A triad is an association of three kindred or correlated deities. In ancient Egypt, cycles of this type usually arose out of the association with the chief local god of other deities; in some instances the members were deemed to stand in the relationship of father, mother and child. Such were the Theban triad of Amen, Nut and Khons; the Memphite of Ptah, Sekhet and Nefertum; and the Osiris-Isis-Horus triad, which, n the Alexandrian form, comprised Serapis, Isis and Harpocrates.
In Babylonia, triads were derived from early conceptions of a cosmic trinity, such as Anu, Enlil and Ea representing sky, earth and water: and shin, Shamash and Ishtar, representing sun, moon and star. Early Aryan thought moved in the same direction in the Vedic triad of Agni, Indra and Surya, representing fire, wind and sun. out of this emerged the Brahman Trimurti, or three aspects, portrayed as a three-headed image in a famous sculpture at Elephanta, and comprising Brahma, the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Siva the destroyer.
Buddhism adopted the principle in the Triratna, or three jewels, which were at first the Sangha or monastic order, portrayed as a man holding a lotus, the Buddha, and the Dharma, or sacred law.
The Triad Society of China, denoting the union of heaven, earth and man arose in the 18th century and became a powerful anti-dynastic movement. Research Triad
Anubis (Anepo) was an ancient Egyptian god. He was the son of Osiris and Isis. He was depicted as having the head of a jackal. He guided the souls of the dead from this world into the next. He also weighed the actions of the deceased in the presence of Osiris. Research Anubis
The Ankh was the ancient Egyptian amulet of life symbolising immortality and life that is to come. It was formed of the combined male and female symbols of Osiris and Isis. It was usually employed as a pendant for a necklace. Research Ankh
The Apis was the sacredbull, symbolic of Osiris, in ancient Egyptian culture. The Apis was primarily worshipped at Memphis and was represented by a black bull bearing a white square on the brown and a figure of an eagle on the flank and a scarabaeus under the tongue. After twenty-five years the animal was solemnly drowned in the Nile and embalmed. A period of mourning then ensued until a properly marked successor was found. Research Apis
In Egyptian mythology, Isis (Aset) was the daughter of Nut and Geb and the sister of Osiris, Set and Nebthet. She and Osiris had a dualfunction as fertility gods: she over saw love and union, he was the god of growth. They ruled Egypt as husband and wife; he taught his subjects the rule of law and respect for the gods; she taught them marriage, household management and medicine. After Osiris was drowned and dismembered by their jealous brother Seth, Isis used her medical skills first to impregnate herself with the last drop of semen in her consort's penis, and then to reassemble the corpse and bring it back to life. The first magic worked, and she became pregnant with Horus. But the gods refused to let Osiris return to the world of mortals, and he went to rule in the Underworld, leaving Isis vowing revenge on Set. Instead of fighting him herself, she encouraged Horus to take every chance to try to kill him, and when this proved impossible she arranged for Horus to humiliate and disempower Set. In some accounts this happened when Horus
castrated Set in a duel, fit punishment for Set's crime of cutting off Osiris' penis and throwing it into the Nile. Research Isis
In ancient Egyptian mythology, Nutpe was the sister and wife of Seb. She was the mother of Isis and Osiris and presided over births and nursing. Research Nutpe
Ra was the ancient Egyptian god of the Sun. He was complemented by the moon goddess, Osiris and was identified by the Greeks with their own sun god, Helios. He was represented with a hawk's head, over which is a solar disc.
Ra was the son of Neith and married Mut, representing the interaction of earth and sunlight in producing vegetation. Research Ra
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Triad
