Entry 09 / Gods & goddesses
Ra
Every sunrise, creation begins again.
Ra, also written Re, was a central Egyptian solar deity associated with creation, life and kingship. The sun’s daily journey supplied a powerful image of renewal. Ra could combine with other gods, including Amun as Amun-Ra and Horus as Ra-Horakhty.
Take a closer look ↓
Written in signs
Name & hieroglyphs
- Transliteration
- Rꜥw
- Familiar names & readings
- Ra / Re
One documented spelling, shown in a simple left-to-right line. Ancient spellings and the arrangement of signs varied. Transliteration records consonants; familiar readings supply conventional vowels.
Ra, also written Re, is the sun god’s name and is closely connected with the Egyptian word for the sun, rꜥ. The dictionary form Rꜥw preserves a final w that is not represented in the usual English spelling.
The mouth and arm signs write r and ꜥ; the solar disk makes the solar identity visible. Ra and Re are conventional renderings of the same name. In Amun-Ra, two divine names are joined, expressing a combined identity rather than a different spelling of Ra alone.
01 / The story
Who was Ra?
Ra can be understood as the sun god and, in some contexts, the sun itself. Its light and warmth made life possible; its reliable return each morning gave a visible pattern to ideas of creation and renewal. Solar imagery therefore appears across royal, temple and funerary art.
Stories describe a journey through the sky and the night. These are religious ways of understanding the cosmos, not one single account followed identically in every place and period. The rising sun could be associated with Khepri, whose scarab form made becoming and renewal visible.
02 / The story
Ra, Horus and Amun: why the combined names?
A combined divine name brings aspects of different gods together. Ra-Horakhty links the solar deity with Horus of the horizons. The figure illustrated here is identified by the museum as Re-Harakhty; its falcon form should be understood in that specific context.
Amun-Ra similarly joins Amun with Ra. It does not mean that every image of Amun is identical to every image of Ra. When reading Egyptian art, a combined name is an invitation to consider relationships rather than to reduce several gods to one interchangeable character.
Train your eye
Three details to notice.
A solar disk
The disk is a key solar attribute, but several deities can wear it.
A falcon-headed form
Ra-Horakhty often appears as a falcon-headed man. An inscription helps distinguish related forms.
The wider scene
A solar boat, horizon or accompanying deities can explain the role of a solar image.
A little more understanding
Good questions.
Clear answers.
Are Ra and Re different gods?
No. They are common alternative spellings of the same name.
Is Ra the same as Horus?
They are distinct deities who could be combined as Ra-Horakhty. Their shared imagery is one reason a crown and inscription matter.
What is the Eye of Ra?
It is an expression of Ra’s active protective power, often personified by a goddess. It is more than a simple drawing of an eye.
What does the name Ra mean?
The name is closely connected with the Egyptian word rꜥ, “sun.” Ra and Re are conventional ways of rendering the same name.
How is Ra’s name written in hieroglyphs?
The dictionary spelling shown combines the mouth sign r, the arm sign ꜥ and a solar disk. Other historical spellings also occur.
What is Ra’s solar boat?
It is the divine vessel in which the sun travels in Egyptian religious imagery. The journey links the visible movement of the sun with its passage through the night.
Why is Ra sometimes shown with a falcon head?
Ra can share falcon imagery with other solar and sky deities, especially in combined forms. The sun disk, name and setting help identify the figure.
What does Amun-Ra mean?
It joins the names Amun and Ra in a combined divine identity. It expresses a theological connection between the two gods rather than a spelling variant of Ra.
From the library to your home
Keep the story close.
Explore pieces in our shop connected with this subject. The museum objects above are historical references; shop items have their own materials and descriptions.
Explore Egyptian deitiesFollow the connections
There’s more to this story.
The evidence behind the entry
Bibliography & image credits
Museum records, language references and published research used for this entry. Name spellings and interpretations are documented here alongside the historical sources.
- Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum — Ra
- The Met — Standing figure of Re-Harakhty
- Thesaurus Linguae Aegyptiae — Rꜥw, lemma 400015 (accessed 20 October 2026)
Photograph: Standing Figure of Re-Harakhty, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 26.7.848. Purchase, Edward S. Harkness Gift, 1926. CC0 / Public domain. Resized for display; the complete photograph is preserved.