Ancient Egyptians believed the human soul was comprised of five parts: Ren, which represented the name of the individual; Sheut, which represented the shadow or silouhette of the individual; Ib, which represented the heart; Ka, which represented the spirit; and Ba, which represented everything else that made the individual unique.
Ba, is usually represented in the form of a human-headed falcon. The ‘Ba’ is an aspect of the individual that the Egyptians believed would live after the body died. The part that will fly away to rejoin the spirit, Ka, for continued existence in the afterlife.