Looks: Bes takes the form of a midget, or dwarf. He is usually shown with oversized arms and legs, for his size. He was very muscular, and has a head the size of his torso. The face of Bes looked like something from a horror movie. He had very pronounced cheeks, they were round and pointy. His eyes were almond shaped, with multiple sets of eye brows resting above them. He was bald except for his facial hair. His mustache was his key characteristic. It was long and curly; extreme detail was taken showing the hair texture in his curls. In the common day his facial hair would be called a walrus mustache. His mustache outlined his exposed cheeks making them even more pronounced. Bes’s nose was wide and round, with nostril holes open and exposed. He was usually shown with his mouth open, and tongue apparent. His facial expression was happy, and joyful. He had a big tummy, with a rope wrapped around his waist. He had many animal characteristics. On his back he wore a leopard skin, whose tail usually fell between his legs. In most bas-reliefs he is drawn head on, opposed to the more popular profile pictures. In most drawings he has his hands on his hips. The only piece of jewelry he wears is around his neck, and is a string with a small skull on it.
Significance: He was often seen at the birthing process, but was the god of marriage. He presided over the toilet of women. Bas was well liked by many people, including other gods. He was a god for the people, and enjoyed extravagant ceremonies. He was said to live in the Land of Punt which was sometimes named “The Lords Land.” He was juvenile in attitude, fond of dancing and fighting. In our common day perception he would be considered a buffoon, or class clown. He was known by the Egyptians as being grotesque, fat, and ugly. He was one of the least respected gods, until the New Kingdom era. In this new era he was praised by the middle class of Egyptians, commonly placed in homes, and had children named after him. Not much is known what sparked this new interest of Bes, whatever it was he became popular. He soon became a very popular Egyptian name. He was considered to be a necessity during high class births. He watched over the childbearing, and cleaning process. On occasion he was pictured standing next to queens and other expecting mothers. He was featured on all sorts of common-day items, like boxes, scent bottles, and mirror handles. His face was seen carved into the walls above beds. He was also known as the guardian of sleep. He was thought to rid off ailments during the night. He was a killer of snakes, bugs, lions, and scorpions. These animals were known to kill people during their sleep. Families would place miniature statues of Bes wherever they slept. At the end of the paganism period Bes was known as the guardian of the dead, and became more popular than Anubis, and Horus. Bes was considered a god of fertility; if a man or woman was infertile he could heal them, making them able to bare children.
Family: No one knows of Bes’s family. Some think he is a mutated animal that came from times before the rise of Ra. He had a wife Beset, not to be confused with Bastet. Beset was simply Bes with a feminine ending “tet”. He was not known to have any children. However, he was associated in the upbringing of many children, similar to a foster family.
Name In Hieroglyphics:
