The Isis Cult

[theisiscult]

I am Isis, the mistress of every land, and I was taught by Hermes, and with Hermes I devised letters, both the sacred [hieroglyphics] and the demotic, that all things might not be written with the same letter. I gave and ordained laws for human beings, which no one is able to change. I am eldest daughter of Kronos. I am wife and sister of King Osiris. I am she who finds fruit for humans. I am mother of King Horus.     I am she that is called goddess by women. For me was the city of Bubastis built. I divided the earth from the heaven. I showed the paths of the stars. I ordered the course of the sun and the moon. I made strong the right. I brought together woman and man. I appointed to women to bring their infants to birth in the tenth month. I ordained that parents should be loved by children. I laid punishment upon those disposed without natural affection toward their parents. I made with my brother Osiris an end to the eating of human beings. I revealed mysteries unto human beings. I taught humans to honor images of the gods. I consecrated the precincts of the gods. I broke down the governments of tyrants. I made an end to murders. I compelled women to be loved by men. I made the right to stronger than gold and silver. I ordained that the true should be thought good. I devised marriage contracts. I assigned to Greeks and barbarians their languages. I made the beautiful and the shameful to be distinguished by nature. I ordained that nothing should be more feared than an oath. I have delivered the plotter of evil against other humans into the hands of the one he plotted against. I established penalties for those who practice injustice. I decreed mercy to suppliants. I protect righteous guards. With me the right prevails. I am the Queen of rivets and winds and sea. No one is held in honor without my knowing it. I am the Queen of war. I am the Queen of the thunderbolt. I stir up the sea and I calm it. I am in the rays of the sun. I inspect the courses of the sun. Whatever I please, this too shall come to an end. With me everything is reasonable. I set free those in bonds. I am the Queen of seamanship. I make the navigable unnavigable when it pleases me. I created walls of cities. I am called the Lawgiver. I brought up islands out of the depths into the light. I am Lord of rainstorms. I overcome Fate. Fate hearkens to me. Hail, O Egypt, that nourished me!

an aretalogy 

[theisiscult]

“I am Isis, the mistress of every land, and I was taught by Hermes, and with Hermes I devised letters, both the sacred [hieroglyphics] and the demotic, that all things might not be written with the same letter. I gave and ordained laws for human beings, which no one is able to change. I am eldest daughter of Kronos. I am wife and sister of King Osiris. I am she who finds fruit for humans. I am mother of King Horus. I am she that is called goddess by women. For me was the city of Bubastis built. I divided the earth from the heaven. I showed the paths of the stars. I ordered the course of the sun and the moon. I made strong the right. I brought together woman and man. I appointed to women to bring their infants to birth in the tenth month. I ordained that parents should be loved by children. I laid punishment upon those disposed without natural affection toward their parents. I made with my brother Osiris an end to the eating of human beings. I revealed mysteries unto human beings. I taught humans to honor images of the gods. I consecrated the precincts of the gods. I broke down the governments of tyrants. I made an end to murders. I compelled women to be loved by men. I made the right to stronger than gold and silver. I ordained that the true should be thought good. I devised marriage contracts. I assigned to Greeks and barbarians their languages. I made the beautiful and the shameful to be distinguished by nature. I ordained that nothing should be more feared than an oath. I have delivered the plotter of evil against other humans into the hands of the one he plotted against. I established penalties for those who practice injustice. I decreed mercy to suppliants. I protect righteous guards. With me the right prevails. I am the Queen of rivets and winds and sea. No one is held in honor without my knowing it. I am the Queen of war. I am the Queen of the thunderbolt. I stir up the sea and I calm it. I am in the rays of the sun. I inspect the courses of the sun. Whatever I please, this too shall come to an end. With me everything is reasonable. I set free those in bonds. I am the Queen of seamanship. I make the navigable unnavigable when it pleases me. I created walls of cities. I am called the Lawgiver. I brought up islands out of the depths into the light. I am Lord of rainstorms. I overcome Fate. Fate hearkens to me. Hail, O Egypt, that nourished me!”

— an aretalogy 

[theisiscult]

“I am Isis, the mistress of every land, and I was taught by Hermes, and with Hermes I devised letters, both the sacred [hieroglyphics] and the demotic, that all things might not be written with the same letter. I gave and ordained laws for human beings, which no one is able to change. I am eldest daughter of Kronos. I am wife and sister of King Osiris. I am she who finds fruit for humans. I am mother of King Horus. I am she that is called goddess by women. For me was the city of Bubastis built. I divided the earth from the heaven. I showed the paths of the stars. I ordered the course of the sun and the moon. I made strong the right. I brought together woman and man. I appointed to women to bring their infants to birth in the tenth month. I ordained that parents should be loved by children. I laid punishment upon those disposed without natural affection toward their parents. I made with my brother Osiris an end to the eating of human beings. I revealed mysteries unto human beings. I taught humans to honor images of the gods. I consecrated the precincts of the gods. I broke down the governments of tyrants. I made an end to murders. I compelled women to be loved by men. I made the right to stronger than gold and silver. I ordained that the true should be thought good. I devised marriage contracts. I assigned to Greeks and barbarians their languages. I made the beautiful and the shameful to be distinguished by nature. I ordained that nothing should be more feared than an oath. I have delivered the plotter of evil against other humans into the hands of the one he plotted against. I established penalties for those who practice injustice. I decreed mercy to suppliants. I protect righteous guards. With me the right prevails. I am the Queen of rivets and winds and sea. No one is held in honor without my knowing it. I am the Queen of war. I am the Queen of the thunderbolt. I stir up the sea and I calm it. I am in the rays of the sun. I inspect the courses of the sun. Whatever I please, this too shall come to an end. With me everything is reasonable. I set free those in bonds. I am the Queen of seamanship. I make the navigable unnavigable when it pleases me. I created walls of cities. I am called the Lawgiver. I brought up islands out of the depths into the light. I am Lord of rainstorms. I overcome Fate. Fate hearkens to me. Hail, O Egypt, that nourished me!”

— an aretalogy 

[pochayun]

spin the wheel and assign an animal to prev

[theisiscult]

“I am Isis, the mistress of every land, and I was taught by Hermes, and with Hermes I devised letters, both the sacred [hieroglyphics] and the demotic, that all things might not be written with the same letter. I gave and ordained laws for human beings, which no one is able to change. I am eldest daughter of Kronos. I am wife and sister of King Osiris. I am she who finds fruit for humans. I am mother of King Horus. I am she that is called goddess by women. For me was the city of Bubastis built. I divided the earth from the heaven. I showed the paths of the stars. I ordered the course of the sun and the moon. I made strong the right. I brought together woman and man. I appointed to women to bring their infants to birth in the tenth month. I ordained that parents should be loved by children. I laid punishment upon those disposed without natural affection toward their parents. I made with my brother Osiris an end to the eating of human beings. I revealed mysteries unto human beings. I taught humans to honor images of the gods. I consecrated the precincts of the gods. I broke down the governments of tyrants. I made an end to murders. I compelled women to be loved by men. I made the right to stronger than gold and silver. I ordained that the true should be thought good. I devised marriage contracts. I assigned to Greeks and barbarians their languages. I made the beautiful and the shameful to be distinguished by nature. I ordained that nothing should be more feared than an oath. I have delivered the plotter of evil against other humans into the hands of the one he plotted against. I established penalties for those who practice injustice. I decreed mercy to suppliants. I protect righteous guards. With me the right prevails. I am the Queen of rivets and winds and sea. No one is held in honor without my knowing it. I am the Queen of war. I am the Queen of the thunderbolt. I stir up the sea and I calm it. I am in the rays of the sun. I inspect the courses of the sun. Whatever I please, this too shall come to an end. With me everything is reasonable. I set free those in bonds. I am the Queen of seamanship. I make the navigable unnavigable when it pleases me. I created walls of cities. I am called the Lawgiver. I brought up islands out of the depths into the light. I am Lord of rainstorms. I overcome Fate. Fate hearkens to me. Hail, O Egypt, that nourished me!”

— an aretalogy 

[theisiscult]

“I am Isis, the mistress of every land, and I was taught by Hermes, and with Hermes I devised letters, both the sacred [hieroglyphics] and the demotic, that all things might not be written with the same letter. I gave and ordained laws for human beings, which no one is able to change. I am eldest daughter of Kronos. I am wife and sister of King Osiris. I am she who finds fruit for humans. I am mother of King Horus. I am she that is called goddess by women. For me was the city of Bubastis built. I divided the earth from the heaven. I showed the paths of the stars. I ordered the course of the sun and the moon. I made strong the right. I brought together woman and man. I appointed to women to bring their infants to birth in the tenth month. I ordained that parents should be loved by children. I laid punishment upon those disposed without natural affection toward their parents. I made with my brother Osiris an end to the eating of human beings. I revealed mysteries unto human beings. I taught humans to honor images of the gods. I consecrated the precincts of the gods. I broke down the governments of tyrants. I made an end to murders. I compelled women to be loved by men. I made the right to stronger than gold and silver. I ordained that the true should be thought good. I devised marriage contracts. I assigned to Greeks and barbarians their languages. I made the beautiful and the shameful to be distinguished by nature. I ordained that nothing should be more feared than an oath. I have delivered the plotter of evil against other humans into the hands of the one he plotted against. I established penalties for those who practice injustice. I decreed mercy to suppliants. I protect righteous guards. With me the right prevails. I am the Queen of rivets and winds and sea. No one is held in honor without my knowing it. I am the Queen of war. I am the Queen of the thunderbolt. I stir up the sea and I calm it. I am in the rays of the sun. I inspect the courses of the sun. Whatever I please, this too shall come to an end. With me everything is reasonable. I set free those in bonds. I am the Queen of seamanship. I make the navigable unnavigable when it pleases me. I created walls of cities. I am called the Lawgiver. I brought up islands out of the depths into the light. I am Lord of rainstorms. I overcome Fate. Fate hearkens to me. Hail, O Egypt, that nourished me!”

— an aretalogy 

[theisiscult]

“I am Isis, the mistress of every land, and I was taught by Hermes, and with Hermes I devised letters, both the sacred [hieroglyphics] and the demotic, that all things might not be written with the same letter. I gave and ordained laws for human beings, which no one is able to change. I am eldest daughter of Kronos. I am wife and sister of King Osiris. I am she who finds fruit for humans. I am mother of King Horus. I am she that is called goddess by women. For me was the city of Bubastis built. I divided the earth from the heaven. I showed the paths of the stars. I ordered the course of the sun and the moon. I made strong the right. I brought together woman and man. I appointed to women to bring their infants to birth in the tenth month. I ordained that parents should be loved by children. I laid punishment upon those disposed without natural affection toward their parents. I made with my brother Osiris an end to the eating of human beings. I revealed mysteries unto human beings. I taught humans to honor images of the gods. I consecrated the precincts of the gods. I broke down the governments of tyrants. I made an end to murders. I compelled women to be loved by men. I made the right to stronger than gold and silver. I ordained that the true should be thought good. I devised marriage contracts. I assigned to Greeks and barbarians their languages. I made the beautiful and the shameful to be distinguished by nature. I ordained that nothing should be more feared than an oath. I have delivered the plotter of evil against other humans into the hands of the one he plotted against. I established penalties for those who practice injustice. I decreed mercy to suppliants. I protect righteous guards. With me the right prevails. I am the Queen of rivets and winds and sea. No one is held in honor without my knowing it. I am the Queen of war. I am the Queen of the thunderbolt. I stir up the sea and I calm it. I am in the rays of the sun. I inspect the courses of the sun. Whatever I please, this too shall come to an end. With me everything is reasonable. I set free those in bonds. I am the Queen of seamanship. I make the navigable unnavigable when it pleases me. I created walls of cities. I am called the Lawgiver. I brought up islands out of the depths into the light. I am Lord of rainstorms. I overcome Fate. Fate hearkens to me. Hail, O Egypt, that nourished me!”

— an aretalogy 

[theisiscult]

“I am Isis, the mistress of every land, and I was taught by Hermes, and with Hermes I devised letters, both the sacred [hieroglyphics] and the demotic, that all things might not be written with the same letter. I gave and ordained laws for human beings, which no one is able to change. I am eldest daughter of Kronos. I am wife and sister of King Osiris. I am she who finds fruit for humans. I am mother of King Horus. I am she that is called goddess by women. For me was the city of Bubastis built. I divided the earth from the heaven. I showed the paths of the stars. I ordered the course of the sun and the moon. I made strong the right. I brought together woman and man. I appointed to women to bring their infants to birth in the tenth month. I ordained that parents should be loved by children. I laid punishment upon those disposed without natural affection toward their parents. I made with my brother Osiris an end to the eating of human beings. I revealed mysteries unto human beings. I taught humans to honor images of the gods. I consecrated the precincts of the gods. I broke down the governments of tyrants. I made an end to murders. I compelled women to be loved by men. I made the right to stronger than gold and silver. I ordained that the true should be thought good. I devised marriage contracts. I assigned to Greeks and barbarians their languages. I made the beautiful and the shameful to be distinguished by nature. I ordained that nothing should be more feared than an oath. I have delivered the plotter of evil against other humans into the hands of the one he plotted against. I established penalties for those who practice injustice. I decreed mercy to suppliants. I protect righteous guards. With me the right prevails. I am the Queen of rivets and winds and sea. No one is held in honor without my knowing it. I am the Queen of war. I am the Queen of the thunderbolt. I stir up the sea and I calm it. I am in the rays of the sun. I inspect the courses of the sun. Whatever I please, this too shall come to an end. With me everything is reasonable. I set free those in bonds. I am the Queen of seamanship. I make the navigable unnavigable when it pleases me. I created walls of cities. I am called the Lawgiver. I brought up islands out of the depths into the light. I am Lord of rainstorms. I overcome Fate. Fate hearkens to me. Hail, O Egypt, that nourished me!”

— an aretalogy 

[theisiscult]

“I am Isis, the mistress of every land, and I was taught by Hermes, and with Hermes I devised letters, both the sacred [hieroglyphics] and the demotic, that all things might not be written with the same letter. I gave and ordained laws for human beings, which no one is able to change. I am eldest daughter of Kronos. I am wife and sister of King Osiris. I am she who finds fruit for humans. I am mother of King Horus. I am she that is called goddess by women. For me was the city of Bubastis built. I divided the earth from the heaven. I showed the paths of the stars. I ordered the course of the sun and the moon. I made strong the right. I brought together woman and man. I appointed to women to bring their infants to birth in the tenth month. I ordained that parents should be loved by children. I laid punishment upon those disposed without natural affection toward their parents. I made with my brother Osiris an end to the eating of human beings. I revealed mysteries unto human beings. I taught humans to honor images of the gods. I consecrated the precincts of the gods. I broke down the governments of tyrants. I made an end to murders. I compelled women to be loved by men. I made the right to stronger than gold and silver. I ordained that the true should be thought good. I devised marriage contracts. I assigned to Greeks and barbarians their languages. I made the beautiful and the shameful to be distinguished by nature. I ordained that nothing should be more feared than an oath. I have delivered the plotter of evil against other humans into the hands of the one he plotted against. I established penalties for those who practice injustice. I decreed mercy to suppliants. I protect righteous guards. With me the right prevails. I am the Queen of rivets and winds and sea. No one is held in honor without my knowing it. I am the Queen of war. I am the Queen of the thunderbolt. I stir up the sea and I calm it. I am in the rays of the sun. I inspect the courses of the sun. Whatever I please, this too shall come to an end. With me everything is reasonable. I set free those in bonds. I am the Queen of seamanship. I make the navigable unnavigable when it pleases me. I created walls of cities. I am called the Lawgiver. I brought up islands out of the depths into the light. I am Lord of rainstorms. I overcome Fate. Fate hearkens to me. Hail, O Egypt, that nourished me!”

— an aretalogy 

[wonderstruck]

If you see this you’re legally obligated to reblog and tag with the book you’re currently reading

[renegade-hierophant-deactivated]

Advice from 4500 years ago.

[the-real-numbers-deactivated202]

I like ths translation. “it would be wise of you to remember this”

[radioluminous]

[theisiscult]

“I am Isis, the mistress of every land, and I was taught by Hermes, and with Hermes I devised letters, both the sacred [hieroglyphics] and the demotic, that all things might not be written with the same letter. I gave and ordained laws for human beings, which no one is able to change. I am eldest daughter of Kronos. I am wife and sister of King Osiris. I am she who finds fruit for humans. I am mother of King Horus. I am she that is called goddess by women. For me was the city of Bubastis built. I divided the earth from the heaven. I showed the paths of the stars. I ordered the course of the sun and the moon. I made strong the right. I brought together woman and man. I appointed to women to bring their infants to birth in the tenth month. I ordained that parents should be loved by children. I laid punishment upon those disposed without natural affection toward their parents. I made with my brother Osiris an end to the eating of human beings. I revealed mysteries unto human beings. I taught humans to honor images of the gods. I consecrated the precincts of the gods. I broke down the governments of tyrants. I made an end to murders. I compelled women to be loved by men. I made the right to stronger than gold and silver. I ordained that the true should be thought good. I devised marriage contracts. I assigned to Greeks and barbarians their languages. I made the beautiful and the shameful to be distinguished by nature. I ordained that nothing should be more feared than an oath. I have delivered the plotter of evil against other humans into the hands of the one he plotted against. I established penalties for those who practice injustice. I decreed mercy to suppliants. I protect righteous guards. With me the right prevails. I am the Queen of rivets and winds and sea. No one is held in honor without my knowing it. I am the Queen of war. I am the Queen of the thunderbolt. I stir up the sea and I calm it. I am in the rays of the sun. I inspect the courses of the sun. Whatever I please, this too shall come to an end. With me everything is reasonable. I set free those in bonds. I am the Queen of seamanship. I make the navigable unnavigable when it pleases me. I created walls of cities. I am called the Lawgiver. I brought up islands out of the depths into the light. I am Lord of rainstorms. I overcome Fate. Fate hearkens to me. Hail, O Egypt, that nourished me!”

— an aretalogy 

[formerlybutchpoet]

I'm like if a chivalrous knight kissed a fair maiden's hand and said "my lady, I fight for you" and then walked off and immediately tripped over his own armor and fell on the ground

[silentmagi]

#funny#if the lady's a keeper she would make a funny comment to dissipate the tension#'my good knight though I admire your skills you have no need to fight the whole earth for my sake'

This would be amazing.

[computerizedsphinx]

“…and Isis is sometimes called Muth, and again Athyri or Methyer. By the first of these names they signify ‘mother,’ by the second the mundane house of Horus, the place and receptacle of generation, as Plato has it, and the third is compounded of ‘full’ and 'cause;’ for the material of the world is full, and is associated with the good and pure and orderly.”

— Plutarch

[ivy-kissobryos]

aaaaa

incomprehensible screech

[satsuti]

”Temple of The Cosmos,” Jeremy Naydler

[mostlydeadlanguages]

I need a hymn of isis pls

Sorry, Egyptology is not my specialty! But this paper contains two hymns to Isis, in both transliteration and translation, so hopefully it'll help: Two Hymns to Isis from Philae Revisited.

[thatlittleegyptologist]

Those are two fine examples. I only have one addition, which luckily comes with a performance. This hymn was found at the Deir el-Shelwit Isis temple in Luxor, which dates to the Greco-Roman period (built c.1 CE according to inscriptions in the area, though there's some debate). The Greco-Roman period is when cults to Isis, and hymns for her, really took off. I'm not aware of any hymns to Isis before this point, but it's not my area particularly.

Anyway, this hymn apparently reads (according to the Ministry for Tourism and Antiquities, who put on the performance):

May gods adore the mistress (Isis) May gods adore the mistress (Isis) It is she, the sole mistress It is she, the sole mistress Have an awe to Isis!

It is she who gave birth to the morning It is she who gave birth to the morning Have an awe to Isis! The mistress of the west

It is she who gave birth to the morning It is she who gave birth to the morning Have an awe to Isis! The mistress of the west And (the mistress of) the two lands together

Have an awe to Isis! The mistress of the west It is she, the eyes of Ra greatly praised in nomes

Have an awe to Isis! The one who grants many things to the king of upper and lower Egypt

The composition/translation of this isn't like the original as for ease of performance, they've chance some of the words. The original is published here: S. Rüter, Habt Ehrfurcht Vor Der Gottheit Nn: Die Snd-n-hymnen in Den Agyptischen Tempeln Der Griechisch-romischen Zeit, Gladbeck, 2009.

You can listen to it here (the translation isn't quite right, but it'll work for what's needed here):