To The Afterlife and Beyond! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Osiris

In the Osiris Myth, Osiris was the great-grandson of Ra, the sun god, and the oldest son of Geb, the earth god, and Nut, the sky goddess. He was the ruler of the people, and was originally associated with nature and various cycles, like the annual flooding of the Nile River, an occurrence that was central to the success of life in ancient Egypt.

But he was much more. The ancient people believed that he was the one who taught them how to be civilized; prior to his reign it was believed that Egypt was a lawless land filled with people who practiced cannibalism. Osiris taught the people how to farm crops and began the construction of the first temples. Even before his death, Osiris was considered to be the source of all life and was called "Universal Lord".

Answer: Osiris

The different versions of the Osiris Myth do agree that Osiris was murdered by his brother, Set, or Seth, but the motive for the murder is unclear. Was Set jealous of his brother's power and status? Had Osiris wronged his brother in some way? How exactly did Set carry out such a heinous act? It was written that Set did kill his brother, hacked his body into pieces, and disposed of them all throughout Egypt.

So Set then became king, and his sister, Nepthys, was his queen. He ruled Egypt until his nephew was old enough to challenge his power, and rightfully take back the throne. It is interesting to note here that somehow Set appears to have been forgiven for his evil act, and, as time passed in ancient Egypt, the worship of Set continued. Temples were constructed to honor both him and his wife.

The myth especially emphasized that "ma'at", the social and cosmic order in Egypt, could not exist if any pharaoh was killed by his successor.

Answer: Osiris

Osiris' wife had magical powers and was able to collect the pieces of his body, reassemble it, and bring Osiris back to life long enough to conceive a child with him. But he did not reign again on earth. He was resurrected to become the ruler of Duat, the mysterious underworld, where the ethical ancient Egyptians, regardless of their status in life, could live eternally in the afterlife.

Many Egyptian deities lived in Duat, and they were all connected in one way or another with the journey of the deceased to the afterlife. Ordeals and challenges had to be faced there, and if a person was not righteous, he would be given the ultimate punishment - denial of an afterlife. Those who made their way through Duat unscathed had a final judgement to face with Osiris. This ritual was called the weighing of the hearts.

If the heart was found to be heavier than a feather, the deceased was devoured by the god Ammit and ceased to exist. If the heart was lighter than a feather, the deceased was allowed to make a final journey to the Field of Reeds, called Aaru. Once safely in Aaru, the deceased would live eternally in a idealized place that was just like Egypt. There would be peace, abundance, and eternal life.

The belief in the afterlife and the way a person achieved entry shows that the ancient Egyptians worshiped an ethical religion. Good conduct was important to the social and cosmic order of things, and the Osiris Myth showed that the gods expected it - or else!

Answer: Osiris

According to the myth, Osiris was considered to be the first mummy. His wife wrapped his body parts in linen after she collected them, and he typically was depicted with his body wrapped in linen. His face and hands were uncovered and green, the color that the ancient Egyptians associated with rebirth. In his hands he held the crook and flail, the ancient symbols of the pharaoh's power and authority, which were also symbols of Osiris' power in the afterlife.

Osiris' depiction as a mummy had profound effect on the ancient Egyptians because, as a mummy, he was resurrected in the afterlife. The people believed that if their body remained intact, they could have the opportunity to enjoy the same experience.

Answer: Isis

A vital member of the Osirian Triad, Osiris' wife and sister was the goddess Isis. She was well known for her magical powers, and was considered to be the most powerful Egyptian goddess, connected not only to magic, but also wisdom. She taught women how to weave cloth and grind grain to make bread, ordinary, but necessary, activities. An expert in healing, Isis was able to diagnose and treat illnesses, which was a good thing because her husband and son needed a lot of medical attention!

Her ability as a sorceress, along with her intelligence, made Isis a central figure in the Osiris Myth. In it she became the mother of every pharaoh, as her son was the embodiment of the living pharaoh and her husband represented the deceased pharaoh.

Answer: Isis

After receiving assistance from other deities, Isis was able to collect the pieces of her husband's body, and bring it back to life. This idea of being reborn was central to the ancient Egyptian belief in the afterlife.

In spite of Isis' apparent power, she was also pictured as a vulnerable woman who mourned the death of her husband. It was easy for people to identify with her plight, which really humanized the myth. Her magical powers made it possible to breathe life back into her husband after the pieces of his body were meticulously collected and given care. While he was not resurrected to live on earth, he did live and reign in the afterlife.

Answer: Isis

Hathor, who was often depicted as a cow, was an Egyptian goddess who was associated with the sky, women, love, and fertility. Remember, cows were often venerated by ancient people, as they nourished their calves, providing milk for both them and humans. Hathor's headdress, a solar disk surrounded by cow horns, symbolized the maternal position of Isis, as well as her connection with the life-giving sun god, Ra. Many times the headdress also featured the uraeus cobra, which symbolized royalty.

Isis became associated with Hathor when she nursed her son, who eventually became pharaoh. Wearing Hathor's headdress was a strong symbol that signified that Isis was a mother goddess who gave life to a king.

Answer: Isis

Who wouldn't want to be under the protection of the mighty Isis? As she had fiercely protected her husband and son, she would also protect Egypt from its earthly enemies.

At the temple complex at Philae, once located on the Egyptian border with the kingdom of Nubia, Isis was portrayed as being more powerful than millions of soldiers, although pharaoh did normally keep a large garrison there. The temple was especially significant because Philae was believed to have been the burial site of Osiris. It was relocated during the building of the Aswan Dam.

Answer: Horus

After the death of Osiris, Isis gave birth to a son, Horus, keeping his identity secret from Set, and hiding him until he reached adulthood. Isis employed the assistance of both deities and humans to keep her son safe; it's a good thing that Isis had healing powers to protect Horus because he is frequently harmed.

The destiny of the adult Horus was clearly to avenge his father's death. Horus faced a number of challenges - one text said that they went on for eighty years - before the issue was resolved, and sources do not agree on the resolution. In some Set was totally defeated, while in others the two divided the land and power between themselves. The fact that Horus was the rightful king, however, was made crystal clear.

Answer: Horus

During one of the challenges between Set and Horus, Set tore out one or both, depending on the text, of Horus' eyes. Some sources wrote that Set either trampled or ate it (them). One story said that Set buried the eyes and the next morning they had grown into lotuses, while another said that Isis buried the eyes and they became grape vines. Many deities tried to retrieve the eye of Horus, coveting it for its power. When this happened, the eye began to cry. The ancients were told the tears from the eye created the first Egyptian people. Eventually Horus was able to retrieve his eye, and used his powers to restore it.

The Eye of Horus, also called the Wedjat Eye, became an extremely important symbol in ancient Egypt. It was believed to have the power to keep evil at bay and also protected the pharaoh during life and death. Found all over ancient Egyptian drawings and texts, and made into magical amulets, it became the symbol of ultimate protection.

Answer: Horus

Horus is typically depicted as having the body of a man and the head of a falcon. The symbolism of the birds' power and protection was vitally important to the ancient Egyptians as they could frequently see falcons soaring high above them, using their acute eyesight to spot danger.

Temples were built all over Egypt to honor Horus, but the Temple of Edfu is probably the most famous. There people would bring offerings to the god; they believed that worshiping him and saying his name would guarantee his protection. In his falcon form he was commonly depicted as a protector of the newly deceased who were making their way to Duat.

Answer: Horus

Perhaps the most important role Horus had was that of the sky deity. There are many Egyptian sources that claim that Horus' right eye was the sun and his left eye was the moon. Horus was able to use his power to move the sun and moon across the sky.

The earliest information about the Osiris Myth is found in the "Pyramid Texts", which began to appear written on tomb walls by 2400 BC. Several versions of the story, commonly called the "Coffin Texts", have been found all over the remains of ancient Egypt, but none of the versions tell the story of the myth in its entirety. While these fragments can somewhat be pieced together to tell the story, there is not agreement concerning all the details. Basic themes, however, are noticeable in each that portray political intrigues, religious beliefs, ethics, the continuation of life, and the importance of family in ancient Egypt.