As said in ancient Egyptian history, the mummy’s curse or the curse of the pharaohs is a spell claimed to be directed on anyone who interrupts the pharaoh. This anathema, which archaeologists and thieves do not differentiate, is said to bring bad luck, sickness, or even death. Since the 20th century, a lot of documentaries and authors have disputed that it is actually true due to scientifically justifiable reasons, including radiation or bacteria. On the other hand, the legend of the pharaoh’s curse is primarily suggested that comes from a cultural, not completely scientific, phenomenon.

Several instances of actual ancient curses appear on the façade or inside a tomb, which is similar to the Khentika Ikhekhi case at Saqqara in the 6th Dynasty. These seem to be aimed at the priests of ka in order to defend the tomb carefully and maintain the ritual purity instead of a threat to possible thieves. In addition, there had been a lot of curse stories in the 19th century but grew following the tomb of Tutankhamun’s discovery of Howard Carter. In spite of general fallacies, no spell was found engraved in the tomb of the pharaoh. The curses’ evidence regarding Tutankhamun is regarded as extremely inadequate that an archaeologist and Egyptologist described it as an “unadulterated nonsense.”

History of Curses in a Tomb

Curses with regard to tombs are very rare, potentially due to the notion that sacrilege was unlikely and even critical to record in terms of writing it in history. The most recurrently take place in the Old Kingdom period’s private tombs. Following the Old Kingdom era, curses are less customary, although more dangerous, often calling forth Thoth’s wrath or Sekhemet’s destruction.

The Curse of Tutankhamun

The conviction in the curse was brought to the attention of a lot of people because of the deaths of some of Howard Carter’s team members and other famous tomb visitors shortly afterward. The team of Howard Carter opened Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1923, which established the modern Egyptology era.

James Henry Breasted, a famous Egyptologist who worked with Howard Carter after initially unsealing the tomb, stated how Howard Carter sent a messenger to his home. Upon approaching him, the messenger believed to have heard an almost human, faint cry. When the messenger reached his home entrance, he saw a birdcage inhabited by a cobra, which is an Egyptian monarchy’s symbol. The canary of Howard Carter died in the mouth of the cobra, and this story stimulated local curse rumors. Arthur Weigail, the former Egyptian Government’s Inspector-General of Antiquities, stated that it was explained as the home of Howard Carter being broken into by a Royal Cobra, similar as that put on the head of the King in order to strike enemies, on the exact day as the tomb of the King was being broken into as well.

The death of Lord Carnarvon was the initial mysterious death due to the so-called curse. The Lord had been attacked by a mosquito and accidentally lacerated the bite while he was shaving. The wound became infected and caused blood poisoning. A couple of weeks prior to the death of Lord Carnarvon, Marie Corelli published an imaginative document in the magazine of New York World which cited a vague book that asserted confidently that “terrible punishment” would lead to a disturbance into the opened tomb. It followed a media frenzy, with rumors saying that the tomb of the King uttered a curse, although it was not true.

In general, true or not, the legend of the pharaoh’s curse led to a lot of documentaries and stories. Without this history in Egypt, people would never have known the legend of Tutankhamun’s tomb. Upon reading a lot of reports and tales regarding the legend of the pharaoh’s curse, do you think that it’s for real or not?