Ka (Dark Tower)

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Ka is the force in Stephen King's Dark Tower series that leads all living (and unliving) creatures. It is the approximate equivalent of destiny, or fate, in the fictional language High Speech. It is the force that causes a destiny to happen, but is not necessarily impossible to surpass. Ka can be considered to be a guide, a destination, but is certainly not a plan - at least, not one that is known to mortals. Ka is not necessarily a force of good or evil; it manipulates both sides, and seems to have no definite morality of its own.

The official Dark Tower site (see below) describes ka as the following: "Ka... signifies life-force, consciousness, duty and destiny. In the vulgate, or low speech, it also means a place to which an individual must go."

Because of the importance of ka to the world of King's Dark Tower, many phrases in the High Speech use the word ka, such as:

• ka-tet: a group of people or animals brought together by ka.
• ka-babbies: young ka-tet members.
• ka-tel: a class of apprentice gunslingers.
• ka-mai: ka's fool.
• ka-me: ka's wiseman; the opposite of ka-mai.
• kas-ka: a prophet
• ka-shume: a unique feel that a ka-tet is destined to break.
• te-ka: ka's friend.
• Can'-Ka No Rey: the red fields of none, where the Dark Tower lies.
• tet-ka can Gan: the navel (specifically, the navel of Gan, analogous to God).
• ves-ka Gan: singer of Gan's song.

[edit] Etymology

See the wiktionary entry on ka.

[edit] Links

The Dark Tower Official Site
Main Dark Tower Fansite