Osiris
Many of the Egyptian gods formed powerful triads or trinities. The most widely worshipped of these triads was Osiris, Isis and Horus.
Osiris is the Greek rendering of the Egyptian Ousir. The Greeks identified Osiris with several of their own gods, but principally Dionysus and Hades. His name may mean "strength of the eye." He was originally a fertility god, and his vegetable aspect was symbolised by corn - it was first trodden into the earth (burial), it then rested in the dark (the netherworld) and the new seed germinated (resurrection). A special relationship existed between life-giving water and the god, hence the Nile was called the "efflux of Osiris." Osiris was then merged with Anedjti, the ancient royal god of Busiris, and adopted the insignia of rule, the crook and flail.
Osiris was the son of the earth god, Geb, and the sky goddess Nut. When his father retired to the heavens, Osiris succeeded him as king of Egypt taking Isis, his sister, as queen. He abolished cannibalism amongst the savage Egyptians and taught them to fashion agricultural implements. He taught them to produce grain and grapes for nourishment in the form of bread, beer and wine. Osiris instituted the cult of the gods, building the first temples and sculpturing the first images. He laid down the rules governing religious practice and invented the 2 kinds of flute which should accompany ceremonial song. He built towns and gave his people just laws.
Osiris then left the regency of Egypt in the hands of Isis and set off to conquer Asia. He did this by gentleness alone, winning and disarming by songs and playing musical instruments. After having spread civilisation everywhere, he returned to Egypt and found everything in perfect order, for Isis had governed wisely.
Osiris was betrayed and murdered by his brother, Set, who coveted his power. Isis however, guided by love and loyalty used her sorcery, and with the help of Thoth, Anubis and Horus succeeded in resurrecting Osiris. Osiris then answered Set's accusations and vindicated himself before the council of the gods, presided over by their father, Geb.
Resurrected and immortal, Osiris could have regained his throne to continue to reign over the living. However, he chose to retire to the Elysian Fields where he welcomes the souls of the just and reigns over the dead.
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Osiris is represented either sitting or standing swathed in white mummy wrappings from which his arms emerge to hold the sceptres of kingship - the crook and the flail. His face is represented as either black or green - black being the colour of the life giving Nile soil symbolised resurrection, while green symbolised vegetation and youth. He wears an "Atef" crown comprising ram's horns at the base and a tall conical centrepiece flanked by an ostrich plume on each side. He has many names and appellations - there are about a hundred in the Book of Coming Forth by Day, mistakenly often called the Book of the Dead. His best known epithet is Wennefer meaning "eternally good" or "eternally incorruptible" meaning that he did not suffer the decay of death.
In later antiquity, Osiris was used in divination, restraining, and also in spells for fetching and love (as were virtually all gods!).
