ISIS is the most powerful of all the ancient Egyptian goddesses. Its main role is that of a large magician with an unparalleled domain of the magical arts. It is known as sorceress and spell speaker that dominates healing arts.

General Panorama and History

Isis cult has been the most durable and extended of all cults to goddesses. His power extends by vast deserts, oasis and through the sands of time. He has woven his magic through various civilizations during millennia through acts of healing, regeneration, transformation, duel, maternity and divine love.

The diverse goddess Isis taught valuable knowledge to ancient Egypt, or Kemet, such as healing practices, medicine and the institution of marriage. His name was invoked to cure the sick, especially children.

The incomparable mystical and intrigue that surrounds ISIS make it one of the best known goddesses in history. The first mentions of it

Their stories also come from the Egyptian book of the dead (written on the walls of the pyramids)that they had to help people in their transition and transit by the underworld.

Among the scholars it is speculated that ancient myths are original stories starring real and extraordinary people who were apotheosic and became gods.

It is important to note that the name of ISIS, as is more commonly known to the goddess, is her Greek name. His Egyptian name is Aset (or ESET). She was known as Isis when Greeks and Romans adopted her in her pantheon of gods after the conquest of ancient Egypt by Alexander the Great. However, in this article we will refer to it as ISIS.

Real pedigree

Isis was born from the god of the Earth Geb and the goddess of the Nut sky, which embody «as is above, is below.» Four sons engendered: two daughters, Isis and Neftis, and two sons, Osiris and Set.

The two daughters married their brothers, since it was common practice for the pharaohs to marry their sisters, cousins ​​and nieces during this period. Osiris was the greatest and became king of Egypt, with Isis as a wife and queen. They had a son, Horus, who is often represented in the hieroglyphs next to Isis’s chest.

Osiris murder and resurrection

The love story between Isis and his brother consort, Osiris, is one of the most influential, convincing and elaborate stories of Egyptian mythology. It is a story of love, family, loyalty, betrayal between brothers and life after death.

During the reign of Isis and Osiris, Egypt was prosperous and peaceful. The real couple was known for «civilizing» Egypt. ISIS taught the people to weave, bake bread and make beer. She was considered a queen goddess who embodied divine female aspects.

The King and Queen were very dear and revered by the inhabitants of the Earth, who rejoiced to have a strong and moral king who taught agriculture and won the respect of those who lived on the earth and the gods who dwelt in the underworld.

However, his brother Set – God’s God and destruction – was not respected. He became resentful and jealous of the power his brother Osiris possessed (a repeated theme in world mythology, the history of Cain and Abel, only much older).

In an anger attack, Set murdered Osiris, dismembered him and spread the parts of his body throughout Egypt. With Osiris dead, although by murder, Set became king, with his sister Neftis as a wife.

With the death of Osiris, Isis became inconsolable, since it is said that Isis and Osiris loved themselves deeply since they were in the womb. Neftis observed how his sister fell into a deep despair and felt sorry for her. He decided to help Isis.

For the love of his brother, the two sisters began to look for the pieces of Osiris’s body. They found all their parts except the penis, which had been devoured by a fish in the Nile.

With his magical powers, Isis resurrected Osiris by insufflating his breath of life enough to stimulate his creation power. The two temporarily joined, and Isis became pregnant with Horus, the legitimate heir to the throne that would later avenge the death of his father and would become a king of Egypt. (The Renaissance of Osiris became the paradigm of the subsequent Egyptian mummification process and funeral practices).

After his last encounter with Isis in the physical world, Osiris descended to the underworld and became the lord of that kingdom. Because of her role in her husband’s resurrection, ISIS became known as protector of the dead.

Isis integration into the Greco -Roman religion

After the conquest of Alexander the Great, when Egypt was under Hellenistic domain between 323 and 30 BC, the Greeks integrated the goddess of golden wings Aset in their pantheon of gods and religious systems. As a consequence, he suffered a metamorphosis and became ISIS.

His popularity in the Greco -Roman times crossed borders. It was considered a multifaceted goddess. His scope was broad and his cult grew exponentially (395-332 AC was the apogee of his influence).

In her new form of Grecopea goddess, the image of ISIS began to lead new Eurocentric stories in history, and her image exerted a lasting influence on the Mediterranean.

The infusion of ASET in the Greco -Roman culture was a testimony of the broad and influential scope of North Africa in the ancient Mediterranean religions. However, it is essential to maintain the North African Keméticos of ASET and their cultural heritage.

ISIS and seven scorpions

ISIS is known for his relationship with scorpions through the moving history of his hiding place after giving birth to Horus to protect him from Set, who had killed Osiris and also wanted to kill Horus.

A mother dressed in rags left the Nile taking her little son. Seven sacred scorpions accompanied her. The goddess of poisonous creatures, Serket, had sent her fiercest servants to protect Isis and Horus.

The disguised ISIS went to the village to beg food and find a place to dwell. He turned to a rich woman who lived on the riverbank with her little son. But the owner denied Refugio to ISIS and immediately fired her and her unusual companions.

Isis approached a young and poor woman with little accommodation, but who immediately created a safe space and prepared food for the mother and child.

The scorpions, offended by the way the first woman had treated her queen, devised a revenge plan that night. They poured all their poison in their powerful, Tefen, who went out at night, crawled to the child’s rest and stung.

The child’s mother cried terrified while running at night in search of help for her son. When Isis heard and saw this, he realized what his scorpions had done. He went to the child’s help, he cradled it and used a magical spell to save him:

«Oh tepen poison, get out of him and falls to the soil! Veneno of Befen, do not advance, do not poison him anymore, get out of him and fall to the ground! Because I am Isis, the great lovely one, the spell of spells. Cae, Mestet poison! Don’t hurry, Mestetef Acerques, Matat poison. «

He invoked the names of the scorpions and neutralized his powers. The girl’s mother regretted when she realized how bad she had treated the queen. He regretted his insensitivity and offered all his wealth to ISIS in gratitude.

(Note how the costume plays an important role in ancient myths).

Iconography

Isis is recognized by several memorable features, such as a crown in the -shaped disk with the sides, her white dress and her iconic hawk wings (or Milano). The stories vary, but these wings represent female birds that, according to Barabara Lesko, cry in a way that «reminds the screams of distressed women» (Lesko 163).

Therefore, these wings represent strength, mourning and resurrection powers that ISIS possesses. The following are symbols and associations of the goddess ISIS:

• Winged
• With a white dress
• Adorned with real clothes
• Toro horns with disc
• A vulture headdress
• Scorpions
• The Cobra
• Sicomoros
• The blue lotus and the roses
• With Horus on his chest
• The canine star, Sothis
• Goddesses hathor, bastet and nut

Conclusion

As a wife, queen, afflicted mother and healer, Isis’s mythical narratives have earned her favor of her followers for 7,000 years. It is a nearby figure that represents female divinity and is known above all for its loyal role as a protective wife and mother.

Although some argue that the cult of ISIS ended with the arrival of Christianity in the IV-VI DC centuries, their followers are still very active today. The stories with which he is associated, such as disguising himself to save his son and the myth of the resurrection, continue to develop in all religions of the world and consider themselves the origin of these shared and transcultural myths.

*Lesko, Barbara. The Goddesses of Egypt. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. 1999.

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