Bes

/bes/, n. Egyptian Religion.

the patron deity of music, dancing, and children, represented as a hairy dwarf having a tail and wearing a lion's skin.

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Minor Egyptian god with a grotesque appearance.

His figure was intended to inspire joy or drive away pain and sorrow, and his ugliness was probably thought to frighten off evil spirits. He was associated with music and childbirth. The name Bes is now used to designate a group of deities of similar appearance with various ancient names.

Bes represented as a dwarf, statue; in the Louvre

Giraudon-Art Resource

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▪ Egyptian god

      a minor god of ancient Egypt, represented as a dwarf with large head, goggle eyes, protruding tongue, bowlegs, bushy tail, and usually a crown of feathers. The name Bes is now used to designate a group of deities of similar appearance with a wide variety of ancient names. The god's figure was that of a grotesque mountebank and was intended to inspire joy or drive away pain and sorrow, his hideousness being perhaps supposed to scare away evil spirits. He was portrayed on mirrors, ointment vases, and other personal articles. He was associated with music and with childbirth and was represented in the “birth houses” devoted to the cult of the child god. Contrary to the usual rule of representation, Bes was commonly shown full-faced rather than in profile, since full-faced figures were marginal to the normal, ordered world.

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