Sentence:  For many, <WSD>mummies</WSD> fascinate more than repel. Our horrific connotations lie not so much with the <WSD>mummy</WSD> itself, but in associated fears. The <WSD>mummy</WSD> serves, of course, as a general reminder of our own mortality and our fear of death, but this alone is not enough to make it a monster. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A reanimated embalmed human corpse, as a typical character in horror films. (from 20th c.)