What connects the "father" of Sherlock Holmes and Pharaoh Tutankhamun

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

They started talking about the "curse of the pharaohs" relatively recently, after the researchers opened the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. According to various versions, after this, all members of the expedition who entered the tomb soon died. The legend of the notorious "curse" became so popular that these motifs were used in many works of art. And many famous writers and researchers have paid tribute to this mystical mystery. Including the famous Conan Doyle.

Legends about the "curse of the pharaohs"

The Europeans became interested in the history of Ancient Egypt for a long time. But, interestingly, rumors about the curse only arose in 1923, after the burial of Pharaoh Tutankhamun was found.

The discovery of this tomb turned out to be a real sensation not only for professional archaeologists, but also for ordinary citizens. At the end of 1922, a group of researchers managed to find an undiluted ancient burial site (in the history of excavation of ancient Egyptian graves, this is a huge rarity).

Researchers began excavating ancient tombs at the end of the 19th century. Also, the British enthusiast and collector of antiquities, Lord Carnarvon, together with the Egyptologist Howard Carter, carried out excavations already at the beginning of the 20th century.

Unfortunately, all the burial grounds found were devastated, to one degree or another. Many generations of local residents or professional grave thieves "took care" of this. The mined rarities were sold to the same Europeans.

Actually, thanks to these "souvenirs", European researchers started their own excavations, but for a long time almost to no avail. Exactly until the moment when Howard and Carnarvon, after many years of painstaking work, managed to find an untouched burial.

And so, at the beginning of 1923, the long-awaited event took place - the members of the expedition removed the seals from the tomb and entered it. The richest contents of the tomb also became a sensation, but the mysticism was yet to come.

After the opening of the tomb, 13 members of the expedition, as well as 9 of their close relatives, died one after another in a short time. The causes of death are called different and quite natural. But the journalists covering the expedition were sure that an ancient curse had worked here. Allegedly, the ancient Egyptian priests created a powerful spell that brings inevitable death to the "defilers of the graves."

However, earlier about such curses somehow it was not heard. Indeed, during the previous centuries, ordinary Egyptians calmly plundered the burials of the pharaohs. And nothing became extinct. And the topic of curses was raised by European and American journalists, not local leaders.

Lord Carnarvon died 3 months after the opening of the tomb. The causes of death are called different: from pneumonia to blood poisoning after an insect bite. And a month later, another participant died - Carnarvon's friend American Gould.

After another 2 months, another participant in the opening of the tomb died. It was an Egyptian prince who had been shot by his own wife during a quarrel.

Everyone, on this, the historical value of the finds of the tomb was forgotten for a long time. Journalists wrote only about the mystical side of the issue. Numerous strange omens were recalled before the opening of the tomb: the bird of the archaeologist Carter was devoured by a cobra, according to ancient mythology it is a snake that punishes the opponents of the pharaoh.

Also, Carnarvon himself was predicted no more than 6 weeks of life after the opening of the grave (which came true). There were many rumors, so that shy people even began to refuse from previously acquired ancient Egyptian things and mummies. Just in case.

Among such "fearful people" was even Benito Mussolini himself, who decided to get rid of the mummy presented to him.

Over the next 15 years, almost all archaeologists and researchers who were involved in the excavation of the tomb of Tutankhamun died. And all these deaths were invariably associated with the presence of the "curse". Conan Doyle himself had a hand in this sensational version, which contributed to its even greater popularity.

Conan Doyle and mysticism

Everyone knows that Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes, even people who do not like literature. But the fact that the writer was seriously fond of mysticism is not known to all of his fans. He practiced spiritualism and wrote many stories on mystical topics.

The writer also has a story "No. 249" on the theme of ancient Egyptian mysteries about a revived mummy. And about the curse, Conan Doyle put forward a version that the ancient priests created some "elementals". These invisible creatures were called upon to guard the tomb from plunder and to punish daring robbers. True, no "elementals" could save the tomb of Tutankhamun from being plundered. But this is so, by the way.

The opinion of the respected writer has given new impetus to the legend. After all, now the authority of Conan Doyle also worked for her. Although his explanation can be interpreted in two ways: both from the point of view of science and from the point of view of occultism. But all the same, his statement makes it clear that the writer himself believed in curses.

The Basqueville Dogs plot is based on real legends and is built on an ancient curse. Although the solution to the crime is quite materialistic. So the opinion of the great writer only confirmed the existence of the "curse of the pharaohs", whether it is material or occult. But whether it really happened is another question.