Week 5 Story: The Truth about Ra
Web Source: Wikimedia Commons
Have you ever had a fight with someone and thought that you were doing everything right, only to find that they had spread a vicious rumor about you? Welcome to the club. My name is Isis and I'm talking about the head god, Ra. He's chilled out now, but you probably didn't know him back in the day. I was just trying to save the world from him to help those around me, but the next thing I knew, he had distorted the narrative. Suddenly, I was just a jealous goddess trying to usurp power that didn't belong to me and not stopping at any length, even attempted murder, to get what I wanted. That's the version Ra told. He had to back down from it, as reflected by the later stories about me. But still, this one rumor persists. I think it's time I made some corrections to tell my side of the story.
First of all, let's start with Ra as a ruler. I know he seems great now (he was wonderful to my husband, Osiris, the love of my existence). But back in the old days, he was far from the image of a kind and gentle ruler that he crafted. I lived among men on earth, I heard their sufferings and moaning, and I wanted to do something about it. So that's false narrative number one. I was not just jealously seeking power for myself. I wanted to find a way to confront Ra on equal grounds so that something could be done. All the times I talked to him about what was going on with his subjects, he just laughed me off, so I knew I needed to do something drastic to get his attention.
The second little bit of malicious gossip was that I tried to kill Ra, and that's patently false. I mean... okay, yes, I did create a snake to bit him, and it was super venomous, but I was never going to actually let him die. I just wanted him to get close enough to death to get what I needed. And it was a good lesson for him! If you ask me, I think that was the moment when he really began evaluating his life choices.
The last thing I want to leave you with is this: I healed him completely. I think this gets glossed over in his version of events. I didn't just remove the venom from his body, I removed the darkness from his soul. The way he was acting... well, you can see the difference in how he is now. It wasn't natural. It wasn't right. And I did something about it.
Okay, okay, I know I said the last thing was the last thing, but here's what I really want you to remember about my story: I gained unspeakable power, and I used it for good. Just read about me and my husband as rulers of Egypt. We made it what it is: a prosperous and advanced city. We laid the groundworks, we inspired the men, we were the glue that made it all come together. So yes, maybe what I did wasn't the most ethical. But I did it for good reasons and it led to good outcomes. Let's rewrite the narrative.
Bibliography: "The Secret Name of Ra" from Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie, 1907.
Author's note: If I'm being completely honest, I didn't know where I was going with this when I started, but I'm pretty happy with where I ended up. In the original telling of this story, Isis wants the power that comes with knowing Ra's secret name, and so she creates a serpent to bite him and then essentially blackmails him (though he doesn't know it was her), by saying that she can heal him, but only if he tells her his name. This version of Isis seemed so incongruous with the other stories about her, stories where she's an excellent ruler, wife, and mother. So I wanted to find a way to come up with some motivating explanation as to why she is so different in this story, and I hit on this one, where Ra created his good image at the expense of hers. I also wanted to give her a motive beyond jealousy, which helped me come up with the idea.
Hi Leah, I think you did a great job retelling this classic mythology story. I think you did perfect retelling it in a modern sense with the way you started and mentioned being in a fight with someone and them trying to turn the narrative on you. The whole flip of the script was very intriguing. How did you come up with this specific narrative? Did the script flip have anything to do with Isis and her husbands relationship? What was so important about the secrete name of Ra and why did Isis want to do everthing she could to get it? I think overall you did an amazing job with this storytelling piece. I think expanding on some of these different aspects would help to give people a better understanding of everything.
ReplyDeleteJust want to start off by saying this has been one of my favorite retellings of "The Secret Name of Ra". I read it this past week as well. I think your approach to the narrative was incredible. It is so often we hear the hero's side of a story and never the villain. Even if they aren't technically a villian. It also calls to question what the idea of a hero is. Can you be a hero but also manipulative at the same time? And what is truly wrong with somebody who is willing to do whatever it takes to end at a justified means as long as they benefit the world for the better? I think it would be a hilarious idea to see Ra's "clapback" to what Isis has said. It could be in the form of a microfiction assignment. It just reminds me of Twitter fights between two opposing sides where the argument never really gets anywhere. I think your readers would find that so entertaining. Good luck with the rest of the semester, I hope I get to read more from you!
ReplyDeleteHi Leah,
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you retold this mythology story while adding a modern taste to it. I enjoyed how you included dialogue while telling the flipped narrative. I was hooked and wanted to keep reading. Like Carlee mentioned I have a couple questions like the importance of the secret name of Ra. Overall I loved reading through your story and look forward to getting to see some of your other creative pieces.
Hello Leah!
ReplyDeleteI did not read the original story, but I really enjoyed reading your story; it makes me want to read the original one now! I liked that you changed the storytelling style/narrative to make it your own unique story. Telling the story from the first-person view of a character allows me to know what they are truly thinking or feeling. I also liked your idea of altering Isis' motivation; it makes her seem likable and we love a generous queen!