Five Facts About Isis - Ancient Egyptian Goddess of the Motherhood and Love
Isis was sometimes shown as a woman with large wings spread out to protect people, or wearing a throne-shaped crown on her head.
Photo by Christa Galloway
Isis was the goddess of magic and motherhood.
As the goddess of magic, healing, motherhood, and protection, Isis was one of the most important and powerful goddesses in Ancient Egypt. Egyptian women prayed to Isis during childbirth and when their children were sick, believing she would keep families safe with her magical powers.
Isis married her brother.
Isis was the wife and sister of Osiris, the god of the underworld, and was the mother of Horus, the falcon-headed god who became king of Egypt.
Isis created the first mummy.
When Osiris was killed by Set, Isis found his body and started making a potion to bring him back to life, but before she could resurrect him, Set hacked the body into pieces and scattered them across the land. Isis changed into a bird and found and gathered most of the pieces, bandaged him together and used her powerful magic to bring him back to life, creating the first mummy.
Isis was depicted with wings or a throne.
She was sometimes shown as a woman with large wings spread out to protect people. She wore a throne-shaped crown, or a solar disc on her head.
Isis was worshipped beyond Egypt.
Unlike many Egyptian gods, Isis became so popular that people in Greece, Rome, and other countries also built temples and worshipped her. In fact, Isis is her Greek name (she was known as Aset in Egypt).
