Women in Egypt were expected to run the household and have children. That was it. Compared to other countries, though, they had lots of freedom. Peasant women weren't considered to be worth as much as cattle. Most ordinary women couldn't write, either. But women could own property, carry out business deals, etc. They could have jobs too. They could be dancers, musicians, acrobats, weavers, gardeners, and mourners. There were even a few doctors. The noblewomen could become courtiers or priestesses. Most girls, though, got married. Girls were supposed to marry whoever their parents said. They usually didn't, though. Girls were supposed to stay home until they got married. The rich girls went to school.
The Egyptian women took pride in their appearances. They considered eye-makeup necessary. It was practical to use, too. It kept dust and stuff like that out of their eyes. They plucked their eyebrows. Yuck. That would hurt, especially if you plucked too many hairs out. They used a mixture of henna on their nails, hands and feet to give them a red tint. They also bathed in water purified with natron, the salt used to preserve mummies. Double yuck!
And while we're on the subject, how about a little on mummies? It does tie in with this: women can be mummies. (Yes, I know that's an old, annoying, and very dumb joke. But I never particularly cared, either.) Some of this stuff will make those of you with weak stomachs throw up. I won't mention them. (And while we're on the subject, why are there so many words for vomiting. It's enough to make you upchuck! Okay we don't have to get into it.) Being mummified was at first very expensive, but eventually it became cheap enough for even the poorest to hope for. There were some very gruesome parts of the embalming process, which included removing certain organs. Triple yuck! I-think I need to-sit down. (Oh wait I am. That's still gross though.) Let's not dwell on the subject shall we. Here are some uses for mummies. (Former uses anyway. I mean, I don't think that they use mummies as ornaments today.)
1. Medicine
2. Fuel
3. (Yes, ornaments.)
4. Painting
5. Paper Making
So many mummies were being dug up that they were worthless, so uses were found... (Nowadays it would be unthinkable to burn a mummy. Especially if she's still alive. Ha ha. And I know I've used that mummy line already.)
Showing posts with label Mummies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mummies. Show all posts
Monday, January 11, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Ancient Egypt : Some Interesting Stuff
If you like Egyptian history, here's some things you'll find interesting.
In November of 1926, a group of archaeologists set out for Egypt.Their mission? To discover the lost tomb of Osiris, an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh. He was believed to be a god by the Egyptians. I won't get into the whole story about why they thought so, but if you like that kind of stuff you can look it up. Anyway, the group had nearly found it when they vanished. No one could discover where, but according to the book "Egyptology", which is the journal of one of the members of the group, Emily Sands, they had found a place they believed to be it. They found a door in a pit covered with the word Osiris. While they were wondering what to next, a woman approached them. Claiming to be a priestess of Isis, she warned against entering the tomb. The journal states they decided not to heed the woman's advice. They were never seen again.
Was it the curse of the mummy's tomb? No one ever found out what happened to the team. And what about Howard Carter's team, who opened King Tut's tomb. Many of them were killed or died mysterious deaths. But Carter died of natural causes. His canary, on the other hand, was eaten by a cobra. Men died mysterious deaths. One man died just as he was about to X-ray a mummy. Another man threw himself out of the window of a room which contained a vase from the tomb. Lord Carvon, who funded the search for King Tut's tomb, died of an insect bite on his left cheek. King Tut had an unusual mark on the left side of his face. The list goes on and on.
But the mummy's weren't buried with a curse. They were buried with a spell to frighten the enemies of Pharaoh and wish him well in the afterlife. The spell was
not meant to kill anyone.
In November of 1926, a group of archaeologists set out for Egypt.Their mission? To discover the lost tomb of Osiris, an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh. He was believed to be a god by the Egyptians. I won't get into the whole story about why they thought so, but if you like that kind of stuff you can look it up. Anyway, the group had nearly found it when they vanished. No one could discover where, but according to the book "Egyptology", which is the journal of one of the members of the group, Emily Sands, they had found a place they believed to be it. They found a door in a pit covered with the word Osiris. While they were wondering what to next, a woman approached them. Claiming to be a priestess of Isis, she warned against entering the tomb. The journal states they decided not to heed the woman's advice. They were never seen again.
Was it the curse of the mummy's tomb? No one ever found out what happened to the team. And what about Howard Carter's team, who opened King Tut's tomb. Many of them were killed or died mysterious deaths. But Carter died of natural causes. His canary, on the other hand, was eaten by a cobra. Men died mysterious deaths. One man died just as he was about to X-ray a mummy. Another man threw himself out of the window of a room which contained a vase from the tomb. Lord Carvon, who funded the search for King Tut's tomb, died of an insect bite on his left cheek. King Tut had an unusual mark on the left side of his face. The list goes on and on.
But the mummy's weren't buried with a curse. They were buried with a spell to frighten the enemies of Pharaoh and wish him well in the afterlife. The spell was
not meant to kill anyone.
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