The Legend of God Osiris
The legend of God Osiris, a powerful figure and good king, stands as one of the most important stories in ancient Egyptian mythology. Osiris became so popular that he aroused great jealousy in his brother, Seth. Seth also envied the love between Osiris and their sister, the beautiful goddess Isis. Ultimately, this jealousy drove Seth to plan his brother’s murder.
The tale of Osiris’s tragic death begins with the first self-created god, Atum. Atum created moisture and air, who in turn produced the sky and the earth. The sky goddess Nut and the earth god Geb had four children: Osiris, Isis, Seth, and Nephthys. Each god represented a different force in the world. Osiris embodied goodness, Seth evil, Isis love and beauty, and Nephthys magic. The priests taught that these four powers were all necessary for life’s balance.
Because he represented “good,” Osiris became king of Egypt, and everyone loved him. He and Isis, who held the powers of beauty and love, had a famously celebrated romance.
The Power Struggle and Osiris’s Death
In the legend of God Osiris, a continuous power struggle unfolded between good and evil, embodied by Osiris and his brother Seth. Seth’s jealousy drove him to plot his brother’s murder. He devised a plan to kill Osiris at a dinner party using a custom-made coffin.
Seth needed a way to trick Osiris into the coffin. So, at the end of the party, he announced that the coffin was a prize for whoever it fit. The guests, including Osiris, all took turns trying it on. When Osiris got inside, he fit perfectly. Seth’s accomplices immediately sealed the coffin and threw it into the Nile River. The current carried it to the coast of Lebanon, where workers from the king’s palace eventually discovered it.
Isis’s Search and Seth’s Betrayal
The legend of God Osiris continues with Isis’s desperate search for her husband. Suspecting foul play, she followed the Nile’s current to Lebanon. There, she discovered Osiris’s coffin inside a giant tree that had grown around it. Unfortunately, palace workers were already cutting the tree to use as a pillar for their king.
Isis, a goddess of love and magic, went to the palace disguised as a beautiful woman seeking a job. The queen was so taken with her that she hired her on the spot. That night, while everyone slept, Isis began cutting the tree to free the coffin. She eventually succeeded but discovered that Osiris was already dead.
Seth, who had secretly watched Isis’s every move, confronted her when he saw her with the coffin. He stole the coffin, fought with Isis, and then mutilated Osiris’s body, cutting it into 14, 15, or 16 pieces. He scattered them across Egypt, hoping to make it impossible for Isis to restore her husband.
But Isis refused to surrender. She flew across the country, tirelessly collecting every piece she could find. She sought help from her sister, Nephthys, who used her magic to help put the pieces back together. Although they could not bring him back to life, Isis carefully wrapped the body in linen bandages to hold it together.
The Birth of Horus
Isis turned to her sister, Nephthys, for help. Nephthys said she could use magic to help Isis conceive a child with the deceased Osiris. They would raise this child to become a powerful knight who would avenge his father and fight against evil.
In the form of a female falcon, Isis flew over Osiris’s body and received his seeds. This act led to the birth of Horus, the falcon god of the sky. As the son of two powerful gods, Horus became a mighty deity, and artists often depicted him on temple walls with the head of a falcon.
Good Versus Evil
The epic conclusion of the legend of God Osiris shows Horus, the good god, defeating Seth, the hippopotamus god of evil. This eternal conflict between good and evil became a central theme in ancient Egyptian mythology.
Osiris’s story transformed him into a fundamental symbol for Egyptian kings. Rulers often made statues of themselves in Osiris’s image, reflecting his roles as the first king of Egypt, the first king in the afterlife, and the first mummy. Isis wrapped his body in linen bandages to hold it together, and as a result, the ancient Egyptians adopted this practice for their mummification rituals.
Legend says the coffin Seth made was so tight that Osiris had to cross his arms over his chest to fit inside. When Isis later reassembled his body, she placed his arms in this same position. This is why royal mummies have their arms crossed. Kings also held the Crook and the Flail in this position during their lives to symbolize their power and authority.
Secrets revealed
In the legend of God Osiris, the story’s influence extended far beyond the main plot. Osiris’s son, Horus, was born after his mother, Isis, took the form of a falcon to receive his father’s seed. This divine birth made Horus a falcon. The story served as a reminder to all ancient kings that they must be good rulers to earn their people’s trust and popularity.
The temple of Osiris at Abydos features his backbone everywhere, symbolizing stability and development. This detail also reminds us that evil will always exist and that good cannot exist without it.
Horus’s story, particularly his divine birth from a virgin mother, is depicted in every temple. His birth chapels and wall carvings tell his story as a savior god, and some versions are even older than the time of Jesus. Many people, including me, believe that Jesus and Horus are the same person.
