You might know what a mummy is, but do you know how they were turned into mummies? Here we will explore the process of mummification, the reasons behind it and the religious rites associated with it. A mummy is the dried and embalmed body of a dead human being. The ancient Egyptians are the best known of the peoples who preserved the bodies of the dead. However, the practice has existed among many other groups throughout the world. The natives of the Aleutian Islands removed the entrails from the body of a deceased individual of importance, carefully washed the body, dried it, wrapped it in furs, and suspended it in a sheltered cave. The Peruvian Indians prepared mummies, which were sometimes petitioned in religious rituals to grant food and long life. The Peruvians eviscerated each corpse, probably dried it thoroughly, then wrapped it in many yards of cloth. The Egyptians believed that everyone had a soul in the form of a bird with a hu...
FOLKLORE, FACTS AND FEATURES ABOUT HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALS AROUND THE WORLD