Ka

The ka is a complex concept of spirit, soul, or life force. Along with the ba, the ka is one of five essential components of the individual; it live’s on after death and must be reunited in the tomb. A tomb was called a "ka house," and a ka statue—a representation of the deceased—was carved as a stand-in for the mummified body and a place for the ka to reside in the afterlife. To guarantee a residence for the ka, some tombs, such as that of Rahwer at Giza, contained as many as 125 ka statues. A funerary ritual called the Opening of the Mouth ceremony was performed on the ka statue and brought it magically to life. Since the ka required sustenance—grain, beer, and produce—servants were employed to maintain the tomb in perpetuity. Sometimes estates were purchased to replenish the tomb. Sustenance could also be replenished magically if painted on the tomb walls in the ritually precise way. Eventually the mummy case (as in cat. no. 89), also carrying a portrait the individual, began to take the place of the ka statue. The Opening of the Mouth ceremony was then performed on the upright mummy case.