Ancient Egypt: Ka and the Soul

The Ka was the concept of life force - a second image of the individual or his spirit double. The ceremony of the opening of the mouth, conducted by the priests, either on the mummy or on a statue representation of the dead person, was aimed to restore the physical abilities in death and to release the attachment of the soul (Ba) to the body. This allowed the Ba to be united with the Ka in the afterlife, creating an entity known as an Akh.