5 Sun Gods from different cultures: Here’s what you didn’t know so far 

Through history, human beings have been worshipping various elements of nature, sun being one of the most prominent among them. However, solar dieties have varied across different cultures, starting from the Hindu Surya devta to the Japanese Amaterasu. Let us take you through some of the prominent solar deities in different faiths and belief systems. 

Surya Dev in Hindu mythology 
Surya, of course you know, is the Hindu God of the Sun. In mythology, he is portrayed as riding a chariot drawn by seven horses, one for each colour of visible light. He is believed to be the dispeller of darkness and a giver of knowledge in our Vedic scripts. You have heard about various powerful weapons that Hindu Gods possess such as Shiva’s trident or Vishnu’s Chakra. These weapons too, are believed to be forged from Surya’s brilliance.  

Surya Dev, according to Hindu mythology, has fathered several gods and famous mythological heroes too. If you know the story of Mahabharata, Karna (the greatest but tragic rival of Arjuna) was the son of Surya with Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas. He is also believed to have fathered Manu, the progenitor of the human race, Yama, the God of the Dead and the Ashvins, the twin divine physicians. The temples dedicated to Surya could be found all over India in ancient times and some stand tall even today. Who can forget the Sun Temple of Konark, after all? Also, some Hindu festivals such as Pongal still celebrate the Sun God. 

Helios in Greek faith 
In Greek mythology, Helios was the god of Sun, who is responsible for bringing light to the world. In the Greek culture, the Sun God has been depicted to be driving his golden chariot daily from east to west across the sky. Helios appeared in all kinds of Greek art, generally depicted as a young man wearing a crown of the sun’s rays, or with bright, curly hair. Colossus of Rhodes, a statue in the Greek island of the same name, was the most famous example of Helios in art. This massive standing figure was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.  

Amaterasu in Japan 
Amaterasu is the Sun Goddess from whom the Japanese imperial family claims descent. She even has her presence on the Japanese flag as a big red disc. He is an important deity in the paradigm of Shintō, an indigenous Japanese faith.  

According to a legend, Amaterasu fled into a cave after a big quarrel with her brother, the storm god Susanoo. This removed all the sunlight from the world. To bring her back outside, the other gods staged a loud and rowdy festival outside the cave and also decorated a nearby tree with jewels and a mirror. Amaterasu got curious and peeped outside looking into the mirror and was impressed at the sight of her own dazzling reflection. She was then tugged out of the cave.  

Years later, Amaterasu’s grandson and several other heavenly gods are believed to have descended to the mortal realm to claim rulership and establish the Yamato Dynasty, of Japan. That is also the main reason behind Japan being called the Land of the Rising Sun.  

Ra in the Egyptian culture 
Ra is the Egyptian Sun God. Mentioned in the ancient Egyptian mortuary prayers, hymns, and spells, known as the Pyramid Texts, inscribed on the walls of the inner chambers of pyramids, Ra has been widely worshipped during 2400–2300 BC. Ra meant sun and he was believed to be the creator of all life in ancient Egypt. Legend has it that each day, he would ride across the day sky in a barge with other gods. At night, he would travel beneath the Earth, constantly attacked by the giant serpent Apep, represented as chaos. However, Ra would always triumph in the end, partly because of the divine entourage defending him. 

Inti of South America 
Inti is the benign and peaceful Sun God of the Incan empire of South America, which ended centuries ago. However, Inti continues to live on. It is represented throughout the region with its inclusion in the flags of Argentina and Peru and its appearance on the coats of arms of Argentina and Ecuador. 

According to legend, Inti was the head of the state cult, and his worship was imposed throughout the Inca empire. He is usually represented in human form with his face shown as a gold disk emitting rays and flames. Inti’s sister and consort was the moon goddess, Mama-Kilya, portrayed as a silver disk with human features.