Isis And Osiris
Introduction
Isis and Osiris were regarded as some of the good gods of Egypt together with their sister Nebthet, a famed goddess. On the other hand, their brother Seth was elementally evil, a typical devil, with the thirst of harming others. According to belief, Isis and Osiris descended to earth to civilize Egypt. Osiris began by civilizing the people of the Nile Valley before teaching his ways to the rest of the globe. Thus, the entire world was transformed through the diffusion of civilization from ancient Egypt. This paper analyzes the myth of Isis and Osiris and their impact on the belief of life and death in Egypt. It also encapsulates the distinct components of the story and their significance in Egyptian culture, rituals, and traditions.
Analysis
Osiris left Egypt to share civilization with the rest of the world and left their home under the wrath of the evil Seth. However, Isis is relatively powerful and she managed to control the damage made by his brother. People knew her as the goddess of magic and “she who knows all by name.” For one to cast a magic spell on someone they had to know their real names, which were typically concealed from the general public. Isis, however, knew all people’s names, which made her a hero. Through this power, she managed to keep Seth in check and protect the people from his wrath.
After Osiris shared civilization with the world, he returned to Egypt, but his brother had cooked up a lethal attack. Seth took Osiris body measurements while he was dead asleep and built a chest that fit his body perfectly. He then calls for an occasion where he promises to give a handsome prize to anyone who fits in the chest. Everyone tries out but they all fail, until Osiris’ turn. He fit perfectly. Seth then nailed the chest permanently, smeared it with lead, and threw it into the Nile (Alvar, 2020). Consequently, Osiris succumbs in the chest, which proves that gods are greater than man but they are mortal.
As the Nile flows upstream towards the Mediterranean, there is a part known as Byblos, where a vast storm blew Osiris’ chest into a tree trunk. The King of Byblos wanted to erect a palace and he requested the tree to be cut and used as a pillar. Apparently, Osiris remained concealed in the trunk of the tree and Isis went to the palace to repossess the body of her husband. Isis earned the favor of the queen who employed her as a handmaiden. She explained to the royalty about her husband’s body and the queen agreed to help her retrieve the chest from the pillar. After retrieving the chest, Isis affirmed that Osiris was indeed dead and she decided to ferry the body to Egypt for a proper burial (Houston, 1998). With the help of her sister, Nebthet, they retrieve all of Osiris’ remains except his phallus. Back in Egypt, Isis reconstructs Osiris’ entire body, with an artificial phallus, and uses magical words to bring him back to life. Consequently, Osiris resurrects and transforms into the god of the dead and the first mummy (Alvar, 2020).
Reflection
Indeed, the myth of Osiris and Isis explain the origin of Egyptian burial rituals. Isis travelled all the way to Byblos to retrieve her husband’s body all for conducting a proper burial in Egyptian soil. Seemingly, there is something unique about Egyptian soil, which might explain why they didn’t colonize other nations. No Egyptian wanted to be buried in foreign soil. Also, Isis had to fit an artificial phallus before burying her husband, which explains another Egyptian burial ritual. The notion is that people need complete bodies in their next life, and thus have to be buried whole. Indeed, this practice has been followed through Egyptian culture, as embalmers typically fit artificial parts to amputated body organs. Furthermore, the chest that Seth designed for his brother fit his exact measurements, which laid the foundation for the anthropoid coffins in Egyptian culture. Preserving the human body requires a specialized container.
Finally, after his resurrection, Osiris fathered Isis’ son Horus, who faced an undying battle wit Seth. In the clash between the two, Horus lost his eye but it magically regenerated, magnifying that good triumphs evil. On the other hand, Seth surrendered to his nephew, but Horus didn’t murder him. He instead banishes Seth and restores peace in the entire world (Alvar, 2020). The scenario shows the world that evil is long-lasting, and people have to be alert to be ultimately triumphant.
References
Alvar, J. (2020, March 19). Worship of this Egyptian goddess spread from Egypt to England. Retrieved from National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/magazine/2020/03-04/isis-egyptian-goddess-worship-spread-egypt-england/
Houston, J. (1998). The Passion of Isis and Osiris. New York, United States: Wellspring Ballantine.