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Ancient Egypt / Religion / Concepts and Symbols /
Akh
In Ancient Egyptian religion, spirit of the deceased person, principal aspect of the soul together with ka and ba.
It is very difficult to find good translations for akh. It could be "transformed spirit", "to be agreeable", "to be advantageous" or "to be splendid".
Akh had the quality that it could give the soul any form it wished, and the purpose was for the soul to revisit the human world. Hence, the idea around akh was positive, as it gave the deceased a place in the cosmic order — moreover, through akh, the deceased often gained a more important position than he or she had in life.
Akh by itself was represented as a bird, but when it appeared to humans it was in the form of a ghost.
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By: Tore Kjeilen
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