Mummies
Egyptian Mummies
We have all seen the horror movies featuring Egyptian Mummies and heard
about the tales and myths surrounding the process of mummification. This
page attempts to provide the facts and information about the real
mummies of Ancient Egypt. What exactly was Mummies? Mummies Definition:
Mummies are preserved corpses that, due to shielding from decomposition,
have retained its physical form. Mummies were created through the
process of mummification which involved preserving and embalming a dead body in
the belief that the body would be necessary in the Ancient Egyptian
afterlife. Using a special process the Ancient Egyptians removed all
moisture from the corpse, leaving only a dried shell of a body that would not easily
decay. The making of Mummies required inhibiting microbial growth
and dehydration. The process of creating mummies was complicated and
costly and surrounded by ceremony and ritual.
Why were Mummies
important to the Ancient Egyptians?
Why were mummies important to the
Egyptians?
The Ancient Egyptians believed that
elements of the soul were perishable and therefore at great risk. The
process of creating mummies combined with rituals and magic spells ensured the preservation of the dead
corpse and their Ka,
Ba and Ahku.
The Process of
Creating Egyptian Mummies
The process of creating mummies was both a religious and
technical process and therefore practised by the priests who were
trained in both the art of mummification and the religious rituals that
were associated with it.
The priest embalmers used a range of tools during the Mummies process
(some of which have been left inside the mummies!). The priest embalmers tools included
bronze hooks, knives, tweezers and needles for opening, emptying and closing up the
corpse.
The whole process of removing the of
organs of the body was conducted on a special slightly slanted table which allowed
the blood and bodily fluids to drain into a built-in sink. The
different stages of creating mummies, which were accompanied by their rituals, were as follows:
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1. When an
Egyptian died the family went into mourning and the corpse was
taken to the priest embalmers and a price was agreed for
undertaking the process of creating a mummy
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2. The
corpse was taken for ritual washing. The body was washed with palm
wine to kill bacteria and rinsed with water from the Nile
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3. The body was then transferred to the 'Place of
Purification', the embalming hall called the Wabet where the
mummies were created
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4. Removal
of the brain. A hook was inserted into the nostrils and
up through the nose which punctured the brain. The corpse was
turned on its side and the brain fluid drained out of the
body
-
5. Resin
such as pistacia tree resin and balsam sap was poured into
the brain which then solidified and prevented the skull
from collapsing
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6. Incisions were made into the
corpse and the stomach, liver,
lungs and intestines were removed
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7. The
organs were stored in alabaster containers called
Canopic Jars - which would later be buried with the mummy. The
canopic jars were filled with natural crystals of natron (natron is
a compound of sodium carbonate and bicarbonate which stopped
the mummies
rotting)
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8. The heart was left in the
corpse as the Ancient
Egyptians believed the heart held the spirit, understanding
and senses and would be needed on the Day of
Judgement in the Underworld
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9. The
body and the cavity in the abdomen were packed with small
parcels of natron
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10. Moisture in
the corpse was absorbed by the natron
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11. The
small sacks of natron were removed from the corpse
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12. The
body was washed with water
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13. The
corpse was then anointed with oils, incense, scents, spices,
herbs and resins
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14. The
body cavity of the mummy was then packed with linen or straw soaked
with the same oils, scents, spices, herbs and resins
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15. The
body cavities were then sewn together
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16. The
corpse was then covered with layers with linen shrouds coated
with resin. Linen bandages were used to bind the extremities
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17. Amulets,
some containing magical spells, were inserted in the layers
of bandages, to assist the deceased in the trials and tests
they would face in the terrifying underworld
The process and religious
rituals required for creating mummies lasted for a period of 70 days.
After the required period for the mummification
process the Egyptian Mummies were ready for their funeral and burial
when their journey to the underworld and afterlife would begin.
The History of
Egyptian Mummies
The tradition and history of
Egyptian Mummies
started with the myths and legends of the Ancient Egyptian gods, in
particular Osiris. In the
creation myth Osiris was murdered by his younger, jealous brother
Seth but brought back to life, by his wife Isis, for just one day. The body of Osiris was embalmed by
the god Anubis who therefore made Osiris the first of the Egyptian
mummies. The Egyptian method of
preparing the body for mummification varied according to the social status of
the deceased. At first only the pharaohs were made into mummies but this was
later extended to other Egyptians who were wealthy enough to pay for the
process to become a mummy. Eventually even the peasants were made into
mummies.
The Purpose of
Egyptian Mummies
The Ancient Egyptians believed that
every person was thought to have three souls - the Ka, the Ba and the Akh.
-
The Ka was a
ethereal twin of the mortal body. Without a
physical body the soul had no place to dwell and became
restless forever
-
The Ba was able
to leave the tomb and revisit the haunts of the deceased in
the mortal world.
-
The Akh was the
immortal soul which emerged when the Ka and the Ba were united
after the Day of Judgement
The reason
that mummies
were created was to keep the soul alive and
ensure a clear path to the Afterlife.
Egyptian Mummies
Process - The Egyptian Embalmers
Who were the Embalmers in Ancient Egypt who created the mummies? Where did the
ancient Egyptian embalmers work?
The embalmers worked on the west bank of the River Nile well away from the
residential area of Egypt. The process of creating mummies was both a religious and
technical process and therefore practised by the priests who were
trained in both the techniques and the religious rituals that
were associated with it. There were different types of priest embalmers
who worked in an embalming hall and workshop which produced the mummies called a “Wabet”
which meant a
clean place. The names and the roles of the embalmers were as follows:
-
The Hery Sesheta
(the priest who wore the Anubis mask) - The Hery Sesheta was
in charge of the embalming process and the creation of the
mummies. The
name Hery Sesheta meant 'Overseer of the Mysteries'. The Hery Sesha made the incision for
removal of the internal organs of the corpse
-
The Hetemw
Netjer - The Hetemw Netjer was the priest who assisted the
Hery Sesheta with the death rituals
-
The Hery Heb -
The Hery Heb was the lector priest who was present to read
magical spells and prayers which
related to the rituals used when creating the mummies
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The Wetyw - The
Wetyw were the most junior embalmers and undertook jobs such as
removing the organs and bandaging the mummies during the
mummification process
Egyptian Mummies
- Who was Mummified?
The process and techniques used for creating the Egyptian mummies differed according to
the roles and the wealth of the people they were embalming. At
first only the bodies of dead Pharaohs were made into mummies. The
wealthier the deceased, the more elaborate the process and the rituals
involved in producing mummies. The three different categories of mummies
were as follows:
-
The Pharaoh,
Royalty and Nobility
-
The Middle
Classes - scribes, army officers, doctors etc
-
The Egyptian
Peasants
Seventy Day Rule
for creating Egyptian Mummies
The process and rituals required for creation mummies for their final
burial lasted for a period of seventy days. The seventy day
period corresponded to the length of time during which Sirius, the 'Dog
Star', appeared to die by dipping below the horizon. The seventy day rule
applied to all classes of Egyptians - rich or poor. The seventy day
process for creating the mummies of wealthy Egyptians was divided into the
following activities:
The Mystery of
Creating Egyptian Mummies
The mystery of how the Ancient Egyptians created mummies has slowly
unravelled over the years. The Egyptian embalmers were
very secretive about the art and process of creating mummies and left no
accounts which related to their techniques, mystery, ceremonies and rituals.
Hieroglyphics and spells have provided an insight into the mystery of
creating mummies, as do
artefacts such as embalmers tools and the embalmers table. The writings
of the Greek Herodotus traveller have provided a significant amount of information
into the process of creating mummies.
The History of
Animal Mummies including Cat Mummies
The History of Mummies extended even
further to animal mummies, including tens of thousands of cat mummies.
The Ancient Egyptians practised animal-worship and over time sacred animals,
such as cats, were also embalmed
after death, and their bodies were interred in sacred cemeteries. Animal
Mummification was practised on the following animals which all had cult
followings:
Cats
Dogs and Jackals
Rams, Cows and Bulls
Crocodiles
Baboons
Hawks and Falcons
The Process of
Creating Cat Mummies
The process of creating cat mummies in Ancient Egypt included:
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Removal of the
Organs of the cat, except the heart
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The body of the
cat was
dried out using Natron salt and packed with sand
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The Greek
historian, Diodorus observed the creation of cat mummies and recorded that "Cedar oil and such spices
as have the quality of imparting a pleasant odour and of
preserving the body for a long time, they lay it away in a
consecrated tomb."
-
The bodies of
the cats were placed in appropriate positions for
example, cats were mummified in a sitting position with with the
forelegs lying down the front and the hind legs drawn up
beside the pelvis
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The bodies of
the cats were elaborately wrapped in linen
-
Facial details
of cats,
or decorations, were painted on the wrappings of the cat
mummy as it was
important that the cat mummy's head should resemble the living
feline
Egyptian Mummies
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