Mummy Poll

[Stellalarella]

The chicken is on the table.  The children have voluntarily dressed themselves like Egyptians...they are just waiting for me to get off the forum so we can start.  I've told them the chicken mummy experts are only to be found here on the boards.... :)

[Julie Smith]

I'm vegetarian.

 

I'm quite proud of my ability to prepare my dh deboned frozen chicken breasts. I just put on my rubber gloves (So I don't have to actually touch it) and cut it into pieces and put in a crock pot. That and sandwich meat is my extend of handling meat. 

 

I think my kids (also vegetarain) would run away screaming if I suggested the chicken mummy activity.

[GailV]

Yes!  It was a highlight of our entire homeschooling journey for dd who is now a senior in high school!  

 

Years ago she dressed herself in linen (someone had given us a boatload of white linen they were throwing out -- we also tore it into strips so we could be more "official" in our process by using linen strips for the wrapping), and I think there might've been chanting or singing happening while we wrapped the body.

 

And now, years later, she chases her boyfriend around the house with the mummified chicken, because YES! we still have it  (and we've moved states during that time, and had professional packers pack everything into boxes, including the chicken -- they didn't ask, and I didn't explain) and YES! it does NOT smell.  We used the directions in SOTW, adding in various dried antibacterial herbs from our garden and spice cabinet.  It has the little symbols wrapped right into the linen strips, just like SOTW suggests.

 

BIggest tip for you:  After you spend that much time working with your dead chicken, packing it in salt, anointing it with herbs and oils, wrapping it in tiny strips (it takes lots and lots of strips, and is incredibly tedious -- I've no clue how those priests managed to do entire human bodies, and wonder what they thought about while they did it), it's really, really, really hard to just pitch it in the trash.  Start thinking now of what you plan to do with it later. 

 

Someday I'd like to put ours in some sort of metal pot and bury it in the backyard.  I'd do this in a spot that future homeowners would probably dig up, so they can find it and ponder the meaning of it.  I meant to do that before we moved, but we were too busy. 

[Stellalarella]

 

 

BIggest tip for you:    Start thinking now of what you plan to do with it later. 

 

 

 

You are so right.  I think I am in trouble.  I am not known around these parts as a memorabilia saver.    And now after packing this thing full of natron I am fairly sure that the bargain chicken!  is too big.  This grocery store didn't have cornish hens..... 

[redsquirrel]

I voted yes, but we mummified fruit. We used an apple and an orange. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm a mummy failure.  We started mummifying a chicken and dutifully started doing all the steps until we forgot about it.  It wasn't done but miraculously did not smell.  But still. . . we threw it out.  But we got the idea and we had a fun time doing the part that we did.  So perhaps it wasn't such a failure after all and maybe I'm still a good mummy.  

[craftyerin]

Yes! I did one in my classroom 4 years in a row when we studied the ancients (classical school) and I will absolutely do one with my kids! Love the chicken mummy!

[KrissiK]

Yes, the first time we did it it went great. The second time (last week) it failed. The failure resulted from my mistake in not changing the salt solution the second day. The instructions say to do so, but I was out of salt and didn't get to the store, so I thought, what's waiting another day gonna hurt? Uh, it hurt a lot. The thing just reeked. We threw it out. So, my suggestion is to follow the instructions exactly.

 

When it was done, we had a ceremonial parade, said a few words in recognition of the accomplishments and glory of the Pharaoh Chickmenotep and then placed him in the big brown pyramid aka the trash container.

[craftymama]

We did it. And then we didn't know what to do with it. We moved a month or so later and still had it...the kid didn't want to let go...so we brought it with us and buried it on the woods. When we move again next year we are going to dig it up and see what happened.

[Matryoshka]

Not just once, but twice!  A cornish hen both times. 

 

If you don't want it to smell, use this formula - Sodium carbonate (not bicarbonate) aka Natron, was the main ingredient in what the Egyptians used, just the salt and baking soda doesn't cut it.  This will dry it out much faster and it will smell much less, and I only had to change the stuff once before it was done (none of this changing it out every couple of days).

 

2 parts baking soda

2 parts washing soda (that's the sodium carbonate - find it in the laundry aisle - it's usually Arm & Hammer brand in a yellow box, but much bigger and less orangey than the baking soda boxes)

1 part salt

 

If you have 1 part =1 cup for this,  it will be enough for a cornish hen.

 

 

PS our first chicken mummy is still wrapped in its bandages in a tupperware container...

[Jenny in Florida]

I'm vegetarian.

 

I'm quite proud of my ability to prepare my dh deboned frozen chicken breasts. I just put on my rubber gloves (So I don't have to actually touch it) and cut it into pieces and put in a crock pot. That and sandwich meat is my extend of handling meat. 

 

I think my kids (also vegetarain) would run away screaming if I suggested the chicken mummy activity.

 

 

I'm vegan. I won't even do as much meat-based food preparation as you describe above. (Fortunately, my husband went vegetarian after a couple of years of living with me, anyway.)

 

We did fruit-and-veggie mummies. I made little "bodies" with oranges and stuck little red potatoes with faces carved into them on each one with a toothpick. We sliced open the oranges and pulled out the "guts," which we wrapped and mummified separately and sealed in little canopic jars. Then, we packed the "body cavity" with herbs and salts and wrapped each "body" and proceeded with the mummification.

 

We made little sarcophagi and an assortment of funeral goodies (tiny clay shabtis, amulets, etc.) and papier mache funeral masks. It was, honestly, one of the best projects we ever did. The mummies still sit in a place of pride on a bookshelf in our front room.

[Julie Smith]

 

We did fruit-and-veggie mummies. 

 

I suppose I could do that. But neither of my boys like any hands on projects that have instructions.

 

We did do various hands on activites projects for awhile which they loved. But it was more like, "Here is some stuff. Makes sure it stays on the table. You can keep this project out all week."

[Laura Corin]

We did an apple - it was in the middle of bird flu in China and it wasn't a good time to mess with raw chicken.

 

L

[umsami]

We are looking forward to doing this (DH is Egyptian.)  We're going to name him Pharoah Farkhah (Egypitan Arabic for chicken.)  

[Stellalarella]

Not just once, but twice!  A cornish hen both times. 

 

If you don't want it to smell, use this formula - Sodium carbonate (not bicarbonate) aka Natron, was the main ingredient in what the Egyptians used, just the salt and baking soda doesn't cut it.  This will dry it out much faster and it will smell much less, and I only had to change the stuff once before it was done (none of this changing it out every couple of days).

 

2 parts baking soda

2 parts washing soda (that's the sodium carbonate - find it in the laundry aisle - it's usually Arm & Hammer brand in a yellow box, but much bigger and less orangey than the baking soda boxes)

1 part salt

 

If you have 1 part =1 cup for this,  it will be enough for a cornish hen.

 

 

PS our first chicken mummy is still wrapped in its bandages in a tupperware container...

 

OH, yes--I took your advice.  I was so glad you had posted and that I was able to find it in a search.

[Stellalarella]

I'm a mummy failure.  We started mummifying a chicken and dutifully started doing all the steps until we forgot about it.  It wasn't done but miraculously did not smell.  But still. . . we threw it out.  But we got the idea and we had a fun time doing the part that we did.  So perhaps it wasn't such a failure after all and maybe I'm still a good mummy.  

:laugh: :)

[Rosie_0801]

We just changed the salt for ours yesterday! It appears quite comfortable in its Tupperware sarcophagus.

[Occasionally]

OH, yes--I took your advice.  I was so glad you had posted and that I was able to find it in a search.

 

I found and followed the same advice--but it still smells. I admittedly have a wicked good sense of smell, so I wonder if it would actually be awful if I had done it another way.  :ack2:

[Farrar]

I needed the "I've done it three times" option. :D

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

I'm a mummy failure.  We started mummifying a chicken and dutifully started doing all the steps until we forgot about it.  It wasn't done but miraculously did not smell.  But still. . . we threw it out.  But we got the idea and we had a fun time doing the part that we did.  So perhaps it wasn't such a failure after all and maybe I'm still a good mummy.  

 

That's what happened to us, too, despite my discovered 7 tips for easier chicken mummification. In my defense, though, I became pregnant halfway through the waiting period and was to sick to stand up and change the stuff.

 

[boscopup]

Mine is still sitting in salt on top of my fridge. This spring will 3 years it's been there...

[Mom-ninja.]

No. However, my kids have painted themselves blue and run around in their underwear wielding shields and swords. Does that count for something?

[Stellalarella]

No. However, my kids have painted themselves blue and run around in their underwear wielding shields and swords. Does that count for something?

 

 

That is great.  :)  It does comfort me to know that I'm not the only one with kids who spontaneously costume dress after the history lesson......  

[Stellalarella]

I needed the "I've done it three times" option. :D

 

I'm giving you the option.   :D

 

edited--well, I tried to give you the option, but it doesn't seem to pop up.....

[kpnick in nc]

Another mummy failure here.  I had a bad cold during DS's first week of 1st grade, and I think I missed one of the early salt changes.  It never really recovered - didn't stink terribly, but had more odor than it should have. DH begged me to throw it away.  

 

I plan to try again in 2 years!

[KrissiK]

No. However, my kids have painted themselves blue and run around in their underwear wielding shields and swords. Does that count for something?

That's one of my favorite chapters.

[In The Great White North]

I recommend ensuring that the ground you bury it in is above the water table.

[Alice]

 

 

Someday I'd like to put ours in some sort of metal pot and bury it in the backyard.  I'd do this in a spot that future homeowners would probably dig up, so they can find it and ponder the meaning of it.  I meant to do that before we moved, but we were too busy. 

 I did it with my oldest when he was in 1st grade. We buried it. Then that spring we moved. The last thing we did on moving day was to dig up the mummy and look at it. We did throw it out then. It gave me the giggles to think about what the new owners would have thought had they dug up a shoebox with a chicken mummy inside. :) It was in the garden so it would have likely been discovered. 

 

We’re back to Ancients this year but my second son is a vegetarian and absolutely adores birds. Eating chickens really upsets him so I’m pretty sure mummifying one would put him over the edge. I tried to suggest that we would be showing our respect and venerating the bird but it was a no go. I think we’ll do an apple instead. 

[Mommy22alyns]

We did one but fell off the wagon before it came time to anoint and wrap him.  Oh well...

[Kerileanne99]

I'm vegan. I won't even do as much meat-based food preparation as you describe above. (Fortunately, my husband went vegetarian after a couple of years of living with me, anyway.)

 

We did fruit-and-veggie mummies. I made little "bodies" with oranges and stuck little red potatoes with faces carved into them on each one with a toothpick. We sliced open the oranges and pulled out the "guts," which we wrapped and mummified separately and sealed in little canopic jars. Then, we packed the "body cavity" with herbs and salts and wrapped each "body" and proceeded with the mummification.

 

We made little sarcophagi and an assortment of funeral goodies (tiny clay shabtis, amulets, etc.) and papier mache funeral masks. It was, honestly, one of the best projects we ever did. The mummies still sit in a place of pride on a bookshelf in our front room.

Adorable! And thanks for the ideas. I was wondering how we were going to mummify much of anything, as I cannot imagine even having meat in the house:)

And, like Julie Smith said, my daughter (who's nickname by choice is chicken!) would be permanently traumatised if I even tried!

[ThisIsTheDay]

Dd "mummified" a Barbie. She painted its nails, wrapped her in toilet paper strips, tucked in some amulets, and decorated a shoebox sarcophagus.  A couple of hours later, Barbie came back to life. Worked for me!

[HS Mom in NC]

We not only mummified a chicken, we made amulets and a sarcophagus for it. 

 

Based on my 13 years of homeschooling experience, I tell people that the traditional greeting for WTM homeschoolers who meet for the first time is, "Did you mummify the chicken?"  We can say, "Yes!"  Even though most say, "No."

[JudoMom]

This is as close as we've gotten.

[Carrie12345]

We started King ala Chicken, but never finished. But now I have another 1st grader! Round 2!

[Hedgehogs4]

It's on next week! Bring out your dead (chickens)! :tongue_smilie:

[ladydusk]

Ours is in the cupboard over the refrigerator.

 

My husband wants to bury it for future archaeologists to puzzle over.

 

Fun :)

[ThisIsTheDay]

Remembering back (dd is now a college freshman), we mummified apple slices. We used four different agents.  Even back then, mummifying chickens was one of the standouts of STOW, lol--discussed often, attempted, well, not so much!

[Catherine]

Be sure to come up with a funny name. My kids still laugh over their fathers: Tut-an-kam-hen

[freeindeed]

We mummified a chicken when dd12 was using Story of the World Volume 1 in our first year of homeschooling. My ds10 is currently studying Egypt, so it might be time to do it again. :)

[Stellalarella]

Fail.  Fail.  It's in the trash.  I'm going to try again when I can find a cornish hen...hello holidays? and I have an appropriate container.  I feeling stubborn, so I will have to try again.  

[SweetMissMagnolia]

I'm not sure either of us could stomach it LOL and my son is a germaphobe so I doubt he would enjoy it.....tried the experiment you do with vinegar and chicken leg bones and that didn't turn out so we haven't tried anymore projects that involve body parts....thought about trying the "rubber" egg one but haven't.....

[ScoutTN]

Chickie-Hotep was a highlight of our Ancients year! He was buried in my back yard in a carefully constructed tomb!

 

We followed advice from here and used a cornish game hen and modified the salt mixture a bit.