Chapter 181: Mummy

The night was chilly.

Well, it was a desert, after all, it was known for its ferocious heat in the daytime while biting cold at nighttime.

It is sand, which turns the entire phenomenon hot. Sand cannot hold the heat. It acts like a mirror to the sun. During the daytime, it stays warm, and when the Sun is absent it loses all its heat making the nights colder. There is nothing in the desert that can either absorb heat from the sun or hold it on the surface when the sun is set. Summer nights might be a little warm, but winter nights have temperatures below the freezing point. The heat from the sky gets radiated into space and hence the temperatures plummet low during night times. The desert animals and reptiles come out during night times. When it comes to normal places, it is the water vapor and carbon-di-oxide present in the atmosphere that keeps our nights warm. As there are no trees and water in the deserts, there is no source of these to keep the temperature warm.

With such a drastic climate it was a wonder that lifeforms survived here.

Maybe this is the real beauty of nature.

With such a vivid lifestyle came vivid life forms like, In the deserts of the Near East, there are "camel spiders" that anesthetize sleeping humans and eat large chunks of their flesh.

"There are several folklore describing Desert as the hell on earth. Though there is no significant evidence and even I don't believe it in but who knows what's the truth" Minya, who entered God knows when, shared his thoughts.

Severus was stunned on the spot when he heard him.

Noworry who was snuggled in his bed again felt the biting cold sensation but for a mere second.

He did not know why but whenever he encountered Minya, he always felt something strange.

However, this was not important but the fact that they both failed to sense his presence turned their blood cold.

Are they kidding?

Severus was famous for his keen senses. Even when he was in sleep, he was used to waking up even with the sighs of another person. Then there was Noworry.

Famous pet of Hades.

He was far more conscious than Severus when it came to senses. Since he was now in a foreign place, he had already activated his senses to maximum, however, still, he failed to sense his presence only showed how strong Minya was.

This was treacherous.

"Ash…his majesty" Severus quickly came to his senses and bowed his head to show his respect.

He did not feel inferior to Minya but the fact that he was in his palace as well as in hair care made him do what he did. Severus was not a fool. He understood that there was something that Minya wanted from him or else he would have killed him instead of giving him such a luxurious room.

"I am sorry zzzzzzzzz."

"I came without any notice. I was just strolling near this area so I thought I should give you a call for dinner. Want to join us…. zzzzz?" He slurred.

No way Severus was going to join him. The mere voice of this man gives Severus shudders. Forget about sharing a food table with him.

Severus pulled a stiff smile as he acted all tired. "I apologize to your majesty, but I still feel weak. I am afraid I can't join you at food."

Minya smiled without showing her teeth but his lip did quirk up which made him look spookier.

"I understand. The journey must be exhausting for you. I will ask maids to send your food to your room. Take care and let us meet at breakfast" After a short greeting he left the room.

[Did you notice his footsteps?] Noworry asked out of nowhere.

Severus paused for a minute before answering. He thought about it but then shook his head.

"No, I didn't"

Noworry turned silent.

Severus did not understand what was wrong until he was glared at by noworry.

"No"

"Oh FCK"

"He didn't have footsteps."'

"Is it possible?"

"How can a living person have no footsteps?" Severus felt as if he was struck by a hammer.

What sorcery was this?

Noworry had thoughts like Severus.

[A desert...a creeping man...feminine robes...and lastly black arts. The only conclusion I can think of is mummy]

"…"

"Mummy?"

"What?" Severus asked in bewilderment.

[The methods of embalming, or treating the dead body, that the ancient Egyptians used is called mummification. Using special processes, the Egyptians removed all moisture from the body, leaving only a dried form that would not easily decay. It was important in their religion to preserve the dead body in as life-like a manner as possible.]

[Mummification was practiced throughout most of early Egyptian history. The earliest mummies from prehistoric times probably were accidental. By chance, dry sand and air since Egypt has almost no measurable rainfall preserved some bodies buried in shallow pits dug into the sand.]

"But why? This is blasphemy"

"Who was mummified and why?"

[After death, the pharaohs of Egypt usually were mummified and buried in elaborate tombs. Members of the nobility and officials also often received the same treatment, and occasionally, common people. However, the process was an expensive one, beyond the means of many.]

[For religious reasons, some animals were also mummified. The sacred bulls from the early dynasties had their own cemetery at Sakkara. Baboons, cats, birds, and crocodiles, which also had great religious significance, were sometimes mummified, especially in the later dynasties.]

"That's gross…" Severus complained.

[If you think this is gross then wait and hear how they were mummified]

"…"

[The mummification process took seventy days. Special priests worked as embalmers, treating, and wrapping the body. Beyond knowing the correct rituals and prayers to be performed at various stages, the priests also needed a detailed knowledge of human anatomy. The first step in the process was the removal of all internal parts that might decay rapidly. The brain was removed by carefully inserting special hooked instruments up through the nostrils to pull out bits of brain tissue. It was a delicate operation, one which could easily disfigure the face. The embalmers then removed the organs of the abdomen and chest through a cut usually made on the left side of the abdomen. They left only the heart in place, believing it to be the center of a person's being and intelligence. The other organs were preserved separately, with the stomach, liver, lungs, and intestines placed in special boxes or jars today called canopic jars. These were buried with the mummy. In later mummies, the organs were treated, wrapped, and replaced within the body. Even so, unused canopic jars continued to be part of the burial ritual.]

[The embalmers next removed all moisture from the body. This they did by covering the body with natron, a type of salt that has great drying properties, and by placing additional natron packets inside the body. When the body had dried out completely, embalmers removed the internal packets and lightly washed the natron off the body. The result was a very dried-out but recognizable human form. To make the mummy seem even more life-like, sunken areas of the body were filled out with linen and other materials and false eyes were added].

[Next, the wrapping began. Each mummy needed hundreds of yards of linen. The priests carefully wound the long strips of linen around the body, sometimes even wrapping each finger and toe separately before wrapping the entire hand or foot. To protect the dead from a mishap, amulets were placed among the wrappings and prayers and magical words written on some of the linen strips.]

[ Often the priests placed a mask of the person's face between the layers of head bandages. At several stages, the form was coated with warm resin and the wrapping resumed once again. At last, the priests wrapped the final cloth or shroud in place and secured it with linen strips.]

"and the mummy was complete?" Severus spoke in between, however, Noworry plainly ignored him.

[The priests preparing the mummy were not the only ones busy during this time. Although the tomb preparation usually had begun long before the person's actual death, now there was a deadline, and craftsmen, workers, and artists worked quickly. There was much to be placed in the tomb that a person would need in the Afterlife.]

[ Furniture and statuettes were readied; wall paintings of religious or daily scenes were prepared, and lists of food or prayers finished. Through a magical process, these models, pictures, and lists would become the real thing when needed in the Afterlife. Everything was now ready for the funeral]

[As part of the funeral, priests performed special religious rites at the tomb's entrance. The most important part of the ceremony was called the "Opening of the Mouth". A priest touched various parts of the mummy with a special instrument to "open" those parts of the body to the senses enjoyed in life and needed in the Afterlife. By touching the instrument to the mouth, the dead person could now speak and eat. He was now ready for his journey to the Afterlife. The mummy was placed in his coffin, or coffins, in the burial chamber and the entrance sealed up.]

Noworry felt breathless after expelling so much.

He rested a bit and again went on to complete his conversation. [Such elaborate burial practices might suggest that the Egyptians were preoccupied with thoughts of death. On the contrary, they began early to make plans for their death because of their great love of life. They could think of no life better than the present, and they wanted to be sure it would continue after death.]

"But why preserve the body?" Severus was still hung up on this question.

Can't they just bury the dead body and let the person rest in peace?

Why bother creating such a fuss?"

[ The Egyptians believed that the mummified body was the home for this soul or spirit. If the body was destroyed, the spirit might be lost. The idea of "spirit" was complex involving really three spirits: the ka, be, and akh. The ka, a "double" of the person, would remain in the tomb and needed the offerings and objects there. The be, or "soul", was free to fly out of the tomb and return to it. And it was the akh, perhaps translated as "spirit", which had to travel through the Underworld to the Final Judgment and entrance to the Afterlife.]

[To the Egyptians, all three were essential…. just like any other religion does]