Hey everyone, welcome to another installment of Mythology Explained. In today’s video,
we’re going to be discussing mummification. While mummification has become synonymous
with ancient Egypt - its desert dunes, opulent tombs, and majestic pyramids - the practice
was by no means innovated by or exclusive to the denizens of ancient Egypt. Mummified
human remains have been found all over the world, and in many cases, those recovered
predate the ancient Egyptian empire by thousands of years.
The practice of mummification is thought to have been an integral part of egyptian burial
rituals as far back as the 2nd dynasty (around 2800 BC). But it wasn’t until a couple hundred
years later in the 4th dynasty (around 2600 BC) that the art of mummification became fully
realized.
Interestingly, it was also common for ancient Egyptians to mummify animals. It is estimated
that the remains of over one million mummified animals have been recovered across Egypt,
most of them cats. Around 180,000 mummified animals were purchased by an English company
in the 19th century. The remains were pulverized and used as fertilizer.
As the wealth and power of ancient Egypt grew, mummification, and burial practices in general,
became more lavish and ostentatious. A class system took root, and the rich honored themselves
with extravagant tombs and more sophisticated embalming methods. Mummification became a
tiered service. To match demand, there were options that catered to the whole spectrum
of society, from rich to poor. The premium method, known as “the most perfect” method,
will be the one elaborated on in this video.
Here’s an overview of what the mummification process looked like:
The body was first thoroughly washed and scoured of any impurities. After this cleansing, the
brain was the first organ to be removed. A long, narrow probing implement, such as a
metal hook or cruder tools fashioned of wood, were inserted into the brain via the nasal
passage.
After the brain was removed, the skull was rinsed with various solutions to remove any
lingering tissue and to disinfect the inside of the skull. Following this, the left side
of the body was opened up. Though the brains were considered worthless and thrown away,
the intestines, stomach, liver, and lungs were harvested, dried with natron (a type
of sodium salt), treated with resins and oils, wrapped in linen, and then individually stored
in their own Canopic jars. The heart, thought to be the center of all thought within the
body and the most sacred organ of all, was left in place.
The next step was to prepare the chest cavity and the rest of the body. After being washed,
the body cavity was stuffed to help the body keep its shape. Natron was incorporated in
the stuffing to dry the inside of the body, and natron was applied on the rest of the
body, too. Bodies would then be left to dry for 40 days, and during this time, they would
shed up to 75% of their weight. After 40 days, the chest cavity was emptied of its temporary
stuffing and subsequently packed with both fresh Natron and linen saturated with resin.
Priests invoked The Book of the Dead, reciting incantations from it while the body was scented
with oils and wrapped in bandages. Trinkets and baubles, such as the djed pillar and the
heart scarab, were often worked into the wrappings so as to imbue the soul with their power as
it journeyed through the underworld. In total, the whole mummification process took 70 days.
Going through this meticulous, painstaking process begs an obvious, large-looming question.
What’s the point? It's nasty work. It takes weeks. Why didn't they just let them decompose
in the ground or cremate them like we do today? What's the point of it all?
You see, the ultimate goal of each and every ancient Egyptian was to transcend to the afterlife,
to continue on and live forever in paradise. Well, this could only happen if a person’s
akh was formed. The akh was the unification of the ka, the lifeforce or soul, with the
ba, the personality or spirit. These two elements of a person’s being, the ka and ba, in turn,
could not unite unless the physical body was properly prepared, which is why mummification
was of paramount importance.
Ancient Egyptians believed that the rewards of the afterlife could only be reaped if three
preparations were made: the body, the sah, had to be maintained in immaculate condition;
the soul, the ka, had to be nourished with offerings; and thirdly, prayer had to be dedicated
to the departed’s name.
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