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The Ennead (Pesdjet) of Heliopolis

Part II: The Passion of [10]Osiris.

When [11]Nut gave birth to [12]Osiris, [13]Seth, [14]Isis, and
[15]Nephtys it linked the elder cosmic deities to the younger god
[16]Osiris whose worship was in the rising (he is not not known before
Dynasty V), making him the great grandson of the creator god and
putting emphasis on the divinity of the king and the political world,
and thereby the world of myth became complete and logical.

_The Passion of [17]Osiris_

The Passion of [18]Osiris probably began in early times as a set of
fertility rites. Later the emotional content took overhand and as such
it remained, from the 3rd millennium B.C. throughout Ptolemaic texts
from Philae or Denderah. To begin to understand why this drama was so
important and so tightly knitted to the question of kingship, we must
realize that for the ancient Egyptian the agricultural year was not as
benign as in Western and European countries. The peoples there had a
basic knowledge that even if there were bad years with failing of
crops and famine, the new growth would always return next year so the
whole of existence was not totally threatened.

For the ancient Egyptian it was different. The drought and heat of
summer meant that the fertile strip of land by the Nile turned into
desert, which for them equaled the place of death. The ordered world
where life could prosper, turned every year into chaos and barrenness.
Their world disappeared and they were never really sure that the flood
would come back and in sufficient amount.

_The Inundation_ or [19]Sopdet

Sirius, or the Dog Star, in Egypt called Sopdet (Gr: Sothis), was
believed to bring the inundation. In later times it was equaled to
[20]Isis. The inundation returned at the same time as Sopdet became
visible above the horizon after 70 days of absence, it meant literally
that death and destruction was staved off. And the inherent life force
that was brought back by the inundation was [21]Osiris. He is what
sprouts when the water irrigate the fields but he can only do this
with the help of [22]Isis, in the aspect of Sopdet. And now there is
time to rejoice!:

_"I am the messenger of the year, for Osiris,
here I come with the news of your father, Geb,
The state of the year is good, how good it is!
The state of the year is fair, how fair it is!
I have come down with the Twin Companies of the gods
provider of the fields with plenty;
I have found the gods standing, clothed in their linen,
their white sandals upon their feet.
They throw off their sandals upon the ground,
they divest themselves of their fine linen;
`There was no happiness until you came down! they say.
`What is told you will abide with you!
Canal of happiness will be the name of this canal
as it floods the fields with plenty."
_
Pyramid Texts

The reason for the popularity of the cult was probably that people
could identify with the sufferings of Osiris and Isis. Apart from the
emotional content of the story of the Passion (we will look at that
later), here is a whole chain of reasons for celebrating [23]Osiris.
He was:

1: Fourth generation of gods as the great grandson of [24]Atum,
2: King over Egypt in a past golden age, and teacher of
cultivation, order and justice (since the Middle Kingdom),
3: Victim of his brother [25]Set,
4: By the intervention of [26]Isis, Father of the next King and
Ruler of the Underworld,
5: Bringer of the powers of life by the means of his son [27]Horus.

So the Passion of [28]Osiris wraps it all up. All the mythic content
is knit together to form the basis for the theocratic rulership of the
land. In Egypt duality was always present and here we have Osiris and
Horus functioning as two parts of a whole, in a complementary
relationship: Without his son Horus, Osiris would not be redeemed, and
without his father Osiris, Horus would not be able to assume rulership
over Egypt. In this way the myth certifies and supports the Divine
Rulership over Egypt. Most coronation ceremonies also brought out
elements of the myth to confirm Pharaoh as the Living Horus and
rightful King of Egypt.

And the link becomes clear - from the moment of Creation goes a
straight line of descendancy to the ruling king, Son of Horus. The
heavy task laid upon him by his heavenly ancestors was expressed in
the daily duty of ascertaining the welfare of his people by honoring
the gods and the principle of [29]MaŽat by daily rituals and
offerings. This was the basis for the continuance of existence, if the
principle of MaŽat - justice, balance, order - was not upheld, the
chaotic forces would overthrow existence on all levels of life.
[30]Front page - [31]Gods - [32]Cult Temple - [33]History of Religion
- [34]More articles
_Other Creation Myths:_
[35]The Ennead of Heliopolis, part I
[36]Amun, Creator at Thebes"
[37]Ptah of Memphis
[38]The Ogdoad of Hermopolis
[39]Khmun in His Different Places
[40]Nit - Creatrix

Sources:
Myth and Symbol in Ancient Egypt by R.T. Rundle Clark, Thames &
Hudson, pbk 1993
Egyptian Myths by George Hart, British Museum Press, 1997
Conceptions of God in Ancient Egypt by Erik Hornung, Cornell
Paperbacks, 1996
Ancient Egyptian Literature by Miriam Lichtheim, University of
California Press, 1976
The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Egypt by Manfred Lurker, Thames &
Hudson, 1995
Religion in Ancient Egypt, edited by Byron E. Shafer, Cornell
University Press, 1991
Ancient Egyptian Religion by Stephen Quirke, British Museum Press,
1992

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