You, who disturb my sleep..‪.‬

One of the major differences in the reception of Egypt in the 19th and the 20th century is the different amount of knowledge a writer could lay hands on. Still, in 1869, when Alcott wrote her short story, people knew a great deal more about Pharaonean Egypt than just 50 years ago. The Stone of Rosetta, which enabled scholars to read hieroglyphics, had been deciphered in 1822 (cf. Jacq 2003:14), the deciphering had been confirmed in 1829 (cf. Jacq 2003:17), then – some years later – scientifically acknowledged. Until this moment, knowledge about Ancient Egypt had been very scarce. Egyptologist Erik Hornung even states: “Von einer wissenschaftlichen Ägyptologie kann erst seit der Entzifferung der Hieroglyphenschrift […] gesprochen werden.” (Hornung 1967:9). Egyptology then developed steadily in mid-19th century, but didn’t reach its peak till the end of the 19th/ the beginning of the 20th century (cf. Hornung 1967:10) – after Alcott wrote her novel.

Anne Rice’s possibility to link her piece of fiction to historically acknowledged facts has been much greater than Louisa May Alcott’s, as this peak had been reached and been passed already when she wrote her novel. She therefore had much more information about old Egypt to base her novel on. This difference of possibility shows in the comparison of the two texts: Rice tries to link her storyline – even the supernatural part of it - to history: Ramses II or Ramses the Great, who is the model for Rice’s resurrected mummy Ramses the Damned in The Mummy, has become exceedingly old for his time: he was 92 years old when he died and had survived the deaths of his twelve oldest sons. 1 In addition, he tried to establish himself as a god in people’s eyes. These two facts could well have initiated Rice’s imagination of the story of Ramses the Great as an immortal man, as he is depicted in her novel. At least it must be assumed, that the author was aware of them and therefore chose Ramses among all pharaohs for her story. Most historical details Rice gives throughout the novel are correct: i.e. information about Abu Simbel (the temple of Ramses II) (cf. Rice 1989:120/208), about Ramses having a son named Meneptah, who followed him onto the throne (cf. Rice 1989:118 and 208), as well as the fact that the mummy of Ramses II lies in Cairo (cf. Rice 1989:118).