The historical myth of Isis and Osiris was one of the most popular myths in ancient Egypt. This myth is between God Osiris (The Killed King), Goddess Isis (The Queen), God Set (The Brother of Isis and His Killer), and God Horus (the son of Isis). This story started when Set wanted to be the king of Egypt very badly, so he did something terrible. He killed his own brother to get what he wanted.

The Importance of Isis and Osiris Myth

Isis and Osiris myth illustrates several important tenets in Egyptian mythology and religion. Osiris can be seen to reflect the Egyptian expectations of the afterlife – their understanding that even after death, life continued in the world below. 

Osiris was a victim of betrayal and fratricide, but through the proper application of funerary ritual, he was restored and became one of the justified dead (ma’at kheru). This illustrates the central Egyptian religious belief that providing the proper preparations were made before burial, the deceased would be able to live on in an idealized afterlife.

The myth also relates a key philosophical component of ancient Egyptian belief – the ongoing battle between the forces of balance and righteousness and the forces of chaos. Osiris and Horus represent ma’at, the ‘correct way’, and thus they are the true kings of Egypt. 

Unveiling the Significance of Isis and Osiris Myth

Who was Isis?

Goddess Isis is the most famous goddess in ancient Egypt and the major character in our narrative. In the religion of ancient Egypt, she was a goddess. As the Queen, the wife, the mother, the inspector, and the mother of all women, she served important roles. She had several responsibilities to play because she was a primary goddess, a mother, and the wife of an explorer.

The Divine Goddess Isis

Who was Osiris?

God Osiris, the God of fertility in agriculture, the afterlife, both life and the underworld, and the dead’s lord. His legend served as a symbol of wisdom in the afterlife. The traditional representation of him is that of a green-skinned god with a pharaoh’s beard, a partially draped mummy over her legs, the distinctive crown of Atef, and symbolic a head and flail. He was among the first to be connected with mummy wrapping.

The God Osiris

Who was Set?

In ancient Egyptian religion, Set was the sky god and a deity of the desert, storms, chaos, violence, and strangers. As Horus was the god of the black land, he was the ruler of the red land. He serves as a symbol for everything evil in our narrative. He murdered his brother Osiris, which marked the beginning of the legend. In Abydos, Upper Egypt, Set has a temple of his own that is well-known for having an “L” shape.

Deity God Set

Who was Horus?

Horus was the sun god. He was Isis’s son. He has a temple that brings his own name that lasted 200 years to build. He represented justice, as he took revenge on God Set, who killed his father, God Osiris, so he was well-known as “His Father’s Guardian”.

Mighty God Horus

The Divine Love Story of Isis and Osiris: 

The myth of Isis and Osiris centers around their extraordinary love and devotion to one another. They were both husband and wife and the epitome of an ideal partnership. Their love story embodies the sacred bond that unites the feminine and masculine energies, symbolizing the balance and harmony necessary to perpetuate life.

Love Story: Isis and Osiris

Legacy and Influence of Isis and Osiris: 

The mythology of Isis and Osiris continued to hold immense significance throughout Egyptian history. Their story influenced art, literature, and religious rituals, leaving a lasting influence on the culture and spirituality of ancient Egypt. The symbolism associated with Isis and Osiris can be found in the tombs, temples, and artifacts discovered by archaeologists, offering valuable insights into the religious beliefs and practices of the time.

Set and Osiris & Good and Evil

Osiris was one of the first five gods and the legitimate king of creation. During his reign as Pharaoh, he brought cultivation and civilization to the Egyptian people and was generally regarded as a wise and beloved leader.

God Set was so jealous of his brother’s position and desired the throne for himself. In some myths, his jealousy was compounded by the disloyalty of his own wife, goddess Nephthys, who masked herself as Osiris’ wife, goddess Isis, to seduce the god-king and give birth to Anubis, the headed God.

Set and Osiris in Mythology

Killing Osiris on His Brother’s Hands Set

God Set tried to get rid of his older brother; he created a terrible plan. He constructed a stunning coffin according to Osiris’ measurements. Later, he hosted a lavish party and announced that the casket belonged to whoever could fit within the chest. Osiris sat in the coffin and was still unidentified in this plot. Set then smashed the lid shut and threw the coffin into the Nile River.

According to certain legends, Set and his 72 companions killed Osiris. Some tales, meanwhile, claim that Set was the only one to kill Osiris. Another version claims that Set killed Osiris in the coffin. Others assume that God Osiris died out of suffocation in the river Nile or the tree at Byblos. However, Set robbed the throne of Egypt; he lost the sweet balance created by Goddess Isis and God Osiris. God Set was a random and chaotic ruler. He brought storms and droughts. 

Thus, people twisted to each other to survive. Isis was a determined woman. She was enthusiastic about finding her husband. She started to search and made it extensive till she found his dead body and brought him back to the land of Egypt again. 

However, Set cheated Nephthys into revealing the site of the body. He cut the body of Osiris into numerous parts and threw them all across the land of Egypt. He cut the body of his brother into 42 pieces. He distributed it to all provinces of Egypt. Isis never gave up and searched all of Egypt until she collected his body again.

God Seti between Amun & Osiris, Abydos

Birth of God Horus

The inscriptions on the temple’s walls depict copulates between the deceased Osiris and Isis in human form. She disappeared with her baby because he was the embryo. She keeps maintenance of him from when he was born until he grew up.

Some inscriptions and sculptures depict Isis breastfeeding Horus. Others appear weak, and she looks after him by feeding him and using magical spells to keep him safe when she leaves him alone. This is represented by four scorpions that came to watch and protect them. That represents how the mother invests more than her own energy in raising her sons to be greater than them.

The Conflict between Horus and Set

That starts between them on the throne of Egypt. The battle between them appears to be violent. We can define it as a legal trial. This judicial proceeding establishes who has the right to succeed to the throne. That war is divided into numerous stages in which they participate in various kinds of competitions such as a boat race or fight each other in the appearance of hippos to determine who will win. Horus defeats set in that match.

End of the Story of Isis and Osiris

The myth has an unknown end. The throne was back to God Horus, the legal king of Egypt. After that conflict, Set was considered the descriptive of chaos and evil. The ancient Egyptians no longer see him as the complete to the ordinary system they used. 

In several celebrations between gods, the victorious god Horus takes the throne. As a punishment, Set was obligated to carry Osiris’s body to the tomb. The new king carries out his father’s funeral rites and oblation of food and the eye of Horus. By that, God Osiris can live in death life and take his role as God of death. 

Story Conclusion: Isis and Osiris 

Conclusion:  

The myth of Isis and Osiris resonates as a timeless tale of love, loss, and resurrection. It embodies the ancient Egyptian understanding of the interconnectedness between life and death and the enduring power of devotion and renewal. The story of Isis and Osiris stands as a testament to the profound mythological heritage of ancient Egypt and continues to captivate people’s imaginations worldwide.