Sunday, June 3, 2012

Enter Isis

Ovid nears the realm of Egypt with his tale of Byblis, but when he returns to Crete to tell of Iphis and Ianthe, the gods of Egypt make their official entrance into the Metamorphoses.

Some myths and tales of Isis and Osiris are found in "an olde boke," as Chaucer might say, entitled The Mythology of All Races, by Gray, Moore, and MacCulloch. Published in 1918, this book is available free from Google Print.


Above: Isis and Harpocrates appear as though in a small temple. Isis wears her traditional lunar disk between two cow horns, with a lotus flower and ears of corn held in her right hand. On the head of Harpocrates is the crown of Lower and Upper Egypt. Temples to the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis were built throughout the Roman empire, including Rome itself. (Source)
A story about Isis:
Isis wasn't just a mother - she was also a great magician. She became one of the most powerful magicians in Egypt when she managed to trick Ra into revealing his secret name to her. 
Thus when she wished to make Ra reveal to her his greatest and most secret name, she made a venomous reptile out of dust mixed with the spittle of the god, and by uttering over it certain words of power she made it to bite Ra as he passed. When she had succeeded in obtaining from the god his most hidden name, which he only revealed because he was on the point of death, she uttered words which had the effect of driving the poison out of his limbs, and Ra recovered. Now Isis not only used the words of power, but she also had knowledge of the way in which to pronounce them so that the beings or things to which they were addressed would be compelled to listen to them and, having listened, would be obliged to fulfil her bequests. (Source)

Isis with lunar disc and horns (temple at Philae):

Philae, Temple of Isis




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