Researchers have found evidence of a hallucinogenic ritual that may have helped ancient Egyptians recreate a mythological story in which a dwarf god deceives the sky goddess.
In a recently published article in the journal Scientific Reports, the research team reported that they discovered remnants of a mixture that could induce hallucinations in those who consumed it. They found these traces inside a 2,200-year-old jar shaped like Bes, an ancient Egyptian dwarf god associated with childbirth, joy, and music.
The ancient Egyptian jar depicting the dwarf god Bes, alongside its 3D model on a computer, is believed to contain a hallucinogenic drink. (Photo: Cassidy Delamarter).
The research team conducted a chemical analysis of the organic residues inside the jar, finding traces of wild rue (Peganum harmala), Egyptian lotus (Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea), and a type of plant from the Cleome genus, all of which have been shown to possess “psychoactive and medicinal properties.” They also discovered residues of sesame seeds, pine nuts, licorice, and grapes—a combination “often used to make drinks resemble blood,” the researchers noted.
Researchers also found remnants of human bodily fluids such as saliva and blood, indicating that individuals consumed this mixture.
Inducing hallucinations for the sky goddess associated with fertility
These findings led the research team to believe that ancient Egyptians were attempting to recreate the “Myth of the Eye of Ra.” In this tale, Bes soothes Hathor, a sky goddess linked to fertility, by “serving her an alcoholic drink mixed with a plant-based drug disguised as blood to put her into a deep sleep,” the researchers wrote in their article.
The team further stated: “It can be inferred that this Bes jar was used for some ritual intended to reenact what occurred during a significant event in Egyptian mythology.”
The dwarf god Bes is associated with childbirth, and women may have visited oracles seeking predictions about the outcomes of their pregnancies.
This jar is currently housed at the Tampa Museum of Art after being acquired from a private collector, who purchased it from the Maguid Sameda Art Gallery in Cairo in 1960.
