This is a scholarly compilation of facts pertaining to the derivations of and elaboration on the incest myth of Osiris. The formation of the myth has a dual origin in the need to perpetuate the belief in immortality and in the conflicts over incest. The mythical incest of the gods represents wish fulfillment of the tabooed desires of mortals. The myth is compared with the dream: both the mythmaker and the dream maker attempt a wish-fulfilling device. Each mode is a compromise between the wish and the defense against the wish. Throughout history, incest myths have become increasingly disguised; e.g., the Oedipus myth is simply a repetition of the earlier Osiris myth, as are biblical and Shakespearean examples.