Thursday, May 24, 2012

Ra The Sun God of Ancient Egypt

The god Ra was believed to have created every thing on Earth.
Ancient Egyptians thought the sun not only gave light also warmth and expansion.
The sunlight disk in ancient Egypt was seen as the body or eye of Ra.
The ancient Egyptian God Ra, was depicted in various ways. The most well-liked was a man with the head of a hawk with a solar disk on top. Other portrayals were, a man with the head of a beetle, a man with the head of a ram, and also as just a ram, beetle, phoenix, heron, serpent, bull, kitten, and maybe even a lion.
Ancient Egyptians thought Ra journeyed on two boats; Mandjet Early morning motorboat, and also Mesektet nighttime boat.
The people believed this is how the god journeyed between the sky and the underworld.
At night, the Mesketet boat woud take him to the underworld and then journey east for Ra's rebirth.
Ra was reborn each early morning by the sky goddess Nut.
In the fourth dynasty, pharaohs were considered Ra's creations on earth, so they became known as Sons of Ra.
In the fifth dynasty Ra became a national god. The kings made obelisks, solar energy temples as well as pyramids in his deference.
In the First Pyramid Texts, Ra became a significant component in the journey of the pharaoh to the underworld.
Throughout the Middle Kingdom, Ra started to merge with other popular gods of the times. Ra merged with Horus and became Re-Horakhty, this god was believed to lead the sky, the planet, and the underworld. He was portrayed by a falcon or hawk.
During the New Kingdom, the god Amun was the popular god of the time, so this deity was blended with Ra to become Amun-Ra. Amun-Ra was said to carry the prayers and good things of the living with the souls of the dead.
The primary region that worshipped Ra was Heliopolis, where they combined with the neighborhood sun-god Atum.
Atum was a god closely linked with the sun as well as a creator god of the Ennead. Ra as well as Atum were father of the gods as well as pharaohs and also were worshipped all around Egypt.
The Pyramid Texts state that Ra emerged from the waters of Nun as a benben stone. He then spat out Shu , and Tefnut. Tefnut gave birth to Geb and Nut . Nut then gave birth to Osiris, Set, Isis, Nephthys, and Horus.
When Christianity rose up during the Roman Empire, this caused the end to worshipping Ra for ancient Egyptians.
To find out more about Ancient Egypt, like the pyramids, and many gods and goddesses, check out my website http://www.about-ancient-egypt.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=T_Tressa

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