Get Wrapped Up in These Mummy Tattoos

Mummies have been part of Egyptian culture for centuries but it wasn’t until the 19th century, during European colonization, that they became the subjects of Western literature. However, against popular belief, mummies didn’t get their start in the horror genre. Instead, they were often portrayed as the romantic and sexual love interests of male protagonists, as seen in “The Mummy’s Foot” and “The Jewel of Seven Stars.”

It wasn’t until 1932 that mummies became monsters, thanks to “The Mummy.” This classic monster movie starred Boris Karloff in the titular role, who’d previous played Frankenstein’s monster in 1931’s “Frankenstein.” The mummy joined the ranks of Universal Studio’s classic monsters, which includes Dracula, the Phantom, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Wolf Man, the Creature from the Black Lagoon and the Invisible Man.

In 2017, Universal Studios attempted to recreate their classic monster movies, beginning and ending with “The Mummy.” The film, which stars Tom Cruise, got mostly negative reviews and put an end to the studio’s Dark Universe franchise. Initially, the second film in the franchise was supposed to be “The Invisible Man,” starring Johnny Depp, however, in 2020 Universal took a very different approach by casting Elizabeth Moss as the lead.

Despite the 2017 films shortcomings, we still love mummies and in return, mummy tattoos. We’ve curated our favorite mummy tattoos from classic horror loving artists around the world and it’s time you took a peek at these undead tattoos.