Egyptian
Sun Mythology
Egyptian
Sun Mythology
The Egyptian culture revolved around the sun God, Ra-Atum-Khepri. He was also know as Khepri at dawn, Ra at noon, Atum at the setting of the sun, Re-Harakhty as the hawk on the kings journey through the under world, Amun-Re the king of all gods and pharos and leader of military, and finally as Horus with the head of the hawk and a body of a man when he appeared to the mortals.
The Akhenate saw the sun god as a solar disk, Aton, with the rays ending at the hands of the humans as a sign of life. Egyptians believed that man was made from the tears of Ra. It is written that Ra said "When I came into being, then being itself came into being," because he was the first being.
The pharaohs were not thought of as kings, but as Gods so that they might be with Ra when they died. The temples and other buildings for worshiping the sun god were build without roofs so that the sun could shine through!
Sun God's
Name Where and When the Sun
God is called this Ra-Atum-Khepri full name used at all
times Khepri used only at
dawn Ra used only when the sun
is at the zenith (noon) Atum used only at the
setting of sun Amun-Re king of gods and
pharaohs and leader of military Horus head of a hawk and the
body of a human Aton solar disk (symbol of
life) Re-Harakhty the hawk as he flies
down with the dead king into the underworld
This table shows the names of the Egyptian sun god's, their forms,
and where and when the name is used.
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