Hollowers are specially chosen demigods that act as the first line of defense against mummies at Camp Half-Blood Austin Branch. Since mummies cannot be killed by metal weapons and must be released into the spiritual plane (The Duat), there is a different process for banishing mummies. The process of Hollowing a mummy was taught to Topher by Sadie Kane, and ever since, he has trained a small batch of Hollowers each year.
The hollowing process begins with a small wax tablet about the size of a cell phone. The tablet is inscribed with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs that describe the process of banishing the Ba and/or Ka into the Egyptian afterlife. Sometimes Hollowers can choose to carve their own tablets, but Topher usually gives them a pre-carved one. The carvings act as a spell that must be followed by a spoken incantation. If the Hollower gets it right, the spirit inhabiting the mummy is banished back into the Duat, thus hollowing out the mummy. The body of the mummy must then be consumed in fire.
Hollowers wear leather bandoliers containing a pouch for their wax tablets and for a few containers of Barrier Sand. Often times the leather is inscribed with beautiful images and symbols meant to protect the wearer. More senior Hollowers bandoliers can hold other items used to combat the undead including large ankhs, Delta fans, bundles of herbs for burning as warding smoke, and small stoppered ceramic vials that contain explosive mixtures. These bandoliers were once kept in The Vardo but now remain in the Dining Hall Weapon Storage.
To hollow a mummy, a Hollower must plant the wax tablet firmly in the center of a mummy’s chest (sternum) and say the incantation “Ha – see – hoot,” the double “o” pronounced like foot. It should be noted that if the placement of the wax tablet is off or the Hollower does not shout the incantation with force and purpose, the spell will not work.
There are lots of ways the hollowing process can go wrong. For instance, dropping the wax tablet on the ground renders the tablet unusable. The wax tablet can melt in the heat, altering or erasing the inscriptions, and rendering the tablet useless. This is why there is only a select few Hollowers trained. The chances of getting it wrong and getting mummy rot are high.
Submitted by: The Archivist, Indiana Ward