Who is Osiris. Osiris is the god of ancient Egypt. Image and symbol of the god Osiris. Supreme Court of Osiris

Osiris had a brother, the evil and treacherous Set. who envied Osiris and decided to destroy him. Secretly, he measured the height of Osiris and ordered a box made to measure with a beautiful finish. Then he invited Osiris to his feast. All the guests at the feast, being Set's accomplices, began to loudly admire the box. Seth said that he would give the box to someone who would have it in size. Everyone in turn began to lie down in the box, but it did not fit anyone except Osiris. When Osiris lay down in the box, Seth slammed the lid, locked the lock, and his accomplices carried the box to the Nile and threw it into the water.

The wife of Osiris, Isis, having learned about the death of her husband, set off in search of his body in order to bury it in a worthy manner.

The waves carried the box with the body of Osiris to the shore near the city of Byblos. A mighty tree grew above him, hiding the box inside its trunk. The local king ordered to cut down a tree and make a column out of it to decorate his palace.

Isis reached the city of Byblos, removed the body of Osiris from the column and took him on her pubis to the Nile Delta. There, in solitude, among the swamps, she began to mourn her husband.

... Darkness is around us, although Ra is in the heavens, The sky is mixed with the earth, a shadow has fallen on the earth.

My heart burns from evil separation, My heart burns, because you fenced yourself off from me with a wall ...

(Translated by Anna Akhmatova)

At night, when Isis fell asleep, the evil Set went out to hunt in the moonlight. And it so happened that on a deserted shore he saw the body of his hated brother. Seth cut the body of Osiris into fourteen pieces and scattered it all over the world.

The woeful Isis again went in search of her husband's body. In her wanderings, she was helped by people and animals, snakes and birds, and even crocodiles did not harm her when she sailed through the swamps on a papyrus boat. The Egyptians believed that in memory of the great goddess, crocodiles would never touch anyone who was sailing on a boat made of papyrus.

In one version of the myth, Isis buried the found parts of the body of Osiris in different places. This explains why there were several tombs of Osiris in Egypt. In another, she gathered his body together and said: “O bright Osiris! Your bones are gathered, your body is gathered, your heart is given to your body!”

The god Anubis embalmed the body of Osiris and made the world's first mummy. Since then, the Egyptians had a custom to mummify the dead.

Isis miraculously conceived from the deceased Osiris son - Horus. Growing up, Horus avenged his father, defeated Set and became king of Egypt.

And Osiris went to the afterlife, becoming its lord and judge over the dead.

Set killed his brother Osiris, the god of earth and growth. But he was resurrected and reigned in the afterlife, becoming the ruler of the tombs and the dead, the lord of the other world and the harbinger of the resurrection of the entire human race.

As a dead king and king of the dead, Osiris was especially revered in ancient Egypt. The love of Isis, his paredra sister, saved Osiris, and he came to life. This god embodies rebirth. Thanks to him, every person who has passed the terrible judgment will gain new life. And before the names of those who will be proclaimed "justified" at this judgment, the name "Osiris" will appear. Osiris is the god of Salvation, so it is people who need it the most!

Depictions of Osiris

Osiris is an anthropomorphic god, that is, a god with the appearance of a man. In addition, the white shroud in which he is wrapped up likens him to a mummy. This is a sign of the afterlife, ruled by Osiris. This god was always depicted in a static pose: most often standing, less often sitting, and never walking. Sometimes his sisters, Isis and Nephthys, appear next to him.

Sometimes there are also images of the reclining Osiris. This is a reference to the myth of Osiris the fruit-bearing, which we will talk about in more detail in the next article.

Often, before Osiris, an animal sacrificed to him was depicted.

Osiris is always crowned. Myths say that he was the first king of Egypt. In his hands he holds symbols of power - a whip and a scepter. Osiris, his sister and wife Isis, and son Horus make up the main sacred family of the Egyptian pantheon: god, goddess, and divine child.

god of renewal

The skin of Osiris is green or black. Black color in Egypt was not considered a sign of mourning. It is the color of rebirth, the color of new life, just like green. And since death is the way to new world, Osiris is always accompanied by plants. It is a lotus, vine or tree. The crown of Osiris is a sheaf of wheat, the boat is made of papyrus, and the jed is made of bundles of reeds.

Myths about Osiris

The story of Osiris is the story of a god, but also very human. It is full of promises for people who are doomed to die. This and love story, in the center of which is the wife of God, Isis. And although the myths about Osiris tell mainly about the afterlife, of which he is the king, this god embodies life and rebirth.

The myth of Osiris begins with the story of the god Ra, who gave birth to the divine couple, Shu and Tefnut. From their union were born Geb, the incarnation of the earth, and Nut, the incarnation of the sky. They were so attached to each other that it seemed impossible to separate them. Nothing separated heaven and earth any longer, and Ra (the sun) could no longer travel across the firmament. This is a rebellion against the power of the god of gods! Shu managed to tear his daughter away from her husband, and air, water and sun entered the vacant space. But Ra decided to punish the lovers for their carelessness.

Knowing that Nut carried five babies in her womb, Ra decreed that children could not be born in any of the twelve months of the year!

Tough birth

God Thoth rebelled against the cruel decision. He went to the moon and won five extra days from her, which were added to the calendar by the end of the year (these were epagomenes, “extra” days). Osiris was born the very first of five babies, so the first of these days is dedicated to him. Then his brothers and sisters were born: Horus, Seth (the future killer of God), Nephthys and Isis (his future wife).

Soon Osiris gained royal power over the world and the pharaohs of the first dynasties dedicated a cult to him. “As soon as he became the king of the world, he immediately brought the Egyptians out of the state of wild animals and helped them in their needs, showing them how to cultivate the land, giving them laws and teaching them to respect the gods. And then he went around the world to introduce it to culture. This is how the ancient texts describe the beginning of the reign of this king-god.

Osiris family

The myth of the creation of the world, common in Heliopolis, the city of the god Ra, says that Osiris is the son of Geb (Earth) and Nut (Heaven). He was born through the intervention of Thoth, the god of time and counting, along with Set, Isis, Nephthys and Horus. But in the divine family, not everything was fine. Osiris was openly at odds with his brother Set. Relations with Isis were also difficult: God wished to be not only her brother, but also her husband.

Seth, jealous brother

But the love and honors that people paid to Osiris for his good deeds aroused the envy and jealousy of other gods, and especially his brother Seth. To get rid of Osiris, Set conceived a cunning plan. Legend has it that the god secretly measured his brother's height. Then, according to these standards, he made a magnificent, richly decorated wooden chest. In the evening, Seth brought it to the feast and jokingly promised that he would give the chest to someone who would fit it. At first, all those present tried ... When the turn of Osiris came, he easily lay down inside. And then the assistants of Seth, running up, quickly nailed the chest and threw it into the Nile. It is at this point that Isis, the sister and wife of Osiris, comes into play. And the search for Osiris begins.

Dismemberment of Osiris

A variant of the myth about the murder of Osiris by his brother Seth, the Dismemberment of Osiris, became the basis of the cult of this god. Seth, who discovered the hiding place where Isis hid the body of her late brother and husband, immediately cut Osiris into 14 pieces, which he scattered in 4 ends of Egypt. The search for Isis was long, she decided that each piece would be buried in the place where it was found. This legend explains that the relics of Osiris were kept in different temples. So, in his main sanctuary, in Abydos, the head of a god was kept.

Search for Osiris

The myth of the search for Osiris has several variants. One of them says that Isis and Nephthys went after the body of Osiris and soon found him on the banks of the Nile.

In another, commonly referred to as The Dismemberment of Osiris, Isis discovered her husband's body much farther away, in the Phoenician city of Byblos (in present-day Lebanon). She brought him back to Egypt and hid him. But Seth, having learned about this cache, dismembered the body and scattered its parts in different sides. Then the two sisters called out in a memorial cry to the gods, begging Ra, Thoth and Anubis to heed their requests and revive the god.

Isis miraculously conceived from the deceased Osiris son - Horus. Having been born, little Horus did not fail to avenge Seth for his father. And Osiris, resurrected by the boundless love of his wife, became the lord of the night and everything beyond, reigning in the afterlife. He left power over the day and the world of the living to the god Ra.

Cult of Osiris

As often happens in ancient beliefs, the image of Osiris appeared as a result of the merger of the cults of local deities. Researchers believe that one of them was Anjeti of Busiris, and the other was Khentamentiu of Abydos. It was in these two cities that Osiris was revered the most.

From Anjenti probably comes the kingship of Osiris (which he will never lose). And from the second deity, he received the title of "lord of the West", that is, the lord of the dead. Osiris, as the god of funeral rituals and the lord of the underworld, was unanimously worshiped by all the Egyptians. The enthusiasm with which he was glorified is explained by the fact that it was Osiris who was presented as the last judge of people. This new god-friend is undoubtedly worth two old ones, because it is with him that you will meet on the threshold of a new life!

Abydos: city of Osiris
Pharaohs of all dynasties, including the very first, favorably treated Abydos, because it was the city of Khentamentiu, the predecessor of Osiris. Representatives of the 1st and 2nd dynasty were buried here. By the period of the V and VI dynasties, Khentamentiu was gradually identified with the Osiris of Lower Egypt. It was then that the cult acquired impressive proportions. During the Middle Kingdom era, Abydos became a very popular place of worship. Pilgrims from all over Egypt came here, in addition, the priests announced that the head of a god was kept in the city. Many Egyptians sought to propitiate Osiris, especially at the onset of old age. They erected small brick cenotaphs (funeral monuments) and stone stelae between the temple of Osiris and the traditional necropolises. Initially, this temple was dedicated to Khentamentiu, but from the time of the XII dynasty it became the sanctuary of Osiris. This ancient building is built of bricks. Only the frames of window and door openings were made of stone. This explains the almost complete disappearance of the ruins of the sanctuary. Because of the belief in the mystical presence of the god, many pharaohs erected their mortuary temples at Abydos. The first of these was the temple of Sesostris III.

Any burial is part of the cult of Osiris

Isis conceived Horus, who was born after the death of Osiris and became his heir. Horus fought tirelessly against his uncle Seth to regain his claim to the throne. But the heavenly court intervened in their struggle, and the gods accepted Horus into their circle. By analogy, every reigning pharaoh during his lifetime is identified with Horus. When he dies, he becomes Osiris.

However, mere mortals found hope for a new life only in the era of the Middle Kingdom, as Egyptologist Serge Soneron (IFAO) writes: “On the eve of the Middle Kingdom, all the dead began to be considered Osiris, and thus humanity, which could once participate in the conquest of heaven only indirectly, through the deceased the lord, who embodied the vague and faceless collective image of his people, got the opportunity to follow Osiris to the other world, democratically open to everyone. What does it mean to be Osiris? His life path and the love of his wife, Isis, make this god close and understandable to every Egyptian. Having opened the way to a new life, Osiris gave people the key to a new kingdom - the afterlife. Therefore, Osiris is addressed during various stages of the burial ritual: during the embalming, ritual opening of the mouth (which returns the breath to the deceased), during the procession, etc. All the deceased and embalmed pharaohs portray Osiris: they are wrapped in a white shroud, crowned with an atef crown holding divine symbols of power in their hands. The paintings in their tombs also inform about the new role of the pharaoh.

The symbols of power that Osiris holds in his hands first of all remind that this god is the founder of the Egyptian kingdom, but their origin is clear to ordinary people. Curved at the end of the heka scepter, the Magic wand (the word heka means "magic"), is similar in shape to a shepherd's staff. Aflagellum (or nekheh) resembles a whip used to collect incense. The atef crown symbolizes the fertility of the lands of Egypt. Its outlines are similar to the ears of a sheaf of wheat pulled together at the top. This indicates that Osiris, according to legend, taught people how to cultivate the land. Two feathers (probably ostrich) on the sides of the headdress indicate the highest rank of the god. Osiris is a deity who embodies agriculture and pastoralism, which underlay the ancient Egyptian civilization.

memphis festivities

In Memphis, a unique festival was celebrated in honor of Osiris: "the erection of the column of the djed." This ritual connected Osiris with royal power, which he endowed with divine power. On the eve of the coronation and on the days of anniversaries, the pharaoh himself led the installation of the monumental djed column, symbolizing the permanence and longevity that Osiris embodied.

Holidays and ceremonies

The main holidays of the cult of Osiris are celebrated in the month of Khoyak (October - November), between the decline of the Nile waters and the beginning of sowing. The soil, fertilized by the silt brought during the floods, can soon be sown. This earthly symbolism of rebirth, which the entire human race dreams of, is the basis of the rites of worship of Osiris.

The festivities begin with public rituals taking place outside the temple (closed to mere mortals). God is taken out to the people in a Nekhmet boat, with a statue of Upuaut. This jackal-god, "opener of paths", plays the role of a psychopomp (guide of souls). He accompanies the dead to the grave and helps them to be reborn. The victory of Upuaut over the insidious demons is also the victory of Osiris, who fights with the mummers throughout the festive procession.

Then comes the "Big Exit", a realistic and at times somewhat violent performance that recreates the battle between the allies and enemies of Osiris. Of course, the god emerges victorious from the fight and returns to his temple, escorted by a jubilant crowd.

Jed column

The djed column is one of the most common symbols of Ancient Egypt. She was painted on the walls of tombs, her image was worn around the neck as an amulet for both the living and the mummies. Its outlines were reflected in hieroglyphic writing: the hieroglyph "column" means "permanence" and "longevity". This fetish has a very ancient origin. Some scholars believe that the djed was originally a tree. Chapter 155 of the Book of the Dead connects him to the spine of Osiris and therefore to death. Therefore, this sign was often depicted inside sarcophagi. Others see it as a nilometer, a pillar that measured the level of the Nile floods. Too much or too little rise in water had a bad effect on crops, and a measuring post made it possible to know what to be prepared for.

Fruitful Osiris

Other ceremonies are performed secretly, in temples, away from the crowds, in the circle of high-ranking priests, and sometimes in the presence of the pharaoh himself. Their goal is to secure the mystical resurrection of Osiris.

How did this ritual go? First, in the silt brought from the river, they painted the image of Osiris. While it was still wet, it was sown with grain, which was watered for the next nine days. When shoots appeared on the surface, this "fruitful Osiris" was solemnly transferred to the boat, accompanied by a procession with 365 torches.

The boat, sailing through the sacred waters of the temple lake, reached the island, symbolizing the mound where the god was buried. When she approached, sprouted Osiris was carried out of her. The withered last year's image was removed and a verdant god was placed in the same place.

Thus, the annual renewal cycle was closed. The life-giving forces of nature were restored, and a new cycle could begin. Nine days of watering, silt in which grains sprout... The connection with the bearing and birth of a new life is obvious. This is the life of Osiris in the other world! It is no coincidence that the Egyptian god was later identified with the ancient Greek Dionysus, the god of winemaking, the productive forces of nature, and Priapus, the god of fertility, fields and gardens.

Names of Osiris

The inhabitants of Ancient Egypt believed that one name is not enough for a divine being, whether it be a pharaoh or a god. So Osiris received many titles.

He is the lord of the West: to the west of the Nile, the desert began, over which the sun set every evening. A sunset is a very symbolic image of death. The Egyptians believed that in the west, under the earth, there was an afterlife (duat) and the sun had to cross it every night. Osiris, who managed to be reborn after death, was perceived as the ruler of this world, the lord of the West, in other words, the king of the dead!

He is the "Lord of Maat": the word maat means "truth and justice". These virtues are embodied by the goddess Maat. People who lived "according to Maat" could hope that they would be acquitted at the last judgment. This judgment is administered by Osiris himself, and when the heart of the deceased (the receptacle of the soul) is weighed, Maat appears in the form of a weight on the other side of the scale. If the weight-maat outweighs, then the burden of errors is not too great. And then the deceased finds a new life in the kingdom of Osiris.
He is the Lord of Eternity. This seems natural, because the power of Osiris extends over the afterlife. And eternity is promised to every dead person admitted into it. Whether a person is worthy or not - this, as we have already said, determines the judgment of Osiris.

He is the "Good Being" (unefer). This name reminds us of the enlightenment that Osiris gave to the first people. And that it was he who made the first plow and taught people how to farm and garden.

Osiris- the main god of the underworld, its king. One of the most important gods in the Egyptian pantheon of deities. The Egyptians called him Usir, and Osiris is already a Greekized form of this name. Depicted as a man, the lower part of which - the torso and legs - are bandaged, like a mummy. In his hands he holds signs-scepters of the kingship - a hook and a flail.

The distinctive headdress of the deity is his crown - the atef crown. It consists of a tall conical hat with two feathers on the sides.

Also sometimes the god's headdress includes ram's horns. The first found image of Osiris refers to the reign of the pharaoh of the 5th dynasty, Djedkara Isesi (c. 2413 - 2381 BC). Sometimes the skin of the deity has green color, which emphasizes his aspects as a god of abundance and fertility.

Among Egyptologists there is no unity regarding the etymology (i.e. origin and meaning) of the name of this deity. The most common point of view is the connection of his name (Usir) with the ancient Egyptian word "voser" (ws "ir), which can be translated as "powerful one."

Osiris and the Pyramid Texts

The genealogy (origin) of this divine person is described in the inscriptions carved on the inner walls of the pyramids of the 5th dynasty - "Pyramid Texts". According to these texts, Egyptiangod Osiris was the eldest of the children (along with Isis, Seth, Nephthys) of the earth god Geb and the sky goddess Nut, who, in turn, were the children of Shu and Tefnut, who were born by the god Atum.

Thus, he is one of the nine most important gods - "enneads" - the city of Heliopolis, which was one of the main theological centers of ancient Egypt. The Heliopolis Ennead was ancient system which explained the origin of the gods (theogony) and the origin of the universe and man (cosmology).

The place of his birth was considered the desert, located west of Memphis - it was there, according to the ancient Egyptians, that the underworld began. Later, when the religious images and cults of various regions of Egypt were transformed into a more complex religious system, the neighborhood of Thebes was sometimes considered the birthplace of the god. 14 cities in Egypt had sacred sites or tombs that were revered as tomb of Osiris.

The myth of Osiris

Stories about the murder and resurrection of this deity are among the most important myths of Ancient Egypt. Most consistently outlined the myth of Osiris Greek writer Plutarch. Here summary this myth. According to this version, he was originally an earthly king, and ruled in Egypt together with his wife (and sister at the same time) Isis. He was the fourth Egyptian pharaoh after his great-grandfather Atum (Ra-Atum), grandfather Shu and father Geb who ruled before him.

He taught people how to grow crops, keep the laws and honor the gods. Moreover, this was done by the power of his songs, and not by weapons (which allowed the Greeks to sometimes identify Osiris with their god Dionysus).

His good rule, the love that he enjoyed among people, caused jealousy and hatred on the part of his brother, Seth (in Plutarch, he has the name Typhon). Set announced that he would present a beautiful sarcophagus (that is, a coffin) to whom it would fit in size; he himself made a sarcophagus, using pre-taken measurements from his sibling.

Osiris lay down in the sarcophagus - and it turned out to be just right for him in size. While he was rejoicing, Seth arrived in time with other conspirators (there were 72 of them). Together they slammed the lid of the sarcophagus, even soldered everything with lead, and then threw it into the Nile. The sarcophagus did not sink, but floated with the flow. The river carried the sealed box to the shore near Byblos, where a tree immediately grew in this place.

The inconsolable Isis, who has not lost the ability to act decisively and quickly from grief, finds a sarcophagus with her dead husband. She returns his body to Egypt, to the Delta, where she intended to perform a funeral ceremony. However, the insidious Seth, taking advantage of the fact that Isis left her husband’s body for a while, cut the deceased into many parts, which he scattered throughout Egypt.

And again Isis began to search for her husband. In every place in Egypt where she found a body part, funeral rites were performed. Having collected all the parts of her husband, Isis reunited them together, and after that the body was mummified.

The fragments of the ancient Egyptian myths about Osiris and Isis that we know today contain some details that Plutarch lacks. It is possible that Plutarch, who professed a different religion, simply did not include them in his version. In Plutarch, the central character, even before his death, had a son, Horus, from his marriage to Isis.

Egyptian myths say that Horus was conceived by Isis from her husband after the death of the latter. It is described as follows, with the help of magic, Isis, waving her wings, creating the air of life, temporarily revived the mummy of her husband and conceived Horus from him.

Cult of Osiris in Ancient Egypt

Osiris has been worshiped since a very early period in ancient Egyptian history. It is assumed that he was originally a god of abundance, whose duty it was to ensure good harvest; in this capacity was associated with the Nile flood. He quickly became the god of resurrection.

In the Old Kingdom, the deceased pharaoh was identified with Osiris, and his successor - the living king - with Horus, the son of a deity. Later, it was believed, as can be seen, for example, from the Texts of the Sarcophagi and the Book of the Dead, that each deceased took on the features of Osiris, that is, it was believed that he would also come to life after death.

main center Cult of Osiris in Ancient Egypt was Abydos, the capital of the eighth nome in Upper Egypt, the burial place of the pharaohs (see Map of Ancient Egypt). The lord of the underworld, his wife Isis and their son Horus made up the most important trinity of the gods of Abydos. A very important place of pilgrimage there was the tomb of one of the ancient kings of the first dynasty - Pharaoh Djer, which later became revered as the tomb of Osiris.

A festival dedicated to the deity was held annually in Abydos. During the celebration, the boat of the god was carried in a huge procession, marking his victories over his enemies. Abydos was also believed to be the place where the god's head was buried after his body was chopped into pieces by Set. The emblem of the city (noma) depicted a head with a crown "atef" - the crown of the king of the underworld.

Other the most important center veneration of the deity was the city of Dzhedu (Busiris), which, in fact, was the place where his cult arose. Despite the presence of these obvious centers, the cult of Osiris in ancient Egypt spread throughout the country, and later spread beyond its borders - in Libya, Nubia, Mesopotamia, Greece, etc.

Death of Osiris. From the earthly king to the kings of the underworld

The Pyramid Texts say that Osiris was the ruler of Egypt in the pre-dynastic period. However, information about this reign, which ended with his assassination at the hands of his own brother Seth, is extremely scarce. It seems that earthly life the god of the afterlife is included in the cycle of myths about Osiris only in order to make his paternal attitude towards the Egyptian king more understandable. Since after his death, Horus, the son of God, becomes the ruler of Egypt, defeating Set, thus ensuring, on the one hand, the “divinity” of the pharaohs themselves, on the other hand, their close connection with Osiris, as the forerunner of all pharaohs.

From the "Texts of the Sarcophagi" of the era of the Middle Kingdom, it follows that Set attacked his brother in the land of Gahesty and killed him on the banks of the Nedyet. There is also a hint of death of Osiris from drowning near Memphis. This connection of the god of the underworld with water was developed in more detail in a later period, when the events related to his death and resurrection were already connected with the Nile.

The insidious Seth not only lured his gullible brother into a chest (sarcophagus), which was then thrown into the river, but also chopped the body of the deceased into pieces. According to one version of these parts, there were 14, according to another - 16, and according to another - 42. The first figure is undoubtedly connected with the number of cities and temples that claimed that the tomb of Osiris (his grave) is located exactly at them. The last figure is related to the number of nomes - the regions of Ancient Egypt.

In Upper Egypt there were 22 nomes, in Lower Egypt - 20, for a total of 42. It was natural for the Egyptians to believe that in each administrative unit of the country there is (was) a part of the body of the national god. This corresponded to the state ideology, national self-consciousness and identification, the unity of the country.

Myths in the presentation of Plutarch conveyed some details of where and what parts of the body were (were buried):
Sebennutos - thigh and lower leg;
Heracleopolis - thigh, head, two legs;
Atribis - heart;
Abydos - head;
Edfu - leg;
biga island - left leg.

Thus, the veneration of relics, sacred remains, body parts of divine personalities also came to us from Ancient Egypt. The fact that the same parts were in different places is not an obstacle to the religious worldview. Just like the presence of several tombs of Osiris. Suffice it to recall that in much later Christianity there are several of the same sacred relics, for example, the heads of John the Baptist.

The devotion to the deity's sister and wife, the goddess Isis, which became a highly developed motif in the later versions of the Osiris legends, is already present in the earliest versions of the myth. After a long search, she finds the pieces of her slashed husband and puts his flesh back together.

After that, the ritual of embalming the god was performed in Abydos (the gods Anubis and Thoth played an important role in this). That is why he is depicted as a mummy, with legs and body (excluding arms and head) tightly wrapped in linen.

Despite his miraculous resurrection, Osiris no longer claims the Egyptian throne. He becomes the king of the underworld, leaving his son Horus to fight for the Egyptian throne with Seth.

Isis and Osiris

How was the god Horus born? Isis and Osiris were married couple, but during the earthly life of Osiris - before his murder - they had no children.

Here is what the ancient Egyptian myths say about it. When Isis found and put together the body of her husband, cut into pieces, she began magical rites over her murdered husband.

According to the myths, she managed to breathe life into the deceased so much that he was able to have sexual intercourse with Isis and impregnate her. Thanks to this, Isis became pregnant and subsequently gave birth to a son, Horus.

The piquancy of this story is that, according to one version of the myth, Seth, having scattered the body of a gullible brother cut into 14 parts throughout Egypt, threw the phallus of the god into the Nile, where it was eaten by fish.

Isis, using her magic, created an artificial phallus for her husband. The ancient Egyptians had a separate cult and festival dedicated to this event. It should be noted that according to another mythological tradition, the phallus of the god was not damaged and was in Memphis, where it was found by Isis

Judgment of Osiris

By the time of the New Kingdom, a religious concept was formed and took shape, according to which Osiris, at the head of 42 gods, carries out judgment on the soul of the deceased. The king of the underworld is shown seated on a throne in the Hall of Two Truths, where every dead person is brought.

The deceased takes an oath that during his earthly life he was a God-fearing and obedient person to earthly authorities. All the formulas of this oath begin with the preposition "not": did not violate, did not deceive, etc. That is why it is called the "negation vow".

What follows is the weighing procedure on the scales of truth. On one bowl is the heart of the deceased, on the other - the feather of the goddess Maat. If the sins of a person were great, then the cup with the heart outweighs the other cup. If the person was pious, then the scales are equalized.

From what verdict will make court of Osiris, the fate of the deceased depends - either he will fall into the fertile fields of Iar, where he will remain in contentment and joy, or his heart will be eaten by the ruthless monster Ammut, which will make his death final, and resurrection impossible. The scene of the trial of Osiris is both the central plot and the finale of the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Since all Egyptians will have to appear before the court of Osiris, his cult becomes dominant in the era of the New Kingdom, and the ruler of the underworld is perceived and revered as the greatest of the gods.

These ideas about him as a just judge and savior of the dead are characteristic of all the last stages of the history of Ancient Egypt. There were encouraging and comforting ideas in this concept for the widest sections of the population. The posthumous fate of a person does not depend on his wealth and position on earth. It depends only on the moral qualities and actions of the person himself, as well as on good will king of the underworld.

Epithets of Osiris

Osiris is one of the most complex divine images of the ancient Egyptians. From the local deity of the city of Jedu in the western part of the Delta, where he largely adopted the features of the also local god Anjeti, Osiris becomes one of the most universal gods of Ancient Egypt. Over time, this image began to include the features and characteristics of many other gods, and they themselves turned into hypostases of this deity.

"He who protects burials." In the west of the Nile, where most of the cemeteries were located, the sun set in the Duat (the afterlife underworld). He took on the features of Khentiamenti, the god of the Abydos necropolis.

"He who lives in Jedu (Busiris)." This epithet is associated with the cult center of the deity - the city of Busiris in the Delta (Lower Egypt). It is believed that it was from the local god of these places, Anjeti, depicted with a flail and a hook in his hands, that these attributes passed to Osiris.

"He who dwells in Heliopolis." By this epithet, he is associated with the most important ancient center of worship of the sun - a dying and resurrecting deity.

"He who dwells in Orion." This epithet connects the deity to an important constellation of stars and shows the stellar element in it, in contrast to the predominant subterranean aspect.

"He who lives in Serket's house." Serket (Selket) is the patron goddess of the dead. This epithet shows the close connection of the ruler of the underworld with the scorpion goddess, who plays an important role in the ancient Egyptian cult of the dead as the guardian of human remains.

"He who is in the embalming room." In a special room, embalmers turned the body of the deceased into a mummy. It was believed that this process takes place with the direct participation and protection of the king of the underworld. In this case, he takes on the features of Anubis.

"He who is in fumigation." Embalming and mummification was accompanied by fumigation with incense. By creating a specific aromatic atmosphere, the ancient Egyptians counteracted the fear that death caused by its decomposition and rotting of the body.

"He who was placed in the sarcophagus." This epithet is only partly connected with the legend, known to us from the version given by the Greek writer Plutarch, that Set lured his brother into a box (sarcophagus) by cunning. The main content of the epithet is the patronage of Osiris to the dead, whose bodies were placed in sarcophagi.

Thus, the main epithets of the deity are associated with funeral procedures. Initially, they applied only to the funeral of the king (pharaoh), but gradually their application became widespread, including the entire population of Egypt. Osiris became the chief funerary god and king of the underworld.

Osiris and pharaoh

In the era of the Old Kingdom, Osiris was associated almost exclusively with the pharaoh. When the ruler of Egypt dies, he becomes none other than Osiris, the king of the Duat, the underworld.

In the texts carved in the pyramids of the 5th and 6th dynasties, the deceased king is sometimes referred to by the name of a god, for example, Osiris Unas or Osiris Pepi. That is, the pharaoh did not die, but turned into a god.

However, it should be noted that even in these early sources, there are also moments that indicate that the monarchs wanted to be with the sun god in the sky, and not live in the unknown and dark regions of the Duat. In particular, one of the texts says that Ra will not transfer the king to the king of the underworld, and the other contains a spell so that the god of the underworld will leave the royal grave free from "his evil."

In the era of the Middle Kingdom, there are such descriptions of the ruler of the underworld in the Texts of the Sarcophagi, which make him more like an evil demon than a good protector and patron.

However, these darker aspects of Osiris never predominated in the description of this deity, and did not abolish his role as the personification of the deceased kingship.

Osiris and Ra

The Egyptian worldview is characterized by dualism, which manifests itself both in views on nature and in religious and mythological constructions.

The roots of this dualism are in the surrounding reality itself: top-bottom, damp-dry, light-dark, hot-cold, etc. And the gods were perceived by the Egyptians dualistically.

Each god has a kind of second dual half. The king of the underworld is the god of the sun Ra.

On the one hand, Osiris is the light of the underworld, an underground copy of the solar god Ra. On the other hand, Ra takes part in the funeral ceremonies of Osiris, every night the boat of Ra sails along the underground Nile in the domain of the god of the underworld (afterlife). According to some texts of the "Book of the Dead" of the New Kingdom period, after the death of Osiris, in the darkest hour of the night, the soul of the sun god Ra reached the cave where the body of the deceased lay, and united with the soul of Osiris. This allowed Osiris and all the dead to wake up and live again. In the understanding of the Egyptians, Osiris and Ra acted as a kind of Double Soul.

However, it is within the concept of dualism that there is constant competition between the gods. Characteristic is the mythological story in which Osiris emphasizes his own importance as an agricultural deity in the production of wheat and barley, the most important agricultural crops of Ancient Egypt. Ra in this story declares that crops exist independently of the lord of the underworld.

When Horus entered the fight for the Egyptian throne against the murderer of his father, Seth, Ra supported Seth at first, not Horus. And only after the intervention of Isis, which actually forced Ra to change his position, he supported Horus. But at the same time, Set did not lose his favor - Ra took him into his boat, and Set faithfully began to protect the solar god from the worst enemy -

Osiris occupies the most important place. In ancient Egypt, stretched along the longest Nile, there was neither a coherent mythology, nor a single image of the gods, as was the case, for example, among the ancient Greeks. The Egyptian pictograms have not been fully deciphered, but the myth of the god Osiris is generally known through the writings of Plutarch.

The beginning of the life of Osiris

Initially, it was believed that the god Osiris was born in the desert, which separated the kingdom of the living from the kingdom of the dead, by the sky goddess Nut from her husband Geb, who ruled the earth. He had a younger envious and treacherous brother Seth, a sister-wife - the wise Isis - and a sister Nebekhtet, or, in Greek, Nephthys, who was the wife of Seth. This couple had no children. The reasons are strange. Either Set was barren, or Nephthys did not have a vagina. Nevertheless, she gave birth either from Osiris, or from Ra, the son of Anubis. Inconsistency and lack of logic is characteristic of the entire mythological system of Egypt.

mythological tales

The king of Egypt, Osiris, wisely ruled his country with Isis. He was the 4th god, after great-grandfather Atum, grandfather Shu and father Geb. With songs, and not with weapons and threats, Osiris taught his subjects agriculture, gardening and viticulture. They made wine from grapes. These ideas go to the depths of tribal society. For the ancient Egyptians, Osiris is the god-producer, to whom nature is subordinate.

The insidious Seth was jealous of his older brother and wanted to take his place on the throne. He made a magnificently decorated sarcophagus, secretly taking measurements from Osiris, and arranged a feast. He announced to all those invited that he would give the sarcophagus to the one who would fit it. Osiris, unaware of the impending betrayal, lay down in it. The lid was quickly slammed shut and soldered with lead and thrown into the Nile. great river did not accept the sarcophagus, but carried it ashore next to Byblos. Immediately, a huge tree grew instantly, which entwined the sarcophagus with its roots. The ruler of Byblos gave the order to cut it down and bring it to the palace. It was made into a support for the roof. But it was in the tree that the sarcophagus was located. Isis at this time languished in prison, planted there by Seth. But she was helped to escape.

The inconsolable Isis, cutting off her hair (a kind of tonsure as a nun) and putting on mourning, rushed in search of her husband. She found this tree in the palace and asked him to give it to her.

Rebirth of Osiris

Preparing for burial, Isis inadvertently left her husband's body unguarded. Seth, according to some sources, cut his body into 15 pieces, according to others - into 42, and scattered it throughout Egypt. Isis decided to collect the body, revive the deceased spouse in order to conceive a son. He must grow up and avenge his father. The body was assembled, but one detail was missing, without which married life is impossible: Seth threw it into the water, and the fish ate it.

Some sources say that Isis made the phallus out of clay. Her wisdom helped her to a short time bring Osiris back to life. So the couple conceived a son, who was named Horus. When Horus grew up, he fought Set and defeated him.
He gave the Eye of Set to be eaten by his father and thereby resurrected him. Osiris gave the earthly world to his Horus, and he himself went to the afterlife.

Rites of the priests

Every year the priests of Isis held a solemn celebration of the reunion of all parts of the body of Osiris. A sacrificial fire was kindled, around it, intoxicated with potions and drinks, the priests danced to the sounds of tambourines, drums and flutes. At the moment of apogee, the chief priest exclaimed: "Phallus!" - and many servants of Isis sharp knives castrated themselves by throwing their victim into the fire. Those who survived enjoyed incredible respect.

Osiris - god of the underworld

Leaving this world to his son Horus, Osiris retired to the underworld. Here Osiris is the god who rules over the souls of the dead. In the hall of Justice, the soul of a deceased person takes an oath, in which he convinces everyone that he did not do evil deeds on earth: he did not kill, did not slander, did not steal other people's property.

First, Ra listens to her, then Osiris, the god of this kingdom, then 42 judges, each of whom checks one of the oaths. After that, his soul (heart in other sources) is placed on one of the scales, and on the other - a feather from the wing of the goddess Maat. If the scales are balanced, then he enters the heavenly fertile fields, iaru. The sinner was sentenced to complete darkness without light and heat (according to the "Book of the Dead"), or, according to another version, he was devoured by a monster - a lion with the head of a crocodile. Osiris is the god who passively and calmly observed the entire procedure of the court.

What else did Osiris rule over?

During the dry period, the life of the farmer froze, and only when the Nile flooded and brought muddy deposits to the fields, the life of the peasant began anew. If we ask the question: "Osiris is the god of what?" - then the answer will be: the god of the revival of nature. It was believed that he patronized the farmers and gave them a plow. The question "Osiris is the god of what?" has also the answer that this is the god of new life, reborn after cold winter, agriculture, abundance and fertility. In the spring, under his protection, everything flourished on well-groomed arable lands, in the summer it bore fruit, and in the fall the harvest was gathered. The fertilizing power never left him.

What does the god Osiris look like?

God was primarily depicted zoomorphically. He had the head of a bull, and his legs were wrapped around like those of mummies. Later, they began to draw him anthropomorphically - in the form of a mummy man with green skin on his face and often green hands.

They are free and hold two symbols of power - a scepter and a flail (heket and neheku) or, in other words, a chain and a hook. On the head is a crown ("atef"), which looks like a high narrow hat. It has two feathers attached to it. Osiris was often depicted with a lotus that grows in water, as well as on a throne under trees entwined with grapes.

Cult of Osiris

The Egyptian god Osiris was one of the most revered because he gave life to everything on earth. People used to call on him often. The largest religious buildings were temples in the Nile Delta in Dzhedu (Greek Busiris) and in Abydos. The cult of the deity originated in Busiris. Pilgrims from all over Egypt went to both places, especially to Abydos. The first pharaoh Djed was buried there. Later, his grave was identified with the tomb of Osiris. Every year, magnificent holidays were held in it, when the boat of God, made of papyrus, was carried in the arms. This was how victories over his enemies were celebrated.

Naumova Anastasia

Osiris

Summary of the myth

God Osiris
Painting from the tomb
Sennedjema
fragment, 13th century BC.

Osiris (Greek Ὄσῑρις - the Greekized form of the Egyptian name Usir) is the greatest of the gods in ancient Egyptian mythology, the god of the productive forces of nature, the god of rebirth, the lord of the underworld, the judge in the kingdom of the dead. Reigning over Egypt, Osiris taught the Egyptians agriculture, horticulture, viticulture and winemaking, the extraction and processing of copper and gold ore, the art of medicine, the construction of cities, and established the cult of the gods.

According to legend, Osiris was the eldest son of the earth god Geb and the sky goddess Nut, the brother and husband of the goddess of fertility Isis, the brother of the “mistress of the house” - the goddess Nephthys, the brother of the god of rage, war and death Set, the father of the god of heaven and royalty Horus and the patron god dead Anubis.

Osiris was the fourth of the gods who reigned on earth in early times. He inherited from his father the throne of two Egypts. This was during the time of the divine dynasties. The creator of the world Ra and his descendants Shu and Geb already ruled on earth. Having grown old and tired of human ingratitude, they retired to heaven without knowing death. Legend has it that ever since its creation, rebellious humanity has been waiting for a god to bring it into obedience. This leader was Osiris. When he was born, "a voice proclaimed to the world that the Lord of all things had come into being." Osiris succeeded where his ancestors failed, and he owes this, perhaps, to the magical charms of Isis, his sister-wife. The divine couple overcame all obstacles with the charm of beauty, wisdom and kindness.

God Osiris
Painting, VIII century. BC e.

However, the evil god of the desert, younger brother Osiris - Seth, planned to kill him and become the earthly ruler. He prepared a casket according to the height of Osiris and invited him to a feast. The casket, adorned with jewels, was supposed to go to the one who would fit. When Osiris, following the example of other guests, lay down in it, Seth and his friends nailed the casket and threw it into the Nile.

Upon learning of this, Isis went in search of her husband's body. Returning to Egypt, Isis hid the body of Osiris in the Nile Delta. But Seth, who was hunting here, accidentally discovered the body of his brother. Then he tore it into fourteen pieces and scattered them throughout Egypt. However, Isis, with the help of the gods, collected all the parts of the body of Osiris, connected them and made the first mummy out of her dead husband. Possessing knowledge of the secrets of witchcraft, Isis gave birth to the son of Horus from her dead husband. Growing up, Horus fought Set and let the dead Osiris swallow his eye. Wadjet Gora (protective eye) resurrected Osiris from the dead, but he did not want to return to earth and remained the king of the dead, becoming the lord of the underworld. Osiris bequeathed Horus to rule the kingdom of the living, blessing him to fight Set.

Images and symbols of myth

The symbolic tomb of Osiris at Giza

Osiris is one of the most famous and significant gods of ancient Egypt, who embodied fertility and rebirth, conquering death.

Osiris is connected with nature, and this connection continued throughout the history of Egypt. Usually he was depicted sitting among the trees or with a vine, sometimes wrapping around his figure. The body color of Osiris can be white, like burial shrouds, but more often black, like the fertile Egyptian land, or green, as a symbol of the rebirth of the forces of nature.

It was believed that, like everything flora, Osiris dies every year and is reborn to a new life, the life force is always preserved in him, even in the dead.

As the god of the dead and the king of the underworld, Osiris was perceived as the judge of the underworld. It was believed that the deceased appears before him, whose heart is weighed on the scales, where on one bowl lay the image of the goddess of truth Maat, and on the other - the heart of the deceased. The acquitted one fell into the "paradise fields" of Iar, enjoyed eternal life.

At first, Osiris was identified only with the dead and reborn king. In the Pyramid Texts, the pharaoh after death is likened to Osiris, he is called the name of Osiris. But since the era of the Middle Kingdom, every dead Egyptian is identified with Osiris. This is explained by the fact that the deceased, like Osiris, comes to life after death. In all funeral texts, the name of the deceased is preceded by the name of Osiris.

With the importance of Osiris as the ruler of fertility and the funeral cult, the most important part of his essence was the revival of vitality as a result of the victory over death and the acquisition of eternal life.

Statue of the god Osiris
New Kingdom

The myths of Osiris are rich in symbolism. Usually, Osiris was depicted in human form, dressed in a shroud, with arms crossed on his chest, in which he holds the main symbols of supreme power - the royal scepters heket and nehehu (scepter and whip) - the most important attributes of the supreme deity. An important attribute of Osiris is the atef crown, consisting of a high pin-shaped central part framed by two high feathers, usually of a heavenly color, which is a symbol of deity and greatness. Osiris is often depicted with two crowns - Upper Egypt with a solar disk and with feathers. On the images of the tomb of Osiris, greenery is often present: it can be a tree growing next to the tomb, where the soul of Osiris resides in the form of a phoenix; or a tree that sprouted through the tomb and entwined it with its branches and roots; or four trees grow from the tomb itself.

An important symbol of Osiris is the sacred boat Neshmet. During the mysteries in honor of Osiris, his symbolic incarnation leaves the temple at the beginning of the festival to return back awakened from death. According to legend, Neshmet, together with the resurgent deity, brought eternal life to the king and his ancestors. The Egyptians themselves wanted to take part in the Neshmet trip after their death in order to be resurrected just like Osiris. The image of the solar ship was associated with thoughts about the resettlement of the dead, which gave people hope for the afterlife.

In the myths about Osiris, there is a story about the falcon eye of Horus, which Set wrested from him in battle. Healed by the gods, Horus used the eye of Horus to resurrect his father, the god Osiris. After Osiris swallowed the eye of Horus, his dismembered body fused like a regenerated eye. Since then, the eye of Horus has become an amulet worn by both pharaohs and ordinary Egyptians.

Communicative means of creating images and symbols of myth

Osiris and Isis with Horus. Hermitage

From the very first times of united Egypt, a god arose, whose cult spread to all cities. This god was Osiris.

Every year in Egypt they celebrated the resurrection of Osiris, which marked the awakening to life of all vegetable nature. Perhaps the most important were the celebrations in honor of Osiris. This is explained by the connection between Osiris and the entire natural world.

A great festival of Osiris was held annually at Abydos, central part which was called the mysteries. It consisted of many ceremonies and processions that symbolically represented episodes from the life of the god.

The main part of the festivities associated with Osiris, as a rule, was the ceremony of making his "likeness", or "images". Such likenesses were usually made from earth mixed with silt, which was shaped into the body of Osiris. Sacred grains of cereals were placed inside, which, sprouting, symbolized the victory of Osiris over death and the rebirth of life. At the end of the year, the sprouted image of God, considered the greatest shrine, was placed in a sarcophagus and a special tomb in a special temple necropolis, or in the tomb of the deceased king. In the mysteries, the cutting of ears meant the murder of Osiris; sowing grain - burial, seedlings - his resurrection.

Proof of the veneration of Osiris by the Egyptians are the numerous centers of the cult of Osiris. According to legend, where Isis found parts of her husband's body, torn by Set, she erected sanctuaries in memory of her deceased wife. Thus, 14 sanctuaries appeared, which became the sacred centers of all Egypt. Busiris was considered the location of the spine of Osiris, or the column of Djed, the famous symbol, one of the main meanings of which was stability and inviolability, and the island of Abaton (“forbidden”), located next to the island of Isis Philae, was the repository of the heart of God.

The main cult center of Osiris was located in the south of the country. in Abydos, ancient city Abjiu was buried the head of a god.

The main cult centers were considered Busiris and Abydos (the burial place of the pharaohs), later - the islands of Philae and Bige.

Osiris is repeatedly mentioned by ancient authors: Herodotus, Tibull, Diodorus, Plutarch.

According to Herodotus, Osiris is the god whom the Egyptians believe to be Dionysus. Diodorus notes his connection with Priapus (the deity of fertility of Asia Minor origin).

In addition, as the god of the underworld, Osiris influenced the traditions of the burial of the dead. Following the example of Osiris, in order to gain eternal life, the body of the deceased was embalmed, thereby becoming like the body of Osiris, from which Isis and Anubis made the first mummy. Thus, the rite of mummification is a kind of tribute to the great god Osiris.

Numerous statues of Osiris, wall paintings, frescoes, mysteries, the rite of mummification - all this contributed to the strengthening and prosperity of the cult of Osiris.

The social significance of the myth

Temple of the god Osiris. Abydos, Egypt

Osiris is positioned as a beneficent god. He was called "The Good Being" (Unefer), i.e. one who dedicated himself to the salvation of all people. He weaned man from cannibalism, taught agriculture, medicine and other arts. Having provided people with means of defense, Osiris introduced them to spiritual and social life. He endowed them with a capital - Hundred Gate Thebes. Osiris subordinated people to laws, taught them knowledge and morality, worship of the gods. Thanks to him, people learned to read starry sky cognizing life that goes beyond the earthly. According to the myths, Osiris rarely resorted to the power of weapons: people themselves followed him, fascinated by words, the charms of dance and music.

According to legend, every dead person appears before Osiris, as a judge in the Underworld, and then his future fate is decided: hell or paradise. This part of the myth carried colossal social significance, since it gave people the motivation to take responsibility for their actions in earthly life, because even after death they would have to answer for their actions before a formidable and fair judge.

Osiris
Relief from the Temple at Abydos

The divine couple of Osiris and Isis is a symbol of love, fidelity, self-sacrifice, overcoming obstacles and eternal life.

The cult of Osiris spread in the countries conquered by Egypt. In the Hellenic era, the cult of Osiris became widespread in Western Asia and Europe, including the Northern Black Sea region.

Combining at various times the cults of the king, the dying and resurrecting god of the productive forces of nature, the Nile, the bull, the moon, the afterlife judge at the terrible judgment, the myth of Osiris absorbed the reflection of the religious ideas of Egyptian society.

Osiris personifies greatness, beneficence, justice, the change of life and natural cycles, rebirth and eternal life.

Egyptian mythology is one of the oldest in the world. Over the years, the master of the land of the dead, the god Osiris, became the supreme god, whose cult evoked a feeling of respect and fear. It was he who decided what the soul deserved: eternal life or oblivion. Each person fell into his court, where good deeds and sins were weighed.

Divine dynasty

Myths are always interesting. they believed that everything human is not alien to the gods, and especially in feelings. Therefore, they fell in love, quarreled, gave birth to children. This is what legends tell.

Egyptian legends say that earlier the earth was an endless ocean. Waves covered her, cold and dead. The ocean was called Nun. But once a phoenix bird flew over the endless water and changed the expanses with its cry. Atum descended from the surface - the first deity. After a few generations, Osiris appeared. The forefather God realized that the sea would freeze again without wind, and created his son Shu. Together with him, the twin daughter Tefnut was born, who became the patroness of the ocean, order and thought. They were two deities with one soul, feminine and masculine. Subsequently, it was the patroness of water who helped create the world.

But the ground remained dark. The father lost his children and searched for them for a long time. To find the firstborn, he gouged out his own eye and threw it into the water. The Eye was supposed to find the children. But Atum did it himself and was so happy that a lotus appeared from the water, and from it - the lord of the sun. He wept with happiness, and his tears turned into people. Later, this god became a reflection of Atum. But the eye, which had spent its strength, was offended and in anger became a snake. Then the supreme god placed him on his crown.

Shu and Tefnut became the first heavenly couple. They had two children: Geb - the patron of the earth and Nut - the owner of the sky. They loved each other so much that they never broke their embrace. Therefore, from the very beginning, the earth and the sky were connected. But when they quarreled, Ra ordered the wind Shu to separate them. The sky goddess rose up. The height made her dizzy, so her father, the wind, supported her during the day, and lowered her to the ground every night. Mother Tefnut - the goddess of dew and rain - also held her daughter, but quickly got tired. When it was hard for her, water poured onto the ground.

In the dark, Nut met with her husband. Ra, learning about this, was angry. He cursed Nut so that she would not give birth. But through the cunning of Thoth, she was still able to have children, among whom was the god of Egypt - Osiris.

Great God's Wisdom

He - the patron of wisdom and magic - decided to help the heavenly Nut. He went to the moon and won 5 days from her by cunning. Then Nut and Geb had children. The first was Osiris. His brothers and sisters were Nephthys - the ruler of the dead, Isis - kept love and fate, Seth - evil.

Growing up, Osiris took the throne of his father Geb. This was the fourth god-pharaoh. The first thing he did when he took the throne was to teach people wisdom. Before that, the tribes lived as savages and ate their own kind. Pharaoh taught to eat and grow cereals. The one who was the symbol of wisdom came to the rescue. Together they established the main laws. He came up with names, gave names to things, gave writing, taught art and various crafts. The Egyptian god Osiris told how to worship the higher powers. He was a master of agriculture and made everyone work. With his will, people learned medicine and magic. They made wine and brewed beer. Cities were built with its installations. Processed ore and copper. The reign was called the Golden Age. The rule was carried out without bloodshed and wars. He married, according to family tradition, his sister Isis, who fell in love with him while still in the womb.

Having put his lands in order, he went to neighboring lands, where chaos still reigned. Peace and wisdom began to rule in other tribes. The wife remained on the throne, who passed on to her people the knowledge of the household and the science of family life.

Pantheon intrigues

While Osiris was sharing his experience, his brother Set secretly fell in love with Isis. His feelings were so strong that he decided to remove his brother from the world. Seth did not look for supporters for long. Many demons did not like the current situation. The brother of the god Osiris made a sarcophagus, gilded it and decorated it with expensive stones. Before that, he secretly measured the growth of the god of fertility. Then he arranged a feast, where he invited the elite of Egypt. When the guests got drunk with wine, Seth brought out the box. The audience gasped at the beauty they saw. They liked the chest. Then the god of evil said that he would give it to someone who fits perfectly there. Everyone decided to try to lie in the box, but one was cramped, the other long. When Osiris lay down there, the traitors closed the lid and boarded up the coffin. The trap worked. The box was taken out and thrown into the river. But the current did not carry the sarcophagus into the sea.

Egyptian mythology clearly indicates that beyond the Nile there is a line of life and death. The river carried him away from the land of men into the realm of souls. God, who was considered eternal, passed into the world of the dead.

Upon learning of the trick, Isis began to mourn. She grieved for a long time and searched the earth for the body of her beloved. After some time, the woman was told where they saw the coffin. But the box was overgrown with heather, and one of the kings took it to his palace like a column. Isis found out about this and began to serve in the castle as a commoner. Subsequently, the inconsolable widow carried away the sarcophagus. The cut veres that stood as a pillar was later used as a symbol of the god Osiris. When the lid was opened, the goddess burst into tears. In Egypt, she hid the box in the Nile Delta.

Great power of divine love

There was another reason why Set hated his brother. According to family tradition, the children of the same parents were married. This happened in a pair of twins Shu and Tefnut, Nut and Geb. This fate awaited their children - Osiris and Isis and Seth plus Nephthys.

He was married to his second sister. But this woman sincerely fell in love with the Egyptian pharaoh and part-time brother. One night she reincarnated as Isis and shared a bed with him. So the son of Duat Anubis was born, who became a master of mummification. The woman hid the truth from Seth for a long time. But when the situation turned against Osiris, she went over to the side of good and became an ally of her sister.

Further events unfold as follows. One evening Seth was fishing on the Nile and came across a sarcophagus. In a fit of anger, he cut his brother's body into 14 pieces and scattered them around the world. Poor Isis and her sister started looking for the body. The search was successful, they found all the pieces except the phallus. Subsequently, it was replaced with clay.

Where the part of the body was taken from, a temple was built. Seth saw the sanctuary and thought that the ashes were buried forever, not even suspecting that they want to resurrect the enemy.

The wife of the god Osiris and his supporters, sister Nephthys, friend Thoth and son Anubis, created a mummy. The process lasted 70 days. Isis was very sad because she had no children. But due to great magic, she turned into a bird Hut, said spells and became pregnant.

The fate of the heir

For a long time, the widow, who was expecting a baby, was hiding. When she gave birth, she said that her son would avenge the death of his father. The child was named Horus. Isis raised him and waited for the day when justice would prevail. The whole pantheon protected her and the baby from the bad Seth.

When Horus grew up, there was a battle with his uncle for the throne. During the war, Seth knocked out his nephew's eye. One of the legends says that when the eye returned to its owner, Chorus took it to the mummy. The son of the god Osiris stuck his eye into the body of the deceased, and he was resurrected. But the man no longer belonged to this world, but was supposed to rule the kingdom of the dead. Before parting, the father asked several riddles to Horus and made sure that his son could adequately replace him. Then he blessed the child for victory.

Since then, the Egyptians believed that everyone walks the path of Osiris, that is, dies and is resurrected. And mummification does not allow the body to smolder. Like this god, nature also resurrects every year. In the next world, he weighs the sins of people and acts as a judge.

For 80 years, the battles between uncle and nephew continued. Tired of constant wars, Set and Horus turned to the higher gods. The court decided that the throne belongs to the son of Osiris. Set became the lord of the desert and the storm. The Egyptian god Osiris and his son were the last mystical rulers. After them, people ruled the earth.

Portrait of an earthly god

The image of this creature is extremely complex and has gone through many transformations. It is believed that his first name was Jedu, and he was worshiped in the eastern part of the Nile Delta. Then his essence connected with the face of Anjeta, the patron of another city. Therefore, a staff and a shepherd's whip appeared in his hands. Over the years, he gains new strength, becomes the king of farmers and acquires a vine and a lotus.

From 1600 B.C. e. he was depicted as a sprouted grain.

At the end of the New Kingdom, they were associated with Ra. The image of the god Osiris began to be served with a solar disk above his head.

Having become the head of the dead, he did not stop showing off among the riot of plants. A pond filled with lotus blossomed in front of their feet. A tree was placed nearby, on which the soul in the face of a phoenix sat.

realm of the dead

Leaving the earthly world, God became the lord of the dead. Mythology says that he led 42 deities who decided the fate of the deceased. Everyone who passed into the afterlife, fell into the hall of two truths. The person spoke an oath of renunciation, the essence of which is that the speaker began phrases with the prefix “not”: he did not violate, he did not deceive.

The next step was the weighing procedure. The heart of the deceased was placed on the scales on one side, and the feather of the goddess of truth on the other. Osiris watched over everything. God determined the afterlife. There were two options: the happiness of the fields of Iaru, where joy and fun, or the heart of a sinner was given to the monster Ammut, which doomed him to eternal death.

The cult was so great that in the era of the New Kingdom, Osiris was the highest among the gods. This is where the new theory comes from. From now on, eternal existence awaits not only the rich, but also the poor. A ticket to heaven is an exemplary existence, morality, humility.

According to the Egyptians, relatives should have taken care of all the blessings of the other world, since death was perceived as a deep sleep. In order for a person to be able to live normally after waking up, the body was mummified. It was not a whim, but an integral part of the practice.

The court of the god Osiris caused a feeling of fear and trembling. And he himself was not only the first mummy, but also the founder of the cult of the dead.

The image of the dark lord

The Lord of Souls became the unofficial ancestor of literature and art. The Force inspired people to create stories about his exploits. They were depicted on the walls and parchment. Most of the pages dedicated to him in the Book of the Dead. These works reveal to us the image of God.

Like all celestial beings, Osiris was part human. The judge met the subjects sitting. His legs were bandaged. In the hands were symbols of power - a hook and a chain.

God Osiris in ancient Egypt had a trait inherent only to him. It was a crown called atef. This crown was made of papyrus. The color is white, two red ostrich feathers are attached to the sides. They curled up on top. Sometimes the oblong cap had ram's horns. It was by this crown that the researchers recognized the god of darkness on the frescoes.

You can find drawings where Osiris is depicted in green. This is a reference to his earthly reign, where he was the patron of fertility and agriculture. If the god is red, then this is the color of the soil. Also in his hands may be a vine, because it was he who taught people how to make wine. Not uncommon is the image of the god of plants among the trees.

The oldest is considered a fresco, which was created during the reign of the 5th dynasty of Pharaoh Djedkar - ca. 2405-2367 BC e. It depicts the god Osiris. The photo, which has a thousand-year history, is of interest to both scientists and ordinary people.

Egyptian gods in Greece and Christianity

The world first learned about the gods of Ancient Egypt from Greek thinkers. Julius Africanus and studied in detail the history of the neighboring kingdom. But most of all, contemporaries draw from the studies of Plutarch. This man wrote a treatise On Isis and Osiris. Many interesting things can be found in his work. The only negative is that the work is full of interweaving of Egyptian myths with Greek ones. So, for example, there are inaccuracies associated with the name "Osiris". A god with that name did not exist in Egypt, but there was a cult of Usiro. The name we know is just closer to Plutarch's language. There are other substitutions: Ra became Helios, Nut - Rhea, Thoth - Hermes. BUT main character the winemaker became Dionysius.

Many scholars see similarities between the Egyptian and Christ. So, both taught people wisdom and offered wine and bread as their own flesh and blood.

And it all started with the fact that archaeologists found a prayer dated to the year 1000. She repeated “Our Father” word for word. There are many parallels about the birth of both gods. The Virgin Mary learned about the blessed child from the archangel, and Nut from an unknown voice. Further, Isis hides with her son from the evil Seth, just like Mary and Jesus.

The ancient Egyptian god Osiris was specially invented for slaves who hoped for another, better life after death. The same is true of the essence of the Christian faith.

Another relationship between Jesus and Osiris is death and resurrection.

Symbol - sarcophagus

The name Ushiro has been known to mankind for more than five thousand years. The word "Us-Iri" does not have an exact translation, but most scholars believe that it means "one who goes his own way." It was one of the most popular cults of Egypt, so it is not surprising that its image is often found in art. No wonder he was dedicated to fetishes. The object of Osiris was the djed.

The first attributes for the cult are wooden poles with fixed wheat ties. For festivity, they were tied with a red ribbon - a belt. It was a symbol of new life and season. In different regions, the fetish was done in its own way. Sometimes they were bundles of reeds.

After the popularization of the myth that Isis found a vertical coffin with her husband in Veres, the djed began to be perceived as the spine of a god. The pillar played an important role in the change of kings. Not a single coronation was held without this symbol.

Every spring the djed was placed upright. This meant the defeat of Set and the peace that Osiris brought. God received victory when the constellation of Orion was hiding behind the western horizon.

Small figurines were used as talismans.