.png){kind=small}
English
العربية
Deutsch
Español
Français
Italiano
Português
Русский
Türkçe
Tiếng Việt
The Purrfectly Proportionate Grief Ancient Egyptian Mourning PracticesAs I delved into...
The Purrfectly Proportionate Grief Ancient Egyptian Mourning PracticesAs I delved into...
The Purrfectly Proportionate
Grief Ancient Egyptian
Mourning PracticesAs I delved
into the fascinating world of
Ancient Egypt I stumbled upon
a peculiar practice that left
me wondering when a persons
beloved house cat passed away
they would shave off their
eyebrows to reflect their
grief Yes you read that
correctly In this ancient
civilization the loss of a
feline companion was deemed
significant enough to warrant
such an extreme display of
mourningThis superfluous
expression of sorrow might
seem absurd to us today but it
highlights the profound bond
between Egyptians and their
animals Cats in particular
held a special place in
Egyptian society they were
revered for their ability to
hunt vermin that threatened
grain stores and were often
mummified and buried alongside
their ownersSo why the
eyebrowshaving ritual One can
imagine the griefstricken
owner still reeling from the
loss of their feline companion
seeking a way to externalize
their emotions Shaving off
ones eyebrows was a tangible
manifestation of their sorrow
a physical reminder of their
bereavement Its as if they
were saying My cat is gone and
so too must my sense of self
be diminishedThis practice
also speaks to the importance
of social status in Ancient
Egypt The loss of a cherished
pet like a house cat was a
significant blow to ones
reputation and social standing
By shaving their eyebrows the
grieving owner signaled to
others that they were still
reeling from the loss and it
served as a way to garner
sympathy and support from
their communityIn this context
the superfluous nature of the
eyebrowshaving ritual becomes
more understandable It was an
extravagant display of grief
one that allowed the bereaved
individual to demonstrate the
depth of their sorrow and
secure the pity and
understanding of othersAs I
pondered this ancient practice
I couldnt help but wonder
would we in todays society go
to such extreme lengths to
express our grief Or have our
cultural attitudes towards
animal loss become more
tamePerhaps in our modern
world weve become too detached
from the natural world and our
emotions are no longer as raw
or unbridled Yet theres
something endearing about the
Egyptians willingness to bare
their souls literally in the
face of sorrowAs I concluded
my exploration of Ancient
Egyptian mourning practices I
couldnt help but feel a
newfound respect for the
complexities of human emotion
and the enduring bond between
humans and animals And who
knows Maybe one day well
revive this eyebrowshaving
ritual as a way to
superfluously express our
grief or simply as a quirky
tribute to our feline
friendsReferences The Oxford
Handbook of Ancient Egyptian
History by Ian Shaw Ancient
Egypt 101 by Bob Brier
