Why Were Ba And Ka Powerful Elements Of Soul In Ancient Egyptian Beliefs?
A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - In Egyptian beliefs, the soul had three parts: the Ka, the Ba, and the Akh. These three spiritual elements found refuge in the body. Therefore, it was vital to keep the body intact after death and to equip it with the necessary items for life.
The Ba was a spiritual aspect of an individual, usually depicted as a bird with a human head, and, in this form, the Ba of a deceased person could move through the underworld and revisit the earth by day.
So, the Ba-bird represented the ancient Egyptian concept of the soul. The Ba was power, and just as the gods had power (which they could multiply at will), the people also had their Ba.
In the beginning, during the Old Kingdom (c. 2613-2181 BC), the Ba was only attributed to the god-king. It was expressed with the sign of the 'jabiru-bird.' The situation changed during the First Intermediate period (2181-2040 BC) and the Middle Kingdom.
This is a preview of our premium article available only to members of Ancient Pages.
Become a member to read more - Click here
If you are already a member and have logged in to your account, you can access the article here
See also:
Aaru – Field Of Reeds: Kingdom Of Osiris Was The Ancient Egyptian Paradise
Never-Ending Battles Between God Ra And Indestructible Apophis In Ancient Egyptian Beliefs
Pyramid Texts Of Ancient Egypt That Charted Journey Of Pharaohs Into Afterlife
More From Ancient Pages
-
Shin-Au-Av – Secret Ancient Underground City Hidden Beneath Death Valley
Ancient Mysteries | Jun 6, 2024 -
Mystery Of The Lost Continent Destroyed By An Ancient Cataclysm – Wars Between The ‘Yellow Men And Black’ Men – Part 1
Ancient Mysteries | Aug 10, 2021 -
Delatores – Who Were The Professional Gossip Collectors In Ancient Rome?
Featured Stories | Mar 21, 2025 -
Creepy Story Of Lucida Mansi Who Was Obsessed With Her Beauty
Featured Stories | Jul 31, 2019 -
Why Was The Pineapple A Status Symbol Once?
Ancient History Facts | Jun 4, 2025 -
Unexplained Mystery Of The Dangerous Invisible Enemy In A French Town
Featured Stories | Feb 25, 2024 -
‘Yunatsite’ And Thought-Provoking Theory That Balkan Peninsula And Not Mesopotamia Was The Cradle Of Civilization
Featured Stories | Feb 14, 2023 -
Mystery Of The Ancient Foggaras: Sahara’s Incredible Masterwork Of Antiquity
Ancient Mysteries | May 20, 2016 -
Centeotl: Lord Of Maize Who Was Revered Before The Olmecs By All Mesoamerica’s Inhabitants
Featured Stories | Feb 20, 2024 -
Strange Case Of A Victim Who Solved Her Own Murder – Unusual Powers Of The Human Mind
Featured Stories | Feb 15, 2019 -
What Were The Strange Objects Biblical Adam Received From Divine Beings?
Ancient Mysteries | Jul 13, 2020 -
Viking Ivar The Boneless Could Be Buried In Repton – Remarkable Viking Burial Holds Clues To Where Ragnar Lodbrok’s Son Died
Featured Stories | Jun 17, 2022 -
Ankou: Breton Angel Of Death That Delivers Souls To The Underworld
Featured Stories | Mar 31, 2025 -
The Sjörå – ‘Mistress Of The Lake’: A Mythical Tempting Female Water Spirit In Swedish Folklore
Featured Stories | Apr 15, 2026 -
Fascinating Accounts Of Incredible Vehicles, Cosmic Cities In Vedic Literature
Ancient Mysteries | Oct 6, 2015 -
How Can Busy People Also Keep Fit And Healthy? What The Ancient Greeks And Romans Did?
Featured Stories | Jul 16, 2024 -
Valentine’s Day’s Connection With Love Was Probably Invented By Chaucer And Other 14th-Century Poets
Featured Stories | Feb 14, 2023 -
Sacred Cherokee Star Mound And The Legend Of The Star People – Beneath The Ground May Lie A Secret That Should Remain Hidden Forever
Featured Stories | Mar 23, 2025 -
Seven Times People Discovered The Americas And How They Got There
Featured Stories | Sep 9, 2022 -
Timeline Of Greek Dark Ages And Renaissance Is Wrong, New Research Shows
Featured Stories | Nov 13, 2024



