Alternative Deities

Nathaniel Risper & Scott SorrellAlternative Deities

A Celtic god of fertility, life, animals, wealth, and the underworld. Cernunnos is shown with the antlers of a stag, and is sometimes shown carrying a purse full of coins. He is born during the winter solstice, marries the goddess at Beltane, and dies at the summer solstice. Cernunnos (Celtic)

Gundestrup Cauldron. thought to date to the 1st century BC is another depiction we have of Cernunnos. Though no name found with this cauldron the likeness of the character to the one found in the Pillar of the Boatmen so it is widely assumed to be him.

Cernunnos

The name Cernunnos is only been found on the "Pillar of the Boatmen He has Antlers of a Stag, and is normally seen with a Torc either in his hand or on his antlers as pictured above. He is also normally pictured with animals surrounding him, an sometimes holding a snake. Though the bottom half of the pillar is destoryed it is assumed that he is sitting in the lotus position.(In spite of the name Cernunnos being attested nowhere else, it is commonly used in Celtological literature as describing all comparable depictions of horned deities.) He is seen as a aspect of Cerninnos because he is found nowhere else besides the Berkshire but has his own legened behind his existence.Herne is said to have been a huntsman in the employ of King Richard II in and around Windsor Forest. He saved the King's life when he was attacked by a cornered white hart, but was mortally wounded himself in the process. A local wizard brought him back to health using his magical powers, which entailed tying the dead animal's antlers on Herne's head. In return, however, Herne had to give up his hunting skills. The king's other huntsmen framed him as a thief. As a result he lost the favour of the king. He was found the next day, hanging dead from a lone oak tree.According to local legend Herne only appears in times of need. He is also seen as a bad omen to the royal family.

Herne The Hunter(Berkshire Region)

Khonvoum is the supreme god and creator of the Bambuti Pygmy people in central Africa. He is the 'great hunter', god of the hunt, and carries a bow made of two snake which appears to mortals as a rainbow. He rules the heavens and when the sun sets, he gathers pieces of the stars and throws it at the sun so that it may rise the next day in its full splendor. He contacts people by means of the mythical elephant Gor (the thunderer) or through a chameleon. Khonvoum created black and white people from black and white clay, and the Pygmies from red clay. For them he also created the jungle with its lush vegetation and animal life.Khonvoum(African)Woden features prominently in both English and Continental folklore as the leader of the Wild Hunt.

Woden was worshipped during the Migration period, until the 7th or 8th century, when Germanic paganism was gradually replaced by Christianity. In Christianised Anglo-Saxon England, Woden was rationalised as a historical king. Remnants of worship were continued into modern times as folklore. Some believe he is a precursor of the English Father Christmas, and the American Santa ClausWoden (Old English)The Aztec god of fishing, hunting, and bird snaring. He is noted as one of the only gods in history to be Left handed. Sometimes also called He Who Divides the WatersHe is credited with the invention of the atlatl and harpoon

Opochtli (Aztec)

was a giant huntsman in Greek mythology whom Zeus placed among the stars as the constellation of Orion.He is mentioned in Homer's Iliad (the oldest surviving Greek literature) Orion is described as a constellation, and the star Sirius is mentioned as his dog. In the Odyssey, Odysseus sees him hunting in the underworld with a bronze club, a great slayer of animalsOrion (Greek)

In some versions of his story he is the son of Poseidon, and because of this he could walk water.

In other stories he was hunting and threated to kill every beast on earth. Mother earth not liking this sent a giant scorpion to kill him. When the beast succeeded, he was placed amongst the stars.Tekkeitsertok: is a god of the earth, hunting and the master of deer, and is one of the most important hunting gods in the pantheon, In Inuit mythology.

Nanook: (from the Inuit language for polar bear )was the master of bears, meaning he decided if hunters had followed all applicable taboos and if they deserved success in hunting bears.

Tekkeitsertok & Nanook(Inuit)Rudra first appears in early HinduismGod, associated with wind or storm, and the hunt. Also considered to have been the god of death.Translated as "The Roarer", or "The HowlerRudra became a beneficent and beautiful god, the lord of the animals and the patron of hunters, and he eventually evolved into the god Shiva, one of the most prominent deities of Hinduism.He is placed as a frightening god fierce like a formidable wild beast.Rudra(Hindu)

God that presides over fire, iron, hunting, politics and war. He is seen as a powerful deity of metal work, and a traditional warrior. Ogun the wounded warrior. He assumes a Christ-figure pose which the people know well from their Christian associations.Ogoun(Yoruba & Voodoo)

He is also prominently represented as Saint George in the syncretic traditions of contemporary Brazil.

Ogoun(Yoruba & Voodoo)