The most elaborate rendition of the Osiris myth finds its roots in the works of the Greek historian Plutarch, who lived from 46 to around 120 CE. Although his recounting is more contemporary, it harmonizes with much of the earlier evidence available.
Osiris is celebrated as Egypt’s inaugural king, born to Geb, the earth god, and Nut, the sky goddess. Renowned for his benevolence, Osiris, alongside his wife and sister Isis, imparted agricultural knowledge to humanity, teaching them the art of cultivation and harvest. In stark contrast, his brother Seth symbolized chaos as the god of the desert, storms, and winds—an embodiment of disorderly forces opposing the principle of maat, which represents cosmic and societal order. Seth’s threatening nature necessitated protective symbols when his name was inscribed.
Fueled by envy, Seth devised a sinister plot against Osiris to usurp the throne. Multiple accounts detail his nefarious tactics. One narrative describes Seth dismembering Osiris and scattering his remains across Egypt. Isis, in her desperate quest, located all pieces save for the phallus, which was consumed by a fish. Alongside her sister Nephthys, Isis transformed into kites, employing their wings to safeguard Osiris’s body and breathed life back into him.
In yet another tale, Seth lured Osiris to a feast, proposing a contest to see who could fit into a stunning chest. Much like the tale of Cinderella and her slipper, many tried their luck, yet only Osiris could accommodate the space. As soon as he entered, Seth’s associates sealed the chest and cast it into the Nile, leading to Osiris’s drowning. The chest drifted to the Mediterranean and washed ashore in Byblos, Lebanon. Eventually, a tree grew from the chest, and Isis, in her kite form, discovered her husband among its boughs. Utilizing her magic, she successfully revived Osiris.
Subsequently, Osiris was designated as the ruler of the dead. His son, Horus, was perceived as the future king of Egypt, but he had to confront Seth, the murderer of his father, before claiming his birthright.
Various versions recount Horus’s rise to kingship. One account, derived from a papyrus uncovered in the tomb builders’ village in the Valley of the Kings, illustrates a divine tribunal deliberating between Horus and Seth. Another detail is depicted on the walls of Horus’s temple in Edfu, where Horus ultimately defeats Seth, who had morphed into a hippopotamus.
These myths significantly shaped the Egyptian understanding of kingship. The reigning monarch was eternally linked to Horus, while their deceased predecessor was symbolically Osiris. Upon a ruler’s death, the new sovereign—whether biologically related or not—was considered the new incarnation of Horus.
The Osiris tales also influenced the Egyptian belief in rebirth. Notably, the sun was believed to play a crucial role in this cycle, a theme vividly illustrated in the Valley of the Kings. The tomb walls are adorned with illustrations of the sun-god, accompanied by the king, traversing the Underworld, where he resurrects Osiris during the fifth hour of the night.
