Did you know that the ancient Egyptians believed the soul
couldn't reach the afterlife if their body wasn't intact?
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Mummification of the deceased is a practice that began in ancient Egypt as early as 3500 BCE,
that not only prevented the body from decay and decomposition
but was done to ensure the deceased's successful passage to the afterlife
because a soul couldn't reach the afterlife if their body wasn't intact. Mummification is the
process involved in embalming and preserving the body after death, in order for the soul to
continue its eternal journey because a person's immortal soul, name and identity were linked to
their physical form. The jackal-headed god Anubis was not only a protector of the dead but was the
god of the afterlife and mummification, the inventor of mummification and presided over
mummification rituals and funerals. Prior to Osiris becoming the Lord of the Underworld,
Anubis' role was as the Lord of the Dead, but after the death and rebirth of Osiris, Anubis
became Osiris' right-hand man who guarded Osiris' body after death, oversaw his mummification
and assisted Osiris in the judgment of souls. Both of these deities were highly respected
and associated with death, mummification and the afterlife with Osiris often depicted as a
mummified ruler with either black or green skin that symbolises both death and resurrection.
Mummification developed from the ancient Egyptians religious beliefs.
Burials from the Pre-Dynastic Period of Egypt, dating to circa 5000 BCE, were shallow rectangular
or oval graves that contained a body that wasn't mummified, some grave goods and food offerings,
so although the deceased wasn't mummified this early in the history of Egypt, the Egyptian people
already believed in some sort of afterlife as evidenced by grave goods. Through time,
the burials evolved into more elaborate affairs and by the Early Dynastic Period,
between circa 3150 and circa 2613 BCE, cemeteries had become more common and the use of mastabas
(flat-roofed rectangular structures) had become more popular than the early simple graves.
These burials weren't just for a person's final resting place but was designed as eternal homes
for the body which was understood as the mortal vessel for one's eternal soul. The soul had grown
used to the body, however, and identified with it and so it had to be reassured after death
that the body was still intact and close at hand. Inscriptions of spells in the "Pyramid Texts",
"The Coffin Texts" and the "Book of the Dead" and tombs painted with scenes of daily life
not only prepared the soul for what to expect in the afterlife but to remind the soul of what was
happening after the body had died and assure the soul the body was nearby. Death wasn't an
end but a transition from one state to another leaving the body behind, but this transition
could not proceed if the soul was traumatised by the loss of the body and so the body had to be
very carefully prepared in order for the soul to recognise it upon reawakening in the tomb.
The Egyptians had the belief that the soul consisted of nine separate parts the Khat;
which was the physical body the Ka; which was one's double form or astral self, the Ba; which
was a human-headed bird aspect which could speed between earth and heavens, or more specifically,
between the afterlife and one's body, the Shuyet; which was the shadow self, the Akh;
which was the immortal transformed self after death, the Sahu; which was an aspect of the Akh,
the Sechem; which was another aspect of the Akh, the Ab; which was the heart, the source of good
and evil and the holder of one's character and finally the Ren; which was a person's secret name.
So, for the Ka and the Ba to recognise themselves after death and to properly
function, the Khat had to exist. After death, the different aspects of the soul would be confused
after they were released and needed to centre themselves by the familiar form of the body.
According to Herodotus, there were three types of embalming offered;
the best and most expensive kind, an inferior and cheaper process and then the cheapest of the
three. The family of the deceased would have to choose which one for the deceased and their choice
could affect both themselves and the deceased, since if they could afford the more expensive one
but they chose one of the inferior embalming options, then they run the risk of a haunting
since the dead person would know that they had been given a cheaper service than they deserved.
The deceased could still hear and see as the ancient Egyptians believed that
death wasn't the end of consciousness, so both burial practice and mortuary rituals were taken
incredibly seriously since the dead were understood to be present. People still
seem to choose the service they could most easily afford though and the type of embalming they chose
would then determine the kind of coffin available, the funerary rites and the treatment of the body.
For mummification, the key ingredient was natron (known as a divine salt).
Natron is a combination of sodium chloride, sodium sulphate, sodium carbonate and sodium
bicarbonate which was the best at defatting and removing the moisture from the body,
although common salt was also used. In the most expensive embalming method, the brain was removed
by a hook through the nostrils and any brain matter left would be flushed out with drugs.
The contents of the abdomen, including all of the organs, were then removed through an incision in
the left side and the empty cavity would be washed and then cleaned, then filled with aromatic herbs
and substances then sewed back up, after which the body would be covered in natron for at least
40 days and absolutely no longer than 70 days, then the body was washed, wrapped in linen strips,
sometimes with magical amulets and charms, and given back to the family in a human-shaped coffin.
In the mid-range embalming process, the intestines aren't removed but the body is filled with cedar
oil, then placed in the natron and then at the end of the salt process, the oil was drained from
the body. At this point, all that is left is skin and bones which are returned to the family as is,
and the third and cheapest option was that the intestines were washed out of the body
and then kept in natron for 70 days, according to Herodotus. The process of mummification
was followed with animals as well as humans and Egyptians regularly had their pet cats,
dogs, birds, baboons, fish and gazelles mummified. Why are the internal organs removed? Well, it's to
help preserve the corpse but it was believed the deceased would still need the organs so they were
placed in canopic jars and sealed in the tomb. Only the heart was left in the body as it was
thought to contain the Ab aspect of the soul which contained the person's identity and character,
although there are examples of mummies where the heart has been removed. In the grave or tomb of
the deceased, along with the body and canopic jars, would also be placed grave goods including
shabti dolls; which would perform a specific task for you in the afterlife, so your soul could relax
instead of having to work. The more wealth you had the more shabti dolls you could afford and the
less your soul had to work in the afterlife. The deceased would also be buried with other objects
deemed necessary in the afterlife like jewellery, beer, combs, clothing, bread, weapons and even
their pets. It was believed that everything buried with the deceased would then be available to them
in the afterlife for the soul to make use of. Before the tomb was sealed, the Opening of the
Mouth Ceremony was performed which was a rite in which the priest would invoke Isis and Nephthys,
the goddesses who brought Osiris back to life after he was chopped up by his brother Set,
to awaken the soul. The priest would touch the mummy in various spots with different objects
like a chisel and a knife and in doing so, he restored the use of the mouth, eyes, ears and
nose to the deceased, then the mummy would be enclosed in either a coffin or a sarcophagus
and left in the grave or tomb with their grave goods and the funeral service would come to an
end with a party honouring the deceased, while the soul of the departed would move on to eternal
life. If you had the option, would you want to be mummified after you die? Let us know what you
think in the comments below! If you enjoyed this video, make sure to give it a thumbs up
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