Today's letter is....................M
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MUMMIES
Have you given much thought to mummies? Real mummies...not the movie versions, where they are evil creatures, trailing bandages, and coming after people. I would say real 'live' mummies, but of course that would be silly, because they are only real dead people.
I've been fascinated by them since I was a kid. I say my first ones while on a vacation. They were lying there, exposed...their mummified skin, dark and hardened. They had strange expressions on their faces. They weren't scary to me. I just felt it was a bit sad, to have been unwrapped from their funerary linens, and now are just an attraction to be gawked at. But, the person/soul that they were before, is not trapped inside...they've moved on, only leaving the shell of themselves behind.
Even before I'd seen these, I'd stated to everyone who asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" that "I want to be an archeologist." Everyone thought I was a bit strange. I did not, after all, go on to have this career, but I did extensive reading on the subject of mummies.
The most widely known, is the Egyptian pyramids, where the mummified remains of King Tutankhamun (the pharaoh), and many others of the time have been found. After Howard Carter discovered and unsealed the tomb, rumors multiplied that a curse would befall any who disturbed the tombs. This has not been proven. However, several deaths did occur under strange circumstances, after coming into contact with the contents of the tombs.
I've also read about how bodies are, in fact, mummified. It is a long process of annointing in oils and resins, drying with natron salts, and wrapping in many layers of linen, in certain prescribed ways. Amulets are also included within the wrappings. Eventually the body can be entered into their final resting place.
Would you want to be mummified? Would you want an elaborate sarcophagus encrusted with jewels? Believe it or not, there are some in the funeral business today, that actually do this, on request. It is very expensive, though.
On a lighter note, I've jokingly told my family, that's what I want. They can get a pine box, hot glue tons of fake, shiny jewels from the craft store on it (because we sure couldn't afford real ones). They laughed a bit, not really sure if I meant it, or not!
Thanks for reading! If you'd like to, visit my other blog for the letter M. It is at http://teleportingweena.wordpress.com
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