Osiris

Osiris is very powerful god of the earth and green! Legend informs us that whenever he dies, there used to be a spell of severe draught. On the other hand, his miraculous birth brought great floods on the Nile River and subsequent lush green fields and harvest. He is also the all-important god-king, who presented the Egyptian civilization to the world. He is the first child of Nut and Geb. He is also brother to Seth, Nepthys and Isis. He is also a father to Horus and Anubis. Osiris also has a great influence on the occult of ancient Egypt. He was the great god of the dead and deceased and he must have possessed a human form to live on the earth. As an elder son to Geb, he inherited the throne, when Geb abdicated his kingship, at a time when early Egyptians were uncultured and barbarous.

On seeing this, Osiris mixed among those people and taught them how to grow food grains, worship gods and obey civilian laws. On the other hand, Thoth assisted him in redefining arts and basic concepts of science. Osiris is probably the greatest ruler who ruled the land with extreme kindness and compassion. Later, he appointed Isis as his second in command to travel to other lands, to teach more people about civilizations. However, Seth had other devious plans in his mind to acquire the entire kingdom from Isis. However, as soon as Osiris returned to his empire, Seth and his compatriots killed and threw his dead body into the Nile River, murdered him.

Isis with an active assistance from Nepthys, Anubis and Thoth located the body of Osiris from the river. Upon learning that the Osiris body in the river, the infuriated Seth tore it into fourteen different pieces and threw them all over the country. Isis was successful again to find all those fourteen parts of the body, except the phallus eventually eaten by fishes of Nile River. Isis used he magical powers to join and redesign Osiris’ body to make him impregnate her body to give birth to another Horus. After a lengthy trial lasting to more than 18 years, Isis was successful wrest the power and the Egyptian kingdom from Seth.

In his afterlife, Osiris led a life of compassion and affection, by admitting everyone to a place called Duat, a fertile and rich land where all good deceased people happily lived. Egyptians believed that Duat existed just below Nun, in the northern heavens or in the west. These events were so successful in their significance that Egyptians believed that Osiris always hinted at life and death, destruction and resurrection, and finally decay and rebirth. His association with the god of storms and desert, Seth also provided enough clues about the future events leading to a severe conflict between the fertile lands of Egypt and the most barren landscape of the west.

There were many festivals held in celebration of Osiris:

• A November festival, celebrated Osiris’ immense beauty.
• A festival of mourning called the “Fall of Nile” to signify sadness and bitterness.

Fact: When the holy river Nile reseeded during the time of draught, Egyptians went to the shore to offer gifts and grief over his death, while when the river started flooding, they offered their holy shrines to declare that the holy god is alive again.
The holy name of Osiris has several meanings like:

• Asar (A Greek form)
• The Strength of the Eye
• The one who sees the throne

“Unnefer” where Un is “to open” and neferu is “good and noble things”