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The Myth of Osiris

Religion was incredibly important to Ancient Egyptians, playing an integral part in daily life. Egyptian Religion went through many changes throughout history, but many aspects persisted and remained sacred, one of these being the Myth of Osiris. A central part of Egyptian Religion, the Myth of Osiris has remained important for thousands of years.

RA

KHNUM

NEITH

King of the Gods God of the Sun

God of The Nile's Source

Goddess of War and Hunting

Bust of Amun-Ra at Karnak

SHU

TEFNUT

God of Wind

Goddess of Rain

GEB

Nut

Goddess of the Sky

God of the Earth

Osiris

Isis

Nephthys

Set

God of the Underworld

Goddess of Funerals and Mourning

Goddess of Motherhood and Healing

God of Storms and Disorder

God of Violence and Chaos, Set disrupted Ma’at with the killing of Osiris, usurping his throne and plunging Egypt into chaos. Horus and Set’s fierce rivalry would end in the balancing of Ma’at with the defeat of Set.

Goddess of Funerals and Mourning, Nephthys, similar to Isis, is related to funerary rites and magic. Often depicted as the wife of Set, but very different in personality, helping Isis find the remains of Osiris.

Goddess of Motherhood, Healing and Magic, Isis is one of the most powerful gods, being able to keep Set's violence and terror at bay, whilst she searched for the remnants of her husband, Osiris.

God of the Underworld and Dead, Osiris' judgement would rule supreme in the Afterlife. In legend, Osiris is believed to have ruled Egypt, teaching the people about laws and civilization, and spreading agriculture, before being murdered by his jealous and power-hungry brother, Set.

Edfu Relief

The Osorkon Triad

The Pyramid Texts and Relief of Isis and Osiris

The Osorkon Triad, discovered at Karnak, displays Osorkon II in the form of Osiris, flanked by Horus and Isis. The intricacy of the statuette shows how important the Myth of Osiris was to Egyptian Religion, and to be found in the tomb of a pharaoh shows it was important to everyone.

The existence shows the desire of Osorkon II to be idolized and immortalized like Osiris was. Similar to the other artifacts, it shows how important the gods were in Egyptian Religion, and the importance of the Myth of Osiris.

The Osorkon Triad is one of many statuette depictions of the myth, with the detail and intricacy being very characteristic of the pharaohs.

The Edfu Relief depicts Horus, son of Osiris and Isis, slaying Set in his hippopotamus form. The rivalry between these two gods has been heavily noted in texts about the Myth of Osiris. Horus and Set’s anger would be told in many accounts, such as battles in the form of hippopotami or battling alongside other gods. This relief is situated in the Temple of Edfu on the west bank of the Nile, with this temple being often dedicated to Horus.

Similar to other reliefs, it is related to the Pyramid Texts and the Myth of Osiris, and especially with the location of the relief in a temple dedicated to Horus, it would show him as a brave and fierce god who can even defeat the god of violence and chaos. This display would affect the religious beliefs of people who would frequent the temple.

The Abydos and Edfu Relief are both a visual representation of the Pyramid Texts and the Myth of Osiris, making these beliefs a deep rooted part of Egyptian Religion.

The Pyramid Texts are ancient religious and funerary texts, dating back to the Old Kingdom, with the oldest texts being dated to 2400-2300 BCE. The earliest pyramid texts were reserved for the pharaohs, with some exceptions being the queens of pharaohs, with the first set of texts being discovered at Saqqara in the tomb of Pepi I, pharaoh in the sixth dynasty, and the oldest being in the tomb of Unas, ninth and last ruler of the fifth dynasty.

The earliest mentions of the Myth of Osiris are in these texts, due to Osiris’ link to kingship and the afterlife, with the king being buried in the pyramid and striving to gain access to the afterlife, much like Osiris tried to but failed.

The Relief of Isis displays Isis in her bird form, copulating with the resurrected Osiris, with symbolic onlookers Horus and Isis in human form. Like the Pyramid Texts, it is another example of the importance of the Myth of Osiris in Egyptian Culture.

Due to the exclusivity of the Pyramid Texts the influence on the general public would have been limited but would have been very important to the elite members of society. However, the Relief of Isis and Osiris, is very publicly available, being situated in a place of worship. The access of the Pyramid Texts would have reinforced the pharoahs beliefs and their place in society.

Conclusion

The Myth of Osiris’ role in Egyptian Religion is undeniably important. Constant depictions of the myth in different places and different contexts, show the importance to many different people. The use of artifacts to display the aspects of the myth, show how different classes viewed the myth, and how it has transformed through generations and dynasties.

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