|
Isis
by Jeanne Leiter
Isis
is the most well known Goddess in the world. She originated in Ancient
Egypt, then traveled with the Romans to Italy. Her story of love and
loyalty for Her brother/consort Osiris spread to England, Ireland, and over
the entire Earth. She is worshiped on March 20th. She, with
Osiris (Lord of the UnderWorld), bring life back to the land made barren by
winter. Isis shows us that love can create life from death. Many statues
and tomb murals show Isis with outstretched wings, ready to enfold us,
keeping us safe from harm.
The
following version of the Isis/Osiris myth is freely condensed from
Plutarch’s account (written in the second century C.E.) The myth is ancient
and was well known throughout Egypt, but no single Egyptian source gives us
the entire, essential story. It fell on a visitor to the ancient sands to
relate the most complete telling of the myth.
Osiris and
Isis were born of the same woman, and it is said their love was so immediate
and pure that they consorted together in the blackness of their mother’s
womb. Osiris reigned as the chief God over Egypt, showing His subjects how
to cultivate plants, giving them laws, and teaching them how to honor the
Gods. He traveled the Nile Valley, civilizing everyone with His charm, His
music.
While
Osiris journeyed, Isis ruled at home, vigilant and alert, keeping His
kingdom and His throne safe for His return. Their brother Set became
jealous of His brother and sister and their power, their love for one
another, and the love they received from the people. Set formed a group of
seventy-two conspirators, and plotted against His brother to gain the throne
for Himself.
Set
secretly measured Osiris’ body and had a chest of precious wood constructed
and had it beautifully ornamented. When Osiris returned and the entire
household reclined at a feast in His honor, Set put His plan into effect.
During the festivities, after much eating and drinking, Set had the chest
brought forth. Everyone remarked on its beauty, the fine craftsmanship of
the detailing. Set lightly promised to make a gift of it to any man who
would find the chest to be exactly his length and breadth when he laid down
in it.
Every man
attending the feast was desirous of owning such a fine chest and laid their
bodies into it. Osiris was the last one to try. He laid His body into the
finely worked wooden chest, and at that moment the conspirators rushed to
it, slammed the lid on and nailed it tightly shut. To seal the evil deed,
they poured molten lead around the seam of the chest’s lid, entombing
Osiris.
Set and
His accomplices carried Osiris, trapped in His beautiful coffin, to the Nile
and pushed it into the current flowing to the sea. This was done, they say,
when the sun passed through the constellation of Scorpio, and in the
twenty-eighth year of Osiris’ reign–although some say that twenty-eight
equals the years of the good God’s life.
The first
ones to learn of the horrible deed were the Pans and Satyrs who lived in a
region around Chemmis, so that to this day, confusion or loss of one’s wits
is called a panic. Isis, when She learned what Set had done, cut Her hair
and put on a garment of mourning. She wandered the land, asking all She met
what had happened to Her beloved. Children playing near the muddy banks of
the Nile had seen the chest go into the river and told Isis what had
occurred.
Through
more searching and questioning of all those She met, Isis discovered the
chest had been cast upon the shores of Byblos and into a clump of heather.
This heather, in a very short time, grew massive, enclosing the chest within
the heart of the trunk.
It came to
pass that the king of the country saw the plant and had it cut down and used
as a pillar to support the roof of his house. Isis learned this from the
divine inspiration of Rumor. She went to the land of Byblos and sat by a
stream. Unable to find Her one and only love, She wept, speaking to no
one. Soon, the queen’s maidservants came to swim. Isis treated them with
kindness, braiding their hair and imparting to them a wonderful fragrance
from Her own body. When the queen saw her maids’ beautiful hair and smelled
the ambrosia emanating from them, she longed to know how this had happened.
After Isis
had been summoned by the queen and they came to know one another, the queen
made Isis nursemaid of her baby. Some say the king’s name was Malcander and
the queen’s Astarte. Isis suckled the babe with a finger instead of Her
breast and at night, She burned away a portion of its mortal body, so that
one day the child would be immortal. While the baby burned, Isis
shape-shifted into a swallow and lamented as She flew around the wooden
pillar, Her beloved Osiris locked within.
One night,
by chance, the queen saw her baby on fire and crying, she snatched the baby
up and smothered the flames, thus depriving it of immortality. Isis then
revealed Herself as Goddess and asked for the heather pillar containing
Osiris.
Cutting
away the heather trunk, She wrapped the ornate casket in the finest linen
and poured perfume from a foreign land over it. Isis threw Herself down on
the coffin and wailed so, that the younger of the king’s son died of grief
and sorrow. The elder son helped Her place the coffin on board a ship and
She and Her consort sailed until they landed at a secluded spot. There She
left Osiris in His specially made coffin.
As Fate
would have it, Set hunted at that same secluded spot in the light of the
moon. Recognizing His hated foe, rage caused Set to cut the body of Osiris
into fourteen pieces and scatter them around the known world.
When Isis
heard of this sacrilege She sailed in a papyrus boat through every swamp and
byway. She re-membered Him. Osiris was recollected and made whole except
for one piece–His male member. Set had thrown this part into the river and
it had been eaten by the lepidotus, the sea-bream, and the pike. For this
reason Egyptians do not eat these fish.
Isis laid
down by Osiris’ side and using Her magick, made Him fertile and conceived a
child. Horus was His name. When Horus grew old enough to wield a sword,
His father Osiris traveled from the UnderWorld where He reigned as Lord, and
trained him for battle. Horus was taught that the most noble of all things
was, “To avenge one’s father and mother for evil done to them.”
The battle
between Set and Horus lasted many days. Horus, He who was created from
death, won over His evil uncle Set. Horus brought Set to His mother for Her
decision regarding Set’s fate. In Her compassion, Isis allowed Set to go
free. This angered Horus so much, He pulled Her queenly diadem from Her
head. Thoth, the ibis-headed God replaced it with a helmet which looked
very like the head of a cow.
Not
finished with His hate, Set formally accused Horus of being illegitimate,
but the Gods voted otherwise. Horus fought Set twice more, winning each
time. Set, controlled by His jealousy and anger, and not being able to
conquer Horus or gain the love of Isis, caused confusion and ills to fall
upon the whole Earth.
As a counter-balance, Isis formed prayers and rites for Her people in
which they would also re-member Osiris and Her struggles and wanderings She
had endured for the love She held for Her brother/husband. The holy rites
portrayed Her experiences and sanctified them, both as a lesson of Goddess
love and encouragement for men and women who find themselves in situations
where they need strength.
Re-member . . . for Isis and for yourself
Jeanne (Pythia) Leiter
|
