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The Egyptian Godstheir main centers of worship |
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On this page: Ra, Renenutet, Reshef, Ra/Ra'
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Ra, or Re, originally meaning the heavenly body itself. An early
cult center existed at Heliopolis. From Herakhty, which he joined, Ra
adopted the falcon head and when he later also coalesced with Atum,
Re-Atum became a manifestation of the setting sun. In the Middle Kingdom,
when the cult of Amon rose to power, Re still kept his position and he and
Amon became Amon-Re. Re travelled across the sky in his sun-boat, from sunrise to evening, accompanied by his Vizier Thoth and his daughter MaŽat. When the sun set below the horizon, Ra was said to travel in the underworld, meeting all kinds of danger until he finally was reborn again in the Eastern sky. |
Main center of worship: Iunu/Heliopolis, 13 th Nome, Lower Egypt Festivals: (exact dates not historically verified) 6th August - 19th Thuti - Festival of Nut and Ra 17th August - 30th Thuti - Rituals in the Temples of Ra,
Horus and Osiris 26th August - 9th Paopi - Day of Jubilation in the heart of
Ra 9th october - 23 Hethara - Ra judges the dispute of Set and
Heru (Horus). 31st October - 15th Koiak - Feast of Sekhmet, Bast and Ra 15th November - 30th Koiak - The Ennead feast in the House of
Ra, Heru and Wasir 6th December - 21st Tybi - Day of offerings to the Shemsu
(followers) of Ra 16th December - 1st Mechir - Day of Ptah lifting up his hands 17th December - 2nd Mechir - Day the Netjers of Heaven
receive Ra 4th March - 19 Parmutit - Feast of Ra in his Barge at
Heliopolis 15th March - 30th Parmutit - Offerings to Ra, Wasir, Heru,
Ptah, Sokar and Atum 21st March - 6th Pachons - Coming Forth of the Great Ones of
the House of Ra 2nd april - 18th Pachons - Day of Joy of the Ennead and crew
of Ra 14th April - 30th Pachons - Celebrations in the House of Ra,
Wesir (Osiris) and Heru (Horus) 16th April - 2nd Payni - Holiday of Ra and His Shemsu
(followers) 9th May - 25th Payni - The Akhet Eye pleases Ra 26th May - 12th Epipi - Holiday of the receiveing of Ra 30th May - 16th Epipi - MaŽat is taken to Ra in Heliopolis 1st June - 18th Epipi - MaŽat and Ra Go Forth in secret 28th June - 15th Mesore - Ra Goes forth to propitiate the Nun 13th July - 30th Mesore - Birthday of Ra |
Renenutet/Renenet
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"Lady of the fertile land" and "lady of granaries", a deity of fertility and harvest but she was also a protector of linen, especially bandages, children and their nourishment. Mother of the grain god Nepri. She also gave each child a destiny and she attended the weighing of the hearts of men in the Hall of Judgment. The Greeks called her Thermutis. Her name consisted of two parts:`rnnŽ - nourishment, and `wttŽ - snake, showing something of her character. People made offerings to her during harvest time and she was depicted either as a snake or a human with a snakeŽs head. In the Greco-Egyptian days she was often depicted as Isis with a snakeŽs head. Her main cult center was Faiyum in Lower Egypt. |
Main center of worship: The Faiyum area, Lower Egypt |
Reshef/Reshpu
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A Syrian war and thunder god, always depicted with raised weapons, wearing the White Crown of Upper Egypt with a streamer flowing from the top. At the base of the crown is either a complete head of a gazelle or just the horns. In the Pyramid Texts mentioned as replacing the guardian of the celestial gates, Khay-Tau, a foreign deity, probably from Byblos. |
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