Cara2000
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(6/2/04 7:05 am)
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Isis
Isis
Isis is the greatest Egyptian goddess. She is the daughter of Seb and Nut, wife to Osiris, her half-brother, son of Nut and Geb and god of earth and vegetation. She is usually depicted with arms held wide open and Horus, their child, on her lap, or an adult pharaoh. Thus she is the image of the purest and deepest love as a wife and mother. As mother of Horus, considered the first pharaoh, she is the supreme mother, protector of the pharaohs.
Concerning her, there were two major myths, Isis and Osiris, and Isis and the seven scorpions. In the myth of Isis and Osiris, Osiris is killed by her brother Seth and 72 conspirators, who then threw the coffin with the body inside into the Nile. Isis searches for his body and finds it. Her brother Seth angered tore the body into 14 pieces and scattered them. Isis reassembles them except for the piece of his penis, eaten by the now cursed Nile fish, buries it properly and manages with her magic to impregnate herself with the last drop of semen in the body. Isis was enslaved by Seth after Osiris’ death but managed to escape to the swamp of the Delta where she gave birth to Horus. Horus later humiliates then defeats Seth and avenges his father.
Isis was skilled in magic; when she wanted Ra to reveal to her his secret name, she created the first cobra out of dust mixed with the spittle of the god, and made it bite Ra. She obtained the name when he was about to die then she spoke a formula that drove the poison out and Ra recovered. Isis knew the words of power and knew how to pronounce them so that the beings or things to which they were addressed would be compelled to listen and obliged to obey. To produce the best effect, she pronounced words in a certain tone of voice and at a certain rate, at a certain time of the day or night. In the Hymn to Osiris, she obtains the words she uses to restore him to life from Thoth, the lord of divine words, just as Thoth also helps her when her child is dying after he was stung by a scorpion.
In the book of the dead, there is a chapter that is supposed to be recited on an amulet made of carnelian, steeped in the water of ankhami flowers, and set in a sycamore plinth. If the amulet was laid on the neck of a dead person it would place him under the protection of the words of power of Isis, and he would be able to go wherever he wanted in the Underworld. The words are:
"Let the blood of Isis, and the magical spirits of Isis, and the words of power of Isis, be mighty to protect and keep safely this great god, and to guard him from him that would do unto him anything which he abominateth."
Her symbols were many of which the knot of Isis, the cow and the scorpion. Her symbol in astronomy was the star Sirius, which marked the beginning of a new year, and announced the Inundation of the Nile that meant new crops, new wealth and prosperity.
Isis was venerated all over Egypt and her titles were many. The most common were:
The great lady, the God-mother, Usert-Isis, giver of life, lady of the countries of the south, the divine one, the only one, the greatest of the gods and goddesses, the queen of all gods, the eye of Ra, the crown of Ra-Heru, Sept, opener of the year, lady of the New Year, maker of the sunrise, lady of heaven, the light-giver of heaven, lady of the North Wind, queen of the earth, queen of the South and North, lady of the solid earth, lady of warmth and fire, the mother of the Horus of gold, the lady of life, lady of green crops, the green goddess, lady of bread, lady of beer, lady of abundance, lady of joy and gladness, lady of love, the maker of kings, the lady of words of power. Her name varied sometimes to Aset; as earth-goddess her name was Usert; as the power that causes the Nile to flood she was Sati, and Sept; as the embracer of the land and producer of fertility by her waters she was Anqet; as the producer and giver of life she was Ankhet; as the goddess of cultivated lands and fields she was Sekhet; as the goddess of the harvest she was Renenet; as the great lady of the Underworld who transformed the bodies of the blessed dead to live in the realm of Osiris, her name was Ament, the hidden goddess. In this last capacity she was a giver of life; she provided food for the dead and for the living.
Isis had all the attributes of the primitive goddesses, and the local goddesses. It is impossible to limit her attributes because she possesses the powers of a water goddess, an earth goddess, a corn goddess, a star goddess, a queen of the Underworld, the goddess of funeral rights, fertility, marriage, household management, weaving, medicine and the working of magical spells and charms. She represents love, loyalty, protection, motherhood, and sexuality.
Cara
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