History Embalmed

Marie Corelli & the Curse of King Tut

Why were people receptive to the idea?


The idea of a 'Curse of the Pharaohs' was born following the death of Lord Carnarvon after the tomb of King Tut was excavated and the ideas of people like Marie Corelli.

The General Public were amazed at the unbelievable wealth, the amount of sold gold treasures, which were entombed with the minor pharaoh, Tutankhamun.

This treasure had been buried, with its owner King Tut, for over 3000 years. His resting place had lain undisturbed until the discovery of the tomb. Is it surprising that the general public perhaps felt that it was wrong to disturb King Tut?

Perhaps people felt that the excavation was truly an act of violation and the idea of the Curse of King Tut was a justified form of revenge on any violators of his tomb.

Marie Corelli was also fascinated by the subject. The Curse of the Pharaohs and the Curse of King Tut ideas were fuelled by a novelist named Marie Corelli.

What Marie Corelli said about the Curse of King Tut
Marie Corelli wrote the following which was published in London and New York newspapers:

"I cannot but think some risks are run by breaking into the last rest of a king in Egypt whose tomb is specially and solemnly guarded, and robbing him of his possessions. According to a rare book I possess ... entitled The Egyptian History of the Pyramids [an ancient Arabic text]... the most dire punishment follows any rash intruder into a sealed tomb. The book names 'secret poisons enclosed in boxes in such wise that those who touch them shall not know how they come to suffer'. That is why I ask, Was it a mosquito bite that has so seriously infected Lord Carnarvon?"

But Marie Corelli was wrong. Theso-called 'Curse of the Pharaohs' was in fact based on an Arabic text. And it was not inscribed on the tomb of King Tut. Never-the-less her claims were believed by many people.

The Curse of King Tut - Short Biography of Marie Corelli
Short Biography & facts about the life of Marie Corelli, the famous Egyptologist. The following biography information provides basic facts and information about the life Marie Corelli:

  • Nationality of Marie Corelli: British

  • Name: Originally Mary Mackay

  • Father: Marie Corelli was the illegitimate daughter of Dr. Charles Mackay and Elizabeth Mills

  • Lifespan: 1855 - 1924

  • Born: May 1, 1855 in London

  • Education: Educated at a convent in Paris

  • Career: Musician and fictional author. Marie Corelli was interested in all subjects relating to the occult, mysticism and magic

  • Unmarried

  • Died: April 21, 1924

  • Marie Corelli was famous as a novelist and for fuelling the legend and myths surrounding the Curse of King Tut

Marie Corelli & the Curse of King Tut
Each section of the King Tut website addresses all topics and provides interesting facts and information about the Golden Age of Pharaohs and of Egypt. The Sitemap provides full details of all of the information and facts provided about the fascinating subject of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun including facts and information about Marie Corelli & the Curse of King Tut!

Curse of King Tut

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