the name and the shadow

Ren - the name

Just like the "ka" the "ba" and the "akh", Egyptians regarded the name as a "living" part of each individual. The name would be immediately assigned at birth to enable the individual to properly come into existence. As an essential part of the human being, the removal of personal or royal names from monuments and statuary was considered equivalent to the destruction of the very memory and existence of that individual.

Personal names could often follow those of the rulers of the time, and often incorporated the name of a chosen god or deity. The god may have been particularly pre-eminent during that period, or could have had considerable local importance.

Shewt - the shadow

Funerary texts describe the shadow as an entity imbued with power and capable of moving at great speed. As an essential "living" part of each human, it was important to protect the shadow from harm. The Egyptian word for shadow "shwt" also had the meanings "shade" and "protection" and consequently pharaoh can often be seen portrayed under the shade of a feather or palm fan. The shadow was represented as a small human figure painted completely black.

The ka, the ba, the akh, the ren and the shewt were the five principal elements which the Ancient Egyptians considered necessary to make up a complete personality.