The Goddess Isis

“ISIS” means Egyptian goddess. According to Webster’s Ninth Collegiate Dictionary “ISIS” is an Egyptian nature goddess and the wife of Osiris and mother of Horus. It denotes peace and purity. Isis is also depicted as an Egyptian goddess of the moon and is often represented as veiled.

“Horus” is an ancient Egyptian deity personifying the sun. “Typhon” (“Set”) is the god of evil in Egyptian mythology, brother and deadly enemy of Osiris. “Osiris” in Egyptian mythology, one of the chief gods, the source of life and fruitfulness, the sun of all beneficent agencies, the creator, and the god of the Nile. He was the father of of Horus and the husband of Isis. After he had been slain by his brother Typhon, the personification of all evil, Osiris became the judge of the dead, and his soul animated the sacred bull “Apis.” Thus, under this form, Osiris continued to be present among men.

Isis and Osiris lived among the people. Their job was to help the needy, disband evil, instill a new way of life, bestow blessings and gifts to all people.

Isis showed the Egyptians how to use the wheat and barley and taught the people how to use them. Osiris made the Valley of the Nile very happy and prosperous. He summoned a large group of men who traveled around Egypt teaching and bestowing blessings. Osiris was loved wherever he went.

Isis remained in the Valley of the Nile while Osiris traveled. Isis helped the women prepare food, make cloth to clothe themselves and their families. She also taught them how to raise and care for their children.

Osiris was so famous that his brother, Typhon, became very jealous and tried to dethrone Osiris while he was away from home. Isis interrupted Typhon’s plan and didn’t let this happen. This made Typhon very angry, so he decided to kill Osiris. Typhon planned a party in honor of Osiris’ return home. He invited 72 people to the party. He made a chest of precious wood, however, the chest was made only to fit one person, Osiris. At the party, he said he would give the precious chest to the person who could get into the box. When Osiris tried and was inside the chest, Typhon closed the lid and threw the chest into the river Nile.

When Isis heard of the murder of her husband Osiris, she wept and mourned, and then set out to find the body of her husband. Isis and Horus (son) searched furiously for the body of Osiris. With the help of sacred birds, Isis learned where the chest was. Isis carried the coffin to the forest and hid it. The search started in the spring and it took her three months to find the coffin. Typhon discovered what Isis had done and immediately found it, removed the body of Osiris and cut it into 14 pieces and scattered them in the River Nile.

Again, Isis and Horus set out to search for the pieces of Osiris’ body. This search also began in the spring and lasted for one year. However, after a long search, Isis only found 13 pieces of Osiris’ body. The fourteenth piece had been eaten. This piece was replaced with a stick and then buried at Philoe, which is the great burying place.

Isis…..Wife of Osiris
Horus….Son of Isis and Osiris
Osiris…Husband of Isis and father of Horus
Typhon…Brother of Osiris