Osiris: Egyptian God of the Dead, Fertility, and Resurrection

Introduction to Osiris

Osiris is generally known as the Egyptian god of the dead. He was also known by numerous other names, including Oser, Aser, Asar, and Usire. More correctly, he is seen as the "Supreme god and judge of the dead" — that is, of the underworld. While there has been considerable academic debate about the origins of the name "Osiris," the most probable interpretation is that it is "connected with the word 'woser,' which would give the sense of the 'Mighty One'" (Hart 151).

An equally important aspect of Osiris's identity is his role as the god of fertility and resurrection. He is also associated with vegetative growth and agriculture, and is known as the god of grain. Together, these roles make Osiris one of the most multifaceted and significant deities in the ancient Egyptian religion.

Origins, Family, and Iconography

In terms of his relationship to the vast array of Egyptian gods, Osiris is the son of the earth god Geb and the sky goddess Nut. He is also the brother of Isis, Nephthys, and Seth, the husband of Isis, and the father of Horus. In some interpretations of the myth he is also considered the brother of Horus (Osiris: King of the dead). At the height of Egyptian civilization, Osiris was the primary deity, though he remained below Ra, who was seen as the overarching deity over all other gods (Osiris, Asar). The birthplace of Osiris is said to be Rosetau, located in the Western Desert necropolis near Memphis — a place that also symbolizes the entrance to the underworld (Hart 151).

Osiris is usually depicted in 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 depicts him as a man dressed in green, probably referring to his connection 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."

In order to understand the full significance of Osiris in Egyptian myth, the facets of growth and rejuvenation must be emphasized, particularly as they relate to 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 analogizing him with the grain-god Neper" (Hart 158).

The Myth and Legend of Osiris

The legend or myth of Osiris begins with the portrayal of Osiris as a great ruler. He is considered to have been responsible for transforming 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). Sources further state that when Osiris first became ruler of Egypt, the people were engaged in 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 differing details surrounding the myth of Osiris. The following outline represents the most commonly accepted version, ascribed mainly to the historian and philosopher Plutarch.

Seth, the brother of Osiris — referred to as Typhon in Plutarch's works — 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 or coffin made to his exact measurements. Once inside, Seth closed the lid, covered it with molten lead, and cast the chest into the Nile (Hart 166). According to Plutarch's version, the chest was washed up at Byblos in 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 bringing the chest to the Delta, she neglected it, and Seth discovered it. He then cut up the body of Osiris into fourteen separate parts and scattered them across the Nile valley (Hart 166).

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

Isis encountered a problem, however, in that Osiris's penis had been "eaten piecemeal by the lepidotus, phragus and oxyrhyncus fish" (Hart 166) — though according to Plutarch it was swallowed by a crocodile (THE MYSTERY OF OSIRIS). She solved this problem by constructing an artificial replacement: "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 element of the myth, relating to several other aspects, including the idea of resurrection and the revenge that Horus — the son of Isis and Osiris — will take 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 through the Ritual of Life. This ritual was "given to the people so that they could give eternal life to all their dead" (Osiris), and its details are recorded in The Book of the Dead.

Works Cited

The Columbia Encyclopedia. 6th ed. 2004. Questia. 28 May 2006.

Osiris, Asar. 24 May 2006. http://touregypt.net/osiris.htm

Osiris: King of the dead. 24 May 2006. http://members.aol.com/egyptart/aftrlfe.htm

Osiris: Usire. 24 May 2006. http://socsci.colorado.edu/LAB/GODS/osiris.html

Erman, Adolf. A Handbook of Egyptian Religion. Trans. A.S. Griffith. London: Archibald Constable, 1907. Questia. 28 May 2006.

Fischer, K. Osiris. 28 May 2006. http://www.pantheon.org/articles/o/osiris.html

Hart, George. A Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1986. Questia. 28 May 2006.

Pinch, Geraldine. Egyptian Myth: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 2004. Questia. 28 May 2006.

"The Influence of the Mystery Religions on Christianity." 24 May 2006.

THE MYSTERY OF OSIRIS. 24 May 2006. http://www.greatdreams.com/osiris.htm