At about 7th Century, Arabs have begun journeying towards Egypt in hope of trade and more so, exploration. Thus they eventually encountered the ancient tombs of the Egyptian kings. However when they encountered these tombs, they also saw the hieroglyphs which to them were very weird and mysterious as they did understand these. Also, the mummies themselves were thought to be magical. that when one utters a magic it would come to life. The combination of treasure, mummies, and the hieroglyphs also gave thought among arabs that these tombs were somehow protected by magic and curses.
Another interesting story, true or not, somehow involves the British Museum and the famous Titanic. The British Museum had once in their possession a mummy which was said to be cursed. And as with cursed things, they decided to give it away to another intuition. So they put it on some ship to be transported to american. It turns out that the ship was none other than big ol Titanic herself and we all know what happened next. Up to this day, people say that it was the cursed mummy that caused the Titanic to sink.
Private tombs of the old kingdom had also a lot of curses on them. Some of the curses found in these old kingdom private tombs are as follows:
1. "As for any man who will make a disturbance, I shall be judged with him"
2. "A crocodile be against him in the water; a snake be against him on land, he who would do anything against this tomb. Never did I do a thing against him. It is the god who will judge."
3. "As for anything that you might do against this tomb of mine of the West, the like shall be done against your property. I am an excellent lector priest, exceeding knowledgeable in secret spells and all magic. As for any person who will enter into this tomb of mine in their impurity, having eaten the abominations that excellent akh-spirits abominate, or who do not purify themselves as they should purify themselves for an excellent akh who does what his lord praises, I shall seize him like a goose (wring his neck), placing fear in him at seeing ghosts upon earth, that they might be fearful of an excellent akh... But as for anyone who will enter into this tomb of mine being pure and peaceful regarding it, I shall be his protective backer in the West in the court of the great god."
4. A curse that threatens intruders with donkey rape. The donkey is an animal of Seth, god of the desert.
References: Ancient Egypt, David Silverman, 1997
Replies
The Pharoahs wanted their mummies protected at all costs. If they were damaged in any way it would affect them in the afterlife.
Thanks for this post Janis! Now I know what the snakes were about in some of the Egyptian tombs I visited. In fact, another tourist (a Frenchman) and I were trying to figure it all out. Now I know! They Pharoah had the diviners put a curse (snakes) on whoever robbed his tomb. Cool...Now I know. :)
Hello! I think that one with the titanic has been proven to be untrue and were only based on rumors, nonetheless the ones about the curses from private tombs are fascinating...and kinda weird...donkey sex, by the gods!
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