Unlucky Mummy

The British Museum is one of London's largest tourist attractions and home to a vast collection of items that showcase the impact that man has had on Earth both culturally and artistically. However, of the 1,000 objects that are on display, this only represents a small fraction, (1%) of the more than one million items that remain in storage. There is, however, one particular item that is currently on display which is wrapped in mystery and misfortune.

Item No. 22542 is made of decorated plaster and wood, and originates from Thebes, (possibly) in the 21st or early 22nd Dynasty, (c 950–900 BC). Though in popular parlance it is often referred to as the 'Unlucky Mummy'. This is a bit of a misnomer, as it is not wrapped in bandages, but it is actually what is referred to as a mummy-board, an ornately painted piece of wood depicting the figure of an unidentified woman. Still, this inaccurate description shouldn't distract from many deaths and unfortunate circumstances that are associated with it.

To begin with, this mummy-board was purchased in Egypt by a group of English excursionists towards the end of the 1800s. Of this group, two would die or become gravely injured in shooting accidents. The remaining traveling party members would pass away in destitution. The ancient plank would then be handed down to a relative, who would then see their household be afflicted by a series of unfortunate events. The British Museum was to acquire the afflicted item in the 1880s, when a famous clairvoyant, Madame Helena Blavatsky, informed the owners of the object's malevolent nature.

However, the most widely associated tribulation associated with this jinxed relic is the sinking of the SS Titanic. Apparently, the mummy-board was traveling on the doomed cruise liner's maiden voyage in 1912. Many believe that because of its ominous presence, "the unsinkable" vessel was doomed to strike an iceberg and be responsible for over 1,500 deaths. Of course, none of these ill-starred events can be corroborated with certainty, but that doesn't stop the public from believing in them.