| |
|
ancient Egyptian gods "O"
Osiris: He
is one of the most well known and enduring gods of ancient
Egypt. It appears that his cult followed him from the Old
Kingdom period through the Greco-Roman Period. One of the first
times that he appears was as Asari, a man-headed god of
agriculture. It appears that he may have been part of the
Heliopolitan pantheon and is mentioned in the Pyramid Texts. He
had a cult at Abydos and also at Busiris and was said to have
been buried at Abydos. At some point he is addressed as the
“Beautiful One.” He is depicted as a mummified god with the atef
crown of plant stems and ostrich feathers. Most likely he was a
god of harvest and fertility and as such an opposite of Seth,
his adversary. Osiris represented the cultivated land and he
stood for a well-ordered world. The constant battle between Seth
and Osiris was most likely the basis for the Egyptian account of
creation. But this also brought on the death of Osiris.
Eventually he was revived in the next world by Isis and Nephthys
and thus his successor Horus was created. Horus continued his
fight with Seth in this world. Osiris represented justice and
order in the next world and with this he was also given the
insignia of royalty and ruler. He represented cosmic harmony and
symbolized eternal bliss. Many festivals were held in his honor
and one especially held in November (according to our modern
calendar) was to celebrate his beauty.
|
|
|