Osiris

(proper noun)

The god of the underworld and husband of the goddess Isis in the Egyptian pantheon. He is usually depicted with green skin and wrapped in a mummy's linen.

Related Terms

Examples of Osiris in the following topics:

  • Introduction to Ancient Egyptian Art

    • During this period, the funerary cult of Osiris rose to dominate Egyptian popular religion.

  • Tombs of the Middle Kingdom

    • In contrast to the Pyramid Texts, which focus on the celestial realm, the Coffin Texts emphasize the subterranean elements of the afterlife ruled by Osiris in a place called the Duat.
    • People of all classes had access to this afterlife, in which they would be judged by Osiris and his council according to their deeds in life.

  • Polytheism

    • Cultural exchange could lead to "the same" deity being renowned in two places under different names, as with the Greeks, Etruscans, and Romans, and also to the introduction of elements of a "foreign" religion into a local cult, as with Egyptian Osiris worship brought to ancient Greece.

  • Akhenaton and the Amarna Period

    • Decorations clearly worshiped the Aten, with excerpts from the Hymn to the Aten often present in the tombs; there is an absence of other gods and goddesses and no mention of Osiris or the underworld.

  • Painting of the Early Dynastic Period

    • The themes included journey through the afterworld or protective deities introducing the deceased to the gods of the underworld (such as Osiris).

  • Hatshepsut

    • The Osirian statues of Hatshepsut, located at her tomb, follow the Egyptian tradition of depicting the dead pharaoh as the god Osiris .

  • Sculpture of the New Kingdom

    • The Osirian statues of Hatshepsut, located at her tomb, follow the Egyptian tradition of depicting the dead pharaoh as the god Osiris.

  • Painting of the New Kingdom

    • There is an absence of other gods and goddesses and no mention of Osiris or the underworld.