Figure 2: Isis protecting Osiris with her wings
The Story of Isis and Osiris
The sky goddess Nut and her husband the earth god, Geb, were so close that nothing could exist between them; nor could Nut’s children be born. So Shu, their father, separated them by holding Nut’s body aloft so that living things could exist on the earth. Nut brought forth two sets of twins: Osiris and Isis, and Set and Nephthys. Isis and Osiris loved each, but Nephthys hated Set; she too loved Osiris.
At the birth of Osiris a voice was heard all over the world, saying, “The lord of all the earth is born!” Osiris became king of Egypt and ruled wisely with Isis as his queen. He established the laws, taught the people how to grow food and how to worship the gods.
Osiris had only one enemy, his jealous brother, Set. Set secretly measured Osiris’s body, and made a beautiful gold box coffin that would fit him perfectly inside.
Then he gave a feast, to which he invited his brother. He showed off the magnificent gold coffin and as part of a magic trick he convinced Osiris to get inside; he then sealed it to trap his brother. Set and his evil followers carried the coffin out of the east and hid it in a remote place where
Figure 3: Osiris and Isis
The original purpose for creating the gold canopic shrine was to have it in its original context of being from Tutankhamun's tomb; however after doing my research and finding the measurements of this I realised that it was unrealistic to create a replica of this as it was both too big to create within the space I'm allowed within university and would be difficult to create to a high standard within the given project time.
Knowing this I decided to find a new story to contextualise the purpose of the gold canopic shrine, which is how I came across the story of Isis and Osiris - two of the many gods worshipped during the ancient Egyptian period. I had to adapt the story slightly for the gold canopic shrine to fit into this context, and the purpose of the gold canopic shrine changed to almost being a casket instead; however the original design was used as a starting point and is very much integrated into the final design.
no one could find it. Without being able to break free from his prison Osiris gradually starved to death.When Isis heard what had happened to her husband she was stricken with grief. She cut off her long hair, dressed in mourning and set off in search of the golden prison trapping her husband. No one she asked could tell her what had become of it; but at last some children playing by the river told her where it lay.Isis brought her husband’s body back to the palace and led him down on a bed. She then transformed herself into a sparrowhawk and hovered over Osiris’s body, fanning breath into his body with her wings. She revived him long enough to conceive a son, Horus. She then summoned the jackal-headed god, Anubis, to embalm her dead husband’s body, ready for burying later.
Set, hunting in the moonlight, found the coffin open and in a rage stormed to the palace, found Osiris’s body and tore it into fourteen pieces, which he scattered all over Egypt. He then went in search of their new born son in a quest to kill him; learning of Set’s rage, Isis took her son and went into hiding.
Isis began a journey throughout Egypt with her sister Nephthys and her son Horus, in search of Osiris’s corpse; they buried each piece in the location it was found. Osiris then went on to rule the underworld, judging the souls of the newly dead.
Years passed and Horus grew into a strong man. Deciding the time had come, Osiris summoned enough power to temporarily return to the land of the living and ask his son to avenge his death. This was the beginning of the long struggle between Horus and Set; the struggle of good vs evil which would last an eternity. Sometimes one would seem to be winning, then at other times the other would appear to have the upper hand, however neither could be exterminated permanently.
It is said that if Horus were to ever be able to overcome Set, then Osiris would return to the land of the living to rule as king of Egypt once again.