characters of mythology.doc

8/11/2019 Characters of Mythology.doc

1/122

The book of Gods,Goddessess,Heroes and other Characters of Mythology

In broad terms mythology is composed of traditional stories about gods, kings, and heroes. Myths often tell about thecreation of the world (and about its destruction as well, about the creation of men, and, also, they pro!ide lessons on amoral code by which to li!e. They were attempts to pro!ide rationale to natural e!ents and to human emotion.Mythological stories generally were passed on orally from generation to succeeding generation. "ach tale, embellishedand #corrupted# through the re$tellings, was probably a reasoned e%planation of the facts as seen by unsophisticatedand uneducated eyes. Most scholars today di!ide the sub&ect into three categories' pure myth (primiti!e science and

primiti!e religion, heroic saga (primiti!e history, and folklore (fictional stories.

Mythological Characters orldide)frican Mythological Characters

*+T" ' )lmost all )frican peoples belie!ed in a supreme god who created the uni!erse and all within it- this beliefpre$dated the infiltration of the Christian or Islamic religions. This does not mean they belie!ed in a monotheisticfaith, for this supreme god had many under$gods. This deity was personalied in their indi!idual mythologies, usuallyas a bi$se%ual or non$se%ual being, father and mother of all creatures and creator of e!ery detail of earth.)bassi(*igeria "fik tribe/s creator of the world.)bukThe first woman, according to the 0inka people of )frica. 1he is the patron goddess of women and gardens. Heremblem is a little snake.

)du +gyinae()shanti The first man. He was the leader of the se!en men, some women, a dog and a leopard who were the firstbeings to come to the surface of the earth from holes in the ground.)g2(0ahomean orshipped by hunters- in charge of uninhabited bush and the animals therein.)gweIn 3enin, she is the mother of the sea. 1he is affectionate and nurturing to humans who honor her.)ida edoIn 3enin and Haiti she is the snake companion to 0amballah$edo, the most popular god, who is also in snake form.)&e4oruba goddess of wealth in all its forms.)&okChief god of the 1udanese 5otuko.)konadi)n oracle goddess of &ustice in Ghana.)kongoChief deity of the *gombe in the Congo.)ku&Chief deity of the )ku& in the Congo.)la"arth mother of the Ibo tribe in *igeria. 1he is creator of the li!ing, 6ueen of the dead, and goddess of fertility.)mma(0ogon The supreme god who created the sun and moon. He tried to mate with the female earth but his passage was

barred by a red termite hill. This had to be cut away before he could successfully mate with the earth. This myth issupposedly the &ustification for female circumcision, which is practiced by the 0ogon as well as other peoples of)frica.)nansi

Trickster spider of est )frica, considered the creator/s chief official, and a hero of many tales.)sase 4aaGhanian creator of humanity, and wife of *yame. 1he was also the mother of the gods.)shiakleGhanian ()frica goddess of wealth, and of the sea.)yaba(0ahomean 1ister of 5oko- goddess of the hearth.)iriThe goddess of possessions.3aatsi(7aire The first man, made by the Creator out of clay, which he co!ered with skin and filled with blood. Then wasmade a woman, name unknown, with whom 3aatsi was commanded to make children.3ayanni(4oruba 1ister of 1hango. 1he was sacrificed to make her younger brother, 1hango, a stronger god.3ele )lua(Ghana ) tree goddess.3omo 8ambi


2/122

(7imbabwe ) moon goddess.3uk(1udan Goddess of ri!ers and streams, and the source of life. Mother of 0eng, Candit, and *yaliep.3ukuGod9Goddess of the sky in est )frica.3uni(7aire ) rain goddess, depicted as a rainbow$colored snake. 1he took o!er her mother/s duties as rain goddess whenher mother was killed.

Cagn (Mantis(3ushmen of )frica The creator, who with his wife, Coti, made e!erything. They had two sons' Coga and Gewi.Candit(1udan Goddess of streams.0an(:on God of unity. He was the son of the twins 5isa and Mahu.0eng(0inka God of rain, whose club is lightning. The di!ine ancestor of the 0inka peoples.0omfe(;urumba The god of rain and wind.0ongo(1onghoi God of thunder."dinkira

()frica ) tree goddess."f2(biessoThe god of thunder.


3/122

IkuGod of death in *igeria.Ilankaka(*kundo The sun goddess of the *kundo of central 7aire was trapped by a man who was hunting during the night.1he begged to be released and promised him much wealth for doing so, but the only wealth he wanted was her, and soshe agreed to marry him. 1oon pregnant, she refused to eat anything but forest rats. 3ecause it was known that a manhad to pro!ide for any whim of a pregnant woman, the man was kept !ery busy trapping for her. +ne night, howe!er,she awakened to realie she was no longer pregnant. 1hocked, she disco!ered the baby had slipped out of the womb

and was already eating meat. He grew up to be the hero Itonde, who captured the heart of the "lephant Girl Mbombe.ImanaChief god of the 3anyarwanda people of 8uanda.Iruwa1un god in ;enya.?uok(1hilluk The creator of all men on earth- "uropeans from white clay, )rabs from reddish$brown clay, and )fricansfrom black earth.;hon!umChief god of the


4/122

(5uyia The first man.*ambi(3uganda The first woman.

*ana 3uluku(:on The primordial mother.

*anan$3ouclou"we tribe god of herbs and medicine.

*enaunir

(Masai God of storms and, as a demon, a spirit of e!il.*g ai(Masai The creator of the uni!erse.

*yamb2(estern Tropics The creator9supreme god. The sun god. He is known among the many different peoples as *yam2,

*gewo, Mawu, )mma, +lorun, Chukwu, etc.*yankopon()shanti The sun god.

*yasayeChief god of the Maragoli.

*ame(3antu The creator, who was really three in one' *ame, Mebere, and *kwa.+boto

The goddesses of serenity.+dudua$+rishala(4oruba 1imilar deities as Mawu$5isa abo!e, e%cept for a different tribe.+gun(4oruba The god of iron- the god of war.+lokun(*igeria93enin94oruba The sea god, most worshipped of the deities, for he once destroyed most of the earth (floodmyth.+lorun(4oruba The creator, or supreme, god.+risha *la(4oruba The Great God ordered by +lorun to create solid ground in the marshy lands that were earth.+sanyinThe god of medicine.+runmila(4oruba God of mercy, who helped man after +lokun/s deluge.+she(4oruba The god of thunder and lightning.+sun(4oruba The power (orisa of lo!e and sensuality. 1he is depicted as an old wise woman sad at the loss of her beauty.)lternately she may be shown as tall, light$brown$skinned, and with the sensuality of a prostitute. 1he is patroness ofri!ers and the bloodstream, and wears se!en brass bracelets. 1he wears a mirror at her belt to admire herself, iscompanioned by the primping peacock and cricket, and carries ri!er water in her pot.


5/122

(Moambi6ue God of the sky and of thunder and rain.TokoloshiIn!isible half$hare, half$man creatures, belie!ed to be messengers for witchdoctors.Tsui/goab(Hottentot 8ain god and great hero.@m!elin6angi(7ulu The sky god who descended from hea!en and married @hlanga (a large swamp personalied. This swamp waso!ergrown with reeds of many colors. @m!elin6angi broke off two reeds of each different color and made them into

people, a male and a female. "ach pair thereby became the founders of a tribe of a different color. The 7ulu people callthemsel!es )bantsundu which means #brown people#.@nkulunkulu(7ulu Chief god.@ti%o(Hottentot God of the sky, rain, and thunder.ak("thiopia The supreme god who li!ed in the clouds. ak kept the hea!ens at a distance from the earth and co!ered itwith stars. He was a benefactor god. hen the earth was flat, ak asked man to build himself a coffin. Man did thisand ak shut him up in it. ak buried the coffin. :or se!en years he made fire rain down and this is how themountains were formed. Then ak danced upon the place where the coffin was buried and man sprang forth, ali!e. Hewas sure he had slept for a brief moment only and was surprised to find it had been so long- this is why man is awakefor most of the day. "!entually man tired of li!ing alone. ak took some of his blood and after four days, the blood

became a woman whom the man married. He had B children. Howe!er, he was ashamed at ha!ing had so many andso hid D of them. )n angry ak then made the hidden children into animals and demons.amara(3aibu 1on of *yante. :ather of ;agoro, Mugasba, ;aoba and 8yangombe.antu 1u(1udan The supreme god.eleChief god of the )baluyia of ;enya.ereChief god of the 5uo of ;enya.oto (+to(1hongo God of fire.Ee!ioso(:on God of thunder. 1on of Mahu and 5isa. Twin brother of Gun. ) member of the Fodu gods.4angombi(3antu God of creation.4emon&a(*igerian 4oruba 1he is one of the great goddesses of )frica. 1he was said to be the daughter of the sea into whosewaters she empties. Her breasts are !ery large, because she was mother of so many of the 4oruba gods. 1he is also themother of waters (Mama atta who ga!e birth to all the world/s waters. "!en as she slept, she would create newsprings, which gushed forth each time she turned o!er. 1he was the sister9wife of )gan&u, the soil god, and mother byhim of +rungan, god of the noonday sun. 1he is known by different names in many localities- )s 4emo&a (4emayahshe is the power (orisa of the ocean and motherhood. 1he is long$breasted, the goddess of fishes, and wears aninsignia of alternating crystal and blue beads. 1he has a strong, nurturant, life$gi!ing yet furiously destructi!e nature.1he is considered the Great itch, the ultimate manifestation of female power, as 4eman&a (Iman&e in 3rail she isocean goddess of the crescent moon, as 4moa in est )frica she is the ri!er goddess who grants fertility to women, inCuba she is 4emaya (4emaya )taramagwa, wealthy 6ueen of the sea $ 4emaya )chabba, stern goddess $ 4emaya

+66utte, !iolent goddess $ 4emaya +lokun, dream goddess, she is )gwe in Haiti. )nd finally as 4amo&a, acontraction of the the sentence #Iyamo e&a#, meaning #our mother# or #my mother of fishes#.7ambi()ngola The supreme being.7anaharyChief god in Madagascar.7inkibaru(1onghoi )lthough he is a blind d&inn, he is considered the #Master of :ish#.)sian Mythological Characters)diti(Hindu 1upreme creator of all that has been created. Fariously described as the mother, wife, and9or daughter ofFishnu- mother of the gods, and all hea!enly bodies.)dityas(Hindu The di!ine sons of )diti, chief among them was Faruna ()ditya. The others were Indra, Mitra, 8udra,T!ashtar and Fishnu.)gni(India God of fire. He e%ists as lightning.


6/122

)ien$Myoo(3uddhism ) deity, who despite his terrible appearance, is full of compassion for mankind. He is pictured with si%arms, three eyes, a lion/s head with bristling mane, and atop his head a thunder$bolt (Fa&ra, with which he calms e!il

passions and forbidden desires.)&i$1uki$Taka$Hi$;one(?apan ) god of thunder.)ma no @ume(?apan The witty goddess of persuasion, who performed a lewd dance to entice )materasu out of the ca!e in which

she was hiding.)ma$terasu(?apan The sun goddess (6ueen of the uni!erse. )materasu +mikami, the 1un Goddess, is considered the founder ofthe ?apanese nation.)matsu Mikaboshi(?apan ) god of e!il.)mbika(Hindu ) feminine personification of


7/122

(Chandra, a goddess (Candi the ne%t.Challalamma(India Goddess of buttermilk.Chandra(Fedic God of the moon.Chang :ei(China God of butchers.Chang Hsien

(China God of dreams and god of pregnancy.Ch/ang$+(China +riginally a woman who li!ed on earth and became a goddess when she drank all the water of immortalitythat was gi!en to her husband by the gods as an award, thereby cheating him of that honor. 1he became goddess of themoon.Chang


8/122

(China God of the nose.Chung 5iu(China God of ea!es.Chu *iao(China God of the heart.Chun T/i(China Goddess of the dawn.Chup$;amui

(?apan 1un goddess of the )inu peoples. +riginally she was the moon goddess but after one night o!erhead watchingall the adulterous beha!ings below she begged the sun god to trade places with her- he did.Chu 4ing(China God of the eyes.

0ai$itoku$Myoo(3uddhism He has si% heads with terrible faces, si% arms, and si% legs. He uses poisons to do his e!ils.0aikoku(?apan God of wealth and happiness. Has a magic mallet with which he creates gold.0akini(Hindu :emale attendants of ;ali. Terrifying$looking, they were pictured as huge in sie, and sometimes with fish

bodies.0e!as

(India Gods at perpetual war with the )suras (demons.0e!i(Hindu ) twel!e$armed warrior goddess, created by 3rahma, Fishnu, and 1i!a to slay Mahishasura, the shape$shifting monster who menaced the uni!erse. 1he rode a lion into the fray and was !ictorious.0ewi *awang 1asih(1undanese Celestial nymph who taught people how to cook rice. The myth says she ga!e the women a simple recipe-

place one grain of rice in a pot, boil, and wait until it sub$di!ides again and again until the pot is full. Her onerestriction was that no man e!er touch a woman/s cooking utensils. The people feasted fully, and easily, following herinstructions until one king who felt abo!e all others deliberately touched a cooking implement. The goddess in disgustdeparted the earth, and since that time it takes a whole bunch of rice to fill a pot, because although the grains swell up,they no longer di!ide and reproduce.0ewi 1hriThe rice goddess of 3ali. Goddess of both the underworld and the moon, she has both earthly and celestial powers.)lthough she rules life, through her control of the foodstuffs of the earth, she also controls death, which returns us toher bosom.0harma(Hindu God of &ustice.0hisana(Hindu Goddess of prosperity.0i ?un(China God of the eastern sky.0iti)n Indian goddess. Many mythographers see )diti as the endless sky- 0iti as the earth. 3oth apparently come from anon$)ryan source of Hindu mythology, for their children, though recognied as supernatural, were ne!er part of theofficial pantheon. 0iti/s children were asuras, non$gods. They were powerful beings, especially the warrior Maruts,who might ha!e con6uered the gods. 0iti, whose earlier children Indra had killed, practiced magic when pregnantagain. 1o threatened was Indra that he watched her constantly. hen 0iti fell into a doe, Indra entered her !agina,

tra!eled to her womb, and dismembered the fetus. "!en cut to pieces, the fetus was so powerful that it reformed intoforty$nine separate warriors.0raupadi) heroine of the Mahabharata, she was a polyandrous woman who slept in turn with each of her fi!e husbands, whowere all brothers.0yaus(Hindu9Fedic God of the rain.0urga(Hindu +ne of the forms of the goddess 1hakti, and the wife of 1hi!a. 1he was born fully grown. 0urga is famous asthe many$armed many$weaponed goddess that slays the buffalo$demon.0yaush(India The first supreme god."bisu(?apan God of fishermen."mma$+(?apan He is the lord of hell. He is depicted as wearing a &udge/s cap and holding a mace. He was responsible for

&udging the souls of men (his sister &udged the souls of women. If a sinner was #sa!ed# by the prayers of the li!ing, he


9/122

was reborn on earth or in paradise.:an ;/uei(China ) god of butchers.:ei 5ien(China ) god of the wind.:engbo(China )nother god of the wind.:eng


10/122

Guan 0i(China ) god of war.Gu&eswari(India ) mother goddess.Gundari$Myoo(3uddhism He is pictured with three eyes and fangs. He has a red body with eight arms. 1nakes are coiled about hiswrists and ankles.Hachiman

(?apan ) god of war.Hanuman(Hindu Chief minister and general of the monkey people.Hao Ch/iu(China ) god of the heart.Hari$Hara(Hindu ) composite god- the combination of 1hi!a and Fishnu.Hariti(3uddhism 1he had been a cannibal de!ourer of children until con!erted by 3uddha, at which time she became the

protectress of children.Heng$o(China Goddess of the moon. Consort of 4i the )rcher.Hettsui$*o$;ami

(?apan Goddess who protected and pro!ided for the family through the pro!isioning of har!ested food.Ho$Masubi(?apan ) god of fire.Ho


11/122

(India Main god of the Fedas. In Fedic myth, god of the atmosphere, storms, rain, and battle. Indra is the mostcelebrated Fedic god. He rides the solar chariot across the sky and wields thunderbolts.Ianagi and Ianami(?apan The god and goddess that created ?apan.?agganath (?uggernaut(Hindu The god whose name means #5ord of the orld# (It is a cult title of Fishnu.?en )n(China God of robbers.

?io 3osatsu(China9?apan The great protector of suffering humanity. He a!erts fires, facilitates childbirth, and is especiallyhonored as a protector of children.?uro&in(?apan God of longe!ity.?yeshtha(Hindu Goddess of bad luck.;agutsuchi(?apan ) god of fire.;ali(India Cult name of the goddess 0urga. ife to 1hi!a. ) bloodthirsty fertility goddess to whom the Thugs (@nder thetitle 3ha!ani, she was in!oked by this secret brotherhood of murderers. sacrificed their !ictims. Her idol is black, issmeared with blood, has huge fang$like teeth, and a protruding tongue that drips with blood. 1he wears a necklace of

skulls, earrings of corpses, and is girdled with serpents. 1he usually has four arms, symboliing absolute dominiono!er all finite things. +ne hand holds a sword, the second holds a se!ered human head, the third is belie!ed by herde!otees to be remo!ing fear, and the fourth is often interpreted as granting bliss. ;ali$omnipotent, absolute, and all$

per!asi!e$is beyond fear and finite e%istence and is therefore belie!ed able to protect her de!otees against fear and togi!e them limitless peace. :inally, as absolute night, de!ouring all that e%ists, she is sometimes depicted as standingon the corpse of 1hi!a, which, like the garland of skulls, symbolies the remains of finite e%istence. ;ali/s worshipersreportedly appeased her in the past with human sacrifices. 1he is propitiated today with the blood of mammals.;ama(Hindu God of lo!e and desire. 1on of Fishnu and 5akshmi, and husband of 8ati (goddess of !oluptuousness, like the8oman Fenus.;amado$*o$;ami(?apan91hinto God of kitchen sto!es.;ami(?apan ) god in 1hintoism (The nati!e religion of ?apan.;arttikeya(Hindu God of war. He is shown riding on a peacock, with a bow in one hand and an arrow in the other. He is alsocalled 1kanda and ;umara.;awa$*o$;ami(?apan ) god of ri!ers.;aya$*u$Hima(?apan Goddess of herbs.;eng 4en$cheng(China )nother god of robbers and thie!es.;ing an(China ) god of luck.;ishi&oten(?apan ) goddess of good luck.

;ishi$Mo&in(?apan93uddhism Goddess of motherhood.;o Hsien$eng(China God of &ugglers.;ongo$Myoo(3uddhism 0epicted as surrounded by fire- has three heads and si% arms. His front face has fi!e eyes.;rishna(Hindu orshipped as an incarnation of Fishnu.;rtya(Hindu Goddess of witchcraft.;uan Ti(China God of war and upholder of &ustice.;uan Ti(China God of literature. God of fortune$telling.;ubera(Hindu He is the guardian of the north and is associated with all the teasures of the earth that lie underground.;ub&ika


12/122

(Hindu Goddess of pottery.;uei$ku Tu(China )nother god of fortune$telling.;u&aku$Myoo(3uddhism He is always shown seated on a peacock. He gi!es protection against drought.;unitokotatchi(?apan91hinto The chief deity.;uo Tu$i

(China )nother god of happiness.5ai Cho(China ) god of agriculture.5akshmi or 5aksmi(Hindu ) consort of Fishnu and mother of ;ama. 1he is the goddess of beauty, wealth, and pleasure. 1he was bornfrom the foam of the sea, like the Greek )phrodite.5ao 5ang(China God of actors.5ei ;ung(China God of thunder.5ei Tsu(China God of innkeepers.5i 5ao$chun

(China God of leatherworkers.5i Tien(China God of firecrackers.5iu Meng(China God of agriculture.5iu


13/122

Miao Hu(China ) god of agriculture.Mi$lo :o(China The coming 3uddha.Ming 1hang(China God of the eyes.Mitra(India Mithra, the ancient


14/122

(China Goddess of brothels, prostitution, and se%.


15/122

1an ;uan(China Collecti!e name for the Three +fficials, who were T/ien ;uan (official of hea!en, Ti ;uan (official of earthand 1hui ;uan (official of water.1angs$rgyas$mkh(Tibet ) rain goddess.1ao$ch/ing *iang(China Goddess of good weather.1aras!ati

(India Goddess of knowledge and of fertility and prosperity. 1he is considered the originator of speech and of all thearts. 1he is one (the maiden aspect of the trinity which includes 0e!i and 5akshmi. 1aras!ati is pictured as a gracefulwoman with white skin, usually sitting on a lotus (or a peacock, and usually adorned with a crescent moon.1arudahiko(China The god of the crossroads and the embodiment of male se%uality. He is shown with a large nose, which is of

phallic significance.1ati(Hindu :irst wife of 1hi!a. 1he established the custom of suttee.1a!itar(India The god of motion, with golden eyes, hands, and tongues.1engdroma(Tibet ) lion$faced goddess called upon as a protector of herds.1geg$mo$ma

(Tibet Goddess of beauty, often depicted as holding a mirror.1hang Chien(China God of the neck.1hang Ti(China +riginally the supreme god. He was later known as T/ien (1ky.1hashti(Hindu Goddess who protects children and women in childbirth.1hatala(Hindu Goddess of smallpo%.1he chi(China )nother god of agriculture, especially of grain and the land.1heng Mu(China Goddess of black magic.1hen Hsui$Chih(China God of medicine.1hen *ung(China )nother agriculture god.1hih 5iang(China God of the tongue.1hine$Tsu$Hiko(?apan God of the wind.1hiu :ang(China God of embankments.1hoten(?apan God of commerce and wisdom.1hou$lao(China God who determines man/s longe!ity.

1hun I :u$&en(China Goddess of famine and floods.1huanghu(0hammai of India He and his wife, 7umaing$*ui, e%ist before anything. )fter making lo!e they gi!e birth to a girl("arth and a boy (1ky, who marry and gi!e birth to gods, and to two frogs. The frogs mate and gi!e birth to people.1ien$Tsang(China Goddess of silk culti!ation.1itala (1atala(Hindu Goddess of smallpo%.1i!a (1hi!a(India The god of destruction. +ne of the gods of the Hindu Trimurti, or triad of supreme gods. 1hi!a, also called1i!a, personifies both the destructi!e and the procreati!e forces of the uni!erse. )s the destroyer he is representedwearing a necklace of skulls and surrounded by demons. His reproducti!e aspect is symbolied by the lingam, a

phallic emblem. 1hi!a is also the god of asceticism and of art, especially dancing. He rides on the bull *andi, and hisconsort is the mother goddess @ma, or ;ali. 1ome Hindus worship 1hi!a as the supreme deity and consider him a

bene!olent god of sal!ation as well as a god of destruction.1kanda


16/122

(Hindu ) warrior$god. The si%$headed son of 1hi!a.1oma(India 3oth a narcotic plant and a god who gi!es inspiration, liberates men, and represents the principle of life.1raddha(Hindu Goddess of faith.1su$ma Hsiang$&u(China God of wine sellers.1ung$Chiang

(China God of thie!es.1un


17/122

(China God of the day.T/ung Chung$chung(China God of the skin.T/ung 5ai$yu(China God of the stomach.Tung 5u(China God of snow.T/ung Ming

(China God of the tongue.T!ashtar(Hindu Craftsman of the gods.Tu$ku 1hen(China God of toilets.@i Tango(Tibet +ne of three creator goddesses. The other two are *guntre and *inguerre.@ka no Mitanna(?apan ) rice goddess, usually pictured with fo%es, her di!ine messengers.@ke$mochi(?apan Goddess of food.@ma(Hindu )nother name for 1hi!a/s consort.

@minai$gami(+kinawa ) creator goddess, who with her brother @mikii$gami, created humans and the land.@r&ani(Hindu Goddess of strength.@shas(India The beautiful goddess of the dawn.@so$dori(?apan Goddess of singing.@ume(?apan Goddess of laughter.Fach(Hindu Goddess of speech.Faruna(Hindu The top god, ruler of the sky. He is guardian of the west and is associated with oceans and waters.(India Myth The moon, he super!ises oaths.Fata(India The god of the wind.Fayu(Hindu9Fedic God of air and wind.Fishnu(Hindu The supreme Hindu god. Fishnu rose to power during the battle between the de!as and the asuras. 3othwanted dominion o!er the world. The asuras finally agreed to cede whate!er territory a de!as could measure out inthree paces. Fishnu, who at this time was only a dwarf, proclaimed himself champion of his fellow creatures, and inthree strides tra!ersed the whole world (the earth, the sky, and all the inter!ening space. Fishnu/s retinue wascomposed of Garuda (the eagle which ser!ed as his steed and Hanuman (the king of the monkeys. Certain ob&ects arelinked to him' the disc, the conch, the lotus flower. He was married to 5akhsmi. His a!atars were' a fish, a tortoise, awild boar, a man$lion, the dwarf,


18/122

Fritra(India ) demon who imprisons the waters before Indra slays him.a(China ) di!ine woman who, in ancient times, #produced the ten thousand beings through metamorphosis.# It isdifficult to tell from the writings about her e%actly how this creator goddess populated the world.aghai 0e!i(India ) tiger goddess.akahirume

(?apan The fa!orite wea!ing maiden of the ?apanese sun goddess )materasu. 1he died when the e!il 1usanoo threw aflayed piebald colt through the roof of the #Hea!enly ea!ing Hall#. Terrified, akahirume fell onto her shuttle,which fatally punctured her !agina. This so enraged )materasu that she closeted herself into the 1ky$8ock$Ca!e, andonly the creation of the world/s first mirror could lure her back out. (In some interpretations, akahirume is the sungoddess/ younger sister, or a younger dawn form of the di!inity.ang$Mu$*iang$*iang(China Goddess of female energy.ang Ta$hsien(China God of white ants.eiwobo(China )nother goddess of female energy.en$ch/ang(China God of literature.

u$tai 4uan$shuai(China God of musicians.Ei Hou(China Goddess who ga!e birth to ten suns. "ach morning she bathes the ten suns, and then places the one which isto light that day into a chariot drawn by dragons for the day/s &ourney.Ei angmu(China


19/122

(China Husband of Chang$o. He sa!ed the earth from destruction when all ten of its suns appeared in the sky at thesame time. 4i, an e%pert archer with a magic bow, shot down nine of the suns.4ondung Halmoni(;orea )n ancient wind goddess, she is celebrated in shamanic rituals where she is fed rice cakes.4u(ChinaThe engineer hero who measured the world from east to west and from north to south in order to lay it out. 4u,the son of ;/un, the emperor of China, was a thin, reedy man who was ill and crippled causing him to hop about onone foot. He dug out the mountains and allowed waters to flow from a catastrophic flood. He worked at it for B years

without returning home. hen he became a god, 4u tra!elled the world in order to plan it. He stabilied fi!e sacredmountains at the four cardinal points and at the center of the earth. 4u/s wife was the daughter of T/u$chan themountain of the earth. 4u was the first emperor of the Hsia 0ynasty.4u Ch/iang(China God of the ocean winds. He appears as a giant sea bird or a whale, or any other sea creature, but he always hasthe face, hands, and feet of a human male.4u Huang(China "mperor of the gods. God of purity. God of nature. The ?ade God.4uki$+nne(?apan To those lost in bliards, struggling futilely against the cold, she came, soothing them, singing to lull them tosleep, then breathing a deathly cold breath on them. The #snow maiden# was the spirit of death by freeing- a calm,

pale woman who appeared to the dying, making their death 6uiet and painless.4um$chen$mo

(Tibet Goddess of wisdom.4un$T/ung(China God of the clouds.4u$Tu(China ) god of the rain.7aoshen(China God of kitchens.7as$ster$ma$dmar$mo(Tibet Goddess of wealth.7hang Ei(China ) creator goddess who ga!e birth to twel!e moons.7hin(China ) goddess of marriage and a patron of wea!ers.7hongguei(China God of e%aminations.7igu 1hen(China 3athroom goddess(A7isun(China Goddess of weddings.7umiang *ui(India Creator goddess. Mother of the earth and the sky.

)ustralian9*ew 7ealand Mythological Characters*ote ' It is important to remember that there were !ery many different, and isolated, tribes in )ustralia in the longago past- therefore there are many gods9goddesses with the same function but different names, and stories, accordingto each tribe.

*ote L' #0reamtime# refers to the mythological past for the aborigine peoples of )ustralia.

)linga1un goddess.)n&eaGoddess who forms infants from mud and places them into the mother/s uterus.)pungaGoddess of small plants.)rahuta(*ew 7ealand 1tar goddess. ife of Maunu/ura, the god of Mars.)riki(*ew 7ealand ) star goddess.)rohirohi(*ew 7ealand 1un goddess.3iameThe #Great +ne,# or creator.3ilaThe cannibal sun goddess. 1he pro!ided light for the world by cooking her !ictims o!er a giant flame. 5iard Manwas appalled by these acts and tried to kill her. 1he turned herself into a ball of fire and fled, lea!ing the world in


20/122

darkness. He threw his boomerang at her, catching her and making her mo!e in a slow arc across the sky. This broughtlight back to the world.3oaliriThe younger of the two sister goddesses that created life. The other was aimariwi.3unbulamaGoddess of the rain.Cunnembeilleife of 3iame. 1he li!es in the hea!ens with him and his other wife, 3irrahgnooloo.

0ilgaGoddess of &ustice. 0ilga became !ery angry when two of her children were killed by the #cat man# and his relati!es.Milk flowed from her breasts so copiously it formed a stream that reached to where the murderers li!ed and drownedthem. It also resuscitated her children and brought them back to life.0&anggawul 1isters0aughters of the sun, these )ustralian goddesses unceasingly brought forth li!ing creatures from their endlessly

pregnant bodies. Their long !ul!as broke off piece by piece with these births, producing the world/s first sacredartifacts."inganaThe )ustralian nati!es call her, Mother "ingana, the world$creator, the birth mother, maker of all water, land,animals, and kangaroos. This huge snake goddess still li!es, they say, in the 0reamtime, rising up occasionally tocreate yet more life. This primordial snake had no !agina- as her offspring grew inside her, the goddess swelled up."!entually, tortured with the pregnancy, "ingana began to roll around and around. The god 3arraiya saw her agony

and speared her near the anus so that birth could take place as all creatures now gi!e birth. 1he is also the deathmother. They say "ingana holds a sinew of life attached to each of her creatures- when she lets it go, that life stops. Ifshe herself should die, they say e!erything would cease to e%ist."rathipa) huge boulder in the shape of a pregnant woman bears this name. It is said that the souls of dead children residewithin it, and that if a woman of child$bearing age walks by a soul slips from the boulder and into her womb to bereborn.Gid&aGod of the moon.GnoweeThe sun goddess of an aboriginal people of southeast )ustralia. The legend goes that Gnowee once li!ed on the earthat a time when the sky was always dark and people walked around carrying torches in order to see. +ne day whileGnowee was out gathering yams, her baby son wandered off. 1he set out to search for him, carrying a huge torch, butne!er found him. To this day she still climbs the sky daily, carrying her torch, trying to find her son.Haumia(Maori9*ew 7ealand God of wild plants.Hine titama(*ew 7ealand )ncestor goddess who later became the ruler of the underworld. Hine titama fled to the underworldwhen she disco!ered that she had married her own father and had borne him children.Ingridi) #dreamtime# goddess.?ulanaChief god of the ?umu tribe.?ulunggulGoddess of initiations.?unkgowa)n ancestor goddess who li!ed during the #dreamtime#. 1he was a multiple goddess (the ?unkgowa 1isters who

created the ocean, and all the fish therein.;aroraThe creator, according to the 3andicoot clan of the )randan aborigines of )ustralia.5ia) water goddess.Madalait) creator goddess.Makara, The1e!en sisters who became the constellation


21/122

8ongo(Maori9*ew 7ealand God of culti!ated plants.Tane(Maori9*ew 7ealand God of the woodlands.Tangaroa(Maori9*ew 7ealand God of the sea.Tawhiri$ma$tea(Maori9*ew 7ealand God of storms.

TomitukaGoddess of rain.Tu(Maori9*ew 7ealand God of war.@ngamiliaGoddess of the e!ening star.aloThe )ustralian aboriginals called the sun goddess by this name and said that she li!ed with her daughter 3ara and hersister$in$law, the world mother Madalait, far to the east. "ach day alo &ourneyed across the sky accompanied by3ara, until one day the sun goddess realied that the reason the earth was so parched was their combined heat. 1hesent her daughter back to the east so that the earth could become fertile and bloom.aramurungundiThe first woman, according to the Gunwinggu people of )ustralia. 1he was the all$creating mother of )ustralia- she

ga!e birth to the earth and then fashioned all its li!ing creatures. 1he then taught her creations to talk and di!idedeach language group from the ne%t.ati ;ut&arraThis estern )ustralian term means #two men# and refers to the two male ancestors of mortals who taught the peopleto keep in touch with 0reamtime. (0reamtime is always present and is the source of all life.awalag 1istersThe ci!iliers of )ustralia, these two mythic women wandered the continent domesticating plants into ediblefoodstuffs, e!ol!ing language for each territory, and naming all the land/s creatures.uluwaid) male rainmaker.uragagThe first man, and husband to aramurungundi.uriupraniliThis sun goddess was said to light bark into a torch, carrying the flame through the sky from east to west. )t thewestern sea, she dipped it in the water, then used the embers to guide her under the earth to reach her eastern starting

point again. The brilliant skies of dawn and dusk, it was said, came from her red$ochre body paints misting up into thesky as she powdered and beautified her body.urrunna) culture hero with many folklore tales of his wanderings.4hiThe goddess of light and creator goddess of the ;arraur, an )ustralian aboriginal group, she lay asleep in the0reamtime before this world/s creation, in a world of bone$bare, windless mountains. 1uddenly, a whistle startled thegoddess. 1he took a deep breath and opened her eyes, flooding the world with light. The earth stirred under her warmrays. 4hi drifted down to this new land, walking north, south, east, west. )s she did, plants sprang up from herfootprints. 1he walked the world/s surface until she had stepped e!erywhere, until e!ery inch was co!ered with green.Then the goddess sat to rest on the treeless plain. )s she glanced around, she realied that the new plants could notmo!e, and she desired to see something dance. 1eeking that dancing life, she descended beneath the earth, where she

found e!il spirits who tried to sing her to death. 3ut they were not as powerful as 4hi. Her warmth melted thedarkness, and tiny forms began to mo!e there. The forms turned into butterflies and bees and insects that swarmedaround her in a dancing mass. 1he led them forth into the sunny world. 3ut there were still ca!es of ice, high in themountains, in which other beings rested. 4hi spread her light into them, one at a time. 1he stared into the ca!e/s blackinteriors until water formed. Then she saw something mo!e$something, and another thing, and another. :ishes andliards swam forth. Ca!e after ca!e she freed from its darkness, and birds and animals poured forth onto the face ofthe earth. 1oon the entire world was dancing with life. Then, in her golden !oice, 4hi spoke. 1he told her creaturesshe would return to her own world. 1he blessed them with changing seasons and with the knowledge that when theydied they would &oin her in the sky. Then, turning herself into a ball of light, she sank below the horion. )s shedisappeared, darkness fell upon on the earth/s surface. The new creatures were afraid. There was sorrow andmourning, and finally there was sleep. )nd, soon, there was the first dawn, for 4hi had ne!er intended to abandon hercreation. +ne by one the sleepy creatures woke to see light breaking in the east. ) bird chorus greeted their mistress,and the lake and ocean waters that had been rising in mists, trying to reach her, sank down calmly. :or eons of0reamtime the animals li!ed in peace on 4hi/s earth, but then a !ague sadness began to fill them. They ceased todelight in what they were. 1he had planned ne!er to return to earth, but she felt so sorry for her creatures that she said,#?ust once. ?ust this once.# 1o she slid down to the earth/s surface and asked the creatures what was wrong. ombatwanted to wiggle along the ground. ;angaroo wanted to fly. 3at wanted wings. 5iard wanted legs. 1eal wanted to


22/122

swim. )nd the confused


23/122

)rianrhod(ales The goddess of the moon. ) magician goddess, who like )rtemis li!ed in orgiastic maidenhood surroundedentirely by women, although it is also said she li!ed a wanton life, mating with mermen. 1he was the most powerful ofthe children of the mother goddess 0on. Her palace is the Corona 3orealis.)rnamentia(3ritain Goddess of spring water.)rtioCeltic goddess of wildlife, who was usually depicted in the form of a bear.

3adb(Ireland +ne of the three war goddesses known collecti!ely as the Morrigan. 1he was depicted in the form of a ra!enwith a crimson (bloody mouth.3alor(Ireland God of death.3anba (3anbhaIrish earth goddess, she was part of the triad that included "riu and :olta (:odla.3ebhionn)n Irish underworld goddess and a patron of pleasure.3elatucadros(3ritain God of war and of the destruction. His name means #fair shining one#. The 8omans e6uated him with theirgod Mars.3elenus (3el or 3elenos

(Gaul God of healing and light, and referred to as #The 1hining +ne#. He is in charge of the welfare of sheep andcattle. His wife is the goddess 3elisama. They can be compared with )pollo and Miner!a.3eli Mawr(ales elsh ancestor deity.3elisamaGoddess of light and fire, the forge and of crafts. 1he is the wife of the god 3elenus.3heara(Ireland91cotland Q)lso Cailleach 3heur Rsee Cailleach belowS or Cally 3erry 1he controlled the weather. hen ahandsome young man was kind to her, she changed herself from an ugly old hag into a beautiful young woman andrewarded him with her fa!ors. 1he is also considered to be the #hite 5ady# and the wife of Manannan the 1ea God-you can see her in the sunlight sparkling on the water.3il2Gaelic god of the underworld from whom sprang the first men, and considered by some to be the father of the gods.3oann(Irish 3oann is the goddess of ri!ers and fertility.3obd the 8ed) son of 0agda and king of the Tuatha 02 0anann.3oibhniuCeltic god of smiths.3ors) king of Gaul.3or!o(Gaul God of healing.3rUn(3ritain God of the underworld.3ranwenelsh lo!e goddess.

3res(Gaelic God of fertility and agriculture- one of the first kings of the Tuatha 0e 0anaan.3ride1cotland/s !ersion of the Celtic Irish 3rigid.3riganduCeltic :rance !ersion of the Celtic Irish 3rigid.3rigantiaCeltic 3riton !ersion of the Celtic Irish 3rigid.3righid (3rigit(Gaelic 3righid was the goddess of fertility, therapy, metalworking, and poetic inspiration. 1he is the wife of 3res.1he is known as Caridwen (Cerridwen in ales. There are three sisters by the name of 3rigit in Irish myth (daughtersof In 0agda who are the patron$goddesses of learning (poetry, healing and smithcraft.3ronach)n Irish goddess of cliffs.Caer)n Irish swan maiden with whom Ongus (god of poetry fell in lo!e. He became a swan also.Cailleach


24/122

)n ancient goddess of the pre$Celtic peoples of Ireland. 1he controlled the seasons and the weather- she was thegoddess of earth and sky, moon and sun.Cairbr2) son of Cormac.Cairpr2) bard of the Tuatha 02 0anann and a son of +gma.Camulus(Gaul God of the sky and of war.

Canola(Irish )ccording to the myth she was the in!entor of the Irish harp. 1he had a disagreement with a lo!er, and so sheleft his bed to wander the night. Hearing beautiful music, she stopped and sat down- soon she fell asleep in the openair. akening to daylight, Canola disco!ered the music had been made by the wind, blowing through the rotted sinewsclinging to the skeleton of a whale. Inspired by the sight and remembering its magical sound, she built the first harp.CaradawcCaradawc of the 1trong )rms was a son of 3rUn.Carlin(1cotland 1he was the spirit of the e!e of 1amhain (Halloween, the night the year turned to winter, and the ghosts ofthe dead roamed the world of the li!ing.Carman(Irish ) destructi!e witch, she was the goddess of e!il magic. 1he had three e6ually destructi!e sons' 0ub(#darkness#, 0other (#e!il#, and 0ian (#!iolence#. The Tuatha de 0anaan, the deities ruled by the goddess 0anu,

fought against Carman with their most powerful weapons. :inally the sorceress 3echuille, was able to undo Carman/scurses. Her sons were destroyed and Carman put in chains, where she died of grief.Cartimandua(3ritain ) legendary warrior 6ueen who waged war against the 8oman "mpire, she was the leader of the 3rigantes,descendants of the goddess 3rigantia.Cathubod!aGaulish war goddess.Ceibhfhionn(Ireland Goddess of inspiration.Cenn Cruaich(Gaelic The hea!en$god (akin to 7eus.Cernunnos(Gaul Cernunnos was the god of the underworld and of animals. The horned (reindeer horns god of !irility, he isaccompanied by a ram$headed serpent and a stag. He was often depicted holding a bag of money, possibly signifyinghe was considered a god of fertility also.Cerridwen(ales Cerridwen is the goddess of dark prophetic powers. 1he is the keeper of the cauldron of the underworld, inwhich inspiration and di!ine knowledge are brewed.Cessair(Irish ) great magician, she became the first 6ueen of Ireland. 1he and her band of female followers inhabited theland after the Great :lood.Ceth21on of 0iancecht.Cethlennife to 3alor.Cethlion(Irish


25/122


26/122

) king of the :omors."len(ales In the Mabinogian, the elsh mythic epic, this heroine appears as the world/s first highway engineer. henher land was threatened, she magically built highways across the country so that her soldiers could gather and defendit."llylionThe elsh el!es."mer

(Irish )n e%ceptionally beautiful, and intelligent, woman who knew itN 3efore she would allow the hero Cuchulain tosleep with her she demanded a number of heroic tasks be successfully completed, reasoning that her superiorendowments warranted it."ponaThe horse goddess. @sually portrayed as riding a mare, sometimes with a foal."rc) king of the :ir 3olgs at Tara."remon:irst king of Ireland."ri(Irish The mother of 3res."riu(Irish The goddess for whom Ireland is named. In Gaelic Ireland is rendered as "rin, which means the #land of "riu#.

"sus(Gaul God e6uated with either 8oman deity Mars or Mercury. Human sacrifices to "sus were hanged and skeweredwith a sword. "sus is usually pictured as a woodcutter. His sacred animal was the bull."tain(Irish )n early sun goddess of ancient Ireland and wife to Mider."tanife of +gma."thne(Irish )n ancient Irish goddess that subsisted on the milk from a sacred cow from India."thniu0aughter of 3alor.:achea(Irish ) goddess of poetry.:agus(Gaul God of beech trees.:and(Celtic ife of Manannan, god of the sea.:ea) war goddess, wife of *uada.:edelma(Irish


27/122

(Irish The younger of two daughters of the king, she was courted by a neighboring king, but her father refusedpermission for her to marry until her older sister was wed. *ot content to wait, the neighboring king kidnapped theolder sister and claimed that she had been killed. :ithir was then married off to him. 4ears later, while she was on ahunting trip, :ithir ran across her sister who had been held capti!e all those years. The shock of seeing her sister ali!ekilled :ithir. Her sister then wept herself to death.:lidais(Irish The stag$mistress who roamed the earth in a chariot drawn by supernatural deer. 1he possessed a cow whosemilk supplied thirty people a day. 1he called the wild creatures of the countryside her cattle. :lidais had a daughter

named :land who was a lake maiden who sat beneath her waters and lured mortals to herself, and to death.:odla (:otla(Gaelic +ne of the trio of goddesses who lent their name to Ireland. The other two were 3anbha and "riu.Geofon(3ritain 1he was the ocean goddess.Goibhniu(Celtic Goibhniu was the smith god. +ne of three craft$gods of the Tuatha 0e 0anaan. The other two were 5uchtaand Creidhne.Goidel) mythical ancestor of the Irish.Goleuddydd(ales ) elsh princess who married a prince but remained barren. hen she finally became pregnant, she #lost it#and refused to li!e indoors. 1he went into the forest and hid from e!eryone. hen her time came to gi!e birth,

howe!er, she regained her sanity. 1he found herself in a swineherd/s yard, where she bore a son, was aptly namedCulhwch (pig. This folktale is really about an ancient sow goddess of fertility.Go!annon(ales God of smiths and metalworkers. The weapons he makes are deadly in their aim, the armor unfailing in its

protection. Those who drink from his sacred cup need no longer fear old age and infirmity.Grainne(Irish 1he is betrothed to :ionn MacCumhaill (:inn, but falls in lo!e with 0iarmuid (0ermot, when at their(:ionn/s and her/s wedding feast, a sudden breee lifts the long bangs of the handsome 0iarmuid and she sees themagical lo!e spot on his forehead (magical because any woman who sees it falls hopelessly in lo!e with him- thus thelong bangs, as he is #tired# of all the lo!e affairs. 1he slips drugs into the drinks of e!eryone, and when they are allasleep, she demands that 0iarmuid flee with her. They flee together to the ood of the Two Tents- so called becausefor their first few nights together 0iarmuid refuses to sleep with Grainne no matter her entreaties. ) gigantic monsteraccosts her and 0iarmuid rescues her- Grainne sarcastically remarks that at least something was interested in touchingher, and 0iarmuid, humiliated, mo!es into her tent. The new lo!ers are e!entually found by :ionn and his band, but0iarmuid gi!es Grainne a cape of in!isibility in which to escape. 1o the lo!ers begin tra!eling to stay ahead of the!engeful :ionn. "!entually, )engus, the god of poets, appears to :ionn to plead the lo!ers/ cause. :ionn/s heart istouched, and Grainne and 0iarmuid are allowed to return to the company.Grian(Irish )n early goddess of the sun. 1he is belie!ed by some to be a twin of )ine, another sun goddess.Gwendydd(ales )lso called Gandieda or Gwendolyn. 1he was Merlin/s sister (or twin, or lo!er, or all of the abo!e, dependingon which sources you belie!e.Gwyar(ales The wife of the god of hea!en.Gwyllion(ales ) spirit of the mountains. 1he was so ill$tempered that she always ga!e tra!elers the wrong directions.Gwyn ap *udd

(ales Gwyn ap *udd is the 5ord of the @nderworld and master of the wild hunt.Habetrot(3ritain Goddess of healing and spinning.Ilmarinen(:inland God of the winds, and good weather.In 0agda (0aghdha(Irish He is the leader of the gods. He has a secret affair with 3oann which results in the birth of +enghus.;alma(:inland Goddess of death.5atis(3ritain Goddess associated with water.5>r (5lyr(ales God of the sea.5leu(ales The god who is the elsh e6ui!alent of the Irish 5ugh. He was pictured as young, strong, radiant with hair ofgold, master of all arts, skills and crafts. )lso known as 5leu 5law Gyffes.5uchtaine


28/122

(Celtic He was the god of wheel making.5udd(3ritain God of the sea.5ugh (5ugus in Gaul. (Celtic His sacred symbol was a spear. He was always accompanied by two ra!ens. 1ometimes he is shown as one$eyed.


29/122

replaced by a hand crafted of sil!er, by one of the metalsmiths of the defeated :irbolgs.+beron(3ritain ;ing of the el!es.+enghus ()ngus(Irish He is the son of 0aghdha and 3oann. He is the god of fatal lo!e (akin to Cupid. )ngus/ kisses turn into singing

birds, and the music he plays draws all who hear it to his side.+gmios (+gma in Ireland(Gaul He was the god of genius, education, poetry, elo6uence, magic and incantation. He is shown as an old man with

wrinkles, carrying a club and a bow. :rom his tongue hang fine gold chains attached to the ears of his eager followers.+gyr!ran3ritish god of the @nderworld.+isin(Irish 1on of :inn.+nagh) 6ueen of the Irish fairies.


30/122

to him (usually they were drowned in giant cauldrons. He is credited with in!enting all the crafts of mankind. He isthe e6ui!alent of the 8oman god Mars.Tuatha 02 0anannThe mythical race of people (descended from the goddess 0anu responsible for all the tales of fairies that Ireland isfamous for telling. They were said to be adept in magic and, because of this, were banished from hea!en. They

possessed four talismans of great power' the stone of :al which shrieked under the true heir to the throne- the spear of5ug which made !ictory certain- the sword of *uadhu which slays all enemies- and the e!er full cauldron of 0aghdafrom which no man e!er goes away hungry. They came to Ireland where they were forced to go into hiding when that

country was in!aded by the Milesians, forerunners of today/s Irish.Tuetatesa(Gaul God of war.Tuulikki(:inland Goddess of forest animals.Tylwyth TegCollecti!e name for the elsh fairies.@kko(:inland God of the weather (clouds, rain, storms, thunder, and of the sky.@rien)n @nderworld king.@ther


31/122

)mn)nother goddess of the underworld.)mon)lso called )mun, 8a or 8e (the 1un, or )mun$8a or )men$8a (the Great 1un, or ;hepri. The king of the godsduring the Theban dynasties, and the god of fertility. He was part of the Theban Triad, along with Mut and ;honsu.@sually associated with the wind, or things hidden.)mset+ne of the four lesser gods of the dead who super!ised the mummification process. His name means #carpenter#, and

he is pictured with a man/s head. 1ee also Hepi, 1motef, and 1nouf.)nathaGoddess of lo!e and war. )lso known as a mountain goddess.)natis) goddess of the moon.)nka) creator goddess, wife of ;hnum.)nkhtithGoddess depicted as a serpent with the head of a woman.)nkt) spear$carrying "gyptian war goddess.)ntaiosHe was originally a falcon god, later belie!ed to ha!e merged into Horus.

)nthat1yrian war goddess adopted by "gypt. 1he is pictured holding a spear, shield, and battle$a%e and wearing the Crownof the 1outh.)nubisThe offspring of *ephthys affair with +siris. He prepared the dead and led them into the underworld.)nuket)n early "gyptian water goddess- she was later merged with *ephthys.)pepThe great snake of darkness, who sometimes rose up, mouth agape, to try to swallow 8a/s solar bar6ue in its tra!elacross the hea!ens- 8a always managed to escape, but each of )pep/s failed attempts resulted in fierce storms or solareclipses.)pisIt means #sacred bull#. 0epicted as a bull with a solar disk between its horns, )pis was another form of


32/122

snakes, and misfortune. He is a god of human pleasures, music, and dance. 3es was usually pictured full face (oftennude, with prominent genitals. He was shown to be ugly and grotes6ue in appearance, with a large head, protrudingtongue, bow legs and the ears, mane and tail of a lion or cat. He bore a plumed crown and wore the skin of a lion or

panther. 0espite his appearance, he was a beneficent deity and his appearance was meant to scare off e!il spirits. Hebore swords and kni!es to ward off the e!il spirits, as well as musical instruments which he used to create a din whichwould frighten them off. 3es was the protector of children and of women in labor, and aided the hippopotamusgoddess Taweret in childbirth.3ubastis

Goddess of childbirth.3usiris) king of "gypt, who to a!ert famine for his people, ordered all strangers that landed on his shores be sacrificed to thegods. He made the mistake of capturing Hercules, who escaped his chains and slew the king.3uto1erpent goddess of lower "gypt. Mother of the sun and moon. 1he spits poison on the enemies of the pharaoh, and

burns them with her fiery gae.CandaceTitle of the hereditary 6ueens of the desert empire of Meroe. +ne of them led an army of , rebels against the8oman occupation of "gypt.Chem)lso called Ham. He was the god of #increase#, considered as the father of their race. He is usually pictured wearing awomen/s garment.

Chensit)nother serpent goddess of lower "gypt. 1he is pictured with the crown of Hathor or with MaUt/s feather.Chonso1on of )mun$8a and his wife )thor. @sually pictured with the new moon atop his head.[petGoddess protector of children. 1he is pictured as being a hippopotamus with woman/s breasts and lion/s feet, usuallycarrying a crocodile on her back."rmutu)nother goddess of childbirth."rnutetGoddess with the head of a cobra, wearing a headdress with a solar disk between two horns.Gate$;eepers, TheGuardian goddesses of the gate to the underworld. The dead must say their names before they are allowed to passthrough. )akhabit and Clother are mentioned in the 3ook of the 0ead. The others are called by titles like #5ady of the5ight#, etc.Geb and *utThey were the children of 1hu and Tefnut. Geb was the god of earth. *ut was the sky goddess.Hagar) desert goddess of lower "gypt. +ccult lore links her to the moon.Hak) frog$headed goddess of resurrection.HapimouMeans the *ile. #He# was depicted with the beard of a man and the breasts of a child$bearing woman.HarpocratesGod of silence.Hast)nother goddess of the underworld mentioned in the 3ook of the 0ead.

HathorThe goddess of &oy and lo!e, she was a protector of women. )lso worshipped as a sky goddess, Hathor is depictedwearing a sun disk held between the horns of a cow as a crown. Hathor was the patroness of all women, artists, music,dance, and happiness. 1he is often traditionally present in all ancient "gyptian tombs to ensure safe passage into theafter world.Hedetet) scorpion goddess mentioned in the 3ook of the 0ead.Heket:rog$headed goddess of childbirth. Her husband fashioned the bodies from clay and she ga!e them life.Hepi)nother of the four lesser gods of the dead. His name means digger, and he has an ape/s head.Heptet) serpent$headed goddess of resurrection who is associated with the resurrection of +siris.He6etGoddess of fertility and regeneration. 1he assisted +siris to rise from the dead. )nother frog$headed goddess.HeritGoddess of the *orth.


33/122

Her$sha$sGoddess of the mid$day desert.Her$tept)nother serpent$headed goddess of the underworld. 1he takes care of the mummified +siris.HetHet is the "gyptian serpent goddess who rules fire.HorusThe falcon$eyed son of +siris and Isis, who was concei!ed miraculously by Isis and the dead +siris. He swore to

a!enge his father/s murder. He did.Imhotep)lso Imothph, the god of science or medicine. 1on of


34/122

eteshGoddess of beauty and lo!e.8a(see )mon abo!e The sun god, and leader of the gods, he was pictured as a child in the early morning, a man in his

prime at noon, and an old man in the e!ening. He tra!eled through the underworld at night to be reborn at dawn.8annoGod of gardens.8enenet (8enenutet

Goddess of children and nursing mothers.1ati)lso known as 1atis and 1atet, is an "gyptian archer goddess who personified the waterfalls of the ri!er *ile.1ebek (1obek$means #crocodile#.)lso called 1eb. as depicted as ha!ing a crocodile face. 0uring the Middle ;ingdom he was merged with 8e (1obek$8e and was worshipped as primordial deity and creator$god.1eker) god of death.1ekhetThe ennead of Memphis was headed by a triad composed of the father


35/122

The god of learning, he was the lunar god usually depicted with the head of an ibis, though he was worshipped as ababoon in Hermopolis. He acted as secretary to the gods, and was the master o!er writing, languages, laws, annals,and calculations.

@aGoddess of the underworld (as mentioned in the 3ook of the 0ead.@ad&et) goddess of the underworld who endows &ustice and truth. 1he is pictured as a cobra (sometimes winged and

crowned or as a snake with the face of a woman. 1he is the sister of *ekhebet, and together they are known as the*ebti.@atGoddess of water.@d&atThere are two !ersions of the #@d&at eye#'. It is the "ye of 8a (or of Heru. It refers to the eye of the falcon$headed god Horus after it had been torn out by 1ethduring one of their ne!er$ending battles o!er the throne of "gypt. The eye was then healed by Thoth, hence it wasconsidered a symbol of healing or re!italiation.L. )ccording to some other te%ts, )tum (the creator ga!e birth to his son by spitting him out. His daughter he !omitedout. 1hu (the son represented the air and Tefnut (the daughter was a goddess of moisture. )fter some time 1hu andTefnut became separated from their father and lost in the watery chaos of *u. )tum, who had only one eye (the @d&ateye, which was remo!able, remo!ed it and sent it in search of his children. In time they returned with the eye. )t this

reunion )tum wept tears of &oy. here these tears hit the ground, men grew (the beginning of the human race.@mm s$1ubyan) death goddess who causes infants to die.@nen$em$hetepGoddess protector of the dead.@rt$hekauThe lion goddess (sometimes the lion god who is the protecti!e power in the "ye of Horus.

Greek Mythological Characters)baris) priest of )pollo who was gi!en a magic arrow that rendered him in!isible and on which he could ride through theair. He cured diseases and spoke oracles.)bas;ing of )rgolis, grandson to 0anaus, and a minor character in the story of


36/122

)ctaeonThe huntsman who saw 0iana ()rtemis bathing and was changed into a stag by her, and then was torn to pieces byhis own hounds.)damantheaThe nymph who nursed 7eus (when 8hea ga!e Cronos a stone to swallow instead of the new$born 7eus. Cronos wassupposedly able to see e!erything that occurred in the realms o!er which he had dominion (the earth, hea!ens, and thesea, but )damanthea decei!ed him by hanging the baby 7eus (in his cradle from a tree, so that suspended betweenearth, sea, and sky he was in!isible to his father. There are M)*4 !ersions of this story and the nurse has a different

name in each(N$ Ida, )drastea, *eda, Helice, )ega, Cynosura.)dmeta0aughter of "urystheus, for whom Heracles (Hercules got the girdle of Hippolyta, 6ueen of the )maons.)dmetus) king of Thessaly whose herds were tended, unknown to him, by an e%iled )pollo who he treated kindly as he did allhis men. )pollo !owed to himself that he would aid )dmetus whene!er the opportunity arose. hen it came time for)dmetus to die, )pollo remembered his !ow. 1ee )lcestis below for the story.)donis)donis was born after an incestuous union between ;ing Cinyras and his daughter Myrrah. The goddess )phroditesaw )donis at his birth and was so taken by his beauty that she hid him away in a coffer. 1he told this to


37/122

)lso called Merope. 5o!ed by +rion and promised in marriage to him until in a drunken fit he raped her.)eropeife of )treus and mother of )gamemnon.)etherThe god representing pure air, son of "rebus (The dark region of the underworld through which the dead must pass

before they reach Hades and *y% (1he was the goddess of night, and the brother of Hemera (she was therepresentation of day.)ethra

Theseus/ mother.)gamedesTwin brother to Trophonius. They helped build a temple to )pollo at 0elphi where the oracle told them to indulgethemsel!es in all pleasures for si% days and on the se!enth their heart/s desire would be granted. They did, and on these!enth were found dead in their beds. Thus the saying' /Those whom the gods lo!e die young/.)gamemnonHe was the leader of the Greeks in the Tro&an ar- brother of Menelaus- son of )treus. His children by Clytemnestra,whom he took by force, were Iphigenia, "lectra, and +restes. To obtain fa!orable winds for the fleet against Troy, hesacrificed Iphigenia to )rtemis, incurring Clytemnestra/s hatred. @pon his return from the war, he was murdered byClytemnestra and her lo!er, )egisthus. To a!enge his death, +restes and "lectra killed )egisthus and their mother.)ga!e0ri!en mad by 0ionysus, she saw her son


38/122

)lcmeneMother of Heracles by 7eus, who took the form of her husband )mphitryon to seduce her. He en&oyed himself so muchhe made the night last as long as three ordinary nights.)lcyone0aughter of )eolus and wife of Cey% (son of the Morning 1tar. They were such a lo!ing, happy couple that theyroused the en!y of Hera, who sent a storm against Cey%/s ship, wrecking it and drowning him. His ghost appeared to)lcyone, who drowned herself so she could &oin him. 7eus pitied them and turned them into kingfishers. )eolusforbade his winds to blow for a space of se!en days each winter, so that his daughter can lay eggs in a nest which

floated on the sea (that/s what kingfishers doN. +ur word #halcyon#, meaning a period of calm days, comes from thismyth.)lecto+ne of the three "rinyes, goddesses of !engeance.)lectrona)n early goddess who was a daughter of the sun.)lectryon)res/ one time buddy. hen )res was #dallying# with )phrodite, he asked his buddy )lectryon to stand guard andwake him before sunrise so no one would know of his tryst. )lectryon fell asleep, and Helios (the sun saw thetwosome, so the secret was no longer a secret. )res, in his anger, turned his buddy into a rooster, who must awaken

before all others and proclaim the sunrise.)lphito $white goddess)malthea

) nymph, the nurse of the baby 7eus (or alternately the she$goat which suckled him. In thanks, 7eus broke off a hornfrom the goat and ga!e it to )malthea promising that the possessor should always ha!e in abundance e!erythingdesired. (The Horn of


39/122

)niusHe was the son of the god, )pollo, and of 8hoeo. hen 8hoeo became pregnant, her father had her placed in a chestand cast into the sea. 1he landed on the island of 0elos where she ga!e birth to )nius. )nius became the father ofthree daughters, +eno, 1permo and "lais (wine, grain seed and oil, in that order who were granted the power to bringthese three crops to fruition.)ntaeusHe was a giant, the son of the sea god


40/122

)rete)rete is the goddess of &ustice, and teacher of Heracles.)rethusa) nymph attendant of )rtemis who, when pursued by the ri!er$god )lpheus, is changed by )rtemis into a fountain.The ri!er$god determined to get her, flowed underground so as to mingle his waters with hers.)rgonaut+ne who sailed with ?ason on the )rgo in search of the Golden :leece.)rgos

Master shipbuilder responsible for the designing and building of the )rgo, fastest and most manue!erable of any shipin e%istence at the time. He is credited with the in!ention of the sail that could be tilted to catch pre!ailing winds, andof the rudder.)rgusThe hundred$eyed giant that Hera used to spy on 7eus to find out with whom and where he engaged his lo!ers insecret trysts. Hermes killed him on 7eus/ orders when he was guarding Io.)riadne) goddess of dreams. 1he was the daughter of ;ing Minos and


41/122

prudent ad!iser. 1acred to her are the oli!e, serpent, owl, and crow. 1he in!ented the bridle, the trumpet, the flute, therake, the plow, the yoke, and (in some myths the chariot.)tlas $he who dares1on of the Titan, Iapetus, and the nymph, Clymene ()sia, and the brother of


42/122

) nymph, nurse of 0ionysus.3riseis:irst name Hippodamia. 1he was gi!en to )chilles as a prie in the Tro&an ar, and taken from him by )gamemnon,which caused the famous 6uarrel that led to the death of


43/122

Callisto$fairest1he was a friend9priestess of the famous huntress )rtemis and took a !ow to remain single. 3ut 7eus took a liking toher (7eus took the form of )rtemis in order to seduce her. and she was no longer chaste. 1he was turned into a bear,either by 7eus who didn/t want his wife to know of the lo!e affair, or by his wife, Hera, as re!enge for the affair. 1hewas then killed in a hunt by her best friend )rtemis who really thought she was a bear. 7eus changed the dead Callistointo a constellation, the @rsa Ma&or (Great 3ear. Her son, )rcas, born of the affair with 7eus, was changed into theconstellation @rsa Minor (5ittle 3ear.Calyce $rosebud

Calypso $hidden) sea nymph and daughter of the Titan )tlas. Calypso li!ed alone on the mythical island of +gygia in the Ionian 1ea.hen the Greek hero +dysseus was shipwrecked on +gygia, she fell in lo!e with him and kept him a !irtual prisonerfor se!en years. )lthough she promised him immortality and eternal youth if he would stay with her, she could notmake him o!ercome his desire to return home. 1he bore him two sons before, at the bidding of the god 7eus, shefinally released +dysseus and ga!e him materials to build a raft to lea!e the island. 1he died of grief after he left.CampeThis female dragon was the guard of the monster children of Gaia, in their prison beneath the surface of the earth.Canidia) sorceress who can control the moon/s mo!ements.CaryaIn pre$classical mythology, Carya was a Greek goddess of the walnut tree. 1he was later assimilated into the )rtemismyth, as Caryatis in this form.

Cassandra $she who entangles menThe daughter of


44/122

0aughter of *y% and the personification of !iolent death.Cerberus $demon of the pit) many$headed dog with a mane and a tail of snakes, who guarded the entrance to the underworld (Hades. +ne of theL labors of Hercules was to capture him.CercopesTwo dwarfs (sons of +ceanus, clowns at heart, they were e!er up to mischief. +nce they came upon a sleepingHeracles and gleefully started stealing his arrows. Heracles awoke, seied the culprits, tied them to a pole upside downand strode off carrying the pole on his shoulders. The dwarfs laughed hysterically at this turn of e!ents, and e!entually

Heracles started laughing also. He freed them and let them go. Howe!er the dwarfs weren/t so lucky when they playeda trick on 7eus- he didn/t laugh, instead he turned them into monkeys.CercyonThe brute who challenged all passerbys to a wrestling match, which in!ariably ended in their deaths. That is until the

passerby turned out to be Theseus, an accomplished wrestler, who grabbed Cercyon by the ankles, whirled him around,and bashed out his brains against a rock.Ceto $sea monsterCeto is the daughter of Gaia and


45/122

gi!en to )chilles as recompense. 8ead the Iliad for the whole story.Cilissahen the usurper )egisthus wanted to eradicate )gamemnon/s line, he decided to kill the infant +restes. Cilissa,+restes/ nurse, replaced the infant in the crib with her own baby, and )egisthus strangled him instead. +restes li!ed tokill )egisthus.Circe $falcon) sorceress, the daughter of the sun god Helios and the sea nymph


46/122

. 0aughter of "rechtheus, king of )thens. 1he was raped by )pollo and bore a son. The child was e%posed to die butwas taken to 0elphi by Hermes and there brought up. Euthus, Creusa/s husband, thought the child his own and

brought him back to )thens, calling him Ion.L. :irst wife of )eneas and mother of )scanius. 1he was killed while trying to escape from burning Troy. Her ghostappeared to )eneas and warned him of perils to come.B. 0aughter of Creon, king of Corinth. ?ason deserted Medea for her. Medea, in re!enge, killed Glauce, Glauce/sfather, and her own children by ?ason.Crius, Creus, or ;reios

) Titan, married "urbia. Had B children' )straios,


47/122

grandfather.0anausGrandson of


48/122

(goddess of lo!e and )res (god of war, both of whom were helping the Tro&ans. hen he returned from the war anddisco!ered that his wife had been unfaithful, 0iomedes went to )pulia, where he remarried.0ione) Titaness. In some early legends she is the mother of )phrodite by 7eus- most legends though ha!e )phrodite born ofthe sea$foam (no mother.0ionysus $lame godHe was the god of fertility and wine, later considered a patron of the arts. 0ionysus was one of the most importantGreek gods. He was thought to be the son of either 7eus and


49/122

hung with fresh fruits $ carried in festi!als by children with two li!ing parents."irene+ne of the Horae- her name means peace."lais+ne of the +enotropae. 1he could change berries into oli!es."lasii, TheThey pre!ented epileptic seiures. They were the descendants of )le%ida, who passed on her power to pre!ent epilepsyto them.

"late) giantess who was transformed into a spruce tree when she could not stop crying o!er the death of her brothers, +tusand "phialtes."lectra $amber. 0aughter of )gamemnon and Clytemnestra. 1he aided her brother +restes in a!enging the murder of their father bytheir mother and )egisthus.L. +ne of the


50/122


51/122

"uphrosyne+ne of the Graces. Her name translates as #:esti!ity# or #?oy#."uropa $broad face) beautiful woman who caught the eye of 7eus. He transformed himself into a white bull and carried her off. 1he borehim three sons, ;ing Minos, ;ing 8hadamanthus and


52/122

Heracles, the Moerae (see :ates, sitting in front of )lcmene/s house, pre!ented the birth by sitting with their kneesheld together and their hands clasped around their knees- this was a spell that pre!ented birth. Galinthias, learning ofthis, ran out shouting that )lcmene had gi!en birth to a child. This so startled the Moerae they started to their feet andin so doing freed )lcmene/s thighs and her child was born. )ccording to the poet +!id, the Moerae were so angered bythis trick that they turned the subtle, darting Galinthias into a liard.Ganymeda+riginally the goddess cupbearer to the gods who ser!ed ambrosia and nectar at +lympian feasts. 1he was later splitin two- her name and her position as cupbearer were granted to Ganymede (see below and her other attributes were

transferred to Hebe.Ganymede) mortal boy that was abducted by 7eus, gi!en immortality and the &ob of cupbearer to the gods, and became 7eus/lo!er.GerasGoddess of old age, she was the daughter of *y%.Glauce1ee Creusa. ^grkgdscd.html_Glaucus:i!e of the many'. :ought on the side of the Tro&ans in the Tro&an ar. He was killed in the war by )&a%.L. 1on of Minos- drowned in a !at of honey- brought back to life by the soothsayer


53/122

Hades (


54/122

)rtemis, and


55/122

dying centaur had 0eianeira keep some of his blood as a lo!e charm. hen Heracles fell in lo!e with another maiden,0eianeira sent him a robe steeped in the blood. Heracles put it on, and poison spread through his body like fire. He ledto Mount +eta, built a funeral fire, and threw himself on it to die. )t his death he rose to +lympus, where he wasreconciled with Hera and married Hebe. He is more familiarly known by his 8oman name Hercules.HermaphroditusThis was a creature that was partly male and partly female. +ne legend has him being a handsome male, the son ofHermes and )phrodite. 1upposedly a nymph (1almacis fell in lo!e with him and beseeched the gods to be fore!erunited with him. They answered her prayers by fusing the two together thereby creating a being that was half male and

half female.Hermes$pillarHe was the cle!erest of the +lympian gods, and messenger to all the other gods. He ruled o!er wealth, good fortune,commerce, fertility, and thie!ery. He brought the souls of the dead to the underworld, and was honored as the god ofsleep.Hermione0aughter of Helen and Menelaus, concei!ed9born after the Tro&an war when Helen was at last reunited with Menelaus.1he was affianced to +restes but Helen ga!e her in marriage to *eoptolemus ()chilles/ son instead. 1upposedly oneof the reasons that +restes murdered Helen.Hero and 5eanderHero was a priestess of )phrodite belo!ed by 5eander, who drowned during one of his nightly swims across theHellespont to be with her.Herse

Goddess of the dew.Hesperia$e!eningThe land of the e!ening star, where the golden apples of Hera were guarded by the dragon 5adon and by the se!enimmortal maidens, the Hesperides.Hesperides1ee Hesperia.HesperosThe goddess of e!ening and wife of )tlas.Hestia$hearth1he was the !irgin goddess of the hearth, family, and peace, and the in!entor of domestic architecture. 1he was thedaughter of Cronus and 8hea and 7eus/s sister. +f all the +lympians, she is the mildest, most upright and mostcharitable.HilaeiraGoddess of brightness.HimaliaGoddess in!oked to bless the har!est.HimerusGod of se%ual desire.Hippasus$horsemanHippe0aughter of the centaur Chiron. 1he consorted with )eolus and bore him a daughter, Melanippe. )fraid of what thecentaurs would do to her if they found out she had been with mortal man, she prayed to )rtemis for help. The goddess

placed her in the hea!ens as the constellation of the Horse.Hippodameia0aughter of +enomaus, king of


56/122

youth.HosiaGoddess of holy rituals.HubrisGod personifying lack of restraint.Hyacinthus$hyacinth) handsome 1partan youth lo!ed both by )pollo, god of the sun, and by 7ephyrus, god of the west wind. +ne day, as)pollo was teaching the young man to throw the discus, the god accidentally killed Hyacinthus. :rom the blood of the

youth, )pollo caused a flower to spring up, each petal inscribed with an e%clamation of lamentation (what looks like)I, which means woe in Greek. )ccording to another legend, 7ephyrus was &ealous of the youth/s lo!e for )pollo and

blew upon the discus, causing it to strike Hyacinthus.TheHyades rain$makersThe name gi!en to fi!e (in some accounts, se!en sisters who nursed the infant wine god, 0ionysus. )s a reward theywere changed into the fi!e (se!en stars at the head of the constellation Taurus, the bull.Hybris$shamelessnessHydra$water creature. In Greek mythology, a many$headed water serpent. hen one of its heads was cut off, two newones appeared. It was killed by Hercules, who had his charioteer burn each neck after decapitation.Hygieia$healthGoddess of health, and the daughter of )esculapius. Her symbol was a serpent drinking from a cup in her hand.Hymen1on of )phrodite and 0ionysus. The god of marriage. He was represented as a young man carrying a torch and !eil, a

mature !ersion of "ros.The Hyperboreans beyond$the$*orth$ind$men) race of men who li!ed on the northern shores of the limitless ri!er +cean that ran around the earth. This fortunaterace ne!er knew care, toil, illness or old age.Hyperion$dweller on highThe Titan god of light, he was the father of the sun, the moon, and the dawn.Hypnos)lso known as 1omnus, Hypnos was the god of rest and9or sleep, and a twin brother of Thanatos, the god of death. Hewas the father of Morpheus, the god of dreams. He had many other sons, among whom were Icelus, who broughtdreams of animals and


57/122

saying that Marpessa should chose which one she wanted to accompany. Marpessa chose Idas.Idomeneus) king of Crete who fought with the Greeks at Troy. )fter the war he made a !ow to the gods to sacrifice whate!er hefirst encountered if they would grant him safe passage home. He met his own son, and true to his !ow, sacrificed hisson to the gods. The gods, howe!er, sent a plague to his kingdom, and he was banished by his people and branded amurderer.IlithyiaGoddess of childbirth. )lso spelled "ileithyia, "ilethyia, "leuto, etc.

In!idia


58/122

:oster$father of +dysseus. His wife )nticlea had been seduced by )utolycus (son of Hermes and gotten pregnant with+dysseus, but 5aertes forga!e her and brought up +dysseus as he would ha!e a son of his own.5amia$lecherous) monster serpent with the head and breasts of a woman. It preyed on human beings and sucked the blood of children.5ampetia0aughter of the sun. 1ister to


59/122

MarsyasIn some tales he is identified as a


60/122


61/122


62/122

(Called by the 8omans $ @lysses. ;ing of Ithaca and husband of


63/122

The god of healing, e!en for the other gods.


64/122


65/122

.


66/122

"arth goddess associated with success in business.


67/122

1abaius)


68/122


69/122

) daughter of )res and )egina. 7eus tried to make her his lo!er, but she persuaded him to grant her a wish first. Hepromised. 1he asked for eternal !irginity, which, ha!ing promised, he granted. 1he later got )pollo and Halys (a ri!er$god to grant her the same promise.1irens$those who bindThe mythical monsters that were half beautiful woman and half bird, and sang such sweet songs that listeners forgote!erything and died of hunger. In the oldest legends there were two, later writers had three, and still later writers keptadding more. They sat on rocks by the sea and lured sailors to their doom by singing to them. )glaope (beautiful face,)glaophonos (beautiful !oice, 5eucosia (white being, 5igeia (shrill, Molpe (music,


70/122

B. +ne of Helen/s suitors.Y. ) son of


71/122

Telamos) Cyclops who foretold that


72/122

Theia$di!ineThe wife of her brother Hyperion, Theia ga!e birth to Helios (sun, "os (dawn, and 1elene (moon. 1he is the goddessfrom whom light emanates and considered especially beautiful.Theisoa+ne of the three nymphs who helped raised 7eus when he was an infant being hidden from his father. The other twowere Hagno and *eda.Thelchtereia+ne of the 1irens.

Thel%iepeia)nother 1iren- sister of )glaopheme and


73/122


74/122

anger. @rania is often pictured carrying a globe in one hand and a pair of compasses in the other.L. )lso the name of one of the +ceanides.Folupta0aughter of


75/122

to all kinds of tricks to hide his infidelity from his wife. 1tories of his escapades were numerous in ancient mythology,and many of his offspring were a result of his lo!e affairs with both goddesses and mortal women. 7eus/ image wasrepresented in sculptural works as a kingly, bearded figure. 7eus corresponds to the 8oman god ?upiter.7eu%ippe+ne of the +ceanides- daughter of Tethys and +ceanus.7eu%o)nother one of the +ceanides- also a daughter of Tethys and +ceanus.Mythological Characters of the Mid$"ast

The 1umerians had four leading deities, known as creating gods. These gods were )n, the god of hea!en- ;i (;iki,the goddess of earth- "nlil, the god of air- and "nki (who later became "a, the god of water. *e%t in importance to thecreating deities were the three sky deities, *anna, the god of the moon- @tu, the sun god- and Inanna (who later

became Ishtar, the 6ueen of hea!en and the goddess of lo!e, procreation, and war. )nother god of great importancewas *inurta, the deity in charge of the !iolent and destructi!e south wind. +ne of the most belo!ed deities was theshepherd god 0umui (the biblical Tammu.)(3abylonia ) Chaldean moon goddess. Her emblem is a disk with eight rays, a number that is associated with thegoddess of light in many cultures.)dad(3abylonian9Mesopotamian 3abylonian' The god of wind, storm, and flood. Mesopotamian' "mbodiment of !iolentthundering rainstorms.


76/122

Tiamat the world is created.)raratThe ancient )natolian (Turkey creator goddess.)rinna(Hittite Goddess of the sun.)sherali(Canaan Moon goddess of fertility.)shnan

1umerian goddess of grain.)shtoreth ()starte or )shtartThe supreme female di!inity of the


77/122

0ae!as(


78/122

year.Gula(3abylonia 1ometimes called Gula$3au. ) mother goddess, with the power to inflict disease, or to cure disease. 1heli!ed in a garden at the center of the world, and watered the tree that forms its a%is.Hadad(Canaan God of lightning and thunder.Hannahanna(Hittite God of agriculture.

Hatti(Hittite The throne goddess, protector of the king.Hea(Mesopotamia Goddess of wisdom.Hiribi(Canaan Goddess of summer.Houri, The(


79/122

Maria, Maerin, Mariana and Marina. )lso the basic name for the merry$maid, or mermaid (also mare$mynd,mareminde, marraminde, maraeman or mereminne. 1he was often seen dressed in a blue robe and pearl necklace,edged with pearly foam.Meni(


80/122

1adarnuna(1umeria Goddess of the new moon.1hahar(Canaan God of the dawn.1halim(Canaan God of the dusk.1hamish(3abylonian The son of 1in, he was the sun god and the god of &ustice.

1hapshu(Canaan Goddess of the sun.1heger(Canaan God of cattle.1inThe 3abylonian moon god (counterpart of the 1umerian *anna.1iris (1irah(3abylonia Goddess of 3an6uets.Taautos(


81/122

()ssyro$3abylonian )n early pregnancy goddess who was worshiped each night as the moon rose.7arathustra(


82/122


83/122

describes the descent of Maui to the underworld, where he learns the art of making fire by rubbing two stickstogether, fishes up the islands of the 1outh


84/122

(


85/122

)etna)etna is the 8oman mountain goddess after whom the Italian !olcano Mount "tna is named. In some legends she isthe wife of the smith god Fulcan.)lbina"truscan dawn goddess- protector of ill$fated lo!ers. ) white sow goddess similar to the celtic Cerridwen.)lbunea) prophetic priestess.)lemona

Goddess of fetuses.)lpan("truscan )n attendant to Turan, goddess of lo!e.)ltria("truscan )n ancient earth goddess.)morGod of lo!e.)nagtia) goddess of healing.)ncetaGoddess of healing along with )ngita and )nagtia.)ngeronaThe goddess of the winter solstice, and goddess of fear and anguish (producing or relie!ing.

)ngina)nother goddess of health, specifically of sore throats.)ngitia"arly 8oman goddess of healing and witchcraft.)nieros) !ery early earth goddess, who with her daughter )%iocersa, personified the earth in spring ()%iocersa and inautumn ()nieros.)nima Mundi


86/122

("truscan ) goddess pictured carrying an a%. :unction unknown.3acchusIn Greek and 8oman mythology, the god of wine and ecstasy, identified with 0ionysus, the Greek god of wine, and5iber, the 8oman god of wine. His followers were mostly women who celebrated in a rite that ga!e us the modern term3acchanalia. His feasts were drunken euphoria$filled re!elries that sometimes led to bloodshed. The name 3acchuscame into use in ancient Greece during the Dth century bc. It refers to the loud cries with which he was worshiped atthe 3acchanalia, frenetic celebrations in his honor. These e!ents, which supposedly originated in spring naturefesti!als, became occasions for licentiousness and into%ication, at which the celebrants danced, drank, and generally

debauched themsel!es. The 3acchanalia became more and more e%treme and were prohibited by the 8oman 1enate inKJ bc.3efana(Italy 1he is represented as an old woman who, although ugly, is also !ery kind. +n ?anuary Dth of each year shedistributes candy to the good children and lumps of coal to the bad.3egoeGoddess of lightning and thunder.3ellonaThe goddess of war, popular among the 8oman soldiers. 1he accompanied Mars in battle. 1he was either the wife,daughter, or sister of Mars, and was sometimes portrayed as his charioteer or muse. This serpent$haired goddess isoften described as the feminine side of the god Mars. 1he is identified with the Greek war goddess "nyo. In front of3ellona/s temple, the fetialis (priestly officials performed the declaration of war ceremony, the casting of a spearagainst the distant enemy. 3ellona/s attribute is a sword and she is depicted wearing a helmet. 1he could be of

"truscan origin. Human sacrifices were made to her.3onaGoddess of female characteristics.3ona 0ea5atin for #Good Goddess#. The deity of fruitfulness, both in earth and in women. 1he was worshipped by the Festals asthe goddess of chastity and fertility.3ormonia) goddess of healing.3ubonaGoddess protector of animals.3yblis) water nymph who suffered from unre6uited lo!e.CacaGoddess of fire or !ice.Cacus:ire deity, brother of Caca. Cacus, three$headed and !omiting flames, was a son of Fulcan. He was noted as a robber,and was strangled to death by Hercules when he stole some of Hercules/ cattle.Calybe) water nymph.Camenae, TheThese water spirits dwell in freshwater springs and ri!ers. Their name means #foretellers#. Their festi!al, the:ontinalia, was celebrated on +ctober B by tossing good luck wreaths into wells. )mong them are )egiria, )nte!orta,Carmentis (the leader,


87/122

) pesonification of the physical processes of sur!i!al. #Carnal# is a deri!ati!e.Ceres0aughter of 1aturn and +ps. Goddess of the growth of food plants. 1he and her daughter


88/122

Goddess of the marshes.0ecuma+ne of the


89/122

)nother goddess of purification.:ebruus"truscan god of purification who dwells in the underworld.:ecunditasGoddess of fertility.:elicitasThe goddess of good luck. 1he was a fa!orite of the 8oman emperors and their generals.:eronia

The deity who protects freedmen. This goddess made her h

characters of mythology.doc

Documents