Solar deity

A solar deity (also sun god or sun goddess) is a sky deity who represents the Sun, or an aspect of it, usually by its perceived power and strength. Solar deities and sun worship can be found throughout most of recorded history in various forms.

Overview

The Neolithic concept of a "solar barge" (also "solar bark", "solar barque", "solar boat" and "sun boat", a mythological representation of the sun riding in a boat) is found in the later myths of ancient Egypt, with Ra and Horus. Predynasty Egyptian beliefs attribute Atum as the sun-god and Horus as a god of the sky and sun. As the Old Kingdom theocracy gained power, early beliefs were incorporated with the expanding popularity of Ra and the Osiris-Horus mythology. Atum became Ra-Atum, the rays of the setting sun. Osiris became the divine heir to Atum's power on Earth and passes his divine authority to his son Horus. Early Egyptian myths imply the sun is within the lioness, Sekhmet, at night and is reflected in her eyes; or that it is within the cow, Hathor, during the night, being reborn each morning as her son (bull).

Sun god (disambiguation)

Sun god may refer to:Helios

Sun God Festival

The Sun God Festival is an annual campus festival at the University of California, San Diego that usually takes place on the Friday of the seventh week during spring quarter. Beginning in the early afternoon and running throughout the evening until midnight, the festival is produced by the Associated Students Concerts & Events office and paid for by the students with an activity fee. The festival contains a fair, as well as multiple stages which feature art performances, DJ performances, and a mix of underground/indie bands and mainstream groups. All of this occurs on RIMAC Field. The main stage is traditionally opened by the winner of the Battle of the Bands at UCSD.

The festival's name references the Sun God, an on-campus statue by French artist Niki de Saint Phalle (1930–2002). The Sun God was the first contribution to the famous Stuart Collection. The first Sun God Festival coincided with the one-year anniversary of the statue's arrival in 1984. The festival's original location was adjacent to the statue, but it has since grown and moved numerous times, from Price Center to the now-demolished Mile High Field, to its current location on the RIMAC field.