Egyptian Pantheon
Ra
rꜥ(Ra / Re)
Also known as Re, Ra-Horakhty, Atum-Ra, Amun-Ra
- sun
- creation
- kingship
- order
- light
The supreme solar deity and creator god. Ra travels across the sky each day in his solar barque and through the underworld each night, battling the serpent Apophis.
About Ra
The Sun God
Ra is the supreme creator and king of the gods. He travels across the sky in his solar barque by day and battles the chaos serpent Apophis in the underworld by night.
Aspects of Ra
Ra changes forms throughout the day: Khepri (scarab) at sunrise, Ra-Horakhty (falcon) at noon, and Atum (elder) at sunset. All life was believed to have been created from Ra's tears.
Origin story
Ra emerged from the primordial waters of Nun at the dawn of creation, creating himself. He then created Shu (air) and Tefnut (moisture), establishing the cosmos.
Across traditions
Parallel figures
Figures who play a role like Ra's in other traditions.
GreekApolloIllustrationBoth are supreme solar deities associated with light and order
Compare Ra and Apollo side by side
MesopotamianShamashIllustrationBoth are sun gods associated with truth, order, and justice
Compare Ra and Shamash side by side
MesopotamianAnuIllustrationBoth are the foundational sky/sun god of their pantheon's cosmic order
Compare Ra and Anu side by side
Worship and cult
Temples, festivals, and practices recorded for Ra
The king is his son. Morning and evening barques, the benben stone, the sun's twelve night hours. Heliopolis set the theology; later Amun-Ra at Thebes absorbed it without erasing the Heliopolitan cult.
Sacred sites
- Great Temple of Ra at Heliopolis (Iunu)
- Solar sanctuaries of the Fifth Dynasty (Abu Ghurab and beyond)
Festivals
- Daily solar barque rites
- Sed festival (king as Ra's son)
Family
In the atlas
Where Ra appears
Artifacts
Play the myth
Branching retellings featuring Ra: your choices decide the ending.
The Judgment of Paris
Step into the sandals of Paris, prince of Troy. Three goddesses stand before you, each offering a gift beyond mortal dreams. But every choice carries consequences that will echo through eternity.
5-8 min3 endingsThor's Journey to Jotunheim
Accompany Thor, god of thunder, on a perilous journey to the realm of giants. Will you rely on Mjolnir's might, or discover that sometimes wisdom serves better than strength?
8-12 min8 endingsOrpheus in the Underworld
Descend into the realm of the dead as Orpheus, the greatest musician who ever lived. Can your love for Eurydice triumph over death itself? The choice that awaits you has haunted lovers for millennia.
6-10 min3 endingsInanna's Descent
Go down to the underworld as Inanna, Queen of Heaven. Each gate will take a piece of your power. Whether you return depends on who you trusted before you left.
6-9 min4 endingsAmaterasu and the Cave
Play as Ame-no-Uzume. The sun goddess has sealed herself in the rock cave after Susanoo's rampage. The world is dark. Someone has to get her to look out.
5-8 min3 endings
In the museums
Ra in art
Real objects in public collections, released into the public domain by the museums that hold them. Dates refer to when each object was made. Objects made within the tradition come first, later depictions after.
(opens the museum record)Ancient object
Scarab Inscribed with a Blessing Related to Re (opens the museum record)
A green glazed steatite scarab inscribed with a blessing formula invoking Re. Scarabs like this were worn as amulets or used as seals, carrying the god's name rather than a figural image of him.
Sources and further reading
Ancient sources
Quotations, paraphrases and verification notes. Each passage states what has been checked.
“Homage to thee, O thou glorious Being, thou who art dowered [with all sovereignty].”
Book of the Dead, Hymn to Ra (Papyrus of Nekht) · Sheet 21, opening sentence
Translation: E. A. Wallis Budge
Budge translation reproduced by the Internet Ancient History Sourcebook; the brackets are part of that transcription. English excerpt checked against the cited transcription on 2026-09-23; no original-language text is supplied. This replaces the previously unverified passage.
Read sourceAppears in
Ancient and classical works featuring this figure.
Supreme sun god aboard the solar barque whom the blessed dead accompany through eternity (Spells 15, 130)
Solar sovereign whose daily ascent the deceased pharaoh joins across the sky (Utterances 267, 467)
Further reading
Contains hymns to Ra and descriptions of his nightly journey
Read online: Book of the Dead (opens in new tab)Earliest Egyptian religious texts mentioning Ra
About this entry
By Elizabeth Stein for Mythos Atlas. About the author. Editorial notes are grounded in the site's cited sources and can be challenged through the contact page.
Parallels are editorial comparisons across traditions: a shared role does not, by itself, establish a shared origin.
Family relationships come from the atlas's kinship records. Ancient sources often disagree on divine genealogy.
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Genealogy
Family tree
Ra's parents, consorts, children and rivals, as recorded in the atlas.