Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Nephthys

Image from Egyptian Myths

The sister of Isis and Osiris, and the sister-wife of Seth, Nephthys was the ancient Egyptian protector goddess of the dead. On her head she wears the hieroglyph representing her name, sometimes on top of a pair of horns. In her hands she often carries the ankh and a staff or rod of papyrus. Her name is associated with crows, kites, skulls and bones.

Nephthys was involved in the death-dismemberment-regeneration myth of Isis and Osiris. Either by disguising herself as Isis, or by getting her brother-in-law drunk, she seduced him, and bore her son Anubis. This caused the jealous Seth to seek out Osiris to kill and and dismember him.

Though Nephthys had seduced Osiris, she was also a loyal sister who helped Isis locate and reconstitute the body of her beloved, so he could enter the underworld and reign there.

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