Bes

Long History

The god Bes occurred so early in the human imagination that it reaches back to the earliest of human settlements along the Nile. But Bes is not only a name that reaches deep into the past, but it is also one that has a widespread existence in the ancient world. In fact, there are indications that the deity's image was so widespread that it was found from Punt (Somalia) to Mesopotamia (Iraq). Who could contemplate the origins of the human race without thinking of the black-headed one that came from the ancient cradles of human beings? Thus, Bes, many scholars believe, sits at the door of the beginnings of human involvement with carving images that reflected the most intense desires of the human community for communication with the mysterious.

Various representations of Bes reflect the beliefs and attitudes of the artists carving the image at the time. For instance, there are portrayals of Bes with a cape of lion's skin, with a very high-plumed headdress, and with knives and musical instruments. Sometimes he is shown with the SA hieroglyphs, indicating his protective powers. Thus, Bes is a multidimensional god with numerous functions. He could be called on as an energetic defender of the community, as the symbol of majesty, as a hunter or an explorer, or as a musician. These were just some of the activities for the awesome powers of this deity.

The fact that Bes is so ancient is not amazing given the fact that childbirth is at the beginning of the human race and Bes is the deity of the birthing houses, the mammisi, throughout ancient Kemet. Mothers went into labor with Bes by their sides; when they gave birth to children, the first deity to bless them was often Bes. One can still see examples of Bes on the walls of temples in the Nile Valley. At the great temple of Kom Ombo, one can see evidence of the presence of Bes as the deity welcoming the newborn child into the world. Of course, the carving of the image of Bes on the walls of the temple simply reflected the consciousness of the people of the day about the importance of this deity.

The totality of the Bes experience in the Nile Valley is enormous. Nothing surpassed the familiarity that the ordinary ancient Egyptians felt for Bes. In that respect, he was the earliest comforter of the sick, the disabled, the perplexed, and the birthing mother. The joy with which the people embraced him furthered his influence as the merrymaker and the creative force for good and happiness.

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