Osiris in Egyptian mythology and religious practice

Osiris (Egyptian God)

Osiris

Osiris is generality known as the Egyptian god of the dead. He was also known by numerous other names including, Oser, Aser, Asar, Usire. (Osiris, Asar)

More correctly he is seen as "Supreme god and judge of the dead" or the underworld. (Osiris: King of the dead) While there has been a considerable amount of academic debate about the origins of the name 'Osiris', the most probable interpretation of the name means is that it is "...connected with the word 'woser' which would give the sense of the 'Mighty One'."(Hart 151) very important aspect is that Osiris is also seen as the god of fertility and resurrection. Osiris is also associated with the vegetative growth and agriculture and he is known as the god of grain.

In terms of his relationship to the vast array of Egyptian Gods, Osiris is the son of earth God,

Geb, and the sky Goddess, Nut.

He is also Brother of Isis,

Nephthys, and Seth and husband of Isis and father of Horus. In some interpretations of the myth he is also the brother of Horus. (Osiris: King of the dead) At the height of Egyptian civilization Osiris was the primary deity. However Osiris was below Ra, who was seen as the overarching deity over all the other gods. (Osiris, Asar) The birthplace of Osiris is said to be Rosetau, located in the Western Desert necropolis near Memphis. This place also symbolizes the entrance to the underworld. (Hart 151)

Osiris is usually depicted in his human form as follows: "...his body is portrayed as wrapped in mummy bandages from which his arms emerge to hold the sceptres of kingship - the crook and the flail. His distinctive crown known as the 'Atef' comprises a ram's horns at its base, and a tall conical centrepiece sporting a plume on each side." (Hart 151) Another description of the God depicts him as a man dressed in green, which probably refers to his relationship to fertility and vegetative growth; "Following the Legend of Osiris, he appears as a green-skinned man in the form of a mummified pharaoh. He is often depicted wearing the atef crown with a pair of Egyptian god horns at its base." (Osiris

In order to understand the full extent of the significance of Osiris in terms of Egyptian myth, the facets of growth and rejuvenation need to be emphasized, as they relate particularly to the myth or legend of his central connection with the underworld. This relationship between the underworld and resurrection, "...comes naturally through the association of the motif of the murdered Osiris emerging as the dominant divine force in the Underworld, and the cycle of seedtime and harvest." (Hart 158) In terms of the motifs of death, growth and rejuvenation,"...Osiris is the barley which is 'beaten' (i.e. threshed) by the god Seth in the form of the ass. This is described as 'hacking the god to pieces'. From other Middle Kingdom texts the identification of Osiris with barley extends to analogising him with the grain-god Neper." (Hart 158)

2. The history and myth of Osiris.

The legend or myth of Osiris begins with the view of the person of Osiris as a great ruler.

He is considered to have been responsible for changing Egypt from a barbaric nation "... into a civilized state of growing crops, observing laws and honouring the gods. This was done by the power of his songs, not weapons, leading to identification in the Greek mind with their god Dionysus." (Hart 166) Osiris is also seen as the 'beloved pharaoh of Egypt' who, among other things, "...taught the people of the land of Egypt about farming." (THE MYSTERY OF OSIRIS) Studies also state that when Osiris first became ruler of Egypt, the people were engaged in the practice of cannibalism and he "...helped them to evolve beyond cannibalism and to learn farming skills." (THE MYSTERY OF OSIRIS)

There are a number of variations and different details about the myth of Osiris. The following outline is the most commonly accepted view and is ascribed mainly to the historian and philosopher Plutarch.

Seth, the brother of Osiris, who is referred to as Typhon in the works of Plutarch, plots against his brother and "...enlisted the help of seventy-two conspirators and a Nubian queen to overthrow Osiris." (Hart 166) At a banquet Osiris was persuaded to enter a chest of a coffin which was made to his measurements. Once Osiris was inside, Seth closed the lid and covered it with molten lead and then cast the chest into the Nile. (Hart 166) According to the Plutarch's version of the myth, the chest was washed up at Byblos in the Lebanon and "...enfolded in the trunk of a heath-tree." (Hart 166) The tree was then used by the king of Byblos as a column in a temple. However, Isis rescues the chest and the body of her husband. After she has brought the chest to the Delta, she neglected it and it is discovered by Seth. He then cut up the body of Osiris into fourteen separate parts and scattered them over the Nile valley. (Hart 166)

Isis finds each severed part of the body and buries each part as she comes across it in a ritual religious ceremony. Plutarch states that these actions by Isis are the reason why the location of the tomb of Osiris is claimed to be at many different temples. For example, it is claimed that the upper and lower legs of Osiris are buried at Sebennytos, while the heart is buried at Athribis. (Hart 166)

However, Isis encountered a problem in that Osiris's penis had been "...eaten piecemeal by the lepidotus, phragus and oxyrhyncus fish." (Hart 166) She solves this problem by constructing an artificial penis. " Isis replaced the penis with a reasonable facsimile, and she was often portrayed in the form of a kite being impregnated by the ithyphallic corpse of Osiris. "(Osiris: Usire)

The impregnation of Isis by Osiris is an extremely important part of the myth as it relates to a number of other aspects; including the idea of resurrection and the revenge that Horus, the son of Isis and Osiris, will have on Seth. "The effectual transmission of the kingship from the murdered father via the usurper-brother to the son is due to the magic and guile of Isis, sister-wife of Osiris. Through her skills the dead god is sufficiently vivified to have sexual intercourse with her, leading to the conception of his avenging son Horus." (Hart 159)

Isis then resurrects Osiris with the Ritual of Life. This ritual is the "...given to the people...so that they could give eternal life to all their dead." (Osiris) This is found in The Book of the Dead.

Although he is resurrected he can no longer return to the normal world. "He was not allowed to stay in the land of the living, and was sent to the underworld to serve as king, and to judge the souls of the dead. "(Fischer K.) Osiris as ruler of the Underworld "... sits on a great throne, where he is praised by the souls of the just." (Osiris)

The Underworld is also the entrance to the Blessed Land which is the reward for all those who pass the test of the Underworld and are deemed worthy. As the judge of the dead, Osiris ensures that the souls of those who are evil and wicked do not ascend to this land or realm of existence. Furthermore, Osiris is therefore seen as the upholder of holy law and of honesty and truth. In Egyptian spiritual terms Osiris is associated with the important Egyptian concept of Ma'at or Maat. This term refers to the idea of divine order and balance as it affects the ordinary or mundane world. Osiris is also referred to as 'lord of Maat," (Hart 162)

Subsequently, the legend goes on to describe how Osiris's son, Horus, killed Seth and became the new king of Egypt. Osiris remains the ruler and judge of the underworld. The cult and worship of Osiris was to have a far-reaching impact on the Egyptian religious perception and even extended beyond into the Roman Empire.

The worship of Osiris, like that of the sun god Ra, was one of the great cults of ancient Egypt. It gradually spread throughout the Mediterranean world and, with that of Isis and Horus, was especially vital during the time of the Roman Empire. ("Osiris")

In essence Osiris became a symbol of creativity and the rejuvenating forces of nature and life. He is also closely associated with the belief in immortality and the life-after-death. The creative significance of this Egyptian god is stressed by the numerous references and interpretations of the fecund nature of his death and resurrection. In the first instance the scattering of the body parts is related to the idea of fertility and growth.

In some Egyptian texts, the scattering of the body parts is likened to the scattering of grain in the fields, a reference to Osiris's role as a vegetation god. 'Osiris gardens' - wood-framed barley seedbeds in the shape of the god, were sometimes placed in tombs - and the plants which sprouted from these beds symbolized the resurrection of life after death. (Osiris: Usire)

There is also an interesting parallel between Osiris, as fertility and agriculture god, and the Greek Persephone, an agriculture goddess. (Osiris) This refers to the fact that Both Osiris and Persephone end up in the underworld through treachery and both are kept there by "legal loopholes" in the laws of the gods. Persephone remains in the underworld for half a year because she tasted the food of the dead. Osiris remains in the underworld because Ma'at dictates that the dead, even dead gods may not return to the land of the living. (Osiris)