British Egyptology in the Nineteenth Century

As the general public in Britain read about Egypt’s history, visited collections, and viewed the material remains of a past that had not yet been uncovered by Western scholars, the mysterious nature of Egypt’s past became fertile ground for literary imaginations. Called Egyptomania by some scholars, the public excitement and interest in ancient Egypt ebbed and flowed throughout the nineteenth century. Fear of the unknown shows itself in fictional works about ancient Egypt, contemporary Egypt, Egyptian artifacts, and the people who made them. Authors began to ask questions about magical spells, inexplicable forces, puzzling practices, and strange beings that came from a mysteriously powerful ancient civilization. How did ancient Egypt last for three millennia? Why did Egyptians write with those symbols? Who would agree to be buried in such a way? What power was bestowed on those mummified? As fiction writers and scholars began to answer these questions, they imagined a society with unlimited powers and both unbounded animosity as well as a certain noblesse oblige to their obvious ideological ancestors—the British.