[Comments] The Jewel of the Seven Stars by Bram Stoker

[Acathala]

The Jewel of the Seven Stars is an 1903 work by Bram Stoker, republished in 1912 with an altered ending, likely without consent of the author. Of his completed books, it’s probably his second most adapted work, after Dracula. None use the original title, and considerably alter the plot.

Brief Synopsis
Malcolm Ross is called by Margaret Trelawny, to investigate mysterious attacks upon her comotose father, the Egyptologist Abel Trelawny. Later Corbeck, whom is working with Trelawny. He explains that they both found a mummy of a queen named Tera. Believing the body to be imbued with magic, and that Tera intended to be resurrected, they take the mummy and other artefacts back to England.
The quartet, along with others, decide to try and resurrect her, in a plan called the “Great Experiment” Tera and Margaret share a strong physical resemblance. It also is implied that Tera astrally possesses her. Despite his misgivings, Malcolm agrees to participate in the “Great Experiment”.

 

In the original ending they conduct the ritual. Malcolm is meant to light the lamps upon command. The place fills with black smoke and the order never comes. He stumbles across a female body that he assumes is Margaret and takes her to safety. Returning to the others, Malcolm finds that everyone there is dead, including Margaret, whom is wearing Tera’s robes. Tera is gone.

 

Experiment fails, everyone lives, Malcolm and Margaret get married. AKA the boring ending.

I’ve only given the bare bones, as I want you to read it. Dracula probably deservedly eclipses this, but the Jewel of the Seven Stars remains my favourite of Stoker’s work(aside from the Lair of the White Worm, which deviates so far from the book it is it’s own thing). There’s a lot of ambiguity in this book, including whether or not Tera is a villain. I like that he doesn’t come right out and say, so you can work it out, and decide for yourself. I was very young when I first read this, so this was the first novel I experienced that did that. Went on to read Agatha Christie’s “Death Comes As The End”, a great murder mystery set in ancient Egypt, sealing an interest in Egyptian mythology.
Sadly the film adaptations mostly remove that ambiguity, setting Tera firmly in the villain camp.
I’m quite glad I got an edition that includes the original ending. I much prefer it to the 1912 version, which is bland, boring and does not fit the book. Notably Christie changed the ending of her book at the urging of a friend. She came to regret this, but sadly we never got see her original ending.

Egyptomania
At the time of when this book was written, Egyptomania had swept Britain. Artefacts and mummies were brought in from archeological sites to museums and private collections. It was not uncommon to see mummies in libraries, or to have them unwrapped in shows. The well preserved female mummies were sometimes eroticised.
Bram Stoker was certainly well aware of Egyptian artefacts, given the detailed descriptions he wrote of the ones in the book. Likely through lord Stanley Wilde(father of Oscar).
In the book, the chapter Powers Old and New, Trelawny speculated that the ancient Egyptians were more advanced than they were. Indeed Ross ponders if they’re successful, proving magic and the Egyptian pantheon exists, it would upend their society. This was an interesting idea, which Stoker cuts off too early. Oh well, leave them wanting more.

I’m going touch lightly on the removal of the artefacts and mummies to Britain. Yes a lot of damage was done. However I believe that a lot more was preserved for the future. I believe morally they should be returned to Egypt, given the work they have done to make sure they can take care of them.