Week 5 Storytelling: The Name and the Daughter

Ra was known to man by many names, but many more names he did have. Alongside Ra were many other gods, each with their own names. A goddess who lived alongside man, Isis, grew tired of the circumstances of her life. She was no longer wished to subject to the rule of the gods. Instead, she wished to stand as equals, as a fellow ruler.  However, while mingling among the lesser gods such as she, she heard a humor that told of the existence of a particular secretive name of Ra.

"It is said that the name alone could command even Ra himself," whispered one goddess to another.

"Only he knows the name, and surely he knows the power it holds," chimed a third goddess.

Isis, overhearing the private conversation, couldn't help but keep listening. "If only we could trick him into revealing it. Then we could ascend to an equal status of Ra." Isis immediately knew this was her chance to claim what she believed to be hers. Beginning to devise her plan, Isis first wondered how she could possibly get Ra to reveal his name. So day after day, she observed Ra, noting everyone he encountered. It was only but a month's time before she knew who her target was.

Tefnut, daughter of Ra and goddess of rain, was highly revered by the common man. She brought man rain so that they may have bountiful crops. This delighted Ra, as it kept man happy, and in return, they continued to give bountiful offerings. Each day, Tefnut would go at night and bathe in the rivers of Egypt. She would drink of the waters, and just before dawn, she would walk the land, leaving dew in her path. "Surely if Tefnut were to die, man would become enraged and stop their offerings to Ra. And surely Ra, coupled with the rage from the death of his own offspring, would do anything to bring Tefnut back, including revealing his name," reasoned Isis.

Isis began to associate with Tefnut. She joined Tefnut on walks, as well as going with her to bathe in the rivers. Tefnut quickly found a friend in Isis and began entrusting Isis with her secrets. One night, before they both were expected to go bathe, Isis enchanted a river snake. Isis led Tefnut near the location of the snake and asked if they could take their bath there. As Tefnut began to wash her hair, the river snake made its way to her. In a quick bolt, it struck out and bit Tefnut. Tefnut yelled for her father, but he was nowhere near to hear her calls. Isis then moved the now paralyzed Tefnut to a hidden location.

Isis then rushed to find Ra so that she could enact the second part of her plan. "Ra, it is your daughter! She was bitten by a snake, and then kidnapped! I could not stop the kidnapper, but I did manage to find out how to get her back!"

Ra, very attentive, yelled out, "Who dare take my daughter! Surely they know of the power I hold! I will seek out her captive and give him an eternal punishment so bad that he will beg for death!"

"I wish it were possible! But I tried to find them to no avail! But I think I know what we can do."

"And what would that be?" Ra demanded to know.

"If the river snake bit her, then surely I could enchant it to seek out its own venom that resides in her blood."

"Excellent," Ra decided. "Then set forth and find the same snake, and then return with my daughter once you find her."

"I may be an enchantress, but I am not sure I am powerful enough to do such a thing!"

"Then how might you become powerful enough?"

"I have mingled for millennia with many lesser gods and goddesses, among the very men who worship you. There is a rumor out there that, if true, would surely solve our crisis."

"And what might that rumor be?" Ra asked, nervous as if he could anticipate what Isis would say.

"You secret name. The name so powerful that it could command even you! Surely with its power, I could do as you ask!"

"It is true that I have a secret name, hidden from all, but I could never reveal such a thing!"

"Then your daughter is surely gone forever! And then who would bring the rain to your people? Who will provide the sustenance their crops require?"

Aware of the necessity to reveal his name, Ra decided he would investigate the matters by himself first. "Give me three days to ponder."

So three days later, Isis returned to Ra, ready to receive his hidden name. "And your decision?"

"Go forth with my secret name and retrieve my daughter!" Ra then revealed his secret name, and Isis set forth to bring back his daughter. A few days later, and Tefnut found herself in the presence of her father. But Ra seemed rather intrigued.

"How is it that you were able to bring back my daughter when I had not given you my actual secret name?" clamored Ra.

"Whatever could you mean?" Isis asked hesitantly. "I took your name and enchanted the snake. It led me to her holding, and I rescued her."

"But alas you did not! And for tricking me, I banish you to an eternal punishment so great, you will wish for death instead! For you did not know during those three days I pondered whether or not to reveal my name, that I set out and found the snake. And I commanded the snake to reveal why it bit my daughter. And it revealed that you had actually enchanted it!"


And with that, Ra banished Isis to live as far away from the heavens as possible. She was sent to live in the realm of the dead, never able to be an equal to Ra himself.

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Author's Note: I took the story The Secret Name of Ra and imagined it slightly different. The original story sees Ra become ill due to Isis' actions that were motivated by her desire to know Ra's secret name. Ultimately, Ra revealed the name to Isis and became whole again. For my version, I wondered if Ra would reveal his name if it were instead another god or goddess in great pain. Would he be selfish and keep his name to himself, thus dooming the ill god to death? I decided to utilize his daughter Tefnut since involving family often changes the dynamic of consequences.

Bibliography: The Secret Name of Ra, by Donald Mackenzie

Image: The Egyptian Goddess Isis, via Wikimedia Commons