Protective traditions / Tradiciones protectoras
Bes / Guardián del hogar
Protection can have a fierce face and a dancing step. Bes brings us into the world of ancient Egyptian household religion, where a small protective figure could stand close to everyday life. His image invites a different kind of magical atmosphere: watchful, lively and unafraid to make a little music.
Recognizing the Bes image
The Metropolitan Museum of Art uses “Bes-image” for several protective Egyptian deities shown with short adult stature, a lion’s mane, ears and tail, often beneath a plumed headdress. This wording matters: an image type used across time is more complex than a single unchanging portrait. The museum connects it with the household and with averting evil through music and other protective emblems.[1]
Its faience amulet 26.7.878 dates to about 1080–721 BCE and measures only 3.7 centimeters high. The object gives this history a tangible scale. A little figure, small enough to hold in a hand, could carry a serious protective purpose in ancient belief.[1]
A musician in miniature
A second Met object, Amulet of Bes with tambourine, comes from the palace of Amenhotep III at Malqata. The museum dates it to about 1386–1347 BCE. Made of faience and only 1.5 centimeters tall, it offers a particularly lovely meeting of music and protective imagery. Its excavation record places it at a specific ancient site; it is not merely a modern association assembled from a correspondence list.[2]
The museum also describes the Bes image’s special protection of women and children in Egyptian religion. We approach that as documented religious history, without turning it into a present-day medical promise. Our illustration is a modern interpretation of recognizable Bes imagery, not a replica of either museum object.[1]
For our own household magic, we take inspiration from protective music: a small sound that marks a room as a place where people should be welcomed and cared for. The following blessing belongs to Touch of Magick Shop. Its words, rhythm and materials are newly composed; they are not an ancient Egyptian liturgy.
Images & correspondences
| Image or correspondence | Source and meaning |
|---|---|
| Lion-like features and plumes | Documented Bes-image attributes described by the Met. |
| Music and the home | Historical protective associations in the Met’s interpretation. |
| Faience amulet | An actual material used for both cited objects; no crystal substitute is required. |
| Three quiet taps; warm gold | Original shop choices for the blessing below, without a claimed ancient number or color rule. |
Original shop practice: the joyful-house blessing
Materials: a card bearing Bes’s name or a respectful drawing, and your hands. A soft cloth for the table is optional. You do not need to purchase a statue or instrument.
- Choose a shared room and ask anyone present whether a short, quiet blessing would be welcome. Set the card on a stable surface.
- Put away one object that makes the room uncomfortable or difficult to use. Make space for someone to sit easily.
- If devotion to Bes fits your practice, say: “Bes, guardian of the home, I honor your fierce care and your music.” If you are approaching the history without devotional invocation, begin with: “May this home hold warmth and good company.”
- Tap your fingertips gently on the table three times. With the first tap say “Welcome.” With the second, “Good keeping.” With the third, “Joy.” You may make the same motions silently.
- Finish: “Let harshness lose its welcome here. Let our hands make room for kindness.” Leave the card on a shelf, or put it away with thanks.
Keep the sound comfortable for everyone, including pets; avoid sudden loud claps or instruments near ears. No flame, smoke, oil, food or drink is part of this practice. The blessing asks for a quality of home life and makes no guarantee of supernatural protection.
Journal prompt: What small act would make this room feel more welcoming to the people who use it?
Sources & further reading / Fuentes
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bes-Image Amulet, object 26.7.878.Ancient primary object with curatorial explanation of image, household domain and protective associations.
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Amulet of Bes with tambourine, object 11.215.186.Ancient primary object from Malqata; museum dating, material, dimensions and excavation provenance.
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