Eye of Ra
The right eye of the god Ra-Horus, merged into the figure known as Ra-Horakhty, was equated with the sun in ancient Egyptian belief. His left eye represented the moon instead. Egyptians called the lunar eye the Eye of Horus and the solar eye the Eye of Ra. The Egyptologist Richard H. Wilkinson suggests these two eyes gradually became distinguished over time. Rolf Krauss argues that no text equates them with the sun and moon until late in Egyptian history. This means the original significance of the Eye of Horus might have been different from what later texts claim. Both eyes were represented by the wedjat symbol, a stylized human eye with falcon facial markings. In myth, both Horus and Ra lose their respective eyes at various points. Katja Goebs notes that myths surrounding the two eyes are based on the same core element. She proposes thinking in terms of a flexible myth about an object missing or located far from its owner rather than merging cosmic bodies. The Pyramid Texts from the Old Kingdom mention both the Eye of Horus and the Eye of Ra.
A yellow or red disk-like sun emblem appears frequently in Egyptian art to represent the Eye of Ra. Its convex shape in relief sculpture suggests the Egyptians may have envisioned it as a sphere rather than a flat disk. The emblem often sits atop the heads of solar-associated deities including Ra himself. At times the sun god is depicted inside the disk shape as if enclosed within it. The Egyptians described the sun's movement across the sky as the journey of a barque carrying Ra and his entourage. The sun disk could be equated with this solar barque or shown containing the barque inside it. The disk is often called Ra's daughter in Egyptian texts. As the sun, the Eye of Ra serves as a source of heat and light associated with fire and flames. It is also equated with the red light appearing before sunrise and the morning star signaling the sun's arrival. In mythology, the sun's emergence from the horizon each morning is likened to Ra's birth. This event revitalizes him and the order of the cosmos. Ra emerges from the body of a goddess representing the sky usually named Nut. Depictions show Ra as a child contained within the solar disk. Egyptologist Lana Troy suggests the disk may represent the womb from which he is born or the placenta emerging with him. The eye can take the form of a goddess who acts both as mother bringing Ra forth and sister born alongside him like a placenta.
The Eye of Ra represents the destructive aspect of Ra's power through the harsh heat of the sun. Egyptians sometimes likened this heat to arrows shot by a god to destroy evildoers. The uraeus cobra symbolizes this dangerous force encircling the sun god and guarding against enemies while spitting flames like venom. Four uraei are sometimes said to surround Ra's barque collectively called Hathor of the Four Faces. They represent the eye's vigilance in all directions. Ra's enemies include forces of chaos threatening maat cosmic order such as Apep the embodiment of chaos whom Ra combats every night. The malevolent gaze of Apep's own eye is a potent weapon against Ra yet Ra's eye counters it effectively. Some unclear passages in the Coffin Texts suggest Apep could injure or steal the Eye of Ra during combat. In other texts the eye's fiery breath assists in Apep's destruction. Evidence in early funerary texts suggests that at dawn Ra swallowed multitude gods equated with stars vanishing at sunrise. He absorbed their power renewing his vitality before spitting them out again at nightfall. The solar eye assisted in slaughtering these gods for Ra to eat. The red light of dawn signified blood produced by this slaughter. In the myth called the Destruction of Mankind related in the Book of the Heavenly Cow from the New Kingdom Ra used the eye as a weapon against humans rebelling against his authority.
In the myth of the Distant Goddess a motif with several variants descended from the story in the Book of the Heavenly Cow, the eye goddess becomes upset with Ra and runs away from him. With the solar eye gone Ra is vulnerable to enemies and bereft of large parts of his power. Her absence and Ra's weakened state may be a mythological reference to solar eclipses. Meanwhile the eye wanders in distant lands such as Nubia Libya or Punt taking the form of a wild feline dangerous and uncontrolled like forces of chaos she is meant to subdue. To restore order one god goes out to retrieve her. In one version known from scattered allusions warrior god Anhur searches for the eye which takes the form of goddess Mehit using skills as hunter. In other accounts Shu searches for Tefnut representing the eye rather than an independent deity. Thoth often serves as messenger and conciliator seeking the wandering goddess. His role parallels healing or returning Horus's lost eye in the Osiris myth. In a Late Period papyrus dubbed The Myth of the Eye of the Sun Thoth persuades the Eye of Ra to return through lectures enticement and entertaining stories. At one point the goddess transforms from benign cat into fire-breathing lioness making Thoth jump. When placated retrieving god escorts her back to Egypt marking beginning of inundation and new year. Joachim Friedrich Quack points out Sirius reappears reddish before turning blue-white suggesting Egyptians connected color change with pacification of eye goddess.
The characteristics of the Eye of Ra were important part of Egyptian conception of female divinity generally equated with many goddesses ranging from prominent deities like Hathor to obscure ones like Mestjet appearing in only one known inscription. Egyptians associated many gods taking felid form with sun including Sekhmet Menhit and Tefnut equated with eye. Bastet depicted as both domestic cat and lioness could represent peaceful and violent aspects of eye. Another solar eye goddess was Mut consort of Amun associated with Ra first called Eye of Ra in late New Kingdom. Her character aspects related to eye grew increasingly prominent over time. Cobra goddesses often represented Eye of Ra including Wadjet tutelary deity of Lower Egypt closely associated with royal crowns protection king. Other cobra goddesses include fertility deity Renenutet magician goddess Weret-hekau and Meretseger divine protector burial grounds near Thebes. Deities not restricted to feline serpent forms included Hathor usual animal form cow linked eye goddess Mehet-Weret. Nekhbet vulture goddess closely connected with Wadjet and crowns Egypt. Many eye goddesses appear mainly human form including Neith sometimes warlike deity said mother sun god Satet Anuket linked Nile cataracts inundation. Even Isis companion Osiris rather than Ra or Astarte imported Canaan deity fertility warfare equated solar eye.
The eye's flight from and return to Egypt common feature temple ritual Ptolemaic Roman periods 305 BC AD 390 when new year Nile flood celebrated as return eye after wanderings foreign lands. Egyptians built shrines along river containing images animals dwarfs rejoicing goddess arrival. One oldest examples Mut return home temple Thebes celebrated annually early New Kingdom. At Montu temple Medamud festival may date late Middle Kingdom Montu consort Raet-Tawy equated Hathor eye Ra. Return eye goddess fertile moisture-bearing form set stage subsequent marriage Montu birth mythological child form Horus. Temple new year festival celebrated homecoming drinking dancing paralleling goddess inebriated state pacification. In another temple ritual pharaoh played ceremonial game honor eye goddesses Hathor Sekhmet Tefnut striking ball symbolizing Eye Apep club wood springing Eye Ra. Concept solar eye mother consort daughter incorporated royal ideology. Pharaohs took role Ra consorts associated eye goddesses equated it. Sun disks uraei incorporated queens headdresses during New Kingdom reflect mythological tie. Priestesses acting ceremonial wives particular gods Third Intermediate Period -653 BC such God Wife Amun had similar relationship gods served. Amenhotep III dedicated temple Sedeinga Nubia wife Tiye manifestation Eye Ra paralleling temple Amenhotep himself nearby Soleb.
Violent form eye invoked religious ritual symbolism agent protection. Uraeus on royal divine headdresses alludes role eye goddesses protectors gods kings. Uraei appear rows atop shrines structures surrounding symbolically guarding against hostile powers. Many temple rituals called eye goddesses defend temple precinct resident deity. Texts specifically mention set four defensive uraei sometimes identified combinations goddesses associated eye manifestations Hathor Four Faces. Protection extended specific places earth. Eye could also invoke defend ordinary people. Apotropaic amulets shape Eye Horus bear figure goddess one side likely allusion connection Eye Horus Eye Ra invoking power personal protection. Certain magical spells from New Kingdom involve placement clay model uraei around house room invoking protection solar uraeus warding evil spirits nightmares causing them enemies occupant. Spell says models have fire mouths. Models found remains ancient Egyptian towns include bowls front mouths fuel burnt though known examples show signs burning. Whether literal metaphorical fire cobras mouths like flames spat Eye Ra meant dispel nocturnal darkness burn dangerous beings moving within it. Eye importance extends afterlife as well. Egyptian funerary texts associate deceased souls Ra nightly travels Duat realm dead rebirth dawn. In these texts eye various manifestations often appear protecting giving birth deceased as do for Ra. Spell Coffin Texts states Bastet eye illuminates Duat torch allowing deceased pass safely depths.
Common questions
What is the Eye of Ra in ancient Egyptian mythology?
The Eye of Ra represents the destructive aspect of Ra's power through the harsh heat of the sun. It serves as a source of fire and flames that destroys evildoers and counters enemies like Apep.
When did Egyptians distinguish the Eye of Horus from the Eye of Ra?
Egyptologist Richard H. Wilkinson suggests these two eyes gradually became distinguished over time while Rolf Krauss argues no text equates them with the sun and moon until late in Egyptian history. The Pyramid Texts from the Old Kingdom mention both the Eye of Horus and the Eye of Ra.
How does the Eye of Ra relate to solar eclipses and the Distant Goddess myth?
Her absence and Ra's weakened state may be a mythological reference to solar eclipses during the flight from and return to Egypt common feature temple ritual Ptolemaic Roman periods 305 BC AD 390. The eye wanders in distant lands such as Nubia Libya or Punt taking the form of a wild feline dangerous and uncontrolled like forces of chaos she is meant to subdue.
Which goddesses are associated with the Eye of Ra in ancient texts?
Many gods take felid form with sun including Sekhmet Menhit and Tefnut equated with eye while Bastet depicted as both domestic cat and lioness could represent peaceful and violent aspects of eye. Other cobra goddesses include fertility deity Renenutet magician goddess Weret-hekau and Meretseger divine protector burial grounds near Thebes.
Why was the Eye of Ra used as a weapon against humans in mythology?
In the myth called the Destruction of Mankind related in the Book of the Heavenly Cow from the New Kingdom Ra used the eye as a weapon against humans rebelling against his authority. The red light of dawn signified blood produced by this slaughter when the solar eye assisted in slaughtering these gods for Ra to eat.