Some Words with a Mummy
Some Words with a Mummy by Edgar Allan Poe was originally published in 1845.
The narrator is invited by a doctor to witness the unwrapping of a mummy at a private residence. After arriving, he and the assembled group of excited men begin opening the sarcophagus and eventually unveil the mummified body, which appears to be surprisingly well-preserved. After some hours of examine the body, they decide to electrify the corpse, only to awaken the ancient personage, who then proceeds to converse with the men at great length about their ignorance and the true history of the Egyptians.
Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American author, editor, poet, and critic. Most famous for his stories of mystery and horror, he was one of the first American short story writers, and is widely considered to be the inventor of the detective fiction genre.
We are republishing this vintage text, Some Words with a Mummy, in an affordable, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.
Extract from Edgar Allan Poe’s Some Words with a Mummy:
Removing the third case, we discovered and took out the body itself. We had expected to find it, as usual, enveloped in frequent rolls, or bandages, of linen; but, in place of these, we found a sort of sheath, made of papyrus, and coated with a layer of plaster, thickly gilt and painted. The paintings represented subjects connected with the various supposed duties of the soul, and its presentation to different divinities, with numerous identical human figures, intended, very probably, as portraits of the persons embalmed. Extending from head to foot was a columnar, or perpendicular, inscription, in phonetic hieroglyphics, giving again his name and titles, and the names and titles of his relations.
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Here, at edgarallanpoe.co.uk, you can find the best of this fantastic author’s novels, short stories, essays, and poems.
You can also find a biography of Edgar Allan Poe, along with some of his most famous quotes and loved poems.
Through republishing works such as ‘Some Words with a Mummy’, it is hoped that the writing of this author of mystery and the macabre, can continue to delight – almost two centuries after its initial publication.
