Ra

Ra embodied the power of the sun but was also thought to be the sun itself, envisioned as the great god riding in his barge across the heavens throughout the day and descending into the underworld at sunset. As he made his way through the darkness beneath the earth, he was attacked nightly by the serpent, Apep who tried to prevent the sun from rising and so destroy all life on earth. In this way, Ra was credited with sustaining life on earth.

The Epithets of Ra

• Ra, in the Heavens
• Ra, on the Earth
• Ra, of the Netherworld
• Ra, the Creator
• Ra, Father of Kings and Gods
• Ra, the Self-Created One
• Ra, the Supreme One

Ra is the first of the Egyptian deities, and is mentioned in the oldest religious texts in the world. Ra is depicted in the Pyramid Texts not only as the supreme ruler of the gods, nor simply a comforter of the newly arrived soul in the afterlife, but as the embodiment of divine order and balance. Ra, as the first god, is credited with created heka (magic itself) and harnessed it. Ra created the laws of the land, which were eventually given to Osiris and Isis to carry out in his name. The imagery of Ra’s myth is one of a powerful god rising from the dark, chaotic waters of nothingness to bring forth order, balance, and life.

In his case, the myths are accurate.

Symbols, Omens, and Names

Ra’s early existence can be traced back to the latter part of the 4th Age, where he emerged not from a specific pantheon but from a culture where channelers were subservient to mortal emperors. Society at this time was tightly governed, and immense power was placed in symbols, omens, and names. Even the style of one’s hair, nails, and clothing signaled rank in this legalistic society. Prophecies and omens were plentiful, and the symbolism of animals, color, and cloth were deeply respected. Names held unique power, as well. Knowing one’s true name, which is the identity of one’s soul, granted power over the person when speaking it. Therefore, the higher ranking the individual, the more protected their name. Today, the story of Ra’s True Name and the power it wields is regaled as mere fairy tale passed down over 6,000 years, which is all that remains to us from the distant 4th Age.

In his younger years, although coming from humble origins, he rose through the ranks by hiding his true name and his true power, for if either were discovered, he would be destined to the life of a slave. When the 4th Age turned to the 5th, the man eventually known as Ra was not yet the supreme ruler he would later become but had already begun gathering his influence and establishing himself as a key figure in the pantheons of the Middle Kingdoms of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, and Canaan arising from the ashes of the Age’s ending. 

During the chaos that marked the turning of one Age to the next, he took advantage of opportunities to rise in society, focusing primarily on the Watcher Angels and those who commanded them. His shrewd shirking of laws that bound others lot in life to the circumstances of their birth led to his infiltrating the High Ones, who ruled at the time without knowledge of his abilities. His influence spread, undermining the notion that the Watchers should be subservient to mortals until he was chief among them. At this time, he went by the name, El, meaning “mighty.”

There was only one who knew his True Name, and thus, knew the ambition in his heart.

Emperor of the Gods

Early in the 5th Age, Ra, known only by the name El, solidified his rule of the Semitic pantheon as a mysterious figure controlling the High Ones, but, ambitious, he turned his gaze to neighboring kingdoms, envisioning a vast empire. He expanded first to wider Mesopotamian region, where he was known as the mysterious emissary, Anu, meaning “we” or “us” where he campaigned for unity and peace.

Next, Ra journeyed to north Africa, intending to create his own pantheon from the disorganized people living there, and he solidified his role as the supreme deity in Egypt, founding the entire pantheon where he was revered as the god of the sun and creation. His influence continued spread across civilizations of the middle world, and in this Age, Ra combined his Egyptian identity with that of Anu, the Sumerian sky god, El, the god of the Semitic peoples, and, later, Ahura Mazda of the Persian Zoroastrianism religion.

This consolidation of power allowed him to rule over several pantheons as a singular, god-emperor figure. At the height of his power, he established kingships that would govern the gods and people, with he himself crowning them with the right to rule in each pantheon. He traveled covertly between his kingdoms, ever maintaining his own identity and ever-obscuring his one True Name from all of them.

This synthesis of identities gave Ra an unmatched power base, making him the ruler of both heaven and earth across the middle world. His connection with these other deities, particularly Anu, tied him to the broader forces governing the sky, fate, and the heavens, while his embodiment of El strengthened his influence over mortal kings and laws, particularly the Watchers.

The Many Names of Ra

Egypt

In Egypt, he was known as Ra, the Sun God who crowned Ged as King. Eventually, Ged passed his crown to Osiris, who ruled peacefully for a time. Set, emboldened by Ra’s aging and distraction elsewhere, used the chance to murder Osiris and assume the throne. Many years of chaos and war followed. Isis was endlessly pursued by Set in an effort to destroy her young son, Horus, the true heir to the throne who could truly contest him.

In a bid to protect her son and secure his throne, Isis sought Ra’s help, but he would not intervene as he was beset with a growing threat abroad. With no other choice, Isis blackmailed Ra. She laid a trap, using a cobra, to wound him to the point of infinite pain. She promised to heal him if he but revealed his True Name. To avoid giving her any power over him, Ra offered a bargain. In his weakened state, however, he bargained poorly. Isis and Ra ultimately agreed that, if Isis Healed him, he would give her as-of-yet unborn son his eyes, meaning the sun and the moon, or the sources of Ra’s power. True to her word Isis offered up an incantation to relieve Ra of his suffering. This laid the foundation for Horus to one day become king of the gods, and a sun god in his own right. 

The Threat Abroad

As the 5th Age progressed and the Persian Zoroastrian tradition arose, Ra assumed the mantle of Ahura Mazda, the god who opposed Ahriman. In this role, Ra attempted to rally the remaining strength of his pantheons and defend against Ahriman’s forces. However, this marked a turning point in Ra’s life. Though once the great god-emperor, ruling over multiple pantheons, Ra was now old and weary; his energy waned.

Ra’s final years were marked by his efforts to resist Ahriman’s growing influence, but it became clear that his era was ending. In a last bid to safeguard the greatest technologies, sources of magic, and objects of power from across his pantheons, he summoned Thoth to guard them, and together they retreated to the hidden realm of Atlantis. Haunted by the devastating wars of his youth, Ra was determined to preserve what he had built by hiding it away. Believing himself removed from the looming war at the world’s center, he planned to spend his final years in peace. Yet, this was not to be.

Some stories suggest that Ra, as Ahura Mazda, was killed by Ahriman in a final confrontation to defend Atlantis. Others claim he simply faded away, his divine essence dissipating after millennia of rule. By the time of his death or disappearance, Ra had already become a distant memory for many, a figure of myth and legend rather than the powerful god-emperor he once was.

Sensing his impending downfall, Ra struck a deal with the Greek Titan Atlas, entrusting him with the city and its hidden secrets should the worst happen. However, civil war erupted among the Greeks, and Poseidon emerged as the uncontested God of the Sea. The Sea God set his sights on the legendary kingdom, seeking to claim it for himself. With the Titans overthrown and Atlas condemned to eternal suffering, Poseidon marched on Atlantis as a conqueror. In his greed and curiosity, Poseidon’s meddling triggered the realm’s self-destruction, obliterating most, if not all, of its ancient treasures and advanced technologies.

Legacy

Ra’s legacy lived on in the cultures that worshipped him. Even after his disappearance, Ra’s influence persisted in the form of the solar deities that followed, his name often invoked as a symbol of kingship and divine right as well as the passage of the sources of his power. The eventual merging of Ra’s identity with Amun ensured that he remained a central figure in Egyptian theology for centuries, while his efforts to hide away the secret realm of Atlantis became the subject of countless myths. Though the city was destroyed, its memory—and Ra’s, Thoth’s, Atlas’s, and Poseidon’s association with it—lingered as a symbol of lost power and knowledge.

Rebirths

The 1st Age – Theron Finnegan, Luminar of the Brotherhood of Ascension