Saturday, 3 October 2026

The Egyptian god Bes, protector of the home and hearth, and theories of the origin of his cult

Blue faience figurine of the Egyptian god Bes, a stocky bearded dwarf with his tongue out, wearing a tall headdress.

This hideous dwarf with his tongue lolling out and his legs bowed is the Egyptian deity Bes, patron of house, home and hearth. The cult is believed to derive from the cat, though possibly from a shrewish mother-in-law

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