Top 10 Earth Goddesses
A primordial component of all early religions was the cult of the mother goddess, who represented earth, fertility and all aspects of creation. In honor of Earth Day, TIME takes a look at some of the more interesting mama deities.
Isis
Isis
ANDREW WINNING / Reuters / Corbis
One of the most important deities of ancient Egypt, Isis held several roles. Not only was she a principal deity in the rites connected with the dead, but she was also a magical healer, and as a mother figure and arbiter of fertility rites, she was a role model for women. Isis was the daughter of the earth god Geb and the sky goddess Nut and was married to Osiris, King of Egypt, whom she restored as a mummy after his brother Seth threw him in the Nile and then chopped him into pieces.
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