Yes, Your Ancestors May Have Eaten Mummies. There is a lot of details about this, and more. This is something done in Europe and extended.
The practice of eating mummies, also called “mumia” consumption, was a real and bizarre chapter in European medical and cultural history that spanned several centuries. Here’s a breakdown of when, who, and why this happened:
If you want more Science Backing on this, Check Out This Link to the Science History Institute, Museum and Library. See it here. And for more on Museums you can see online (this is great) see this Article!
🕰️ WHEN Did People Eat Mummies?
- 12th century to the 18th century, with some rare references into the 19th century.
- The peak of mummy consumption in Europe was between the 16th and 17th centuries, during the Renaissance and early Enlightenment eras.
👤 WHO Ate Mummies?
- European physicians, nobles, and elites: Mummy-derived medicines were prescribed by respected doctors.
- Common people: These remedies filtered down and were sometimes sold in apothecaries.
- Royalty: Even kings were reported to have used mummy-based treatments. For example, King Francis I of France (1494–1547) supposedly carried a mixture of powdered mummy and alcohol as a universal antidote.
❓ WHY Did They Eat Mummies?
The reasons combine medicine, mysticism, and misunderstanding:
1. Medicinal Use (Mumia)
- “Mumia” referred to both natural asphalt (bitumen) and mummified human remains from Egypt.
- Believed to cure ailments such as:
- Epilepsy
- Internal bleeding
- Bruises
- Coughs and colds
- Bubonic plague (in some desperate cases)
- Physicians thought the preserved tissue of ancient bodies held healing or magical properties, particularly because mummies were thought to have absorbed the spiritual and medicinal potency of ancient Egypt.
2. Misinterpretation and Alchemy
- Medieval Europeans misunderstood Arabic medical texts. These texts referred to “mumia” as bitumen (a natural tar-like substance) used in embalming, not human remains. Europeans took this to mean actual mummified bodies.
- Alchemists also believed consuming preserved or vital matter could enhance life force or transfer vitality.
3. Symbolic Cannibalism
- There was a widespread belief in “sympathetic medicine” — that consuming parts of a dead body could transfer strength or healing.
- Executioners in Germany sold the blood of freshly killed criminals to epileptics.
- Powdered human skull, blood, and fat were all used medicinally in different parts of Europe.
⚰️ Where Did the Mummies Come From?
- Egypt: Tomb robbers and traders looted mummies and exported them to Europe.
- As supplies ran low, fake mummies were sometimes created using modern corpses or animal remains.
- Some came from Catholic ossuaries or unclaimed corpses — “mummy” had become a catch-all for preserved or dried human tissue.
😨 When Did It Stop?
- By the 18th century, mummy medicine began to decline, particularly as scientific methods advanced.
- Enlightenment thinkers criticized the practice as unscientific and unethical.
- However, some apothecaries still sold “mumia” as late as the early 1800s.
⚠️ Moral and Historical Perspective
- Today, the practice is viewed as a grim example of colonial exploitation and medical cannibalism.
- It reflects Europe’s fascination with and misuse of ancient Egyptian culture, and how desperation for cures often led to gruesome practices.
Here are some interesting Videos on this Gross and Gruesome Topic:
And This One
There is a lot of details about this TOPIC. And I have to tell you, that it was “TODAY-Years-Old” that I found out about this Reality in Health (Is this Health?) from our Past.
Now Here is Where It Gets Interesting for Me:
I am a huge believer and subscriber to Holistic Medicine. I am against BIG PHARMA, and Avoid Doctors and Hospitals the same way I avoid Drug Dealers on the Street Corners. I value my life and health, and choose natural courses and products. Period. I love to eat Meat, and a Steak is never turned down. In fact, I will eat it multiple times in the same day.
To think how “Snake Oils” and “Mumia” have been around. And people have been looking for cures to their ailments. From headaches to everything. And willing to try about anything when desperate enough. Even Medicinal Cannibalism.
Luckily “Bio-Hacking” is here, and you can get some incredible results from Natural Based Products. Engineered to create Longevity and Quality of Life. Just take a look at a far less GROSS direction for help in Health, Wellness and Betterment in Life. See it here.