The Secret Life of Horus
October 17, 2025 at 12:55AMRussell Cobb and Sarah Brandvold follow the remarkable journey of an Egyptian mummy, nicknamed “Horus.” Now at the University of Alberta, Horus has had a tumultuous time since being removed from Egypt—treated as an object of entertainment and fear, until eventually ending up in the University’s permanent collection. What questions does the afterlife of Horus raise about how we treat and display human remains?
Horus was showcased inside a decommissioned Edmonton Transit bus alongside various graveyard paraphernalia and taken on tour across Alberta. Along the way, Stewart concocted a biography for Horus: he was a 4,500-year-old physician (false); from Egypt’s Third Dynasty (false); and first “discovered” in Lower Egypt in the 1880s (maybe, but probably also false).
Funds did not materialize. Meanwhile, Edmonton wanted its loaner bus back and was threatening repossession. Never one to give up, Stewart petitioned city council for the use of some vacant city-owned store fronts to display “his” mummy and host a genealogical conference, promising to repay the rent with money raised from these schemes. The city declined.
from Longreads https://longreads.com/2025/10/16/the-secret-life-of-horus/
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