How Ra Created the World
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How Ra Created the WorldIn Egyptian mythology, Ra is the sun god, creator of the world, and the first ruler of Egypt. He was depicted as a man with the head of a falcon, bearing the sun above it.
Amid the darkness, there was only the boundless ocean of Nun, which brought forth a radiant egg. From it emerged Ra. He possessed the power of speech, and every word he spoke came true. He declared that he would be Khepri (the morning form of Ra) at dawn, and Ra at midday — and then rose for the first time and illuminated the world. One by one, he spoke the names of the gods. Shu appeared, and the wind began to blow. Tefnut brought the rain. With the appearance of Geb, the earth was formed. Nut created the sky, and Hapi the river Nile, making the land fertile. Ra then spoke the names of all the other gods. At last, he created man and woman, who began the human race. Having completed his creation, he took on human form and became the first pharaoh. He ruled for thousands of years, and during that time Egypt flourished — people came to call that era "As it was in the days of Ra."
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