How do you like your brains? Over easy? How about scrambled? This is accomplished by sticking a rod through the nostril, up into the brain, then having the brains pulled out through the nose with a hook attached to the rod.
If that isn't enough to cause a headache, then having an acid wash poured into the skull to wash out the remaining bits of brain definitely would.
But not to worry, this process was only performed on the dead. Removing the brain was one of the steps in the mummification process in ancient Egypt.
According to Dr. Lorelei Corcoran, director of the Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology at The U of M, after the brain was removed, the embalmers would cut open the body by making an incision in the left-hand side of the abdomen. They removed the organs and placed them in jars. These jars were in the likeness of the four sons of the god Horus.
The heart was left in the body. The belief was the heart was where the soul resided.
After removal of the organs, the embalmers rinsed the body cavity out and filled it with spices. The body was covered with many pounds of natron, which is a salt, for 70 days. After this time, the body was wrapped in linen bandages and scented oils were poured over it.
At the end of the 70 days, the body would be turned over to the family who then took 'mummy' to be buried.
"The Egyptians believed that a new eternal life awaited people after death," Corcoran said. "They felt the body had to be preserved with mummification in order to make it the permanent home for the spirit of the dead."
Corcoran said they also celebrated 'The Beautiful Feast of the Valley." The relatives of the deceased would make lunches and go the burial sites. They believed they were celebrating with their dead relatives. They would also write letters and leave food. The ancient Egyptians also believed that the deceased relatives had an effect on their mortal life and could influence what happened to them.
The ancient Egyptians were serious about not disturbing their dead.
Corcoran said curses were put on tombs to keep people from desecrating them. However, some were not deterred by the curses.
Tomb robbers would set the mummies on fire which enabled them to gather the amulets and jewels that had been wrapped in the layers of linen.
According to Corcoran, the penalty for tomb robbers was usually death.
She said one example of punishment can be found in an ancient transcript of some tomb robbers on trial. Not only were they found guilty, but their punishment involved mutilation.
They were most likely beaten on the soles of the feet until the bones were all broken.
After that, the guilty parties were impaled.
"The eye is against them."
This is the translation of the name Iret Iruw, whose mummified remains can be seen in the Egyptian exhibition at The U of M art museum.
Corcoran said this name refers to the eye of Horus, which would be turned against the mummy's enemies and would protect his remains from being desecrated.
"Death shall come on swift wings to him that toucheth the tomb of Pharaoh."
This curse was reportedly found at the tomb of King Tut when it was discovered in 1922.
Reports said that those who were associated with the excavation met untimely deaths.
Newspaper reporters wrote that Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition, was bitten on the cheek by a mosquito. According to reports, this was in the same place as a scar on King Tut's body. The bite became infected, which led to pneumonia, that caused his death.
One year later, Carnarvon's half-brother also died.
The Egyptologist, George Benedite, died as a result of a fall after visiting Tut's tomb.
What does The U of M's own Egyptologist believe?
"I think Egyptologists don't believe in curses," Corcoran said.
In truth, no such inscription of a curse was ever found in King Tut's tomb.
Carnarvon was reputedly in poor health due to an car accident 21 years earlier.
And 10 years after the burial chamber was opened, most of those who had been present were still alive.
Still, the very sight of mummies can cause most people to wrinkle their noses in disgust.
