Souls of Pe and Nekhen

At the Egyptian Museum in Cairo reside two extraordinary granite statues representing the Souls of Pe and Nekhen, sculpted during the reign of Amenhotep III in the 18th Dynasty, around 1391–1353 B.C. Hewn from grey granite and originally set within the grand temple precinct of Karnak, these figures (JE 41210 and JE 41211) encapsulate some of the most profound theological and royal concepts in Ancient Egyptian thought.

The Soul of Pe, often referred to as the ka of Pe, was intimately tied to the ancient sanctuary of Pe (modern Buto) in the Nile Delta, one of the most sacred centres of Lower Egypt. In temple reliefs and statuary, this soul is typically portrayed as a falcon-headed figure, echoing its association with Horus, the divine protector of kingship. Its counterpart, the Soul of Nekhen, hails from Hierakonpolis in Upper Egypt and is usually shown with the head of a jackal. These two figures embody not ordinary souls, but the deified ancestral spirits, divine personifications of the original founding provinces of Egypt.

Rather than representing individual human souls, the Souls of Pe and Nekhen were viewed as the spiritual patrons of the Two Lands. Their presence affirmed the pharaoh’s sacred duty to maintain Ma’at (cosmic order), and to uphold the divine balance between North and South. As such, they are frequently found flanking the king in scenes of coronation, jubilee festivals, or temple entrances, reinforcing his legitimacy and divine right to rule.

First mentioned in the Pyramid Texts, these ancestral spirits were regarded as mythologised predecessors of the living king. Their approbation was essential, not only to ancient pharaohs but even to the Kushite kings of later dynasties, who invoked their names to validate their claim over Egypt. In later periods, their depiction became more standardised: falcon and jackal-headed deities in a formal kneeling posture, hands poised in the ritual gesture known as the henu.

Related: Ka Statue of King Hor Awibre

This henu pose – arms raised or crossed in reverence, was an act of jubilation, traditionally used to acclaim gods and divine kings. It was both celebratory and martial: a salute to the living god-king and a readiness to defend his reign. These figures were believed to be protectors, prepared to smite the enemies of Egypt and safeguard the divine order.

The term bau (plural of ba) was often applied to them, referencing a powerful facet of the Egyptian soul, the mobile, individualised aspect that could travel between the earthly realm and the divine. Alongside other soul components like the ka (life force) and akh (the transfigured spirit), the bau of Pe and Nekhen were revered as the living spirits of ancestral power, woven into the theological fabric of kingship itself.

Thus, far more than decorative temple statuary, the Souls of Pe and Nekhen stand as eternal guardians of Egypt’s spiritual and political unity. In their silent stone forms, they continue to speak of a world where kings ruled by divine inheritance, watched over by the very spirits of Egypt’s sacred soil.