Curses are ‘supernatural charms’ that people have attributed their bad luck to, as well as wrongdoings, or unexplainable events that happened throughout history. All around the world, people stayed away from cursed objects and places to make sure that their good luck lasted and that they weren’t afflicted with whatever hardship the curse would provoke. Most curses originated when somebody needed an explanation (or excuse) for an undesirable outcome, while some arose from somebody wanting to make up a story. All of these curses share a common theme – to bring misfortune to the recipient. Although curses may not actually cause misfortune, they can certainly be a source of entertainment to enliven a dull moment.
A Pharaoh’s Curse
In 1923, a February expedition in Egypt led archaeologist Howard Carter and his team to discover the hidden tomb of Tutankhamun, more famously known as King Tut. The young pharaoh’s final resting place in the Valley of the Kings was still ridden with untouched treasures and artifacts, making the British expedition the first team to uncover the tomb.
However, two months after the discovery, the sponsor of the archaeologist team, Lord Carnarvon, passed away from a viral infection. Over the next several years, an increasing number of the team’s archaeologists suffered deaths, fires, floods, and other tragedies. Therefore, the rise of ‘King Tut’s curse’. The curse entails that anyone who disturbs the final resting place of Tutankhamun would suffer a fatal tragedy.
Not only did the misfortunes of Howard Carter’s team promote the curse’s integrity, the expedition also took note of an inscription they discovered while exploring. A statue of Anubis, the god of the dead in Egyptian mythology, ‘stood watch’ over King Tut’s tomb. The jackal-headed figure held a warning, which was likely to ward off anybody attempting to steal valuables from the tomb. This inscription may have also sparked the idea of the mummy’s curse.
The Curse of the Hope Diamond
In the late seventeenth century, a gem of uncertain origins was purchased by a French gem connoisseur, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier. Tavernier had recently completed an expedition in India and compiled a fine collection of gems. Just before 1670, King Louis the 14th of France purchased this collection, and along with it, a large blue diamond.
Evidence shows that Tavernier had actually stolen the diamond from a Hindu statue. The priests of the statue placed a curse on whoever had possession of it, to bring them misfortune. Numerous reports say that Tavernier got extremely sick after stealing the diamond and passed away shortly after, sparking the curse of the Hope Diamond.
Additionally, after King Louis the 14th kept the diamond in his collection, he passed away due to gangrene (decaying of the flesh). Some speculate that the death was caused by the curse of the Hope Diamond. Nicholas Fouquet, employed by King Louis the 14th, wore the Hope Diamond for an event. However, not too long afterwards, Fouquet was disfavored by the King and was sentenced to a life sentence of imprisonment as well as being banished from France. His situation is also attributed to the Hope Diamond curse.
The Hope Diamond was later inherited by King Louis the sixteenth and his wife, Marie Antoinette. Both him and his wife were sentenced to death by the guillotine, which was said to be another strike by the curse of the Hope Diamond. One of Marie Antoinette’s court members, Marie-Louise, the Princess of Lamballe, supposedly also wore the diamond temporarily and passed away shortly after.
Four other instances of misfortune brought upon those who own the Hope Diamond have occurred. The cursed jewel is an object that many take special care of when handling, due to its shady past.
A Shakespearean Curse
The Curse of Macbeth arises in the world of theatre. Many superstitions surround the world of the performing arts. It’s considered misfortune to wish a performer good luck, which is why ‘break a leg’ is used instead. In the Curse of Macbeth, if one says ‘Macbeth’ in a theatre, the production is cursed.
Folklore says that the production of Macbeth has been cursed from the very beginning, when three alleged witches in the seventeenth century did not approve of the use of incantations in Shakespeare’s play. They argued that the ‘spells’ used within the play were real, and didn’t want the rest of society to know what the incantations were. The ‘witches’ cursed Macbeth so that all productions of it would have ill fortune.
A famous critic, Max Beerbohm, started a rumour in the late 1800s that the actor who was supposed to perform as Lady Macbeth in the first production mysteriously passed away just moments before opening night. Other rumours include stage prop daggers being replaced with real daggers, spooking many cast and production members.
Macbeth is also seen as unlucky in the financial part of staging productions. The play is almost guaranteed to draw crowds, which could indicate that the theatre is experiencing financial instability. Additionally, it requires many expenses to actually produce the play, so it could inadvertently bankrupt the theatre.
All in all, curses are used to provide reasoning for seemingly connected chains of unfortunate events. Are curses only the byproduct of media and storytellers writing rumours? Or is it possible that there’s a supernatural element behind many of these infamous curses? Either way, try not to disturb any ancient tombs or wear any allegedly jinxed jewelry – you never know what curses you might stumble upon.
Ctdm. “The Hope Diamond’s Mystery & Curse.” Cape Town Diamond Museum, 6 Sept. 2019, www.capetowndiamondmuseum.org/blog/2019/09/5988.
The Curse of the Scottish Play | Macbeth | Royal Shakespeare Company. www.rsc.org.uk/macbeth/about-the-play/the-scottish-play.
“History of the Hope Diamond.” Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, naturalhistory.si.edu/explore/collections/hope-diamond-history.
Johnson, Lauren. “11 of the Most Infamous Ancient Curses in History – Oldest.org.” Oldest.org, 17 Nov. 2022, www.oldest.org/ancient/most-infamous-ancient-curses-in-history.
Little, Becky, and Becky Little. “6 Famous Curses and Their Origins.” HISTORY, 22 Aug. 2023, www.history.com/news/curses-king-tut-tippecanoe-origins.
National Geographic’s Beyond King Tut. “The Curse of King Tut’s Tomb.” Beyond King Tut, 16 Aug. 2023, beyondkingtut.com/the-curse-of-king-tuts-tomb.
