Isis She was an important goddess in religiosity of the Egyptians in Antiquity, being considered the mother goddess of all pharaohs. Her relationship with the pharaohs manifested itself in different ways: through the way she was represented and even through other names by which she was known. She was married to Osiris, the first pharaoh of the Egyptians, and plays a significant role in the myth that narrates her husband's death.
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Summary about Isis
Isis was an important goddess in Egyptian religion, being considered the mother of all pharaohs.
She was seen as a kind goddess, who donated herself for the good of others, in addition to being considered the protective goddess of merchants and sailors.
The Egyptians called this goddess Eset, a name that is translated as “seat”, being a reference to a throne.
She was married to Osiris, with whom she had a son named Horus.
The cult of Isis emerged in the Nile Delta in the third millennium BC. W. and only became popular in the first millennium BC. W.
The cult of her was quite popular until the 6th century AD. C., losing strength due to the growth of Christianity.
Who was the Egyptian goddess Isis?
Isis was one of the main deities of Egyptian religiosity at Aantiquity, and the cult of this goddess was so important that it spread throughout Egypt and reached places such as Greece and Rome. One of the first highlights that we can mention is her strong relationship with the pharaohs in Egyptian religiosity, as sheShe was considered the mother of all pharaohs. The Egyptians also believed that Isis was the protector of merchants and sailors.
Isis's association with the Egyptian throne was reinforced by the way she was sometimes represented. In many representations, she He wore an ornament on his head that had an empty throne on it., a reference to the pharaohs, but also to the empty throne left by her husband, Osiris, recognized as the first Egyptian pharaoh.
Together, Osiris and Isis ruled the Egypt with wisdom, their reign being marked as a period of prosperity and justice. They were the ones who bequeathed important knowledge to humanity, such as, for example, knowledge of agriculture. They are also credited with establishing marriage as a practice in humanity.
Isis too was recognized as a generous goddess, who protected and donated himself to ensure people’s well-being. She was known to the Egyptians as Eset, a word that means “seat”, this being another reference to a throne. The name Isis became popular due to the influence of the Greeks, who referred to this goddess by that name.
There were other names by which the Egyptians could refer to Isis, such as Mut-Netjer, which can be translated as “mother of the gods”. She was also considered responsible for bringing the Nile flood, essential for maintaining life in that desert region. She was part of the Abydos Triad, formed by three gods: Isis, Osiris and Horus.
See too: Hercules — a hero mentioned in several Greek myths
Isis in Egyptian mythology
As we have seen, Isis was an extremely popular goddess, and one of the best-known myths in Egyptian mythology has her as one of the main characters. This myth talks about the death of Isis' husband, the god Osiris, recognized as the god of the dead and a figure of great importance in the afterlife.
Osiris was the first Egyptian pharaoh, considered a great ruler who brought a period of prosperity to humanity. Osiris's power and popularity caused the envy of her brother, Set, and one episode made him decide to kill his brother. Set's wife, the goddess Nephthys, became pregnant with Osiris, giving birth to a son named Anubis.
Set was furious at the betrayal and planned a trap that was responsible for imprisoning and killing Osiris. His body was thrown into the Nile River and rescued by Isis after being taken to the shores of Phoenicia, where he was rescued by her. Isis took her husband's body back to Egypt. Before Isis resurrected Osiris, Set dismembered his brother's body and scattered it across different locations in Egypt.
Isis went in search of the pieces of her husband's body, finding all parts except one. She performed a ritual that resurrected her husband and then became pregnant with Osiris, giving birth to Horus. Osiris, in turn, could no longer stay in the world of the living, as he was missing part of his body.
Isis in Egyptian religiosity
Historians believe that the cult of Isis was established at some point in the Old Kingdom, a period in Egyptian history that extended from 2686 BC. W. to 2181 a. W. However, the popularization of the cult of this goddess only took place in the first millennium BC. W.
Reverence for Isis spread throughout Egypt, and There were temples and shrines to this goddess in different parts of Ancient Egypt.. Historians believe that her cult began in the Nile Delta, but the place that centered the cult of Isis was the sanctuary of Behbeit El-Hagar.
The cult of Isis accepted the existence of priests and priestesses, who played an important role in preserving the temples to this goddess. Furthermore, some shrines to Isis could only be attended by these priests and priestesses. Many details of the cult of Isis have been lost, because the rituals performed in honor of this goddess were secret.
The popularity of the cult of Isis in Greece is largely explained by its similarities with the cult of Demeter, goddess of agriculture. Worshiping the two goddesses was seen as a way of guaranteeing a good life after death, and the rituals were only aimed at initiates.
She was also very popular in Roman religion, and the cult of her in many parts of the Mediterranean world only lost strength around the 6th century AD. C., thanks to the growth of Christianity.
