Have you ever heard of Isis and the seven scorpions? An Egyptian myth that has travelled generations to us today! Let’s dig deeper into what this story is all about. The firstborn of Geb and Nut, Osiris was tall, slim, and fine-looking, with shiny black hair. When Geb bequeathed the ruling power over Egypt and superannuated into the heavens, Osiris became in charge of the kingship and wedded his sister, the stunning Isis. Under his wise power, the Egyptians were convinced to reject cannibalism. He trained them in farming and music and outlined a fair legal system for them. Egypt thrived serenely under his decree.
Then Osiris decided to enlighten the rest of the world and transported the same consecrations to Europe, the Near East, as well as the Orient. In his time off, Isis ruled as monarch of Egypt, and the land carried on flourishing.
The Evil Power Of Set
Nevertheless, Osiris had an unpleasant and wicked brother with red, rough hair like a donkey’s fur. He was named Set, a born schemer who grudged the power and pulled off his elder brother. The Set had one more cause for detesting Osiris: His wife, Nephthys, had birthed a baby by Osiris — the famous jackal-headed Anubis. Through corruption and sneaking, Set gathered numerous followers during Osiris’ nonappearance. And mutually, they developed a plan for the monarch’s decease.
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When it was proclaimed that Osiris would come back, Set held a feast and requested his brother to come. After the celebrations, Set had a gorgeous chest transported forth and said that it would be gifted to the person who fit inside flawlessly.
After all and sundry had exasperated, Osiris strode into the chest. Then Set and his flatterers banged the lid closed and stuck down the junctures with lead. Osiris was smothered, the chest was flung into the Nile, and Set turned out to be the monarch of Egypt.
The Story Of Isis
When Isis discovered her husband’s death, she toured along the Nile in genuine sorrow, probing for the chest encompassing Osiris. She discovered Anubis, who had been deserted by Nephthys. And she fostered and cultured him.
Isis carried on looking for Osiris through recurrent oppositions until, one day, she discovered that the chest had cruised to Phoenicia. And a tamarisk tree had enclosed it in its stalk.
Isis travelled all the way to Phoenicia and discovered the tree in the king’s fortress helping as a support. Isis trained the court women in the talent of perfumery and grooming hair. And upon getting in touch with Queen Ishtar, she was occupied as a caretaker to Ishtar’s baby son.
At night she achieved ab enchanted ritual to make the infant eternal by scorching away his earthly parts. But Ishtar interjected the ritual, and the spell was destroyed. Then Isis exposed herself as a deity in all her magnificence and requested to have the chest in the fortress support. Overwhelmed, Ishtar allowed the request, and Isis reverted to Egypt alongside the chest.
Also Read: Osiris In Myth And History
Assisted by Nephthys, Isis invigorated Osiris through magic and birthed a son by him. And Set then imprisoned her, from which she runaway with the assistance of Anubis. Isis escaped to the swamplands of the Nile delta and, breathing like a farmworker, she birthed to Osiris’ son, Horus, the hawk, conceived to take vengeance for his father’s assassination.
After the manslaughter of Osiris, Isis strained to hide from Set. Still, he discovered her, confined her in a spinning mill, and left her to plait her husband’s memorial linen. Thoth understood that Isis would be in threat if Set understood she was expectant and came to her assistance. He unchained Isis from the mill and instructed her to take cover in the swamplands with seven scorpions called Tefen, Masetetef, Petet, Tjetet, Matet, Mesetet, and Befen. And these scorpions insisted on defending her and her yet-to-be-born son.
The Seven Scorpions
The goddess camouflaged her accurate form and started her journey. It was an extended journey to the swamplands. And so she chose to stop at the home of a wealthy woman named Users to ask for food and shelter to sleep for the night-time.
A woman in tatters arose from the marsh bordered by seven huge scorpions. Hauling a baby, she went to the adjoining village to request food. She loomed a wonderful mansion, but the mistress of the house took a single look at her dirty clothes and strange companions and crashed the door in her face.
So she went down the road till she came to a hut. The woman there was compassionate to the stranger and presented her with what she had. It was a meek meal and a bed of grass. Her visitor was no normal beggar. She was Isis, the most influential goddess in Egypt.
Isis had to be very inconspicuous— she couldn’t risk expanding her influences. But she was not without assistance. Serket, the deity of venomous beings, had directed seven of her severest servants to protect Isis and her son.
As Isis and Horus relaxed into their modest lodging, the scorpions reeked at how the well-heeled woman had affronted their heavenly mistress. They all joined their venom and provided it to one of them called Tefen. In the wee small hours, Tefen went to the house. As he scuttled beneath the door, he saw the woman’s young son slumbering serenely. Thus, Tefen gave him an enormous sting. Isis and her hostess were soon woken by deafening crying.
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As they looked out of the entrance of the cottage, they spotted a mother sprinting through the street, crying as she embraced her son. When Isis distinguished the woman who had directed her away, she comprehended what her scorpions had executed.
Isis, The Heavenly Deity Love
Isis held the baby in her arms and started to declaim a dominant spell: “O venom of Tefen, emerge of him and fall on the ground! The venom of Befen, spread not, infiltrate no farther, the surface of him, and fall on the ground! For I am Isis, the magnificent Enchantress, the Speaker of spells. Tumble, O venom of Mestet! Hurry not, the venom of Mestetef! Increase not venom of Petet and Thetet! Loom not, the venom of Matet!”
With every name she summoned, that scorpion’s venom was nullified. The child was enthused, and his mother cried with thankfulness and mourned her previous cruelty. And then she offered all her prosperity to Isis in shame. The lady who had welcomed Isis observed in admiration! She was as unaware of who she had sheltered in her house.
And from that day onwards, the people studied to make bandages to treat scorpion stings, expressing enchanted chants just as the deity had.
