In ancient times, the Egyptians believed that man, after death, goes to the second world where he needs all the necessary and valuable items to live his second life. The Pyramids of Giza contain the tombs of the Egyptian kings (pharaohs). These tombs were filled with priceless treasures. To prevent these treasures from thieves, several precautions were taken. In some cases, heavy stones were used to seal the passageways to the entrance of the tomb. In other cases, false doorways and hidden rooms were constructed to fool the intruders. In still other cases, a curse was placed at the entrance. In fact, the tomb of Tutankhamen contained these lines:
"DEATH SHALL COME ON SWIFT WINGS TO HIM WHO DISTURBS THE PEACE OF THE KING...."
This time Carter took with him a canary and he had great expectations from the bird. The canary lived up to his expectations. On 4th November 1922, it led them (Carter and his team) to a place where they discovered a step cut into a rock. It was hidden by the ruins of the building of the tomb of Ramesses IV. On digging further, they found fifteen more steps leading to a sealed door on which was written the name, 'TUTANKHAMEN'.
That day when Carter returned home, he found his servant in a distressed state. He had a few yellow feathers in his hand. He told Carter that the feathers belong to the canary. The pharaoh's serpent ate the bird because it had led them to the tomb. He also warned him not to disturb the king's peace or else he might get into danger. Carter didn't believe in such superstitious nonsense and sent the man back to his home.
Carter then invited Carnarvon to Egypt. The two together went into the tomb. The opening of the tomb was a moment of bliss and pleasure for all those involved. Nobody seemed to be concerned about any curse. There were rumors that Carter had found a tablet containing the curse but had hid it so that the workers don't panic.
The tomb was intact and contained an amazing collection of treasures including a stone sarcophagus, inside which were three gold coffins nested within each other. Inside the final one was the corpse of the king Tutankhamen.
By 1929, eleven people connected with the discovery of the Tomb had died early and of unnatural causes. This included two of Carnarvon's relatives, Carter's personal secretary, Richard Bethell, and Bethell's father, Lord Westbury. The press attributed these deaths to the "Mummy's Curse". By 1935, King Tutankhamen got 21 victims to his credit.
Did the curse really exist or had the press just exaggerated the events?
Herbert E. Winlock, the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, made some calculations about the effectiveness of the curse. He collected the following data:
- of the 22 people present when the tomb was opened in 1922, only 6 had died by 1934
- of the 22 people present at the opening of the sarcophagus in 1924, only 2 died in the following ten years
- of the 10 people present when the mummy was unwrapped in 1925, all survived until at least 1934
Many people suggest that the curse can possibly be explained biologically. Researches by several scientists have shown that mummies are often layered with potentially dangerous molds (fungi like Aspergillus flavus and A. ochraceus). Their spores are tough and can survive for thousands of years in harsh environmental conditions. There are chances that the fungus coating was deliberately done (by the people of that time) to support the curse hoax. When the tomb was opened, the mold spores could have been blown up by the air and possibly entered the bodies of the people present through the nose and mouth, thereby causing organ failure. Whether these theories truly explain the mystery of the curse is something that cannot be determined. Still, we can rely partly on these explanations and partly on our own conscience.
Mysteries like this stimulate our curiosity and boost our minds to think creatively. So, do try to come up with your own explanations of the curse and the associated events.
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The king who kills! |
HOWARD CARTER DISCOVERS THE TOMB
It all started in 1891 when a young Englishman named Howard Carter expressed his certainty that there was still one undiscovered tomb in the rich valley of kings - that of the almost unknown king Tutankhamen. To commence his project, Carter found a patron in the form of the wealthy Lord Carnavon. For five long years, Carter dug but found nothing. Carnavon had almost called off the project but Carter convinced him to give him a last chance.This time Carter took with him a canary and he had great expectations from the bird. The canary lived up to his expectations. On 4th November 1922, it led them (Carter and his team) to a place where they discovered a step cut into a rock. It was hidden by the ruins of the building of the tomb of Ramesses IV. On digging further, they found fifteen more steps leading to a sealed door on which was written the name, 'TUTANKHAMEN'.
That day when Carter returned home, he found his servant in a distressed state. He had a few yellow feathers in his hand. He told Carter that the feathers belong to the canary. The pharaoh's serpent ate the bird because it had led them to the tomb. He also warned him not to disturb the king's peace or else he might get into danger. Carter didn't believe in such superstitious nonsense and sent the man back to his home.
Carter then invited Carnarvon to Egypt. The two together went into the tomb. The opening of the tomb was a moment of bliss and pleasure for all those involved. Nobody seemed to be concerned about any curse. There were rumors that Carter had found a tablet containing the curse but had hid it so that the workers don't panic.
The tomb was intact and contained an amazing collection of treasures including a stone sarcophagus, inside which were three gold coffins nested within each other. Inside the final one was the corpse of the king Tutankhamen.
THE CURSE IN THE MAKING
A few months after the opening of the tomb, Lord Carnavon got seriously ill and soon succumbed to his illness. The exact cause of his death is not known. However, it is said that he died of an infection caused by an insect bite. Surprisingly, when the mummy of Tutankhamen was unwrapped, it had a scar on the left cheek at the exact same spot where Carnavon had been bitten.By 1929, eleven people connected with the discovery of the Tomb had died early and of unnatural causes. This included two of Carnarvon's relatives, Carter's personal secretary, Richard Bethell, and Bethell's father, Lord Westbury. The press attributed these deaths to the "Mummy's Curse". By 1935, King Tutankhamen got 21 victims to his credit.
Did the curse really exist or had the press just exaggerated the events?
Herbert E. Winlock, the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, made some calculations about the effectiveness of the curse. He collected the following data:
- of the 22 people present when the tomb was opened in 1922, only 6 had died by 1934
- of the 22 people present at the opening of the sarcophagus in 1924, only 2 died in the following ten years
- of the 10 people present when the mummy was unwrapped in 1925, all survived until at least 1934
EXPLANATION OF THE CURSE
Many of the stories regarding the curse have been proved to be foundation less. For instance, Carter's canary was never eaten by a snake but given to a friend. Even Carnavon's demise is hardly inexplicable in itself as he was already in poor health before the opening of the tomb. Also, infections in those days were a common cause of death. The major loophole in the whole story is that Howard Carter, the man who actually opened the tomb, never believed in the curse and lived to a reasonably old age of 64 before dying of entirely natural causes.Many people suggest that the curse can possibly be explained biologically. Researches by several scientists have shown that mummies are often layered with potentially dangerous molds (fungi like Aspergillus flavus and A. ochraceus). Their spores are tough and can survive for thousands of years in harsh environmental conditions. There are chances that the fungus coating was deliberately done (by the people of that time) to support the curse hoax. When the tomb was opened, the mold spores could have been blown up by the air and possibly entered the bodies of the people present through the nose and mouth, thereby causing organ failure. Whether these theories truly explain the mystery of the curse is something that cannot be determined. Still, we can rely partly on these explanations and partly on our own conscience.
Mysteries like this stimulate our curiosity and boost our minds to think creatively. So, do try to come up with your own explanations of the curse and the associated events.
