Egyptian Gods
Bes
Role: Protector of children and the home
Appearance: Fat dwarf always shown face-front with his tongue sticking out. Often shown with the ears, mane, and tail of a lion.
Bes was a funny looking god whose job was to protect children. It was believed that he was present at the birth of the child, where he would dance around the room and shake a rattle to scare away any demons that threatened the new baby. When a baby laughed for no apparent reason, it was thought that Bes was there, making funny faces that only the child could see. Statues of Bes were commonly kept in homes with children and pregnant women. They figured that he was so ugly that even a statue would scare away any evil spirits!
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Bes also had a reputation as a prankster. Mischievous Bes was blamed when food went bad or when a person stumbled.
