Beloved by the Egyptians, the God Bes appears in idols, statuettes, figurines, pictures and carvings since the early days of the land. His cult is strongest in Upper Egypt, though he's worshipped as far as Spain. He's considered to originate in the Land of Punt.
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The legendary Land of Punt to the south is already an ancient kingdom to the Egyptians. It covers areas of Somalia, Oman, Yemen, Eritrea, Somali Region of Ethiopia and parts of Saudi Arabia.
Riches and resources from the Land of Punt include gold, aromatic resins such as myrrh, blackwood for musical instruments, ebony and ivory. Trade is also brisk in animal skins, teeth and claws, and live wild animals such as cheetahs, baboons and exotic birds.
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Bes is often depicted as a sturdy bowlegged short person in garments of leopard skins and a crown of ostrich feathers. His major cult center is the creative hub Hermopolis, at the border of Upper and Lower Egypt.
His usual wife is Beset (not the cat lady Bastet), or sometimes Taweret, the hippopotamus goddess of birth protection. He's often with Taweret when she presides over childbirth. Alternately Bes may be shown with feminine features.
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Figurines of Bes are commonly made of clay, carved wood or stone. He can also be cast in bronze, Egyptian blue faience and ceramic. Contrary to the usual profile depiction in ancient Egyptian art, he's shown face-on.
He sometimes wears a warriors tunic to indicate his readiness to battle for the good. Eventually he becomes the embodiment of all good, and enemy of all evil.
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Since he drives away evil, Bes becomes associated with that which is enjoyable, such as music, dance and sexual pleasure. In the Egyptian New Kingdom, 16th - 11th centuries BCE, tattoos of Bes are common on the thighs of musicians, dancers and serving girls.
Archaeologists have also discovered many Bes masks and costumes, linking him to regalia, festivals, masquerade balls and theater. The masks and costumes show extensive use. Bes is also a deity of dreams, dream interpretation and protection from bad dreams.
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Rooms painted with pictures or decorative sculpture of Bes and his wife, Beset are created in the 3rd century BCE in Greece. They're thought to be the site of fertility rites.
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