Death and the Right Fluids: Perspectives from Egyptology and Anthropology

Abstract

Anthropology and Egyptology share the same interest in mortuary rituals. However, the higher-order interpretative framework developed by anthropology is not standardly applied by Egyptology.

The present study focuses on summarizing a comparative framework of mortuary rituals and applying it to the study of bodily fluids in ancient Egypt. The bodily fluids under discussion-menstrual blood, milk, efflux of Osiris (rDw-fluids), and semen-have been chosen because of their specific connection to birth and rebirth in the ancient Egyptian symbolical system.

Keywords

• ancient Egypt
• bodily fluids
• milk
• menstrual blood
• semen
• rDw-fluids
• semiotic square
• anthropology
• death
• birth
• symbols
• mortuary rituals