The Goddess of Death: The Lemb Statue Curse

The Lemb Statue, also known as the “Goddess of Death” or “Women from Lemb,” is a 5,500-year-old figurine from Cyprus that allegedly carries a deadly curse. Every family that owned the statue reportedly suffered multiple deaths, leading to its eventual donation to the Royal Scottish Museum in Edinburgh.

The Artifact

Physical Description

• Carved from pure limestone
• Approximately 12 inches tall
• Female figure with crossed arms
• Chalcolithic period (3500 BCE)
• Originating from Lemb, Cyprus
• Typical of Cypriot goddess figurines of the era

Original Purpose

Archaeologists believe the statue was:

• A fertility goddess representation
• Used in religious or burial rituals
• Part of Cypriot goddess worship tradition
• One of many similar figurines from the period

What makes this particular statue unique is not its archaeology but its alleged curse.

The Curse Legend

The Elphick Family (1st Owners)

The statue was first acquired by Lord Elphick of Edinburgh:

• Within six years of ownership, all seven members of the family died
• Deaths were from various causes
• The statue passed to the next owner upon the last death

The Second Family

A new owner acquired the statue:

• Within four years, every member of this family also died
• Again, various causes of death
• The pattern continued

The Third Family

Yet another owner:

• All family members died within four years
• The curse seemed unbroken
• Terror began to surround the artifact

The Thompson Family (4th Owners)

Sir Alan Thompson and his family:

• Acquired the statue despite warnings
• His wife and two daughters died
• Terrified, Thompson donated the statue to the Royal Scottish Museum
• He himself died shortly after the donation

Total Death Toll

The statue allegedly caused:

• The complete extinction of four families
• Deaths spanning over a century
• Various causes including illness, accidents, and sudden death
• Possibly 35+ deaths attributed to ownership

The Museum

Current Location

The statue now resides in the Royal Scottish Museum (National Museum of Scotland) in Edinburgh.

Staff Reports

According to accounts:

• Curators refuse to handle the statue
• It is kept in storage most of the time
• Staff members who handled it allegedly fell ill
• One curator who moved it reportedly died within a year
• The museum neither confirms nor denies the curse

Display Policy

The statue is:

• Rarely displayed publicly
• Not available for loan
• Kept isolated from other artifacts
• The subject of requests that the museum denies or ignores

Investigations

Historical Research

Attempts to verify the curse face challenges:

• Family records are incomplete or lost
• “Lord Elphick” has not been definitively identified
• Death records from the era are incomplete
• Chain of ownership is poorly documented

Museum Response

The National Museum of Scotland:

• Neither confirms the curse legend
• Nor officially denies it
• Does not provide detailed provenance
• Maintains the statue in its collection

Curse Claims

Proponents argue:

• Multiple independent families were affected
• The pattern is too consistent to be coincidence
• Staff reluctance indicates genuine fear
• The curse continues in some form

Skeptical View

Skeptics note:

• Death was common in historical periods
• Families often died from disease epidemics
• No documentation proves the deaths are linked
• The story may be fabricated or embellished
• “Lord Elphick” may never have existed

Similar Cursed Objects

The Lemb Statue joins a category of allegedly cursed artifacts:

Hope Diamond

• Said to bring misfortune to owners
• Multiple deaths associated with ownership
• Now in the Smithsonian Institution

Crying Boy Painting

• Paintings allegedly caused house fires
• Multiple households affected
• Mass panic in 1980s Britain

Annabelle Doll

• Said to be possessed by a malevolent entity
• Featured in “The Conjuring” films
• Kept in Warren’s Occult Museum

Busby’s Stoop Chair

• Every person who sat in it allegedly died
• Now suspended from ceiling in museum
• Over 60 deaths attributed

Theories

Actual Curse

Believers suggest:

• Ancient rituals bound something to the statue
• The goddess figure demands sacrifice
• Cypriot burial magic created the effect
• The artifact is genuinely supernatural

Confirmation Bias

Skeptics argue:

• Deaths happen in all families over time
• Curse narratives are applied retrospectively
• Stories grow in the telling
• No controlled comparison exists

Toxicity Theory

Some suggest:

• Ancient materials might be harmful
• Lead, arsenic, or other substances could cause illness
• Handling the artifact could expose people to toxins
• This would explain some deaths but not all

Coincidence and Legend

The most likely explanation:

• Some deaths occurred in owning families
• Stories attached to the object and grew
• Each retelling added details
• The legend became self-perpetuating

Cultural Significance

The Lemb Statue represents:

Fear of Ancient Objects

• Unease with artifacts from dead civilizations
• Association of age with power
• Distrust of items from tombs or religious sites
• The idea that ancient people knew dark secrets

Curse Narratives

• Human need to find patterns in tragedy
• Explanation for seemingly random death
• Warning against certain behaviors (grave robbing, collecting ancient objects)
• Entertainment value of horror stories

Museum Mysteries

• Items in museums carry unknown histories
• Some objects retain power or danger
• Not everything in collections is safe
• The boundary between artifact and active object

Visiting the Statue

For those interested:

• The National Museum of Scotland is in Edinburgh
• The statue is rarely on display
• Contact the museum about viewing
• Be prepared for the museum to be unhelpful about curse claims
• The museum has many remarkable Cypriot artifacts regardless

Conclusion

Whether genuinely cursed or an elaborate legend, the Lemb Statue continues to fascinate:

• It represents 5,500 years of human history
• The curse narrative has persisted for over a century
• Museum staff behavior suggests something unusual
• The deaths, if accurate, remain unexplained

The Goddess of Death sits in Edinburgh, a small stone figure that has allegedly ended families and continues to inspire fear among those who know its story. Whether you believe in curses or not, the Lemb Statue serves as a reminder that some objects carry weight beyond their physical form - if only in human imagination.