Thoth Heralding the Dawn of Ra

14" X 19" serigraph Thoth, the Egyptian 'god' of wisdom, was symbolized by either the Ibis or Ape. He understood the movements of the stars, the moon and sun. His feminine counterpart was Maat, the goddess of order and truth. Her name means 'that which is straight.' The sun, Ra had to travel in is solar-boat across the skies by day, but by night he had to leave his heavenly boat and pass through the body of a serpent named Apepi. Before creation, Apepi surrounded the watery abyss of Nu. Apepi possessed many names and was a very powerful and crafty creature. As soon as Ra, the gods and priests would use one weapon upon him, he would slide into another guise or use a magical armor. At midnight the danger was greatest for then it was that Ra had just begun his return journey from Tuat, the underworld. The priests chant all Apepi's names at midnight. With a successful death and burial, order (MAAT) and the wisdom of the world (THOTH) is restored. Since the time of creation when the solar star was raised from the wateery mass of Nu, around which Apepi coiled, Ra rises, heralded with the noisy chatter of apes, an embodiment of Thoth.