SobekRa

SobekRa is a name used for a syncretic fusion of two ancient Egyptian deities, Sobek and Ra. The term, often written as Sobek-Ra in scholarly works, denotes the merging of Sobek, the crocodile god associated with the Nile, fertility, protection, and military power, with Ra, the sun god and principal symbol of creation and kingship. In late periods of Egyptian religion, and in some artistic representations, deities were combined to reflect overlapping powers, and SobekRa stands as one such composite figure.

Iconography and attributes: SobekRa is depicted either as a crocodile-headed deity adorned with solar symbols such as the solar disk or as a crocodile accompanying royal insignia and sun imagery. In some representations the solar disk sits atop the head or is carried in a solar barque. The fusion emphasizes protection, vitality, and rebirth—the crocodile’s ferocity linked to the sun’s regenerative power. Historically, Sobek’s worship centered in Crocodilopolis (Shedet) in the Fayum, while Ra’s sun cult was widespread with major temples at Heliopolis; the combined cult likely symbolized the daily renewal of life along the Nile.

Modern references to SobekRa appear in scholarship as a note on ancient syncretism, and in contemporary fiction, video games, and neopagan or Kemetic traditions, where the composite deity is used to explore themes of primal force and cosmic order.

Overall, SobekRa illustrates how the ancient Egyptian pantheon accommodated overlapping divine domains through syncretism, producing symbolic expressions of power, protection, and renewal.