Geraldine Harris. Isis and Osiris. Lincolnwood, Ill.: NTC Publishing Group, 1997. 48 pp. $12.95, cloth, ISBN 978-0-8442-4763-2.
Reviewed by Alexandra O'Brien
Published on H-AfrTeach (March, 1999)
This is a new U.S. edition of a book previously Instead of a straightforward retelling of these published in the UK in 1996. Harris has produced tales, the author has chosen to use a frame story several books on ancient Egypt for younger read‐ of two girls hired to play the parts of Isis and ers, all of which are competent, useful and to be Nephthys during the rituals associated with the recommended. She has also retold Egyptian funeral of the Apis bull. The two girls are poor myths for the same audience, in Gods and and uneducated, and so the priest who wants to Pharaohs from Egyptian Mythology, a lavishly il‐ hire them (they're twins and so would be perfect lustrated book with paintings by David O'Connor for the roles of Isis and Nephthys) has to tell them (New York: Peter Bedrick Books, 1992, and worth the stories of Isis and Osiris and of the struggles looking up). between their son, Horus and his rival, Seth. Us‐ This book retells the legends surrounding Isis, ing the priest to do the retelling is a useful device her brother-husband Osiris and their son, Horus, as it provides an audience for the tales in the two all of whom had great troubles from another girls which facilitates an adaptation of the stories Egyptian deity, Seth due to his rival claim to the that is accessible to younger readers (9-12 years). (primeval) throne of Egypt. The stories associated Harris has managed to retell the stories without with Isis and her husband-brother Osiris have over-simplifying or modernizing them. largely been preserved for us in the writings of The author has broken down the tales into Plutarch (De Iside et Osiride), while the Contend‐ thirteen short chapters, each of which addresses a ings of Horus and Seth are better known from distinct part of the legend, and this--along with Egyptian texts. Both the cult of Isis and that of the the inclusion of a "cast list" on p. 4, and the "note" Apis bull became extremely popular under the on p. 47 which explains who the two little girls ac‐ Ptolemies, the period in which the present book is tually were (they are based on real individuals set. known from Memphite texts of the Ptolemaic pe‐ riod) along with other information on the setting's H-Net Reviews time and place--all facilitate the reading of the sto‐ ry. The decision to use photographs of actual arti‐ facts to illustrate the book is a good and appropri‐ ate one. Colour photographs appear throughout, accompanied by explanatory labels which pro‐ vide contemporary cultural setting and relevance for the tales recounted in the book. Harris' book is a great introduction to Egyp‐ tian religion and mythology for younger readers and I recommend it (it's certainly good value too). Copyright (c) 1999 by H-Net, all rights re‐ served. This work may be copied for non-proft educational use if proper credit is given to the au‐ thor and the list. For other permission, please con‐ tact [email protected].
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Citation: Alexandra O'Brien. Review of Harris, Geraldine. Isis and Osiris. H-AfrTeach, H-Net Reviews. March, 1999.
URL: https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=2878
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