From my diary: Egyptian Solar Gods

 

 

 The official Egyptians religion give primacy to the " Solar god's ".The sun god Re may be also called as Re - Harakhty or Re - Atum.

 

 

   

Concept of god   

   

The oldest Egyptians concept of god use a falcon or hawk,he is protector of pharaons.

                                   

                               Falcon god

Who is Falcon God ? 

In the Egyptian mythology many deities are represented as falcons. One of them is god Horus,who is several gods in one.He is a solar god and regins over the sky.    

 

                                             Horus as multiple God

 

 

  He presented under the form of falcon next gods :

 

 

Harakhty,Harmakhis,

Haroeris,Hurun.

  

 

 

After the land  unification under the pharaons of Hiearkonpolis the falcon god of this town becomes the royal god

 

                                                                                  

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Falcon is the protector of the pharaon and main dynastic god who is considered to be the incarnation of god Horus on earth.

 

 

Horus initially  the dominant  falcon god gliding across the distant sky is ever more identified as the son of Osiris

and

Isis

The symbiosis of king and falcon sculpturally introduced in the images of Khafre.The most impresive representations of a tutelary god

Pharaoh chooses a set names on his accession to the thron. 

• The Horus name.It present the pharaoh as the incarnation of the falcon god Horus.
• The Nebti name.It places pharaoh under the protection of the two tutelary goddesses of Egypt Nekhbet the vulture goddess of Upper Egypt and Wadjit the cobra goddess of Lower Egypt.
• The Golden Horus name.Introduced Horus sitting on the sign for gold,nub this name reaffirms the unchangeable divine and sublime nature of the body of Horus.Pharaoh is the living incarnation of the Horus
•  
  
  The Throne name
  He of the sedge and bee,"the sedge being the emblem of the North and the bee that of the South.This is pharaoh's first name which he recives when he is enthroned.It affirms his sovereignty over the two kingdoms that make up the land Upper and Lower Egypt.Pharaoh name is written in cartouche resembling an elongated loop of rope closed by a knot symbolizing  
  Pharaoh's sovereignty
  
  

  

  • The Birth name
  • The name is the name of Son of Re.It is also
  • inscribed in cartouche and confirms that Pharaoh is the son of the sun god and of direct solar origin
  .                     

The gods representations and hieroglyphic forms of their names provide types of informations:

• the main iconographic features by which the deity can be recognized   

• the  character and function of the deity and main places of worship                             

                                 RE / RA

   

   
  
  

             

  

  The local Theban god Amun

The name of the sun god.He was a creative god in Heliopolis.Ra presides over the great Ennead constituted of nine fudamental gods:

Tefenet and Shu,Nut and Geb,Isis and Osiris,Seth and Nephthys,and Horus the elder.God Ra is very important in the Egyptian mythology in the IV th Dynasty the pharaohs add a fifth name to their royal titulary: the Birth name or " Son of Ra".Representation a man and sometimes with a head of a falcon wearing a solar disc on his head.Many myths describe Ra and his daily trips across the sky.Ra is also combined with many anothers deities : Re-Atum,Amun-Re,etc...

 

 

 

Atum ( Re - Atum -Khepri)

Atum is creativ god on Heliopolis incarnating the setting sun.He is represent like a man without any specific attribute.He is a solar and creativ god and he have this name : Khepri - the rising sun,Re - the sun in all its splendor and like Atum - he is the setting sun.He is Universal Master.

 

 

 

             Amun Ra

 

Through his fusion with Atum Ra had  taken the place of the national god.This proces was after the break up of the Old Kingdom in the XI-th Dynasty.

 

Egyptians was built a new capital,Thebes and king of the gods called Amun.Representation a man crowned with two feathers.He was united with the old national god Ra to became  Amun - Ra.

 

As Ra from Heliopolis together with Amun of Thebes and Ptah of Memphis he formed a trinity. The Egyptian national triad.

 

 

 

                    Harmakhis - Horus of the Horison

 

 The Sphinx Harmakhis is incarnated solar god.Reprezentation a sphinx with human head."Horus of the Horizon ",in the XIII-th Dynasty assimilation to Hurun "Hurun - Harmakhis ".The Sphinx Harmakhis is a symbol of the king and a sun god.The creative and the solar god from Heliopolis, it watches over the western regions into which the deceased and the sun leave.

 

 

                  Harpokrates - Horus Child

 

God Harpokrates is avatar of Horus.Son of Osiris and Isis.He is god of childhood and home.

 

                       God  Khepri- The sun reborn

 

                  http://www.flickr.com/photos/nennass1/sets/72157632013662376/

 Khepri is creative solar god  in Heliopolis.He is the same time Khepri - Re - Atum.Representation a bettle or man with the head of a bettle.At down it is Khepri,at its zenith it becomes Ra and is described as a solar disc.At dusk it is Atum at becomes an old man.

 

 

The Sun god and his journey on  sun barque 

The trips of the sun Re through the sky.These daily travels from west to east and from east to west are made aboard a boat upon which the sun embark.

 

 God   Aten

God Aten is solar  disc above all.
The Amarna period is a time of the New Kingdom the XVIII -th Dynasty pharaons.God Aten solar and creative god at the time of Amenhotep IV.(Akhenaten). Representation a solar disc with a long rays ended by hands holding crosses of life.The site of Tell el Amarna capital of the Kingdom was chosen by Pharaoh ( 1348 - 1336) BC. He built the great temple for Atten dedicated to the sun disc.Iconografical characteristic of the Amarna period is representation of god Aten darting his rays extended by hands towards the royal family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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