⚱️ Mummification

Overview

Mummification was the sacred process of preserving the dead body to ensure eternal life. The Egyptians believed that the ka (life force) and ba (personality/soul) required an intact body to return to, making preservation essential for resurrection in the afterlife.

The Myth of Origin

When Set murdered and dismembered Osiris, Isis and Anubis invented mummification to restore him. Anubis performed the first embalming, wrapping Osiris's body with linen bandages blessed with magical spells. This divine prototype established mummification as the path to eternal life for all Egyptians.

The 70-Day Process

Days 1-15: Purification and Evisceration

• Washing: Body washed with palm wine and Nile water
• Brain Removal: Inserted hook through nostril, liquefied brain, drained out
• Evisceration: Left side incision to remove internal organs (lungs, liver, intestines, stomach)
• Heart Preservation: Heart left in body - needed for judgment in the afterlife
• Canopic Jars: Organs placed in four jars under protection of Horus's sons

Days 16-55: Desiccation

• Natron Treatment: Body covered in natron salt to dry and preserve
• Cavity Treatment: Body cavity packed with natron-soaked linen
• 40 Days: Body left in natron for approximately 40 days to fully desiccate

Days 56-70: Wrapping and Burial Preparation

• Cleansing: Natron removed, body washed again
• Anointing: Oils and resins applied to skin
• Stuffing: Body cavity filled with linen, sawdust, or sand to restore shape
• Wrapping: Wrapped in hundreds of yards of linen bandages
• Amulets: Protective amulets placed between bandage layers
• Mask: Funeral mask placed over wrapped head
• Spells: Priests recited spells from the Book of the Dead during wrapping

Religious Significance

Mummification was not merely practical preservation but a sacred reenactment of Osiris's resurrection:

• The deceased identified with Osiris, god of the dead
• Embalmers wore Anubis masks, becoming the god during the ritual
• Each step accompanied by prayers and spells
• Transformation from mortal to akh (effective spirit)

The Opening of the Mouth Ceremony

After mummification, priests performed the Opening of the Mouth ritual at the tomb entrance:

• Touched mummy's mouth, eyes, ears, and nose with sacred instruments
• Symbolically restored the deceased's senses and abilities
• Allowed the deceased to eat, see, hear, and speak in the afterlife
• Reanimated the ka and ba, reuniting them with the body

Social Aspects

Mummification quality depended on wealth:

• Royal/Elite: Full 70-day process, elaborate coffins, well-appointed tombs
• Middle Class: Simplified evisceration, shorter desiccation, modest tombs
• Poor: Body washed, wrapped in simple linen, buried in desert sand (natural desiccation)