Egyptian mythology

This topic page describes myths from the Egyptian culture in the third Egypto-Chaldean cultural age of the Current Postatlantean epoch, the time period between -2970 BC to -747 BC

Aspects

Osiris and Isis

the Osiris-Isis myth and cult in Egypt cannot be seem loose from the remembrance of the Lemurian epoch, and the memory of the times when the Sun and Moon separated from the previously united celestial body (1908-08-05-GA105)
In the Lemurian epoch, Osiris meets his death, in the Sixth epoch, Osiris is resurrected (1904-12-30-GA0B60 ?)
- the disappearance of Osiris signifies the transition from the period before the middle of the Lemurian epoch to the period after the middle of that epoch
  - before the middle of the Lemurian race, no human being was endowed with manas. [Osiris was the experience of the god who came from the sun and was still in harmony with his brother]
  - In the middle of the Lemurian epoch, Osiris came to his grave; manas or spirit-self drew into human beings: it came down as fertile seed into men, was disseminated among men and in each single individual a grave was created for spirit-self - for the dismembered Osiris. The divine spirit-self was disseminated and thereafter dwelt in men. In the Egyptian Mystery-language, the bodies of men were called the ‘graves of Osiris’. Manas or spirit self was fettered (chained to brother love related to blood bonds) until it was freed by the new revelation of Love.
  - Typhon (or Seth) is the name of the air-breath whereby the formerly united stream divided into light and air. The symbolic picture for this is the murder of Osiris by Typhon. This air breath brought mortality to Man (1908-09-07-GA106)
  - in this way the trinity of Sun, Moon and Earth came into being. (1908-09-07-GA106)
- the resurrected Osiris is Christ, the Bringer of the Love that is free of egoism
- All this was communicated to the Egyptian pupil in deep and consciously formed pictures.

the union of Osiris and Isis is an image for the union of the paternal spirit with the maternal substance (1905-10-16-GA093a),
- Isis and Osiris represent the forces of Moon and Sun (1907-06-04-GA099, and 1908-08-05-GA105),
  - the Moon with its form giving forces is feminine as Isis
    - Isis represents the power of the Moon before its complete separation from the Earth, before the division of sex, when the virginal power of reproduction was still operative. Later Isis escaped to the Moon, where she became numb — congealed.
  - the Sun with its fertilising forces is masculine - Osiris.
    - At the separation of the sun, Yahweh remained with the Earth along with the moon forces, and among his ministers was the godly form the Egyptians called Osiris. (1908-09-09-GA106)
- the Osiris-Isis-Horus cult expresses the uninterrupted rejuvenation of eternal nature (1906-04-12-GA054)

6^th January corresponds with Festival of Osiris in ancient Egypt (1904-12-30-GA0B60?)
- meaning: re-finding of Osiris, a baptism or rebirth from out of the water.
- in the Christian form it is the festival of the Three Kings, but it was already celebrated among the Assyrians, Armenians and Phoenicians

Isis Mysteries
- on whose temple was written the words, “I AM, which is, and which was, and which is to come my veil no mortal can raise.”
- three statues mothers images threefold Man: the three natures of the human soul, willing feeling and wisdom are the three ‘soul mothers’ (1909-04-29-GA057, see also Three mothers)
links of symbolism of Egyptian Horus child born from the feminine Isis and the Christian Madonna and child
- link between the miraculous birth of Horus without conception, and the Christian virgin mother and madonna (1908-08-04-GA105)
- see also

Illustrations

Schema FMC00.447 provides a summary of the ancient Egyptian myth of Osiris (as taken from lectures by Rudolf Steiner).

It is important to realize that the myth and its 'storyline' originates in another cultural age with a different type of human consciousness. Therefore, the main characters are not to be taken as individuals but as symbols. These are multidimensional and can relate to

human consciousness (imaginative clairvoyance, beginning of the sentient soul and self-consciousness, imaginative (symbolic meaning) picture-script vs (abstract) letter-script),
human physiology (spirit self, nerves, human heart and lungs - see eg Occult Physiology (1908-09-08-GA106)),
spiritual influences and beings (moon forces, Jehovah, Christ), and
heavenly bodies (eg separation of Sun and Earth and Moon and Earth),
all against an evolutionary frame of perspective that sketches the development of humanity in its various aspects.

Lecture coverage and references

Osiris - Isis - Horus

1908-09-GA106

1908-09-07, 08, 09, 11

1909-04-29-GA057

1918-01-04-GA180

.. the Osiris-Isis-Myth belonging to the Egyptian culture. I have already called your attention to the fact that the Osiris-Isis-Myth is also conceived by Dupuis as a mere priest lie, that the priests as far as they themselves were concerned, had meant nothing but astronomical, astronomical-astrological events, and had fabricated such a myth for the common people.
The Greeks, Israelites and Egyptians had different conceptions of their connection with the universe. Nevertheless there prevailed in all, as we shall shortly see, a deep relationship as regards other standpoints, as well as in reference to the one I shall take as a basis today.
Of the Egyptians one must say that in the age when the Osiris-Isis-Myth arose as the representative for profounder truths, they developed a knowledge which had a longing to know the deeper foundations of the human soul. The Egyptians desired in this way to turn their gaze to that element in the human soul which lives not only between birth and death, but which passes through birth and death and also leads a life between death and a new birth. Even from external perception one can see how the Egyptians — in their preservation of mummies, in their peculiar death-ceremonies — turned the eye of the soul to that element in the soul which passes through the gate of death and in new form experiences new destinies when Man treads ways that lie on the other side.
What is it in Man that passes through the gate of death and that enters through birth into earthly existence? This question, more or less unconscious and unexpressed, underlay the thought and aspirations of the Egyptians. For it is this eternal-imperishable element — I have often already expressed it in another form — that is united in the Egyptian consciousness with the name of Osiris. Now, in order to have a foundation, let us consider the Osiris-Myth in its most important aspects, let us just consider it, as it has been preserved.

It is related of Osiris that at one time he ruled in Egypt. It is related that above all the Egyptians owed to him the suppression of cannibalism, that they owed to him the plough, agriculture, the preparation of food from the plant kingdom, the building of cities, certain legal ideas, astronomy, rhetoric, even a script and so on.

It is then related that Osiris inaugurated not only among the Egyptians such beneficent arts and institutions but that he undertook journeys into other lands and there too spread similar useful arts. And in fact it was expressly stated that Osiris did not spread them by the sword but by persuasion.

Then it is further related that Typhon, the brother of Osiris, wanted to institute new things in opposition to what had proved beneficial for the Egyptians throughout centuries through the influence of Osiris. Typhon wanted to inaugurate all sorts of novelties. We should say today: after the institution of Osiris had existed for hundreds of years, Typhon made a revolution while Osiris was absent extending his institutions among other peoples. This differs a little from the latest example of revolution ... there something happened which newcomers brought about, not while the other was extending beneficent institutions among other nations ... But between Osiris and Typhon there took place what has been stated.

Then, however, the myth proceeds: Isis waited at home in Egypt. Isis, the consort of Osiris, did not permit the innovations to be really sweeping.

That, however, had the effect of enraging Typhon, and as Osiris came back from his wanderings Typhon slew him and made away with the dead body.

Isis had to search a long time for the corpse. She found the body at last in Phoenicia, and brought it back home to Egypt.

Typhon now became angrier and tore the corpse in pieces.

Isis collected the pieces and out of each piece, by means of spices and all sorts of other arts she made a being again which had the complete form of Osiris.

She then gave to the priests of the land a third of the whole territory of Egypt, so that the tomb of Osiris should be kept a secret, but his service and worship all the more fostered.

The remarkable statement was then added to this myth, that

Osiris now came up out of the underworld — when his worship had already been inaugurated in Egypt — and that he then occupied himself with the instruction of Horus, the son whom Isis had borne after the death of Osiris.

Then it is related that Isis had the imprudence to release Typhon whom she had succeeded in imprisoning.

Thereupon Horus, her son, became angry, tore the crown from her head and set cow-horns there instead and Typhon was defeated in two battles with the assistance of Hermes — that is the Roman Mercury, the Greek Hermes.

A kind of Horus-cult, the cult of the son of Osiris and Isis was instituted.

Egyptian mythology

Contents