Religious Myth
Egyptian Mythology of Ra
Egyptians believed in the existence of a god named Ra, who was the most important being in the land. According to the myth, Ra arose from the commotion at the beginning of time and created the earth. Ra ruled as their god. Pharaoh and other leaders at the time claimed that Egyptians were Ra’s descendants to give him credibility to their authority (Kitchen, 2017). According to the myth, Ra eventually became weary of his duties, and this made the Egyptians start doubting him and challenge his leadership. When Ra learned about it, he was angry and sent his daughter to kill all those who did not have faith in him. His daughter went wild, and Ra pitied the humans. In a bid to save his creation, Ra lured his daughter to get so drunk so she would not kill anymore. After that instance, Ra left the world for the sky.
The myth’s purpose was to explain the creation of the earth and how the Egyptians came into existence. In accordance with the myth, only darkness existed before the creation of the earth (Goebs & Baines, 2018). An island arose and established itself in the form of Ra who carried out the creation. Additionally, the myth purposed to bring out the flaws of humankind, who had lost faith in their leader and did not believe that he was fit to lead them anymore. As a critique for the way the myth functioned, details of how the Ra came into existence are not precise. While some believed that an island arose and manifested itself in the form of Ra, others believe that Ra emerged from the turmoil at the beginning of time and started his creation. Also, concerning how the Egyptians were punished, the one sent to declare punishment upon them is contradictory. The myth indicated that the daughter of Ra, Eye of Ra, was the one sent to punish them. Other sources say that a fierce lioness was the one sent to slaughter and execute the Egyptians.
The myth had a significant impact on the world view of the Egyptian religion. It created the foundation of their religion and Ra was hailed as the most important and powerful god amongst all the gods of Egypt. The myth also formed an integral part in explaining their existence. It became the basis for many other rituals, beliefs and culture (Goebs & Baines, 2018). As a behavior suggestion, the myth taught the Egyptians the art of faith. The myth holds a legacy in Egyptian leadership since when the leaders did not believe in themselves, they believed in Ra rather than doubting him and challenging his power. Egyptians held on the belief that if they doubted their god, then painful judgement and punishment would befall them.
All the Egyptians interpreted the myth similarly and regarded Ra as the most important being at the time. The people’s interpretation Ra as their god made them loyal to faith, hence not believing in other religions. However, with the changing times, the role and significance of many gods arose and declined, and the interests of many Egyptians shifted. Due to modernization and the rise of Christianity, some ceased in believing in the myth and the existence of Ra (Kitchen, 2017).
The part of the myth that might be misinterpreted unintentionally is the aspect of Ra’s appearance. Ra did not exist in one form but many. He looked like a man with a falcon’s face and headgear that looked like a sun disk. However, when Ra descended into the underworld, he appeared as a man with the head of a ram. Nonetheless, he was also depicted as a being whose head resembled that of a beetle.
References
Goebs, K., & Baines, J. (2018). Functions and Uses of Egyptian Myth. Revue de l’histoire des religions, 235(4), 645-681.
Kitchen, K. A. (2017). Egyptians and Hebrews, from Ra ‘amses to Jericho. In The Origin of Early Israel-Current Debate (pp. 65-132). Routledge.