Mummy Beads!

Let’s talk about “mummy beads!!!” 

In ancient times, a beaded shroud like the one in the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏, would have been placed over the mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 after it had been placed in its coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱. In modern times, the small faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 beads that make up these shrouds have been nicknamed “mummy beads” simply because they are beads found with mummies 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾𓏪! 

The pattern of the beaded shroud was supposed to be representative of the cloak that Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭, god 𓊹 of the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐, wears. What’s so incredible about this beaded shroud is that it is mostly intact! 

These types of shrouds were mostly made with blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 beads because in ancient Egyptian culture, the color blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 was symbolic of rebirth and regeneration. Faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 was an extremely popular material to work with because it was both cheap and easy to use! Faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 is a quartz 𓏠𓈖𓏌𓈙 based material that can be molded and then heated to a very high temperature to keep its shape. Objects made of faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 were thought to hold magical 𓎛𓂓𓄿𓏜 powers! 

Sewn into the beaded shroud is a winged scarab 𓐍𓊪𓂋𓂋𓆣 amulet 𓊐𓊪𓅆, and amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 of the four Sons of Horus. The wings 𓂧𓌳𓏏𓆃𓏦 allowed the scarab 𓐍𓊪𓂋𓂋𓆣 to join the rising and setting of the sun 𓇳𓏺 each day – which to the ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 represented the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. The cycle was central to the ancient Egyptian 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐 religion! While the four Sons of Horus were typically seen as the heads of the canopic jars, which held the organs 𓇋𓂧𓂋𓄹𓏦 of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 after they were mummified, they were also used as amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪!