ka

ka · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    (Ancient Egyptian religion) The spiritual part of a person, believed to live on after death; the vital essence or life force that distinguished the living from the dead.

  2. 2.

    (Egyptology) One of the five components of the soul in ancient Egyptian belief, representing the vital spark that animated a person.

Forms

plural: kas

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    ka statue — A statue representing the deceased, created as a dwelling place for the ka in the afterlife

Related words

See also: ba, soul, spirit
Synonyms: life_force, soul, spirit

Etymology

From Ancient Egyptian kꜣ ("soul, spirit, vital force"). The concept was central to Egyptian funerary beliefs and afterlife theology.