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If the Sun was not a Sphere, how would it look like?

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If the Sun was not a Sphere, how would it look like?

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Name of the city etc

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This story is a part of your divercity - step 1 to building your city with a new person

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This story is a part of your divercity - step 1 to building your city with a new person

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Info provided what is going to happen : specific to the theme

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Info provided what is going to happen : specific to the theme

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What is going to happen here

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Warli painting has three shapes, the circle is the sun and the moon

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Warli painting has three shapes, the circle is the sun and the moon

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Japan is often called "the land of the rising sun". Many people from around the world wonder why Japan is called the land of the rising sun. In Japanese, the country is called Nihon (Nippon). Both Nihon and Japan originate from the same words; they literally mean "where the sun rises".

Marco Polo, the Italian trader and explorer, introduced Japan to the Western world during the 13th century. He never actually traveled to Japan but instead went to the Southern part of China. There, the people told him about Japan. To the people in South China, where Marco Polo had traveled, Japan lies in the direction where the sun rises. Therefore, people called it Ji-pang or Zu-pang, which can be translated as "the sun's origin", i.e. where the sun originates. The Japanese write 日本 to represent the country of Japan in Japanese. It is pronounced Nippon or Nihon.

There is more to the story of how the Chinese started calling Japan Ji-pang or Zu-pang - written as 日本 meaning "the sun's origin". To be more accurate, around the end of the 7th century (the exact year isn't known), the government in Japan started calling the country Nihon. Until the 7th century, Japan was called "Wa" or "Yamato" using the Chinese character 倭.

When the Japanese government sent a sovereign message to the Chinese government around the beginning of the 7th century, it used a term meaning "the land where the sun rises". The exact phrase in the message was "From the Emperor of the land of the rising sun to the Emperor of land of the setting sun."

The Japanese government changed the country's name from Wa (Yamato) to Nihon (Nippon) in the early 8th century. An interesting point is that when naming the country, the Japanese took the Chinese government into consideration, possibly to show its esteem for the Chinese, as Japan is located where the sun rises for the Chinese, not for the Japanese.

Some people wonder why Japan is called the land of the rising sun, not New Zealand. As you see, the reason is not because the sun rises first in Japan.

Japan's national flag is called "the rising sun flag" in English. At the beginning of the 7th century, the Japanese flag with the sun in the center was first used. However, it is said that the combination of colors on the flag was different from what it is now. The original combination of colors was a yellow sun and a red background. Toward the end of the Edo Era, this flag was used on ships to show their nationality. Then it was used in many other places.

Although it has a very long history, the rising sun flag didn't become Japan's national flag until 1999.

The words, Japan, Nippon, Nihon all means "the origin of the sun" i.e. where sun rises and that it the reason why the country is often called the land of the rising sun.

To the eyes of the Chinese people, Japan is in the direction where the sun rises. ( Japan is on the east of China.)

Japan is called the land of rising sun in the languages other than English as well. e.g. French, Hindi, etc.

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Why is Japan called the "Land of the Rising Sun"? | Japan Luggage Express

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Why is Japan called the "land of the rising sun"? Japan-the Land of the Rising Sun Japan is often called "the land of the rising sun". Many people from around the world wonder why Japan is called the land of the rising sun. In Japanese, the country is called Nihon (Nippon).

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Sun gone to sleep - mini ice age on the way

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Sun gone to sleep - mini ice age on the way

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Is a mini ice age on the way? Scientists warn the Sun is ‘asleep’

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British researchers say solar activity is at its lowest for 100 years, and conditions are ‘very similar’ to the months before a mini ice age in 1645.

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Time for some historical background on the Sun Salutation, also known as Sūryanamaskāra.

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Benefits of 15 minutes of sunbath therapy

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Benefits of 15 minutes of sunbath therapy

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Published on: 31 January 2021, 12:10pm IST

Soak up the sun to get tons of health benefits. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

When was the last time you basked in sunlight? And FYI, we aren't referring to the scorching summer heat. Looks like it's hard to recall your last sunbathing session, isn't it? That's because most of the time we are indoors, and when we move out we slather on sunscreen.

Sadly, that's one of the reasons that nowadays people are dealing with skin and other health-related issues, because they lack vitamin D, which is abundantly available in the early morning sun rays. All you need is just 15 minutes to get drenched in the sun to metabolize your body and give yourself the gift of health.

Here are ten amazing health benefits of taking a sunbath

1. Taking a sunbath helps to keep your blood pressure in check

This is especially helpful for those who are dealing with hypertension. It is seen that taking a sunbath helps in activating the nitric oxide that is found in the topmost layer of the skin. It helps to improve the blood circulation by widening the blood vessels. This helps to keep your blood pressure in check.

2. It induces sleep

If you are suffering from insomnia, then instead of popping pills, try sunbathing. Bathing in the sun helps in the production of melatonin that helps to improve the quality of the sleep.

3. It helps to heal skin issues

If you think sun rays can destroy your skin, then you should think again because bathing in the early morning sun can benefit you instead. In fact, according to a study published in the journal of Climatotherapy of psoriasis, taking a sunbath can help you deal with extreme skin issues as well.

4. It helps to boost immunity

As sunlight is an age-old method to treat autoimmune diseases, it is great to boost your body's immune system.

5. It keeps diabetes in check

This is due to the presence of vitamin D, which is perennial in the production of insulin in the body. This can help to avoid or control diabetes.

6. Taking a sunbath helps you relax

It calms your muscles and helps in the cognitive development of the brain.

7. It is great for your bone health

Once again, vitamin D plays a big role here, as it helps in better absorption of calcium in the body, and makes your bones stronger than ever.

8. It helps in fighting depression as well

Taking a sunbath boosts your mood, especially during the winter season, when the signs of seasonal affective disorder are witnessed. A 15-minute sunbath will make you feel energised and much calmer.

9. Taking a sunbath is great for eyes as well

Vitamin D, the vision vitamin plays a role here as well. But you don't have to stare at the sun for better vision. Just stand in the sun for 15 minutes and that's it.

10. It lessens the chances of getting Alzheimer's

According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, it was found that Alzheimer's patients who were exposed to bright light had fewer symptoms of depression and forgetfulness.

So ladies, be ready to dip yourself in some sun.

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is taking a sunbath is healthy for your skin

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10 surprising benefits of soaking in sunlight for 15 minutes daily

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Published on: 31 January 2021, 12:10pm IST When was the last time you basked in sunlight? And FYI, we aren't referring to the scorching summer heat. Looks like it's hard to recall your last sunbathing session, isn't it? That's because most of the time we are indoors, and when we move out we slather on sunscreen.

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Sunlight can improve levels of serotonin in brain. Serotonin is the hormone that makes us happy

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Sunlight can improve levels of serotonin in brain. Serotonin is the hormone that makes us happy

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While too much time in the sun can be bad for your skin and may lead to serious health problems, small doses can be good for you in several ways.

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https://www.britannica.com/topic/nature-worship/Celestial-phenomena-as-objects-of-worship-or-veneration#ref421066

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nature worship - Celestial phenomena as objects of worship or veneration

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nature worship - nature worship - Celestial phenomena as objects of worship or veneration: Generally, the sun is worshiped more in colder regions and the moon in warm regions. Also, the sun is usually considered as male and the moon as female. Exceptions to these generalizations, however, are notabl…

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In Japan the sun goddess, Amaterasu, who played an important role in ancient mythology and was considered to be the supreme ruler of the world, was the tutelary deity of the imperial clan, and to this day the sun symbols represent the Japanese state.

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In Japan the sun goddess, Amaterasu, who played an important role in ancient mythology and was considered to be the supreme ruler of the world, was the tutelary deity of the imperial clan, and to this day the sun symbols represent the Japanese state.

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https://www.britannica.com/topic/sun-worship

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
sun worship, veneration of the sun or a representation of the sun as a deity, as in Atonism in Egypt in the 14th century bce.

Although sun worship has been used frequently as a term for "pagan" religion, it is, in fact, relatively rare. Though almost every culture uses solar motifs, only a relatively few cultures (Egyptian, Indo-European, and Meso-American) developed solar religions. All of these groups had in common a well-developed urban civilization with a strong ideology of sacred kingship. In all of them the imagery of the sun as the ruler of both the upper and the lower worlds that he majestically visits on his daily round is prominent.

The sun is the bestower of light and life to the totality of the cosmos; with his unblinking, all-seeing eye, he is the stern guarantor of justice; with the almost universal connection of light with enlightenment or illumination, the sun is the source of wisdom.

These qualities-sovereignty, power of beneficence, justice, and wisdom-are central to any elite religious group, and it is within these contexts that a highly developed solar ideology is found. Kings ruled by the power of the sun and claimed descent from the sun. Solar deities, gods personifying the sun, are sovereign and all-seeing. The sun is often a prime attribute of or is identified with the Supreme Deity.

In ancient Egypt the sun god Re was the dominant figure among the high gods and retained this position from early in that civilization's history. In the myth relating the voyage of the sun god over the heavenly ocean, the sun sets out as the young god Kheper; appears at noon in the zenith as the full-grown sun, Re; and arrives in the evening at the western region in the shape of the old sun god, Atum. When the pharaoh Ikhnaton reformed Egyptian religion, he took up the cult of the ancient deity Re-Horakhte under the name of Aton, an older designation of the Sun's disk. Under Akhenaton, the sun's qualities as creator and nourisher of the Earth and its inhabitants are glorified.

The sun god occupied a central position in both Sumerian and Akkadian religion, but neither the Sumerian Utu nor the Semitic Shamash was included among the three highest gods of the pantheon. The sun was one of the most popular deities, however, among the Indo-European peoples and was a symbol of divine power to them. Surya is glorified in the Vedas of ancient India as an all-seeing god who observes both good and evil actions. He expels not only darkness but also evil dreams and diseases. Sun heroes and sun kings also occupy a central position in Indian mythology, where Vivasvant, the father of Yama, corresponds to the Iranian Vivahvant, the father of Yima. There is a dynasty of sun kings, characteristically peaceful, that is quite distinct from the warlike moon kings. In medieval Iran, sun festivals were celebrated as a heritage from pre-Islamic times. The Indo-European character of sun worship is also seen in the conception of the solar deity, drawn in his carriage, generally by four white horses, common to many Indo-European peoples, and recurring in Indo-Iranian, Greco-Roman, and Scandinavian mythology.

During the later periods of Roman history, sun worship gained in importance and ultimately led to what has been called a "solar monotheism." Nearly all the gods of the period were possessed of solar qualities, and both Christ and Mithra acquired the traits of solar deities. The feast of Sol Invictus (Unconquered Sun) on December 25 was celebrated with great joy, and eventually this date was taken over by the Christians as Christmas, the birthday of Christ.

The most famous type of solar cult is the Sun Dance of the Plains Indians of North America. In the pre-Columbian civilizations of Mexico and Peru, sun worship was a prominent feature. In Aztec religion extensive human sacrifice was demanded by the sun gods Huitzilopochtli and Tezcatlipoca. In both Mexican and Peruvian ancient religion, the Sun occupied an important place in myth and ritual. The ruler in Peru was an incarnation of the sun god, Inti. In Japan the sun goddess, Amaterasu, who played an important role in ancient mythology and was considered to be the supreme ruler of the world, was the tutelary deity of the imperial clan, and to this day the sun symbols represent the Japanese state.

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sun worship | Origin, History, Symbols, & Facts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sun worship, veneration of the sun or a representation of the sun as a deity, as in Atonism in Egypt in the 14th century BCE. Though almost every culture uses solar motifs, only a relatively few cultures (Egyptian, Indo-European, and Meso-American) developed solar religions.

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In both Mexican and Peruvian ancient religion, the Sun occupied an important place in myth and ritual. The ruler in Peru was an incarnation of the sun god, Inti.

# data[].attributes.subject
In both Mexican and Peruvian ancient religion, the Sun occupied an important place in myth and ritual. The ruler in Peru was an incarnation of the sun god, Inti.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
sun worship, veneration of the sun or a representation of the sun as a deity, as in Atonism in Egypt in the 14th century bce.

Although sun worship has been used frequently as a term for "pagan" religion, it is, in fact, relatively rare. Though almost every culture uses solar motifs, only a relatively few cultures (Egyptian, Indo-European, and Meso-American) developed solar religions. All of these groups had in common a well-developed urban civilization with a strong ideology of sacred kingship. In all of them the imagery of the sun as the ruler of both the upper and the lower worlds that he majestically visits on his daily round is prominent.

The sun is the bestower of light and life to the totality of the cosmos; with his unblinking, all-seeing eye, he is the stern guarantor of justice; with the almost universal connection of light with enlightenment or illumination, the sun is the source of wisdom.

These qualities-sovereignty, power of beneficence, justice, and wisdom-are central to any elite religious group, and it is within these contexts that a highly developed solar ideology is found. Kings ruled by the power of the sun and claimed descent from the sun. Solar deities, gods personifying the sun, are sovereign and all-seeing. The sun is often a prime attribute of or is identified with the Supreme Deity.

In ancient Egypt the sun god Re was the dominant figure among the high gods and retained this position from early in that civilization's history. In the myth relating the voyage of the sun god over the heavenly ocean, the sun sets out as the young god Kheper; appears at noon in the zenith as the full-grown sun, Re; and arrives in the evening at the western region in the shape of the old sun god, Atum. When the pharaoh Ikhnaton reformed Egyptian religion, he took up the cult of the ancient deity Re-Horakhte under the name of Aton, an older designation of the Sun's disk. Under Akhenaton, the sun's qualities as creator and nourisher of the Earth and its inhabitants are glorified.

The sun god occupied a central position in both Sumerian and Akkadian religion, but neither the Sumerian Utu nor the Semitic Shamash was included among the three highest gods of the pantheon. The sun was one of the most popular deities, however, among the Indo-European peoples and was a symbol of divine power to them. Surya is glorified in the Vedas of ancient India as an all-seeing god who observes both good and evil actions. He expels not only darkness but also evil dreams and diseases. Sun heroes and sun kings also occupy a central position in Indian mythology, where Vivasvant, the father of Yama, corresponds to the Iranian Vivahvant, the father of Yima. There is a dynasty of sun kings, characteristically peaceful, that is quite distinct from the warlike moon kings. In medieval Iran, sun festivals were celebrated as a heritage from pre-Islamic times. The Indo-European character of sun worship is also seen in the conception of the solar deity, drawn in his carriage, generally by four white horses, common to many Indo-European peoples, and recurring in Indo-Iranian, Greco-Roman, and Scandinavian mythology.

During the later periods of Roman history, sun worship gained in importance and ultimately led to what has been called a "solar monotheism." Nearly all the gods of the period were possessed of solar qualities, and both Christ and Mithra acquired the traits of solar deities. The feast of Sol Invictus (Unconquered Sun) on December 25 was celebrated with great joy, and eventually this date was taken over by the Christians as Christmas, the birthday of Christ.

The most famous type of solar cult is the Sun Dance of the Plains Indians of North America. In the pre-Columbian civilizations of Mexico and Peru, sun worship was a prominent feature. In Aztec religion extensive human sacrifice was demanded by the sun gods Huitzilopochtli and Tezcatlipoca. In both Mexican and Peruvian ancient religion, the Sun occupied an important place in myth and ritual. The ruler in Peru was an incarnation of the sun god, Inti. In Japan the sun goddess, Amaterasu, who played an important role in ancient mythology and was considered to be the supreme ruler of the world, was the tutelary deity of the imperial clan, and to this day the sun symbols represent the Japanese state.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
sun worship | Origin, History, Symbols, & Facts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sun worship, veneration of the sun or a representation of the sun as a deity, as in Atonism in Egypt in the 14th century BCE. Though almost every culture uses solar motifs, only a relatively few cultures (Egyptian, Indo-European, and Meso-American) developed solar religions.

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In Aztec religion extensive human sacrifice was demanded by the sun gods Huitzilopochtli and Tezcatlipoca

# data[].attributes.subject
In Aztec religion extensive human sacrifice was demanded by the sun gods Huitzilopochtli and Tezcatlipoca

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.britannica.com/topic/sun-worship

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
sun worship, veneration of the sun or a representation of the sun as a deity, as in Atonism in Egypt in the 14th century bce.

Although sun worship has been used frequently as a term for "pagan" religion, it is, in fact, relatively rare. Though almost every culture uses solar motifs, only a relatively few cultures (Egyptian, Indo-European, and Meso-American) developed solar religions. All of these groups had in common a well-developed urban civilization with a strong ideology of sacred kingship. In all of them the imagery of the sun as the ruler of both the upper and the lower worlds that he majestically visits on his daily round is prominent.

The sun is the bestower of light and life to the totality of the cosmos; with his unblinking, all-seeing eye, he is the stern guarantor of justice; with the almost universal connection of light with enlightenment or illumination, the sun is the source of wisdom.

These qualities-sovereignty, power of beneficence, justice, and wisdom-are central to any elite religious group, and it is within these contexts that a highly developed solar ideology is found. Kings ruled by the power of the sun and claimed descent from the sun. Solar deities, gods personifying the sun, are sovereign and all-seeing. The sun is often a prime attribute of or is identified with the Supreme Deity.

In ancient Egypt the sun god Re was the dominant figure among the high gods and retained this position from early in that civilization's history. In the myth relating the voyage of the sun god over the heavenly ocean, the sun sets out as the young god Kheper; appears at noon in the zenith as the full-grown sun, Re; and arrives in the evening at the western region in the shape of the old sun god, Atum. When the pharaoh Ikhnaton reformed Egyptian religion, he took up the cult of the ancient deity Re-Horakhte under the name of Aton, an older designation of the Sun's disk. Under Akhenaton, the sun's qualities as creator and nourisher of the Earth and its inhabitants are glorified.

The sun god occupied a central position in both Sumerian and Akkadian religion, but neither the Sumerian Utu nor the Semitic Shamash was included among the three highest gods of the pantheon. The sun was one of the most popular deities, however, among the Indo-European peoples and was a symbol of divine power to them. Surya is glorified in the Vedas of ancient India as an all-seeing god who observes both good and evil actions. He expels not only darkness but also evil dreams and diseases. Sun heroes and sun kings also occupy a central position in Indian mythology, where Vivasvant, the father of Yama, corresponds to the Iranian Vivahvant, the father of Yima. There is a dynasty of sun kings, characteristically peaceful, that is quite distinct from the warlike moon kings. In medieval Iran, sun festivals were celebrated as a heritage from pre-Islamic times. The Indo-European character of sun worship is also seen in the conception of the solar deity, drawn in his carriage, generally by four white horses, common to many Indo-European peoples, and recurring in Indo-Iranian, Greco-Roman, and Scandinavian mythology.

During the later periods of Roman history, sun worship gained in importance and ultimately led to what has been called a "solar monotheism." Nearly all the gods of the period were possessed of solar qualities, and both Christ and Mithra acquired the traits of solar deities. The feast of Sol Invictus (Unconquered Sun) on December 25 was celebrated with great joy, and eventually this date was taken over by the Christians as Christmas, the birthday of Christ.

The most famous type of solar cult is the Sun Dance of the Plains Indians of North America. In the pre-Columbian civilizations of Mexico and Peru, sun worship was a prominent feature. In Aztec religion extensive human sacrifice was demanded by the sun gods Huitzilopochtli and Tezcatlipoca. In both Mexican and Peruvian ancient religion, the Sun occupied an important place in myth and ritual. The ruler in Peru was an incarnation of the sun god, Inti. In Japan the sun goddess, Amaterasu, who played an important role in ancient mythology and was considered to be the supreme ruler of the world, was the tutelary deity of the imperial clan, and to this day the sun symbols represent the Japanese state.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
sun worship | Origin, History, Symbols, & Facts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sun worship, veneration of the sun or a representation of the sun as a deity, as in Atonism in Egypt in the 14th century BCE. Though almost every culture uses solar motifs, only a relatively few cultures (Egyptian, Indo-European, and Meso-American) developed solar religions.

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Rome: During the later periods of Roman history, sun worship gained in importance and ultimately led to what has been called a “solar monotheism.” Nearly all the gods of the period were possessed of solar qualities, and both Christ and Mithra acquired the traits of solar deities.

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Rome: During the later periods of Roman history, sun worship gained in importance and ultimately led to what has been called a “solar monotheism.” Nearly all the gods of the period were possessed of solar qualities, and both Christ and Mithra acquired the traits of solar deities.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.britannica.com/topic/sun-worship

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
sun worship, veneration of the sun or a representation of the sun as a deity, as in Atonism in Egypt in the 14th century bce.

Although sun worship has been used frequently as a term for "pagan" religion, it is, in fact, relatively rare. Though almost every culture uses solar motifs, only a relatively few cultures (Egyptian, Indo-European, and Meso-American) developed solar religions. All of these groups had in common a well-developed urban civilization with a strong ideology of sacred kingship. In all of them the imagery of the sun as the ruler of both the upper and the lower worlds that he majestically visits on his daily round is prominent.

The sun is the bestower of light and life to the totality of the cosmos; with his unblinking, all-seeing eye, he is the stern guarantor of justice; with the almost universal connection of light with enlightenment or illumination, the sun is the source of wisdom.

These qualities-sovereignty, power of beneficence, justice, and wisdom-are central to any elite religious group, and it is within these contexts that a highly developed solar ideology is found. Kings ruled by the power of the sun and claimed descent from the sun. Solar deities, gods personifying the sun, are sovereign and all-seeing. The sun is often a prime attribute of or is identified with the Supreme Deity.

In ancient Egypt the sun god Re was the dominant figure among the high gods and retained this position from early in that civilization's history. In the myth relating the voyage of the sun god over the heavenly ocean, the sun sets out as the young god Kheper; appears at noon in the zenith as the full-grown sun, Re; and arrives in the evening at the western region in the shape of the old sun god, Atum. When the pharaoh Ikhnaton reformed Egyptian religion, he took up the cult of the ancient deity Re-Horakhte under the name of Aton, an older designation of the Sun's disk. Under Akhenaton, the sun's qualities as creator and nourisher of the Earth and its inhabitants are glorified.

The sun god occupied a central position in both Sumerian and Akkadian religion, but neither the Sumerian Utu nor the Semitic Shamash was included among the three highest gods of the pantheon. The sun was one of the most popular deities, however, among the Indo-European peoples and was a symbol of divine power to them. Surya is glorified in the Vedas of ancient India as an all-seeing god who observes both good and evil actions. He expels not only darkness but also evil dreams and diseases. Sun heroes and sun kings also occupy a central position in Indian mythology, where Vivasvant, the father of Yama, corresponds to the Iranian Vivahvant, the father of Yima. There is a dynasty of sun kings, characteristically peaceful, that is quite distinct from the warlike moon kings. In medieval Iran, sun festivals were celebrated as a heritage from pre-Islamic times. The Indo-European character of sun worship is also seen in the conception of the solar deity, drawn in his carriage, generally by four white horses, common to many Indo-European peoples, and recurring in Indo-Iranian, Greco-Roman, and Scandinavian mythology.

During the later periods of Roman history, sun worship gained in importance and ultimately led to what has been called a "solar monotheism." Nearly all the gods of the period were possessed of solar qualities, and both Christ and Mithra acquired the traits of solar deities. The feast of Sol Invictus (Unconquered Sun) on December 25 was celebrated with great joy, and eventually this date was taken over by the Christians as Christmas, the birthday of Christ.

The most famous type of solar cult is the Sun Dance of the Plains Indians of North America. In the pre-Columbian civilizations of Mexico and Peru, sun worship was a prominent feature. In Aztec religion extensive human sacrifice was demanded by the sun gods Huitzilopochtli and Tezcatlipoca. In both Mexican and Peruvian ancient religion, the Sun occupied an important place in myth and ritual. The ruler in Peru was an incarnation of the sun god, Inti. In Japan the sun goddess, Amaterasu, who played an important role in ancient mythology and was considered to be the supreme ruler of the world, was the tutelary deity of the imperial clan, and to this day the sun symbols represent the Japanese state.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
sun worship | Origin, History, Symbols, & Facts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sun worship, veneration of the sun or a representation of the sun as a deity, as in Atonism in Egypt in the 14th century BCE. Though almost every culture uses solar motifs, only a relatively few cultures (Egyptian, Indo-European, and Meso-American) developed solar religions.

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Indo: Surya is glorified in the Vedas of ancient India as an all-seeing god who observes both good and evil actions.

# data[].attributes.subject
Indo: Surya is glorified in the Vedas of ancient India as an all-seeing god who observes both good and evil actions.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.britannica.com/topic/sun-worship

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
sun worship, veneration of the sun or a representation of the sun as a deity, as in Atonism in Egypt in the 14th century bce.

Although sun worship has been used frequently as a term for "pagan" religion, it is, in fact, relatively rare. Though almost every culture uses solar motifs, only a relatively few cultures (Egyptian, Indo-European, and Meso-American) developed solar religions. All of these groups had in common a well-developed urban civilization with a strong ideology of sacred kingship. In all of them the imagery of the sun as the ruler of both the upper and the lower worlds that he majestically visits on his daily round is prominent.

The sun is the bestower of light and life to the totality of the cosmos; with his unblinking, all-seeing eye, he is the stern guarantor of justice; with the almost universal connection of light with enlightenment or illumination, the sun is the source of wisdom.

These qualities-sovereignty, power of beneficence, justice, and wisdom-are central to any elite religious group, and it is within these contexts that a highly developed solar ideology is found. Kings ruled by the power of the sun and claimed descent from the sun. Solar deities, gods personifying the sun, are sovereign and all-seeing. The sun is often a prime attribute of or is identified with the Supreme Deity.

In ancient Egypt the sun god Re was the dominant figure among the high gods and retained this position from early in that civilization's history. In the myth relating the voyage of the sun god over the heavenly ocean, the sun sets out as the young god Kheper; appears at noon in the zenith as the full-grown sun, Re; and arrives in the evening at the western region in the shape of the old sun god, Atum. When the pharaoh Ikhnaton reformed Egyptian religion, he took up the cult of the ancient deity Re-Horakhte under the name of Aton, an older designation of the Sun's disk. Under Akhenaton, the sun's qualities as creator and nourisher of the Earth and its inhabitants are glorified.

The sun god occupied a central position in both Sumerian and Akkadian religion, but neither the Sumerian Utu nor the Semitic Shamash was included among the three highest gods of the pantheon. The sun was one of the most popular deities, however, among the Indo-European peoples and was a symbol of divine power to them. Surya is glorified in the Vedas of ancient India as an all-seeing god who observes both good and evil actions. He expels not only darkness but also evil dreams and diseases. Sun heroes and sun kings also occupy a central position in Indian mythology, where Vivasvant, the father of Yama, corresponds to the Iranian Vivahvant, the father of Yima. There is a dynasty of sun kings, characteristically peaceful, that is quite distinct from the warlike moon kings. In medieval Iran, sun festivals were celebrated as a heritage from pre-Islamic times. The Indo-European character of sun worship is also seen in the conception of the solar deity, drawn in his carriage, generally by four white horses, common to many Indo-European peoples, and recurring in Indo-Iranian, Greco-Roman, and Scandinavian mythology.

During the later periods of Roman history, sun worship gained in importance and ultimately led to what has been called a "solar monotheism." Nearly all the gods of the period were possessed of solar qualities, and both Christ and Mithra acquired the traits of solar deities. The feast of Sol Invictus (Unconquered Sun) on December 25 was celebrated with great joy, and eventually this date was taken over by the Christians as Christmas, the birthday of Christ.

The most famous type of solar cult is the Sun Dance of the Plains Indians of North America. In the pre-Columbian civilizations of Mexico and Peru, sun worship was a prominent feature. In Aztec religion extensive human sacrifice was demanded by the sun gods Huitzilopochtli and Tezcatlipoca. In both Mexican and Peruvian ancient religion, the Sun occupied an important place in myth and ritual. The ruler in Peru was an incarnation of the sun god, Inti. In Japan the sun goddess, Amaterasu, who played an important role in ancient mythology and was considered to be the supreme ruler of the world, was the tutelary deity of the imperial clan, and to this day the sun symbols represent the Japanese state.

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sun worship | Origin, History, Symbols, & Facts

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Sun worship, veneration of the sun or a representation of the sun as a deity, as in Atonism in Egypt in the 14th century BCE. Though almost every culture uses solar motifs, only a relatively few cultures (Egyptian, Indo-European, and Meso-American) developed solar religions.

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The sun god occupied a central position (but not the highest) in both Sumerian and Akkadian religion

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The sun god occupied a central position (but not the highest) in both Sumerian and Akkadian religion

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https://www.britannica.com/topic/sun-worship

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sun worship, veneration of the sun or a representation of the sun as a deity, as in Atonism in Egypt in the 14th century bce.

Although sun worship has been used frequently as a term for "pagan" religion, it is, in fact, relatively rare. Though almost every culture uses solar motifs, only a relatively few cultures (Egyptian, Indo-European, and Meso-American) developed solar religions. All of these groups had in common a well-developed urban civilization with a strong ideology of sacred kingship. In all of them the imagery of the sun as the ruler of both the upper and the lower worlds that he majestically visits on his daily round is prominent.

The sun is the bestower of light and life to the totality of the cosmos; with his unblinking, all-seeing eye, he is the stern guarantor of justice; with the almost universal connection of light with enlightenment or illumination, the sun is the source of wisdom.

These qualities-sovereignty, power of beneficence, justice, and wisdom-are central to any elite religious group, and it is within these contexts that a highly developed solar ideology is found. Kings ruled by the power of the sun and claimed descent from the sun. Solar deities, gods personifying the sun, are sovereign and all-seeing. The sun is often a prime attribute of or is identified with the Supreme Deity.

In ancient Egypt the sun god Re was the dominant figure among the high gods and retained this position from early in that civilization's history. In the myth relating the voyage of the sun god over the heavenly ocean, the sun sets out as the young god Kheper; appears at noon in the zenith as the full-grown sun, Re; and arrives in the evening at the western region in the shape of the old sun god, Atum. When the pharaoh Ikhnaton reformed Egyptian religion, he took up the cult of the ancient deity Re-Horakhte under the name of Aton, an older designation of the Sun's disk. Under Akhenaton, the sun's qualities as creator and nourisher of the Earth and its inhabitants are glorified.

The sun god occupied a central position in both Sumerian and Akkadian religion, but neither the Sumerian Utu nor the Semitic Shamash was included among the three highest gods of the pantheon. The sun was one of the most popular deities, however, among the Indo-European peoples and was a symbol of divine power to them. Surya is glorified in the Vedas of ancient India as an all-seeing god who observes both good and evil actions. He expels not only darkness but also evil dreams and diseases. Sun heroes and sun kings also occupy a central position in Indian mythology, where Vivasvant, the father of Yama, corresponds to the Iranian Vivahvant, the father of Yima. There is a dynasty of sun kings, characteristically peaceful, that is quite distinct from the warlike moon kings. In medieval Iran, sun festivals were celebrated as a heritage from pre-Islamic times. The Indo-European character of sun worship is also seen in the conception of the solar deity, drawn in his carriage, generally by four white horses, common to many Indo-European peoples, and recurring in Indo-Iranian, Greco-Roman, and Scandinavian mythology.

During the later periods of Roman history, sun worship gained in importance and ultimately led to what has been called a "solar monotheism." Nearly all the gods of the period were possessed of solar qualities, and both Christ and Mithra acquired the traits of solar deities. The feast of Sol Invictus (Unconquered Sun) on December 25 was celebrated with great joy, and eventually this date was taken over by the Christians as Christmas, the birthday of Christ.

The most famous type of solar cult is the Sun Dance of the Plains Indians of North America. In the pre-Columbian civilizations of Mexico and Peru, sun worship was a prominent feature. In Aztec religion extensive human sacrifice was demanded by the sun gods Huitzilopochtli and Tezcatlipoca. In both Mexican and Peruvian ancient religion, the Sun occupied an important place in myth and ritual. The ruler in Peru was an incarnation of the sun god, Inti. In Japan the sun goddess, Amaterasu, who played an important role in ancient mythology and was considered to be the supreme ruler of the world, was the tutelary deity of the imperial clan, and to this day the sun symbols represent the Japanese state.

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sun worship | Origin, History, Symbols, & Facts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sun worship, veneration of the sun or a representation of the sun as a deity, as in Atonism in Egypt in the 14th century BCE. Though almost every culture uses solar motifs, only a relatively few cultures (Egyptian, Indo-European, and Meso-American) developed solar religions.

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Egypt: In the myth relating the voyage of the sun god over the heavenly ocean, the sun sets out as the young god Kheper; appears at noon in the zenith as the full-grown sun, Re; and arrives in the evening at the western region in the shape of the old sun god, Atum.

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Egypt: In the myth relating the voyage of the sun god over the heavenly ocean, the sun sets out as the young god Kheper; appears at noon in the zenith as the full-grown sun, Re; and arrives in the evening at the western region in the shape of the old sun god, Atum.

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https://www.britannica.com/topic/sun-worship

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
sun worship, veneration of the sun or a representation of the sun as a deity, as in Atonism in Egypt in the 14th century bce.

Although sun worship has been used frequently as a term for "pagan" religion, it is, in fact, relatively rare. Though almost every culture uses solar motifs, only a relatively few cultures (Egyptian, Indo-European, and Meso-American) developed solar religions. All of these groups had in common a well-developed urban civilization with a strong ideology of sacred kingship. In all of them the imagery of the sun as the ruler of both the upper and the lower worlds that he majestically visits on his daily round is prominent.

The sun is the bestower of light and life to the totality of the cosmos; with his unblinking, all-seeing eye, he is the stern guarantor of justice; with the almost universal connection of light with enlightenment or illumination, the sun is the source of wisdom.

These qualities-sovereignty, power of beneficence, justice, and wisdom-are central to any elite religious group, and it is within these contexts that a highly developed solar ideology is found. Kings ruled by the power of the sun and claimed descent from the sun. Solar deities, gods personifying the sun, are sovereign and all-seeing. The sun is often a prime attribute of or is identified with the Supreme Deity.

In ancient Egypt the sun god Re was the dominant figure among the high gods and retained this position from early in that civilization's history. In the myth relating the voyage of the sun god over the heavenly ocean, the sun sets out as the young god Kheper; appears at noon in the zenith as the full-grown sun, Re; and arrives in the evening at the western region in the shape of the old sun god, Atum. When the pharaoh Ikhnaton reformed Egyptian religion, he took up the cult of the ancient deity Re-Horakhte under the name of Aton, an older designation of the Sun's disk. Under Akhenaton, the sun's qualities as creator and nourisher of the Earth and its inhabitants are glorified.

The sun god occupied a central position in both Sumerian and Akkadian religion, but neither the Sumerian Utu nor the Semitic Shamash was included among the three highest gods of the pantheon. The sun was one of the most popular deities, however, among the Indo-European peoples and was a symbol of divine power to them. Surya is glorified in the Vedas of ancient India as an all-seeing god who observes both good and evil actions. He expels not only darkness but also evil dreams and diseases. Sun heroes and sun kings also occupy a central position in Indian mythology, where Vivasvant, the father of Yama, corresponds to the Iranian Vivahvant, the father of Yima. There is a dynasty of sun kings, characteristically peaceful, that is quite distinct from the warlike moon kings. In medieval Iran, sun festivals were celebrated as a heritage from pre-Islamic times. The Indo-European character of sun worship is also seen in the conception of the solar deity, drawn in his carriage, generally by four white horses, common to many Indo-European peoples, and recurring in Indo-Iranian, Greco-Roman, and Scandinavian mythology.

During the later periods of Roman history, sun worship gained in importance and ultimately led to what has been called a "solar monotheism." Nearly all the gods of the period were possessed of solar qualities, and both Christ and Mithra acquired the traits of solar deities. The feast of Sol Invictus (Unconquered Sun) on December 25 was celebrated with great joy, and eventually this date was taken over by the Christians as Christmas, the birthday of Christ.

The most famous type of solar cult is the Sun Dance of the Plains Indians of North America. In the pre-Columbian civilizations of Mexico and Peru, sun worship was a prominent feature. In Aztec religion extensive human sacrifice was demanded by the sun gods Huitzilopochtli and Tezcatlipoca. In both Mexican and Peruvian ancient religion, the Sun occupied an important place in myth and ritual. The ruler in Peru was an incarnation of the sun god, Inti. In Japan the sun goddess, Amaterasu, who played an important role in ancient mythology and was considered to be the supreme ruler of the world, was the tutelary deity of the imperial clan, and to this day the sun symbols represent the Japanese state.

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sun worship | Origin, History, Symbols, & Facts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sun worship, veneration of the sun or a representation of the sun as a deity, as in Atonism in Egypt in the 14th century BCE. Though almost every culture uses solar motifs, only a relatively few cultures (Egyptian, Indo-European, and Meso-American) developed solar religions.

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It takes the Sun about 225 - 250 million years to orbit around the center of the Milky Way galaxy. Last time when the sun was at it current position. The dinosaurs were around.

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It takes the Sun about 225 - 250 million years to orbit around the center of the Milky Way galaxy. Last time when the sun was at it current position. The dinosaurs were around.

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The Sun is a star, just like billions of other stars in the universe. Our Sun probably formed a little more than four and a half billion years ago, just a little bit before the planets formed around it. It's not one of the older stars in the Universe. Probably some of the earliest stars went supernova, and then new stars formed out of those nebulae, and then the new stars went supernova, and the Sun formed out of one of these new nebulae. So you could say that the Sun is like the grandchild of the first stars.

Like other stars, the Sun is mostly made of hydrogen atoms. All stars start out making energy by changing hydrogen atoms into helium atoms. At the surface, the Sun is almost 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit (more than 5000 degrees Celsius), but it is much hotter in the middle of the Sun, about 25 million degrees Fahrenheit (14 million degrees Celsius). The Sun is one of the brighter stars in the Universe, because many other stars are older and have already turned into red dwarfs.

Like other stars, the Sun is not standing still in space. The Sun orbits in a slow circle. The Sun is orbiting around the center of the Milky Way galaxy. It takes the Sun about 225 to 250 million years to go all the way around its orbit, so the last time the Sun was at this point on its orbit was when the dinosaurs were alive.

Most of the energy on Earth comes from the Sun's rays - sunlight. Sunlight is made of photons that shoot out from the Sun. The photons go in all directions, but some of them come and hit the Earth. Plants use some of these photons in photosynthesis to make new proteins so they can grow and reproduce to make new plants.

Our Sun has already changed about half of its hydrogen atoms into helium atoms. When the Sun uses up all the hydrogen atoms, about four and a half billion years from now, the Sun will become a red giant star, because it's not a big enough star to explode in a supernova. When this happens, the Sun will send more heat farther out into space, and Earth will get too hot for anybody to live on it. By that time, hopefully people will have figured out how to live on other planets.

Bibliography and further reading about the sun:

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What's the sun made of? - Astronomy - Science

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The sun from space The Sun is a star, just like billions of other stars in the universe. Our Sun probably formed a little more than four and a half billion years ago, just a little bit before the planets formed around it. It's

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Our planets revolve around/orbit the Sun. What do you think the Sun orbit around?

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Our planets revolve around/orbit the Sun. What do you think the Sun orbit around?

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https://quatr.us/physics/whats-sun-made-astronomy-science.htm

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Sun is a star, just like billions of other stars in the universe. Our Sun probably formed a little more than four and a half billion years ago, just a little bit before the planets formed around it. It's not one of the older stars in the Universe. Probably some of the earliest stars went supernova, and then new stars formed out of those nebulae, and then the new stars went supernova, and the Sun formed out of one of these new nebulae. So you could say that the Sun is like the grandchild of the first stars.

Like other stars, the Sun is mostly made of hydrogen atoms. All stars start out making energy by changing hydrogen atoms into helium atoms. At the surface, the Sun is almost 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit (more than 5000 degrees Celsius), but it is much hotter in the middle of the Sun, about 25 million degrees Fahrenheit (14 million degrees Celsius). The Sun is one of the brighter stars in the Universe, because many other stars are older and have already turned into red dwarfs.

Like other stars, the Sun is not standing still in space. The Sun orbits in a slow circle. The Sun is orbiting around the center of the Milky Way galaxy. It takes the Sun about 225 to 250 million years to go all the way around its orbit, so the last time the Sun was at this point on its orbit was when the dinosaurs were alive.

Most of the energy on Earth comes from the Sun's rays - sunlight. Sunlight is made of photons that shoot out from the Sun. The photons go in all directions, but some of them come and hit the Earth. Plants use some of these photons in photosynthesis to make new proteins so they can grow and reproduce to make new plants.

Our Sun has already changed about half of its hydrogen atoms into helium atoms. When the Sun uses up all the hydrogen atoms, about four and a half billion years from now, the Sun will become a red giant star, because it's not a big enough star to explode in a supernova. When this happens, the Sun will send more heat farther out into space, and Earth will get too hot for anybody to live on it. By that time, hopefully people will have figured out how to live on other planets.

Bibliography and further reading about the sun:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What's the sun made of? - Astronomy - Science

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The sun from space The Sun is a star, just like billions of other stars in the universe. Our Sun probably formed a little more than four and a half billion years ago, just a little bit before the planets formed around it. It's

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Name words, names, things, places that have the word "Sun" in it?

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Name words, names, things, places that have the word "Sun" in it?

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e.g., Sundance, Sunflower

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A little more than four and a half billion years old.
https://quatr.us/physics/whats-sun-made-astronomy-science.htm

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The Sun is a star, just like billions of other stars in the universe. Our Sun probably formed a little more than four and a half billion years ago, just a little bit before the planets formed around it. It's not one of the older stars in the Universe. Probably some of the earliest stars went supernova, and then new stars formed out of those nebulae, and then the new stars went supernova, and the Sun formed out of one of these new nebulae. So you could say that the Sun is like the grandchild of the first stars.

Like other stars, the Sun is mostly made of hydrogen atoms. All stars start out making energy by changing hydrogen atoms into helium atoms. At the surface, the Sun is almost 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit (more than 5000 degrees Celsius), but it is much hotter in the middle of the Sun, about 25 million degrees Fahrenheit (14 million degrees Celsius). The Sun is one of the brighter stars in the Universe, because many other stars are older and have already turned into red dwarfs.

Like other stars, the Sun is not standing still in space. The Sun orbits in a slow circle. The Sun is orbiting around the center of the Milky Way galaxy. It takes the Sun about 225 to 250 million years to go all the way around its orbit, so the last time the Sun was at this point on its orbit was when the dinosaurs were alive.

Most of the energy on Earth comes from the Sun's rays - sunlight. Sunlight is made of photons that shoot out from the Sun. The photons go in all directions, but some of them come and hit the Earth. Plants use some of these photons in photosynthesis to make new proteins so they can grow and reproduce to make new plants.

Our Sun has already changed about half of its hydrogen atoms into helium atoms. When the Sun uses up all the hydrogen atoms, about four and a half billion years from now, the Sun will become a red giant star, because it's not a big enough star to explode in a supernova. When this happens, the Sun will send more heat farther out into space, and Earth will get too hot for anybody to live on it. By that time, hopefully people will have figured out how to live on other planets.

Bibliography and further reading about the sun:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What's the sun made of? - Astronomy - Science

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The sun from space The Sun is a star, just like billions of other stars in the universe. Our Sun probably formed a little more than four and a half billion years ago, just a little bit before the planets formed around it. It's

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In 600 BC, Greek scientists like Thales (of Miletus) was able to predict the solar eclipse, understanding that the Earth revolved around the Sun instead of the other way round.

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In 600 BC, Greek scientists like Thales (of Miletus) was able to predict the solar eclipse, understanding that the Earth revolved around the Sun instead of the other way round.

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https://quatr.us/greeks/sun-greek-astronomy.htm

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At first the Greeks imagined that the sun was the god Helios, or Apollo, driving his chariot around and around the earth. In the morning he began driving up in the sky, and then in the evening he drove back down again, and that was the sunset. At night the horses rested under the earth. (Compare to the Egyptian sun god Ra.)

By the Archaic period, though, in the 600s BC, Greek scientists like Thales of Miletus (a Greek city in West Asia) were beginning to understand that the sun was not a god but a round ball of fire hanging in space. Thales was able to predict when a solar eclipse would happen. Still Greek scientists thought that the sun went around the earth instead of the way it really is, that the earth goes around the sun.

In the Hellenistic period, scientists like Eratosthenes, Anaxagoras, and Aristarchus began really taking observations and making measurements. Anaxagoras, working in Athens about 450 BC, figured out that it was the moon getting between the sun and the earth that caused solar eclipses.

About 250 BC, Aristarchus of Samos (working in Egypt) did figure out that the earth went around the sun, though not everybody agreed with him. Then Eratosthenes, also in Egypt about 200 BC, figured out how far away the sun was from the earth (about 93 million miles).

Bibliography and further reading about the sun in Greek astronomy:

The Librarian Who Measured the Earth, by Kathryn Lasky (1994). An account of the life and work of Eratosthenes, who figured out the circumference of the earth. Explains how he did it. Easy reading.

Greek Astronomy, by Thomas Heath (1932). A collection of what ancient Greek writers had to say about astronomy, in their own words, with a long introduction. For adults.

The History & Practice of Ancient Astronomy, by James Evans (1998). Includes both the history, and directions to actually re-do the experiments that ancient Greek astronomers used to figure out their conclusions. For adults.

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The sun at sunset: The sun in Greek astronomy At first the Greeks imagined that the sun was the god Helios, or Apollo, driving his chariot around and around the earth. In the morning he began driving up in the sky, and then in the evening

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With the head of a Falcon, "Ra" (also "Re") was the name of the Sun God for Egyptians.

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With the head of a Falcon, "Ra" (also "Re") was the name of the Sun God for Egyptians.

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https://quatr.us/egypt/egyptian-god-ra.htm

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The sun god Ra

Ra (sometimes spelled Re) was the ancient Egyptian god of the sun. He was already well known in the Old Kingdom, by 3000 BC. Ra was one of the most important gods of the Old Kingdom.

Before that, there wasn't any writing, so we don't know - people may have worshipped Ra as the sun god long before the Old Kingdom, far back into the Stone Age.

Just remember: There is but one God! He is the Sun God! Ra! Ra! Rah!

What did the god Ra look like?

Ra had the sun (a circle) balanced on his head, as you can see in the picture. In the top picture, Ra wears a long narrow red tunic. Red was an expensive dye, so only rich, powerful people (like the sun god) could wear red. And because the sun can seem red at sunrise and sunset, it's a very appropriate color for a god.

The head of a falcon

In other images, like this one, Ra has the head of a falcon. Falcons fly very high and see everything, so that's why people associated them with the sun. And they thought of the falcon as the king of the birds. Earlier, falcons had been the bird of the god Horus, but by the New Kingdom, people often thought of Horus and Ra as kind of the same. They called this combined god Ra-Horakhty.

Cobras and rebirth

Often the god Ra has snakes around him, or around the sun disk on his head. These snakes are cobras. Cobras shed their skin and are (metaphorically) reborn. So they seemed related to the sun, which also dies every night and is reborn every morning. Both the sun and cobras were symbols of rebirth, so people painted them on the walls of their tomb, hoping to be reborn themselves into the Egyptian afterlife.

The sun boat sails from east to west

The god Ra carried the sun in a boat from sunrise in the east to sunset in the west every day, accompanied by his followers. During the night, he carried the sun underneath the earth, through the underworld, the Duat, fighting a series of battles underground, so he could get back to the east again for sunrise in the morning.

Why does the god Ra sail in a boat?

You could compare Ra to the Indian god Vishnu or to the Greek god Helios. The Greek sun god travels in a horse-drawn chariot, because the Greeks usually traveled in horse-drawn chariots, but the Egyptian sun god travels in a boat, because Egyptians usually traveled by boat up and down the Nile River. In the Old Kingdom, the Egyptians didn't have horses or chariots yet.

Ra in Egyptian mythology

In Egyptian stories, Ra created the world and everything in it. He called all the animals and plants into life by speaking their secret names. Then Ra used his own tears and sweat to make the first people.

By 2000 BC or 1500 BC, in the Middle Kingdom or New Kingdom, people were telling the story of the Sky Cow. In this story, after Ra created the animals and plants and people, they all lived happily together at first. It's another version of the Enuma Elish story of the Flood, which was at least 500 years earlier. Later on, other versions of this story became the Bible's Tower of Babel, Noah's Ark, and Sodom and Gomorrah.

But then, people went bad! They were totally ungrateful and evil! They didn't sacrifice to the gods and thought only about themselves. People even started to plot ways to overthrow Ra! So the god Ra decided to punish the people he had created. He sent the cow goddess Sekhmet to trample all over them with her giant cow body. Sekhmet ran all over the earth. She trampled people to death. She knocked down buildings in the cities. And she trampled the wheat and barley standing in the fields.

Ra stood up in the sky, watching Sekhmet trampling everything, and he was pretty happy about it. He thought it served people right. But the other gods - Horus, Isis, Osiris - said, "Hey Ra, don't you think that's about enough now? If Sekhmet kills all the people, who will be left to learn the lesson? Who will sacrifice to us then?" So Ra figured out how to stop Sekhmet.

How Ra stopped Sekhmet

He gets a big batch of beer from the beer goddess, Tenenet, and dyes it red, and sends it down to earth. The crazy Sekhmet thinks the beer is blood, and drinks it all. She gets drunk and falls asleep. When she wakes up, the madness has left her. She's turned into the gentle cow-goddess, Hathor.

Egyptian people thought of Hathor as another form of Sekhmet, and both of them as forms of the mother goddess Mut. (You could see all of this as a story about how men have to control irrational women. But then the Bible just writes women almost entirely out of the story. The only remnant is Lot's wife.)

Sometimes Egyptian painters showed Hathor with Ra's sun disk as a red circle on her back.

How did people worship the god Ra?

People sacrificed bulls to Ra, because bulls were big, strong, important animals, and Ra was a big, strong, important god.

Ra in the New Kingdom: Amun-Ra

In the New Kingdom, as people started to worship Amun as the sun god, they again combined Ra and Amun, praying and sacrificing to Amun-Ra. Because of this association with Amun, the pharaoh Akhenaten, who rejected Amun, also didn't let people worship Ra. But after Akhenaten died, people went back to worshipping Ra (and Amun) again.

Egyptian astronomy and the god Ra

Even the New Kingdom, probably nobody knew that the sun was not really the god Ra. Egyptian astronomers were busy calculating the movements of the sun through the year, so they could predict the summer solstice and the winter solstice, and the all-important Nile floods.

By the time the Greek Ptolemies were ruling Egypt, in the 200s BC, however, Egyptian astronomers like Eratosthenes knew how far away the sun and the moon were from earth. They knew that there was nothing like the solar boat or chariot. Still, people kept on worshipping Ra anyway.

The end of the god Ra

People kept on worshipping Ra all through the Greek and Roman periods in Egypt, until people in Egypt converted to Christianity in the 300s AD. At that point, the worship of Ra pretty much ended.

Bibliography and further reading about the Egyptian god Ra:

Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt, by Leonard Fisher (1999). For younger kids.

Isis and Osiris, by Geraldine Harris (1997). A retelling of the story for kids.

The Egypt Game (Yearling Newbery), by Zilpha Keatley Snyder (reprinted 1985). A great kids' story about kids who pretend to be Egyptian gods and goddesses.

Religion in Ancient Egypt: Gods, Myths, and Personal Practice, by John Baines, David Silverman, and Leonard Lesko (1991). Pretty hard going, but it will tell you everything you need to know about Egyptian religion.

Isis in the Ancient World, by R.E. Witt (1997). Mostly about the spread of Isis worship to Greece and the Roman Empire.

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Ra (sometimes spelled Re) was the ancient Egyptian god of the sun. He was already well known in the Old Kingdom, by 3000 BC. Ra was one of the most important gods of the Old Kingdom.

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The Greeks believed that the SUN represented God Helios or Apollo driving his chariot around the Earth.

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The Greeks believed that the SUN represented God Helios or Apollo driving his chariot around the Earth.

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https://quatr.us/greeks/sun-greek-astronomy.htm

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At first the Greeks imagined that the sun was the god Helios, or Apollo, driving his chariot around and around the earth. In the morning he began driving up in the sky, and then in the evening he drove back down again, and that was the sunset. At night the horses rested under the earth. (Compare to the Egyptian sun god Ra.)

By the Archaic period, though, in the 600s BC, Greek scientists like Thales of Miletus (a Greek city in West Asia) were beginning to understand that the sun was not a god but a round ball of fire hanging in space. Thales was able to predict when a solar eclipse would happen. Still Greek scientists thought that the sun went around the earth instead of the way it really is, that the earth goes around the sun.

In the Hellenistic period, scientists like Eratosthenes, Anaxagoras, and Aristarchus began really taking observations and making measurements. Anaxagoras, working in Athens about 450 BC, figured out that it was the moon getting between the sun and the earth that caused solar eclipses.

About 250 BC, Aristarchus of Samos (working in Egypt) did figure out that the earth went around the sun, though not everybody agreed with him. Then Eratosthenes, also in Egypt about 200 BC, figured out how far away the sun was from the earth (about 93 million miles).

Bibliography and further reading about the sun in Greek astronomy:

The Librarian Who Measured the Earth, by Kathryn Lasky (1994). An account of the life and work of Eratosthenes, who figured out the circumference of the earth. Explains how he did it. Easy reading.

Greek Astronomy, by Thomas Heath (1932). A collection of what ancient Greek writers had to say about astronomy, in their own words, with a long introduction. For adults.

The History & Practice of Ancient Astronomy, by James Evans (1998). Includes both the history, and directions to actually re-do the experiments that ancient Greek astronomers used to figure out their conclusions. For adults.

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The sun at sunset: The sun in Greek astronomy At first the Greeks imagined that the sun was the god Helios, or Apollo, driving his chariot around and around the earth. In the morning he began driving up in the sky, and then in the evening

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The Sun appears to have been active for 4.6 billion years and has enough fuel to go on for another five billion years or so. At the end of its life, the Sun will start to fuse helium into heavier elements and begin to swell up, ultimately growing so large that it will swallow the Earth. After a billion years as a red giant, it will suddenly collapse into a white dwarf -- the final end product of a star like ours. It may take a trillion years to cool off completely.

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What do you think the SUN surface is like?

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What do you think the SUN surface is like?

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What do you think is the shape of the SUN?

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What do you think is the shape of the SUN?

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Good one!!

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Does "the SUN" have any cultural/mythological/spiritual significance for you?

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Does "the SUN" have any cultural/mythological/spiritual significance for you?

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The first words that come to your mind when you think of the sun

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The first words that come to your mind when you think of the sun

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Means different things in the hills compared to Delhi

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There are multiple sun temples in India

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Share a memory

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If the sun had a face what emoticon would it be?

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If the sun had a face what emoticon would it be?

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Do you have a photo of the sun in your gallery?

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Do you have a photo of the sun in your gallery?

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Select all the boxes that have the sun in them

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Select all the boxes that have the sun in them

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Be able to colour the screen

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Can you think of a song with 'sun' in it

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Can you think of a song with 'sun' in it

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Like finding waldo

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'join the dots'

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The first three words that come to your mind when I say 'sun'

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The first three words that come to your mind when I say 'sun'

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Input will be words

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Input will be a drawing

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Do you the Sun gets hotter in Summers and that causes the temperatures to rise?

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Do you the Sun gets hotter in Summers and that causes the temperatures to rise?

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How hot did it get in the summers for you this year?

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How hot did it get in the summers for you this year?

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Do you think the sun is a male/female/other

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Do you think the sun is a male/female/other

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Global warming
Electricity/Energy
Space/NASA/ElonMusk
The moon
Art
Entertainment - jab tak sooraj chand rahega
Religion/Tradition
Activity - Time of the day
Seasons

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Both players see a clock and choose a time on the clock.

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Both players see a clock and choose a time on the clock.

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This will have multiple choice questions. Players will be able to see what the other person said.

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Both players see a thermometer and select a value.

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Both players see a thermometer and select a value.