Isis and Osiris
Osiris, the good king, had a jealous brother, set, who by a trick, contrived to have him murdered.
To celebrate his brothers return from a foreign land, Set arranged a huge feast in the palace. During the feast, a wonderfully decorated chest was brought in by set`s retainers. Set suggested that all the guests lie down in it and, if one of them fitted the chest exactly, that he would win the wonderful object.
All tried and failed. At last Set convinced his brother Osiris to join in the game. Naturally, It fitted Osiris exactly since Set had made it to his measurements. At Sets signal, his adherants rushed into the hall, drove off the supporters of osiris, sealed down the lid of the chest and cast it into the nile.
The chest floated out to sea and was washed up on the shore at the city of Byblos in the Lebenon, landing near to a fresh water spring running down to the sea, the chest was caught up in the roots of a large tree that grew and enclosed the chest within its trunk. The king of byblos saw the magnificent tree and had it felled to become the central pillar of his new palace.
Isis at Byblos.
The greiving widow, Isis, searched the land of egypt for the chest, with Anubis as her companian, and using her magic she finally found the body at Byblos. Knowing that the chest and body were now a part of the palace, she had to find a way to access them. And so, she disguised herself as a old woman, seating herself by the freshwater stream that came down to the seashore where the maid of the queen of Byblos came to do thier washing. They found her and took pity bringing her food and treating her kindly.
In return she taught them to braid thier hair, but the scent of the Goddess was upon her fingers and the Queen noticed the new hairstyles and perfume and enquired about this change. The maids told her of the lonely old lady they had befriended by the seashore, who sat there day by day greiving, although she would not tell them the cause of her sorrow.
The Queen had recently given birth to a son and heir and was looking for a suitable nurse, the old lady sounded ideal and she was brought to the palace.
Isis accepted the post of nurse on condition that she was left alone with the child throughout the night hours.
Although it seemed an odd request to the Queen, She agreed.
At night the Goddess shut herself in the great hall, alone with the baby. The maids reported hearing a strange sound after dark, rather like the twittering of a bird.
One night the Queen hid herself behind some drapery and when she heard the twittering sound, emerged to find her baby lying in the red hot coals of the fire and a swallow flying around the pillar twittering - In terror the Queen snatched up her child, Where upon the Goddess revealed herself and admonished the Queen as a foolish woman because Isis was burning away the childs mortality.
The King was called and both monarchs worshipped the Goddess and asked what they could give her. She requested the tree trunk pillar that concealed the chest holding the corpse of her husband. Her wish was naturally granted, the roof of the great hall fell, and Isis took the body of Osiris back to egypt, hiding it in the marshs of the Delta and guarding it with her sister Nephthys.
There are many more tales of Isis but I will post them later when I have more time!
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