Re, Light of the World

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Re, Light of the World

Associated to Place: AncientWorlds > Egypt > Lower: The Prospering Sceptre > Iunu > Temple of Re/Atum > articles -- by * Meritites Hatshepsut (8 Articles), General Article

This is a brief portrait of the Sungod Re - KheperuRe - ReHeruakhety - ReAtum - AmunRe. All the same deity in different stages of development and all of them happening in the course of one day and one night.

Ra, or Re, originally meaning the heavenly body itself. He is undoubtably one of Egypt´s most important deites, perhaps the most important of them all. An early cult center existed at Iunu (Gr: Heliopolis, modern Cairo) in the Old Kingdom Period and though Re might not go as far back as Horus - Heru, he kept his position while incorporating several other deities during time. He began as KheperuRe, the rising sun early in the morning, and transformed to ReHeruakhty, the morning sun in the shape of a soaring falcon. Re adopted the falcon head and when he later also coalesced with Atum, Re-Atum became a manifestation of the setting sun. In the Middle Kingdom, when the cult of Amun rose to power, Re still kept his position as a supreme deity and he and Amun became Amun-Re.

Thus the universality of Re is demonstrated in his broad variety of composites and he was ominpresent both in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld. Further, his function is likewize as creator god and father to the king.

Already in Dynasty 2, the king´s name Raneb is reflecting Re, and in Dynasty 4 it was usual that the rulers called themselves 'Son of Re' and built sun temples for his worship at Iunu (Heliopolis).

Re travelled across the sky in his sun-boat, which during the day was called the 'Day Boat', accompanied by his Vizier Thoth and his daughter Ma´at, from sunrise to evening. At night he changed over to the 'Night Boat' and when the sun set below the horizon, Re was said to travel in the underworld, meeting and conquering all kinds of dangers until he finally was reborn again in the Eastern sky. A common name of the boats of Re is the 'Boat of Millons of Years'.

Myths about Re are several, noteworthy among them is the one where Isis forces him to reveal his secret name to her.

Main center of worship:

Iunu/Heliopolis, 13 th Nome, Lower Egypt

Palace of the Empress of the Known Universe

~ Table of Contents ~

Early Claim
Thessalonike The Tragic Queen
Icelandic History
The Althingi
Odin's lament
A FATEFUL CHARIOT RACE: The STORY of PELOPS and OENOMAUS
Mastabas in the Vicinity of Unas Pyramid
Horemheb and His Contemporaries
Pepi I and His Consorts
Pepi II - an Unusually Long Reign
The Unas Pyramid and Surroundings.
The Last Royal Tombs of the Old Kingdom
The Step Pyramid of Djoser, Saqqara
Northern Saqqara - The Pyramids of Teti and Queens
Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep - Royal Manicurists and Prophets of Re.
Benu of Iunu - The Prototype Phoenix
Northern Saqqara - The Mastaba of Mereruka, His Wife & Son
Northern Saqqara - The Mastaba of Kagemni
Northern Saqqara III: The Tomb of Ankhmahor
Northern Saqqara IV: The Tomb of Akhethotep & Ptahotep
Northern Saqqara V: The Mastaba of Ti
Northern Saqqara VI: Early Dynastic & 3rd Dynastic Tombs
Northern Saqqara VII: The Serapeum
History of Devon
Styles of Houses in Ancient Egypt I
Styles of House in Ancient Egypt II
Styles of Houses in Ancient Egypt III
Northern Saqqara VII: Other Animal Burials
Calendar of Festivals of Aset
Aset Through History
Places of Worship
Aset in the Ancient Texts
Lady of Philae, Lady of Abaton
An Aretalogy of Aset
Aset in Festival

Posted Oct 25, 2007 - 15:20 , Last Edited: Oct 25, 2007 - 15:37