The Pharaoh's Curse / Curse of Ra (2024)

About

The Pharoah's Curse and the Curse of Ra refers to a series of memes that involve an imaginary, ancient Egyptian curse that makes people spit sand or be covered in sand. The trend also included a copypasta with Egyptian hieroglyphics said to be the curse of the sun deity Ra. The hieroglyphic text was often used in quote retweets and Twitter replies as a way to humorously curse the other person, most often written Don't Care. Curse of Ra. The catchphrase "the Pharaoh's curse" became a video meme and GIF Caption trend on TikTok and elsewhere, predominantly using Cinnamon Challenge fail videos to portray the sand. Pharaoh's Curse memes also used the phrase "Return the Slab," related to an imagined hieroglyphics slab that was stolen from the Pharaoh's tomb. Both memes trended in 2023, playing on the format of the precursor Amharic Curse or Armenian Curse meme and copypasta. Also, a variant of the trend called Poseidon's Curse emerged which used water imagery and videos to reference the Greek god.

Origin

According to Egyptian legend and accounts from archaeologists, a rumored "curse of the pharaohs" was said to plague anyone who disturbed the grave of an Egyptian, specifically that of a pharaoh.[1] The curse was said to be manifested through death and illness.[1] The concept later inspired memes about the Pharoah's Curse, additionally manifesting in the phrase "the Curse of Ra." Ra is the Egyptian God of the sun.[2] The phrase "the Curse of Ra" does not derive from Egyptian history, but rather, from the name of the 1990 video game The Curse of RA.[3] The "pharaoh's curse" was also a part of the 2018 game Assassin's Creed Origins. [17]

The first-discovered meme to reference the curse of the pharaohs was posted by Redditor VioletTantrum to /r/memes [4] on August 19th, 2020, gaining over 100 upvotes in three years. The meme used the Leonardo DiCaprio Laughing template (shown below).


Although the aforementioned meme is the currently first-discovered, Pharaoh's Curse memes predominantly started due to a viral Tumblr post shared on November 30th, 2021, by Tumblr[5] user ronaldreagancutupwhiletalking. They captioned a GIF of competitive eater L.A. Beast failing a Cinnamon Challenge with "this gif is like… almost biblical. as if hes experiencing a pharaohs curse…" gaining roughly 10,700 notes in two years (shown below).


Spread

The Tumblr[5] post started a viral thread on the platform, continuing to March 10th, 2023, when Tumblr[6] user naamahdarling reversed the GIF, gaining roughly 140,000 notes in four months (shown below, left). Prior to the thread's eventual end in 2023, the original Tumblr[5] post gained a viral copycat on Twitter,[7] posted by @westernunion2k on December 4th, 2021, gaining roughly 39,200 likes before eventually being deleted. The same media was made into a GIF caption by iFunnier [8] @dankman on November 19th, 2022, gaining over 30 smiles in nine months (shown below, right). It was later reposted to /r/196[9] on January 7th, 2023, gaining roughly 4,300 upvotes in seven months.


Curse Of Ra Copypasta

On January 3rd, 2023, Twitter[10] user @your_welcone tweeted a variant of the L.A. Beast GIF with "CURSE OF RA" written as the top caption. The tweet also read a message in hieroglyphics, gaining over 170 likes in seven months (shown below, left). Similar hieroglyphics jibberish manifested in non-viral tweets[11][12] in the months that followed. A few months later, on May 28th, Twitter[13] user @raiden_gi tweeted a "Curse of Ra" message screenshot, gaining over 2,800 likes in three months (shown below, right).


A few hours later on May 28th, 2023, Twitter[14] user @slime_machine posted a quote retweet that cast the Curse of Ra, gaining roughly 5,500 likes in three months (shown below, left). On June 21st, 2023, Twitter[15] user @cybercanid posted another QRT that used the same set of hieroglyphics from @slime_machine's QRT, but adding "don't care," to the caption, gaining roughly 74,500 likes in one month (shown below, right).


On June 29th, 2023, Redditor LunaTheLesbianFurry posted the hieroglyphics text used in the aforementioned tweets[14][15] to /r/copypasta,[16] gaining over 40 likes in one month. The copypasta read:

don't care. CURSE OF RA 𓀀 𓀁 𓀂 𓀃 𓀄 𓀅 𓀆 𓀇 𓀈 𓀉 𓀊 𓀋 𓀌 𓀍 𓀎 𓀏 𓀐 𓀑 𓀒 𓀓 𓀔 𓀕 𓀖 𓀗 𓀘 𓀙 𓀚 𓀛 𓀜 𓀝 𓀞 𓀟 𓀠 𓀡 𓀢 𓀣 𓀤 𓀥 𓀦 𓀧 𓀨 𓀩 𓀪 𓀫 𓀬 𓀭 𓀮 𓀯 𓀰 𓀱 𓀲 𓀳 𓀴 𓀵 𓀶 𓀷 𓀸 𓀹 𓀺 𓀻 𓀼 𓀽 𓀾 𓀿 𓁀 𓁁 𓁂 𓁃 𓁄 𓁅 𓁆 𓁇 𓁈 𓁉 𓁊 𓁋 𓁌 𓁍 𓁎 𓁏 𓁐 𓁑 𓀄 𓀅 𓀆

On TikTok

On July 26th, 2023, TikToker[18] @space_fruitcals posted a video that was a copycat of GIF originally posted to Reddit[19] a month prior. @space_fruitcals wrote in the video's description, "Return the slab," alluding to an imagined slab that was stolen from the Pharaoh's tomb. The TikTok[18] gained roughly 1.5 million plays and 357,400 likes in eight days. On August 1st, 2023, TikToker[20] @mr_friendsh1p also posted a copycat version of the original L.A. Beast meme,[4] also gaining virality. The two videos then inspired a slew of original Pharaoh's Curse memes on TikTok, many of which referenced @space_fruitcals's phrase "Return the slab" (TikTok[21][22] examples shown below).

@05lostunknown29 Ngl ts funny💀 #pharoahscurse #sandsoftime #memes #fylシ #pupnoms #pupnomsanddogboy ♬ the sands of time – friëd shrimp
@matheqmuxb9 #pharaohscurse #returntheslab #sandsoftime #curseofra #pharaohsrisings #fyp ♬ the sands of time – friëd shrimp

Poseidon's Curse

On August 3rd, 2023, TikToker[23] @phill_nye posted a video of actor Tom Holland almost being splashed by water, calling it "Poseidon's Curse" in reference to the Greek god. The video gained roughly 1.3 million plays and 325,800 likes (shown below, left). Also, on August 3rd, TikToker[24] @tegua_ posted a similar video, additionally writing, "return the trident" in the caption, gaining roughly 110,700 plays and 16,900 likes in four days (shown below, right).

@phill_nye what is this #thepharaohscurse #meme #sh*tpost #sh*tposting #fyp ♬ SM64 Water Theme – MARIO MUSIC!
@tegua_ return the trident. #fyp #pharohscurse #poseidon #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #trident #water ♬ original sound – ten thousand bees

The videos spread elsewhere to platforms like Instagram.[25]

Various Examples


@senseibaconzach Murr is tonight's biggest loser, so he has to get The Pharaoh's Curse #pharoahscurse #meme #impracticaljokers ♬ original sound – 💎Toadette💎
@00suli00_v1 Wrath of ra #fyp #pharaohscurse #curseofra #sand #trend ♬ the sands of time – friëd shrimp

Search Interest

External References

[1] Penn Museum – The Curse of the Curse of the Pharaoh's

[2] World History Encyclopedia – Ra – Egyptian God

[3] YouTube – The Curse of RA gameplay

[4] Reddit – /r/memes

[5] Tumblr – ronaldreagancutupwhiletalking

[6] Tumblr – naamahdarling

[7] Internet Archive – @westernunion2k

[8] iFunny – @dankman

[9] Reddit – /r/196

[10] Twitter – @your_welcone

[11] Twitter – @dixie_lord

[12] Twitter – @gadezap

[13] Twitter – @raiden_gi

[14] Twitter – @slime_machine

[15] Twitter – @cybercanid

[16] Reddit – /r/copypasta

[17] YouTube – ASSASSIN'S CREED ORIGINS Curse of the Pharaohs Trailer

[18] TikTok – @space_fruitcals

[19] TikTok – /r/memes

[20] TikTok – @mr_friendsh1p

[21] TikTok – @05lostunknown29

[22] TikTok – @matheqmuxb9

[23] TikTok – @phill_nye

[24] TikTok – @tegua_

[25] Instagram – @grandmas.butt

The Pharaoh's Curse / Curse of Ra (2024)

FAQs

What is the curse of the RA? ›

Summary Inside an ancient pyramid, you fight for your survival. The mighty god RA has transformed you into a scarabaeus. Now RA is chasing you through hundreds of mazes. Can you solve all the puzzles and get out of the pyramid alive?

What was the Pharaohs curse Bible? ›

Because Pharaoh did not listen to the Lord, the Egyptians were cursed with terrible plagues. First, all the water in Egypt turned into blood. Moses asked Pharaoh again to let the Israelites go, but Pharaoh said no. Next, the Lord sent frogs to Egypt.

What is the Pharaohs curse in 30 words? ›

The pharaoh's curse was that death or misfortune would fall upon those who disturbed him. The silent visitors are the first to refer to it. Later on a guard joked nervously when the million dollar scanner stopped functioning because of sand in a cooler fan.

What is the purpose of the Pharaohs curse? ›

The curse of the pharaohs or the mummy's curse is a curse alleged to be cast upon anyone who disturbs the mummy of an ancient Egyptian, especially a pharaoh. This curse, which does not differentiate between thieves and archaeologists, is claimed to cause bad luck, illness, or death.

What demon is Ra? ›

Definition. Ra (also given as Re) is the sun god of ancient Egypt. He is one of the oldest deities in the Egyptian pantheon and was later merged with others such as Horus, becoming Ra-Horakhty (the morning sun), Amun (as noonday sun), and Atum (the evening sun) associated with primal life-giving energy.

Is curse of Ra real? ›

While this kind of misinformation may seem innocuous enough, there were several other articles that gratuitously included unsubstantiated “facts”, such as that which appeared in the Washington Post (March 16, 1977): ” 'Cursed be those that disturb the rest of the pharaoh' read an inscription on his tomb.” There was in ...

Why did God curse Pharaoh? ›

So, according to God, He hardened Pharaoh's heart so that He would have to send the plagues on Egypt in order to show both the Egyptians and the Israelites that He is the one true God.

What was God's warning to Pharaoh? ›

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the water and say to him, `This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses.

Who was the Pharaoh during Jesus time? ›

The Ptolemaic dynasty ended in 30 BCE with the death of Cleopatra. Augustus Caesar was eventually installed as pharaoh after Rome annexed Egypt, and still held that position when Jesus was supposedly born. So Augustus and Tiberias were pharaohs during Jesus lifetime.

What is the most famous Egyptian curse? ›

Among the world's most famous curses is the "Curse of the Pharaoh," also known as King Tut's Curse. Ever since King Tutankhamun's tomb was discovered in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, stories circulated that those who dared violate the boy king's final resting place faced a terrible curse.

What were the 12 curses of Egypt? ›

The plagues are: water turning to blood, frogs, lice, flies, livestock pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness and the killing of firstborn children.

Who died from the curse of the Pharaohs? ›

Alleged victims of the curse included Prince Ali Kamel Fahmy Bey of Egypt, shot dead by his wife in 1923; Sir Archibald Douglas Reid, who supposedly X-rayed the mummy and died mysteriously in 1924; Sir Lee Stack, the governor-general of the Sudan, who was assassinated in Cairo in 1924; Arthur Mace of Carter's ...

How did God punish the Pharaoh of Egypt? ›

In a decisively final way, God hardens Pharaoh's heart by taking his firstborn son. Only then does Pharaoh let the Israelites go, and he still saddles up his army and decides to chase them through the Red Sea. This ultimately leads to his death and to disruption throughout Egypt.

How did the Pharaoh's curse prove ominous? ›

The mummy was removed from his tomb and brought to the CT machine to be scanned. ... They felt this was ominous because, the curse of the pharaoh states that death or misfortune shall fall upon any who disturb him, and it seemed as though it had happened just as prophesied.

What is the curse of Egypt Bible? ›

Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn of the slave girl, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again."

What is the wrath of Ra? ›

Ra is the ancient Egyptian god of the sun, a major deity who was believed to have created all forms of life. We've reserved his name for our most powerful line of hand held throwers, capable of sun-like beams tearing across the sky at night. The Wrath of Ra, or WoR, is surely an impressive light.

What is the secret of Ra and what happens to it? ›

In this tale, Isis forms a clay snake with spittle dribbled by the ageing sun-god, the creator Ra. When the snake bites Ra, only Isis can save him, but she does this only when Ra reveals his secret name to her. He does this on condition that she reveal it only to her son Horus.

What is the myth of the Ra? ›

The Egyptians believed that Ra created the seasons, plants, animals, and even humankind. Some cults of Egypt (such as Heliopolis) believed that his tears created man, whereas the Book of the Dead states that man and woman came from drops of blood that form after Ra cuts himself.

Who is the enemy of Ra god? ›

Ra in the form of Great Cat, slays Apophis Apep, also called Apophis, was the god of chaos and Ra's arch-enemy. He was said to lie just below the horizon line, trying to devour Ra as Ra traveled through the underworld.

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