Some Words with a Mummy
Encyclopedia
"Some Words with a Mummy" is a short story
by Edgar Allan Poe
. It was first published in American Review: A Whig Journal
in April 1845. It is a satire
and criticism of the popularity of mummies
and science that was occurring at the time.
Upon arriving at the doctors house he is met by an excited group of men waiting for the examination to begin. They begin by cutting into the first sarcophagus
and removing it. At this point they make their first discovery, the mummies name, Allamistakeo. They then remove the second and third sarcophagi revealing the body itself. Instead of finding the body wrapped in layer after layer of linen bandages as they expected, the body was place in a papyrus
sheath and then covered in plaster and decorated with painting and gold gilt. After removing this they examine the body. They find it to be in exceptionally good condition, although, it does not seem to have been embalmed in the normal way as the skin in red and there are no incisions.
The narrator takes notice of the time as the doctor is laying out his instruments for the dissection and the men agree to adjourn for the night as it is already past two in the morning. As the men begin to disperse for the night, one suggests experimenting with a Voltaic pile
. The excitement of using electricity on a body of a mummy dead for thousands of years proves too much of a temptation for the men and they begin preparations at once. They make incisions into the mummy's temple, big toe, and nose in order to apply electricity to the muscles underneath the surface. When electricity was applied to the temple the mummy closed its eyes, this disquieted the men but the doctor continued. When it was applied to the toe the mummy kicked the doctor with such force that he was thrown through the window. After collecting the Doctor from outside the men go back the work on the mummy. Electricity was applied to its nose. This caused the mummy to open its eyes and blink rapidly. It then sneezed, sat up and shook its fist at the doctor. It then turned to the two of the men, Gliddon and Buckingham, and began talking to them in Egyptian. The mummy condemned the men for their abuse of his person. Thoroughly chastised the men make their apologies to Allamistakeo and explain to him why they dissect mummies and the scientific importance of it. Satisfied with the explanation and their apologies Allamistakeo shakes hands with the men, who then proceed to patch up the damage caused by their incisions. They then gather up proper clothes for Allamistakeo and sit down for cigars and wine.
As the men talk, the Allamistakeo begins to explain how he came to be a mummy, ancient Egyptians had a significantly longer life span than modern men, about one thousand years, they were also able to be embalmed, this process arrested the bodily functions allowing them to sleep through hundreds of years only to rise and go on with their lives centuries later. Allamistakeo again chastises the men for their ignorance of Egyptian history. He then explains that throughout time man has always been monotheistic, the pagan gods were symbols of the various aspects of the one true god. The men also ask him, as he is over five thousand years old, if he knows anything about how the universe was created ten thousand years ago. Allamistakeo responds that no one during his time entertained the fantasy that the universe was ever created, but that it always existed, although, some believed that humans were created by spontaneous generation
. The men were all disappointed by this response and Buckingham suggests that the Egyptians were ignorant of science due to their hardheadedness. This begins a debate amongst the men, the modern men attempt to prove that the Egyptians were inferior while Allamistakeo attempts to defend this people. The narrator asks Allamistakeo a series of questions, if the Egyptians were able to predict eclipses, questions about other astronomical knowledge, and about glass making and lens. Allamistakeo answers to the positive, while one of the men beg the narrator to consult Ptolemy
, Plutarch
, and Diodorus Siculus
as he asks the questions. At this point the Doctor buts in and asks Allamistakeo to consider modern architecture
. The Doctor asks Allamistakeo to consider Bowling-Green Fountain in New York and Capitol at Washington, D. C., as they are prime examples of modern architectural marvels. Allamistakeo then tells the men of a "inferior" palace in Charnac, "He would not pretend to assert that even fifty or sixty of the Doctor's Capitols might have been built within these walls, but he was by no means sure that two or three hundred of them might not have been squeezed in with some trouble." Allamistakeo did concede however, that the Egyptians did not have anything like the Bowling-Green Fountain. The narrator then asks Allamistakeo what he thinks about railroads. He replies that they are ill-conceived and replies that the iron causeways Egyptians used for building were more than effective. He then told Allamistakeo about the benefits of steel use, to which he replied that the copper tools the Egyptians used were better. The narrator then criticizes Allamistakeo on his ignorance of steam, the same man that interrupted him before chastises him again and calls him a fool, telling him that the steam engine was based on a design by Heron
. The Doctor comes to the rescue, asking Allamistakeo if ancient Egyptians had ever produced Ponnonner's lozenges or Brandreth's pills. To this Allamistakeo had to accept defeat and, in triumph, the men dispersed.
The story ends with the narrator sitting at home finishing his story. In the last lines he writes of his dissatisfaction with his wife, who he calls a shrew, and with the time in general. He plans on eating his breakfast and going back to Ponnanners to get embalmed for a few centuries.
". The story was republished without changes shortly after in the November 1, 1845, issue of the Broadway Journal
.
of two things. First the popular interest in Egyptology
and mummies during the time that this story was written. Secondly the prevailing thought that in the West that humanity had reached the height of civilization and knowledge due to the scientific and industrial revolutions.
in 1954.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
. It was first published in American Review: A Whig Journal
American Review: A Whig Journal
The American Review, alternatively known as The American Review: A Whig Journal and The American Whig Review, was a New York City-based monthly periodical. Published by Wiley and Putnam, it was owned and operated by George H. Colton.-History:...
in April 1845. It is a satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
and criticism of the popularity of mummies
Mummy
A mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
and science that was occurring at the time.
Plot summary
The story begins with the narrator at home, he complains of feeling unwell due to a symposium he had attend the night before. After eating a light dinner of four pounds of Welsh rabbit and five bottles of Brown Stout, the narrator heads to bed. He is awakened shortly after he falls asleep by the ringing of his door bell followed by knocking at his door. Shortly after his wife brings him a note from his friend Doctor Ponnonner. In the note Doctor Ponnonner invites the narrator to his home to take part in a mummy unwrapping at eleven that night. The narrator gets dressed and leaves for the doctors home at once.Upon arriving at the doctors house he is met by an excited group of men waiting for the examination to begin. They begin by cutting into the first sarcophagus
Sarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...
and removing it. At this point they make their first discovery, the mummies name, Allamistakeo. They then remove the second and third sarcophagi revealing the body itself. Instead of finding the body wrapped in layer after layer of linen bandages as they expected, the body was place in a papyrus
Papyrus
Papyrus is a thick paper-like material produced from the pith of the papyrus plant, Cyperus papyrus, a wetland sedge that was once abundant in the Nile Delta of Egypt....
sheath and then covered in plaster and decorated with painting and gold gilt. After removing this they examine the body. They find it to be in exceptionally good condition, although, it does not seem to have been embalmed in the normal way as the skin in red and there are no incisions.
The narrator takes notice of the time as the doctor is laying out his instruments for the dissection and the men agree to adjourn for the night as it is already past two in the morning. As the men begin to disperse for the night, one suggests experimenting with a Voltaic pile
Voltaic pile
A voltaic pile is a set of individual Galvanic cells placed in series. The voltaic pile, invented by Alessandro Volta in 1800, was the first electric battery...
. The excitement of using electricity on a body of a mummy dead for thousands of years proves too much of a temptation for the men and they begin preparations at once. They make incisions into the mummy's temple, big toe, and nose in order to apply electricity to the muscles underneath the surface. When electricity was applied to the temple the mummy closed its eyes, this disquieted the men but the doctor continued. When it was applied to the toe the mummy kicked the doctor with such force that he was thrown through the window. After collecting the Doctor from outside the men go back the work on the mummy. Electricity was applied to its nose. This caused the mummy to open its eyes and blink rapidly. It then sneezed, sat up and shook its fist at the doctor. It then turned to the two of the men, Gliddon and Buckingham, and began talking to them in Egyptian. The mummy condemned the men for their abuse of his person. Thoroughly chastised the men make their apologies to Allamistakeo and explain to him why they dissect mummies and the scientific importance of it. Satisfied with the explanation and their apologies Allamistakeo shakes hands with the men, who then proceed to patch up the damage caused by their incisions. They then gather up proper clothes for Allamistakeo and sit down for cigars and wine.
As the men talk, the Allamistakeo begins to explain how he came to be a mummy, ancient Egyptians had a significantly longer life span than modern men, about one thousand years, they were also able to be embalmed, this process arrested the bodily functions allowing them to sleep through hundreds of years only to rise and go on with their lives centuries later. Allamistakeo again chastises the men for their ignorance of Egyptian history. He then explains that throughout time man has always been monotheistic, the pagan gods were symbols of the various aspects of the one true god. The men also ask him, as he is over five thousand years old, if he knows anything about how the universe was created ten thousand years ago. Allamistakeo responds that no one during his time entertained the fantasy that the universe was ever created, but that it always existed, although, some believed that humans were created by spontaneous generation
Spontaneous generation
Spontaneous generation or Equivocal generation is an obsolete principle regarding the origin of life from inanimate matter, which held that this process was a commonplace and everyday occurrence, as distinguished from univocal generation, or reproduction from parent...
. The men were all disappointed by this response and Buckingham suggests that the Egyptians were ignorant of science due to their hardheadedness. This begins a debate amongst the men, the modern men attempt to prove that the Egyptians were inferior while Allamistakeo attempts to defend this people. The narrator asks Allamistakeo a series of questions, if the Egyptians were able to predict eclipses, questions about other astronomical knowledge, and about glass making and lens. Allamistakeo answers to the positive, while one of the men beg the narrator to consult Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
, Plutarch
Plutarch
Plutarch then named, on his becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus , c. 46 – 120 AD, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia...
, and Diodorus Siculus
Diodorus Siculus
Diodorus Siculus was a Greek historian who flourished between 60 and 30 BC. According to Diodorus' own work, he was born at Agyrium in Sicily . With one exception, antiquity affords no further information about Diodorus' life and doings beyond what is to be found in his own work, Bibliotheca...
as he asks the questions. At this point the Doctor buts in and asks Allamistakeo to consider modern architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
. The Doctor asks Allamistakeo to consider Bowling-Green Fountain in New York and Capitol at Washington, D. C., as they are prime examples of modern architectural marvels. Allamistakeo then tells the men of a "inferior" palace in Charnac, "He would not pretend to assert that even fifty or sixty of the Doctor's Capitols might have been built within these walls, but he was by no means sure that two or three hundred of them might not have been squeezed in with some trouble." Allamistakeo did concede however, that the Egyptians did not have anything like the Bowling-Green Fountain. The narrator then asks Allamistakeo what he thinks about railroads. He replies that they are ill-conceived and replies that the iron causeways Egyptians used for building were more than effective. He then told Allamistakeo about the benefits of steel use, to which he replied that the copper tools the Egyptians used were better. The narrator then criticizes Allamistakeo on his ignorance of steam, the same man that interrupted him before chastises him again and calls him a fool, telling him that the steam engine was based on a design by Heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
. The Doctor comes to the rescue, asking Allamistakeo if ancient Egyptians had ever produced Ponnonner's lozenges or Brandreth's pills. To this Allamistakeo had to accept defeat and, in triumph, the men dispersed.
The story ends with the narrator sitting at home finishing his story. In the last lines he writes of his dissatisfaction with his wife, who he calls a shrew, and with the time in general. He plans on eating his breakfast and going back to Ponnanners to get embalmed for a few centuries.
Publication history
In January 1845, Columbian Magazine listed "Some Words with a Mummy" as scheduled for publication; Poe likely pulled the article when he was offered more money for it elsewhere. It was ultimately published in the April 1845 edition of the American Review, which also included Poe's revised poems "The Valley of Unrest" and "The City in the SeaThe City in the Sea
"The City in the Sea" is a poem by Edgar Allan Poe. The final version was published in 1845, but an earlier version was published as "The Doomed City" in 1831 and, later, as "The City of Sin". The poem tells the story of a city ruled by Death using common elements from Gothic fiction...
". The story was republished without changes shortly after in the November 1, 1845, issue of the Broadway Journal
Broadway Journal
The Broadway Journal was a short-lived New York City-based periodical founded by Charles Frederick Briggs and John Bisco in 1844. A year later, the publication was bought by Edgar Allan Poe, becoming the only magazine he ever owned, though it failed after only a few months under his...
.
Analysis
This story is a satireSatire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
of two things. First the popular interest in Egyptology
Egyptology
Egyptology is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious practices in the AD 4th century. A practitioner of the discipline is an “Egyptologist”...
and mummies during the time that this story was written. Secondly the prevailing thought that in the West that humanity had reached the height of civilization and knowledge due to the scientific and industrial revolutions.
Satire of Egyptmania
Poe is clearly poking fun at Egyptmania in this story. In the story a group of men gather together in the middle of the night to examine a mummy for the sake of "scientific discovery". During their examination they act like a group of children that just got a new toy. They poke and prod the mummy just to see what happens, this is evident when they decide to use electricity. The fact that this is going on at the Doctors private residents and is attended by his friends only, even though they do not have any kind of medical expertise denotes this fact. Although it seems, in modern times, counterproductive to conduct a serious scientific examination in a party like atmosphere, this was commonly done at the time, a fact that Poe is ridiculing here. The mummy is also a method of ridicule here, right down to its name, Allamistakeo. Unlike serious mummy horror stories, the mummy is not scary, and the characters do not react to it as such. It is another device that Poe uses to censure the reader. Upon its resurrection, the mummy chastises the men for their abuse of himself and mummies in general.Satire of science and knowledge
In their discussion with Allamistakeo, the men attempt to exalt their time as one of unprecedented knowledge and technology. Again and again, Allamistakeo is able to prove that the technology in his time was not inferior, and often superior, to the modern equivalents. The narrator, who at first is presented as an intelligent, educated man, is later revealed to be completely ignorant. He asks Allamistakeo a series of questions intended to prove that modern technology is superior and each time he asks questions that, ultimately, support Allamistakeo's argument. Even when one of the men tries to stop him and suggests that he consult historical texts before asking his questions, he continues. When the man mentions Ptolemy, the narrators response is "whoever Ptolemy is". In the end, the only reason the men can consider themselves the victors of the debate comes down to cough drops.Adaptations
The story was adapted as a one-act opera, Allamistakeo, by Giulio ViozziGiulio Viozzi
Giulio Viozzi was an Italian composer, conductor, pianist, and music critic. He was a pupil of Antonio Illersberg, and took his diploma in piano playing in 1931. Among his compositions are numerous operas, ballets, and symphonic works, as well as some chamber music and songs.-Reference:* at...
in 1954.
External links
- Publication history of "Some Words with a Mummy" at The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore