Ra

𓂋𓇳

Falcon-headed sun god of Egypt, who sails the sky by day and the underworld by night

Ra is the ancient Egyptian sun and creator, and his name is the Egyptian word for "sun." His home was Heliopolis (Iunu), the city of the sun. The Pyramid Texts present him as supreme ruler and embodiment of divine order, and from the Fifth Dynasty Egypt's kings called themselves his sons. Devotees turned to him for light, creation, rightful kingship, ma'at (order) and the promise of daily rebirth.

Each day, believers say, he crosses the sky in the Boat of Millions of Years. At dusk he enters the Duat and travels the night river, facing the serpent Apophis so that dawn can return. Over time he joined with other gods as Ra-Horakhty, Amun-Ra and Ra-Atum. Today Kemetism and Kemetic Orthodoxy honour him, and the groups within the living tradition differ in how they do so.

See the gallery

Statuette of Re-Harakhty, 332–30 BCE. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Edward S. Harkness Gift, 1926 (CC0)

How to recognise Ra

Falcon headA man's body topped by a falcon's head with a hooked beak, his key sign of identity, which comes from his union with Horus as Ra-Horakhty.
Sun disc and cobraA round sun disc sits on his head, encircled by a rearing cobra (the uraeus), and the disc is his primary symbol.
Red-brown skinHis human body is usually painted red or reddish-brown.
Kilt, collar and wigHe wears a pleated kilt and a broad collar over a bare chest, and some statues add a tripartite wig, the usual dress of Egyptian male gods.
Ankh and sceptreHe is often shown holding the ankh (life) and a staff or sceptre (authority).
Solar barqueA river boat with upswept ends carrying the disc is the standard image of his journey: the Mandjet by day, the Mesektet through the Duat's twelve gates by night.
Other formsHe can also appear as the scarab Khepri at dawn, as aged Atum at dusk, as a ram-headed figure in the night barque, as a bare sun disc, or as the Bennu bird.

Names and titles

Lord of the Two HorizonsRa-Horakhty means 'Ra, who is Horus of the two horizons', the sun at dawn and dusk
Chief of the GodsA gilded Late Period statuette of Re-Horakhty carries this title on its belt
Sailing the Boat of Millions of YearsThe Mandjet is the day barque in which he crosses the sky
Khepri at dawn, Ra at noonHe is renewed overnight, appearing as Khepri at dawn and as Ra at the sun's zenith
Reborn with every sunriseMuseum amulets of Ra-Horakhty were thought to help the wearer rise again each day

Feast days

Wepet Renpet8 August 2027 (date to be confirmed)

Wepet Renpet, 'Opening of the Year', is the ancient Egyptian New Year, tied to the first dawn rising of Sirius (Sopdet) and the Nile flood. The ancient festival list also names it Mesut-Ra, 'birth of Ra'.
How it's celebrated. Kemetists keep it on the morning Sirius first reappears before sunrise. Communities differ on where they watch: some follow Cairo, others their own sky or a shared temple calendar, so the day varies. Many mark the epagomenal days beforehand, then make offerings to the gods, often including Hapi and Sopdet.
Sources: UCL Digital Egypt: Festivals in the ancient Egyptian calendar · Kemetic Blog: Gearing Up for Wep Ronpet · Kemetic Temple: Religious Calendar of Ancient KMT
Abu Simbel Sun Festival22 February, every year

Twice a year, dawn light runs down the Great Temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel into the sanctuary. It lights Ra-Horakhty, Amun and the deified king. This is a modern festival, not an ancient feast of Ra. It is the same celebration as the other Abu Simbel entry, kept on that entry's date.
How it's celebrated. Visitors gather at the temple before dawn, and local events with Nubian music and dancing are reported around the occasion. The light reaches the sanctuary for only minutes. Ptah, the fourth statue, stays in shadow. Popular tradition links the two mornings to Ramesses II's coronation and birthday. I found no record of specific Kemetic rites here.
Sources: Abu Simbel: Sun Festival · Encounters Travel: Abu Simbel Sun Festival guide