Bes
Bes is the dwarf god of the Egyptian household - apotropaic protector of mothers, children and sleepers, and patron of music, dance and sexual pleasure. He has no myth cycle and no temple: his power is in the image, and his full-face, ithyphallic figure appears on headrests, mirrors, feeding cups and magical wands.
Bes's origin is contested - Nubian, Kushite or C-Group origin is argued from his features and from the Nubian word for 'cat', but dwarf figurines appear in Naqada-period deposits, so a purely imported origin is not settled; the entry records the debate rather than a verdict. He is a household and apotropaic figure, not a temple deity, and the planetary, zodiacal, tarot and Wiccan sabbat values are later Western correspondences. The multi-headed 'pantheistic Bes' is a Greco-Roman development, not the older god.
Correspondences
- Planetary Correspondence
- Mars
Offerings
- Offerings
- BeerWineMusicDanceIncenseGarlicBread
Sacred timing
Symbols and forms
- Alternate Names
- BisuBesaAha
- Gender Expression
- Masculine
- Titles
- Protector of HouseholdsGuardian of Mothers and ChildrenMaster of Music and DanceThe FighterEnemy of All That Is Bad
- Symbols
- Dwarf bodyLion maneTongue outKnifeTambourineSa amuletLeopard skinFeather crown
Practice
- Invocation Approach
- ToneWarm raucousAddressBesProtector of the HouseThe FighterRelationshipThe ugly guardian at the doorWarningHe is a household god and will not be made solemnResonanceParents musicians dancers anyone protecting a home
- Modern Practice
Bes is worked with in the home rather than the temple: at a birth, at a child's bedside, at a party, in a studio. The practice is the image kept where the danger is - a figure by the door - and the offering is the good time itself.
Nature and meaning
- Domain
- Household protectionChildbirthChildrenSleepMusicDanceSexualityApotropaic magicSnakesJoy
- Mythology Summary
Bes is the dwarf god of the Egyptian household - apotropaic protector of mothers, children and sleepers, and patron of music, dance and sexual pleasure. He has no myth cycle and no temple: his power is in the image, and his full-face, ithyphallic figure appears on headrests, mirrors, feeding cups and magical wands, as tattoos on dancers, and in the birth chambers. He is shown with a lion's mane and a knife, tongue out, frightening off the spirits that threaten a house.
Details
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