At the dawn of time, Ra give birth to himself.  Feeling that he was alone, Ra spat, and from his spittle were born Shu, the air, and Tefmut, moisture. From the union of Shu and Tefmut came Geb, the earth god, and Nut, the sky goddess.

From Ra's tears came the first human beings.  He knitted together the mountains, he made mankind, the beasts, and the heavens and the earth.

Each morning he rises and sails in his boat, Sektet, across the sky.  At night, Nut swallows him, and in the morning she gives birth to him once more.

The serpent Apep is Ra's foe, born from the spittle of the Great Mother, Neith. Ra spends each night in combat with Apep.  Some believe that one day Apep may succeed in devouring Ra, and then the world will end.  Others say that Ra will grow so old and tired that he will forget who he is.  All that he has created will come to nothing.  And then, perhaps, Ra will give birth to himself again.