In May 1999, in theaters all over the United States, the latest version of a classic horror tale opened. Long before Indiana Jones was just a sparkle in Stephen Spielberg's eye, The Mummy dragged hordes of the public into movie theaters. The most famous movie version stars, of course, Boris Karloff, who shambles after the lovely reincarnated Zia Johann. And before the film versions, there were books and stories, and before that, lurid news accounts of the exploits of the wealthy second sons and business men that passed for archaeologists in the early days.
The mummy stories all seem to have elements in common: a cult of immortality, a love story that spans millennia, and accidental (or intentional) grave robbing. My curiosity led me to look for the earliest mummy stories I could find. It seemed like an interesting question: were the plot lines based on archaeological evidence, say the "screaming mummy" a.k.a. Unknown Man E? or were the stories merely creations of the rabid minds of the 19th century yellow press?
The Mummy in Fiction
I should have guessed: the first mummy stories were ancient Egyptian. According to Bob Brier, several of the mummy stories of the ancient Egyptians involved the exploits of Setne Khamwas, a historical figure who was a high priest and fourth son of Ramses II at Memphis. One tale, written on papyrus around 200 BC, a millennium after Khamwas lived, concerns the pursuit of the Book of Thoth. The Book of Thoth is forbidden and magical (and, by the way the cause of poor old Imhotep's downfall in the 1932 movie).
By the way, I object to the smearing of architect, wizard, vizier and renaissance man Imhotep as bad guy. But I digress.
Naturally everybody wants their hands on the Book of Thoth, including Prince Naneferkaptah, who purloins the book from its hiding place in a set of nested boxes deep in the waters of Coptos. The god Thoth hears of the theft and kills Naneferkaptah, who is then buried in a tomb with his family and the Book. Khamwas breaks into the tomb, but Naneferkaptah's mummy rises up to protect it.
Ah, the Wiley Khamwas
In a nearly classical Greek twist, the ownership of the book is then to be determined by a game of Senet, which Naneferkaptah wins, but Khamwas steals it anyway. Eventually, the misfortunes that develop for Khamwas as a result of his theft make him break back into Naneferkptah's tomb to return the Book of Thoth, finally sealing it back in and going on to other adventures.
More Modern Mummy Fiction
Can't help the fact that the modern movies are less than scholarly, but they are a whole lotta fun. Treat yourself to one of these fine films or poke around for one of your own.
