(The Africentric Voice of The Internet)
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Legrand H. Clegg II, Editor & Publisher *
Volume I, Edition V, July 1997
Featuring:
 
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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| ISIS: Black Mother
Goddess
The true, original name of Isis was "Ast" or "Aset," which literally means throne. This name distinguishes her as the first queen-mother-goddess figure and by extension confers nobility on her descendants, the Black women of antiquity. According to the most popular tradition, Isis was the daughter of the Egyptian sky-goddess Nut and the earth-god Geb. Her parents had five children, each of whom was born on successive days. The first born was Osiris. On the second day Horus, the elder, was born. On the third day the evil Sut or Set was born. Isis was born on the forth day and her sister Nepthys was born on the fifth day. Osiris ("Asr," lord of all), the personification of morality and goodness, left heaven, or the company of the gods, to bring civilization to humanity. Isis, who married her brother Osiris, also left paradise to assist her husband in civilizing the world. Specifically, she provided the knowledge of agriculture to humankind. Because of their devotion to the human family, Osiris and Isis became very popular among the masses. Meanwhile, Set became jealous of Osiris' popularity and decided to murder him. He killed Osiris, cut him into fourteen pieces and scattered his bodily parts throughout Egypt. When Isis learned of Osiris' death, she was grief-stricken. She searched far and wide for pieces of his body and finally located everything but his genitals. She put Osiris' body back together and appealed to the powerful Egyptian gods to assist her in restoring his life. they did and Osiris was resurrected. Upon reappearing on earth, Osiris grew weary of continued conflicts with Set. So he returned to rule the spirit world. Back on Earth Isis immaculately conceived a child who, upon birth, was named Horus, the younger. He continued Osiris' struggle against Set. In dynastic Egypt Osiris' son, Horus, in the form of the Pharaoh, ruled on Earth. As each Pharaoh died he "became" part of Osiris, joining his ancestors in the spirit world. Many authorities believe that this ancient Egyptian tradition is the prototype for a number of religious beliefs hat have survived into our time. For example, the conflict between Osiris and Set is said to be parallel with the Biblical story of Cain and Abel, and the proverbial clash between good and evil. Set is also viewed as the antecedent to the Hebrew Satan. Isis' appeal to other gods for the restoration of Osiris' life is compared to the intervention by other savior figures on behalf of humankind. Moreover, Isis' immaculate conception is of course parallel with the Biblical experience of Mary; and Osiris' resurrection is seen as similar to that of Jesus. Finally, it should be noted that the ancient obelisk, which was constructed at numerous sites throughout Egypt, represented the genitals of Osiris that Isis did not find. This monolith is still popular today; its most notable replica being the Washington monument. For thousands of years, the people of the Nile Valley built special temples and monuments to Isis, and Black women of every station in life held her up as a paragon of motherhood, beauty and virtue. Egyptian women in particular considered themselves her direct descendants - in other words, "the Daughters of Isis." They gave the great goddess a number of titles: "The Lady of a Thousand Titles," "Great Enchantress," "Lady of Heaven," "Womanly Tenderness," "Sisterly Love," "Mistress of Magic," "Lady of Light," "Chamber-of-the-Birth-of-a God," "Lady of the Sunrise," "The Beautiful and the Beloved," "Lady of Abundance," "Queen of the South," "Queen Bee: Maker of Honey," "The Lady Bountiful Who Fills the Fields with Crops and Egyptian Cradles with Newborn Sons" and "She Who Weeps." 1 "The Ancient Egyptians believed that Isis taught women how to comb and curl their hair and that she taught them the pleasures and powers of perfume, and of cosmetics in general. To Isis they attributed the custom of wearing wedding veils and wedding rings. They said that she introduced fragrances to soothe the living, and embalming procedures (with wax and spices) to preserve the dead. They believed, too, that she sent dreams as mysterious messengers to warn and to counsel them." 2 To the Ancient Egyptians the concept of divine royalty was not limited to the Pharaoh. They also believed queens to be incarnations of Isis. The worship of Isis was larger than her ancient tradition, larger than Egypt, larger than Africa and the Black race. As civilization spread from the Nile into Europe, Asia and ultimately crossed the Atlantic to reach the New World, the legacy of the ancient Black virgin and her son Horus survived the journey, after six thousands of years of existence and multiple transformations. FOOTNOTES |
