Isis is an ancient Egyptian protectress and mother goddess, and perhaps the most widely known goddess in that pantheon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Though she originated as a kind of minor goddess of sovereignty, over time she absorbed the iconography of other deities and grew in importance as the wife of Osiris and mother of Horus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Isis was first mentioned in Egypt during the Fifth Dynasty (circa 2494\u20132345 BCE). Her name is spelled with the hieroglyphic for throne, but it’s unknown whether this is deliberate — it may be a purely phonetic choice, or it may be intended to evoke her connection to royalty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some scholars posit that Isis may have originally been intended to be a personification of the physical throne itself. The throne metaphorically “birthed” a king, since it had the power to turn a regular man into a ruler. This would explain the theological view of Isis as the spiritual “mother” of the ruler of Egypt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Isis’ mythology, she is descended from the creator deity — Ra, Atum, or Geb and Nut. This creator passed his kingship and dominion over creation to his son, Osiris. Isis was her brother’s wife, and therefore also his Queen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Osiris and Isis’ brother, Set, is a deity of storms, disorder, violence, and deserts. He killed Osiris to usurp his throne, desecrating his body by dismembering it and scattering the pieces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Isis, Nepthys, Anubis, and other deities searched for all of Osiris’ pieces so that they could reassemble him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Interestingly, Isis’ story provides a template for Egyptian funerary rites and mummification. She also offers a poetic look at the stages of grief — alternately sorrowful, physically missing him, and angry that he’s left her behind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Isis’ emotions are powerful, and her prayers and intense feelings are what allow her to breathe new life into her husband’s corpse. He is revived, and they conceive the god Horus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Isis serves as a maternal figure, as the mother of Horus and the spiritual mother of the rulers of Egypt, but also as a kind of nurturing mother to the spirits of the dead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In many cases, Isis’ own power was downplayed — it was believed that male gods had the powers of rebirth and regeneration, while Isis’ role was to stimulate the process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Later on, female deities gained more power in this regard and began to play central roles in welcoming the dead to the afterlife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a Goddess of Sovereignty, Isis was both spiritual mother and wife to the kings of Egypt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She was the throne that made them rulers, and the lands and people to which they held a debt of responsibility. She was also regarded as a deity of magic and mystery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, Isis continues her role as a kind of universal goddess. In Ptolemaic times, her power extended to the earth, sky, and land of the dead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some Greek hymns to her refer to her as the “essence of all the gods.” In some regions, she was also depicted as a supreme creator deity who formed the world and cosmos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n