Isis goddess photo

Egyptian Goddess Isis: 7 Facts on Her History, Mythology, & Influence

Isis, revered as the Egyptian goddess of love, healing, fertility, magic, and the moon, held immense significance in ancient Egyptian religious beliefs. Known by various names, including Aset or Eset, she was the most worshipped deity throughout Egyptian culture, even during the Greek rule of ancient Egypt. Later, she played a role in Roman mythology, and historians have even compared her to the Virgin Mary of Christianity. Let’s take a look at 7 fascinating facts about this revered cult figure who inspired centuries of female deities that followed.

1. Isis’ Name Means Queen of the Throne

The Egyptian goddess Isis was once an obscure figure known as Aset or Eset, without dedicated temples in her name. But as the dynastic age grew, her influence expanded until she evolved into one of Egyptian mythology’s most revered goddesses. Her name later evolved into Isis, a Greek variation meaning Queen of the Throne. 

2. She First Appeared in the Osiris Myth

The root origins of the Egyptian goddess I

Isis

Ancient Egyptian goddess

This article is about the ancient Egyptian goddess. For the modern terrorist group commonly abbreviated as ISIS, see Islamic State. For other uses, see Isis (disambiguation).

Isis

Composite image of Isis's most distinctive Egyptian iconography, based partly on images from the tomb of Nefertari

Name in hieroglyphsEgyptian: Ꜣūsat

Meroitic: Wos[a] or Wusa

Major cult centerBehbeit el-Hagar, Philae
SymbolTyet
ParentsGeb and Nut
SiblingsOsiris, Set, Nephthys, Horus the Elder
ConsortOsiris, Min, Serapis, Horus the Elder
OffspringHorus, Min, Four Sons of Horus, Bastet

Isis[Note 1] was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom (c. 2686 – c. 2181 BCE) as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her slain brother and husband, the divine king Osiris, and produces and protects his heir, Horus. She was believed to help the d

Isis

Great mother Isis, the goddess of healing and magic, was crucial to ancient Egyptian religious beliefs. She is known today by her Greek name Isis; however, the ancient Egyptians called her Aset. Her name translates to “Queen of the Throne” which is reflected in her headdress, which is typically a throne. Sometimes she is also depicted with the vulture headdress of the goddess Mut, and other times with a disk with horns on the sides, attributed to the goddess Hathor. She took on their headdresses as she assimilated their traits. Isis can also be seen as a winged goddess who brought fresh air to the underworld when she went to meet her husband.

Isis was the sister and wife of the god Osiris, ruler of the underworld. It is said that she and Osiris were in love with each other even in the womb. Isis was also the mother of Horus, the protector of the pharaoh. The most famous story of Isis begins when Seth, the jealous brother of Osiris, dismembered him and scattered the parts of his body throughout Egypt. The ancient sacred stories say that the other deities were so&

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