The Egyptian Soul: (pt. 1of 3) The Ka

The Ka

*The Ancient Egyptians believed the soul had three parts, the ka, the ba, and the akh, these were spiritual entities that everyone possessed, but the akh was an entity reserved for only the select few that were deserving of maat kheru.  This belief also included the preservation of the deceased body.

-From an Old Kingdom funerary text
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The Egyptians believed that Heket,
the creator of each person's Ka,
breathed it into the body at birth
as the part of the soul, the spark of life.
So simple a concept as can be propound
the spark that brings us into being  
is yet so unfathomably profound  
and without it, we would not be.

The Ka, concept of vital essence,
in effect a person’s double, the life force,
that which distinguishes the difference
between a living person and a dead corpse.
At the time of the persons death,
extensive and elaborate preparation
for the after life, occurs, the body must be perfect
to ensure the ka had a home for acclimation.

This is similar to the concept
of spirit in other religions
yet some more than others
in their complexity and transition.
One example, the chi (qi)
is that which gives life,
it is that which differentiates
a corpse from a live human being.

Gypsy Red