Isis
Isis · Egyptian Goddess of Magic and Motherhood — Goddess of Ten Thousand Names
Ancient Egyptian goddess of magic, healing, motherhood, and kingship. Daughter of Geb and Nut, sister-wife of Osiris, mother of Horus. As the faithful wife who reassembled her murdered husband and the mother who protected the infant Horus from Set, she is the archetype of devoted love. In the Greco-Roman world she was worshipped across the Mediterranean as 'the Goddess of Ten Thousand Names.'
Origin
One of the Ennead of Heliopolis. Originally a personification of the throne (her name 'Iset' means 'throne' — mother of pharaonic power); through the expansion of the Osiris myth she grew into a goddess of magic, healing, and motherhood. She is famed for tricking Ra into revealing his secret name, gaining a share of his power.
Features
- Throne-shaped headdress or sun disk between cow horns
- Falcon wings that shelter Horus
- Magic staff and ankh
- Iconic image of mother nursing the infant Horus
Stories
Invoked in healing spells, antidotes, and rites protecting mothers and children. In the Greco-Roman age she became the center of a mystery cult, with initiations spreading well beyond Egypt. Fishermen and sailors also called on her for safety.