252 PHILOSOPHY AND MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE IN ANCIENT INDIA. 
On the second page of Appendix B, the following passage occurs : 
‘* Bhawan, consort of Mahadeo,” &c. 
Itis perfectly true that Isis was represented as the Egyptian 
Venus, with cow horns, and under the title of the Goddess Hathor 
or Athor, worshipped accordingly in her celebrated temple at 
Denderah. But it is no less true that her attributes, legendary his- 
tory and annual cult present quite as great analogy to the popular 
myths of the Greek Demeter. Possibly it is not always easy to dis- 
tinguish between Isis as tantamount to Venus, and again as she is 
represented and worshipped in her likeness to Demeter. 
Among the considerations that serve unmistakably to identify 
Isis with Demeter. Demeter (= yymy70p) is the earth-producing 
mother, or, in other words, the Roman Ceres, the goddess of har- 
vest, and similarly in the temple of Isis at Denderah there are 
various side chambers appropriated to the offerings of the different 
nomes of Upper and Lower Egypt respectively, to offerings more- 
over of fruits of the earth. These offerings were also carried by the 
priests at their solemn feasts to the summit of the temple by the 
northern staircase, as betokened by its bas-reliefs. Again Demeter 
and Persephone are not always together; the daughter spends half 
the year in the lower regions as symbolised by the alternate appear- 
ance and vanishing of earth’s annual crop. Similarly Isis and her 
son Horus live apart; according to Hgyptian mythology, each 
pays the other a visit once a year; one half-year Isis comes up 
stream to visit her son at his temple at Hdfou, and during the next 
half Horus proceeds down the river to see his mother at Denderah ; 
and in one of the chambers of the temple of Isis were kept the four 
sacred boats which took part in the procession as so frequently 
depicted in Egyptian mural painting. I am not aware whether 
others have remarked on the analogy between Isis and Horus and 
that of Demeter and Persephone, but it has struck me forcibly. 
Yet again, Isis isthe wife of Osiris, that is to say of the Lord of 
Amenti, the unseen realm. And similarly Persephone is the bride 
of Zeds yOovos, Pluto in other words. Osiris, however, occupies a 
higher position in Egyptian mythology than that which Hades held 
in the Greek. 
With reference to the last paragraph but one of Appendix B, 
beginning “ Lakshmi,” &c.;—The lotus and papyrus are figured 
together on the capitals of temple columns in Upper Egypt, and 
dried lotus buds and stalks may be found on the necks of ancient 
mummies. I have seen a representation of Isis crowned as we 
may conceive Lakshmi to have been. 
