Osiris+Bed

Osiris Bed


 * Other N****ames:**

Corn Mummy

An Osiris Bed is a recessed image of the god Osiris. The brick-shaped "bed" was filled with seeded dirt and formed in the shape of the god. The Bed was placed in tombs to germinate in the darkness, demonstrating Osiris' power. Images on temple walls show grain growing out of the body of the dead Osiris while his soul hovers above the stalks. Since grain is cut down and then grows again, so the dead hoped to be renewed like grain.

As a symbol of transformation and undying life, grain itself was thought to have magical properties. Osiris Beds were made with barley mixed with Nile mud. Some are small, only a few inches (5 cm) long, while others are life-sized. The mummy shapes are sometimes wrapped in linen and have wax masks of Osiris' face. Because of the shape of these coffins, they were at times wrongly identified as falcon or infant mummies.

An almost pristine example was found in Tutankhamen’s tomb. The Osiris Bed found in the tomb of Tuya and Yuya was found to have produced a crop of sprouts that were 8 inches (20 cm) tall.

Magical Objects