Mummification - is it religious practice ?

Question

I heard Ft. Francis Xavior was mummified in Goa, India.

Answer 1

Mummification was done for many reasons. For the ancient Egyptians it was for religious purposes. The Pharaoh would need his body in the Underworld and servants. But mummification was not restricted only to royalty in later years of Ancient Egypt.

Apart from cremation and natural burials, we generally give our departed to an undertaker who drains the blood and preserves the body with formaldehyde and/ or other preservatives. This is a form of mummification, is it not? And don't we sometimes leave mementos in caskets, much like the Egyptians did?

Answer 2

In Egyptions, yes. the body would have to be intact to go to the afterlife(you can't have a decaying god can you?) The Indians mummify as a sign of respect, the ability to "survive" for ever. he won't deteriate

Answer 3

The Egyptian religion is dead, not really a surprise. The religion was very spotty, it was more of a smushed together collection of conflicting religions. For instance, many regions respected and worshiped a sort of falcon God, which they made Horus (I believe that was the one). Most are now Muslim after the Arabs invaded them long ago.

Answer 4

I think in egyptian culture it was as in aztec and other cultures but it was also done as just preservation and sometimes completely accidentally ...Personally I think it was to keep the animals such as worms,mice,etc from eating the flesh..

Answer 5

you could see it as that or you could see it as just their way of the times to dispose of the dead (or bury if you prefer) did you know that creamations have been around longer than mummification?

Answer 6

Actually,it isn't.The noblemen are the only one who mummified their bodies along with their dead pet.

Answer 7

yes

Answer 8

for egyptians, it was...don't know about others.