Solar deity
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A solar deity or sun deity is a
Overview
Mesopotamian Shamash played an important role during the Bronze Age, and "my Sun" was eventually used to address royalty. Similarly, South American cultures have a tradition of Sun worship as with the Incan Inti.[4]
In Germanic mythology, the solar deity is
Solar myth
Three theories exercised great influence on nineteenth and early twentieth century mythography. The theories were the "solar mythology" of
Müller's "solar mythology" was born from the study of Indo-European languages. Of them, Müller believed Archaic Sanskrit was the closest to the language spoken by the Aryans. Using the Sanskrit names for deities as a base, he applied Grimm's law to names for similar deities from different Indo-European groups to compare their etymological relationships to one another. In the comparison, Müller saw the similarities between the names and used these etymological similarities to explain the similarities between their roles as deities. Through the study, Müller concluded that the Sun having many different names led to the creation of multiple solar deities and their mythologies that were passed down from one group to another.[7]
Solar vessels and Sun chariots
Solar boats
The Sun was sometimes envisioned as traveling through the sky in a boat. A prominent example is the
Solar boats and similar vessels also appear in Indo-European mythologies, such as a 'hundred-oared ship' of Surya in the Rig Veda, the golden boat of Saulė in Baltic mythology, and the golden bowl of Helios in Greek mythology.[11][12] Numerous depictions of solar boats are known from the Bronze Age in Europe.[13][14][15] Possible solar boat depictions have also been identified in Neolithic petroglyphs from the Megalithic culture in western Europe,[16] and in Mesolithic petroglyphs from northern Europe.[17]
Examples of solar vessels include:
- Neolithic petroglyphs which are interpreted as depicting solar barges.
- The many early Egyptian goddesses that were seen as sun deities, and the later gods solar barge. In Egyptian myths of the afterlife, Ra rides in an underground channel from west to east every night so that he can rise in the east the next morning.
- The Unetice culture, which is thought to show a depiction of a gold solar boat.[18]
- Gold lunulae associated with the Bell Beaker culture, c. 2400–2000 BC, thought to represent solar boats.[19]
- Nordic Bronze Age petroglyphs, including those found in Tanumshede, often contain barges and sun crosses in different constellations. Solar boat imagery also appears on bronze razors from the period.
- Miniature gold boats from Nors in Denmark, dating from the Nordic Bronze Age.[20]
- The Caergwrle Bowl from Wales, dating from the British Bronze Age, c. 1300 BC.[21]
- Solar boat motifs depicted on bronze artefacts from the Urnfield culture and Lusatian culture, c. 1300–500 BC.
- Depictions of solar boats on Iron Age Celtic artefacts, such as the Petrie Crown from Ireland (1st century AD), and ornaments on the
Solar chariots
The concept of the 'solar chariot' is younger than that of the solar barge and is typically Indo-European, corresponding with the Indo-European expansion after the invention of the chariot in the 2nd millennium BC.
Chariots were introduced to Egypt in the Hyksos period, and seen as solar vehicles associated with the sun god in the subsequent New Kingdom period.[28] A gold solar boat model from the tomb of Queen Ahhotep, dating from the beginning of the New Kingdom (c. 1550 BC), was mounted on four-spoked chariot wheels.[29] Similarities have been noted with the Trundholm Sun Chariot from Denmark, dating from c. 1500–1400 BC, which was also mounted on four-spoked wheels.[18]
Examples of solar chariots include:
- In Norse mythology, the chariot of the goddess Arvak and Alsvid. The Trundholm sun chariot dates to the Nordic Bronze Age, about 2,500 years earlier than written attestations of the Norse myth, but is often associated with it.
- Greek Helios (or Apollo) riding in a chariot.[30] (See also Phaëton)[31]
- Sol Invictus depicted riding a quadriga on the reverse of a Roman coin.[32]
- Hindu Surya riding in a chariot drawn by seven horses.
In Chinese culture, the sun chariot is associated with the passage of time. For instance, in the poem Suffering from the Shortness of Days, Li He of the Tang dynasty is hostile towards the legendary dragons that drew the sun chariot as a vehicle for the continuous progress of time.[33] The following is an excerpt from the poem:[33]
I will cut off the dragon's feet, chew the dragon's flesh,
so that they can't turn back in the morning or lie down at night.
Left to themselves the old won't die; the young won't cry.
The Sun was also compared to a wheel, for example, in Greek hēlíou kúklos, Sanskrit suryasya cakram, and Anglo-Saxon sunnan hweogul, all theorized to be reflexes of
Gender
Solar deities are often thought of as male (and
The
Africa
Kongo
In Kongo religion, Nzambi Mpungu is the Sky Father and god of the Sun, while that his female counterpart, Nzambici, is Sky Mother and the god of the Moon and Earth.[36] The Sun is very significant to Bakongo people, who believe that the position of the sun marks the different seasons of a Kongo person's life as they transition between the four moments of life: conception (musoni), birth (kala), maturity (tukula), and death (luvemba). The Kongo cosmogram, a sacred symbol in Bakongo culture, depicts these moments of the sun.[36][37]
Ancient Egypt
Sun worship was prevalent in
From at least the
In the
The Sun's movement across the sky represents a struggle between the Pharaoh's soul and an avatar of Osiris. Ra travels across the sky in his solar-boat; at dawn he drives away the god of chaos,
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Akhet (horizon) in hieroglyphs | ||
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Rituals to the god Amun, who became identified with the sun god Ra, were often carried out on the top of temple
In the
Soon after Akhenaten's death, worship of the traditional deities was reestablished by the religious leaders (Ay the High-Priest of Amen-Ra, mentor of Tutankhaten/Tutankhamen) who had adopted the Aten during the reign of Akhenaten.[47]
Additional solar gods
The
Asia and Europe
Yazidism
In
Armenian mythology
In Armenian mythology and in the vicinity of Carahunge, the ancient site of interest in the field of archaeoastronomy, people worshiped a powerful deity or intelligence called Ara, embodied as the sun (Ar[52] or Arev). The ancient Armenians called themselves "children of the sun".[53] (Russian and Armenian archaeoastronomers have suggested that at Carahunge seventeen of the stones still standing were associated with observations of sunrise or sunset at the solstices and equinoxes.[54])
Baltic mythology
Those who practice
Celtic mythology
The sun in
In Irish, the name of the Sun, Grian, is feminine. The figure known as Áine is generally assumed to have been either synonymous with her, or her sister, assuming the role of Summer Sun while Grian was the Winter Sun.[62] Similarly, Étaín has at times been considered to be another theonym associated with the Sun; if this is the case, then the pan-Celtic Epona might also have been originally solar in nature,[62] though Roman syncretism pushed her towards a lunar role.[citation needed]
The British
The Welsh Olwen has at times been considered a vestige of the local sun goddess, in part due to the possible etymological association[66] with the wheel and the colors gold, white and red.[56]
Chinese mythology
In Chinese mythology (cosmology), there were originally ten suns in the sky, who were all brothers. They were supposed to emerge one at a time as commanded by the Jade Emperor. They were all very young and loved to fool around. Once they decided to all go into the sky to play, all at once. This made the world too hot for anything to grow. A hero named Hou Yi, honored to this day, shot down nine of them with a bow and arrow to save the people of the Earth.[67]
In another myth, a solar eclipse was said to be caused by a magical dog or dragon biting off a piece of the Sun. The referenced event is said to have occurred around 2136 BC; two royal astronomers, Ho and Hi, were executed for failing to predict the eclipse. There was a tradition in China to make lots of loud celebratory sounds during a solar eclipse to scare the sacred beast away.[68]
The Deity of the Sun in Chinese mythology is Ri Gong Tai Yang Xing Jun (Tai Yang Gong/Grandfather Sun) or Star Lord of the Solar Palace, Lord of the Sun. In some mythologies, Tai Yang Xing Jun is believed to be Hou Yi.[citation needed]
Tai Yang Xing Jun is usually depicted with the Star Lord of the Lunar Palace, Lord of the Moon, Yue Gong Tai Yin Xing Jun (Tai Yin Niang Niang/Lady Tai Yin). Worship of the
Germanic mythology
In
First century historian
Greco-Roman world
Hellenistic mythology
In
The Greek astronomer Thales of Miletus described the scientific properties of the Sun and Moon, making their godship unnecessary.[74] Anaxagoras was arrested in 434 BC and banished from Athens for denying the existence of a solar or lunar deity.[75] The titular character of Sophocles' Electra refers to the Sun as "All-seeing". Hermetic author Hermes Trismegistus calls the Sun "God Visible".[76]
The
Roman mythology
During the
Modern influence
In the middle of all sits the Sun on his throne. In this loveliest of temples, could we place the luminary in any more appropriate place so that he may light the whole simultaneously. Rightly is he called the Lamp, the Mind, the Ruler of the Universe: Hermes Trismegistus entitles him the God Visible. Sophocles' Electra names him the All-seeing. Thus does the Sun sit as upon a royal dais ruling his children the planets which circle about him.[76]
Pre-Islamic Arabia
The concept of the sun in
Americas
Aztec mythology
In
In the
Incan mythology
Inti is the ancient Incan sun god. He is revered as the national patron of the Inca state. Although most consider Inti the sun god, he is more appropriately viewed as a cluster of solar aspects, since the Inca divided his identity according to the stages of the sun.[citation needed] Inti is represented as a golden disk with rays and a human face.
The Inca dedicated many ceremonies to the Sun in order to ensure the Sapa Inca's welfare.[84] The Incas would set aside large quantities of natural and human resources throughout the empire for Inti. Each conquered province was supposed to dedicate a third of their lands and herds to Inti as mandated by the Inca. Each major province would also have a Sun Temple in which male and female priests would serve.[84]
World religions
Christianity
The comparison of Christ with the astronomical
The documentary
American theosophist
Christianization of Natalis Invicti
According to one hypothesis about Christmas, the date was set to 25 December because it was the date of the festival of Sol Invictus. The idea became popular especially in the 18th[98][99] and 19th centuries.[100][101][102]
The
The earliest-known example of the idea that Christians chose to celebrate the birth of
Christian iconography
The charioteer in the
Hinduism
Worship of Surya
This section needs additional citations for verification. (September 2021) |
The ritual of
In India, at
The sun is prayed to by South Indians during the harvest festival.[114]
In
In other parts of India, the festival is celebrated as
New religious movements
Solar deities are revered in many
Thelema
Theosophy
The primary local deity in theosophy is the Solar Logos, "the consciousness of the sun".[119]
Other
In Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches, folklorist Charles Leland alleges that a pagan group of witches in Tuscany, Italy viewed Lucifer as the god of the Sun and consort of the goddess Diana, whose daughter is the messiah Aradia.[120]
See also
Footnotes
- ^ Колесом сонечко на гору йде ("The Sun goes up, as a wheel") and Горою сонечко колує ("Above (us) the Sun is wheeling/rotating").[34]
- ^ see Colossus of Rhodes.
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External links
- The Worship of the Sun Among the Aryan Peoples of Antiquity by Sir James G. Frazer (from archive.org)
- The Sun God Ra and Ancient Egypt
- The Sun God and the Wind Deity at Kizil by Tianshu Zhu, in Transoxiana Eran ud Aneran, Webfestschrift Marshak 2003.
- Comparison between the Egyptian Hymn of Aten and modern scientific conceptions
- Sakro Sawel The history and practice of the ancient religion of the sun