What was the ka?

In ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, the ka (or khu) was the immortal soul, one of several aspects of the soul as conceived by the Egyptians. The hieroglyphic sign depicts two crossed arms raised in adoration. The ka was one of the five aspects of the soul identified in ancient Egyptian beliefs, along with the sekhem (the vital force or power), the ba (the external soul or personality), the akh (the spiritual form or "transfigured self") and the iban or ren (the name).