Swaffham Museum - The Curse

The Curse of the Pharaohs

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If you are easily scared, suffer from a jittery disposition or you just don’t like anything to do with mummies and their curses then DON’T READ ANY FURTHER!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

When Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon started to excavate the tomb of Tutankhamun, the Egyptians who were helping with the dig, warned the two men that if they entered the tomb they would be cursed. But nevertheless, the two men entered. As they did so they broke the sleep of the Boy King and strange things started to happen.

On the first day of digging Howard returned home to find his pet canary had been eaten by a cobra, which had mysteriously entered the locked house. The cobra was the symbol which protected the tomb of King Tutankhamun. Then after the dig had finished, Lord Carnarvon received a mosquito bite which became infected and he died in a hotel room in Cairo.

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Learning & Access Officer :

Sian Hogarth

At the same time of his death it is said that lights in Cairo all went out and his pet dog in London howled turned over and died. Carter also studied Tutankhamun's face and it was found that he had a mark in the same place as Carnarvon's cheek. AAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Lord Carnarvon's death was only the start. Many people associated with the dig all died by unnatural causes. One man went into a coma and died for no reason at all and another more recent account (in 1966), the Director of Antiquities scoffed at the curse when putting on an exhibition of Tutankhamun. Later that day he stepped out into the road and got run over.

I’m Scared, are you?