DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26359#0014
Grazyna Bqkowska
Cracow
Bes Pantheos. Some Remarks Concerning his Representation
on Magical Gems
(Plates 1-3)
Figures referring to several of the eastem re-
ligions often appear on the so-called magical
gems. Amongst them, important are Egyptian
gods whose representation derives from the
Pharaonic heritage. Pictures and signs placed
on the gems reach back to various cultural tra-
ditions. The meaning of the inscriptions is often
ciphered, and is sometimes not fully clear. Of
great importance for recognition of these monu-
ments is the Sylloge Gemmarum Gnosticarum
project, the aim of which is to collect and pub-
lish the magical gems stored in museums in dif-
ferentcountries.1
The god conventionally called Pantheos, or
Bes Pantheos, represented on the gems, is
strongly linked with Egyptian culture. In spite
of the fact that the attributes of the god are
recognised, the deity itself has not been com-
pletely known. His genesis is also unknown.
In addition, the number of gems depicting
Pantheos is relatively small. Some were al-
ready published in nineteenth century cata-
logues.2
The depictions on the magical gems were of-
ten carelessly made. However, their function was
not an aesthetic one - rather they were to pre-
vent illness, providing protection from demons
1 The project is conducted by Prof. Atillio MAS-
TROCINQUE (Università degli Studi, Verona). The
working meeting of the set took place in October 1999.
The lectures delivered at the conference entitled
Gemme gnostiche e cultura ellenistica went to press.
2 J. MATTER, Histoire critique du gnosticisme, Paris
1828, pp. 10-22, pl.IE.
3 The example can be the gem which is in the National
Museum in Cracow, J. SLIWA, Egyptian scarabs and
magical gems from the collection of Constantine
Schmidt-Ci^zynski, Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu
Jagiellonskiego CMXVII (1989), p. 89, No 97, pl. XX
and disease. The kind and colour of a stone was
of great importance in such cases - the amulets
depicting Pantheos were mostly made of the green
jasper and lapis lazuli.
The representations of Pantheos on the gems
differ in detail and in the content of the inscrip-
tions (pls. 1, 3). The god is placed on the ob-
verse of the gems.3 He stands on a cartouche
usually formed by an ouroboros containing ani-
mal depictions and sometimes inscriptions.4 The
snake ouroboros, devouring its own tail, repre-
sents etemal duration, the consecutive course of
recurrent cycles, each starting and ending in the
mouth of the snake. Some protective functions
were attributed to ouroboros - it guarded the
soul and the body from demons, disease, and
pain. Pantheos may also stand on the back of
a lion, on short ground lines.
The god’s wide face is that of an old man. It
resembles the grotesque face of Bes and is al-
ways shown frontally, contrary to the rules of
Egyptian art. His torso is also shown frontally
while his legs are depicted in profile. On his head
he wears an Nf crown, often decorated by the
heads of animals such as crocodiles, scorpions,
ibises, hippopotami, rams, bulls, orlions. This
attribute resembles the Egyptian god Tithoes who
(inv. No MNK IV-Zl-687) ); IDEM, Gemma z przed-
stawieniem “Pantheosa” z kolekcji Konstantego
Schmidta-Ci^zyhskiego, E6WLXXVIII (1990), pp.
163-167.
4 Z. KISS, Ouroboros, LIMC VI, Zürich, 1995, pp. 136-
137 ; M.G. LANCELLOTTI, II simbolismo del serpente
nelle gemme magiche: osservazioni storico-religi-
ose and E. CIAMPINI, Precedenti faraonici di un'
iconografia magica. The Symposium in Verona,
Gemme gnostiche e cultura ellenistica, (the materi-
als in the press) was occupied with the representa-
tions of ouroboros on the magical gems (Cf. note 1).
11
Cracow
Bes Pantheos. Some Remarks Concerning his Representation
on Magical Gems
(Plates 1-3)
Figures referring to several of the eastem re-
ligions often appear on the so-called magical
gems. Amongst them, important are Egyptian
gods whose representation derives from the
Pharaonic heritage. Pictures and signs placed
on the gems reach back to various cultural tra-
ditions. The meaning of the inscriptions is often
ciphered, and is sometimes not fully clear. Of
great importance for recognition of these monu-
ments is the Sylloge Gemmarum Gnosticarum
project, the aim of which is to collect and pub-
lish the magical gems stored in museums in dif-
ferentcountries.1
The god conventionally called Pantheos, or
Bes Pantheos, represented on the gems, is
strongly linked with Egyptian culture. In spite
of the fact that the attributes of the god are
recognised, the deity itself has not been com-
pletely known. His genesis is also unknown.
In addition, the number of gems depicting
Pantheos is relatively small. Some were al-
ready published in nineteenth century cata-
logues.2
The depictions on the magical gems were of-
ten carelessly made. However, their function was
not an aesthetic one - rather they were to pre-
vent illness, providing protection from demons
1 The project is conducted by Prof. Atillio MAS-
TROCINQUE (Università degli Studi, Verona). The
working meeting of the set took place in October 1999.
The lectures delivered at the conference entitled
Gemme gnostiche e cultura ellenistica went to press.
2 J. MATTER, Histoire critique du gnosticisme, Paris
1828, pp. 10-22, pl.IE.
3 The example can be the gem which is in the National
Museum in Cracow, J. SLIWA, Egyptian scarabs and
magical gems from the collection of Constantine
Schmidt-Ci^zynski, Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu
Jagiellonskiego CMXVII (1989), p. 89, No 97, pl. XX
and disease. The kind and colour of a stone was
of great importance in such cases - the amulets
depicting Pantheos were mostly made of the green
jasper and lapis lazuli.
The representations of Pantheos on the gems
differ in detail and in the content of the inscrip-
tions (pls. 1, 3). The god is placed on the ob-
verse of the gems.3 He stands on a cartouche
usually formed by an ouroboros containing ani-
mal depictions and sometimes inscriptions.4 The
snake ouroboros, devouring its own tail, repre-
sents etemal duration, the consecutive course of
recurrent cycles, each starting and ending in the
mouth of the snake. Some protective functions
were attributed to ouroboros - it guarded the
soul and the body from demons, disease, and
pain. Pantheos may also stand on the back of
a lion, on short ground lines.
The god’s wide face is that of an old man. It
resembles the grotesque face of Bes and is al-
ways shown frontally, contrary to the rules of
Egyptian art. His torso is also shown frontally
while his legs are depicted in profile. On his head
he wears an Nf crown, often decorated by the
heads of animals such as crocodiles, scorpions,
ibises, hippopotami, rams, bulls, orlions. This
attribute resembles the Egyptian god Tithoes who
(inv. No MNK IV-Zl-687) ); IDEM, Gemma z przed-
stawieniem “Pantheosa” z kolekcji Konstantego
Schmidta-Ci^zyhskiego, E6WLXXVIII (1990), pp.
163-167.
4 Z. KISS, Ouroboros, LIMC VI, Zürich, 1995, pp. 136-
137 ; M.G. LANCELLOTTI, II simbolismo del serpente
nelle gemme magiche: osservazioni storico-religi-
ose and E. CIAMPINI, Precedenti faraonici di un'
iconografia magica. The Symposium in Verona,
Gemme gnostiche e cultura ellenistica, (the materi-
als in the press) was occupied with the representa-
tions of ouroboros on the magical gems (Cf. note 1).
11