Dictionary Of God And Godedesses

50 BethelA dwarfish and hideous, but essentially benigndeity whose ugliness wards off evil. He is generallypresent at births exerting a protective influence.Bes appears with a large-bearded and barelyhuman face, a thick body, short arms and shortbandy legs. He wears a plumed crown and oftenwields a short sword. He possesses a lion’s mane,ears, tail and usually has his mouth open andtongue protruding. As a god of birth, Bes oftencarries the SA symbol of protection. He is alsosometimes drawn as a musician with a tambourine.Bes was adopted by Greco-Roman culture. TheGreeks depicted him in strongly ithyphallic guisewith a disproportionately large and erect penisand, from the time of the Roman occupation, heappears in the mode of a soldier wearing a shortmilitary tunic.BethelLocal tutelary god. Western Semitic (Phoenician).Probably of Aramaean or Syrian origin. First mentionedin a fourteenth century treaty between theHittite king Suppiluliuma and Nigmadu II ofUgarit [Ras Šamra]. He appears more regularly oninscriptions from the end of the seventh century BCand enjoyed considerable popularity during theneo-Babylonian period. Bethel is mentioned in theBiblical text of Jeremiah 48.13, implying that someIsraelites acknowledged this deity. There is no evidenceof links with the historical place names,including that mentioned in Genesis 38.13.Bhadra (auspicious)Minor goddess. Hindu (Epic and Puranic). Attendantof ŠIVA. Generally seated. Attributes: bluelotus, fruit, rosary and trident.Bhaga (the dispenser of fortune)Minor sun god. Hindu (Vedic and Puranic).In Vedic times, the incarnation of women’sgood fortune in marriage. One of six ADITYAS,sons of the goddess ADITI. Consort: SIDDHI.Attributes: two lotuses, prayer wheel andtrident.Bhagavan (the lord)Tutelary god. Northern and central Indian.Worshiped by the Bhils and other tribes as theoriginal creator spirit and a judge of the deadsoul. Also an epithet of VIŠNU and KRSNA. AlsoBhagwan.Bhairava (terrible)Minor frightful form of the god ŠIVA. Hindu(Puranic and later). Guardian deity of doorways.A so-called ugra aspect, generally depicted in similarstyle to Šiva but with up to five heads and tenarms and said to have been born from Šiva’sblood. Attributes: hook and noose. Aspects andepithets include Kalaratri, KSETRAPALA andMAHAKALA. Also Bhairon, linked with the cult ofdogs and BHAIRAVA, one of a group ofMAHAVIDYAS personifying the SAKTI of Šiva.Bhaisajyaguru (supreme physician)Physician god. Buddhist-Lamaist [Tibet].Accounted among one of a series of medicinebuddhas known as a SMAN-BLA in Tibet. InLamaism he is the fifth in a series of manusibuddhas.Typically depicted with stretched earlobesand a row of small curls fringing the forehead.Color: blue or gold. Attributes: fruit, sometimeswith a bowl.Bharani (bearing)Minor goddess of misfortune. Hindu (Epic andPuranic). A malevolent NAKSATRA, daughterof DAKSA and wife of CANDRA (SOMA). AlsoApabharanis.