Mummy of a Falcon

The preparations carried out on the mummy thus took place almost according to the prescriptions relating to the mummification of human corpses, since the falcon was the sacred animal of the god Horus.

The body of the mummified animal was first wrapped in linen strips and after the mummy. Then thus shaped into a form reminiscent of a human mummy it was wrapped in a linen shroud.

Mummies prepared in this way were then decorated with color painting. A striped wig was painted around the head. A broad usekh or wesekh collar, symbolizing protection and rebirth, on the chest section.

In the cult of numerous Egyptian gods, the worship of the animal associated with a particular deity played an important role. The swift-winged falcon was revered as the manifestation of the god Horus, among others.

On the famous Statue of King Khafre Enthroned, classed as a masterpiece, the outstretched wings of the falcon god protectively embrace the ruler’s head. The kings’ “Horus name” can be seen at the beginning of his titulary.

Ptolemaic Period, 4th-1st centuries BC. Organic remains, mummified animal; linen. 52 x 14 x 12 cm. Now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest. 98.4-E