Isis
The Egyptian Goddess
Isis
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Name: Isis
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Gender Female: Isis was a Goddess
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Depiction / Description
/ Symbol: Isis was depicted with the body of a woman and the horns
of the cow
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Jurisdiction: Isis was
described as being Goddess of Love, Magic, Fertility and Healing
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Mythical Family or Relatives: Isis was believed to be the
daughter of the Earth God, Geb, and the Sky Goddess, Nut.
She was the sister of Osiris, Seth and Nephthys. She was also the
wife of Osiris and mother of the God Horus
Information about
the Egyptian Goddess
Isis
Isis was one of the Ennead, the collective name given to the nine
original deities (Gods and Goddesses) of the cosmogony of Heliopolis (the birthplace of the Gods) in
the creation myths and legends.
The Egyptian Goddess Isis was seen as the Goddess of Love, Magic,
Fertility and Healing and therefore closely associated with the prayers of women. She
was seen as a maternal and protective goddess and was generally believed
to be the protector of the Pharaoh. She was the wife of her brother
Osiris. Incest was seen as an acceptable element in the lives of the
Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, retaining the sacred bloodline.
Description &
Depiction of the Egyptian Goddess Isis - Part Human & Part Animal
The Egyptian Gods or Goddesses, such as Isis, were often depicted as
being part human and part animal. In the description of the Egyptian
Goddess Isis she was most frequently depicted with the body of a human
and with with the head of an animal - a cow. In the Ancient Egyptian
religion certain animals were seen as sacred as they believed that the
Spirit of a God resided in these animals, such as the cow, which were
revered and worshipped as reincarnated Gods during their lifetimes.
The Egyptian the
Goddess Isis - Creation and Relatives
The early Egyptian priests evolved a
creation myth, or Cosmogony, to explain how some of the Gods and
Goddesses came into being. The early Egyptian priests then evolved a
Family tree, the relatives of the main Egyptian Gods, like Isis, to
explain how some of the Gods and Goddesses were related.
Egyptian Sun Gods -
The Ennead of Heliopolis
The Ennead is the collective name given to the nine deities of the
cosmogony of Heliopolis (the birthplace of the Gods) of which the Goddess Isis was a member. Heliopolis was one of the most ancient cities
of Egypt particularly associated with worship of sun-deities.
Temple of Isis
The Temples dedicated to Isis, the Goddess of Love, Magic, Fertility and
Healing, were believed to be the
dwelling place of this famous Egyptian God. Only the Pharaoh and the
Priests of Isis were allowed inside the temple and the priests would
undergo ritual purification in a deep stone pool before they entered the
Inner Sanctum of the Temple. This not only cleansed them but also gave
them contact with the primeval moisture of life. Ordinary Egyptians were
only allowed to come to the gates, or forecourt, of the temple of Isis
to pay homage and offer gifts to the God / Goddess. The Priests of Isis
would collect the gifts and say prayers on behalf of the person in the
confines of the temple. The priests of Isis, the Goddess of Love, Magic,
Fertility and Healing, would
conduct ceremonies, sacrifices and chant magical incantations, sometimes
referred to as spells. The temple of Isis would consist of heavy gates
which accessed a massive hall with great stone columns, and then a
series of many other rooms through which processions of priests would
pass. These rooms, or chambers, were lit by candles and incense would be
burnt to purify the air of the Temple. The chambers gradually decreased
in size, the lighting in the temple was deliberately and significantly
reduced to create an atmosphere of deepening mystery until the priests
reached the chapel and the shrine which contained the Naos. The Naos was
the stone tabernacle inside the shrine which housed the great Statue of
Isis, the Goddess of Love, Magic, Fertility and Healing.
The Statue of Isis
The large statue of the Goddess Isis, the God of Love, Magic, Fertility
and Healing was situated in the
inner sanctum of the Egyptian temple. The statue of Isis would have been
depicted with the body of a woman and the horns of the cow. This
sacred statue, in the dwelling place of the God, was the embodiment of
Isis. Food and drink would be offered to the God. The High Priest of
Isis, would conduct ceremonies and offer prayers and incantations but
there was another important priest, called the Medjty, who was
responsible for the toiletries. The statue of Isis would have been
washed and oiled. The statue was then dressed in fine linen and eye
make-up, powder and rouge was applied and sacred oil rubbed on the
forehead of the statue. The statue of Isis, with its horns of the cow,
was only seen by ordinary Egyptians at important festivals when the
effigy was paraded in magnificent processions.
Isis
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