Havener, 1986 “Egyptian God”