The Sun as a Symbol of Elite Authority
Based on the cited material ( link txt), the discussion of ancient solar cults is focused primarily on the role of leaders, kings, and members of secret societies who underwent ritual initiations as a sign of their special connection with the Sun. Thus, one excerpt states: "Let us not forget that in various parts of the world, chiefs were generally regarded as descendants of the Sun: Polynesian chiefs, heads of the Natchez and Incan tribes, Hittite kings (addressed as 'my Sun'), Babylonian kings... and Indian kings—all of whom bore the title and embodied the image of the 'Sun', 'children of the Sun', 'grandchildren of the Sun'; ..." (source: link txt).Similarly, another excerpt emphasizes that the solar doctrine was an integral part of reinforcing the power and status of the elite: "In Egyptian religion, the worship of the Sun dominated more than any other. The Sun god very early absorbed various deities... It is hardly appropriate here to discuss competing hypotheses... All agree that this doctrine reached its zenith during the Fifth Dynasty and that its success supported both the concept of supreme power and the status of the priests of Jeropolis." (source: link txt).Neither of these texts mentions monks as bearers of these solar ideals. They highlight the political and ritual elite, predominantly linked with institutional power and ritual practices, with the idea of the Sun serving as the central symbol of supreme merit and authority.Thus, based on the presented materials, there is no reason to consider monks as carriers of the ideals associated with the ancient cults of the Sun.Supporting citation(s): "Let us not forget that in various parts of the world, chiefs were generally regarded as descendants of the Sun: ..." (source: link txt) "In Egyptian religion, the worship of the Sun dominated more than any other. The Sun god very early absorbed various deities..." (source: link txt)