Week 6 Storytelling: King of the Dead
King of the Dead
Osiris lay in the Nile, dismembered and dishonored, as king of nothing. Overthrown from his throne on the divine council, Osiris was left an empty shell of great powerful being he had been. The weeping of Isis and Nepthys was bitter, and Osiris did not wish to hear their cries of grief as his body was pulled from the water.
Their cries, however, was the saving grace of the usurped king. Ra heard the lamentations of the goddesses. He was displeased at their pain as well as the crude honor of Osiris’ murderer, Set. Ra delivered Thoth and Horus to assist the god Anubis, who was sent from heaven to reunite Osiris’ body. The severed limbs were united and then swathed in linen bandages.
As Anubis sewed his arm to his hand, Osiris could feel his fingers. As his toes were placed back on his foot, he could imagine how little effort it would take to wiggle them again. When Iris flew above him and her great wings blew air into his nose, Osiris once again breathed the air of life.
He set out to reclaim his throne, which his son Horus had reclaimed from Set. Set had been driven out of the kingdom of Egypt through Horus' armies. They had engaged in a horrible warfare for a long time and it had been a very proud battle. Horus had won, defeating the killer of his father. Ra had not allowed the death of Set, however, but healed both gods. He gave the throne to Horus.
Osiris lay in the Nile, dismembered and dishonored, as king of nothing. Overthrown from his throne on the divine council, Osiris was left an empty shell of great powerful being he had been. The weeping of Isis and Nepthys was bitter, and Osiris did not wish to hear their cries of grief as his body was pulled from the water.
Their cries, however, was the saving grace of the usurped king. Ra heard the lamentations of the goddesses. He was displeased at their pain as well as the crude honor of Osiris’ murderer, Set. Ra delivered Thoth and Horus to assist the god Anubis, who was sent from heaven to reunite Osiris’ body. The severed limbs were united and then swathed in linen bandages.
As Anubis sewed his arm to his hand, Osiris could feel his fingers. As his toes were placed back on his foot, he could imagine how little effort it would take to wiggle them again. When Iris flew above him and her great wings blew air into his nose, Osiris once again breathed the air of life.
He set out to reclaim his throne, which his son Horus had reclaimed from Set. Set had been driven out of the kingdom of Egypt through Horus' armies. They had engaged in a horrible warfare for a long time and it had been a very proud battle. Horus had won, defeating the killer of his father. Ra had not allowed the death of Set, however, but healed both gods. He gave the throne to Horus.
Because of Horus' dedication and honorable effort, the divine council ceded that this throne was the birthright that had been earned by Horus. Instead of retaking his place, Osiris was given a new kingdom to rule. He became the King of the Dead.
Author’s Note: This story is not mine. It is my own retelling of King of the Dead, an Ancient Egyptian myth that can be found in Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie (1907). I tried to give Osiris more feelings, since the original story I read is really just a listing of events as opposed to a heartfelt drama.
Family of Osiris from Wikipedia
Author’s Note: This story is not mine. It is my own retelling of King of the Dead, an Ancient Egyptian myth that can be found in Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie (1907). I tried to give Osiris more feelings, since the original story I read is really just a listing of events as opposed to a heartfelt drama.
Lauren,
ReplyDeleteI love what you did with the story! I also read the Egyptian collection, so I knew exactly where you were coming from. That being said, again, I think it'd be really helpful if you included a slightly longer summation in the Author's Note to help catch the reader up to where you're coming from when you re-write it.
Lauren,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great retelling! I liked that you tried to give Osiris feelings, it really added a new level to the story that I'm sure the original didn't have. I didn't read the Egyptian collection, but now I want to because it seems very cool! I think however, a little more context either in your story or in the author's note would make it easier to understand for those of us who haven't read the original! Great work!
Lauren, this was a great retelling. Your opening sentence really pulled me in, "dismembered and dishonored" sent chills down my spine. I think that it is always fun to provide emotional insights into characters in short myths and tales. I hadn't read this story prior to your retelling, so in your Author's note, it might be more helpful to outline what you specifically changed. Good job!
ReplyDeleteHi Lauren! Great job retelling this story, you really drew me in with the opening couple of sentences. I like how you gave Osiris feelings. It really changes the story for the better and makes it more of a heartfelt drama like you said in your author’s note. Anyways great job retelling this story and I look forward to reading more of your stories.
ReplyDeleteHey Lauren!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your adaption. I did not actually know the original before reading your author's note, but it summarized it well. I like how beautifully descriptive you made this story. Your writing is filled with great imagery that really set the scene for this story and bring it to life. Great work