Childhood protection
Children were at risk from illness and accidents, and the Egyptians believed that amulets and the gods could protect them from harm. The god Bes was particularly linked to children and the family. He drove away evil spirits from women in childbirth and new-born babies, and protected the home from snakes, which could kill a child. The Egyptians carved or painted his image on many household items, and made large numbers of amulets of this important god.
The god Horus, son of Isis and Osiris, was often shown as a child, either on his own or seated on his mother’s knee. In this form, he wears the ‘sidelock of youth’ hairstyle but no clothes, and is often shown sucking his thumb. Isis was the ideal wife and mother and protected children from harm.