Bes, God-Demon of Protection, Childbirth and Entertainment...

Bes (Bisu, Aha) was an ancient Egyptian dwarf god who was a god of protection against evil with his tambourine or harp, swords, maces and knives. Previous to being given the name 'Bes', he was known as the demonic 'Aha' ('fighter') because of his ferocity - he was thought to have been able to strangle bears, lions, antelopes and snakes with his bare hands. In this role, despite being thought of as a demon, he was seen as a supporter of Ra, helping to defeat his serpent enemies.

Bes ... according to Wiedemann, is derived from besa, a word designating one of the great feliæ, the Cynælurus guttatus, whose skin formed his clothing.

-- Egypt, Myths and Legends, Lewis Spence

He was usually depicted as a somewhat leonine full faced (unlike the usual profile in Egyptian art) bearded dwarf with his tongue sticking out (just as the Maori men stick out their tongues during their war dance), standing on bow legs, his genitals prominent and often with a lion's tail. He wore a plumed crown and a lion or panther skin, which was often worn by the stm priests. In earlier times, though, he was not a dwarf - he had the body of a normal human, though he did sport the lion-like beard and tail.

It is unknown why Bes was depicted as a dwarf. In Egypt, there are examples of dwarfs living in Egypt - from Seneb, who was rich enough to afford a tomb where he is shown with his normal sized wife and child, to personal attendants in the royal family, to entertainers and jesters. Other examples of dwarfs were a predynastic drawing of the "Dwarf Zer" from Abtu (Abydos) and a 5th Dynasty statuette of Khnumhotep from Saqqara. It seems that dwarfs were accepted members of Egyptian society, and they possibly had an important part in the Egyptian religion, being linked with Bes.

Originally a deity of protection of the pharaoh, he became a popular god of the every day Egyptian people, and was often depicted on household items such as beds, headrests, chairs, mirrors and ointment pots and even painted on the walls of the house. He was also depicted on various weapons, such as daggers, due to his fighter aspect. He was also often depicted of 'magic wands' that the Egyptian magicians used for their spells or on an amulet to ward off evil. His use as a god of protection for the daily people came to be a sign of joy and good humour, because he drove away ill humour and evil. He was thought to also be able to protect people from dangerous creatures of all types, especially when he was connected with the child Horus in the story of his growing up in the Delta area of Egypt:

You protect me against all the wild beasts of the desert,
All the crocodiles of the river,
All the snakes and scorpions,
All the insects that bite with their mandibles and sting with their tail,
All the kinds of reptiles that attack in their caves.

-- On stela showing a young Horus protected by the face of Bes

He also became a god of childbirth, frightening away all of the evil spirits that could kill of the baby of newborn child. If problems arose during labour, a clay statue of Bes was often placed at the head of the expectant mother while spells were recited to the god, asking for his help. He was even depicted at royal birth scenes, especially in later times. He was linked with the hippo goddess of childbirth, Taweret, as they were both very popular deities of childbirth. Until Greek times, she was regarded as Taweret' wife. Amulets of both Bes and Taweret were found even at Akhetaten, the city of Akenaten. He could not banish these favourites - the Aten was no replacement for these two!

Come down, placenta, come down! I am Horus who conjures in order that she who is giving birth becomes better than she was, as if she was already delivered... Look, Hathor will lay her hand on her with an amulet of health! I am Horus who saves her!

-- Part of the birthing spell that was recited four times over the image of Bes

His status as a god of birthing became so great that, from the New Kingdom times he was often represented in the mammisi (Champollion's invented term meaning 'birth house') of temples. The first of these depictions was at Hatshepsut's (1473-1458 BC) mortuary temple, where her mother is to give birth to the child who would become Egypt's female pharaoh.

As another form of protection, an image of the dwarf god was tattooed on some women - different depictions of women, such as girls swimming, female dancers, acrobats and musicians, show them with Bes painted on their skin. The women with the image of Bes tattooed on her upper thigh an around the pubic area might be sacred 'prostitutes', the tattoo being used to ward off venereal disease. This was probably because of his association with music and entertainment, as well as being a protector of women and children. It could have also been a tattoo relating to sexuality or fertility.

In the Ptolemaic period, 'incubation' or Bes chambers were built at Anubieion with figures of Bes and a naked goddess - probably Beset - on the inside walls. Pilgrims might have spent the night there to have healing - or maybe erotic - dreams to renew their sexual power.

The Egyptians also saw Bes as one who not only protected but entertained children - when a child smiled for no reason, it was thought that Bes was pulling faces at the child to make him or her laugh! He was thought to entertain through dancing and singing, and so he was also thought to be a god of happiness and joviality.

Despite his fun-loving nature, he was also regarded as a god of war from early times. He used his lion-like, ferocious nature to destroy or scare the enemies of pharaoh, as well as the evil spirits that were thought to plague the people of Egypt (including sickness, dangerous creatures and other such troubles). He was thought to be especially protective of women and children.

It was during the Greek Period that the worship of Bes became wide-spread - the numbers of amulets and charms, as well as reliefs at the temples show how popular the 'Great Dwarf' became. There were even oracles of Bes, to whom the people would ask questions, on papyrus, for Bes to give an answer to their problems. In Roman times, the god was adopted by the Roman people, and there are some figurines of him in legionnaire garb!

He was not a god of Egyptian origin. Bes was described as 'Coming from the Divine Land' and 'Lord of Punt' (perhaps an area in present day Somalia - see Hatshepsut's Expedition to Punt). He was thus linked to the goddess Hathor who was known as the 'Lady of Punt' and also a goddess of music. During this period, he was given a wife, known as Beset - a female version of the dwarf god, presiding over protection, pleasure and childbirth. The two did not appear together before the Ptolemaic era.

There is an interesting tale about Bes, still mentioned today:

After the triumph of Christianity Bes did not immediately vanish from the memory of man; for we are told of a wicked demon named Bes whom the holy Moses had to exorcise because he was terrorising the neighbourhood. To this day, it would seem, the monumental southern gate of Ipet-Isut (Karnak) serves as a dwelling-place for a knock-kneed dwarf whose gross head is embellished with a formidable beard. Woe to the stranger who, coming across him in the dusk of evening, laughs at his grotesque figure! For the monster will leap at his throat and strangle him. He is the Bes of ancient Egypt who, after long centuries, is not yet resigned to abandoning altogether the scenes of his earlier greatness.

-- Egyptian Mythology, Veronica Ions

He had no temples and no priesthood other than his oracle, but statues or depictions of the god was found in most homes throughout the land of Egypt. Although not originally one of the more famous of the gods, Bes came to be loved by the people of Egypt. It was the dwarf god-demon Bes that they came to call on for protection in their daily lives.

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