Ka ( kꜣ ) is part of the human soul, the vital essence of life. When the ka departs the body, the person is dead. Frog goddess Heqet or creator goddess Meskhenet bestows the ka of every individual, breathing it into the child at the moment of birth.
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In ancient Egypt, creation of humans is attributed to Khnum, a ram-headed primordial god. He molds children on a potter's wheel from Nile silt and clay.
He puts each child in the mother's womb. He also creates all the animals. In some versions Khnum supplies the ka for the new child.
The concept of the human soul includes a number of facets or aspects. Altogether they create the akh or the form of the deceased person in the Afterlife.
Sah - spiritual body
Ren - name, identity
Ba - personality
Ka - vital essence
Ib - heart
Shut - shadow
Sekhem - power, form
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Only the ba is able to leave the tomb of the deceased, for a short time. The ka can inhabit a statue or image but must be given food and drink. Thus consumable gifts are offered to the dead. The unseen ka of the deceased is sustained by the ka of the food and drink.
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In the Middle Kingdom of Egypt (c. 2030 - 1650 BCE) a soul house, or form of offering dish, is created to facilitate the process. Soul houses are pottery trays often molded into the form of a dwelling.
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The house contains clay versions of food offerings. Some structures have spouts so libations can be poured over the soul house and flow away. Scholars suggest these are built for the ka to inhabit, to mark the surface of the tomb, or just as convenient offering trays.
In iconography the kꜣ may be shown as a second image of the king. In this way the concept of a double world develops, with necessary objects or people existing for the ka owner.
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According to curator Andrey Bolshakov,
"The notion of the ka was a dominating concept of the next life in the Old Kingdom. In a less pure form, it lived into the Middle Kingdom, and lost much of its importance in the New Kingdom, although the ka always remained the recipient of offerings."
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In the Late Period (c. 664 - 332 BCE), the ka becomes more complex. The theory of a multiple ka takes hold. Deities and kings are presumed to have more than one ka. It's not long before everybody wants more than one.
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The ka is split into aspects such as power, life span, splendor, fame, food, seeing, hearing, knowing. The aspects are independent and perceived as the immortal principles of life itself, not linked to the life of an individual.
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Ka Statues
A ka statue is frequently put in a tomb, especially for rulers, royalty and elite, and other illustrious persons. Scribes, priests, viziers, doctors, learned people receive an elaborate or stately tomb. The statue is created as a resting place for the ka after death of the person.
The statuette below represents Kha, an overseer of tomb building. Discovered in the tomb of Kha (d. 1350 BCE) and his wife Merit, with chests of clothes, Merit's wig, beauty products and more, this 48 cm (18.8 in) statue might house the ka of Kha.
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Ka statues can also be set up as memorials or representations of the deceased in absentia. In Abydos, Upper Egypt, hundreds of Ka statues are erected to allow the dead to participate in the yearly festivals commemorating the resurrection of Osiris.
The Ka statue may or may not bear the ka symbol as crown. Tutankhamun's ka statue of 1324 BCE doesn't have one. The Ka statue of Pharaoh Hor below has a prominent ka symbol. It's a Middle Kingdom artwork c. 1700 BCE.
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The ka statue might be placed in an anteroom or serdab (house of the statue or Ka chamber). The Ka chamber is found in the funerary monuments built during the Old Kingdom of Egypt (c. 2649 - 2130 BCE).
Often constructed without access, it houses the statue where the ka of the deceased lives. the ka can interact with activities in the funerary chapel through an opening or holes. These allow the deceased to receive offerings. The serdab may be hidden behind a false door.
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Anterooms and false doors may be included as part of the tomb to foil grave robbers, who are responsible for considerable damage to tombs and contents. There might also be a secret back or side entrance to the tomb itself for use by family bringing offerings.
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