Bes, the Egyptian Dwarf-God of Fun

In a pantheon filled with idealized, regal beings, the Egyptian god Bes is a bit of an eyesore. Short, squat, and forward-facing, he always looks out of place. But this formerly minor household protector grew in importance until he was known as good’s defender and the enemy of all evil. Why was he so popular? Probably because he’s just so fun!

Attributes

Bes was the Egyptian deity of the good things in life — music, dancing, humor, and sex. He was so popular that masks made in his image were rented out for regular use, and was known to protect children and pregnant women from evil spirits and snakes. During the New Kingdom, his power expanded to protect anyone who placed themselves in his care.

He was associated with the goddess Tawret — another unusual-looking deity — because, like Bes, Tawret had a role in protecting women in childbirth. (An example of Tawret statuary held by the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, England, and a discussion of her connection to Bes, may be viewed here.)

Dissemination and Artistic Media

Many cultures outside of Egypt also adopted Bes (or his female version and consort Beset) into their pantheons. Although Bes had no temple and no formal worship, he was honored in Egyptian homes all the way from the Old Kingdom to the Roman Empire. (A Roman example, currently held in the Gregorian Egyptian Museum at the Vatican, may be viewed here; another, currently held in the Barracco Museum of Antique Sculpture in Rome, may be viewed here.)

Bes’s image often appeared on gates and outside of birth houses as a symbol of protection. He can also be found on household items such as cosmetic cases, mirrors, knife handles, and furniture. Soldiers inscribed images of Bes on their shields before battle.

Visual Attributes

Bes is one of the easiest Egyptian gods to pick out of a lineup. Some scholars think that Bes was originally just a lion on its hind legs, but that image changed a good deal. Bes is a dwarf with a potbelly, a curly beard, large ears, and a squished-in face. He wears a leopard skin over his shoulders but is often mostly nude, and he sticks his tongue out at the viewer. He’s often depicted with a crown of ostrich feathers. He is sometimes a fierce warrior, but most of the time is shown as laughing, dancing, or singing.

Although he’s not the prettiest of gods, his following greatly exceeded his stature (especially among women), and it’s always clear that Bes was having a good time.

NorCal Viewing Options

There are a number of very nice (although physically small) examples of Bes artworks held by the museums of Northern California.

The Crocker Art Gallery in Sacramento has a particularly nice terracotta example (shown above, at Top) displayed on the second floor.

The Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University has a number of Bes figurines and amulets, one of which (shown above) is currently on public view in “125 Africa”.

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco have roughly a half-dozen examples in their collection as well, one of which (a 6-inch Ptolemaic or Roman terracotta figurine) can be seen in “Gallery 240 West” at the Legion of Honor.

Berkeley’s Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology also has a large collection of Bes artworks. That museum is currently closed to the public (all its staff are focused on repatriation of various holdings), but they may be viewed online.