Bes

by Nigel Fletcher-Jones

Title

Bes

Artist

Nigel Fletcher-Jones

Medium

Photograph - Photograph - Digital Art

Description

The god Bes was probably an amalgam of a number of other gods that dated back to the origins of ancient Egypt, and became most popular from the New Kingdom (around 1550-1069 BC) onward.
Despite his fearsome appearance—resembling a lion rearing up in attack—Bes was a god of protection and was closely associated with the safety of children, pregnant women, and those giving birth (a role that he shared with the hippopotamus goddess Taweret). He also offered protection against snakes and is often seen biting or holding them.
Unusually among Egyptian gods, Bes is usually depicted in wall paintings from the front rather than in profile. His has characteristic large protruding eyes, his tongue sticks out and he sports a beard.
Given his helpful reputation, it is, perhaps, not surprising that his worship spread widely in the ancient world. A female form, Beset, became popular in Crete, but Bes himself became popular on Cyprus and among the Phoenicians. It was the latter who may have originally named the Balearic island of Ibiza for the god ('Ibossim' - 'dedicated to Bes'), which became 'Ebusus' under the Romans.

Uploaded

February 18th, 2022

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