Ancient Egyptian Idea of the Soul

The Ancient Egyptians believed that the "soul" is made up of three parts; the Ba, Ka, and Akh.  One part of the soul couldn't live without the other, i.e. if one died they all died.  The purpose of mummification was to keep all of the soul's three parts alive.  

Ba:  The Ba was depicted as a human headed bird.  It represented the personality, character, or individuality of the deceased.  The Ba lived inside the tomb, but was allowed to leave the tomb and come back at will.  It could visit the land of the living where it could take on any form.

Ka:  The Ka was a double of the person.  It was sometimes represented as a human figure with raised arms, or just a pair of raised arms (David, 140). The creator god "Khnum" fashioned the Ka at the time a person was conceived.  It was an exact physical and emotional replica of an individual, that was imprisoned within the living heart, and was only expelled by death.  It had to stay close to the body at all times and could never leave the tomb.  It was believed that the Ka could not live unless the body was preserved.  If the body was not preserved properly the ka could live inside a picture of the body that was depicted on the wall of the tomb. The Ka was dependent on the objects and offerings that were left in the tomb.  It could not survive without nourishment.  It required food, drink, and clothing.  It was up to the friends and family of the deceased to leave regular offerings at the tomb.  Dried fish and fowl were some of the foods left by relatives to nourish the Ka.

Akh: The Akh represented the immortality of the deceased. And, like the Ba, it was sometimes depicted as a bird.  The Akh made the journey to the underworld so that it could eventually take its place in the afterlife.

Bibliography:

David, Rosalie. Handbook to Life in Ancient Egypt. Facts on File inc. 1998.

http://www.si.edu/resource/faq/nmnh/mummies.htm

Written By Rachel Simmons 2003

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