The Isis

For the Oxford University student magazine, see The Isis Magazine. For the militant group sometimes known as ISIS, see Islamic State. For other uses, see Isis (disambiguation).

Punting on the Isis at Oxford.
Map of Oxford c. 1900, with the river labelled as "River Thames or Isis".
Rowing on the Isis opposite the Oxford college boathouses.

"The Isis" (/ˈaɪsɪs/ EYE-siss) is an alternative name for the River Thames, used from its source in the Cotswolds until it is joined by the River Thame at Dorchester in Oxfordshire. Notably, the Isis flows through Oxford and has given its name to several institutions and products of the city.

The modern form of the name, first recorded c.1540,[1] relates to the Egyptian goddess Isis.[2] The deity was venerated throughout the Roman Empire, and was worshipped at the Temple of Isis near the Thames in Londinium during the Roman occupation.

  1. ^ Watts 2007, p. 334 "An alternative name for the Thames above its junction with the Thame, used particularly in Oxford...
  2. ^ Ackroyd 2007, p. 26 "The god of the Egyptians, Isis, has been generally associated with the Thames ..."