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BES, DWARF GOD OF EGYPT
Jun. 15th, 2023 10:18 am Dwarf Gods were present in the daily life of Egyptians, even though They did not have official temple cults. Statues of dwarf Deities such as Aha, Hity (Haty), and Bes were often found in groups strangling snakes, waving knives, or playing musical instruments. Aha (Fighter) attacked demons, chaos serpents, and foreign sorcerers. Meanwhile, Hity drove away evil by stomping and dancing, banging on drums, and shaking tambourines. These dwarf Gods occupied the liminal space between the Gods and harmful entities.
The most notable of these Gods was Bes (Note 1), the Defender of Households. Depicted as a dwarf with large ears and a beard, Bes had short legs with a large head. Moreover, He had large eyes, a protruding tongue, and a lion’s tail. Unlike other representations of Egyptian Gods, Bes is depicted facing forward, so that He could meet the threats head on.
Venerated in the home, Bes protected the family from intruders and snakes. Mothers sang the “Magical Lullaby” to their children, invoking Him for protection. To protect sleepers, images of Bes were carved on head rests and beds. Since He could keep evil spirits at bay, soldiers wore amulets of Him, and put his image on their weapons.
As a God of Fertility and Children, Bes gave sexual pleasure to women. To improve their sex lives and to become fertile, many women would decorate their bodies with tattoos of Him. His image was placed on the birth houses (mammisi) for the protection of mothers and newborns. These houses were also used as incubation (Bes) chambers for procreation and healing.
It is believed that Bes was the basis for the original depiction of the Christian Devil. The image of this Devil was black with a forked tail, with snakes surrounding Him. The leering expression and lion tail of Bes was incorporated into the Christians’ depiction. Although the Egyptians saw Bes as warding off evil spirits, the Christians of North Africa viewed Him as alien and disturbing.
Drawing by Eternal Space, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Notes:
Note 1. Beset was his female counterpart. In some accounts, Beset is the mother of Horus.
Works Used:
Pinch, Geraldine, “Egyptian Mythology.” Oxford University Press: New York. 2002.
Wilkinson, Richard, “The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt.” Thames and Hudson Ltd: London. 2003.
