Goddesses: Isis

Published Oct 26, 2023, 7:00 AM

Isis was one of the most important gods of ancient Egypt. A magician and healer, she used her powerful spells to cure the sick and even bring back the dead. She was also a devoted wife and mother who went to great lengths to make sure her family kept the ancient Egyptian throne. 

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This month, we're talking about Goddesses: mythical figures who have shaped culture, history, and imagination around the world.

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Hello from Wonder Media Network. I'm Jenny Kaplan, and this is Romanica. This month, we're talking about goddesses, mythical figures who've shaped culture, history and imagination around the world. Etched on the walls of ancient Egyptian pyramids and hidden in the insides of pharaoh's coffins are magic spells. Spells powerful enough to usher ancient Egyptian royals into the afterlife. Many of them were first spoken into existence by a sorceress who used her words to best the gods, conquer pharaohs, and resurrect the dead. Let's talk about Isis. Isis was the daughter of the Egyptian sky goddess Nut and the earth god Geb. She shared a womb with the god Osiris. When they were born, they were already husband and wife and technically brother and sister. Osiris ascended the Egyptian throne as king and trusted Isis to rule his kingdom when he left to add territory. Isis was the epitome of the perfect Egyptian wife. She was compassionate and loyal. She was known for her healing and for being fiercely protective. She knew how to use her power and cunning to overcome every obstacle standing in her and her family's way. Long before Isis was even pregnant, she was plotting how to make sure her son ascended the Egyptian throne. She decided to trick her grandfather, the creator god Ra, into giving her unborn son his supreme powers. To weaken the almighty Ra, Isis laid a trap and poisoned him. When Ra came to her tormented with pain, begging for her to heal him, she offered Ra a deal, a care for the poison in exchange for a guarantee that Rob would give her son the sources of his power. Ra agreed. Isis spoke a spell, and ra was cured, and Isis's unborn son was prime to become the King of the gods. But it wasn't smooth sailing from there. Osiris and Isis had a jealous brother named Set, who wanted the Egyptian throne for himself. One day, when Osiris had just returned from traveling, Set trapped Osiris in a wooden box, sealed it with lead, and threw it into the nile. Isis, though nowhere nearby since her husband was dead, and set out to try and retrieve his body. Just as Isis managed to track Osiris down, Set discovered her. In some versions of the story, this time, Set took Osiris's body, chopped it up into tiny pieces, and scattered the pieces across the land. Isis was undaunted. She began a relentless search for Osiris's jigsaw pieces, and eventually Isis was able to puzzle his body back together. In all tellings of this story, dismemberment or not, Isis summoned her powers to revive Osiris. She spoke spells over his body, weighing her words with grief and desire. Her magic was able to pull Osiris out of death and into something resembling life. Osiris was at least alive enough to impregnate Isis with their son Horace. With that, Osiris retired to the underworld to become King of the Dead. With Osiris gone for good, Set took control of the Egyptian throne and set his sights on murdering Horace, the rightful heir. For years, Isis hid Horace from Set. She raised her son in Papyrus swamps. They were carefully guarded by seven scorpions. In sculptures and drawings of this time, Isis Is often depicted sitting down with the baby Horace in her lap. The images called to mind pictures of the Virgin Mary with Jesus that filled Christian churches to this day. When Horace finally came of age, she challenged Set for the Egyptian throne. Isis prayed fervently for Horace's victory. The only thing that really stood in the way of Isis's son claiming the throne, while as Isis herself. In one telling of the story, after Horace took Set prisoner, Isis guarded Set, but when Set reminded Isis that they were siblings, she took pity on him and freed him. Porus was so upset when he discovered what Isis had done that he chopped her head off, but luckily, the god of wisdom Thoth, helped Isis screw her head back on with the help of a solar disk and horns. When Isis is depicted in hieroglyphics, she often has the sign of a solar disc and cow horns on her head. Other drawings depict her with the sign of the throne on her head. After getting her head back Isis helped her son Horace finally claim the Egyptian throne. Isis's influence exceeded the bounds of ancient Egypt, even as the Egyptian Empire waned and the Greek and Roman empires grew. Isis's story was so powerful that people continued to worship her. Some people in ancient Greece and Rome came to believe that Isis created the entire world. All month, We're talking about goddesses. For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram at Wamanica Podcast special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co creator. Talk to you tomorrow

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