Perhaps one of the most elaborate and influential stories from out of ancient Egypt is the Osiris murder myth. In the bronze statue from the 22nd Egyptian Dynasty depicted here, we see Osiris flanked by Isis and Horus on either side, otherwise known as the Triad of Osorkon.
Legend holds that Osiris is murdered by his brother Set, who then seizes the throne by force. Meanwhile, Isis, Osiris’s wife (and also his sister), brings her husband back to life long enough for him to conceive a child with her. That child is Horus, who then becomes Set’s rival for the throne.
Eventually Horus is victorious, and restores cosmic and social order to Egypt. He also completes the process of resurrecting Osiris.
The myth is a vibrant example of conflict between order and disorder, of sexuality and rebirth, and of core Egyptian lore that centers around death and the afterlife.
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