Study Guide

Apollo - The Rock Stars

The Rock Stars

Apollo is definitely one of the cool kids. He's not necessarily a jock, but he is definitely a rock star. Today, he would be a YouTube sensation overnight. He shines like the sun, and everyone wants to be his friend. The Greeks weren't the only ones with a god like Apollo. At lunchtime, you'll find him jamming in the sunshine with his fellow rock star gods from many different cultures and mythologies.

Helios (Greek)

Helios was the early Greek god of the sun. He was also considered to be the sun itself. He drove the sun across the sky in his chariot led by four huge horses. He saw a lot during his day, and so he often reported to the gods on what he saw.

Ra (Egyptian)

Ra is the Egyptian god of the sun and life. He's probably the VIPest of the VIPs in the Egyptian pantheon. He created the world, and he made humans out of his tears. You can see him sailing across the sky in his boat with his awesome entourage. Sometimes, his body is depicted as the sun, other times his eye is the sun.

Amaterasu (Japanese)

Amaterasu is the Japanese sun goddess and one of the most important Shinto deities. She once hid in a cave, resulting in darkness, and had to be coaxed out of her hiding place by other gods. The rulers of Japan claim to be her descendants.

Huitzilopochtli (Aztec)

Known as the Aztec god of war and the sun, Huitzilopochtli is a big deal. He's known for violently killing his brothers and sister, throwing their remains into the sky where they became the stars and the moon. He is often depicted as a hummingbird.

Inti (Inca)

The Inca god of the sun is known as the father of the first Incan man and woman. All of the Incan rulers are considered descendents of Inti. He's often represented as a golden disk and was married to Mama Quilla, goddess of the moon.

Sol (Norse)

Sol is the Norse goddess of the sun. She rides a sweet horse-drawn chariot and is chased by a wolf named Skoll during the day. Skoll won't catch her until Ragnarok, the epic battle at the end of the world.

Surya (Hindu)

Surya is the Hindu sun god who was married to the dawn. He lives in the sun and pushes it across the sky in a chariot driven by seven horses (or one seven-headed horse).

Utu (Mesopotamia)

Utu is the Sumerian sun god who governs law making, judgment, and fertility. He uses his sunbeams to cast judgments. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Utu helps Gilgamesh on his journey.

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