Ka (Dark Tower)
Encyclopedia
Ka is a plot element in Stephen King
's Dark Tower
series. It is a word of the fictional language
High Speech.
, the approximate equivalent of destiny
or fate, in King's fictional language
of High Speech. 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. To this end, Ka resonates with the concept of Karma
.
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."
A ka-tet is a group of beings brought together by ka. "We are ka-tet. We are one from many," says Roland Deschain
on the day before the Battle of Algul Siento. Ka-tet is the belief that a group of people can be tied together by fate, or ka. It is said that a group has shared "khef" or the water of life. Sometimes the symbol of water is used literally, as in a ritual Roland and his ka-tet performs the night before the battle of Algul Siento. In the seventh novel, Susannah Dean, who ends up understanding ka maybe more than Roland himself, comes to the understanding that in simple terms, "ka-tet" means family.
Roland's ka-tet includes himself, Eddie Dean, Susannah Dean
, Oy
, and Jake Chambers
. Roland's previous ka-tet included himself, Cuthbert Allgood
, Jamie De Curry
, and Alain Johns
.
This a concept frequently used by King, even in books that do not use the terms ka or ka-tet, such as It
, The Stand
, Desperation, Insomnia
, Dreamcatcher
, and Duma Key
. This may be compared to Kurt Vonnegut
's "karass".
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
's Dark Tower
The Dark Tower (series)
The Dark Tower is a series of books written by American author Stephen King, which incorporates themes from multiple genres, including fantasy, science fantasy, horror and western. It describes a "Gunslinger" and his quest toward a tower, the nature of which is both physical and metaphorical. King...
series. It is a word of the fictional language
Fictional language
Fictional languages are by far the largest group of artistic languages. Fictional languages are intended to be the languages of a fictional world and are often designed with the intent of giving more depth and an appearance of plausibility to the fictional worlds with which they are associated, and...
High Speech.
Overview
In the books, it is a mysterious force that leads all living (and unliving) creatures. It is the will of GanGan (Stephen King)
Gan is the creative overforce in the cosmology of the fictional Stephen King multiverse. Stephen King's inspiration for the word remains unknown, but he may have taken it from a Hebrew word, which means, simply, "garden." Gan's role in the novels is very much in line with the concept of God or the...
, the approximate equivalent of destiny
Destiny
Destiny or fate refers to a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual...
or fate, in King's fictional language
Fictional language
Fictional languages are by far the largest group of artistic languages. Fictional languages are intended to be the languages of a fictional world and are often designed with the intent of giving more depth and an appearance of plausibility to the fictional worlds with which they are associated, and...
of High Speech. 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
Evil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
; it manipulates both sides, and seems to have no definite morality
Morality
Morality is the differentiation among intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good and bad . A moral code is a system of morality and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code...
of its own. To this end, Ka resonates with the concept of Karma
Karma
Karma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies....
.
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."
Concepts involving ka
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-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 feeling that a ka-tet is destined to break soon.
- te-ka: ka's friend.
- Can'-Ka No Rey: the red fields of none, where the Dark Tower lies.
- tet-ka can Gan: the navelNavelThe navel is a scar on the abdomen caused when the umbilical cord is removed from a newborn baby...
(specifically, the navel of GanGan (Stephen King)Gan is the creative overforce in the cosmology of the fictional Stephen King multiverse. Stephen King's inspiration for the word remains unknown, but he may have taken it from a Hebrew word, which means, simply, "garden." Gan's role in the novels is very much in line with the concept of God or the...
). - kas-ka Gan: singer of Gan's song/ prophet of Gan.
- ves-ka Gan: Song of the Turtle
Ka-tet
A ka-tet is a group of beings brought together by ka. "We are ka-tet. We are one from many," says Roland Deschain
Roland Deschain
Roland Deschain of Gilead is a fictional character, the protagonist and antihero of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. He is the son of Steven and Gabrielle Deschain and is descended from a long line of "gunslingers", peacekeepers and diplomats of Roland's society...
on the day before the Battle of Algul Siento. Ka-tet is the belief that a group of people can be tied together by fate, or ka. It is said that a group has shared "khef" or the water of life. Sometimes the symbol of water is used literally, as in a ritual Roland and his ka-tet performs the night before the battle of Algul Siento. In the seventh novel, Susannah Dean, who ends up understanding ka maybe more than Roland himself, comes to the understanding that in simple terms, "ka-tet" means family.
Roland's ka-tet includes himself, Eddie Dean, Susannah Dean
Susannah Dean
Susannah Odetta Holmes Dean is a fictional character from Stephen King's The Dark Tower series...
, Oy
Oy (Dark Tower)
Oy of Mid-World is a primary character in Stephen King's The Dark Tower. He was introduced in the third book, The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands, and became a member of the ka-tet for the rest of the series....
, and Jake Chambers
Jake Chambers
John "Jake" Chambers is a fictional character in Stephen King's The Dark Tower series of novels. He first appeared in the short story "The Way Station" in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in April 1980, which was later compiled as one of the chapters of the first Dark Tower book, The...
. Roland's previous ka-tet included himself, Cuthbert Allgood
Cuthbert Allgood
Cuthbert Allgood is a fictional character from Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. He is Roland Deschain's childhood friend and a member of his original ka-tet. Cuthbert, often called Bert, is first featured in The Gunslinger, but he does not play a major role in the series until Wizard and...
, Jamie De Curry
Jamie De Curry
Jamie DeCurry is a fictional character in Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. He is a primary member of Roland Deschain's ka-tet in his younger years, and is a friend of Alain Johns and Cuthbert Allgood. Wolves of the Calla reveals that his preferred weapon is the bow.- Gilead :Issue #1 of the...
, and Alain Johns
Alain Johns
Alain Johns is a fictional character in Stephen King's Dark Tower series.Alain was a member of Roland Deschain's original ka-tet along with Cuthbert Allgood and Jamie De Curry. In the original version of The Gunslinger, Alain was not mentioned, although Roland recalls having a friend named 'Allen'...
.
This a concept frequently used by King, even in books that do not use the terms ka or ka-tet, such as It
It (novel)
It is a 1986 horror novel by American author Stephen King. The story follows the exploits of seven children as they are terrorized by the eponymous inter-dimensional predatory life-form that exploits the fears and phobias of its victims in order to disguise itself while hunting its prey. "It"...
, The Stand
The Stand
The Stand is a post-apocalyptic horror/fantasy novel by American author Stephen King. It demonstrates the scenario in his earlier short story, Night Surf...
, Desperation, Insomnia
Insomnia (novel)
Insomnia is a novel written by Stephen King and first published in 1994. Like It and Dreamcatcher, its setting is the fictional town of Derry, Maine. The original hardcover edition was issued with dust jackets in two complementary designs...
, Dreamcatcher
Dreamcatcher (novel)
Dreamcatcher is a horror novel written by Stephen King. It was adapted into a 2003 movie of the same name. The book, written longhand, was the author's tool for recuperation from a 1999 car accident, and was completed in half a year...
, and Duma Key
Duma Key
Duma Key is a horror novel by American novelist Stephen King published in 2008. The book reached #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List. It is King's first novel to be set in Florida or Minnesota.-Plot:...
. This may be compared to Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was a 20th century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle , Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions blend satire, gallows humor and science fiction. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.-Early...
's "karass".