Parts of the Soul



Kemetic Name Closest English Approximation
Khat Physical Body
Ka Spirit or Double
Ba Soul
Khaibit Shadow
Sahu/Sah Spiritual Vehicle
Sekhem Power or Life Energy
Ib Heart
Ren Name


The Eight Parts


Khat-The human body. Absolutely mortal, the KHAT dies and must be preserved or else it will decompose. To some degree the KA and KHAT are tied together- the KA must recognize its tomb and thus the dead must be preserved.

In early times this preservation, performed through mummification, was the only method and was reserved for kings. Soon after it was extended to the non-royalty of Kemet, although they often could not afford mummification, a procedure requiring a lifetime of savings. However, in place of mummies the Kemetic people used statues, paintings, or even simply their name in the event that thier mummies(KHAT) were destroyed.

It seemed that the Kemetic beliefs in the afterlife were full of 'back-doors' and 'tricks' and would read something like "One's body must be preserved in order to survive the afterlife. However, if the body is destroyed, a statue will suffice. However, if the statue is destroyed, a painting will suffice. However, if the paintings are destroyed, your name will suffice. Here is a large book of spells just in case something comes up. However, if you cannot afford this book of spells, here is an abbreviated version."

In fact, the Kemetic belief in the importance of the preserving of bodies is wildly erratic to our eyes- in some places it seems as if the soul entire is destroyed if even a piece of the corpse is missing, such as illustrated by WESIR's near-destruction through his missing phallus, and the Kemetic surgeon's disdain for the removal of infected body parts- not to mention that the large number of funerary spells illustrated the dangers of the Netherworld. However, in other cases entire spells were created, called EXECRATIONS, for destroying the deceased's soul if the afterlife, for fear that the victim(usually executed criminals/prisoners of war/etc) may return to haunt the living. One would think that destroying their body would be enough, yet these extensive rituals for destroying the soul show that a fear still lingered. It seems the Kemetics were extremely careful, safe people, and did the most they could to insure that things worked as they felt was necessary; if that meant they must be mummified, have a statue or two, a few paintings, a name and a book of spells to survive terrific, and if one needed to perform a number of rituals to destroy the dangerous dead, that is acceptable as well. Kemetic religion and magick tended to be highly lawyeristic, so to speak.

Ka-The KA is the spiritual double. It appears in reliefs, at its creation, as a double of the human with the sidelock of youth, and is molded by KHNUM, a creator deity, at the birth of each human along with the other parts of their soul. It is often portrayed as a human with a pair of arms upon his or her head- the word KA can also mean "embrace" as thus the hieroglyph for KA is a pair of arms, outstretched for an embrace, and often upon the head of the human form to illustrate that this figure is, itself, a KA.

Wooden statue depicting the
KA as a human with the KA
glyph upon his head.

The KA reflects the human aspect of the soul, that part which remembers earthly existence and may remain on this planet, in its tomb, or visiting friends and relatives. It recieves offerings and must eat and drink(spiritually) or else it may starve or become angry.

Contrary to popular belief, there are few curses for intruders into the tombs of the Kemetic dead- generally only a warning that in the next life they would pay for desecrating the tomb of another. Few curses for this life were ever mentioned. On the contrary, friendly living people were welcomed into the tomb on the basis that they may be leaving offerings, doing repairs, or simply visiting.

The KA, as has been mentioned, has earthly memories, emotions, and personality. It is more or less the human aspect in the spirit world.

Kings were said to have multiple KAU, and some funerary texts such as the Pyramid Texts speak of the deceased king being surrounded by his KAU.
Ba-The BA is the part of the human soul that is divine; the immortal soul, represented as a bird with the head of the deceased, possibly to symbolically represent its ascent into heaven. In those texts and faiths that had a belief in reincarnation(though they are very rare), the BA would be the part of the soul to return to inhabit a new body. The BA can travel both to the Duat(Netherworld) as well as return to earth to visit family, friends, even its body and its KA and converse with it(its KA). Some older books, such as Budge's Egyptian Book of the Dead, state that the BA could reinhabit the KHAT(body), although this is extremely doubtful- likely an example of the common mistakes of Egyptology in its infancy.

BA returning to its body as a bird with a human head.
It carries a symbol meaning "Eternity."

Khaibit-One of the most difficult aspects of the soul to define, the KHAIBIT is translated as "Shadow" or perhaps "Shade" and was clearly tied to the KA. There are few references to the KHAIBIT in Kemetic texts, making it more difficult to understand. Obviously the KHAIBIT was important to the Kemetic funerary belief system, as the following text displays:

        Do not let my BA be trapped,
        Do not let my KHAIBIT be fettered,
        let the way be opened for my BA and my KHAIBIT,
        may it see the Great God[WESIR].

        -Chapter XCII of the BOOK OF COMING FORTH BY DAY

While one may assume at first that "shadow" is simply another word for "soul" just as we use many words for "ghost" such as "spirit," "poltergeist," "phantom," "spectre," "eidolon," or even, ironically, "shade!" However, from the text above as well as others of its type it becomes clear that the Kemetic people regarded the KHAIBIT to be quite distinct from the rest of the soul, even if it was inextricably tied in with those same parts.

The KHAIBIT most likely represents the darker aspect of the deceased- many of their thoughts, mostly dark, as well as secrets and desires. Modern practitioners of the faith tend to regard it as "things about the person which they will not admit to themselves" which does not necessarily represent anything dark or wicked- and indeed, it may not represent anything frightening or grotesque at all. Remembering that Eastern culture and thought is very different than our own Western way of thinking, the KHAIBIT, or shadow, could very well have had some very simple and unfrightening meaning, such as being a reflection of the soul just as the physical shadow is a reflection of the physical body.


The KHAIBIT.



Sahu-The SAHU, like the KHAIBIT, is somewhat vague but appears to be the spiritual vehicle or body of the deceased, perhaps that which the soul itself inhabits. Some beliefs also relate the SAHU to the KHAIBIT, recording the SAHU as the 'reverberations' of the KHAIBIT. If the KHAIBIT joins the KA in death(as discussed below), then this would make sense; this will be discussed in more depth later.

Apparently the Netjeru also had Sahu, which is reasonable if we assume that the SAHU is the vehicle which the BA inhabits after death. We have this text as an example of the SAHU used in context:

        You have recieved your SAHU,
        your foot shall not be fettered in the Netherworld,
        nor shall you be turned back upon earth.
        Hail to you, [N],
        on this day when you are standing before RA
        as He comes from the east,
        when you are endued with this,
        your SAHU amongst the BAU[Ba's].
        His duration of life is eternity,
        his limit of life is everlastingness in his SAHU.
        I am a SAHU with his BA.

This text makes several points quite clear: that a) the Sahu is "given" to the deceased, which means it is most likely not used in this life but rather used after death exclusively, b) the Netjeru has SAHU as well, and c) the deceased dwelt within his SAHU.
Sekhem-This is the life-energy or power of the deceased. It is perhaps related to the station of the person- RA was known as "SEKHEM UR" or "Great SEKHEM" and the Pyramid Texts refer to King Wenis(Unas) as "Great SEKHEM amongst the SEKHEMU." Although some sources speak of the SEKHEM as being mortal and dying with that KHAT, the Pyramid Texts seem to indicate the SEKHEM as traveling to the Netherworld with the deceased:

        Your SEKHEM comes to you among the AKHU.

The text continues on to describe the SEKHEM as being pure along with the KA, BA, and the deceased as a whole. This would indicate that the SEKHEM does not die with the KHAT but instead carries on. However, the Pyramid Texts were written first for King Wenis in the Old Kingdom- it is possible that the concept of an everlasting SEKHEM applied to the king alone, or was perhaps a concept used during the Old Kingdom and either altered or discontinued at a later date.
Ib-This is the heart. The Kemetic people believed the heart to be the seat of thought, logic and knowledge, and regarded the brain as useless; they realized of course that the brain, if damaged, could cause disability or death(this is apparent by the fact that they performed minor forms of brain surgery) but considered it otherwise meaningless. During mummification it was thrown away unpreserved. The other organs were placed in what we now call Canopic Jars, mummified, and magickally guarded by the so-called Sons of HERU. The exception was the IB, or heart- being the seat of thought and knowledge, it was mummified and placed back within the body.

The logic motivating this concept was most likely the beating of the heart itself- as one becomes excited through any extreme emotion such as fear, anger, excitement and suchlike, the heart beats faster, leading the ancients to (quite logically) believe that the heart was the source of thought and emotion- that it was itself thinking as opposed to being affected by the thoughts of the brain.

It was the IB, or heart, which theoretically contained the deeds performed in life, which is weighed against the feather of MA'AT during the "Weighing of the Heart" within the Hall of Double MA'AT, and devoured if the deceased had been unrighteous or wicked in his or her lifetime.

The glyph for IB.




Ren-This is the individual's Name. All people have a Name which describes the person as a complete entity. In many cultures the name of an individual is considered powerful- in the Aboriginal culture of Australia, for example, a child gives up his or her name at adolescence and keeps it hidden for fear that its use could empower others to control him or her. In like fashion the Kemetic people believed that the Name, or REN, contained power that could be used against him or her in magickal incantations.

One of the most famous myths of Kemet was of ASET learning RA's true name, and thus gaining power over Him. The story, briefly, was that ASET, as NETJERET of HEKA(a form of Kemetic magick) was held back in Her power by only one thing- the name of RA. Thus She caused RA to become ill through a serpent's poisoned bite and told Him that She could cure Him only through His name. He first attempted to avoid the true answer by telling ASET "I am KHEPERA in the morning, RA in the afternoon, and TEM in the evening." ASET informed him that She needed His one True Name, and afflicted by pain and looming death He relented and was healed. The complete story is more involved but this incredibly abridged version serves the purpose of describing the purpose of the REN, as shall be explained:

Though this sounds like a cruel tale of deceit and personal injury, one must always bear in mind that the NETJERU are Principles of Nature or Divine Laws; these tales are parables intended to convey a moral or philosophical concept. In this case the story has several possible meanings; the one with which we are concerned is the simplist, and is that names have power. RA's True Name Itself could be used to empower ASET, and also it can be used to control or heal the owner. Additionally it is an archetypal story of the rejuvination of the ruler, but this interpretation is not important to a discussion of Names.

The Transfigurations


Akh-The AKH is, in some texts, a combination of BA and KA, and in others, the KA and KHAIBIT. This can be translated roughly as Transfigured Spirit. Personally I favor the latter interpretation- both the KA and KHAIBIT represent the deceased in life, whilst the BA is eternal and semi-divine; both the KA and KHAIBIT are definately mortal. If the IB can be devoured at the Weighing of the Heart, it is logical to assume that the IB merges with the KA and KHAIBIT as well to form the AKH.

In some beliefs we find that the SAHU joins with the BA(and, theoretically, the REN) to create its own spirit after death as well. If we factor in the concept that the SAHU is a 'reverberation' or 'vibration' caused by the KHAIBIT. If this is taken as fact it answers some of our other questions and fills in some gaps- the KA and KHAIBIT form the AKH, mortal, earthbound and shadowy, lingering on this planet while the BA, SAHU, and most likely REN join to form an immortal spirit, flying upwards towards the heavens. If this soul were to be reincarnated, some memories may be trapped in the SAHU from the KHAIBIT, thus providing those fleeting glimpses of past lives as well as occassional deja-vu. As has been noted previously, reincarnation was a very small, almost nonexistant part of the original Kemetic theology, and as such this theory would likely have made very little impression on the Kemetic people and I stress that it is solely my own and is not to be interpreted as purely Kemetic.

AKH means "Shining One" or "Glorious One" and is used to describe the Blessed Dead; those who live on in the afterlife, surviving its perils and found MA'A KHEREW- True of Voice or Justified- at the Weighing of the Heart. Offerings were made for the AKHU of ancestors, and in particular by sons to their fathers.


The symbol for AKH.




Mut or Muet-Not to be confused with the Netjert MUT, consort of AMUN of Karnak, the MUETU are the spirits of the UnBlessed Dead, also known as the "dangerous dead," the "troublesome dead" and so forth. These are exceptionally wicked spirits and return to haunt, torment, possess, and generally to cause harm to the living. These malevolent spectres are either avoiding judgement, seeking vengeance against a person or persons(or all people!) or may be the result of a curse. The fact is that the MUETU could be angry for any number of reasons, but are absolutely foul and evil. EXECRATION rituals, as described earlier, were used for fear of the executed and enemy dead from returning as MUET.

The Kemetic Parts in Other Systems


This is a comparison of the Kemetic Parts of the Soul compared to a system given by Janet and Stewart Farrarr in A Witches' Bible. Please note that the pairing is stretched, and not intended to fully fit the Kemetic belief. For example, in the system given by the Farrarrs, the Fourth through Seventh Plane soul-parts would be the immortal parts that are brought with one in each incarnation, making up the Individuality. The First through Sixth soul-parts make up the Personality and are destroyed with each new incarnation. Forcing them to fit the scheme given, we would say that the KHAIBIT and KA are immortal, for example, which is untrue. However, since I found the system interesting, I have cross-referenced to the best of my ability the parts given by the Farrarrs with the Kemetic parts.


Kemetic Name Level Pure or abstract spirit Plane Astrological symbol
Ba Upper Spiritual Description Seventh Plane The Sun
Sahu Lower Spiritual Concrete spirit Sixth Plane Jupiter
Khaibit Upper Mental Abstract Mind Fifth Plane Mercury
Ka Lower Mental Concrete Mind Fourth Plane Saturn
Ib Upper Astral Abstract Emotions Third Plane Venus
Ren Lower Astral Instincts and passions Second Plane Mars
Sekhem Etheric Tenuous energy web Not applicable The Moon
Khat Physical Physical Body First Plane The Earth
more to come...