Nut, the great Sky Goddess, bore four children — Osiris, Isis, Set, and Nephthys. Their story is one of love, betrayal, magic, and rebirth, shaping ancient Egyptian ideas of kingship, the afterlife, and the eternal struggle between order and chaos.
The Golden Age of Osiris
Osiris grew to manhood and married his sister Isis. Together, they ruled Egypt during a mythical golden age. Osiris brought civilisation to Egypt, teaching farming, law, and justice, while Isis embodied love, beauty, and powerful magic. Their people adored them.
But balance requires opposition.
Set and the Rise of Chaos
Their brother Set, married to Nephthys, embodied violence, chaos, and destruction. Where Osiris brought harmony, Set brought disruption. This is the same Set whose cult endured for centuries — appearing even in later royal contexts, including the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses III, where Set was invoked using Heka to protect the fortress at Medinet Habu.
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Anubis and the Betrayal
Nephthys, unable to conceive with Set, tricked Osiris into her bed. From that union was born Anubis, the jackal-headed god of mummification and protector of the dead. When Set discovered the affair, his fury became unstoppable.
Set devised a trap: a magnificent box built to Osiris’s exact measurements. At a great banquet, Osiris lay inside it — and the lid was sealed with molten lead. The chest was cast into the Nile.
With Osiris gone, Set crowned himself king. His reign was harsh, cruel, and joyless.
The Mourning of Isis
Isis searched endlessly for Osiris. When she recovered his body, Set stole it again — hacking it into fourteen pieces and scattering them across Egypt. One part was lost forever, devoured by a fish in the Nile, which Egyptians thereafter regarded as taboo.
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Magic, Rebirth, and Horus
Isis gathered the fragments of Osiris and reassembled him, replacing the missing part with a clay model. Using Heka, she briefly restored him to life and conceived Horus, the falcon god.
She hid with Horus until he was strong enough to challenge Set. This story is vividly carved at Edfu Temple, while Isis’s protective role is powerfully associated with Philae.
The Gods and Their Powers
- Osiris (Ausar): Lord of the Underworld, god of rebirth and renewal.
- Isis: Goddess of love, magic, and creative power.
- Set: God of chaos and opposition, present even in later royal theology.
- Nephthys (Nebt-het): Protector of the dead.
- Anubis: Guardian of embalming and guide of souls.
Where to See the Gods in Egypt
The most vivid depictions of Nut, Isis, Osiris, and the divine world appear at Dendera Temple, where colours remain astonishingly vibrant more than two thousand years later.
Last updated on 20/12/2025 by Marie Vaughan