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The person and their Ka were closely associated. There is a famous image from the mortuary temple of the female Pharaoh Hatshepsut at Dier-al-Bahari, often mentioned in association with the Ka, which shows the God Khnum with His potterÂ’s wheel forming the Princess Hatshepsut and her Ka at the same time, identical in every respect.
The Ka was part of the person, but could leave the body during sleep or in trance. After death the Ka was thought of as inhabiting the tomb. Special Ka chapels were built for it where mortuary offerings would be made.
Above: The “Ka”
It was believed that the Ka would partake of the offerings, consuming not the physical offering of course but rather being nourished by virtue of the offeringsÂ’ own Ka.
In addition to paying their respects to the Ka through prayers and offerings people would talk to it and ask for messages in return –which often came in the form of dreams.
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The Ka chapels were distinguished by an image of the deceased, which is one of the earliest origins of portraiture. Like the body this Ka chapel image was used by the Ka as a Key to communicate with the living. If the body were destroyed the Ka chapel image alone, or in its lieu other images, would be used as the Key.
If the mortuary offerings ceased the Ka was believed to whither and eventually dissipate. This is rather similar to our own idea that the Spirit remains active as an Ancestor as long as it is remembered and worked with, but moves on when this need ceases.
The Ba was represented as a human-headed bird –this represented its ethereal nature and ability to fly about at will. The Ba seems to have been regarded as the essential nature of the person, which was within the body during life but exited at death.
It was thought that the Ba enjoyed a wide-ranging existence moving among Gods and in the world, but would return to the tomb from time to time. For
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