Biography Isis

Isis (IsiV) – Greek transliteration of the name of ancient Egyptian goddess of Ise (t) (etymology unknown), originally a local patron saint of Buto in the Delta, then, for comparison with God and neighbor Buzirisa Mendes – Osiris – the female complement, sister and wife of the latter, which corresponded to the artificial hieroglyphic spelling both names.

Like Osiris, IL the daughter of the sky (Nuit) and earth (Keba), the personification of the valley, fertilizes Osiris – Nil. Known myth about the murder last Seth, looking for his body, weeping over him Isis, his burial and raising her son Horus in the swamps of the Delta. Another myth is its intricacies of people, gods and spirits, and tells how she managed to outwit the lord Ra, get out of him his secret name (Pap. Turin. 131). As in ancient Egyptian literature (naprim. Pap. Ebers), and from classics (eg, Galen), I. credited with the invention of various medicines, magic formulas (hence the epithet "great magic"), knowledge of secret things, and so n .

The cult of it from Butoh, and then Mendes Buzirisa thanks of On a theological system, in which she came in, spread all over Egypt, and especially root in Memphis, Copts, where these mysteries (Pausan. X, 32), fillet, which was its oracle , acting more in the V century by Robert X. During the predominance of the cult Ozirisova cycle in later times Egypt, with IM were compared female deities of other loops and nomes: Gator, Bast, Mut, Nate. During the Hellenistic syncretism case went still further, comparing with the grove and I. Dumitru and others relevant foreign female deity. But he soon made a last step, and IV was revered outside of Egypt under its own name.

In Greece, she had temples: in Tiforee Fokidskoy, Megara, Corinth, etc., in Italy the cult it has penetrated even in the III. BC X., but especially grafted during the empire, in the era of infatuation eastern religions. The immorality of the cult have repeatedly forced the government to limit or even completely ban it, however Domitian when he became not only allowed but also encouraged, as the emperor and many of his successors took san priests of the goddess.

In her honor, even unhindered procession "navigium Isidis" – start navigation (Lactant. Inst. I, II). However, at this time the cult IV finally became the mouthpiece of pantheistic ideas of that society, as indicated by surviving hymns. Were dedicated to Y.: constellation Sirius, the tree of Perseus and 4 th day of the five intercalary, when we celebrated her birthday. As the goddess of female fertility, I. portrayed as a cow, bearing between the horns of the solar disk. The same hat not forget, if the goddess depicted as a woman, at what times he was joined by hieroglyph goddess. In an age of syncretism often portrayed the goddess in the nature of Asian female deities with breasts all over his body. Save a lot of figurines IV with the baby Gore on his hands.