OSIRIS. An Egyptian deity. Osiris, Set (q.v.), Isis (q.v.). and Nephthys (q.v.) were supposed to be the off spring of Keb (q.v.) the god of earth and Nut (q.v.) the goddess of sky. Osiris became lord of the underworld, and we are told how he attained to this position in the Osiris myth or legend. Osiris became the husband of his sister Isis (q.v.), Set (q.v.) the husband of his sister Nephthys (q.v.). Keb made Osiris ruler of the world, giving him " the government over the two Egypts." He was a just ruler and a great warrior. But for some reason or other Set became his enemy and tried to kill him. Isis, the devoted wife of Osiris, guarded her husband and for a time succeeded in protecting him against Set. At length, however, by means of cunning Set contrived to achieve his purpose. Osiris was killed, and his body disappeared. Isis sought for it without wearying. When She found it she sat down by it with Nephthys, and the two made lamentation. Re took pity on her and sent Anubis (q.v.) from heaven to bury Osiris. Anubis set the dismembered body in order. Thereupon Isis breathed into the body new life. But Osiris was to live a new existence. He became king of the dead. In course of time Isis gave birth to a son, whom she brought up secretly in the Delta for fear of Set. This was Floras (q.v.). Attempts were made upon his life. but he escaped them. When Horns grew up, he fought with Set and was victorious. He lost an eye, however. And when Thoth (q.v.) healed him and restored it, Horns presented it as an offering to his father Osiris, who ate it. Herodotus identifies Osiris with Dionysos. Accord ing to Plutarch, Osiris is Good, " the reasoning power of the soul and law and order in the world " (Erman). Typhon, that is to say Set, is Evil, " the lack of sense, the indiscretion of the soul, and disease and disorder in the world." Osiris is commonly represented as a human being with a crown on his head and a sceptre and whip In his hand. In Busiris. one of the chief seats of his
worship, however, he was represented as a pillar, the upper part of which was repeated several times. The precise meaning of this pillar is doubtful. Perhaps the most likely explanation is that the pillar stands for the backbone of Osiris. When his dismembered body was set in order, one of the most important parts of the undertaking was the restoration of the backbone. It was commemorated and celebrated annually at Busiris. The resurrection of Osiris became a guarantee for the resurrection of every man. " As surely as Osiris lives, so shall he live also: as surely as Osiris did not die, so shall he not die: as Osiris is not annihilated, so shall he too not be annihilated " (Egyptian text). Figures of Osiris which were buried with deceased persons have been found in Egyptian cemeteries. In some cases they were made of cloth and stuffed with corn. J. G. Frazer gives reasons for thinking that originally Osiris was in the main a corn-god, " a personification of the corn. which may be said to die and come to life again every year." He suggests that in prehistoric times the Egyptian kings actually personated Osiris, " the god of fertility in general and of the corn in particular." Osiris was also a tree-spirit, and probably he was this before he became a corn-spirit. Frazer thinks that " the backbone of Osiris " (the column with several cross-bars at the top: see above) represents the bare trunk and branches of a tree. The worship of Adonis at Amathus resembled so closely the Egyptian worship of Osiris that by some people the two were identified. See A. Wiede mann; J. G. Frazer, Adonis, Attis, Osiris, 1906; Adolf Erman, Handbook; Naville, The Old Egyptian, Faith, 1909; Reinach, O.