Nut arches her body over GEB with her hands and feet resting on the four cardinal points north, south, east and west (Refer
to picture below). Less frequently she takes the shape of a celestial cow. Nut's body is a barrier that prevents chaotic and
destructive forces in the universe crashing down onto Egypt. In the Underworld Nut is the goddess of the sycamore fig tree
and is depicted rising from its trunk to provide air, water and nourishment eternally.
Nut is one of the children of SHU and TEFNUT as is her Brother-Husband GEB. The children of Nut and GEB are the deities OSIRIS,
SETH, ISIS and NEPHTHYS
Shu physically separates earth and sky by holding the
body of the sky-goddess Nut high above that of her
husband, the earth-god Geb.
Osiris's skin is often shown as black
or green which symbolizes life and
fertility. He also holds the crook
and flail sceptres of a pharaoh and
wears the distinctive atef crown - a
tall cone decorated with ostrich plumes
and ram's horns
OSIRIS
OSIRIS IS THE RULER OF THE UNDERWORLD. HE WAS KING OF EGYPT UNTIL SETH MURDERED HIM AND CUT HIS BODY INTO FOURTEEN PIECES,
SCATTERING THEM THROUGHOUT EGYPT.
His wife ISIS 'great in magic' founded a temple to Osiris wherever she came across a bit of his body. His major cult centre
at Abydos in Upper Egypt is where she found his head.
Once ISIS and HORUS were set to avenge his death, Osiris left Egypt to become the king of the Underworld. His title 'Foremost
of the Westerners' indicates his importance in the region where the sun-god descended into the realm of the dead. Usually
Osiris is shown tightly wrapped in linen bandages like a mummy.
Osiris frequently holds his special symbol, called the djed-pillar, which stands for the backbone of Osiris. In the Underworld
Osiris is the judge of the dead. He is ready to punish any evildoers but offers eternity to those who have led reasonable
lives.
