Debunking Mummy Myths: The Mummies Rise from Death (AKA Mummies as Zombies)

Today’s blog post is dedicated to debunking a myth about mummies: the idea that the mummies will rise from the dead to join the living, aka mummies as the original zombies.  

London, Ontario, Zombie Walk.  Photo by Dr. Christine Boston

This is a  myth that exists in regards to mummies, albeit not nearly as popular as other mummy myths (that will be discussed at a different date since I will be presenting on this very topic in a couple of weeks).  This myth is an extension of the mummy’s curse myth, coming from the idea that mummies will rise and enact his own revenge for having his rest disturbed.  There is some historical evidence to support this myth, principally the ideology that the deceased, in the form of the mummy, would rise again in the afterlife in order to continue where they left off in life.  This is a common theme that we see in all sorts of cultures that practice anthropogenic mummification.  This myth has been popularized by movies, such as Dawn of the Mummy and the more recent Mummy franchise, and shows, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and many more, which depict mummies rising from the dead and take their revenge on unsuspecting mortals. 

                ©Harmony Pictures

But can this actually happen?  Do we need to be worried about an army of zombies coming out and killing us all?  Think about that for a moment.  Think about where all the mummies are housed around the world, in all of the museums, and think about that possibility.  Do we need to be scared?

The simple answer is no.  You can all breathe a sigh of relief.  Even if mummies do rise, they probably would not get very far.  Why?  Because in general, mummies are in pretty fragile condition when they are discovered. 

Mummy housed at the Museo Arqueologico de San Miguel de Azapa.  Photo taken by Dr. Christine Boston

The above picture is one such mummy found in northern Chile.  These mummies are considered phenomenally preserved, but even the ones where they are completely intact, they have to be handled very carefully.  There is a minimum of four people needed to move the mummies, which are moved one at a time.  And again, incredibly carefully, meaning very slowly and with strong and able bodied individuals.  If one of these were to all of a sudden reanimate, it is not going to get far because it is probably going to fall apart under its own weight.

But what about other mummies?  We find that all other mummies are in similar dire straits.  This same situation applies to bog bodies, the ice man, the Peruvian mummies, and many more.  And Egyptian mummies that were anthropogenically mummified had all organs removed except the heart, so these mummies could not physiologically function.  Plus, without brains, they would not know what to do, except for maybe search for brains.   

Source: www.theawesomer.com

So while it may be fun to think about, mummies will not be a threat in the unlikely event that they reanimate and try to take over the world or enact their revenge or talk about how they were the original zombies.  So we can all breathe a sigh of relief and know that this, as well as the greater mummy’s curse, is just a figment of our wild imaginations and continued fascinations with the dead.