Ancient Egypt: the Mythology - Osiris Osiris Symbols: crook and flail, djed , White and Atef Crowns, bull, mummified form, throne, Bennu (phoenix) Cult Center: Abydos, Busiris and Heliopolis Myths: " Isis and Osiris " A god of the earth and vegetation, Osiris symbolized in his death the yearly drought and in his miraculous rebirth the periodic flooding of the Nile and the growth of grain. He was a god-king who was believed to have given Egypt civilization. Osiris was the first child of Nut and Geb , and therefore the brother of Seth , Nephthys , and Isis . He was married to his sister, Isis. He was also the father of Horus and Anubis . These traditions state that Nephthys (mother of Anubis) assumed the form of Isis, seduced him (perhaps with wine) and she became pregnant with Anubis. The oldest religious texts refer to Osiris as the great god of the dead, and throughout these texts it is assumed that the reader will understand that he once possessed human form and lived on earth.

As the first son of Geb, the original king of Egypt, Osiris inherited the throne when Geb abdicated. At this time the Egyptians were barbarous cannibals and uncivilized. Osiris saw this and was greatly disturbed. Therefore, he went out among the people and taught them what to eat, the art of agriculture, how to worship the gods, and gave them laws. Thoth helped him in many ways by inventing the arts and sciences and giving names to things. Osiris was Egypt's greatest king who ruled through kindness and persuasion. Having civilized Egypt, Osiris traveled to other lands, leaving Isis as his regent, to teach other peoples what he taught the Egyptians. During Osiris' absence, Isis was troubled with Seth's plotting to acquire both her and the throne of Egypt. Shortly after Osiris' return to Egypt, in the twenty-eighth year of his reign, on the seventeenth day of the month of Hathor (late September or November), Seth and 72 conspirators murdered him. They then threw the coffin in which he was murdered into the Nile, with his divine body still inside.

Isis, with the help of her sister Nephthys, and Anubis and Thoth , magically located Osiris' body. Upon learning the his brother's body was found, Seth went to it and tore it into fourteen pieces and scattered them throughout Egypt. Isis once again found every part of his body, save his phallus (it had been eaten by the now-cursed Nile fish). She magically re-assembled Osiris and resurrected him long enough to be impregnated by him so that she could give birth to the new king Horus. Seth of course was not willing to surrender the throne of Egypt to the youthful Horus and thus a tribunal of gods met to decide who was the rightful king. The trial lasted eighty years. Eventually through Isis' cunning she won the throne for her son. Osiris meanwhile had become the king of the Afterlife. He was believed to be willing to admit all people to the Duat, the gentle, fertile land in which the righteous dead lived, that had lived a good and correct life upon earth, and had been buried with appropriate ceremonies under the protection of certain amulets, and with the proper recital of certain "divine words" and words of power.

His realm was said to lie beneath Nun , in the northern heavens or in the west. It is as the King of the Afterlife that Osiris gained his supreme popularity. He was originally a minor god of Middle Egypt, especially in comparison to the gods of Heliopolis and Hermopolis , etc. Noting his increasing popularity, and sensing that Osiris would one day eclipse the adoration of their own gods, the priests of these cities adopted him into their own cosmogonies. The elements of his story was seen as symbolic of real events that happened in Egypt. With his original association to agriculture, his death and resurrection were seen as symbolic of the annual death and re-growth of the crops and the yearly flooding of the Nile. The sun too with its daily re-birth and death was associated with Osiris. His rivalry with his brother Seth, the god of storms and the desert, was symbolic of the eternal war between the fertile lands of the Nile Valley and the barren desert lands just beyond. The pharaoh of Egypt was called Horus, while his deceased father was the new Osiris. Several festivals during the year were held in Egypt, in celebration of Osiris. One, held in November, celebrated his beauty.

Another, called the "Fall of the Nile" was a time of mourning. As the Nile receded, the Egyptians went to the shore to give gifts and show their grief over his death. When the Nile began to flood again, another festival honoring Osiris was held whereby small shrines were cast into the river and the priests poured sweet water in the Nile, declaring that the god was found again. The name "Osiris" is the Greek corruption of the Egyptian name "Asar" (or Usar.) There are several possibilities as to what this name means, "the Strength of the Eye", is one. Another is "He Sees the Throne". The oldest and simplest form of the name is the hieroglyph of the throne over an eye (there are at least 158 versions of the name). At one point the first syllable of the name was pronounced "Aus" or "Us" and may have gained the meaning of the word usr, "strength, might, power".

At this time the Egyptians supposed the name to mean something like the "strength of the Eye" (i.e., the strength of the Sun-god Re .) Another possibility raised by an ancient hymn's author is that the name "Unnefer" (another name by which Osiris was known) comes from the roots un ("to open, to appear, to make manifest") and neferu, ("good things"). The author then wrote these lines in his hymn to the god, "Thy beauty maketh itself manifest in thy person to rouse the gods to life in thy name Unnefer". In any case, even to the ancients, the origin of Osiris' Egyptian name is a mystery. Osiris was usually portrayed as a bearded, mummified human with green skin and wearing the atef crown. His hands emerge from the mummy wrappings and hold the flail and crook. Digg This! Osiris (the ancient Egyptian god) Ausar, Un-nefer, Wesir Hieroglyph: Osiris was the Ancient Egyptian god of the dead, and the god of the resurrection into eternal life; ruler, protector, and judge of the deceased.

His cult originated in Abydos, where tradition locates his tomb. Osiris was the first child of Nut and Geb, and brother of Set, Nephthys, and Isis, who was also his wife. By Isis he fathered Horus. Some variations on the legends say that Nephthys assumed the form of Isis in order to seduce Osiris, whereby she bore Anubis. Osiris ruled the world of men after Ra left the world to rule the heavens. He was murdered by his brother Set, who later dismembered his body and scattered the remains. The grieving Isis reassembled the parts and magically brought him back to life. Since he was the first living thing to die, he subsequently became the lord of the dead. His death was avenged by his son Horus, who defeated Set and cast him out into the Western Desert. The cult of Osiris persisted throughout Egyptian history.

Funeral texts address numerous prayers and spells in hopes of securing his blessing upon entering the afterlife (e.g, the hymns in Isis | Ancient Egypt Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia , Throne queen As the deification of the wife of the pharaoh, the first prominent role of Isis was as the assistant to the deceased king. Thus she gained a funerary association, her name appearing over 80 times in the Pyramid Texts , and was said to be the mother of the four gods who protected the Canopic Jars - more specifically, Isis was viewed as protector of the liver-jar-god Imsety . This association with the Pharaoh's wife also brought the idea that Isis was considered the spouse of Horus , who was protector, and later the deification, of the Pharaoh himself. Consequently, on occasion, her mother was said to be Hathor , the mother of Horus. By the Middle Kingdom , as the funeral texts spread to be used by non-royals, her role also grows to protect the nobles and even the commoners. By the New Kingdom , Isis gains prominence as the mother / protector of the Pharaoh.

She is said to breastfeed the pharaoh with her milk, and is often depicted visually as such. The role of her name and her throne-crown is uncertain. Some egyptologists believe that being the throne-mother was Isis' original function, however a more modern view states that aspects of the role came later by association. In many African tribes, the king's throne is known as the mother of the king, and that fits well with either theories, giving us more insight into the thinking of ancient Egyptians. Sister-wife to Osiris In another area of Egypt, when the pantheon was formalised, Isis became one of the Ennead of Heliopolis, as a daughter of Nut and Geb , and sister to Osiris , Nephthys , and Set . As a funerary deity, she was associated with Osiris, god of the underworld ( Aaru ), and thus was considered his wife. The two females - Isis and Nephthys were often depicted on coffins, with wings outstretched, as protectors against evil. A later legend, ultimately a result of the replacement of another god of the underworld when the cult of Osiris gained more authority, tells of the birth of Anubis.

The tale describes how Nephthys became sexually frustrated with Set and disguised herself as the much more attractive Isis to try to seduce him. The ploy failed, but Osiris now found Nepthys very attractive, as he thought she was Isis. They coupled, resulting in the birth of Anubis . In fear of Set's anger, Nephthys persuaded Isis to adopt Anubis, so that Set would not find out. The tale describes both why Anubis is seen as an underworld deity (he is a son of Osiris), and why he couldn't inherit Osiris' position (he was not a legitimate heir), neatly preserving Osiris' position as lord of the underworld. Assimilation of Hathor Beliefs about Ra himself had been hovering around the identification of Ra , a sun god, with Horus, another sun god (as the compound Ra-Herakhty), and so for some time, Isis had intermittently been considered the wife of Ra, since she was the mother of Horus. Consequently, since there was not anything logically troubling by identifying Isis as Ra's wife, Hathor unlike identifying Ra as his own son, she and Hathor became considered the same deity, Isis-Hathor.

Sometimes the alternative consideration arose, that Isis, in the Ennead , was a child of Atum-Ra, and so should have been a child of Ra's wife, Hathor, although this was less favoured as Isis had enough in common with Hathor to be considered one and the same. Mother of Horus It was this merger with Hathor that proved to be the most significant event in the history of Egyptian mythology. By merging with Hathor, Isis became the mother of Horus, rather than his Wife, and thus, when beliefs of Ra absorbed Atum into Atum-Ra, it also had to be taken into account that Isis was one of the Ennead , as the wife of Osiris . However, it had to be explained how Osiris, who as god of the dead, was dead, could be considered a father to Horus who was very much not considered dead. This led to the evolution of the idea that Osiris needed to be resurrected, and so to the Legend of Osiris and Isis , of which Plutarch's De Iside et Osiride contains the most extensive account known today, a myth so significant that everything else paled in comparison.

Yet another set of myths detail the adventures of Isis after the birth of Osiris ' posthumous son, Horus . Many dangers faced Horus after birth, and Isis fled with the newborn to escape the wrath of Seth , the murderer of her husband. In one instance, Isis heals Horus from a lethal scorpion sting; she also performs other miracles in relation to the so-called cippi, or the plaques of Horus. Isis protected and raised Horus until he was old enough to face Seth, and subsequentally became the king of Egypt. Magic In order to resurrect Osiris for the purpose of having the child Horus, it was necessary for Isis to learn magic, and so it was that Isis tricked Ra (i.e. Amun-Ra/Atum-Ra) into telling her his "secret name", by getting a snake to bite and poison him, so that he would use his "secret name" to survive. This aspect becomes central in magic spells, and Isis is often implored to use the true name of Ra while performing rituals. By the late Egyptian history, Isis becomes the most important, and most powerful magical deity of the Egyptian pantheon.

Magic is central to the entire mythology of Isis; arguably more so than any other Egyptian deity. In consequence of her deeply magical nature, Isis also became a goddess of magic. The prior goddess to hold the quadruple roles of healer, protector of the canopic jars, protector of marriage, and goddess of magic, Serket , became considered an aspect of her. Thus it is not surprising that Isis had a central role in Egyptian magic spells and ritual, especially those of protection and healing. In many spells, she is also completely merged even with Horus , where invocations of Isis are supposed to automatically involve Horus' powers as well. Assimilation of Mut After the authority of Thebes had risen, and made Amun into a much more significant god, it later waned, and Amun was assimilated into Ra . In consequence, Amun's consort, Mut , the doting, infertile, and implicitly virginal mother, who by this point had absorbed other goddesses herself, was assimilated into Ra's wife, Isis-Hathor as Mut-Isis-Nekhbet.

On occasion, Mut's infertility and implicit virginity was taken into consideration, and so Horus, who was too significant to ignore, had to be explained by saying that Isis became pregnant with magic, when she transformed herself into a kite Mut's husband was Amun , who had by this time become identified with Min as Amun-Min (also known by his epithet - Kamutef). Since Mut had become part of Isis, it was natural to try to make Amun, part of Osiris, the husband of Isis, but this was not easily reconcilable, because Amun-Min was a fertility god and Osiris was the god of the dead. Consequently they remained regarded separately, and Isis was sometimes said to be the lover of Min. Subsequently, as at this stage Amun-Min was considered an aspect of Ra (Amun-Ra), he was also considered an aspect of Horus, since Horus was identified as Ra, and thus Isis' son was on rare occasions said to be Min instead, which neatly avoided having confusion over Horus's status as was held at being the husband and son of Isis.

Isis outside Egypt The cult of Isis rose to prominence in the Hellenistic world, beginning in the last centuries BC, until it was eventually banned by the Christians in the 6th century. Despite the Isis mystery cult's growing popularity, there is evidence to suggest that the Isis mysteries were not altogether welcomed by the ruling classes in Rome. Her rites were considered by the princeps Augustus to be "pornographic" and capable of destroying the Roman moral fibre. Tacitus writes that after Julius Caesar's assassination, a temple in honour of Isis had been decreed; Augustus suspended this, and tried to turn Romans back to the Roman gods who were closely associated with the state. Eventually the Roman emperor Caligula abandoned the Augustan wariness towards oriental cults, and it was in his reign that the Isiac festival was established in Rome. According to Josephus, Caligula himself donned female garb and took part in the mysteries he instituted, and Isis acquired in the Hellenistic age a "new rank as a leading goddess of the Mediterranean world." Roman perspectives on cult were syncretic, seeing in a new deity merely local aspects of a familiar one.

For many Romans, Egyptian Isis was an aspect of Phrygian Cybele, whose orgiastic rites were long naturalized at Rome, indeed she was known as Isis of Ten Thousand Names. Among these names of Roman Isis, Queen of Heaven is outstanding for its long and continuous history. Herodotus identified Isis with the Greek and Roman goddesses of agriculture, Demeter and Ceres. In Yorùbá mythology, Isis became Yemaya. In later years, Isis also had temples throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia, and as far away as the British Isles, where there was a temple to Isis on the River Thames by Southwark. In the book, the golden ass, Isis told Lucius: "Here you see me, Lucius, in answer to your prayers. Know that I am a mother and universal nature, mistress of all the elements, primordial principle of time, sovereign of all things spiritual, queen of the dead, oceans, and queen also of the immortals. The only manifestation of gods and goddesses. My gesture commands the glittering heights of heaven, healthy sea water and cries secrets of hell. Though I am worshiped in many aspects, known by countless names ...

The Trojans, who were the first born in the world, call me Pesinuntica, mother of the gods, the Athenians natural born there, call me Minerva Cecropea, and also Cyprus, Venus Pafia I call the archers and Sagittarians, Diana, three languages ​​Sicilians Proserpina call me, the Eleusinian, the goddess Ceres and other old know me as Juno, others Bellona, ​​others Ecates, other Ranusia ... But the Egyptians who excel in learning and ancient worship call me by my real name ... Queen Isis." This is the translation of latin. Links to Christianity Many scholars believe that Isis worship in late Roman times was the primary influence behind Christianity's adoption of the cult of the Virgin Mary. Evidence suggests that this allowed the Christian Church to absorb a huge number of converts who had formerly believed in Isis, and would not have converted unless Christianity offered them an "Isis-like" female focus for their faith. Iconographically the similarities between the seated Isis holding or suckling the child Horus (Harpocrates) and the seated Mary and the baby Jesus, is apparent.

Some Fundamentalist Christian writers find fault with these claims, and suggest that by the time the cult of the Virgin Mary arose, the worship of Isis had greatly evolved from the Egyptian myths, and her relationship with Horus was no longer a major factor. However, this view is overshadowed by the fact that Late Roman beliefs regarding the attributes of Isis, are almost identical to Early Christian beliefs regarding Mary. One has only to read the quote from Apuleius above, to see that Isis was worshiped in Roman Times as a Universal and merciful mother figure - precisely as was the Virgin Mary. Isis in modern culture During the modern era, older cultures, techniques and ideologies have become overshadowed as the present progresses. For centuries, the Ancient Egyptian culture was almost entirely forgotten. From the 19th century onward, Egyptologist's have unlocked so many aspects of this time. With knowledge available, people from around the world have created organizations to praise this culture. For Isis in particular, organization such as Horus worshipers and Resurrect Isis have been established. References Richard H. Wilkinson (2003), The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. Spence, Lewis (1990), Ancient Egyptian Myths and Legends.

Shaw, Ian (2000), The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Shaw, Ian (195), The British Museum Dictionary of Ancient Egypt. Rosalie David, (1998) Handbook to Life in Ancient Egypt. Osiris | Egyptian God of the Underworld Abydos Osiris - Egyptian God of the Underworld Osiris, the Egyptian god of the underworld, appears to have been a strong element in Egyptian mythology from the beginning. Before he became the Egyptian god of the underworld, Osiris had quite a history. Who Was Osiris? © Jan - Statue of Osiris Osiris was the ancient Egyptian god of the dead, the underworld, and the afterlife. He is usually depicted as a man with green skin and a beard associated with the pharaoh, wearing a crown with two large ostrich feathers, and legs partially wrapped like a mummy. In his hands he holds a flail and a symbolic crook. His Names Osiris is a Latin word. In Egyptian hieroglyphs the traditional rendering of the name is Wsjr.

Some Egyptologists refer to the deity as Aser, Ausar, Asar, Asari, Ausir, Ausare, Usire, Usir, Wser, or Wesir. The English translation of the name is Almighty or The Powerful. This is how he was perceived among the ancient Egyptians and his name was celebrated with much prayer and ritual activity for thousands of years. He was also worshiped as the shepherd god. Archaeologists point to him being pictured with the shepherd's crook as evidence of this designation. Titles of Osiris His name appears during Egypt's Fifth Dynasty, although he is said to have been worshiped since the First Dynasty. He is also mentioned in later Egyptian documents, including the Contending of Horus and Seth, the Shabaka Stone and the writings of ancient Greek authors. Osiris was given many titles. He is sometimes referred to as "King of the Living" and "Foremost of the Westerners". Both of those titles were given to him because of his being the ruler of the dead, whom the ancient Egyptians called Westerners or The Living Ones.

Considered to be a merciful judge of people in the afterlife, Osiris is also credited with the fertile flooding of the Nile, the sprouting of vegetation, and the granting of all life. Some of his other titles and attributes include the Lord of Silence, the Lord of Love and He Who is Permanently Benign and Youthful. ©GoShows - Osiris (right, seated) at the Weighing of the Heart Ceremony © Peter Roan - Osiris (Centre), Reliefs His Appearance Ancient paintings of Osiris often have him colored green or black. Green is said to be the color ancient Egyptians associated with rebirth. Black was the color associated with fertility: it was the color of the rich, fertile soil which stretched over the plains each year, when the River Nile overflowed, and played a huge role in Egypt's prosperity. In some rare instances, Osiris was depicted wearing a crown that included a rendering of the moon. This has led some researchers to surmise he was associated with the moon or the night.

History of Osiris © Xenocryst - Osiris Statuette Osiris is told to have been one of five children born to the god of the earth and the goddess of the skies, Geb and Nut respectively. Through this family tree he was also a great-grandson of one of the most popular Egyptian gods, Ra . Osiris had four younger siblings who would also play critical roles in his story: his brother Seth and two sisters known as Isis and Nephthys. As the firstborn child and son of Geb and Nut, it fell to Osiris to inherit the throne of Egypt. Seth married Nephthys and Osiris married Isis. Together, Isis and Osiris seemed to have possession of numerous powers. Their marriage was not destined to be happy, however. At one point, Nephthys appears to have magically taken on the appearance of Isis and presented herself to Osiris as his wife. Not knowing the difference, Osiris was seduced by Nephthys and she became pregnant and gave birth to Anubis . Later, Seth developed a vendetta against his extremely popular sibling, possibly either because Osiris had inherited the throne or because he had gotten Seth's wife pregnant.

At any rate, Seth sought to kill him by luring him into a coffin and drowning him in the Nile . The annual flooding of the Nile River is still thought to be representative of this event. Isis managed to recover her husband's body; however Seth was very stealthy and stole away with it. After cutting up the body of the Egyptian god of the underworld, Seth hid the pieces throughout the Egyptian desert. The connection between Isis and Osiris was so strong that the Egyptian goddess proceeded to spend a number of years searching for the mutilated body parts of her husband. She finally managed to find all of the pieces save one, and is believed to have used her magical powers to restore her husband's body. Although there are different versions to this part of the story, it seems Isis became pregnant, presumably by Osiris and gave birth to a son, Horus . Osiris died once again and descended to fully assume his duties as Egyptian god of the underworld. © Jan - Osiris (center) with Isis and Horus Some versions of the history of Osiris state that when he descended into the underworld he took over several important roles and duties as Egyptian god of the underworld from Anubis, who was believed to have been his son.

Other tales contend that he rightfully obtained the important role as Egyptian god of the underworld because he was the first god to have died. However he obtained the role, it became Osiris' responsibility to judge the souls of the dead. Fertility, Resurrection, and Everlasting Life It is said the dead kings of Egypt would rise with Osiris and inherit eternal life. By Egypt's New Kingdom it was said not only would the dead kings rise from the dead with him, but any Egyptian that performed the appropriate rituals would also. This belief that Osiris is responsible for new life after death caused him to be associated with the New Year and the cycles of nature. His worship continued to be popular until the rise of Christianity. At that time the Romans began to suppress the Egyptian religion and actively promote Christianity. Even in the face of active Roman suppression of the Egyptian religion, many people, Egyptians and others, continued to revere, sacrifice to, and worship him secretly for hundreds of years. The Significance of the Resurrection To the ancient Egyptians, Osiris' resurrection after being slain by his evil brother Set represents the new beginning for good after it has defeated evil.

To them, the tale was symbolized by the sun going into the world of the dead each night and being reborn with each new day. As such, he came to be identified as the Creator god who is king of the underworld and the afterlife and who controls life, death, rebirth, and resurrection. A pillar of continuity, representing the phallus created by Isis, became a symbol of the Ba or power of Osiris and was used in his worship. A Familiar Story It's not surprising if the story of Osiris sounds familiar. Many of the elements of his story are similar to the death and resurrection of Jesus. Where their stories are very different is what is said to happen to people after they die. Ancient Egyptians believed the deities Anubis, Ammut, Henefer, Ma'at , Osiris and Thoth would greet the person in the afterlife and perform the weighing of the heart ceremony. The person's heart was weighed against the feather of Ma'at. If it was lighter than the feather they had lived a good, truthful life and would spend eternity in the kingdom of Osiris.

©GoShows - Osiris (right, seated) at the Weighing of the Heart Ceremony Worship In ancient Egypt, worship of Osiris was an important part of their everyday life. The story of his death at the hands of Seth and his 72 accomplices was retold each year as part of their worship. It was a story of regeneration and rebirth they saw play out each year with the cycle of the flooding of the Nile. Egypt was a very fertile place, one of the breadbaskets of the Old World. The ancient Egyptians attributed much of this to Osiris and they held many ceremonies to give praise to his name, actions, and attributes. Seen as the first king of Egypt, his symbols, the flail and the shepherd's staff, became important symbols of the pharaohs that came after him. His reign was viewed as the ideal which succeeding Egyptian rulers attempted to emulate. To his followers, he represented a time of peace, unity, and fertility. Osiris was the good shepherd who was loved by his people and it was felt that paying homage and venerating him would help Egypt and Egyptians to be successful. It was believed worshiping him would forever ensure fertility, prosperity and plentiful crops on the banks of the Nile.

© Jan - Royal butler Paatenemheb and his wife Tipuy worshiping Osiris Celebrations The celebrations dedicated to Osiris, including the Great Mystery Festival and a 5 day religious ritual, were held each spring. They included plays, story telling, religious services, feasting, and fun. Some of the celebrations commemorated his life by planting grain moistened with water from the Nile in gardens in the shape of Osiris. The grain's subsequent germination and growth symbolized his death and resurrection. Egyptians believed the sprouting grain symbolized his unwavering vitality and strength. The people praised Osiris as 'The one who came from heaven and was the bread which sustained the lives of mankind'. He was called 'The one who continues to be perfect'. These celebrations were held in the last month of the inundation of the Nile. Osiris Facts Osiris was one of Egypt's most important deities. His exact origin is obscure, but he was known to have been a local god in Busiris, a city in Lower Egypt. He was worshiped in the temple at Abydos. He was later worshiped as the Hellenistic god Serapis. Greco-Roman writers associated him with Dionysus.

Many modern people mistakenly refer to the Eye of Horus as the Eye of Osiris. Recently a 3,200 year old replica of the tomb of Osiris was discovered in in Sheikh Abd el-Qurna on Thebes' West bank. The Osiris Legend The Osiris Legend All Rights Reserved . . . . The story of Osiris is one of Egypts most ancient myths. So old, it's origins have been lost in time. It was an important story to the Egyptians because of Osiris' role as the king of Egypt who is resurrected as the "King of the dead". A king that every Egyptian, from the mightiest pharaoh to the lowliest peasant, hoped to join in the afterlife. Other important themes that we find in the story are; the trials of Isis in which she is idolized as a dutiful wife and protective mother. And the revenge of Horus the son of Osiris against his evil uncle Seth, which is a powerful struggle of good verses evil.

In an effort to avoid confusion you should be aware that there are two forms of the god Horus in this story, first we find him as the brother of Osiris, then later we find him called Harpocrates or Horus the infant son of Osiris. . . . . It may be worth noting that in all the vast amount of text that we have from the ancient Egyptians, we find no complete version of this tale. We find only pieces, references and additions to it. This version of the story comes to us from a Greek writer named, Plutarch, who lived in the first century A.D. Ideas in the Osiris myth. These links are within the legend of Osiris. Ra ..............King of the gods. Nut ............Sky goddess, mother of Osiris. Geb ............Earth God, father of Osiris. Thoth ..........God of wisdom. Osiris ..........King of the dead Horus ..........Brother of Osiris. Seth ............Evil brother of Osiris. Harpocrates ...Horus the infant, son of Osiris. Isis ............Sister & wife of Osiris. Nephthys ......Sister of Osiris. The lord of all the earth is born.

In the beginning, there was the mighty god Ra and his wife Nut. Nut was in love with the god Geb. When Ra found out about this union he was furious. In his rage, he forbid Nut to have children on any of the 360 days that currently made up the year. Nut was very sad. She called on her friend, Thoth, to help her. He knew that Ra's curse must be fulfilled, but he had an idea. Thoth engaged the moon goddess, Silene, in a wager. At the time, Silene's light (the moon) rivaled the light of Ra (the sun). Thoth was victorious, he was rewarded with one seventh of Silene's light. This is why the moon now wanes each month. Thoth took this light and added five days to the calender, bringing the year from 360 days to 365. This gave Nut 5 days on which she could have children, while at the same time obeying Ra's commandment. On the first of these days, Nut gave birth to Osiris. On the second day Horus was born, Seth on the third, Isis the fourth, and Nephthys on the fifth day.

At the time of Osiris' birth, a loud voice was heard all over the world, saying, "The lord of all the earth is born." Osiris the mighty king. Osiris grew and became a mighty king. He went about the job of civilizing his people. He taught them agriculture and animal husbandry. He gave them a code of laws to live by and showed them the proper ways in which to worship the gods. Egypt became a mighty land under his kind and gentle rule. His subjects gladly worshiped the ground on which he walked. When Egypt was civilized, Osiris left to bring his teachings to other lands. While Osiris was away, he left his wife, Isis, in charge. She ruled the country in the same fashion. But Osiris had an enemy, his bitter and jealous brother Seth. Seth plots against the king. Seth began scheming against the great king. He aligned himself with Aso, the queen of Ethiopia, and 72 other conspirators. But nothing could be done while Isis ruled the country, Her authority was unquestionable. Upon Osiris' return, an evil plot was put into motion.

Seth secretly acquired the measurements of Osiris and began having a wonderfully decorated box built to fit those measurements. When the box was finished, Seth had a great feast to which he invited Osiris and the 72 conspirators. Having absolutely no evil in him, Osiris suspected nothing. When the feasting was done, Seth had the box brought out. He offered it as a gift to anyone whom the box fit. One at a time they tried to fit into the box until it was Osiris' turn. He layed in the box suspecting nothing. The conspirators slammed the lid, nailed it closed, and poured molten lead in the seam to seal his fate. They threw the great chest into the Nile river. Osiris was never seen again, walking in the land of the living. Isis grieves for Osiris. This news reached Isis and she was grief stricken. She put on her dress of mourning and set about trying to find the body of her husband. She knew well, the dead could not rest until they have had a proper funeral. Isis searched long, but found nothing. She asked every man and every woman if they had seen the giant box that contained her husband, but no one had.

Finally, Isis asked some children who were playing by the Nile. They told her where Seth and the conspirators had thrown the chest into the river. After further investigation, and consultation with some demons, Isis learns that the chest had floated out to sea, to the land of Byblos and become lodged in a tamarisk bush. As if by magic the bush shot up and became a magnificent tree. The towering tree enclosed the ornate box within its huge trunk. The king of Byblos admired the great tree so much that he had it cut down and made into a giant pillar to support the roof of his palace. Isis in the land of Byblos. Meanwhile, Isis makes her way to the land of Byblos to recover the body of her husband. In Byblos Isis sits by a fountain and talks to no one, except the queen of Byblos' maidens. To these maidens she is quite pleasant, she braids their hair and breaths on them a wonderful perfume sweeter then the most fragrant flowers. Upon their return to the palace, the queen asks them, how they came by such wonderful perfume. They told her of the beautiful stranger they had met.

The queen requested that Isis be brought to the palace where she was treated most graciously. She was appointed to be the nurse of one of the young princes. Isis fed the young prince by giving him her finger to suck. Each night when the palace had retired Isis piled logs on a great fire, into which she would thrust the child. Then she would change into a swallow and flutter about mournfully chirping for her dead husband. Word of these strange happenings reached the queen. She could not believe these tales, so she decided to see for herself. That night, she hid herself, and sure enough, Isis built a fire and thrust the child in it. The queen squealed in terror and scrambled to save the child. Isis turned on the queen and rebuking her sternly, revealed her true identity. Explaining to the queen that with her magic she was tempering the child to be a god. But now his immortality was lost. Isis explained to the queen why she had made the journey to Byblos and her desire to have the giant pillar in which her husband was encased. The queen granted her wish. Isis Returns to Egypt. The pillar was taken down, cut open, and the great box was revealed.

Isis took the chest and returned to Egypt but the mighty pillar remained in Byblos and was worshiped from that day forward. When she arrived, she opened the box and wept over her dead husband. She was joined by her sister, Nephthys in her sorrow. The sisters turn into Kites and circle the chest screeching in mournful tones. But Isis' thoughts soon turned to her infant son, Harpocrates, Horus the younger. She had left him in Buto and now had to retrieve him. She hid the box in a secret place, and went after her son. Seth's evil revisited. That night, while hunting by the light of the moon, Seth stumbled upon the finely decorated box. He was blinded with rage at the sight of his brother. He ripped Osiris into fourteen pieces and scattered them throughout Egypt. Isis learns of this new crime, and her grief is renewed. She once again sets out to find her husbands remains. She used a boat made out of papyrus reeds to conduct her search. It was believed that, because of this, a crocodile would never attack a papyrus boat, fearing that it might contain the mighty goddess.

Where ever she finds a piece of Osiris, she buries it, and builds a shrine in that place. This is the reason that Osiris has so many tombs in Egypt. The revenge of Horus. In the meantime, Harpocrates has grown to manhood, and he is called Horus. Osiris has been resurrected as the king of the dead in the underworld. One day, Osiris appears to Horus in the land of the living. He convinces Horus to avenge the wrongs that have been committed by Seth. So, Horus tracks down Seth and a huge battle begins. Victory is elusive and the battle turns first to one side, then to the other. It is said that this battle of good verses evil still rages, but some day, Horus will be victorious and on that day, Osiris will return to rule the world. Gods of Ancient Egypt: Osiris The myth of Osiris and Isis Set had been jealous of his brother Osiris' power and popularity for some time, and he lusted after his brother's wife, Isis (Aset). When Osiris decided to travel the world to bring civilisation to its people, he made Isis Regent of Egypt instead of Set.

This was the last straw. Set was strong and brave (he was not two-dimensionally "evil") but he had a terrible temper and he vowed to kill his brother and take the power he considered to be rightfully his. Set invited Osiris to a banquet and had a beautiful cedarwood and ebony chest made just for the occasion. He offered the chest to anyone who could fit into it. Just as Set planned, none of the other guests fitted the chest perfectly, the only person left to try was Osiris. When he lay down in the chest (which had been made to fit him), Set slammed on the lid and nailed it down. He sealed it with molten led and threw it in the Nile. The chest was swept out to sea and landed on the coast near Byblos. The instant it touched the land, a huge Tamarisk tree sprouted up to protect it. The tree grew so large that the king of Byblos trimmed it and set it up as a pillar in his palace. Isis tracked his body to Byblos and persuaded the king to give it to her (by saving a child from a snake bite - easy for the "queen of heaven").

She took her husband's corpse back to Egypt and used magic to concieve his child, Horus (other accounts suggest she was already pregnant when he died). However, Set found Osiris's body unattended while Isis took the infant Horus to be cared by Wadjet (or Udjat, "she who is green", the cobra goddess of Lower Egypt ). He cut the corpse into fourteen (or sixteen) parts and distributed them around Egypt. Isis was distraught, and enlisted the help of her sister (and Set's wife) Nephthys . They found all but one of the pieces. The missing part was his penis (poor guy) which was apparently swallowed by a fish sacred to Set. Isis and Nephthys mourned over the dead body of their brother and Ra took pity on them. He sent Anubis to prepare Osiris for the first ever mummification, and instructed Thoth , Isis and Nephthys to piece the body back together. Isis transformed into a kite (common small bird) and breathed life into him, but it was not sufficient for him to take his place with the living. Instead he travelled to the underworld, a seemingly dark and desolate place.

But Re reassured him that he would find peace and contentment as the king of the dead, and his son Horus would rule over the living until the time that Re chose to unmake his creation and return everything to the nothingness from whence it came. Osiris and Anubis Later, when the theology of Heliopolis (the Ennead ) and Hermopolis (the Ogdoad ) were merged, Osiris tookover Anubis's role as the god of the underworld (although he remained central to funerary rights). It was belived that Anubis had given way to Osiris out of respect, and a myth developed that Anubis was in fact the son of Osiris by Nephyths (his sister and wife of his brother Set ). Nephthys was not happy with Set (who was described as being ugly) and so she sneakily disguised herself as her sister Isis and slept with Osiris. Nephythys was considered to be barren, but despite this she concieved Anubis. Surprisingly, Isis does not seem to get annoyed at either party, but unsurprisingly Set was furious. Thus the myth provided a more personal reason for his vendetta against Osiris.

The myth is also thought to relate to one of the desert flowers common in ancient Egypt which did not bloom for years on end. However, a large innundation would bring it to life. Thus the barren desert (in this case Nepthys) became fertile, and Osiris' connection with the life-giving Nile is strengthened. Horus the elder and Horus the child There are many separate hawk deities called Horus who are often confused. In the theology of Heliopolis, Horus the child was the child of Isis and Osiris. However, in Hermopolis Horus the elder was the son or husband of Hathor (her name is Hwt-Hor, or "the house of Horus"). When the two theologies merged, Hathor and Isis became closely associated (both sometimes appear wearing a sun disk and bovine horns) and Horus the elder became the brother of Osiris and Set (making him the uncle of Horus son of Isis and Osiris ). Thus Horus could be a solar deity ( Horus the Elder or Haroeris) or an Osirian and hence stellar deity (often called Horus the child , Harpokrates or Harsiesis, horus son of Isis).

This confused the hell out of Plutarch (the Greek writer), who made up the story that Horus the elder was concieved by Isis and Osiris while they were in Nut's womb! The pyramid texts confirm their separate identities as Horus the Elder warns the other gods not to get involved with Horus the younger and his "evil things" (unfotuntely no details of these "things" are given). Set was also the enemy of Horus the Elder, and some Egyptologists suggest that the battle for control of Egypt was actually played out between those two deities, with Osiris being inserted at a later time. The many names and forms of Osiris Osiris is the Greek form of his name. He was known to the Egyptians as Asir (sometimes transliterated as Wsir or Asar). The earliest form of his name used hieroglyphs for "throne" and "eye" leading some to infer that his name means "he sees the throne". It is also possible that the second hieroglyph refers to the great "eye of heaven", Ra.

The throne or seat, is the first sign in the name of Aset (Isis), who is the female counterpart (wife and sister) of Osiris. In the late period Osiris was known as Un-nefer, from "un" (to open, to appear, to make manifest) and "neferu" (good things or beauty). He had too many epithets to mention, party because he adopted many of those originally possessed by other local gods whose attributes he assumed over time. In Memphis, Ptah-Sokar was the result of the combination of Ptah (the creator god of Memphis) and Sokar (or Seker), a local falcon god who protected tombs and was the patron of the workers who built them). As a god of re-incarnation, Ptah-Sokar became identified with Osiris, becoming Ptah-Sokar-Asir. This deity represented the sun during its journey through the underworld before it was reborn at dawn. Osiris also managed to absorb many other deities, making his worship (in one form or another) a constant feature all over Egypt.

He was most closely associated with Andjety , Sahu , Khentiamentiu , Sepa , Banebdjed , Wepwawet , Serapis and Anhur in his form as Ari-hes-nefer (also given as Arensnuphis, Arsnuphis, Harensnuphis) and both the Apis and Buchis bulls . Bibliography OSIRIS - the Egyptian God of the Underworld (Egyptian mythology) OSIRIS Also known as NED-ER-TCHER, USIRE Mr Big of the Egyptian Underworld He’s not a gangster as such but is definitely in charge of the Dead End scenario. Married to the beautiful ISIS , he was quite content to rule Vegetation and Fertility until he was knocked off by his evil brother SET , who locked his body in a chest and chucked it into the Nile. But nothing’s ever that simple when it comes to the Gods, and the chest was washed up on the shore, stuck in a giant tree, turned into a pillar and relocated to the palace of King Byblos where ISIS , having searched high and low, eventually found it.

Cursing his luck, wicked SET chopped the body into a zillion pieces and scattered them all over Egypt. So poor ISIS had to search all over again, collecting bits and pieces of her dead husband until she had every last scrap. Then RA took pity on her and sent THOTH and ANUBIS to help put the jigsaw puzzle back together. Luckily there were no pieces missing. Except one. Sometimes small details get overlooked, but they can be of prime importance. SET in his savage spite ensured there was one piece missing when ISIS came to reconstruct OSIRIS. He had thrown the Schlong Of OSIRIS into the Nile, where it had been swallowed by a fish. But ISIS , summoning all her Godly Reconstruction powers, which were by now formidable, managed to fashion another one. It was made out of gold — and fully functional. (Do not attempt this at home — battery-operated devices will not suffice.) The reconstructed OSIRIS was mummified for burial; and he looked so fine in his shiny wrappings that ISIS couldn’t resist one last fling. As luck would have it, her charms breathed new life into him and she became pregnant with HORUS .

Meanwhile, thanks to his Underworld connections, the resurrected OSIRIS was promoted to Judge of the Dead alongside MAAT and THOTH . Consequently he now has little time for being non-judgmental. OSIRIS also found a new lease of life as part of the SERAPIS Project, a collaborative religious venture between the Greeks and Egyptians... OSIRIS FACTS AND FIGURES Cite this Link to this page HTML: To link to this page, just copy and paste the text below into your blog, web page or email. <a href="">Godchecker entry on OSIRIS, the Egyptian God of the Underworld</a> BBCODE: To link to this page in a forum post or comment box, just copy and paste the text below: [url= entry on OSIRIS, the Egyptian God of the Underworld[/url] Cite this article Here's the info you need to cite this page. Just copy the text in the box below. Saunders, Chas, and Peter J. Allen, eds. "OSIRIS - the Egyptian God of the Underworld (Egyptian mythology)." <em>Godchecker</em>. Godchecker.com / CID, 25 Mar. 2013.

Web. 20 January 2017. . 25 March 2013 by the Godchecker Team. Editors: Peter J Allen, Chas Saunders References: Coming soon. Osiris | Egyptian god | Britannica.com Egyptian god murder Osiris, also called Usir, one of the most important gods of ancient Egypt . The origin of Osiris is obscure; he was a local god of Busiris , in Lower Egypt , and may have been a personification of chthonic (underworld) fertility. By about 2400 bce, however, Osiris clearly played a double role: he was both a god of fertility and the embodiment of the dead and resurrected king. This dual role was in turn combined with the Egyptian concept of divine kingship: the king at death became Osiris, god of the underworld; and the dead king’s son, the living king, was identified with Horus , a god of the sky. Osiris and Horus were thus father and son. The goddess Isis was the mother of the king and was thus the mother of Horus and consort of Osiris. The god Seth was considered the murderer of Osiris and adversary of Horus.

Isis (right) and Osiris. Judie Anderson/EB Inc. Learn about the Osiris Shaft, a symbolic tomb of the god Osiris that is near the pyramid of Khafre, … Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz According to the form of the myth reported by the Greek author Plutarch , Osiris was slain or drowned by Seth, who tore the corpse into 14 pieces and flung them over Egypt. Eventually, Isis and her sister Nephthys found and buried all the pieces, except the phallus, thereby giving new life to Osiris, who thenceforth remained in the underworld as ruler and judge. His son Horus successfully fought against Seth, avenging Osiris and becoming the new king of Egypt. King Seti I offering a figure of the goddess Maat to Osiris, Isis, and Horus; relief in the temple … Courtesy of the Egypt Exploration Society; photograph, The Oriental Institute, Chicago Similar Topics Prometheus Osiris was not only ruler of the dead but also the power that granted all life from the underworld, from sprouting vegetation to the annual flood of the Nile River .

From about 2000 bce onward it was believed that every man, not just the deceased kings, became associated with Osiris at death. This identification with Osiris, however, did not imply resurrection , for even Osiris did not rise from the dead. Instead, it signified the renewal of life both in the next world and through one’s descendants on Earth. In this universalized form Osiris’s cult spread throughout Egypt, often joining with the cults of local fertility and underworld deities. The idea that rebirth in the next life could be gained by following Osiris was maintained through certain cult forms. In the Middle Kingdom (1938–c. 1630 bce) the god’s festivals consisted of processions and nocturnal rites and were celebrated at the temple of Abydos , where Osiris had assimilated the very ancient god of the dead, Khenty-Imentiu . This name, meaning “Foremost of the Westerners,” was adopted by Osiris as an epithet .

Because the festivals took place in the open, public participation was permitted, and by the early 2nd millennium bce it had become fashionable to be buried along the processional road at Abydos or to erect a cenotaph there as a representative of the dead. Osiris festivals symbolically reenacting the god’s fate were celebrated annually in various towns throughout Egypt. A central feature of the festivals during the late period was the construction of the “Osiris garden,” a mold in the shape of Osiris, filled with soil. The mold was moistened with the water of the Nile and sown with grain. Later, the sprouting grain symbolized the vital strength of Osiris. At Memphis the holy bull, Apis , was linked with Osiris, becoming Osiris-Apis, which eventually became the name of the Hellenistic god Serapis . Greco-Roman authors connected Osiris with the god Dionysus . Osiris was also identified with Soker, an ancient Memphite god of the dead.

Osiris, Egyptian god of the underworld and of vegetation INVOCATION OF OSIRIS In addition to native variations by locality or over time, there are often several possible transliterations into the Roman alphabet used for English.) English name: Green Man (the term �Green Man� refers to a class of deities from many different traditions, of which Asar is a Tameran example  Asar was commonly depicted as a green man) THE MYSTERY OF OSIRIS Osiris plays a key role and is a central figure in the ancient Egyptian mysteries and in the Order Of The Morning Star. It was Osiris who was the beloved pharaoh of Egypt. It was Osiris who taught the people of the land of Egypt about farming. Osiris was and is one of the first "Green Men", in that he was also the god of vegetation. When Osiris became ruler over the land of Egypt, the people were engaged in the practice of cannibalism. Osiris helped them to evolve beyond cannibalism and to learn farming skills. Osiris is the husband of Isis. In that after thousands of years all female goddesses became merged as an aspect of Isis, she too is central to Egyptian symbolism.

Most scholars know of the tragic story of the death of Osiris. He was murdered by his evil brother Set. Set is equated with Typhon-Apophis of the Greeks. Set is the destructive aspect that the alchemical principal must undergo, and thus be reborn into a new and purified creation. (Satan is based on the personage of Set) That is exactly what happened to Osiris. His death or as the alchemist would say his putrefaction was carefully evolved through the power of Isis under the magical direction of Thoth. Essentially, a formula was being created in the mythos. It is the alchemical formula of I.A.O., Isis, Apophis, Osiris, Birth, Death, resurrection. To the Adept this is a powerful process of transformation that unlocks the keys of magical power and of immortality. For as Osiris died, through the power of Birth (Isis) under the authority and skill of Thoth (The Higher Genius) Osiris arose on the physical plane as the great avenging god Horus, his son. On the spiritual plane Osiris became the great god of the underworld. Like Christ he became the god that the Egyptians needed to become in order to be saved.

What this means is that unless the initiate allows for the complete transformation of the self under the direct guidance of the Higher, no true and lasting power can be obtained. Osiris is the reconciler with the Lower Selfhood in which no birth or death is necessary. We can refer to it as "The Bornless One." To the Egyptians one must become Osiris. In that no one can or could deliver the forty-two negative confessions in the hall of truth, because no one is perfect in earthly life. By identification with Osiris the candidate who stands in the Hall of Truth can indeed deliver the negative confession. The reason is clear, it is not him, but him in Osiris that is delivering the negative confession. The candidate in the Hall of Truth is redeemed by his unification with Osiris.This unification in the Morning Star system takes place in the grade of 5=6, Adeptus Minor. Of the details I can speak no more. In the Hall of the Neophyte it is the Hierophant who sits in the Osirisian position on the path of Samekh outside of Tiphareth. Osiris is the one in the Hall of the Neophyte who confirms the initiation on the new candidate.

This is done after the candidate has taken the oath and is placed in the northwest part of the hall. "I am the only being in an abyss of Darkness. From an abyss of Darkness came I forth ere my birth, from the silence of a primal sleep. And the voice of ages said unto my soul, 'I am he who formulates in Darkness, the Light that shineth in the Darkness, yet the Darkness comprehendeth it not.' Let the mystical circumambulation take place onto the Path of Darkness that leadeth unto Light with the Lamp of Hidden Knowledge to guide the way." Asar [Osiris]: God of life and death. Husband and brother of Aset, brother of Set, Nebt Het, and Heru the Elder, son of Nut and Geb, and father of the twins, Bast and Heru, lover of Nebt Het, and father of Anpu. Asar is shown as a virile green man or as a mummified black man. See also information on the religious item known as the Djed. The goddess was typically portrayed as a woman who wears on her head a vase of water . Many times she is shown as a woman whose hands and feet touch the ground so that her body forms a semi-circle.

As such she represents the heavens. Her arms and legs represent the four pillars on which the sky rests. She is held up by her father Shu (the god of the air). Her husband Geb lies on the ground reclining on one elbow and his knees in the air. In this position he depicts the hills and valleys of the land. It was said that when Shu raised Nut (the sky) above Geb (the earth) he brought an end to chaos and if he ever left this position, chaos would return. In one myth Nut gives birth to the Sun-god daily and he passes over her body until he reaches her mouth at sunset. He then passed into her mouth and through her body and is reborn the next morning. Another myth described the sun as sailing up her legs and back in the Atet (Matet) boat until noon, when he entered the Sektet boat and continued his travels until sunset. GEB NUT Egyptian god of the underworld and of vegetation. Son of Nut and Geb . His birthplace was said to be Rosetau in the necropolis west of Memphis. Brother of Nephthys and Seth, and the brother and husband of Isis.

HORUS HORUS Son of Seth Isis Hathor gave birth to Horus after his death, having impregnated herself with semen from his corpse. [ Horus birth & Flight ] Osiris was depicted in human form wrapped up as a mummy, holding the crook and flail. He was often depicted with green skin, alluding to his role as a god of vegetation. He wore a crown known as the 'atef', composed of the tall conical white crown of Upper Egypt with red plumes on each side. Osiris had many cult centers, but the most important were at Abydos (Ibdju) in Upper Egypt, where the god's legend was reenacted in an annual festival, and at Busiris (Djedu) in the Nile delta. One of the so-called "dying gods", he was the focus of a famous legend in which he was killed by the rival god Seth. At a banquet of the gods, Seth fooled Osiris into stepping into a coffin, which he promptly slammed shut and cast into the Nile. The coffin was born by the Nile to the delta town of Byblos, where it became enclosed in a tamarisk tree.

Isis, the wife of Osiris, discovered the coffin and brought it back. (The story to this point is attested only by the Greek writer Plutarch, although Seth was identified as his murderer as early as the Pyramid era of the Old Kingdom.) Seth took advantage of Isis's temporary absence on one occasion, cut the body to pieces, and cast them into the Nile. (In the Egyptian texts this incident alone accounts for the murder of Osiris.) After Seth killed Osiris, Horus , his son, became Pharoah. Seth was jealous of him as well, so he fought Horus for the throne. Seth took out Horus' eye in the battle. Thoth, the god of wisdom, found the eye and put it together. It is now called the Eye of Horus, or the wedjet eye. The eye is one of the main symbols of Egyptian mythology. Horus became one of the main Egyptian gods. Isis searched the land for the body parts of Osiris, and was eventually able to piece together his body, whole save for the penis, which had been swallowed by a crocodile (according to Plutarch) or a fish (according to Egyptian texts).

In some Egyptian texts, the penis is buried at Memphis. Isis replaced the penis with a reasonable facsimile, and she was often portrayed in the form of a kite being impregnated by the ithyphallic corpse of Osiris. In some Egyptian texts, the scattering of the body parts is likened to the scattering of grain in the fields, a reference to Osiris's role as a vegetation god. 'Osiris gardens' - wood-framed barley seedbeds in the shape of the god, were sometimes placed in tombs - and the plants which sprouted from these beds symbolized the resurrection of life after death. It was this legend that accounted for Osiris's role as a god of the dead and ruler of the Egyptian underworld. He was associated with funerary rituals, at first only with those of the Egyptian monarch, later with those of the populace in general. The pharaoh was believed to become Osiris after his death. Although he was regarded as a guarantor of continued existence in the afterlife, Osiris also had a darker, demonic aspect associated with the physiological processes of death and decay, and reflecting the fear Egyptians had of death in spite of their belief in an afterlife.

Osiris was also a judge of the dead, referred to as the 'lord of Maat' (i.e. of divine law). Legendary ruler of predynastic Egypt and god of the underworld. Osiris symbolized the creative forces of nature and the imperishability of life. Called the great benefactor of humanity, he brought to the people knowledge of agriculture and civilization. The worship of Osiris, one of the great cults of ancient Egypt, gradually spread throughout the Mediterranean world and, with that of Isis and Horus, was especially vital during the Roman Empire. Osiris (Ausar) The god of the dead, and the god of the resurrection into eternal life; ruler, protector, and judge of the deceased, and his prototype (the deceased was in historical times usually referred to as "the Osiris"). His cult originated in Abydos, where his actual tomb was said to be located. Osiris was the first child of Nut and Geb, thus the brother of Set, Nephthys, and Isis, who was also his wife. By Isis he fathered Horus, and according to some stories, Nephthys assumed the form of Isis, seduced him thus, and from their union was born Anubis.

Osiris ruled the world of men in the beginning, after Ra had abandoned the world to rule the skies, but he was murdered by his brother Set. Through the magic of Isis, he was made to live again. Being the first living thing to die, he subsequently became lord of the dead. His death was avenged by his son Horus, who defeated Set and cast him out into the desert to the West of Egypt (the Sahara). Prayers and spells were addressed to Osiris throughout Egyptian history, in hopes of securing his blessing and entering the afterlife which he ruled; but his popularity steadily increased through the Middle Kingdom. By Dynasty XVIII he was probably the most widely worshipped god in Egypt. His popularity endured until the latest phases of Egyptian history; reliefs still exist of Roman emperors, conquerors of Egypt, dressed in the traditional garb of the Pharaohs, making offerings to him in the temples. Osiris, King Of The Underworld From Lenoir�s La Franche-Maconnerie. Osiris is often represented with the lower part of his body enclosed in a mummy case or wrapped about with funeral bandages.

Man�s spirit consists of three distinct parts, only one of which incarnates in physical form. The human body was considered to be a tomb or sepulchre of this incarnating spirit. Therefore Osiris, a symbol of the incarnating ego, was represented with the lower half of his body mummified to indicate that he was the living spirit of man enclosed within the material form symbolized by the mummy case. RE There is a romance between the active principle of God and the passive principle of Nature. From the union of these two principles is produced the rational creation. Man is a composite creature. From his Father (the active principle) he inherits his Divine Spirit, the fire of aspirationthat immortal part of himself which rises triumphant from the broken clay of mortality: that part which remains after the natural organisms have disintegrated or have been regenerated. From his Mother (the passive principle) he inherits his bodythat part over which the laws of Nature have control: his humanity, his mortal personality, his appetites, his feelings, and his emotions.

The Egyptians also believed that Osiris was the river Nile and that Isis (his sister-wife) was the contiguous land, which, when inundated by the river, bore fruit and harvest. The murky waters of the Nile were believed to account for the blackness of Osiris, who was generally symbolized as being of ebony hue. MPH ************** Thereafter Osiris was worshipped both as a fertility god, who ensured the rebirth of vegetation each spring and as Lord of the underworld, through whom all live again. Osiris sat at the entrance to the underworld. Only those who could satisfy him of their goodness during life gained admission. thus all made offerings to Osiris in hope of his favour. Osiris is usually shown as a crowned king, holding a crook and a flail. He is usually depicted black, the colour of death. The picture below is a photograph of what you might call an Egyptian map of the universe, or at least one-half of it: the journey of the sun through the Underworld. The painting shows the journey of Re, the sun-god, travelling through the Underworld in his solar barque, a journey he undertakes every night.

The bottom of the painting shows a barque filled with several gods of the Egyptian pantheon (outside of Ra and Osiris, these gods are difficult to identify for they have no distinguishing marks); on either side of these deities are the souls of royal dead in one case praising and in the other case worshipping these gods. This painting graces the walls of the tomb of Sennedjem (Seti I), who ruled in the Nineteenth Dynasty during the New Kingdom (see the Egyptian Timeline). OSIRIS - THE GOD OF DEATH AND REBIRTH Although the cult of the sun-god was the state cult of Egypt, the most important god in terms of religious practice was Osiris, the god of the living and the dead. For the cult of Osiris applied to everyone, from the king down to the lowest member of society. Osiris was a god of fertility; all the principal Egyptian gods (including the pharoah who was God Incarnate) were creator gods, that is, they gave life to the world.

Since Osiris gave life to the living and the dead, the pharoah was generally regarded as the incarnation of Osirisin fact, the very name of the god, Us-Yri, means "Occupier of the Throne." Osiris's principle function as the god of the dead was to judge the soul of the deceased. If that soul were found to be pure and sinless, it would be admitted into the realms of bliss; if it were to be found in any way weighted with sin or crime, it was thrown to Amenti, a horrid god with the face of a crocodile, the front of a leopard, and the back of a rhinoceros, who would consume the soul in its frightening jaws. So Osiris was the god that every soul had to answer to after death, accounting for all aspects of the life lived on earth. Osiris didn't just fall into this role. According to Osiris legends, as an incarnate god in the body of a pharoah, he was married to his sister, Isis. Their brother, Setekh, was also married to another sister, Nephthys.

Through a ruse, Setekh murdered Osiris and threw his body, locked in a coffin, into the Nile. When Isis recovered the body, Setekh tore it into many pieces and threw them back into the Nile. Isis reassembled all the pieces and breathed life back into the body; they then had a child, Horus, who would become the god of the sun. Isis herself turned into a hawk; so most tombs in Egypt have an image of a hawk with its wings spread out as a symbol of rebirth. So Osiris represents many things for the Egyptians. As someone who died and was then reborn, he represents the cycle of death and rebirth which the Egyptians saw as the dominant principle and promise of the universe. As the god of fertility and the Nile, Osiris brought life, in the form of agriculture, to all living humans. Incarnate in the pharoah or king, Osiris created life for the living in the administration of the state. As the lord of the dead, Osiris represented the moral order of the universe, judging each soul by its life and rewarding or punishing that soul with a rigorous justice.

LIBRA (The Scales) LIBRA START CHART There are other Biblical verses that tie in, in my way of seeing things. In Genesis 8:21, the Lord said in his heart, ". . . for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; . . ." This is why He brought on the flood. Proverbs 21:2 says, "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart." Revelation 6:5 says, ". . . And I saw, and behold, a black horse, and its rider had a balance in his hand The scales have been identified as formerly being Chelae, the claws of the Scorpion of Babylonian astrology. Some identify Libra with the Egyptian god Osiris as the scales he uses to weigh the souls of the dead. Another link of this constellation has been made with Julius Caesar who was praised for his clemency and justice. When a comet appeared in July 44 B.C., four months after his murder, it was thought that his spirit was ascending to take its place in the heavens. Libra is often less explained in mythologic terms, but rather in astronomic.

It is thought that the scales represent the equal length of nights and days during the autumnal equinox, which occurs while the sun is in this sign. Claws and Scales Libra lies between Scorpius and Virgo. Once long ago the area occupied by Libra was seen as comprising the claws of the scorpion Scorpius. After about the first century B.C.E. this constellation has become associated with the Balance Scales. The Scales of Justice The constellation of Libra is sometimes seen as the Scales of Justice. This leads to an association with the constellation of Virgo, who has been identified with Astraea or Dike, the Goddess of Justice. It is the Goddess who judges the souls of men after their death by weighing them in her balance.

Question: Who was the wife of Osiris in Egyptian mythology?
Answer: ISIS