"Glad to see me now?"

Ardeth Bay about to thump soldier mummies on a London Bus in The Mummy Returns.

Welcome to the pages which will give you some ideas about where the design team from The Mummy got their influences for props and costumes for their new film The Mummy Returns.   This area is dedicated to all the ‘past life’ scenes that were a big part of this, the tale of Scorpion King, how Nefertiri fits into the story and more about the lovers Imhotep and Ankh-su-namum and of course about Pharaoh Seti.

The golden standard which a number the Scorpion King’s army are carrying right at the start of the film.  This also turns up later in the film as the gong which Imhotep hits in the Golden Pyramid to wake up the animated half scorpion although this  is minus some of the extra pieces. This is one the most mixed up Egyptian items I have ever seen on screen as I will explain below but I have to take my hat off to the design research done to find out all the items it is made up of.  The items which make up the standard heads are as follows, the diagram here will explain:

The Hypocephalus was actually a round item covered in hieroglyphs, which was placed under the mummy in its coffin to magically protect its head.  There is a picture of one here …

On the Scorpion King’s standard the round gold disc (hypocephalus used as its influence ) and the gong are pictures of Anubis warriors, a ring of dancing dwarves and a cartouche (Pharaoh’s name ring) which I have yet to translate. I am having problems with the use of Anubis at a warlike Egyptian god, you will find out why on my God page which is part of my people pages.

People Pages Link

There is even a problem with the dancing dwarves; they are pictures of Bes the Egyptian household god who protected women and children in Ancient Egypt. He was often worn as an amulet, and I have sent friends who have had babies ones I have made to hang over their little one’s cradle. He was a fierce looking but happy little god who did dance and is sometimes shown playing a harp, and fact that he gave our filmmaking friends the idea for the pygmies at the Golden Pyramid is a bit sad. Bes never would have hurt anyone, except those wanting to hurt women and children of course … perhaps Evy and Alex should have worn an amulet like this to protect them.

The horns on the standard come from the god Khnumn. He had the head of a ram and as a potter was involved in creating man in Egyptian myth.  This god was supposed to mould the body of a child on his potter’s wheel before it was born. Interesting echoes of the Biblical story of Adam who was formed out of earth don’t you think?

The rearing cobra on the standard is actually like that which was worn as the Uraeus on the brow of Pharaoh.  It is to be seen on Tut-ankh-amen’s funerary mask and represents the goddess who protected Northern Egypt.

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