Ba

 Ba


 * Other Names:**

//Bau//


 * Hieroglyphics:**



The personality or alter ego of the deceased. It was said to be able to fly from place to place during the day and is often shown hovering over the mummy or resting on a shrine. Most commonly the //Ba// was represented as a bird, usually a falcon, with a human head and arms. In some texts the chirping of birds is equated with the chatter of the dead. Migratory birds were regarded as nations of the //Ba//, flying freely between tomb and underworld. Supposedly the //Ba// could assume any form it chose, and the Book of the Dead has many spells to assist the //Ba// in its transformation. Some of the most common transformations of the Ba were into fish, rams, a lotus, and other birds such as swallows.

Every evening the //Ba// returned to the body, reuniting with it and thus ensuring the body's continued existence in Sehet Aaru. The Book of the Dead recommended that a golden //Ba//-shaped amulet should be placed on the chest of the mummy in order to facilitate the reunion. The body had to be recognizable to the //Ba//, hence the careful mummification and elaborate mummy masks.

Like a living person, the //Ba// had physical needs. Relatives of the deceased left food offerings in front of the tomb to feed the //Ba// until it reached the next world, and a tree was often planted outside the tomb for it to perch on. One of the most important functions of the //Ba// was to unite with the //Ka// so the deceased could reach the heavens and become an //Akh// spirit. The //Ba// amulet was also carried by people who suffered from a heart condition, or by those who wanted to protect their hearts from injury.

Though the //Ba// seems to have been essentially nonphysical, it nevertheless could be viewed as a separate physical mode of existence for its owner, even prior to death. Hence, the sun was the //Ba// of Ra, the wind was the //Ba// of Shu, water was the //Ba// of Nun, and crocodiles were the //Ba//s of Sobek. Deities often had multiple //Ba//s - Ra was thought to have seven //Ba//s, and it was claimed that Amun had ten //Ba//s.


 * Outside of Egypt:**

It is very likely that the Egyptian //Ba// was the inspiration for the Christian concept of angels.


 * Quotes from the Book of the Dead and other sources:**[[image:mummyonbrier.jpg width="474" height="246" align="right" caption="Ba protecting its mummy coffin"]]

Transformation into a Swallow

Transformation into a Falcon of Gold

Transformation into a Crocodile

The Ba Prayer

The Coming of the Bas

Parts of the Soul