Isis
Isis is often represented as a winged goddess, a protector of mortals as well as gods. She tends to be seen as a mother goddess. Images of her with her son Horus have obvious parallels with Christian iconography of Mary and her child. Yet this is reductive, and misses the complex and mysterious roles of goddesses in the ancient world. Isis was also Weret-Hekau, Great Lady of Magic.[1] She was a sky goddess, a corn/harvest goddess (earth goddess) and came to have a role as a protector of sailors. Isis was appealing as a protector because she was so powerful.
Isis is more proactive than Mary. When her husband was murdered by his jealous brother Seth, she travelled the land collecting his body parts. With the help of Anubis he’s brought back to life, but remains in the underworld. She gave birth to their son, Horus, and kept him safe, hidden in the swamp, until he reached adolescence. She gives birth, protects and resurrects.
The Goddess is recognisable by her throne head dress. This refers to the throne of Egypt, as she was regarded as the mother of every pharaoh, and was a symbol of stability. Yet it also relates to her dead husband, Osiris. Her name comes from eset, seat, or may derive from ‘was’ power. She is also shown with the solar/horned head dress.
She is associated with both the scorpion and the kite. After the birth of her son, when she was hiding him in a delta swamp, the baby was protected by a circle of seven scorpions. Isis shape shifted into a kite when resurrecting Osiris. She was still in this form when she conceived Horus.
A 19th Dynasty[2] papyrus tells how Isis gained magical supremacy by defeating the Sun God Ra when he was an old man. She took some spittle from his mouth, mixed it with clay and formed a snake. The snake bit the god. As its poison spread through his system she offered to heal him, on condition that he told her his secret name. When the poison blinded him, he gave in. According to Riggs, in Ancient Egypt magic was more powerful than the gods.
Her cult began in the Nile Delta but spread across the whole country. Both priests and priestesses served in her temples. They were the only ones who could enter the sanctuary where she resided. Her cult grew into a mystery religion. Initiates were promised the secrets of life and death, but sworn to secrecy. Her star continued to rise. Alexander (356-323BCE) connected her with Demeter, the Greek Goddess of Corn and harvest. Demeter’s search for her daughter had parallels with Isis’ search for her husband. Both goddesses came to prominence as keepers of the mysteries of life and death.
The world of the Ancient Egyptians was full of danger. This could come from natural or supernatural sources. Amulets were one of the ways they sought protection from illness, poisonous creatures, malice, or demons. Not surprisingly, Isis featured in many of these. Some featured her with her child, like the blue faience one pictured above, others were miniaturised versions of the family group.
The tit (pronounced teet) was a potent symbol of Isis’ power. It represents a knotted piece of cloth, an early example of knot magic. The Book of Coming Forth by Day stipulated that this had to be made of red stone to symbolise her blood. It was placed at the neck during the mummification process.
In the Ptolemaic and Graeco-Roman periods Isis became even more important, while her husband Osiris faded. She was sometimes said to be the wife of Serapis, a hybrid god created by Ptolemy I. Worship of Isis reached Rome, where a temple was built for her. Here she was linked with Ceres and Venus. The Romans referred to her as Queen of Heaven. Her worship spread across Europe and Asia minor, with temples found in London, Pompeii, Germany, France and Spain. Isis seemed to absorb many older goddesses such as Inanna/Ishtar and Aphrodite. Her power had grown, her domains expanded. She had become all things to all people. One of her worshippers, Demetrius son of Artemidorus, installed a stele with long inscription to her in Memphis, in fulfilment of a vow.
I am the Queen of rivers and winds and sea.
No one is held in honour without my knowing it.
I am the Queen of war.
I am the Queen of the thunderbolt.
I stir up the sea and I calm it.
I am in the rays of the sun.
I inspect the courses of the sun.
Whatever I please, this too shall come to an end.
With me everything is reasonable.
I set free those in bonds.
The walls of her temple at Philae were covered in hymns to her. One of these by Pharaoh Usikare-meramun states:
The evils of the past year that had adhered to him have been driven off,
His evils of this year, they are done away with,
His back is turned to them;
He has presented propitiatory offerings on account of them,
And his face is turned to the Lady:
How welcome you are again.[3]
As monotheism replaced the multiple gods of ancient religions, there was a moment in time when Isis and Christ were finely balanced, until 391CE when the Emperor Theodosius I outlawed all pagan rites. In 529 CE Justinian closed any remaining pagan temples. Philae was the last of these to be shut down. The last hieroglyphic text was written here, long after the ancient language had died out everywhere else. [4]
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[1] 1292-1189BCE
[1] Riggs C Ancient Egyptian Magic Thames & Hudson
3] Hymn 8 http://www.attalus.org/poetry/isis_hymns.html
[4] Allison C. Meier 26/9/2022 JStor Daily