Myths of Magical Gods

The Shining Sun Boat: The God Ra

In pharaonic myths, Ra was the most important god of all because he was the sun god who gave light and warmth to the whole world. They believed Ra had two magical boats! During the day, he rode a golden ship, flying it across the blue sky to light up the earth. When evening came, he switched to his night ship and dove into an underworld full of monsters! He fought brave battles in the dark so he could win and rise again the very next morning. The sunrise meant Ra had won his battle for the day!

If you were Ra's helper on the sun boat, what would your job be? Would you steer the ship or keep a lookout on the road ahead?

Listen