Durham E-Theses The main elements of the Osiris legend with reference to Plutarch and certain folk-tales Bakry, H. S. K. How to cite: Bakry, H. S. K. (1955) The main elements of the Osiris legend with reference to Plutarch and certain folk-tales, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/9519/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 Abstract The significance of the figure of Osiris cannot be overenqphaeiBed* Architectural remains witness to his iiawortance in the past, anil stories about him to the interest ho has aroused throughout the ages. Calris v;as a hiotorlcal personage, a king who trap; cl.oifieel after hie death* Before Osiris, the creator sun-god ruled supreme. As a god, Osiris took over the functions of the other arested gotta of Eature* He vas water, the 'life of the Coul1, or Kunj ard earth, the nourishes? of the boUys or the Prisaaval Hill, both greeted by tho Sun * at the first time With Csiris9 JHSn hecama the inundation or his exudations, and the Hill tho lend of Ffeypt or hie burial- place* His death v/ae a violent one* by murder and dieraejnberiaent, but followed by resurrection., which gave hepo to ©very Gsiyian be• lieve T/aidr was used, which acuM rituaily rejoin the scattered limbs of the deceased, ami provide him with his efflux to live again* In cue case of water led sorely to rebirth* Osiris' death and resurrection are. referred to in suoh Osirian narratives as the Yale of the 'i>o iflrothors and the gtory ojLtM Blinflinfl of .ffrutha which were in vogue in £haroonie tiraen« In ociireo of time Osiris won a prominent place in the Egyptian pantheon* Iihen finally Christianity vanquished tho ancient tifyrptlan religion^ certain observances of the Osirian cult were still practised by BOOS Christians in Egypt* 'Hie Osiris legend was also Interpreted am? by the all-pervad• ing ghilosop$\yr of Plato* Features of the legend can be traoe& in certain folk~tales all over the world* $heso o ©attain the morals good remains, while ovil vanishes* To the Egyptiam9 Osiris' death aeattt datura's death, and Ms revival her revivals ana these two vicissitudes way© aythoposioal- ly understood as tha strugglo between Osiris and Seth. Wis aonfliot was enacted in myster-plays ar4 ritual in anoiafifc ant raaSern Egypt and Greecep anci even lr> Great Britain* If such ft>15:*talQa a*si customs are carefully scrutinised9 their patterns reveal tbe- main Osirian elerasnts of death by nutilation» retreat i.n vegetation and fined resusrreetien by water* B.3.K.MKHY. PH.D. THESIS. THE MiHT KLBXSEra OF THE 0SI2I3 LEGATO Viith. Reference to Plutarch and Certain Folk-tales Errata Wro"E Right P' 112 p. Ill, etc. 157 P. 136,etc. p. 319 Chap. X1/ 3i8. The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. i CONTENTS . CHAPTER I WATER OF LIFE The deeper meaning oftthe Osiris-story; Society and Nature: the dependence of human life on the two natural elements of water and vegetation,I; the responsibilities of "both the creator-gcd and his creations,?; Man's hope for resurrection,4; grounds of Osiris' wide popularity, 5; Osiris rives water and he himself is drunk as water, "the Life of the Soul,"S: Plutarch's criticism of the T?;-yptiarr ardlbheir Osi **•'••? • birth at Thabsc,TO; "Osiris ir: fotird."IT; the Sfjyptian's mythopoeic mi^d,I2; the Iteditermneer «s Osiris' sea,Ic; Plutarch and Lucian on Osiris' ho;: sailing to Byblus,I4; the drowning of Ma.neros in the Mediterranean,15; the burial of Osiris in the Sources of the Nile, and his burial all over E£ypt.I6; the Sources of the Kile at Kher~cha, 19, n. 4; ffrty and 7-faty, 51; the File-v/ater as Osiris' exudations, HI; the Snake of the Sources,?„1\ the sun-^cd as creat• or of the inundation,22,n. 3; the solar creator as a bird above the Sources,25; the phoenix as harbinger of a new ii era and messenger of the inundation,24; Osiris identified v.ith the phcerix, the sun-god's bird,25; the Snake in Egypt• ian mythology and Semitic traditions,25; Apophis,2fi,n. 2. CHAPTERII ' ISIS' TEAKS Isis ' ideal love for Osiris.30; incidents of Isis' tears, 51; Horns' violation of his mother,52; her tears and the ?Tile-inundation, 33; Sothis as-, harbinger of the inundation, 33; Isis identified v/itb Sothis, 34; her tears swell the Kile, 36; the "Night cf the Drop. "36; Pausanias' story of Isis 1 tears, 38, n. I. CHAPTER Ill CREATIVE Y/ATEC w.?ter, the oldest sacdiiuii of creation,40; the sun-god as creator from water (Nun),41; the Primeval Kill as Navel of the Earth,42; creation by spittle,43{creation by masturbation, 44: the sun-god and Osiris as fathers arid mothers of men,45; "Chaos,"46,n. 2; the daily rebirth of the sun-god through his ablution in his own water,47; Primeval Hill reflected in tho inundated land of Egypt and her holy edifices.49; Re"c and Osiris identified with each other iii in the Egyptian calendar,49; Ptah, creator with the mouth (spittle?),52: Ptah and Osiris as creators,54. CHAPTER IV SOLAR REBIRTH AND OSIRIAN RESURRECTION The sun-god's celestial .journeys and his daily re- "birth and death,56; his matutinal purification,57; the deceased in company with the sun-god,58; Eorus and Thoth as solar bath-attendants,58; Osiris ' attempt to Osirian- iZe the solar fields,59; the deceased identified with Osiris,60; the role of water in the cults of Re"c and Osiris,61; Osiris' myth in solar rites: baptism of Pharaoh,64; the rite of the "House of the Morning" (Pr- dw3t),66; the rite of "Bringing the Foot" (int rd m hdn), 66; the meaning of pr-nfr,68,n. 2; the rite of "Opening the Mouth" (Wpt-r?),69,77] how purification rites and libations were Osirianized,71; the Eye of Horus as the deceased's cool water,75; as incense,77; Osiris' myth in the rite,80; the meaning of NQR,8Ij the resurrection s r s Qf o ^ i >^j Osiris and the Primeval Hill in relation to justice and righteousness,84; the retirement of Re° after the destruction of mankind,85; Osiris' Stairs, 86; Osiris as a creator-pod; Thebes and Abydus as his iv Primeval Kill and the inundation his Nun,87; the solar background of Osirian righteousness and justice,89; .{.ne moral significance of the Primeval Hill, 90. CHAPTER V OSIRIS' FT^'ILITY IN LETS'. AND DEATH The marriage of Isis and Osiris in their mother's womb and its deep significance,95; the birth of Anubis 96; Osiris' secret relation with Nephthys,95: the birth of Hashepsowe,100,n. I: Isis ' desire for Osiris, 101; the posthumous birth of Horus,I02; Isis gives the dead Osiris air,104; Bata as Osiris and Horus simultaneously,105; Christ's birth,107; Plutarch on the dismemberment of Osiris,107: the Tale of the Two Brothers an Osirian tale,109; Osiris "the Lusty Bull," HQ; Rsc cuts off his phallus, 112; Osiris and Dionysus 115. CHAPTER VI OSIRIS AND WATER IN FOLK-TALES Osirian stories from different lands with their various sources,115; the water of creation and re• surrection, 118; Osiris' tragedy,120; the general V Osirian pattern of certain folk-tales,121; water as the salvation of the persecuted soul,123; Osiris1 box sails to Byblus,124; Horus loses his eye-sight, 129; the Eye of Horus resurrects Osiris,129; spittle restores eye• sight, 130: saliva for purification, immortalization and healing treatment,131; Rec loses his eye,131; Christ cures a blind man by saliva,132; milk,132; Horus recovers his sight by milk,135J banquet as trap, 134; Bata and. Ivan undergo the same experiences, 135. CHAPTER VII THE TREE AS A. RETREAT Hopes of immortality in vegetation,137; the tree as a substitute for the sun-rod's primal hillock,139; the epiphany of Re'3 from two trees, 140; Rec emerges J. 1 uiil i/iic OII-L^US OJ. iidT;, jL-ij., biic ui uCcSSxOii ui ojitr buir i-;od on earth, 142; the Sphinx, 143, n. I; the persea-trees 51-owinr up from Bata's blood, 14-3; the sun-rod as a babe sitting on a flower,144; non-Eryptian trees in folk-tales,147; Osiris' tree at Byblus,148; Osiris and the Y/idower's Daughter travelling in a "pillar" to a foreign land,148; two stories of a Lernon-j-irl parallel to the Tale of the Two Brothers, 14-9; Bata vi the "Beautiful Bull,"150; on the meaning of MPS,151; the Little Pool's green grave,155.