Payoff For Awakening The Ancient Pharaoh Of Egypt — The Curse Of Tutankhamun
Tutankhamun aka King Tut Stock Photo |
Payoff For Awakening The Ancient Pharaoh Of Egypt — The Curse Of Tutankhamun
Curse was an infallible weapon of the Egyptians called 'heka', which they called the gift of their God. They thought that there was a direct connection between the curse and some supernatural unseen force, which was controlled by the cosmos or some cosmic being.
In 1922 the discovery of Tutankhamun Tomb's news spread like wildfire all over the world. The international media was busy with this news only for a few days. The excavation team became world famous overnight. But their rejoicing did not last long. Most of the workers in the excavation team were Egyptians. They knew very well that there was a terrible curse carved in ancient tombs. But Carter, unbelieving in superstition, did not take them into account. Everyone was fascinated to see the precious gold thing inside the tomb. But was that fascination paid off by annoying the Pharaoh emperor?
Was he angry at the awakening of his thousand years of peace? Did his curse fall on those involved in the excavations? Let's take a look at some of the events.
Who Got King Tut's Curse?
1. The day after Tutankhamun's tomb was unveiled, Carter's favorite bird, the canary, died at the touch of a cobra. It can be seen that the hooded hood of Cobra is present in the crown of the pharaohs.
2. Lord Carnarvon, the financier of the excavation, died on 5 April 1923. Some say he died of a small mosquito bite. According to some, he died of excessive bleeding after cutting his throat while shaving.
3. A few hours after Lord Carnarvon's death, his dog chased after something and died.
4. Among those who set foot in the tomb was George Gold, an American billionaire who was a railway executive by profession. He fell ill in 1923 while visiting Tutankhamun's tomb. After that he did not recover. He died of pneumonia several months after.
5. The camera inside the tomb was captured on camera by the then Prince Ali Kamel Fahmy of Egypt. He was shot dead by his wife in 1923.
6. Tutankhamun's mummy was first x-rayed by Sir Archibol Douglas Bay. He fell ill the day after the X-ray. That illness had existed in his body for a long time. He died on 24 January 1924.
7. A photographer named Frank Radley took pictures at Tutankhamun's tomb. He died blind and heartbroken.
8. Wolf Joel, a wealthy South African businessman, witnessed Tutankhamun's mummy as a hobby. Shortly afterwards, he fell down the stairs and had a stroke. He died in it.
9. Sir Lee Stack, the Governor General of Sudan, came to see the tomb. He was also shot dead in Cairo.
10. A digger named Arthur Mess was in Carter's team. He died of arsenic poisoning in 1926.
11. The list also includes Richard Bethel, Howard Carter's personal secretary. He was the first to enter the tomb behind Carter. His burnt body was recovered from the room of an elite club in London on 15 November 1929.
12. Richard Bethel decorated his home with some artefacts from the mulberry tomb. Richard's father, the old Lord Westbury, often muttered to himself, "These things are cursed. These are Pharaoh's curses." He wrote in his latest note, "I can't stand this horror anymore, I want to get rid of it forever." He then committed suicide by jumping from a seven-story building.
13. Carter was accompanied by another British archaeologist, Evelyn-White, when the tomb was discovered. He lost about twelve colleagues by 1924 after the incident. Evelyn-White was horrified by the series of unusual deaths. A few days later, he committed suicide by hanging himself. Before he died, he wrote in a letter, "I have faced a curse that has forced me to the brink of death."