Ostara Mystery Play: The Lamentations of Isis and Nephythys

[Osiris lying on the floor, head to the West, dead. He is wrapped in white linen, and surrounded by a circle of candles. Frozen, their heads and hands laid upon his body, are Isis and Nephthys veiled in black. They unfreeze when Isis begins to speak. The actions performed by Isis and Nephthys are not written because they were acted as it happened.]

Isis:      Beautiful youth, come to your house at once; we do not see you.

            Hail, beautiful boy, come to your house, draw near after your seperation

            from us.

            Hail, beautiful youth, pilot of time, who doesn't grow old any more .

            Holy image of your father Tenn, mysterious essence proceeding from

            Atum,

            The Lord, the Lord!  How much more wonderful are you than your father, the first-born son of your mother's womb.

            Come back to us in your true form;  we will embrace you.

Nephthys: Do not depart from us, you beautiful one, dearly beloved one,

            The image of Tenn, male, master of lovemaking.

            Come in peace, our Lord, we would see you.

            Your two sisters will join together your body parts, no pain shall touch

            you,

            They will heal your injury.  Our heads are turned backwards in mourning.

Isis:      Great mighty one among the gods, the road which you travel cannot

            be described.

            You are the Babe, the Child at morning and at evening, except when you

            encircle the heavens in bodily form.

            You are the bull of the two sisters.

            Come, Babe, growing young when setting, our Lord, we would see

            you.

            Come in peace, great Babe of his father, you are secure in your

            house.

            Do not fear, your son Horus avenges you.

Nephthys: Neka shall be carried off and thrust into his cavern of fire every day; his

            name shall be hacked to pieces among all the gods; Tebha shall become

            stinking corruption.

            You are in your house; do not fear.  Set is suffering for all the evil which

            he has commited;  Nut has speared him.

Isis:      Come, youth of the saffron-coloured face, you who grows young,

            whose two eyes are beautiful.

            I am your sister Isis, the darling of your heart.  Because of my love for

            you, you being absent, I water the earth with my tears to this day.

            Whilst you travel you are praised by us, and life springs up for us

            out of your nothingness.  O our Lord, come in peace, let us see you.  Hail,

            Prince, come in peace, drive away the fire which is in our houses.

Nephthys: Hail, bull of those in Amenti, one, immovable, how much more

            marvellous than the gods is the Babe, the male, the mighty heir of Geb,

            who was born God among the gods.

            Come to your two widows.  The whole of the company of the gods

            encircle you that they may repulse Set - cursed be his name! - when he

            comes behind the shrine before your father Ra, who shoots out fire and

            repulses the Sebau devils.

            Come, your kinsfolk await you; drive away sorrow from our houses.

            Come, your kinsfolk await you; there is no one more secure than you, O

            dweller in solitude.

            The throne of our Lord is in peace.  The victor, he is greater than his long

            suffering when the Lock-fiend alights on his enemies.

            O soul who lives again, the two sisters unite your body parts

Isis:      I hid myself among the bushes to conceal your son that he might answer

            for you, for seperation from you was a time of sore distress.  Did I not  

            gather up your body parts?  I went on alone, I crept around about amongst

            the vegetation.  A very large crocodile came after your son - a female with

            the face of a male - but I knew, and I went around and retraced my way,

            leaping clear from the evil one.

            Hail, beautiful boy, come to your exalted house.  The gods are upon their

            thrones.  Hail!  Come in peace, king, come in peace.  Your son Horus is

            avenging you. You cause great grief to your two Queens, we weep for

            you at your shrines.  Babe!  How lovely it is to see you!  Come to us, O

            great one, glorify our love.  Come to your house, do not fear.

Nephthys: [Addressing the heavens]O you gods who are in heaven,

            O you gods who are on earth,

            O you gods who are in the Underworld,

            O you gods who are in the abyss,

            O you gods who are in the service of the deep,

            We follow the Lord, the Lord of love.

Isis:      I travel the roads that your love may come to me. I fly over the earth, I

            do not rest in seeking you. Your love is a flame to me. The perfume of

            your body is that of Punt.

            I weep for you with my voice. I avenge you. I set your nose on your face,

            I collect your bones for you.

Nephthys:         Your mother Nut comes to you with holy offerings. She builds you up with the life of her body.You are endowed with a soul. You are made whole.

[Isis and Nephthys now perform the Rite of Opening the Mouth as follows:]

Nephthys:         (censing Osiris)  You are pure, O Osiris.

Nephthys:         (asperging Osiris) You are pure, O Osiris.

 Nephthys:         (sprinkling salt) You are pure, O Osiris.

 Isis:             (touching wand to Osiris’ mouth) Hail Osiris, I have opened your mouth so that you            may speak. (Osiris’ mouth opens)

 Isis:             (touching wand to Osiris’ eyes) Hail Osiris, I have opened your eyes so that you may see. (Osiris’ eyes open)

 Isis:             (touching wand to Osiris’ nose) Hail Osiris, I have opened your nostrils so that you may breathe. (Osiris takes a deep, shuddering breath)

 [Isis and Nephthys help Osiris to rise. Osiris stands with hands crossed over chest, Isis and Nephthys either side of him bearing offerings.] 

 Osiris:   My hair is lapis-lazuli.

             My skin and limbs are alabaster.

             My bones are silver.

             My teeth are turquoise.

             My hair oil is liquid myrrh.

             My skull is lapis-lazuli.

            There is no part of me that is not of the gods!

 [All three end with the Star Sapphire:]

 “Virgo, Isis, Mighty Mother!

Scorpio, Apophis, Destroyer!

Sol, Osiris Slain and Risen!

Isis, Apophis, Osiris!

IAO!”

 Osiris:     LET THE LIGHT DESCEND!