What was Ra’s secret name and its importance?
Names have power. This is a common belief in many cultures and traditions, but especially in ancient Egypt, where names were considered to be the essence of a person or a thing. Knowing someone’s name gave you access to their identity, their history, and their destiny. And knowing the name of a god gave you even more power: the power to control them.
This is why Ra, the sun god and the king of the gods, had a secret name that he never revealed to anyone. Ra was the creator of the world and the source of life. He was worshipped by all living beings, including the other gods. He was also feared by his enemies, who constantly plotted to overthrow him or steal his power.
One of these enemies was Isis, the goddess of magic, healing, and motherhood. Isis was married to Osiris, the god of the underworld, and they had a son named Horus, who was destined to be the next king of Egypt. Isis wanted to ensure that her son would inherit Ra’s throne and authority, but she knew that she could not challenge Ra directly. She needed a clever plan to outwit him and take his power.
How did Isis trick Ra?
Isis knew that Ra had a secret name that he kept hidden in his heart. She also knew that Ra was getting old and weak, and that he often drooled as he sat on his throne. She decided to use this weakness to her advantage.
She collected some of Ra’s saliva from the ground and mixed it with some clay. She then shaped this mixture into a venomous snake and placed it on Ra’s path as he traveled across the sky in his boat. When Ra saw the snake, he was curious and reached out to touch it. The snake bit him and injected its poison into his body.
Ra felt a terrible pain and cried out for help. He summoned all his children, the gods and goddesses, to find a cure for him. But none of them could do anything, as they did not know what kind of snake had bitten him or what kind of poison it had.
Isis pretended to be concerned and offered her help. She said that she could heal Ra with her magic, but only if he told her his secret name. Ra was reluctant to do so, as he knew that giving away his name would mean giving away his power. He tried to deceive Isis by telling her some of his other names, but Isis knew that they were not his true name.
The pain became unbearable for Ra, and he realized that he had no choice but to trust Isis. He whispered his secret name into her ear, and she repeated it in a spell. The poison left Ra’s body and he felt relieved. But he also felt something else: he felt his power leaving him and going to Isis.
What did Isis do with Ra’s power?
Isis used Ra’s power to enhance her own magic and to protect her son Horus. She also transferred some of Ra’s power to Horus, making him stronger and more capable of ruling Egypt. She did not kill Ra or take his throne, but she made sure that he would not interfere with her plans.
Ra realized that he had been tricked by Isis, but he could not do anything about it. He accepted his fate and continued to rule over the sky for a while longer. He eventually retired and left Egypt in the hands of Horus, who became the new sun god and king of the gods.
Isis achieved her goal of securing her son’s future, but she also paid a price for her deception. She lost Ra’s trust and respect, and she made enemies among some of the other gods who resented her for stealing Ra’s power.
