Egyptomania by Ronald H. Fritze

Author:Ronald H. Fritze
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Reaktion Books
Published: 2017-01-21T05:00:00+00:00

Sax Rohmer, the Mummy’s Curse and Egyptomania Fiction

Sax Rohmer (1883–1959), real name Arthur Henry Sarsfield Ward, is best known as the creator of the iconic villain Dr Fu Manchu, and that reputation has meant that his contributions to Egyptomania fiction have been little noted. However, Egypt played a big role in Rohmer’s early fiction as a land of mystery, menace and evil magic.

In 1918 he brought out one of his better novels, Brood of the Witch-Queen. The story follows Robert Cairn who, while a student at Oxford, encounters a rather eerie fellow student named Antony Ferrara who has an excessive fascination with ancient Egypt. Ferrara is also up to no good, and soon people close to him – including his father, the eminent Egyptologist Sir Michael Ferrara – start to die. Robert’s father, Dr Bruce Cairn, a medical doctor and a fellow Egyptologist, becomes involved in the case. Both men are determined to protect Myra Duquesne, a ward of Sir Michael, the love object of Robert Cairn and the target of nefarious designs by the evil Antony Ferrara. Then Ferrara disappears. His nerves shattered, Robert Cairn journeys to Egypt for a relaxing break. Instead, he and his father encounter Ferrara, who is increasing his command of black magic at the Pyramid of Méydûm. Dangerous encounters with Ferrara occur at the site of ancient Bubastis and the Pyramid of Méydûm but Ferrara again escapes. So the Cairns return to England, only to discover that Ferrara has also returned to London to once more menace the unsuspecting Myra. At last Dr Cairn reveals to Robert that Antony Ferrara is actually the reanimated mummy of an infant that he and Sir Michael revived. Sir Michael decided to adopt the baby who he named Antony. In reality, Antony is the love-child of the ancient and infamous Witch-Queen and the high priest of Egypt, Hortotef. Antony is also a vessel for the Witch-Queen’s wandering spirit. He has acquired the magical Book of Thoth, which allows him to control an elemental spirit that he directs against the Cairns and Myra. Fortunately Dr Cairn possesses substantial knowledge of Egyptian magic and is able to fend off the elemental’s attacks. The Cairns go on the offensive and destroy Ferrara’s Book of Thoth. In turn, the elemental attacks the weakened Ferrara and incinerates him. Clearly Egyptian magic is evil and bringing it to England can have deadly results.

In the same year, 1918, Rohmer published a collection of twelve short stories titled Tales of Secret Egypt, which is also a good indication where Rohmer is going with these stories. The first six stories are set in Cairo and are narrated by Neville Kernaby, the agent of an English firm importing antiquities to England. In his dealings he continually encounters the mysterious imam Abû Tabâh, a force of justice in Cairo, who helps him out of various tight spots but also deprives him of the profits of Kernaby’s better shady deals. In ‘The Death-Ring of Sneferu’ Kernaby becomes involved in a quest for the signet ring of the early pharaoh Sneferu.

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