Isis the Egyptian Goddess who conquered the Roman world. Francesco Tiradritti
(There is another lecture next week Sunday 18th
at Thebes Hotel)
Francesco had been instrumental in producing an exhibition
about Isis from Ancient Egyptian times till today. What happened to Egypt after
Pharaonic times? Dan Brown doesn’t get everything wrong! There is evidence of Isis
in the Islamic world. Studies in Egyptomania have increased as the influence of
Egypt is discovered. The west thinks its origins are in the Greek and Roman
world but there is more Egyptian influence than people realise.
The Pyramid texts have the first mention of Isis. Isis is
part of the creation myth of Atum who created Geb and Nut separated by Shu. Geb
and Nut produced Osirus, Isis, Seth and Nephthys. The iconography of Osirus
shows him mummiform, wearing the white crown flanked by two ostrich feathers
from his role in the judgement. Whereas Seth’s iconography is disputed and
confusing. Francesco says that this reflects his role as the god of chaos, his
very iconography is chaotic.
The story of Osirus is a Cinderella story but instead of a
shoe we have a coffin. Seth held a big banquet and a gorgeous coffin was tried
on but it fitted Osirus perfectly the lid was slammed shut and Seth deposed of
the body, both by drowning and chopping it up. This is where Isis comes into
the story. She appears as a powerful magician who reassembles Osirus and then
conceives Horus.
Until the NK Isis was just a wife but from the Ramesside
period she becomes more important. In the tomb of Horemheb you can see this.
Hathor used to be the principle goddess for women but now Isis starts usurping
her iconography, the cow horns and sun disk. Hathor becomes the goddess of the
west representing dead women. In the Late period there are more examples of the
horns and sun disk.
Once Isis was pregnant with Horus, Seth did not give up
attacking her and trying to cause a miscarriage. The tyet
(Egyptian tjt), sometimes called the knot of Isis or girdle of Isis, was what she
used to protect the unborn child with magic. This knot then became used by
women 1) as a sort of Tampex (this analogy caused a great deal of amusement at
the lecture as Francesco searched for the right word) 2) to prevent
miscarriage.
Magic was a bit part of Ancient Egyptian life;
after Horus was born Seth sent scorpions and snakes to attack him. This story
was carved on stele. Magic potions were created by pouring water on these texts
and drinking the water. Thus protecting the drinker
Isis gains further magical powers when she
gets Ra to reveal his secret name. She gathered his drool and made a snake of
it. The snake attacked Ra and he begged Isis to cure him which she would only
do if he revealed his secret name. This gave her the same power of Ra which made
the most powerful goddess.
Isis was worshipped in various centres all
over Egypt.
At Abydos Seti created various chapels and
put his own in between Isis and Osirus in the Osirus mini complex to negate the
effect his name which was based in Seth had on his legitimacy to rule.
There is a 22nd dynasty temple to Isis
in front of the Queens pyramid at Giza that is identified as the burial place
of Isis.
There is another location (I missed the name)
that is supposed to be her birthplace used in Ptolemaic times.
In Coptos she is identified as the wife of
Min
At Philae she was worshipped until 5th
century AD
At Meroe (Sudan) she was shown winged for
protection
Often she can be identified by the Isis knot
at the top of her dress. In later times she is identified as the wife of
Serapis a god created by Manetho, connected with the Apis bull. Serapis was a Graeco-Egyptian god. The cult of Serapis was introduced
during the 3rd century BC on the orders of Ptolemy I of Egypt as a means to
unify the Greeks and Egyptians in his realm. The king was associated with
Serapis and his wife with Isis. This new Isis was worshipped in Alexandra and
the Fayoum. The rest of Egypt still worshipped the old Isis. The religion gets
VERY complicated in these times.
Another Isis is the harvest goddess
connected with Renenutet and Demeter she was
spread by the Roman army to Athens, Ephesus and is shown wearing Roman clothes
with her Isis knot. Also associated with Sybil. Spreading to Roman
Yet another Isis Pharos from Alexandra the Pharos
lighthouse and she is shown with flowing robes blown by the wind. In fact there
were many variations like is Isis Pelagia,
"Isis of the Sea," but there were
three main versions. The Pharaonic traditional Isis, the Ptolemaic and the Roman
A book Metamorphis Apolia (not sure if I got
the name right) depicted Isis but an incorrect English translations change the
depiction of Isis.
The film Cleopatra shows a fairly accurate
depiction of the arrival of Cleopatra in Rome. Rome and Italy has many mentions
of Isis like the Plaza Isis near the Colosseum and from Rome the cult of the
Roman Isis went all over the world as Serapis became the Emperor and Isis the
Empress Pompeii, Hungry, Britain anywhere the Romans went she went.
There is an Isis linked to Sirus the star in
fact there were so many Isis when they did the exhibition they could not find
them all.
Roman Isis even went back to Luxor, at Luxor
temple at the front there is a chapel to Roman Isis which was in existence at
the same time as the Pharaonic Isis at Deir El Shewit.
Isis even goes into Christianity and there
are depictions of the Virgin Mary with an Isis knot.
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