Isis and Osiris

I've long been fascinated with Ancient Egypt. I remember it going as far back as Junior High School when I did a research paper in Tutankamun.

My Isis costume started out while I was in college at the University of Tulsa studying Fine Arts. Isis in this incarnation wore a blue wrap, and a mummified snake headdress, a neck piece made of an oldcurtain and seam tape. The neck piece got more elaborate as the costume made moreappearances. I strove to give the illusion of traditional Egyptian depictions of this leading couplein the Ancient Egyptian religion. She grew wings, (Egyptian Goddesses are often depicted with wings), a black skirt hand painted with stars, a feathered headdress, (the feather of Ma''at, who is the Goddess of Truth and Justice, is the feather showing how light ones heart must be when it is weighed in death) and a consort, Osiris. Osiris sports a Traditional Egyptian kilt with sun pleats,in silver, the crook and the staff, symbols of authority over and protection of the people of the nation, a golden collar, and belt with a large ornament hanging down again depicting Isis and Osiris.

Osiris and Isis, with Peter Taylor and Carol Phillips as their avatars, have made many appearances at Pagan gatherings, where she is able to appear in her full glory (bare breasted, as usually depicted in Egyptian tomb paintings), UU Churches where they participated in ReligiousEducation, and even a science fiction con or two. Roger Zelazny went and made ancient Egypt ontopic for an SF con, by writing Creatures of Light and Darkness. Thanks Roger, wherever you are. Unfortunately, Roger didn''t adhere to the traditional descriptions as closely as I have,especially with Isis, whom he depicted as wearing full red. Osiris he depicted as wearing a falconhead covering his own, a metaphorical image to indicate his totem animal, which in the book, was taken more literally.

Picture of Larry and Carol as Osiris and Isis
"Isis and Osiris" Carol Phillips and Larry Niven at ConQuesT28, Kansas City, Mo, 1997

In 1997, I showed up to watch the costume contest at a SF convention in Kansas City, ConQuesT, as Isis with Larry Niven as Osiris, in what I thought was a hall costume, even if it was a bit elaborate. The con organizers made us enter the contest,even though we hadn't registered, and we won first prize!

Since then, Isis as a more elaborate headdress, instead of the Feather of Ma'at, truth and justice,which she is often depicted wearing, she wears the Throne of Isis, her personal insignia and the headdress she is most commonly depicted in. For Osiris, to make a more authentic headdress, Iam STILL looking for some golden and dark blue striped material that drapes well.

Here is Isis and Mark DR Stern, college classmate and fellow Egyptophile, as Osiris shown imbedded in a tomb painting.

Picture of Mark and Carol as Osiris and Isis
"Isis and Osiris" - Carol Phillips and Mark Stern

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