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Isis, the goddess of magic and healing, had a significant role in ancient Egyptian religion. She was both the bringer of magic and the defender of women. At first, Isis served as a secondary figure to Osiris, but after thousands of years of adoration, she evolved into the universe’s ruler and the personification of cosmic order.
See the fact file below for more information on Isis, or you can download our 28-page Isis worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
- Egyptian goddess Isis was significant to the ancient Egyptians because she possessed a variety of abilities. Although the ancient Egyptians referred to her as Aset, she is now more often recognized by her Greek name, Isis.Β
- Her headpiece, which is generally a throne, reflects that her name translates to “Queen of the Throne.”Β
- She is also sometimes seen with the goddess Mut’s vulture headdress and, at other times, a disk with horns on it, which is a symbol of the goddess Hathor.Β
- She assimilated the characteristics of the ancient Egyptians and adopted their headdresses. Isis was a winged goddess who, when she traveled to meet her husband, introduced fresh air to the underworld.
- Osiris, the creator deity who oversaw the underworld, was married to Isis, his sister.
- She and Osiris allegedly fell in love when she was still in the womb. Isis was the mother of the pharaoh’s guardian, Horus.Β
- The most famous story of Isis begins when Seth, the jealous brother of Osiris, dismembered him and scattered parts of his body throughout Egypt.Β
- The ancient sacred reports say that the other deities were so impressed with Isis’s dedication to finding her beloved husband that they helped her revive him.
- Isis was important to the ancient Egyptians because she had many different powers.Β
- Isis began as a secondary figure to her husband, Osiris; however, after thousands of years of worship, she was transformed into the Queen of the Universe and the embodiment of Cosmic order.Β
- In Roman times, it was believed she controlled the power of fate itself.
- According to Egyptian mythology, Isis was the offspring of the sky goddess Nut and the soil deity Geb. Osiris, Seth (or Set), and Nephthys were her siblings.Β
- The creator deity Ra was her great-grandfather.
- Later, Isis wed her brother Osiris, who ruled Egypt as King and Queen. They called their son Horus, the falcon-headed deity, after the woman who gave birth to him.
- Isis possessed several abilities. She was adept in both healing and defense. She was the most powerful sorceress in Egyptian mythology. She possessed a wealth of wisdom, and according to the Egyptians, she taught women how to weave fabric and grind wheat. She also knew how to diagnose and treat illnesses. She could change into a bird.
GODDESS OF SOVEREIGNTY AND THE KINGDOM’S DEFENSE
- Every living pharaoh was compared to Osiris and every pharaoh’s deceased forebear to Horus. Therefore, in myth, Isis served as both the mother and the wife of rulers.
- Her principal significance to the monarch in the Pyramid Texts was as one of the gods that looked out for and helped him in the afterlife. In the New Kingdom, her importance to royal ideology increased.
- Temple reliefs from the era depict the monarch suckling at Isis’s breast; her milk cured her infant and represented his divine right to reign.
- The role of queens as the king’s brides and the mothers of his heirs was progressively stressed by royal philosophy.
- Queens were seen as the earthly equivalents of the deities.
- Hathor was once regarded as the most significant of these gods, and queens’ crowns were designed with her likeness.
- However, Isis was also accorded the same titles and insignia as human queens because of her legendary connections to the monarchy.
- Isis’ defense of Osiris from Set evolved into a more impressive and aggressive side of her persona.
- Isis has portrayed in New Kingdom funerary inscriptions as one of the numerous deities who defeats Ra’s arch-enemy, Apep, as he is sailing through the underworld aboard the bark of Ra.
- Kings also used her mystical protection against human adversaries.
- She was hailed the protector of the entire country, more powerful in battle than “millions of soldiers,” and supporting Ptolemaic kings and Roman emperors in their attempts to subdue Egypt’s enemies in her Ptolemaic temple at Philae, which was close to the border with Nubian peoples who raided Egypt.
GODDESSES OF MAJIC AND WISDOM
- Isis was also renowned for her magical prowess, which allowed her to save and cure Horus and resuscitate Osiris.Β
- She was considered “smarter than a million gods” due to her magical knowledge.Β
- Isis used similar skills to outwit Set during his fight with her son in various chapters of the New Kingdom tale “The Contendings of Horus and Set.”Β
- On one occasion, she changes into a young lady who tells Set that she is embroiled in an inheritance battle akin to Set’s seizure of Osiris’s throne.Β
- Isis mocks Set when he declares this circumstance unfair, adding that he has judged himself to be at fault. Later writings have her using her transformational abilities to combat and eliminate Set and his minions.
- In the prologues of magical works known as historiolae, several anecdotes about Isis relate to the purpose of the spell.
- In one such period, Isis conjures a serpent that bites Ra, who is older and more powerful than she is, and renders him sick with its poison.Β
- If Ra reveals his secret identity to herβa piece of information with unparalleled powerβshe will agree to heal him.Β
- Ra finally confesses after much duress, and she gives Horus his name, enhancing his position as king.Β
- The tale may be an origin tale designed to explain why Isis is more magically gifted than other gods, but since she utilizes magic to defeat Ra, it seems as though she had these skills before she ever knew Ra’s name.
ICONOGRAPHY
- Isis was frequently shown as a female figure in ancient Egyptian art, wearing a sheath garment and holding a papyrus staff in one hand and an ankh symbol in the other.
- The throne sign used to write her name served as her initial headgear.
- She and Nephthys frequently appear together, especially when they are supporting Osiris on his throne, grieving his passing, or guarding the sarcophagus of the deceased.
- In these circumstances, their arms are frequently crossed over their faces in a show of sadness or extended protectively over Osiris or the corpse.
- In these situations, they were often portrayed as kites or as ladies with wings like kites.
- This form might be explained by a metaphor comparing the kite’s quest for carrion to the goddesses’ search for their deceased brother or by a connection between the kites’ calls and the wails of grieving women.
- Isis occasionally manifested as various animals, such as a sow to signify her mother nature, a cow, significantly when associated with Apis, or a scorpion.
- She occasionally provided food and drink to departed spirits in the guise of a tree or a lady rising from a tree.
- This form referred to the maternal care she gave.
- Due to the intimate ties between Isis and Hathor, which date back to the New Kingdom, Isis began to adopt Hathor’s characteristics, such as the sistrum rattle and the cow-horn headpiece with the sun disk.
- With a vulture-shaped crown and the royal uraeus, or rearing cobra, on her brow, Isis started to dress in the regal garb of a human queen at this time.
- Isis was commonly portrayed in Greek sculptural style in sculptures and figurines during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods, with features taken from Greek and Egyptian mythology. Some of these representations offered fresh insights into her connections to other deities.
- In this manner, Isis-Thermuthis, a hybrid of Isis and Renenutet who stood for agricultural fertility, was shown as a female with the lower body of a snake.
- Isis-Aphrodite may be represented by statues of women with revealing genitalia and ornate headdresses.
- Even though it existed much earlier, the tyet sign, a looping form resembling the ankh, started to be recognized as Isis’s emblem, at least as early as the New Kingdom.
- The emblem was often made of red jasper and compared to the blood of Isis. It was believed to bestow her protection on the user when it was worn as a burial charm.
Isis Worksheets
This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Isis across 28 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Isis. Isis, the goddess of magic and healing, had a significant role in ancient Egyptian religion. She was both the bringer of magic and the defender of women.
Complete List of Included Worksheets
Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.
- Isis
- Who is Isis?
- Find the Answer
- Correct Me
- Timeline of Events
- My Own PathΒ
- Her Influence
- Create a Trend
- She Reminds Meβ¦
- Empower Women
- Words of Wisdom
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Isis?
Isis was one of the most important goddesses in the ancient Egyptian pantheon. She was worshipped as the goddess of motherhood, fertility, magic, and healing, and was believed to be the protector of the dead.
What was Isis’s role in Egyptian mythology?
Isis played a crucial role in the myth of Osiris, her brother, and husband, who was murdered by their jealous brother Set. After Osiris’s death, Isis gathered his scattered body parts and magically reassembled them, bringing him back to life long enough to conceive their son Horus. Isis was also a powerful magician, who was able to use her spells and magic to protect and heal her devotees.
What did Isis look like?
Isis was usually depicted as a beautiful woman wearing a headdress in the shape of a throne or a sun disk, and sometimes with cow horns on either side of her head. She was often shown nursing her infant son Horus, or with her wings outstretched, protecting her worshippers.
How was Isis worshipped in ancient Egypt?
Isis was worshipped throughout ancient Egypt, with major centers of her cult at Philae, Thebes, and Behbeit El-Hagar. Her worshippers would offer her prayers, hymns, and sacrifices in the hopes of gaining her favor and protection.
Is Isis still worshipped today?
While the ancient Egyptian religion has largely died out, Isis has been adopted by some modern neopagan and Wiccan groups as a goddess of magic, fertility, and motherhood. However, it is important to note that these modern practices may not bear much resemblance to the worship of Isis in ancient Egypt.
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Use With Any Curriculum
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