MYTHOLOGY AND FOLKLORE

OSIRIS
Biography of Osiris
Osiris is an ancient Egyptian deity who holds significant importance in Egyptian
mythology and even religion. He is considered the benevolent and just ruler Egyptian Lord of the
Underworld and Judge of the Dead. The story of Osiris’s murder which include dismemberment,
and resurrection is one of the most significant myths in Egyptian mythology. It symbolizes the
cycle of death and rebirth, the annual flooding of the Nile River, and the hope for eternal life in
the afterlife. Osiris was often depicted as a mummified figure with green skin, wearing a white
crown with two ostrich feathers. His green color symbolized fertility and rebirth, and his
association with resurrection and the afterlife made him a crucial figure in Egyptian religious
practices.
In Egyptian mythology, Osiris is the first-born son of the gods Geb, the earth deity and
Nut, the sky goddess shortly after the creation of the world. His siblings are Isis, Seth, and
Nephthys. His wife was his sister Isis, goddess of motherhood, magic, fertility, death, healing,
and rebirth. It was believed that Osiris and Isis were deeply in love with each other, even in the
womb. According to mythology, Osiris found the people of Egypt uncivilized and lawless and so
gave them laws, culture, religious instruction, and agriculture. Egypt became a paradise under
Osiris’ rule where everyone was equal and there was abundant food as the crops were always
plentiful.
However, his resentful brother named Seth, was extremely jealous of him, plotted against
Osiris. Seth tricked Osiris into entering a coffin, which he then sealed and threw into the Nile
River. Isis, devastated by the loss of her husband, searched for his body and eventually found it.
She left him to go gather herbs to make a potion to return him to life, leaving her sister Nephthys
to guard the body. While she was gone, Seth learned of his brother’s return and went out to find
his body. He managed to get Nephthys to tell him where it was, and when he found it. He cut
Osiris’ body into pieces, which he distributed around Egypt. Afterwards, Seth became king of
Egypt with his sister Nepthys as his wife. Nepthys pitied her his sister who cried endlessly over
her lost husband. Isis, who had great magical powers decided to find her husband and bring him
back to life Isis collect the pieces of her husband’s body, reassembling them, and holding them
together with linen wrappings. Isis breathed the breath of life into his body and resurrected him.
They were together again and soon afterwards Isis magically conceived a child named Horus.
Osiris then descended into the underworld, where he became the lord of that domain and the god
of the underworld and sat in judgment over dead souls. His son Horus avenged his father’s death
by defeating Seth in a series of battles.
The myth of Osiris represents themes of death, resurrection, and the eternal cycle of life.
It symbolizes the importance of rebirth and the belief in an afterlife in ancient Egyptian culture.
Osiris’s story is one of the most enduring and well-known myths in Egyptian mythology,
highlighting the concepts of justice, family, and the triumph of good over evil.

Prepared by:
Kadir, Maida E.
Kamsa, Sittie Amirah N.
Kanapia, Hamida U.
Adventures of Osiris
Osiris, the green-skinned god of the underworld, lord of the afterlife and judge of the
dead, is one of the best-known gods from ancient Egypt. His story provided his followers with
reassurance for life after death, that the Nile would keep their lands fertile, and was an
inspiration for what a king should be. He is the only deity that is referred to in ancient Egyptian
writings simply as ‘god’ – a surefire indication Osiris was both powerful and popular. Being
considered a good god, Osiris was also credited with teaching humanity agriculture, the arts,
religion, laws, and morality. And his followers really enjoyed holding festivals in his honor.
In Egyptian mythology, the journey of Osiris encompasses his life, death, resurrection
and ascension to become the ruler of underworld. Osiris, the god-king of Egypt, ruled with
wisdom and benevolence, bringing prosperity, civilization, and order to the land. However, his
jealous brother Seth, plots against him. He was murdered by his own brother. Seth tricked him
by sealing him into a coffin and casts it into the Nile. Osiris’s devoted wife and sister, Isis, found
his body, reassembled and resurrected him. Through her magical abilities and deep love for
Osiris, Isis restores him briefly and conceive their son, Horus, who would later seek justice for
his father’s murder. Afterwards, Osiris ascends to become the ruler of the underworld. Osiris’s
journey involves guiding souls through the afterlife, ensuring their safe passage and eternal
existence in the realm of the dead.
The journey of Osiris embodies themes of death, rebirth, justice, and the eternal cycle of
life in Egyptian mythology. It serves as a profound mythology that reflects the beliefs and values
of ancient Egyptian society.

Prepared by:
Kasan, Normina K.
Macapendeg, Sittie Jashna B.

Character Analysis
Osiris is known as a wise and powerful king, he was having tremendous kindness and
cared immensely for the people of his kingdom. The mortals worshipped him because of his
generosity, he even created a garden that served as a burial grounds for mortals. Osiris loved and
cherished his family, it was proven when Set, his brother who killed him to usurped the throne,
still his words to his brother and the way he looked at him are full of love. Although he is usually
seen as a just, generous, and giving god of life and abundance there are also depictions of him as
“a terrifying figure who dispatches demon-messengers to drag the living into the gloomy realm
of the dead” (Pinch, 178) though these are the minority.
Osiris was one of the most important gods in ancient Egyptian mythology. He played a
dual role as both a god of fertility and the embodiment of the dead and resurrected king.
According to the myth reported by the Greek author Plutarch, Osiris was murdered by his brother
Seth, who cut his body into pieces and scattered them across Egypt. Isis, the wife of Osiris,
recovered all the pieces except the phallus and gave new life to Osiris, who then became the ruler
and judge of the underworld.Osiris represented the renewal of life both in the afterlife and
through one’s descendants on Earth. By about 2000 BCE, every deceased person became
associated with Osiris, signifying rebirth in the next life. Festivals symbolically reenacting
Osiris’s fate were celebrated annually throughout Egypt, often involving the construction of an
“Osiris garden” – a mold in the shape of Osiris filled with soil and moistened with Nile water,
with sprouting grain symbolizing Osiris’s vital strength.
In Areopagitica, John Milton uses the myth of Osiris to illustrate how truth has been
scattered and obscured over time by deceivers, just as Osiris’s body was cut into pieces by Seth.
Milton compares the “sad friends of truth” to Isis, who carefully searched for and gathered the
scattered limbs of Osiris, implying that the search for truth is an ongoing process.
 The myth of Osiris shares similarities with the Sumerian myth of Dumuzi, in which the
divine body is plotted against out of hatred and jealousy. Both Osiris and Dumuzi were deceived
and murdered by people close to them.

Prepared by:
Mamisel, Princess Noha M.
Mandalano, Christian Jason Q.
Cosmod, Kimberly M.
REFERENCES
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%20womb.
Mark, J. (2016). Osiris. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from
https://www.worldhistory.org/osiris/
Dhar, R. (2022). Osiris: The Egyptian Lord of the Underworld. Retrieved from
https://historycooperative.org/osiris/
Osiris. Retrieved from https://gods-of-egypt.fandom.com/wiki/Osiris#:~:text=his%20wife
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Osiris. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/osiris/#google_vignette
https://www.litcharts.com/lit/areopagitica/characters/osiris
https://camnes.org/rethinking-osiris
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/4/484
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Osiris-Egyptian-god
https://www.ipl.org/essay/Similarities-Between-Dumuzi-And-Osiris-FKQUMLWMG5FT
“The Outstanding Story of Osiris: His Myth, Symbols, and Significance in Ancient Egypt |
Ancient Origins” https://www.ancient-origins.net/human-origins-religions/story-osiris-how-first-
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“Who is The Ancient Egyptian God of The Dead? – Twinkl”
https://www.twinkl.com.ph/teaching-wiki/ancient-egyptian-god-of-the-dead-osiris