A Beginner’s Guide to Egyptian
MummificationEnsure your pharaoh makes it
to the afterlife safely!
So, your beloved pharaoh has just died—what do you do now? You must make sure to mummify him correctly; any small mistake could jeopardize his chances for eternal life! But not to worry, just follow this easy, step-by-step guide to
ensure that your holy leader continues to live life everlasting.
Welcome!
First, make sure the kingdom knows the
news. Send a messenger to
the city streets to cry out the
announcement.
Announce the Death
Two major processes:
Embalmingand
Wrapping
Embalming
Wash the body in palm wine.
Embalming Step 1:
Embalming Step 2:Rinse the body with water
from the Nile.
Embalming Step 3:Make a small incision on the
left side of the body.
Embalming Step 4:Remove important internal
organs through the slit. This includes liver, lungs, stomach
& intestines.
Embalming Step 4:*Note* do NOT
remove the heart—it is the
seat of the soul and must remain with the bearer!
Embalming Step 5:Remove the brain by pulling it out through the nose with a hook (we’re not really sure what the brain is for, but it
can’t be too important).
Embalming Step 6:Stuff the body with natron (salt and bicarbonate of
soda). Use the remainder to cover the body.
Embalming Step 7:Set the body and internal organs outside in the hot
sun to dry.
Embalming Step 8:
Wait 40 days for the body and organs
to dry.
Embalming Step 9:Rinse the body with water from the Nile (yes, again).
Embalming Step 10:Cover the body with fragrant oils
(we recommend myrrh, sandalwood, attar of roses, and/or
cedar).
Embalming Step 11:Stuff the body with dry
materials, such as sawdust, leaves, and/or linen. Be
careful not to use too much or too little—you don’t want to
disfigure the body!
Embalming Step 12:Cover the body with more
fragrant oils, for good measure.
Embalming Step 13:Place the dried organs in the corresponding canopic jars.
Make sure they are packed tight with natron.
Imsety, the human-headed god looks after the liver.
Hapy, the baboon-headed god looks after the lungsDuamutef, the jackal-headed
god looks after the stomach
Qebehsenuef, the falcon-headed god looks after the
intestines.
WrappingYou will need a
special slatted table for this process. This
is so you can wrap around the body without having to
keep turning it over.
Wrapping Step 1:Wrap the head and neck.
Wrapping Step 2:Wrap the fingers and toes.
Wrapping Step 3:Wrap the arms and legs.
Wrapping Step 4:Place the sacred amulets on the body. The most important is the Ankh to protect the welfare of the deceased. “The amulet is a protection for this Great One, which will drive off anyone who would perform a criminal act against him.” - The Book of the Dead, 156th spell.
Wrapping Step 5:Read the appropriate spells
from The Book of the Dead to ensure protection and a safe
passage for the soul.
Wrapping Step 6:
Tie the arms and legs together. Remember to
place a copy of The Book of the Dead between
the arms.
Wrapping Step 7:Completely wrap the rest of
the body.
Wrapping Step 8:Paint the
wrapped body with resin to seal and protect it.
Wrapping Step 9:Cover the body with a
decorative cloth (we suggest using the image of Osiris).
Wrapping Step 10:Wrap strips of linen around the body to keep the cloth in place. See the diagram below for best
placement.
Wrapping Step 11:
Lay the mummy in the
first coffin. Place that inside the
second coffin.
Wrapping Step 12:Hold the funeral and
procession honoring your beloved leader.
Wrapping Step 13:Perform the “Opening of the
Mouth” Ceremony, so that the deceased may eat and drink in
the next life.
Wrapping Step 14:Put the mummy into the
sarcophagus. Have a high priest perform last
rites: “You will live again, you revive always, you have
become young again, you are young again and forever.”
Wrapping Step 15:Place the mummy in his final
resting place (pyramids are lovely, but you may want to consider a
more discrete tomb to discourage grave robbers).
CONGRATULATIONS!
You have successfully ensured that your pharaoh will live
forever!