Isis est la grande déesse de la magie, de la maternité et de la royauté dans l'Égypte antique. Épouse d'Osiris et mère d'Horus, elle porte sur la tête le hiéroglyphe du trône qui forme son nom égyptien, Aset. Vénérée pendant plus de trois millénaires, de la vallée du Nil au monde gréco-romain, elle devient la divinité égyptienne la plus populaire de l'Antiquité.

Quel rôle joue Isis dans le mythe d'Osiris ?

Quand Seth assassine Osiris et disperse son corps, Isis parcourt l'Égypte pour en rassembler les morceaux, le reconstitue avec l'aide de Nephtys et d'Anubis, puis le ranime par sa magie le temps de concevoir Horus. Elle élève ensuite son fils en secret dans les marais du delta jusqu'à ce qu'il puisse réclamer le trône, faisant d'elle la garante de la succession royale.

Pourquoi le culte d'Isis s'est-il répandu hors d'Égypte ?

À partir de l'époque ptolémaïque, le culte d'Isis se diffuse dans tout le bassin méditerranéen, de la Grèce à Rome, où des sanctuaires lui sont dédiés. Déesse universelle, protectrice des marins, des mères et des défunts, elle attire des fidèles de toutes origines. Son temple de Philae, aux portes de la Nubie, reste actif jusqu'au VIe siècle de notre ère.

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ISIS

ally

Magic, motherhood, kingship

☥ SpiritÉgypte antique →Afrique du Nord — ÉgypteYouth

Gender: FeminineSign: Trône / ailes

Isis is the great goddess of magic, motherhood and kingship in ancient Egypt, the African civilisation of the Nile valley. Her Egyptian name, Aset, means the throne — the hieroglyph she wears on her head. Attested from the Pyramid Texts, she holds a central place in the Osirian myth: when Seth murders and dismembers Osiris, Isis gathers her husband's body, revives him by her magic, conceives Horus and raises him in secret in the marshes of the delta so that he may win back the throne. Protector of the dead and the living, a magician who knows even the secret name of Ra, she is also the model of wife and mother, often figured nursing Horus. From the Late Period onward she adopts the cow horns and solar disc of Hathor. Her great sanctuaries are Behbeit el-Hagar in the delta and above all the island of Philae, at the gates of Nubia, where her temple remained active until the sixth century of our era and was frequented by the Nubian peoples. In the Graeco-Roman period her cult spread throughout the Mediterranean basin, making Isis the most universal Egyptian deity of antiquity.

Powers & Attributes

magicmotherhoodkingship

Role in the ROHO universe

A fragment of Onionkupón's Breath, bound to one of the five elements of the cosmic balance.

Sacred Mask

A mask carved of ancient energy — a symbol of the cosmic force proper to its pantheon.

Era

3,000–1,000 BCE — Cycle of Elemental Powers

Spiritual Lesson

To understand the nature of one's own balance and the wisdom hidden behind every trial.

Words of the Spirit

“The spirit crosses what the body cannot.”

Frequently asked questions

Who is Isis?

Isis is the great goddess of magic, motherhood and kingship in ancient Egypt. Wife of Osiris and mother of Horus, she wears on her head the throne hieroglyph that forms her Egyptian name, Aset. Venerated for more than three millennia, from the Nile valley to the Graeco-Roman world, she became the most popular Egyptian deity of antiquity.

What role does Isis play in the myth of Osiris?

When Seth murders Osiris and scatters his body, Isis travels across Egypt to gather the pieces, reconstitutes him with the help of Nephthys and Anubis, then revives him by her magic long enough to conceive Horus. She then raises her son in secret in the marshes of the delta until he can claim the throne, making her the guarantor of the royal succession.

Why did the cult of Isis spread beyond Egypt?

From the Ptolemaic period onward, the cult of Isis spread throughout the Mediterranean basin, from Greece to Rome, where sanctuaries were dedicated to her. A universal goddess, protector of sailors, mothers and the dead, she drew followers of every origin. Her temple at Philae, at the gates of Nubia, remained active until the sixth century of our era.

Related spirits

OSIRIS ANUBIS HATHOR RÊ

Sources and references

Richard H. Wilkinson, The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt (2003)
Erik Hornung, Conceptions of God in Ancient Egypt: The One and the Many (1982)
Jan Assmann, Death and Salvation in Ancient Egypt (2005)