Myths featuring Ra

Search by title and refine by origin, characters, tags, and sort order.

Bastet Slicing Off Apep's Head with a Sun-Blade to Protect Ra

🏺 Egyptian MythologyBubastis (Tell Basta), EgyptBastet • Ra • Apep

The goddess Bastet, acting as the Eye of Ra and the fierce defender of the solar barque, confronts the chaos-serpent Apep during the sun's perilous journey through the underworld. Using a sacred blade forged of solar light, she decapitates the serpent to prevent it from swallowing the sun and plunging the world into eternal darkness. This myth represents the eternal triumph of Ma'at over Isfet.

Rama Sculpting a Sand Lingam and Worshipping Shiva Before the War

🕉️ Hindu MythologyRamanathaswamy Temple, RameswaramRama • Sita • Shiva

Before crossing the ocean to Lanka to rescue his wife Sita, Rama sought the blessings of Lord Shiva by establishing a sacred lingam on the shores of Rameswaram. When Hanuman's mission to bring a stone lingam from the Himalayas was delayed, Rama and Sita sculpted a lingam out of sea sand to perform the ritual at the auspicious hour. This act of devotion united the paths of Shaivism and...

Theseus and Pirithous’ Disastrous Attempt to Kidnap Persephone

🏛️ Greek MythologyCave of Hades, Cape Matapan (Taenarum), GreeceTheseus • Pirithous • Hades

Theseus and Pirithous, two legendary Greek heroes and inseparable friends, formed a hubristic pact to marry daughters of Zeus. After kidnapping the young Helen of Troy for Theseus, they descended into the Underworld through the cave at Cape Matapan to claim Persephone for Pirithous. However, Hades, the King of the Dead, outwitted them by trapping them in the magical 'Chair of Forgetfulness'...

The Fall of Nahusha

🕉️ Hindu MythologyHimalayas, Uttarakhand, IndiaNahusha • Agastya • Indra

King Nahusha, a virtuous ruler of the Lunar Dynasty, is appointed as the temporary Indra of heaven. However, pride consumes him, leading him to insult the great Sage Agastya by demanding he carry his palanquin, resulting in a curse that transforms him into a giant python.

Serapis

🏺 Egyptian MythologySerapeum of AlexandriaSerapis • Ptolemy I Soter • Osiris

Serapis was a synthetic deity created in the 3rd century BCE to bridge the gap between Greek and Egyptian cultures. Combining the traits of the Egyptian god Osiris and the sacred bull Apis, he became the patron god of Alexandria and the supreme deity of the Ptolemaic Kingdom. His cult symbolized the political and religious fusion of two ancient civilizations under the rule of the Greek pharaohs.

Ra Plucking Out His Eye and Sending It as Hathor to Punish Humanity

🏺 Egyptian MythologyHeliopolis (Cairo), EgyptRa • Hathor • Sekhmet

As the sun god Ra grew old, humanity began to plot against him, leading Ra to send his Eye in the form of a goddess to punish them. The Eye's destructive rage nearly wiped out all of mankind until Ra devised a clever plan to pacify her with red-dyed beer. This myth explains the dual nature of the goddess as both a fierce protectress and a lady of joy, as well as the origins of the Nile's...

Devayani Cursing Kacha and the Failure of the Sanjivani Vidya

🕉️ Hindu MythologySomnath, Gujarat, IndiaKacha • Devayani • Shukracharya

To level the playing field in the war between gods and demons, the sage Kacha is sent to learn the secret of immortality from the Asura guru Shukracharya. After surviving multiple murder attempts and eventually learning the secret from within the guru's own body, Kacha is cursed by the guru's daughter, Devayani, when he refuses to marry her on moral grounds. The curse ensures that while Kacha...

Heracles’ Capture of the Ceryneian Hind

🏛️ Greek MythologyMount Ceryneia, Achaea, GreeceHeracles • Eurystheus • Artemis

Tasked by King Eurystheus as his third labor, Heracles was commanded to capture the elusive Ceryneian Hind without harming it. The sacred creature, possessing golden antlers and bronze hooves, was faster than any arrow and dedicated to the goddess Artemis. After a year-long pursuit that took him to the edge of the world and back, Heracles finally captured the animal and successfully...

The Sacrifice of the Tusk: Parashurama and Ganesha at Kailash

🕉️ Hindu MythologyMount Kailash, TibetParashurama • Ganesha • Shiva

After his victory over the corrupt warrior-kings, the sage Parashurama journeyed to Mount Kailash to thank Lord Shiva. He was halted at the gate by Shiva's son Ganesha, leading to a fierce confrontation where Parashurama threw his divine axe. Recognizing the weapon as a gift from his father, Ganesha chose to receive the blow rather than oppose it, resulting in the loss of his tusk.

Bellerophon Thrown from Pegasus Trying to Reach Olympus

🏛️ Greek MythologyMount Olympus, GreeceBellerophon • Pegasus • Zeus

The Greek hero Bellerophon, riding the winged horse Pegasus, attempted to fly to the summit of Mount Olympus to join the gods. Infuriated by his hubris, Zeus sent a gadfly to sting Pegasus, causing the hero to fall back to earth while the horse continued to the divine stables. Bellerophon survived the fall but spent the rest of his life wandering in misery, a broken man who had dared too much.