EGYPTIAN Mythology

In the beginning was Nun, the Great Waters of

the Unmanifest

In the NUN swam the Ogdoad, eight primordial

gods -- 4 serpents and 4 frogs --Heh and Hehet, Kek and

Keket, Nun and Nune, Amon and Amonet

surrounding the Great Egg of the Creator

When the Egg split into two halves, the Waters of the Nun were separated, making a Space into which the Creator could fashion the world. From the egg arose a single blue Lotus. As it rose above the Darkness of the Abyss, the great petals opened, revealing the Creator God, Amon-Re. Light streamed from the body of the Divine Child, banishing Darkness to the far reaches of the Universe.

He arose, uttering a Cry that shattered the Eternal Silence. This was the First Sound- the First Word- and that Word was Thoth the

Self-Created, the Logos, Wisdom.

Amon-Re knew that He was alone, and soon found He could not bear the solitude.The First Created was the Great Goddess Maat: Justice, Truth, the Judge and Balance of Dualities; for, Duality IS the Law of the Universe. Thoth took her as His wife, and the Two

sustain the Universe even unto this day:The Divine Word and Truth.

His next act was to create more gods.

He gave birth to his son by spitting him out. His daughter he vomited.

Shu represented the air and Tefnut was a goddess of moisture.

Shu and Tefnut continued the act of creation by establishing a social order.

Shu contributed the 'principles of Life'

Tefnut contributed the 'principles of order'.

Atum-Re, the Creator

SHU TEFNUT air moisture

NUT GEBsky earth

Manifestations of the Sun

KHEPRIscarab

the rising sunCreator

RA-HARAKHTEwinged solar-disk

youthful sun of the eastern horizon.

RAmid-day sun

father of the gods

ATUM or HORUSthe old man

the sun on thehorizon

ATENsolar disk

Nut, the Goddess of the Sky, and Geb, God of the Earth, were filled with desire for each other. Knowing that the union of the

heavens and earth made all things possible, Ra forbade their union.

Disobedient, Nut and Geb came together. Furious Ra ordered Shu, God of the air, to divide them forever.

To this day, the lonely earth reaches

up, seeking to hold his beloved skyonce more.

Ra forbid Nut to have children on any of the 360 days that currently made up the year.

Nut asked Thoth, to help her...

Thoth engaged the moon god Khensu,

in a wager.

Thoth was victorious and won one seventh of Khensu 's light. This is why the moon now wanes each month.

Thoth took this light and added five days to the calendar.

This gave Nut 5 days on which she could have children.

On the first day, Nut gave birth to Osiris, Seth on the third, Isis the fourth, and Nephthys on the fifth day.

At the time of Osiris' birth, a loud voice was heard all over the world, saying, "The lord of all the earth is born."

NUT GEB

OSIRIS ISIS NEPTHYS SET

ISIS and OSIRI

S

Goddess of LifeMistress of the Four Elements

EarthWaterWindFire

ISIS

SORCERESS

Isis learned the secret

name of RA and gainedthe power

of creation

OSIRISGod of the Nile Waters

Ruler of the EarthLord of Vegetation

Protector of Mankind

Father of Agriculture

SETLord of Chaos and Evil

was jealous of the power

of his brother OSIRIS.

He invited him to a feast.

                                                    

Isis was determined to find her beloved

husband

Byblos

                                                                       

ISIS NEPTHYS

                                                        

Horus of Isis the andSon Osiris

Isis and Horus

Horus was brought up by Isis on a floating island in the marshes of Buto. The child was weak and in constant danger from the scheming of his

wicked uncle Seth, who sent serpents and monsters to attack him.

But his mother, Isis was great in the magical arts and she warded off this evil by using a spell against creatures biting with their mouths and stinging with their tails, and the young Horus survived and grew

When Osiris rose from the

dead, all growing things again became

green and stirred to life

But Osiris knew that the growing corn must be harvested

and its seed replanted in the ground to bring

forthlife again. And so,he

chose to become Lord of Otherworld,

the patron and protector of the

Dead.

The Mystery of Osiris

As the body of Osiris was first drowned, so the Nile floods Egypt to make it fertile.

As his corpse was dismembered and scattered, so the seeds have to be scattered to plant the grain.

As Isis called Osiris forth, so the earth harbors and nourishes the kernels until they sprout and grow in the sun.

As Osiris chose to go the underworld and rule the dead, so the grain is threshed and winnowed and the seeds scattered in the earth once again.

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

Rites to ensure eternal life

The Judgement of the Dead rests on ...

...the weight of a feather

The Book of the DeadConfession of Dead Souls

• I have not done iniquity.

• I have not robbed with violence

• I have not done violence.

• I have not committed theft.

• I have not slain man or woman.

• I have not made light the bushel.

• I have not acted deceitfully.

• I have not uttered falsehood.

• I have not defiled the wife of a man.

• I have not stirred up strife.

• I have not cursed the god.

• I have not behaved with insolence.

• I have not increased my wealth, except as with such things as are my own possessions.

Abydos Passion Abydos Passion PlayPlay

c.2500 bce until the Christian era Ritual EnactmentAbydos Passion Play re-enacted the story of

the death and resurrection of Osiris

Abydos

Abydos Passion Play

Staging of Abydos Passion Play

Ikhernofret's Description of the Osiris "Passion Play" at Abydos

I did everything that His Person commanded, putting into effect my lord's command for his father, Osiris-Khentyamentiu, Lord of Abydos, great of power, who is in the Thinite nome. I acted as beloved son of Osiris-Khentyamentiu. I embellished his great barque of eternity; I made for it a shrine which displays the beauties of Khentyamentiu, in gold, silver, lapis-lazuli, bronze, sesnedjem-wood and cedar[?]. I fashioned the gods in his train. I made their shrines anew. I caused the temple priesthood to do their duties, I caused them to know the custom of every day, the festival of the Head-of-the-Year. I controlled work on the neshmet-barque; I fashioned the shrine and adorned the breast of the Lord of Abydos with lapis-lazuli and turquoise, electrum and every precious stone, as an adornment of the divine limbs. I changed the clothes of the god at his appearance, in the office of Master of Secrets and in my job as sem-priest. I was clean of arm in adoring the god, a sem clean of fingers.I organized the going forth of Wepwawet when he proceeded to avenge his father; I drove away the rebels from the neshmet-barque; I overthrew the enemies of Osiris; I celebrated the great going forth. I followed the god at his going, and caused the ship to sail, Thoth steering the sailing. I equipped the barque with a chapel and affixed (Osiris's) beautiful adornments when he proceeded to the district of Peqer. I cleared the ways of the god to his tomb before Peqer. I avenged Wennefer that day of the great fight; I overthrew all his enemies upon the sandbanks of Nedyt; I caused him to proceed into the great barque. It raised up his beauties, I making glad the people/tomb owners of the Eastern Desert, creating joy amongst the people/tomb owners of the Western Desert; they saw the beauties of the neshmet-barque when it touched land at Abydos, when it brought Osiris-Khentyamentiu to his palace; I followed the god to his house, I carried out his purification and extended his seat and solved the problems of his residence [...and amongst] his entourage."

http://www.touregypt.net/passionplay.htm

By the time of the Roman Empire,

the Cult of Isis was established throughout the

Mediterranean World. She was the

Mother Goddesspar excellence.