Meet Ra – Ancient Egyptian god
Ra – Ancient Egyptian god is the sun made person. I say his name like Rah, and kids lean in. Also, his story feels quiet and grand at once. Ra was first mentioned in the Pyramid Texts, dating back to approximately 2400–2300 BCE, which are among the oldest religious works in the world.
How Ra looks
Ra often appears as a man with a falcon head. A round sun disk sits on his head. A cobra, the uraeus, curls across the disk. Sometimes he is a full falcon. Sometimes he is a golden man with a bright, shining eye. Bright and bold, he feels like a warm pancake of sunshine.
Ra’s daily journey
By day Ra sails across the sky in a boat called the Mandjet. The Nile people imagined the boat leaving a warm trail. At dusk, he boards the Mesektet and slips into the dark underworld, the Duat. Then the night becomes a cave of stars and mystery. There, he meets a great threat. Apep, a giant serpent of chaos, waits to swallow the sun. Priests once made noise and spells to help. Their actions sound dramatic and brave even today.
Change, rebirth, and protection
Ra changes shape through the day. In the morning he is Khepri, a scarab pushing the sun. At noon he is Ra, strong and hot. At sunset he is Atum, old and wise. Also, the eye of Ra is fierce and protective. Goddesses such as Sekhmet or Hathor can act as his eye. The scarab and the Bennu bird bring ideas of rebirth. Egyptians carved obelisks to catch the sun’s rays. Pharaohs called themselves sons of Ra, especially during the Fifth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom, when pharaohs increasingly associated themselves with Ra, adopting the title ‘Son of Ra.’ Temples rose at Heliopolis to honor him, the chief cultic center of Ra, located where modern-day Cairo suburbs now stand.
Ra with other gods
Ra mixed with other gods and kept evolving. For example, Amun-Ra became very powerful. Ra-Horakhty joined Ra and Horus. Aten briefly tried to outshine him under Akhenaten. However, Ra kept returning in stories, temple art, and sacred texts like the Pyramid Texts and the Book of the Dead. In the Pyramid Texts, Ra is depicted as gathering the king’s soul and escorting him to the ‘Field of Reeds,’ the Egyptian paradise. We still see his symbols in museum galleries today.
Read more and listen
Read or listen to a story about Ra – Ancient Egyptian now: For 3-5 year olds, For 6-8 year olds, For 8-10 year olds, and For 10-12 year olds.
Also, try a gentle Storypie listen tonight: Try it with Storypie. It keeps the tone calm and curious.
Caregiver prompt
After the story, ask: Where do you think the sun sleeps at night? Draw it. Or ask: Name one thing that keeps you safe like the gods kept the sun safe. Small acts add up. That tiny thrill of hope matters.
Treat these beliefs with respect. They held whole lives together long ago. They still make a wonderful companion for a few minutes of shared wonder.
