Myths featuring Iris

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Anubis Weighing the Heart of the Deceased Against the Feather of Ma'at

🏺 Egyptian MythologyHall of Two Truths (Abydos Proxy), EgyptAnubis • Ma'at • Thoth

In the Hall of Two Truths, the god Anubis conducts the ultimate judgment of a soul by weighing their heart against the ostrich feather of Ma'at, the goddess of truth and order. If the heart is heavy with sin and outweighs the feather, the deceased is denied eternal life and devoured by the monster Ammit. Souls who pass the test are presented to Osiris and granted entry into the blissful Field...

The Oxyrhynchus Fish Swallowing the Phallus of Osiris

🏺 Egyptian MythologyOxyrhynchus (El Bahnasa), EgyptOsiris • Isis • Set

After the god Osiris was murdered and dismembered by his brother Set, his wife Isis searched the Nile for his remains. She recovered every piece except for his phallus, which had been swallowed by an Oxyrhynchus fish in the river. This event led to the fish becoming sacred and taboo in the region, and Isis was forced to use her magic to fashion a replacement to resurrect her husband.

The Divine Tribunal Debating for 80 Years Over Who Should Rule Egypt

🏺 Egyptian MythologyHeliopolis (Cairo), EgyptHorus • Seth • Isis

Following the treacherous murder of King Osiris by his brother Seth, the divine tribunal of the Ennead convened in Heliopolis to settle the succession. For eighty long years, the gods Horus and Seth engaged in a series of magical and physical contests to prove their worthiness. Eventually, through the intervention of Isis and a stern warning from the underworld, Horus was crowned the rightful...

Horus Transforming into a Harpooner to Strike Set the Hippo

🏺 Egyptian MythologyTemple of EdfuHorus • Set • Isis

Following the murder of his father Osiris, Horus engaged in a legendary struggle against his uncle Set for the throne of Egypt. At the site of Edfu, Set transformed into a giant red hippopotamus to symbolize chaos and destroy his nephew's forces. Horus, taking the form of a divine harpooner, used ten magical harpoons to subdue the beast and restore cosmic order, eventually being crowned the...

Set Sealing the Chest and Throwing It into the Nile

🏺 Egyptian MythologyMemphis, EgyptOsiris • Set • Isis

At a grand banquet in Memphis, the god Set tricks his brother Osiris into a custom-made chest. After Osiris lies down, Set and his conspirators seal the chest with molten lead and cast it into the Nile River. This pivotal act of betrayal initiates the death of the king and the subsequent mourning and quest of his wife, Isis.

Zetes and Calais Chasing Away the Harpies

🏛️ Greek MythologyStrophades Islands, Ionian Sea, GreeceZetes • Calais • Phineus

When the Argonauts arrived in Thrace, they found King Phineus tormented by the Harpies, monstrous bird-women who stole and defiled his food. Zetes and Calais, the winged sons of the North Wind, pursued the creatures across the seas to the Strophades Islands. There, the goddess Iris intervened, sparing the Harpies in exchange for a vow that they would never plague Phineus again.

The Justified Soul Entering the Eternal Paradise of the Field of Reeds

🏺 Egyptian MythologyAbydos, EgyptOsiris • Anubis • Thoth

After enduring the trials of the Duat and the Weighing of the Heart, a righteous soul is granted entry into Aaru, the Field of Reeds. This eternal paradise reflects a perfected version of Egypt, where the deceased live in harmony with the gods, free from hunger and toil. It represents the ultimate reward for a life lived according to the principles of Ma'at.

Nut Swallowing the Sun God Ra Every Evening at Sunset

🏺 Egyptian MythologyWestern Horizon (Giza Proxy)Nut • Ra • Geb

In the ancient Egyptian worldview, the sky goddess Nut swallows the sun god Ra every evening at sunset, signaling the end of the day. Ra travels through her body during the night hours, facing various trials and the serpent Apep in the underworld. Each morning, Nut gives birth to the sun in the east, renewing the cycle of life and maintaining cosmic order.

The Chest Washing Ashore and Growing into a Massive Tamarisk Tree

🏺 Egyptian MythologyByblos PortOsiris • Isis • Set

After Osiris was trapped in a chest and cast into the sea by his brother Set, the chest washed ashore at Byblos and was encased within a giant tamarisk tree. Queen Astarte and King Malcander used the tree as a pillar in their palace, until Isis discovered it while searching for her husband. This pivotal moment in Egyptian mythology marks the transition of Osiris from an earthly king to the...

Phineus Harassed by the Harpies

🏛️ Greek MythologySalmydessus (Kıyıköy), Thrace, TurkeyPhineus • Jason • Zetes

King Phineus of Thrace was cursed with blindness and the constant torment of the Harpies, monstrous bird-women who stole and fouled his food. This divine punishment lasted until the arrival of the Argonauts, specifically the winged Boreads, who chased the creatures away to the Strophades. In gratitude, the blind seer provided Jason and his crew with the crucial knowledge needed to survive the...