Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Finding Osiris (and inspiration) at a thrift store in Austin, Tx

A friend and I were discussing how the universe sometimes offers "odd things," and how they can reaffirm what we're doing. She discovered her totem animal in one of those weird quirks of fate. I found this object in a thrift shop for twenty-five cents. I bought it because I like strange things. Seriously, I do. Here's another odd purchase:

Do we see a pattern emerging? Yes,I think we do, but that's not my point.

As steeped as I am in all things Egyptian from writing my novel, I should have immediately glommed on to the fact that the first object is meant to be a representation of Osiris or maybe the trilogy of Isis, Osiris, and Horus.  Amazingly, it took me almost a year to have this sudden insight. (We're all slow sometimes.)

What did I base my insight on? In my humble opinion, this object has
  • An eye of Horus. Horus was the son of Isis and Osiris. In one version of the story, when Set and Horus were fighting for the throne after Osiris's death, Set gouged out Horus's left eye. The majority of the eye was restored by either Hathor or Thoth (with the last portion possibly being supplied magically). When Horus recovered, he offered his eye to his father, Osiris, in hopes of restoring his life. Hence, the eye of Horus was often used to symbolise sacrifice, healing, restoration, and protection.

  • A Djed pillar. The djed is one of the more ancient and commonly found symbols in Egyptian mythology. It represents stability and is associated with Osiris. It is commonly understood to represent his spine.

  • A man wearing the Hedjet (white crown) of Upper Egyptt. Osiris is considered the original King of Egypt. The Atef crown of Osiris is a combination of Upper Egypt’s white crown and ostrich feathers on either side. According to Egyptian beliefs, this crown represents Osiris as the god of fertility, ruler of the Afterlife, and a representative of the cycle of death and rebirth.
  • An Ankh or Knot of Isis. Can you see the key at the top of the three circles? The ankh was known as the key of life or the key of the Nile. The knot of Isis also meant life, but its symbolism revolves around the idea of binding and releasing, the joining of opposites, and protection. The Knot of Isis is often present with a djed pillar. Pretty sure the three rings  represent the divine trinity of Isis,Osiris, and Horus. Truth be told, I'm still fuzzy on this one, but I'm sure the meaning is there somewhere.
  • So what do you think? Am I right? And who (besides me) might make an object like this? 

    Final note: Sometimes, when I'm stuck writing my novel, I look at this odd little piece for inspiration and can feel power emanating from it. Twenty-five cents? It's priceless.