Animal Mummies

I have mentioned in many previous posts that I have loved mummies 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾𓏪 ever since my Nonno introduced me to ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 when I was a little girl! Although animal mummies are the most common form of Egyptian artifact (seven million dog 𓃀𓎛𓈖𓃡 mummies have been found in Saqqara alone), they are among the least understood of all objects.

At the Brooklyn Museum, they have a couple of animal mummies which are in the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 here! On the left is a dog 𓃀𓎛𓈖𓃡 mummy, and on the right is a cat 𓅓𓇋𓅱𓃠 mummy. The level of preservation of these mummies is exquisite!

It is well documented that the ancient Egyptians kept dogs 𓃀𓎛𓈖𓃡𓏦 and cats 𓅓𓇋𓅱𓃠𓏪 as pets. In tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏥, many times dogs 𓃀𓎛𓈖𓃡𓏦 and cats 𓅓𓇋𓅱𓃠𓏪 have been found buried with their owners! Dogs 𓃀𓎛𓈖𓃡𓏦 have also been mentioned on funerary stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 along with other family members! The thought is that the pet and the owner would be able to stay together 𓈖𓊗 in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐 if they were buried together 𓈖𓊗.

One of the possible explanations of the significance of animal mummies can be tied to the Egyptian cultural aspect surrounding animals. Believe it or not, there is no Middle Egyptian word for “animal” – there was the word 𓌚𓅓𓄛 but it translates more accurately to “beast” then all animals in general. The Egyptians didn’t think of animals as “less” than humans – Animals were living things that contained a ba 𓅡𓏺 (part of the soul 𓂓 that is active in this world and the spiritual world). They could become gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 through death 𓅓𓏏𓏱 and mummification 𓋴𓂧𓐍𓅱𓐎 just like humans. 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.