"The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as his father, in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter."

 

 

~ THOMAS JEFFERSON

 

 

 

History is full of human beings who have believed in gods—thousands upon thousands of them. And just as many great and long-lasting civilizations have all but slipped from our memory, so have the gods they worshiped.

 

While today's dominant religions fixate on (and wage wars over) a few prominent deities, we would be wise to remember that billions of people from past centuries believed in—and devoted their lives to—entirely different gods. When civilizations lost their dominance, collapsed and were eventually overshadowed by others, so the gods they worshipped declined and lost their relevance. If these deities are remembered in the present at all, they are thought only to be quaint relics of distant, more primitive peoples.

 

This fact, perhaps more than any other, demonstrates that gods are human inventions, and thrive only so long as groups bound by common belief survive. Gods live solely in the minds of men and women, and are conjured up to serve very human personal and political needs.

 

Consider the following compilation of gods in whom people have believed over the course of human history. By no means an exhaustive list, it nevertheless serves as a reminder that gods have always been, and continue to be, human creations.

 

 

A

 

Aabit: Egyptian. Goddess of song, music, and the arts.

 

Aah: Egyptian. God of the moon, responsible for the creation of the Egyptian calendar, which has 30 days per month and is 12 months long. Patron of the student or learner.

 

Abarta: Celtic. A member of the Tuatha Dé Danann ("People of the goddess Danu") an Irish race of gods, founded by the goddess Danu. These gods, who originally lived on 'the islands in the west', had perfected the use of magic. Abarta is associated with teamwork, and the destructive nature of jealousy.

 

Acat: Mayan. God of tatooers.

 

Accasbel: Celtic. An early God of meade or wine, thought to have created the first tavern or pub. Associated with the wine harvest.

 

Achiyalatopa: North American (Zuni). A powerful celestial monster who hurls feathers made of flint knives.

 

Achtland: Celtic. Queen goddess infamous for her displeasure in what she found available to her among human men. When she was approached by one of the Tuatha Dé Danann (a giant from the faery realm), she fell in love with him. She is associated with magic and sex.

 

Addanc: Celtic. A primordial giant/god/lake monster described alternately as resembling a crocodile, beaver or dwarf-like creature, and is sometimes said to be a demon. Associated with erasing unwanted events or persons from one's mind.

 

Adekagagwaa: North American (Iroquois). The spiritual embodiment of summer, who rests in the southern skys during the winter months.

 

Aditi: Indian. Mother of the celestial gods, the synthesis of all things. Associated with mystic speech, space, consciousness, the past, the future, and fertility.

 

Adroa: Central African. God of law, social order, and death. Depicted as tall, his good and bad aspects are shown as two half bodies: the evil one being short and coal black while his good aspect is tall and white.

 

Adsullata: Celtic. A continental river goddess, associated with hot springs, solar magic and purification.

 

Aerten: Celtic. Goddess of fate who ruled over the outcome of war between several Celtic clans. Her symbol was the double-bladed axe, and she was associated with both overcoming enemies, and peace.

 

Aesun: Celtic. Creation god whose name means "to be."

 

Aeval: Celtic. The Fairy Queen of Thomond in Irish mythology; held a midnight court to determine if husbands were satisfying their wives' sexual needs or not. Associated with sex, lust, wisdom, and magic.

 

Agdistis: Greek. A powerful hermaphroditic daemon; chaotic, neither good nor evil, but impossible to control, containing all of the powers of creation within his/her body and using these powers to wreak havoc.

 

Agni: Indian. God with three forms: fire, lightning and the sun. He is ever-young, because the fire is re-lit every day, yet he is also immortal.

 

Agrona: Celtic Goddess of slaughter, war, and carnage.

 

Ah Puch: Mayan. The God of death and King of Metnal, the underworld. He was depicted as a skeleton or corpse adorned with bells, sometimes the head of an owl.

 

Ahsonnutli: North American (Navajo). Hermaphroditic deity who helped create the sky and the earth. He produced four giants to hold up the the sky, one in each corner: north, south, east, and west.

 

Ahura Mazda: Persian. The sky god of order, creator of heaven and earth and upholder of asa (rightness, truth) and opposer of Ahriman (the principle of evil).

 

Aibell: Celtic. Fairy goddess whose played a magic harp which human ears could not hear or else the eavesdropper would soon die. Associated with music, stones and leaves, protection, and ecological magic.

 

Aibheaog: Celtic. Goddess of fire whose healing powers were effective against toothache. Associated with midsummer well rituals.

 

Aife: Celtic. A warrior goddess and queen of the Isle of Shadow. She commanded a legion of fierce horsewomen, and was not vulnerable to magic. Associated with general knowledge, protection, path-working, and teaching.

 

Aimend: Celtic. Sun goddess thought to be daughter of the king of the region known as Corco Loidhe.

 

Aine of Knockaine: Celtic. Moon goddess associated with the summer solstice, cattle, and crops.

 

Airmid: Celtic. Goddess of the healing arts and medicine, associated with family loyalty, healing, learning, and inspiration to craftsmen.

 

Airseku: North American (Huron). The Great Spirit god, called upon when threatened or in times of urgent need.

 

Aita: Etruscan. God of the underworld.

 

Aker: Egyptian. God of the horizon; one of the earliest gods worshipped. Guardian of the entrance and exit to the underworld.

 

Akka: Finno-Ugrian. Goddess helpful for pregnant women, and after a birth, a woman would eat a special porridge dedicated to her.

 

Aktunowihio: North American (Cheyenne). Subterranean earth mother; the soul of the earth.

 

Akuj: Kenyan. God of divination.

 

Ala: Nigerian. Also known as Ale or Ane, she was a popular Earth Mother, creator goddess and Queen of the Dead. Associated with morality, oaths, community laws, and harvests.

 

Alberich: Germanic. A legendary sorcerer, king of the elves and dwarfs, guardian of treasures including Tarnkappe, a cape of invisibility.

 

Albion: Celtic. Son of a forgotten sea god who was said to rule the Celtic world. He may have been part of a lost creation myth as his name is the most ancient name for Great Britain.

 

Alisanos: Celtic. A local fertility god in Gaul, worshipped in what are now the Côte-d'Or in Burgundy and at Aix-en-Provence. May have been associated with mountain-ash and rowan trees.

 

Allah: Arab. The Prophet Muhammad declared Allah the one and only god (of the Islam) in the 7th century CE. In pre-Islamic times, Allah was the supreme creator-god of the Arabs. The goddesses Allat, Manat, and al-Uzza were considered to be his daughters.

 

Almha: Celtic. Goddess of the Tuatha De Danann about whom little is known today. A southern Irish hill was named after her.

 

Alpan: Etruscan. Winged spirit symbolic of harmony.

 

Alpu: Etruscan. A foreign import god associated with the Greek Delphic oracle and, therefore Apollo.

 

Ama-no-Uzume: Japanese. Fertility goddess of dawn and revelry in the Shinto religion.

 

Amaterasu: Japanese. A sun goddess and perhaps the most important Shinto deity, born from the left eye of Izanagi as he purified himself in a river and went on to become the ruler of the Higher Celestial Plain.

 

Amatsu-Kami: Japanese. The gods of heaven (distinguished from the gods of earth).

 

Amaunet: Egyptian. Mother goddess who breathes new life into things with her northern winds. Her name means "The Hidden One," and she is portrayed as a snake or a snake-head on which the crown of Lower Egypt rests.

 

Ambisagrus: Celtic. A weather god later equated with the Roman Jupiter. Associated with magic, leadership, and climate changes.

 

Amen: Egyptian. "Great Father" god whose name means "the hidden one"; associated with the wind, fertility, sex, and agriculture.

 

Ament: Egyptian. Goddess of the Underworld who greeted all newly dead with bread and water. If they ate and drank, they were not allowed to return to the land of the living.

 

Ami: Egyptian. God of fire.

 

Amida-nyorai: Japanese. An aspect of the Buddha, associated with forgiveness and protection.

 

Ami Neter: Egyptian. Singing god of the winds.

 

Ami Pi: Egyptian. A lion god.

 

Amitolane: North American (Zuni). God of rainbows.

 

Amu: Egyptian. God of the dawn.

 

Amun: Egyptian. God of air, the breath of life, he gradually rose to become one of the most important deities in ancient Egypt, before fading into obscurity.

 

Amutnen: Egyptian. Goddess of cows that provide milk.

 

An: Sumerian. A progenitor god who, long with Ninhursag, probably created the other gods in the Sumerian pantheon. His wife may have been Nammu.

 

Anat: Sumerian. Called the Lady of Heaven and Mistress of all gods; a wild and furious warrior.

 

Anayaroli: The Temne, (West African). A river demon associated with wealth.

 

Ancasta: Celtic. Goddess worshipped in Roman Britain, possibly associated with the river Itchen.

 

Andraste: Celtic. War goddess invoked to fight against the Roman occupation of Britain. Associated with overcoming enemies.

 

Andvari: Norse. A dwarf who lived underneath a waterfall and had the power to change himself into a fish at will. He had a magical ring named Andvarinaut, which helped him become wealthy. Also known as Alberich.

 

Angpetu Wi: North American (Dakota). God of the sun.

 

Angus Mac Og: Celtic. God of love, youth and poetic inspiration. He is said to have four birds symbolizing kisses flying about his head (whence, it is believed, the xxxx's symbolizing kisses at the end of lovers' letters come from.)

 

Anhur: Egyptian. God of the hunt and of war; associated with the sky and sun.

 

Anpao: North American (Dakota). A two-faced deity who represents the spirit of the dawn.

 

Anqet: Egyptian. Water goddess of the island of Sahal; associated with lust, intelligence, medicine, protection, death and cemeteries.

Anshar: Akkadian. A sky god, husband of his sister Kishar. Together, they might represent heaven and earth.

 

Anu: Sumerian. A sky-god, the god of heaven, lord of constellations, king of gods, spirits and demons, residing in the highest heavenly regions. He had the power to judge those who had committed crimes; created the stars as soldiers to destroy the wicked.

 

Anubis: Egyptian. A jackal-headed god associated with mummification and the afterlife in ancient Egyptian mythology.

 

Ao: Chinese. Four dragon gods, each overseeing a portion of the earth and sea. There names were Ao Ch'in, Ao Kuang, Ao Jun and Ao Shun.

 

Apep: Egyptian. An evil demon, the deification of darkness and chaos; associated with darkness, death, eclipses and the underworld.

Aphrodite: Greek. Goddess of love, lust, and beauty. Often depicted with the sea, dolphins, doves, swans, pomegranates, apples, myrtle, rose and lime trees, clams, scallop shells and pearls. Same as the Roman goddess Venus.

 

Apit: Egyptian. Goddess of nursing mothers.

 

Apollo: Greek. God of light and the sun, prophecy and truth, music, archery, poetry, and the arts, medicine and healing; able to bring ill-health and deadly plague as well as cure disease.

 

Apsu: Sumerian. Ruler of gods and underworld oceans; source of lakes, springs, rivers, wells, and other sources of fresh water. Father of Lahmu, Lahamu, Anshar and Kishar. Killed by Ea.

 

Apuat: Egyptian. God who guides souls to their final resting place.

 

Aput: Egyptian. Messinger god.

 

Arawn: Celtic (Wales). King of the otherworld realm of Annwn, ruled over the dead. Associated with reincarnation, spirit contact, revenge, war, terror, magical names, and strengthening friendships.

 

Ard Greimme: Celtic (Scotland). Sun god associated with magic.

 

Ares: Greek. Often referred to as the Olympian god of warfare, he is more accurately the god of savage warfare, or bloodlust, or slaughter personified. Son of Zeus and Hera; savior of cities and father of victory.

 

Ardwinna: Celtic (Britain). Eponymous goddess of the Ardennes Forest and region, represented as a huntress riding a boar. Later assimilated into the Gallo-Roman mythology of goddess Diana.

 

Ariadne: Greek and Celtic. The only Greek goddess known to have been worshipped in Celtic Gaul. In Greek mythology, she was daughter of King Minos of Crete and his queen, Pasiphaë, daughter of Helios, the Sun-titan. She aided Theseus in overcoming the Minotaur and later became the consort of the god Dionysus.

 

Arianrhod: Celtic (Wales). Associated with fertility, beauty, and reincarnation, she was daughter of Dôn and sister of Gwydion and Gilfaethwy. In the Mabinogi her uncle Math ap Mathonwy is the King of Gwynedd, and during the course of the story she gives birth to two sons, Dylan Eil Ton and Lleu Llaw Gyffes, through magical means.

 

Arnamentia: Celtic. Goddess of spring waters who was once a minor solar deity. Associated with purification and healing.

 

Artaius: Celtic. God of sheep and cattle herders from Celtic Gaul. Later, the Romans identified him with Mercury. Associated with cattle and sheep.

 

Artemis: Greek. Daughter of Zeus and Leto, twin sister of Apollo, she was a hunter and a virgin, the goddess of forests, hills, and transitions—ncluding childbirth. Often depicted as carrying a bow and arrows, deer and cypress were sacred to her. Called Diana by the Romans.

 

Artio: Celtic. Goddess of the bear, worshipped at Berne, Switzerland. Goddess of fertility and wildlife, usually depicted as being surrounded by animals and full baskets. Associated with geode stones, the bear, claws and teeth; also with fertility, courage, and strength.

 

Aryaman: Indian. God whose name name signifies "bosom friend," but is literally "noble one." Chief of the manes, the Milky Way is supposed to be his path.

 

Asa: Kenyan. Father God, "the strong lord," who was associated with mercy, help, and surviving the impossible.

 

Asase: West African. Fertility goddess responsible for the creation of humans and receiver of them at death; associated with cultivation and the harvest.

 

Asbit: Egyptian. Goddess of fire.

 

Asclepius: Greek. A demigod of medicine and healing, represents the healing aspect of the medical arts. Apollo's son.

 

Aseb. Egyptian. God of fire.

 

Ashkit: Egyptian. Wind goddess.

 

Ashu: Egyptian. Wind goddess.

 

Asvins: Indian. Goddess of the clouds, symbolizing the shining of sunrise and sunset, appearing in the sky before the dawn in a golden chariot, bringing treasures to men and averting misfortune and sickness.

 

Ataentsic: North American (Iroquois). Sky goddess who fell to the earth at the time of creation. Associated with marriage, childbirth, and feminine pursuits.

 

Aten: Egyptian. The sun god; originally an aspect of Ra. He became the deity of the monotheistic religion of Amenhotep IV, who took the name Akhenaten.

 

Athena: Greek. Goddess of war, wisdom, and crafts; daughter of Zeus, and Metis. The patron goddess of Athens, offering the gift of the olive tree. Same as Roman goddess Minerva.

 

Athirat (Asherah): Canaanite. Equated with the Milky Way, she was goddess of the sea, particularly along the shore, of the fertility of humanity, flocks, and crops, and of great wisdom.

 

Atho: Finno-Ugrian. Horned god associated with the seas and water.

 

Athtart: Phonecian. Connected with fertility, sexuality, passion, and war, her symbols were the lion, the horse, the sphinx, the dove, and a star within a circle indicating the planet Venus. Pictorial representations often show her naked.

 

Atlas: Greek. Leader of the Titans who fought against the gods; punished by Zeus to carry the vault of the sky on his shoulders, in order to to prevent the two from resuming their primordial embrace.

 

Atum: Egyptian. Deity considered the 'complete one'; the finisher of the world, all things being made of his flesh.

 

Aua: Egyptian. God of gifts and gift giving.

 

Auit: Egyptian. Goddess of children and nurses.

 

Awonawilona: North American (Zuni). Sun god, creator of the sky, earth, and oceans.

 

B

 

Baal: Canaanite. God of rain, thunder and lightening, fertility and agricultural growth. His name means "master" or "owner."

 

Bacabs: Mayan. A group of four giant protective deities; upheld the sky at its cardinal points.

 

Bacchus: Roman. Son of Jupiter (Greek Zeus) and god of wine and intoxication. Same as the Greek god Dionysus.

 

Badb: Celtic (Irish). Goddess of war who took the form of a crow. She often caused confusion among soldiers to move the tide of battle to her favored side. Associated with crows and ravens, the cauldron, life, wisdom, inspiration, and enlightenment.

 

Baile of the Honeyed Speech: Celtic (Irish). God of Blarney, the speech valued in Irish culture. Associated with speaking and speeches, ideas and quick, clear thinking, impressing others, love magic, magic wands, and protection for lovers.

 

Bait: Egyptian. Goddess who watches over the soul.

 

Baket: Egyptian. Hawk goddess.

 

Balder: Norse. Son of Odin and Frigg, his name means "the Glorious." He was killed by the connivance of the trickster god Loki and mistletoe.

 

Banba: Celtic (Irish). One of the patron goddesses of Ireland, associated with the repelling of invaders. Initially, she could have been a goddess of war as well as a fertility goddess.

 

Ban-Chuideachaidh Moire: Celtic (Irish). Midwife goddess who assisted the Christian Virgin Mary with her birth. Associated with childbirth.

 

Ba-neb-Tetet: Egyptian. Ram-god. Since Osiris was considered dead, as god of the dead, Osiris' soul, or rather his Ba, was occasionally worshipped in its own right, almost as if it were a distinct god, especially so in the Delta city of Mendes.

 

Barinthus: Celtic (Wales). A sea and weather god, most likely once a Sun God.

 

Bast: Egyptian. Ancient solar and war goddess; protector of Lower Egypt, and consequently depicted as a fierce lioness.

 

Bastet: Egyptian. An ancient solar and war goddess, the protector of Lower Egypt, depicted as a fierce lioness.

 

Bata: Egyptian. A cow goddess, and depicted as having a human head with cow ears and horns. Associated with fertility.

 

Ba Xian: Chinese. Eight immortals from Taoist mythology representing youth, old age, poverty, wealth, the populace, nobility, the masculine, and the feminine. Their names are Zhang Guo-lao, Lu Dong-bin, Cao Guo-jiu, Zhong Li-quan, Li Tie-guai, Han Xian-zi, He Xian-gu, and Lan Cai-he.

 

Bechoil: Celtic (Irish). Possibly an early version of Dana, this goddess' legends have been lost to time.

 

Becuma: Celtic (Irish). Goddess of overcoming jealousy, she ruled over magic boats and had a weakness for sleeping with high kings at Tara. Became an outcast because of her behavior.

 

Behanzin: West African. The fish god.

 

Bekhkhit: Egyptian. Goddess of dawn's first light.

 

Bel: Celtic (Irish). Associated with heat and healing, he may have been equated with the Roman Apollo. He rules over cattle, crops and vegetation, science, fire, prosperity, hot springs, success, healing, fertility, and purification.

 

Belisama: Celtic. Goddess connected with lakes and rivers, fire, crafts and light. Associated with the Mersey River.

 

Bellona: Roman. War goddess, depicted wearing a helmet and armed with a spear and a torch. Often described as the companion, sister, or wife of Mars, she is associated with the Greek Enyo.

 

Benten: Japanese. Goddess of love; associated with eloquence, wisdom, the arts, music, knowledge, good luck and water. Patroness of geishas, musicians, and dancers.

 

Berecyntia: Celtic (Irish). Earth Goddess associated with magic, fertility, and the elemental earth.

 

Bergelmir: Norse. An ice or frost giant who, along with his wife, were the only survivors of the flood of blood that resulted when Ymir was killed. They escaped the flood by climbing onto an ark, later becoming the progenitors of a new race of frost giants.

 

Bes: Egyptian. God-protector of households and in particular mothers and children; defender of everything good and the enemy of all that is bad.

 

Bes: Egyptian. Protector of households and in particular mothers and children; defender of everything good and the enemy of all that is bad.

 

Bixia Yuanjin: Chinese. Taoist goddess of childbirth, the dawn, and destiny.

 

Bladud: Celtic (Wales). Mythical king of the Britons, for whose existence there is little historical evidence. Depicted as a very virile male figure with flaming hair, he is associated with the sacred English hot spring known as Aquae Sulis, and also with protection, employment, and any endeavors governed by the Sun.

 

Blai: Celtic (Irish). A Faery Queen with a burgh of her own Drumberg. Represents a personal or mascot deity to Ossian.

 

Blathnat: Celtic (Irish). Her name means "like a flower"; a fertility goddess associated with roses, cow and cauldron trinities; fertility and abundance.

 

Blodeuwedd: Celtic (Wales). Lily maid of Celtic initiation ceremonies; a woman made from the flowers of broom, meadowsweet and the oak. Associated with initiations, flowers, lunar mysteries, and wisdom.

 

Boann: Celtic (Irish). Goddess of the River Boyne, associated with water magic, healing, and fertility.

 

Bo Dhu: Celtic (Irish). Associated with prosperity, fertility, and food abundance, she is a Black Cow goddess who helped bring fertility to barren Ireland.

 

Bodua: Celtic. Gaulish war goddess identical to the Irish goddess Badb. Comparable to the Roman Victoria, the Greek goddess Nike and possibly the Nordic goddess Sigyn.

 

Bo Find: Celtic (Irish). Goddess whose name means "white cow," she helped to bring fertility to the Irish countryside. She came from the Western Sea with her sisters, the Red Cow goddess (Bo Ruadh), and the black cow goddess (Bo Dhu). Associated with prosperity, fertility, and food abundance.

 

Bormanus: Celtic. One of the earliest Celtic gods, about whom little is known today; a healing deity associated with bubbling spring water.

 

Bo Ruadh: Celtic (Irish). "Red cow goddess," the third sister who—along with white cow goddess (Bo Find) and black cow goddess (Bo Dhu)-- brought fertility and food abundance to Ireland.

 

Borvo: Celtic (Britain). God of hot springs who replaced his mother, Sirona, in this function when her story was patriarchalized. The spring he ruled had great healing powers. Possibly the same as Bo Ruadh.

 

Bragi: Norse. God of poetry; renowned for wisdom, fluency of speech and skill with words.

 

Brahma: Indian (Hindu). The self-born creator of the universe, he is the first member of the Hindu trinity.

 

Bran The Blessed: Celtic (Wales). Name means "Blessed Crow." A giant and king of Britain in Welsh mythology, associated with ravens. Rules over the arts, leaders, prophecy, war, writing, music, and the sun.

 

Branwen: Celtic (Wales). Goddess of love and beauty, lady of the lake, venus of the northern seas. Associated with beauty and love.

 

Breasal: Celtic (Wales). God of all Earth, his island dwelling is visible to humans only one night every seven years. Portuguese explorers who first reached South America mistakenly thought they had landed on Breasal's world and so named the land they discovered "Brazil." Associated with protection and guidance for explorers and travelers.

 

Bregon: Celtic (Irish). A minor Celtic figure who plays a role as either the human son of Milesius or the divine father of Bile and Ith.

 

Brenos: Celtic. God of war attributed to victories at Delphi and Allia.

 

Briant: Celtic. River goddess associated with water magic.

 

Brigantia: Celtic (Britain). Goddess associated with self-control and leadership, sovereignty, prosperity, and protection of one's land.

 

Brigit: Celtic. Associated with perpetual, sacred flames, she is the goddess of fire, healing, and fertility; the patroness of smiths.

 

Brihaspati: Indian. Personification of piety and religion, the chief offerer of prayers and sacrifices.

 

Bronach: Celtic (Irish and Scottish). A divine hag, a creatrix, and possibly an ancestral deity or deified ancestor. The word simply means 'old woman' in modern Scottish Gaelic.

 

The Buddha: Indian. Siddh?rtha Gautama, a spiritual teacher in the northern region of the Indian subcontinent who founded Buddhism; generally seen by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddha (Samm?sambuddha) of our age.

 

Buto: Egyptian. Protector-goddess associated with cobras.

 

C

 

Caer Ibormeith: Celtic (Irish). A daughter of Prince Ethal Anbuail of Sid Uamuin in Connacht; goddess of sleep and dreams. Usually took the form of a swan wearing a golden chain with one hundred and thirty golden balls. Associated with the horse, the moon, sleep, music magic, and prophetic dreams.

 

Cagn: South Central African. Creator god among the bush men, associated with sorcery and shape-shifting.

 

Caillech: Celtic (Irish and Scottish). Destroyer goddess associated with bad weather, wisdom, seasonal rites, disease, and cursing.

Caireen: Celtic (Irish). Protective mother goddess associated with holly leaves and the protection of children.

 

Cally Berry: Celtic (Irish and Scottish). Goddess representation of spring, the hunt and the guardian of animals. Perhaps a derivative of Diana/Artemis, she sometimes took the form of a crane. Associated with ecological magic, weather forecasting, and animals.

 

Camaxtli: Aztec. One of the four creator gods; a god of war and hunting, identified with the Milky Way, the stars, and the heavens.

 

Campestres: Celtic. Gaul fertility goddess of fields.

 

Camulos: Celtic. God of war who lived in today's Belgium.

 

Canola: Celtic (Irish). Associated with inspiration, dreams and music magic, he was one of the oldest of the Irish goddesses and inventor of the harp.

 

Caolainn: Celtic (Irish). Guardian goddess who granted wishes that often showed the wishers that they did not really desire what they thought they did. Origin of the wishing well—an image taken from the birth canal of the great earth mother from which all was created. Associated with wisdom, fertility, healing, falling stars, and wishing wells.

 

Carman: Celtic (Irish). A warrior-woman and sorceress from Athens who tried to invade Ireland in the days of the Tuatha Dé Danann, along with her three sons, Dub ("black"), Dother ("evil") and Dian ("violence"). She used her magical powers to destroy all the fruit of Ireland.

 

Carne: Celtic (Britain). Probably another version of Herne.

 

Carravogue: Celtic (Britain). Goddess associated with the number 9; originally a virgin goddess of spring, associated with earth magic, responsibility, and reincarnation.

 

Cathubodia: Celtic (Britain). Gaul war goddess associated with earth magic.

 

Cebhfhionn: Celtic (Irish). Goddess of inspiration associated with knowledge, healing, and mental powers. Kept the sacred water from the well of knowledge away from humans, feeling that they could not handle its power.

 

Cernunnos: Celtic. Horned god of nature and the underworld, depicted with antlers or horns and sitting in a lotus position. Associated with the stag, the bull, the ram and serpent. Rules over warriors and the hunt, sacrifice, sex, fertility and virility, animals, nature and forests, commerce, magic, sacrifice, and reincarnation.

 

Centzon Totochtin: Aztec. Moon gods who were depicted with moon-shaped nose ornaments and white and black faces.

 

Ceres: Roman. Goddess of growing plants (particularly grains) and of motherly love. Her name comes from the Proto-Indo-European root "ker," meaning "to grow," which is also the root for the words "create" and "increase." Called Demeter by the Greeks.

 

Ceridwen: Celtic. Originally a corn goddess, she had a magic cauldron in which she created a broth to make her terribly ugly son terribly wise.

 

Cernunnos: Celtic. A horned god associated with horned male animals, especially stags and the ram-headed snake; linked to produce and fertility.

 

Cerridwen: Celtic (Wales and Scotland). A magician, grain and moon goddess; mother of Taliesin, Morfran, and a beautiful daughter Crearwy (or Creirwy). Her husband was Tegid Foel, and they lived near Bala Lake in Wales. Associated with divination, death, past lives, inspiration, magic, regeneration, science, spells, astrology, herbs, wisdom and knowledge.

 

Cessair: Celtic (Irish). Leader of the first inhabitants of Ireland before the Biblical Flood, in what may be a Christianisation of a legend that pre-dates the conversion, but may alternatively be the product of post-conversion pseudohistory. She was associated with the cauldron and rising sun, new beginnings, strength, foresight, perseverance, water magic, and leadership.

 

Cethlion: Celtic (Irish). A prophetess who foretold the fall of her people to the Tuatha De Danann. Associated with divination and prophecy.

 

Chac: Mayan. God of agriculture and fertility; associated with thunder, lightning, and rain.

 

Chimati-no-Kami: Japanese. Fertility god of footpaths and crossroads.

 

Chac: Mayan. A benevolent rain god; with his lightning axe, he strikes the clouds and produces thunder. Conceived of as divided into North, South, East, and West and associated with the wind god, Kukulcan.

 

Chahuru: North American (Pawnee). A water spirit.

 

Chalchiuhtlicue: Aztec. Goddess of youthful beauty, lakes and streams; patroness of birth. Caused a great flood to punish the wicked.

 

Chandra: Indian. A lunar deity, lord of plants and vegetation. Associated with the antelope, rabbits, dew, and fertility.

 

Ch'ang-o: Chinese. Moon goddess who lives only on the moon, often depicted with a hare, (the hare can still be seen traced on the surface of the full Moon). She represents the female source of yin.

 

Chantico: Aztec. Fire goddess who symbolized pain and pleasure together. Associated with precious stones within the Earth, as well as wealth and fire.

 

Charun: Etruscan. Escort to the underworld and tormentor of the dead. Depicted with a hammer, his religious symbol, and is shown with pointed ears, snakes around his arms, and a blueish coloration symbolizing the decay of death.

 

Chasca: Incan. Goddess of dawn, twilight, and Venus; associated with the protection of virgin girls.

 

Cheng-huang: Chinese. Protective deities who can provide rain in time of drought, harvests and affluence. Also guided souls of the dead to heaven.

 

Chenoo: North American (Abnaki). Stone giants who were able to camouflage themselves and blend into rock formations; called upon to assist hunters.

 

Chicomecoatl: Aztec. Popular maize goddess, because maize was considered the giver of life. Carried a double maize cob and wore a large, four-sided headdress.

 

Chih-Nii: Chinese. Goddess of weavers, spinners, and clouds; associated with rain and hand-crafts.

 

Chindi: North American (Navajo). The ghost released at one's dying breath. An evil force, consisting of all that was bad about the deceased.

 

Ch'in-Shu-Pao: Chinese. Guardian god associated with protection, the guarding of doors, and privacy.

 

Chiuta: African. Self-created and omniscient creation god, associated with rain, plant growth, food, and help.

Chixu: North American (Pawnee). Spirits of the dead.

 

Chlaus Haistic: Celtic (Irish). An ancient goddess about which little is known today. A powerful crone goddess associated with druids and magic.

 

Chuang-Mu: Chinese. Goddess of the bedchamber; associated with love, sex, sleep, recovery from illness, and birth.

 

Chu-Jung: Chinese. Fire god and executioner; associated with death, justice, and revenge. Penalizes those who break the laws of heaven.

 

Chuku: Nigerian. Creator god for whom many offerings and sacrifices were offered. Associated with goodness and help.

 

Cian: Celtic (Irish). God who was born with a caul on his head, and was turned into a pig as a boy when struck by a druid's wand. Thereafter he could transform into a pig at will. In other versions he could transform into a dog. Associated with love magic.

 

Cihuacoatl: Aztec. Snake goddess associated with childbirth.

 

Cinteotl: Aztec. Corn god who sometimes took on the form of a female. Associated with food and nourishment. During April festivals held in his honor, reeds were smeared with blood and placed at house doors as offerings.

 

Cit Chac Coh: Mayan. God of war.

 

Cliodna: Celtic (Irish and Scottish). Queen of the Banshees who rules over the sheoques of South Munster. The wails of the banshee can be heard echoing the valleys and glens at night, scaring the wits out of those who hear; the wail of a banshee is potent and instills fear in good people. Associated with water magic, spirit contact, beauty, and appreciation.

 

Clota: Celtic (Scotland, Britain, Wales). Patron goddess of the River Clyde, the waters of which were believed to help control seizures.

 

Coatlicue: Aztec. Snake skirt or serpent lady goddess. A great Earth mother; both positive and negative, who could both harm and bless. Associated with earthquakes, famines, and life on Earth.

 

Coinchend: Celtic. A semi-divine warrior goddess associated with spirit contact.

 

Condatis: Celtic. Name means "waters meet." A deity worshipped primarily in northern Britain but also in Gaul, associated with the confluences of rivers, in particular the Tyne and the Tees. In Roman times he was equated with Mars, probably in his healing function.

 

Condwiramur: Celtic (Wales). Goddess of sovereignty associated with the ancient grail mysteries, and discovering one's own feminine power.

 

Corchen: Celtic. (Ireland). Ancient snake goddess about whom little is known today. Probably once a regional earth mother goddess; associated with reincarnation and past lives, as well as earth magic.

 

Corra: Celtic (Scotland). Goddess of prophecy who appeared in the form of a crane. Associated with prophecy and divination, transcendent knowledge and transitions to the underworld.

 

Coventina: Celtic (Scotland). One of the most potent Romano-British goddess of wells and springs, probably Roman in origin. Associated with inspiration, time and new beginnings, divination, protection of birds, life cycles and wishes.

 

Coyolxauhqui: Aztec. A moon goddess who wore golden bells on her cheeks.

 

Coyote: North American Indian. Prankster deity who assumes innumerable forms. To make human life more interesting, he created sorrow, illness, and death. A creative but mischievous character.

 

Cred: Celtic (Ireland and Scotland). Faery queen goddess associated with Dana's mountains, the color pink, and rose oil. Responsible for spirit contacts, love magic, keeping secrets, and searching for the perfect mate.

 

Credne: Celtic (Ireland). God of smithing and metallurgy who worked in bronze. A son of Brigid and Tuireann and the artificer of the Tuatha Dé Danann, working in bronze, brass and gold. Associated with tool blessing, self-defense, and inspiration of artistic endeavors.

 

Creiddylad: Celtic (Wales). Goddess of summer flowers, daughter of Lludd Llaw Eraint. The "May Queen," associated with strength of will, love and courage.

 

Crobh Dearg: Celtic (Ireland). A harvest goddess whose name means "red claws." Associated with flame and fire of wine.

 

Cromm Cruaich: Celtic (Ireland). Ancient harvest god of death and sacrifice. Associated with the underworld, death, and the harvest.

 

The Crone: Celtic. Third aspect of the triple goddess. Associated with winter, old age and death, the waning moon, menopause, and the destruction of all things that comes before rebirth. Often seen with crows and black dogs.

 

Cronos: Celtic. Minor sun and harvest god imprisoned in the land of the dead. Appears not to be connected to the Greek god of the same name.

 

Cybele: Phrygian. Fertility and Great Mother goddess who embodies the fertile Earth; a goddess of walls and fortresses, caverns and mountains, nature and wild animals (especially lions and bees).

 

Cyhiraeth: Celtic (Wales). A ghostly spirit goddess; a disembodied moaning voice that sounds before a person's death. Associated with inner-transformation, water magic, faery contact, and death.

 

Cymidei Cymeinfoll: Celtic (Wales). Irish giantess mentioned in the First Branch of the Mabinogi. Gave birth to one fully-formed and armed warrior every six weeks. Associated with creative magic, strength, and reincarnation.

 

D

 

The Dagda: Celtic (Ireland). Name means "The Good God"; not necessarily good in a moral sense, but good at everything, or all-powerful. Associated with death and rebirth, reincarnation, fire, protection, warriors, the sun, the arts, healing and regeneration, mastering all trades, and perfect knowledge.

 

Dagon: Philistine. God of grain and agriculture.

 

Dahud-Ahes: Celtic (Britain). Goddess of debauchery and earthly pleasure. Associated with the sea, courage, pleasure and sex.

 

Damara: Celtic (Britain). Fertility goddess associated with Beltane.

 

Damkina (Dumkina): Sumerian. Earth mother goddess, wife of Ea and mother of Marduk.

 

Damona: Celtic. Name means "Divine Cow"; linked with the Irish goddess Boann. Patron deity of hot springs at Saint-Vulbas. Associated with fertility and abundance.

 

Danh: Dahomey, West Africa. Snake god of wholeness and unity. Depicted with his tail in his mouth.

 

Danu: Celtic (Ireland). A major Earth mother goddess associated with wisdom, wizards and magic, rivers and wells, abundance and prosperity.

 

Daronwy: Celtic (Wales). God about whom little is known today. Some scholars think he is actually the god Ossian.

 

Davlin: Norse. A dwarf and the father of one of the Norns (female beings who rule the fates of the various races).

 

Dayunsi: North American (Cherokee). Creator-god who made dry land back in a time when only the sky and ocean existed.

 

Deae Matres: Celtic (Britain). A triune of Earth mother goddess about whom little is known today. They appear in votive reliefs and inscriptions in southeast Gaul as representations of motherhood, often displayed with fertility symbols such as baskets or cornucopias of fruit and bread, or babies. Associated with prosperity, fertility, and the harvest.

 

Dechtere: Celtic (Ireland). Goddess of motherhood, fertility, and abundance who alternately takes on the appearance of mother, maiden, and crone. Usually described as a woman of large proportions.

 

Demeter: Greek. Goddess of growing plants (particularly grains) and of motherly love. Her name comes from the Proto-Indo-European root "ker," meaning "to grow," which is also the root for the words "create" and "increase." Called Ceres by the Romans.

 

Devi: Indian (Hindu). Divine mother whose name means "goddess." The wife of Shiva, the god of generation and destruction. She holds pain and joy in her right hand; life and death in her left hand. Kind and loving, she is the goddess of nature and life because she brings rain and protects against disease.

 

Devona: Celtic. Goddess of the rivers of Devon.

 

Diana: Roman. Daughter of Zeus and Leto, twin sister of Apollo, she was a hunter and a virgin, the goddess of forests, hills, and transitions—including childbirth. Often depicted as carrying a bow and arrows, deer and cypress were sacred to her. Called Artemis by the Greeks.

 

Diancecht: Celtic (Ireland). God of healing who blessed a well called Slane where the Tuatha Dé could bathe in when wounded; they became healed and continued fighting. The well would heal any wound but decapitation. Associated with healing and medicine, silver-working, regeneration and magic.

 

Di Cang: Chinese. Meaning "Womb of the Earth," was a bodhisattva in Chinese Buddhism who liberaes people from the hells. Depicted as a monk holding keys to open hells' gates.

 

Dil: Celtic (Ireland). Ancient fertility/cattle goddess about whom little is known. Possibly a derivative of Damona of Gaul.

 

Dionysus: Greek. Son of Zeus (Roman Jupiter) and god of wine and intoxication. Same as the Roman god Baachus.

 

Dispater: Celtic. Celtic and Roman god of the underworld, later subsumed by Pluto or Jupiter. Originally a chthonic god of riches, fertile agricultural land, and underground mineral wealth, he was later commonly equated with the Roman deities Pluto and Orcus, becoming an underworld deity. Associated with magic and fertility.

 

Domnu: Celtic (Ireland). Goddess of Formorians, her name means "The Deep." Associated with sea faery contact and leadership.

 

Don: Celtic (Wales). Both god and goddess; ruled over the underworld. Associated with eloquence and control of the elements.

 

Druantia: Celtic. Fir and oak tree goddess whose name is derived from drus, "oak." Associated with trees and tree faeries, fertility, passion, sex, creativity, knowledge, protection, and creativity.

 

Dubh Lacha: Celtic (Ireland). Possibly another version of the Druidess Dubh, she was an early goddess of the sea about whom little else is known.

 

Dunatis: Celtic. God of sacred spaces and fortifications. Associated with ritual and sacred hiding places.

 

Durga: Indian (Hindu). A form of Devi, the supremely radiant goddess, depicted as having ten arms, riding a lion or a tiger, carrying weapons (including a Lotus flower), maintaining a meditative smile, and practicing mudras, or symbolic hand gestures.

 

Dylan: Celtic (Wales and Britain). God of the mouth of the river Conway. Son of Arianrhod and Gwydion, whose symbol was a silver fish.

 

E

 

Ea: Babylonian. God of wisdom, arts and crafts.

 

Eadon: Celtic (Ireland). Poetry goddess associated with creativity.

 

Easal: Celtic (Ireland). God of prosperity and abundance; king of the golden pillars.

 

Ebhlinne: Celtic (Ireland). Fire or sun goddess about whom little is known today.

 

Echtghe: Celtic (Ireland). Earth mother goddess; possibly another form of Dana. Daughter of Nuada of the Silver Hand.

 

Eibhir: Celtic (Ireland). Once a sun goddess; a yellow-haired "stranger from another land."

 

Eithinoha: North American (Iroquois). Earth-mother goddess, associated with fertility, agriculture, and the growing season.

 

Eithne: Celtic (Ireland). Name means "little fire." Ancient goddess who probably originated in the middle east, associated with reincarnation, beauty, and fertility.

 

Ek Ahau: Mayan. God of war.

 

Ek Chuah: Mayan. God of war; associated with cocoa farmers, agriculture, and merchants.

 

El: Canaanite. The supreme god, the father of humankind and all creatures. Represented as old, with bull horns for strength; thought to correspond with Yahweh.

 

Elaine: Celtic (Britain and Wales). Maiden goddess.

 

Queen of Elphame: Celtic (Scotland). Goddess of disease and death associated with faery contact, destruction and death, the underworld, disease, rebirth, and battle.

 

Emma-hoo: Japanese. God of the underworld; associated with death, destruction, and revenge.

 

En-Kai: Masai, Kenya. Sky god who rules over vegetation, rain, and blessings.

 

Enki: Sumerian. Lord of underground water -- the watery abyss -- and of wisdom and magic. Keeper of the divine law, he created man from clay.

 

Enlil: Sumerian. Father of the gods; king of heaven, earth, and air.

 

Eos: Greek. A winged goddess who opens the gates of heaven so Helios (the sun) may ride his chariot across the sky, bringing in the dawn.

 

Eostre: Celtic. Goddess of spring. The word "estrus," meaning "fertile period," is derived from her name. Associated with animal reproduction and fertility, livestock and pets, new life, new ventures, and reincarnation.

 

Epona: Celtic (Britain). Goddess-protector of horses, mules, and donkeys. Associated with horse-breeding, dogs, crops, healing springs, and prosperity.

 

Epos Olloatir: Celtic. God of horses; either a male version of Epona or her consort. Associated with horses, night, and dreams.

 

Erce: Celtic. Earth mother goddess associated with the harvest and magic pertaining to the Earth.

 

Erh-Lang: Chinese. Shape-shifting god with 72 forms, who outwits evil spirits and demons. Associated with protection from evil.

 

Eri of the Golden Hair: Celtic (Ireland). Virgin goddess associated with the moon and creation.

 

Eriu: Celtic (Ireland). With her sisters, Banba and Fodla, she was part of an important triumvirate of goddesses. When the Milesians arrived from Spain each of the three sisters asked that her name be given to the country. This was granted to them, although Ériu (Éire) became the chief name in use.

 

Essus: Celtic (Britain). God of harvests; associated with spirit contact, harvests, and fertility.

 

Epona: Celtic. A goddess of fertility; protector of horses, donkeys, and mules, and oxen. Accompanied the soul into the afterlife.

 

Ereskigal: Sumerian. Queen of the underworld; passer of judgement.

 

F

 

Fa: West Africa. God of destiny.

 

Fachea: Celtic (Ireland). Poetry goddess associated with creativity.

 

Famian: Guinea, Africa. God associated with health, protection, and fertility.

 

Farbauti: Norse. Father of Loki, Byleifstr, and Helbindi. His wife was either Laufey or Nal.

 

Fea: Celtic (Ireland). Goddess of war; name means "the hateful one."

 

Feng-Po-Po: Chinese. Wind goddess whose name means "Madam Wind." Appearing as an old, wrinkled woman, she is associated with rain and storms.

 

Fenrir: Norse. A wolf, the son of Loki and the giantess Angrboða. Fenrir is bound by the gods, but is ultimately destined to grow too large for his bonds and swallow Odin whole during the course of Ragnarök.

 

Finisher: North American (Shawnee). Great Spirit creator of the universe.

 

Finncaev: Celtic (Ireland). Minor princess goddess of beauty and love.

 

Finvarra: Celtic (Ireland). King of the Dead; a benevolent god who ensures good harvests, strong horses, and great riches to those who will assist him. Also a womanizer who frequently kidnaps human women.

 

Fionn MacCumhal: Celtic (Ireland, Scotland). Giant warrior god associated with knowledge and creation, wisdom, and overcoming enemies.

 

Fland: Celtic (Ireland). Evil lake goddess who lures swimmers to their death. Associated with water and lakes.

 

Flidais: Celtic (Ireland). Goddess of wild beasts; associated with shape-shifting, wild animals, and forests.

 

The Flying Head: North American (Iroquois). A giant winged head with fire for eyes, sharp fangs and wings made of hair. Preyed upon animals and humans alike.

 

Forseti: Norse. A gentle god of justice, peace, and truth.

 

Freya: Norse. Goddess of love, sex, beauty, and fertility. Also associated with war, battle, death, magic, prophecy, and wealth.

 

Freyr: Norse. Important god associated with agriculture, weather; also a phallic fertility god.

 

Frigg: Norse. Goddess of love and fertility, household management, marriage, motherhood, and domestic arts.

 

Fugen Bosatsu: Japanese. God who protects devotees of the Lotus Sutra, the only sutra that offers salvation directly for women. Associated with wisdom and enlightenment.

 

Fu-Hsi: Chinese. God of happiness and inventor of music who taught mankind many useful skills such as silk worm breeding, the use of nets for fishing, writing, and animal taming. Associated with love, success, and destiny.

 

G

 

Gahonga: North American (Iroquois). River and rock spirits.

 

Gaia: Greek. Primal goddess of the Earth.

 

Gandayah: North American (Iroquois). Earth-fertility spirits.

 

Gandharvas: Indian (Hindu). Male nature spirits, husbands of the Apsaras. Some are part animal, usually a bird or horse. They have superb musical skills, and act as messengers between the gods and humans.

 

Ganesha: Indian (Hindu). God of knowledge, thresholds, wisdom, literature, and fire. His head was chopped off and replaced with the head of an elephant. Revered as the Remover of Obstacles; patron of arts and sciences, and the god of intellect and wisdom.

 

Ganga: Indian (Hindu). Goddess of the Ganges River, often depicted as a beautiful woman with a fish tail instead of legs.

 

Gans: North American (Apache). Mountain spirits tasked with teaching humans the arts of civilization.

 

Ga-oh: North American (Iroquois). Master of the Winds, said to be a giant who kept his lodge of four doors in the Western sky.

 

Garbh Ogh: Celtic (Ireland). Hunting goddess whose name means "rough youth"; she was said to have a chariot drawn by elks. Associated with seasonal rites and ecological magic.

 

Garmangabis: Celtic (Britain). Goddess about whom little is known today; brought to Britain by the Romans.

 

Garuda: Indian (Hindu). Large mythical bird or bird-like god associated with the rays of the sun.

 

Gauna: Bush men of Africa. God who leads the spirits of the dead. Associated with harassment, disruption, and death.

 

Gauri: Indian (Hindu). Wife of the god Shiva, represents purity and austerity.

 

Gavida: Celtic (Ireland). Minor forge god.

 

Ge: Dahomey, West Africa. God associated with the moon.

 

Geb: Egyptian. The personification of the earth, sometimes seen as containing the dead, or imprisoning those not worthy to go to Aaru (heavenly paradise). The god who laid the egg from which the sun was hatched. His sacred animal was the goose.

 

Geong Si: Chinese. Zombies with physical bodies but no thought or life.

 

Goewin: Celtic (Wales). Sovereignty goddess and May queen; Math fab Mathonwy's foot-holder, raped by Gilfaethwy. Learning that she was no longer a virgin, Math punished Gilfaethwy and his accomplice Gwydion, and married Goewin himself.

 

Geyaguga: North American (Cherokee). Moon god.

 

Gluskap: North American (Iroquois). The good creator god who ruled the realm of the light—while his evil twin brother Malsum ruled the realm of the dark.

 

Gog: Celtic. God associated with fertility.

 

Gohone: North American (Iroquois). The deification of winter.

 

Goidniu: Celtic (Ireland and Wales). God of blacksmiths and the forge, associated with metal-working, jewry-making, fire and brewing.

 

Goleuddydd: Celtic (Wales). Name means "light of day." Goddess associated with pigs, independence, and family ties.

 

Grainne: Celtic (Ireland and Scotland). Sun goddess associated with fire, knowledge, and herbs.

 

Great Head: North American (Iroquois). A giant malevolent head which rested on slender legs and lived on a jagged rock.

 

Grian: Celtic (Ireland). Name means "sunny"; goddess of the sun, and the changing seasons.

 

Guaire: Celtic (Ireland). God of protection and guardians.

 

Gu: West Africa. God associated with smiths and war.

 

Gucumatz: Mayan. Serpent god who taught humans the art of agriculture.

 

Gudratrigakwitl: North American (Wiyot). God who created the universe by spreading his palms and fingers wide, like wings.

 

Guruhi: Gambia, Africa. Evil god who has the power of life and death over his enemies. Associated with meteors.

 

Gwawl Ap Clud: Celtic (Wales). Minor sun god thought to be the son of the goddess Clug.

 

Gwen: Celtic (Wales). Minor sun goddess known for her overpowering, abundant beauty.

 

Gwyddno: Celtic (Wales). At one time a sea god, he is the supposed ruler of a sunken land off the coast of Wales, known as Cantre'r Gwaelod.

 

Gwynn Ap Nudd: Celtic (Wales). God of the underworld who escorted the souls of the dead there, and led a pack of supernatural hounds. Associated with seasonal rites, strength, and contact with spirits.

 

Gwethyr: Celtic (Wales). God of the upperworld; opposite of Gwynn Ap Nudd.

 

Gwydion: Celtic (Wales). Magician brother of Gilfaethwy and Arianrhod, and the nephew of Math fab Mathonwy; son of the goddess Dôn. His name probably means "to speak poetry." Associated with music, learning, illusion, and healing.

 

H

 

Habetrot: Celtic (Scottish). Goddess associated with healing, spinning and the spinning wheel, wool, and the spiderweb.

 

Habondia: Celtic. Goddess of prosperity and abundance, associated with fertility, earthly magic, and rites of the harvest.

 

Hachiman: Japanese. Shinto god of war, and divine protector of Japan and the Japanese people.

 

Hades: Greek. Ruler of the underworld, enemy of all life, gods, and men. Since nothing will sway him, he is rarely worshiped. Brother of Zeus and Poseidon.

 

Hanghepi: North American (Dakota). God of the night moon.

 

Hanuman: Hindu. Mischievous monkey god. Worshiped as the greatest devotee of Rama.

 

Hapy: Egyptian. A deification of the annual flooding of the Nile River, which deposited rich silt on its banks, allowing the Egyptians to grow crops.

 

Hastsehogan: North American (Navajo). The god of dwellings.

 

Hastseltsi: North American (Navajo). God associated with racing.

 

Hastsezini: North American (Navajo). God of fire.

 

Hathor: Egyptian. An ancient goddess, originally a personification of the Milky Way, which was seen as the milk that flowed from the udders of a heavenly cow. Personified the principles of feminine love, motherhood and joy.

 

Harimella: Celtic (Scottish). Goddess associated with protection.

 

Ha Wen Neyu: North American (Iroquois). Great Spirit god.

 

Haya-ji: Japanese. God of the whirlwind.

 

Heammawihio: North American (Cheyenne). Great Spirit god.

 

Heh: Egyptian. Androgynous deity associated with infidelity, happiness, and a long life.

 

Heng: North American (Huron). Thunder god.

 

Henkheses: Egyptian. God of the East wind.

 

Heitsi-Eibib: Hottentots, Africa. Sorcerer god associated with magic and shape-shifting.

 

Helios: Greek. Sun god and the sun itself. Equated with the Roman Sol. Drives a chariot led by 4 fire-breathing horses across the sky each day. Same as Roman god Sol.

 

Heng-o (Chang-o): Chinese. Goddess of the moon.

 

Heqet: Egyptian. Fertility goddess usually depicted as a frog, or a woman with a frog's head. Associated with childbirth and protection.

 

Henwen: Celtic. Goddess associated with abundance, wheat, barley, bees, prosperity, fertility, and childbirth.

 

Hephaestus: Greek. God of technology, blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metals and metallurgy, and fire. Associated with volcanos. Same as Roman god Vulcan.

 

Hera: Greek. Queen of the gods, the wife and older sister of Zeus, her chief function was as goddess of marriage. Her equivalent in Roman mythology was Juno.

 

Hermes: Greek. Olympian messenger god of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of thieves and road travellers, of orators and wit, of literature and poets, of athletics, of weights and measures, of invention, of commerce in general, and of the cunning of thieves and liars.

 

Hesa: Egyptian. Goddess of song.

 

Hestia: Greek. Goddess of the hearth, is considered the founder of the family and the state and the one who maintains public reverence for the gods.

 

Hevydd Hen: Celtic (Wales). God about whom little is known today.

 

Hiisi: Finno-Ugrian. Spirits considered to be malicious or at least very horrifying; found near ominous crevasses, large boulders, potholes, woods, hills, and other awesome geographical features or rough terrain. Associated with spells, evil, sacred drums, chanting, and trance.

 

Hino: North American (Iroquois). God of thunder; overseer of the sky.

 

Hod: Norse. Blind god of winter who kills his brother Balder and is in turn killed by his brother Vali.

 

Hoderi: Japanese. The divine ancestor of the immigrants coming from the south over the sea to Japan. His name means 'fire shine'.

 

Hokewingla: North American (Dakota). Turtle god who dwells in the moon.

 

Holly King and Oak King: Celtic. The waning year and midsummer; gods of the sacrifice, both being aspects of the same god.

 

Hoori: Japanese. One of legendary ancestors of the Emperors of Japan. A hunter, his name means 'Fire Fade'.

 

The Horned God: Celtic. God who opens the gates between life and death; the Earth father, associated with wild animals and nature, fertility, terror and desire, panic, beer, flocks of birds, and agriculture.

 

Horus: Egyptian. With the head of a falcon, his earliest connections are to the sky and kingship. His name is believed to mean "the high," "the far-off," "he who is above."

 

Hotei: Japanese. The Laughing Buddha, one of the seven Japanese Shinto gods of luck, depicted with a great belly. He is the god of happiness, laughter, and the wisdom of contentment. He is the predicted Buddha to succeed Gautama Buddha in the future.

 

Hoturu: North America (Pawnee). God of the wind.

 

Hou-Chi: Chinese. Ancient god of farming and millet (which grew from his head). Associated with soil and the harvest.

 

Hsi-Wang-Mu: Chinese. Mother goddess of the West; deputy of heaven who could see the world from her mountain peak and send punishments to evil doers.

 

Hsuan-T'ien-Shang-Ti: Chinese. Water god; associated with Exorcism and the removal of evil spirits and demons.

 

Hu: Egyptian. Deification of the first word, the word of creation, that Atum was said to have exclaimed upon ejaculating, in his masturbatory act of creating the Ennead.

 

Huehuecoyotl: Aztec. Trickster coyote deity associated with sex, gaiety, and irrational fun.

 

Huitzilopochtli: Aztec. National god of the Aztecs, associated with death, war, the sun, warriors, young men, and storms. Thought to be a guide for journeys, his festival was one of 25 days of a blood orgy in which hearts and blood of prisoners dumped upon his altar. Patron of the city of Tenochtitlan.

 

Humanmaker: North American (Pima). Creator of mankind.

 

Hun Pic Tok: Mayan. God of war.

 

Hunab Ku: Mayan. Name means "Only god." Closely associated with an indigenodus creator god, Itzamna.

 

Hurukan: Mayan. Ancient creator god who made the Earth, fire, animals and human beings. Associated with thunder and hurricanes.

 

Hutchai: Egyptian. God of the West wind.

 

Hu-Tu: Chinese. Earth goddess associated with fertility and childbirth.

 

Hygeia: Greek. Goddess personification of health, she was a daughter of Asclepius the son of Apollo. Associated with the cult of Asclepius.

 

I

 

Ialonus: Celtic. A fertility god (or perhaps two related gods) worshipped in what are now Lancashire and Provence. Associated with fields and gardens.

 

Ibath: Celtic (Ireland). A Nemed (holy or privileged one); a father or ancestor god.

 

Ida-ten: Japanese. Buddhist god of law and monasteries; associated with purity, victory, and justice.

 

Ilamatecuhtli: Aztec. Evil aspect of the mother goddess. During her winter festival, a poor female's heart was cut out, her head chopped off and paraded.

 

Illapa: Incan. Weather god associated with keeping the Milky Way in a jug and using it to create rain.

 

Ilma: Finno-Ugrian. God associated with the air.

 

Ilmarinen: Finno-Ugrian. God of hammerers and blacksmiths; capable of creating practically anything, but is portrayed as being unlucky in love.

 

Ilmatar: Finno-Ugrian. Sky-goddess; associated with wind and good weather. Name means "female air spirit."

 

Imana: The Banyarwands, Africa. God associated with goodness, power, planning, and children.

 

Imhotep: Egyptian. Considered to be the first engineer, architect and physician in history known by name. Later deified and associated with physicians and medicine, knowledge and learning.

 

Inanna: Sumerian. Goddess of sexual love, fertility, and warfare. Associated with the Underworld.

 

Inari: Japanese. Androgynous deity associated with rice and food.

 

Indra: Indian. God of War and Weather, King of the gods. A heroic and almost brash and amorous character.

 

Inghean Bhuidhe: Celtic (Ireland). Name means "yellow-haired girl"; one of three sisters who comprised a triple goddess. Associated with spring plating, flower festivals, and summer.

 

Inti: Incan. The sun god. A benevolent deity, married to Pachamama, the Earth goddess.

 

Ioskeha: North American (Huron). God who duelled with his brother Tawiskara, for control of the world.

 

Ishikore-dome: Japanese. Transgendered deity associated with creation and creativity.

 

Ishtar: Assyrian. Goddess of fertility, love, and war. The divine personification of the planet Venus.

 

Isis: Egyptian. The wife and sister of Osiris and the mother of Horus, she was worshipped as the archetypal wife and mother and represented deified, historical queens.

 

Ison: West Africa. Tortoise-shelled Goddess associated with the fertility of the Earth.

 

I-Ti: Chinese. God of wine; associated with wine making.

 

Itzamna: Mayan. Creator god who lives in the sky. Associated with fertility, medicine, and water.

 

Itzcoliuhqui: Aztec. An aspect of the god Tezcatlipoca. Associated with chilling cold, darkness, disaster, and volcanic eruptions.

 

Itzpaplotl: Aztec. Beautiful goddess with death symbols scrawled on her face. A mixture of sensuality and death associated with agriculture, stars, and fate.

 

Iubdan of the Faylinn: Celtic (Ireland). God-king of the Ulster faeries; associated with wisdom.

 

Ixchebelyax: Mayan. Goddess who created the visual arts of fabric color designing and painting.

 

Ixchel: Mayan. Aged jaguar goddess of midwifery and medicine.

 

Ixchup: Mayan. Young moon goddess; wife of sun god Ah Kinchil.

 

Ixtab: Mayan. Goddess of suicide, represented with rope around her neck. The Maya believed suicide, especially suicide by hanging, was in certain circumstances an honorable way to die.

 

Ixtubtun: Mayan. Goddess associated with jade and the protection of jade artisans.

 

Izanagi: Japanese. Creator-earth god born of the seven divine generations; associated with magic.

 

Izanaki: Japanese. Personification of the primordial sky.

 

Izanami: Japanese. Primordial goddess and personification of the Earth and darkness, creation and death.

 

J

 

Jehova: Hebrew. The name by which God revealed himself to the ancient Hebrews (Ex. 6:2, 3).

 

Jesus: Middle Eastern. The central figure of Christianity, revered as the incarnation of God. A Galilean Jew under the Roman empire, he was regarded as a teacher and healer. In Islam, Jesus is considered one of God's important prophets, a bringer of scripture, a worker of miracles, and the Messiah. Muslims, however, believe Jesus was not divine and not crucified, but ascended bodily to heaven.

 

Jizo Bosatsu: Japanese. Protector of Mankind who rescues souls from hell.

 

Jogah: North American (Iroquois). Small spirit-folk (similar to faeries), representing aspects of nature (rocks, rivers, earth).

 

Jok: Zaire and Uganda, Africa. Rain god to whom goats are sacrificed.

 

Jumala: Finno-Ugrian. God of the sky, believed to make the earth fertile through the rains of the summer's thunderstorms.

 

Juno: Roman. The patron goddess and protector of the finances of ancient Rome; special counselor of the Roman state. Daughter of Saturn and sister (but also the wife) of the chief god Jupiter and the mother of Juventas, Mars, and Vulcan. Same as the Greek goddess Hera.

 

Juok: White Nile, Africa. Primal god who created all men on Earth.

 

Jupiter: Roman. King of the gods, equivalent of the Greek Zeus.

 

Juturna: Roman. Water nymph and goddess of healing with a temple in the Campus Martius, and a shrine in the Forum.

 

Jyeshtha: Indian. Goddess associated with bad luck, black magic, and revenge.

 

K

 

Kachina: North American (Pueblo). The ancestral spirit embodied in every plant and animal.

 

Kagutsuchi: Japanese. God of fire who burned his mother to death when she gave birth. His birth comes at the end of the creation of the world and marks the beginning of death.

 

Kaka-Guia: Volta, Africa. God who brought souls to the Supreme God.

 

Kali: Indian (Hindu). Goddess associated with death and destruction, but also time and change.

 

Kalma: Finno-Ugrian. Underworld goddess of death and decay.

 

Kama: Indian. Deification of pleasure, sensual gratification, sexual fulfillment, pleasure of the senses, desire, eros, and the aesthetic enjoyment of life. A god equivalent to the Greek Eros and the Roman Cupid.

 

Kanati: North American (Cherokee). The first man and Cherokee ancestor.

 

Kannon Bosatsu: Japanese. Embodies mercy and compassion; among the most widely worshiped divinities in Japan and mainland Asia.

 

Kartikeya: Hindu. Virile war god, patron deity of the Tamil land.

 

Katonda: The Ganda of East Africa. Creator god associated with help, Judgment, aid when the odds are against you; oversees oracles, spirits, and divination.

 

Kaya-nu-Hima: Japanese. Goddess associated with beneficial herbs.

 

Kekui: Egyptian. God-bringer of dawn's first light.

 

Kekuit: Egyptian. Goddess-bringer of evening's first darkness.

 

Kele-Dee: Celtic (Ireland). Ancient goddess associated with sex and creation.

 

Keneun: North American (Iroquois). Invisible chief of the Thunderbirds. The sound of his beating wings is thunder, while lightning is his flashing eyes.

 

Khensu: Egyptian. An ancient lunar god who traveled across the night sky, watching over night travelers. Associated with protection against wild animals, increased male virility, and healing. It was said that when Khonsu caused the crescent moon to shine, women conceived, cattle became fertile, and all nostrils and every throat was filled with fresh air.

 

Khepri: Egyptian. A major god associated with the dung beetle (kheper), whose behavior of maintaining spherical balls of dung represents the forces which move the sun.

 

Khnum: Egyptian. The god of the source of the Nile River, thought to be the creator of the bodies of human children, which he made at a potter's wheel, from clay, and placed in their mothers' wombs.

 

Ki: Sumarian. Goddess and personification of the earth and underworld, chief consort of An (heaven) the sky god. Wife of Anu and mother of all gods, she created humans from clay. One of four Sumerian creating gods.

 

Kingu: Babylonian. Counterpart of the sky god Anu on the side of darkness. Ea fashioned humans from his blood when Kingu was ordered to be sacrificed.

 

Kinich Ahau: Mayan. Sun god and patron of Itzamal. Also known as Ah Xoc Kin, and associated with poetry and music.

 

Kipu-Tytto: Finno-Ugrian. Goddess associated with illness.

 

Kishar: Babylonian. Earth mother goddess of the horizon, consort of her brother, Anshar. Signifies all manner of female submissive horizontal things.

 

Kishimo-jin: Japanese. Buddhist patron goddess and protector of young children.

 

Konohanasakuya-hime: Japanese. Blossom-princess and symbol of delicate earthly life.

 

Krishna: Indian (Hindu). One of the most popular Hindu gods; a monster slayer. Eighth avatar or reincarnation of the god Vishnu; usually depicted as a young cowherd boy with blue skin, playing a flute.

 

Kuan Ti: Chinese. Taoist god of war and fortune telling; associated with guarding against all external enemies, justice and valor, casting out demons, death, prophecy, and magic.

 

Kuan Yin: Chinese. Buddhist goddess of compassion; associated with fertility, childbirth and motherhood, healing, mercy, and enlightenment.

 

Kubera: Indian (Hindu). God of wealth and riches, guardian of all the treasures of the earth.

 

K'uei-Hsing: Chinese. Brilliant but ugly dwarf god of examinations; deity of students and scholars who take imperial tests and examinations. Associated with literature, studies, and protection during travel.

 

Kukulcan: Mayan. A supreme creator god, god of the four elements. Depicted as feathered serpent; ssociated with the rain god.

 

Kuu: Finno-Ugrian. Goddess associated with the moon.

 

Kwoth: African (the Nuer of South Sudan). The Great Spirit god, associated with help, nature, judgement, and compassion.

 

L

 

Lady of the Lake: Celtic (Britain and Wales). Ancient pagan goddess associated with the Arthurian legend; possessor of Excalibur, the magic sword given to King Arthur. Oversees feminine magic, healing, and purification.

 

Lakshmi: Indian (Hindu). Analogous to the Greek Aphrodite and Roman Venus -- who also originated from the oceans -- she is generally thought of as the personification of material fortune, beauty and prosperity.

 

Lan Ts'ai-Ho: Chinese. Ancient immortal goddesses; a woman with a male voice. Associated with fertility rites and flute music.

 

Lao-Tien-Yeh: Chinese. Emperor-god, father of heaven; the personification of jade.

 

Lassair: Celtic (Ireland). Goddess of flame, associated with seasonal rites.

 

Latiaran: Celtic (Ireland). First harvest goddess associated with fire magic and seasonal rites.

 

Latis: Celtic (England). Lake goddess associated with mourning, the changing seasons, water and beer.

 

LeFay: Celtic (Wales). Sea goddess who ruled over the island of Avalon; associated with healing the sick.

 

Leib-Olmai: Finno-Ugrian. God in the form of a bear who gives good luck to hunters and protection against injuries.

 

Lei-King: Chinese. Thunder god associated with justice, punishment and retribution.

 

Leucetios: Celtic. Gaulish god invariably identified with Mars. Associated with storms, thunder and lightening.

 

Litavis: Celtic (Britain). Goddess worshiped by the ancient Gauls. Her name is interpreted as “She Who Feeds,” so she may represent a mother deity.

 

Leza: African (Dahomey). Chameleon god/goddess associated with divination and protection.

 

Liza: West African. Creator sun god.

 

Llasar Llaesgyfnewid: Celtic (Wales). God bearing the cauldron of regeneration. May have originally been a smith god, associated with sword making and fine enamel-work.

 

Llyr: Celtic (Ireland and Wales). Elder sea god, associated with water and the ocean.

 

Logia: Celtic (Ireland). Lagan river goddess associated with water magic.

 

Loki: Norse. A trickster god; an adept shape-shifter, with the ability to change both form and sex.

 

Lo Shen: Chinese. River goddess associated with water magic.

 

Lot: Celtic (Ireland). Goddess of war, said to have lips on her breasts and four eyes on her back. Led soldiers into battle.

 

Louhi: Finno-Ugrian. A powerful witch with the ability to change shape and weave mighty enchantments. Associated with evil, sorcery, and black magic.

 

Loviator: Finno-Ugrian. Goddess associated with evil and plagues.

 

Luaths Lurgann: Celtic. War goddess associated with fast running, family, thistle, fitness, loyalty, and teaching.

 

Luchtain: Celtic (Ireland). Minor god of death and war; associated with the spirit world and creative tool use.

 

Lud: Celtic (Wales and Ireland). God-king of Britain in pre-Roman times. Notable for the building of cities and the refortification of Trinovantum (London). Associated with poets and writing, healing, the sea, war and magic, childbirth, sailing, youth and beauty, dogs, spears and slings, smiths and carpenters.

 

Lugh: Celtic. Hero and High King of the distant past; known by the epithets Lámhfhada ("long hand") for his skill with a spear or sling.

 

Lu-Hsing: Chinese. Stellar god, the Star of Honor, oversees pay and employment to those who first prove themselves worthy. Associated with success and prosperity.

 

Luna: Roman. Goddess of the moon, worshiped on the days of full and new moons. Same as the Greek goddess Selene.

 

Lu-Pan: Chinese. God of masons and carpenters; associated with architecture and temples. Credited with inventing the first flying machine, a kite-like craft made of wood and paper.

 

M

 

Maa: Egyptian. God of sight.

 

Ma'at: Egyptian. The concepts of truth, order, law, morality, and justice -- deified as a goddess. Charged with regulating the stars, seasons, and the actions of both mortals and the deities -- once she had set the order of the universe from chaos at the moment of creation.

 

Mabon: Celtic. Perhaps the British version of the Greek god Apollo; a minor sun god associated with fertility and death, contact with spirits, the change of seasons, and the hunting of animals.

 

Mac Cecht: Celtic (Ireland). Brother of Mac Cecht and Mac Cuill; a ploughshare god associated with protection of family and friends, crops, and fertility.

 

Mafdet: Egyptian. Goddess depicted as a woman with the head of a cheetah. Her name means (she who) runs swiftly. The deification of legal justice (execution). Associated with protection of the king's chambers and other sacred places.

 

Maheo: North American (Cheyenne). Primordial god who created the ocean with his thoughts alone; later creating land, all plants and all animals.

 

Mahes: Egyptian. Ancient lion-headed god of war, whose name means "he who is true beside her."

 

Ma-Ku: Chinese. Goddess associated with spring and string-time rites.

 

Mac Cuill: Celtic (Ireland). Brother of Mac Cecht and Mac Gréine; a minor sea god associated with water magic.

 

Mac Greine: Celtic (Ireland). Brother of Mac Cecht and Mac Cuill; minor sun god associated with prosperity.

 

Macha: Celtic (Ireland). Goddess associated with war and death, horses, ravens and crows, sovereignty, and the sites of Armagh and Emain Macha in County Armagh, which are named after her.

 

MacKay: Celtic (Scotland). Ancient fire god associated with the rising and falling sun.

 

Queen Maeve: Celtic (Ireland). Perhaps an actual historical figure who merged with an ancient goddess; associated with sex, feminine power, and menstruation.

 

Magna Mater: Roman. Goddess of the day, fertility and nature; name means Great Mother. Same as Greek goddess Cybele.

 

Magog: Celtic. Four-breasted mother goddess associated with horses, fertility, and family.

 

Maia: Greek. One of seven mountain nymphs and daughter of the Titan Atlas and Pleione. A shy goddess who lived within a deep, shady cave. Mated with Zeus, and gave birth to Hermes.

 

Mal: Celtic (Ireland). Goddess associated with Hag's Headland cliffs along the western Irish coast. She decided the fate of all who ventured into this area.

 

Malsum: North American (Iroquois). God of evil; associated with creating plagues, animal teeth, and insect stingers.

 

Mam: Mayan. God of earthquakes.

 

Mama Cocha: Incan. Goddess of sea and fish; protectress of sailors and fishermen.

 

Mama Quilla: Incan. Moon goddess associated with religious festivals, the calendar, and protecting women from harm.

 

Manabozho: North American. A mischievious giant god.

 

Manannán mac Lir: Celtic (Wales and Ireland). God of the sea, having strong connections to the Otherworld islands of the dead, as well as to weather and the mists between the worlds.

 

Manco Capac: Incan. God of fire and sun.

 

Manjusri: Indian. Meditation deity associated with wisdom, doctrine and awareness; embodies enlightened wisdom.

 

Mara: Indian. The demon who tempted Gautama Buddha by trying to seduce him with the vision of beautiful women. Personifies unskillfulness, and the death of the spiritual life.

 

Marcia Proba: Celtic (England). Warrior queen goddess associated with equality and judgment, fairness and justice. Knowledgeable in all the arts as well as in law.

 

Marduk: Sumerian. A late-generation god from ancient Mesopotamia and patron deity of the city of Babylon. Associated with water, vegetation, judgement, and magic.

 

Mars: Roman. Often referred to as the Olympian god of warfare, he is more accurately the god of savage warfare, or bloodlust, or slaughter personified. Son of Zeus and Hera; savior of cities and father of victory. Same as Greek god Ares.

 

Masaya: Mayan. Goddess of divination and volcanos.

 

Margawse: Celtic (Britain and Wales). Goddess from Arthurian legend whose name means "Mother Of Gawain."

 

Mathit: Egyptian. God who helps the dead ascend into heaven.

 

Mathonwy: Celtic (Wales). God-king of Gwynedd who needed to rest his feet in the lap of a virgin unless he was at war, or he would die. Associated with prosperity.

 

Matrona: Celtic. Goddess of the river Marne in Gaul whose name means "great mother." Associated with water magic.

 

Mawu: Dahomey, Africa. Supreme Goddess, creator of all things; worshipped by The Fon of Benin in West Africa.

 

Mayauel: Aztec. Goddess depicted naked, holding a bowl of pulque (an alcoholic drink made by fermenting sap from the maguery), and seated on a tortoise and snake throne. She carried a cord used to aid women in child birth, and night was her sacred time. Associated with childbirth and pulque.

 

Mbaba Mwana Waresa: The Zulu of Natal, Africa. Fertility goddess associated with crops and cultivation, rainbows and beer.

 

Medb: Celtic. Goddess of Connacht and Leinster. She had many husbands and figured in the Tain Bo Cuailgne (Cattle Raid of Cooley).

 

Melusine: Celtic (Britain and Scotland). Goddess of fresh waters in sacred springs and rivers, usually depicted as a woman who is a serpent or fish (much like a mermaid) from the waist down.

 

Melwas: Celtic. Villain god from Arthurian legend; the abductor of Guinevere. Associated with passing-over rituals and contact with spirits.

 

Meng-Po Niang Niang: Chinese. Underworld goddess of amnesia and forgetfullness; associated with past-lives and passing-over rites.

 

Men Shen: Chinese. Two well-armed gods who guard doorways against hostile or evil spirits. Name literally means "gods of the doorway."

 

Menthi: Egyptian. Bull-headed sun god associated with war, vengeance, and protection against enemies.

 

Mercury: Roman. Olympian messenger god of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of thieves and road travellers, of orators and wit, of literature and poets, of athletics, of weights and measures, of invention, of commerce in general, and of the cunning of thieves and liars. Same as Greek god Hermes.

 

Merlin: Celtic (Britain and Wales). The famous wizard from Arthurian legend, based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures. Associated with magic and illusion, herbs and healing, counseling and prophecy.

 

Merseger: Egyptian. Goddess with the head of a cobra, protector and guardian of the Valley of the Kings.

 

Mesen: Egyptian. God of blacksmiths.

 

Meshkent: Egyptian. Goddess of childbirth, and the creator of each child's Ka, a part of their soul, which she breathed into them at the moment of birth.

 

Meztli: Aztec. God representing the physical moon at its height. Depicted as an old man with a white shell on his back, sometimes with butterfly wings.

 

Mictlantecuhtli: Aztec. God of the dead, the underworld and North. Depicted as a red-boned skeleton.

 

King Midhir: Celtic. Underworld god similar to the Roman Pluto; associated with prosperity.

 

Mielikki: Finno-Ugrian. Goddess of forests and the hunt; creator of the bear. Associated with archery and the hunt.

 

Mimir: Norse. Primal deity, guards the well of wisdom.

 

Min: Egyptian. Fertility god associated with sex and reproduction, crops and harvests.

 

Minerva: Roman. Goddess of war, wisdom, and crafts; daughter of Zeus, and Metis. The patron goddess of Athens, offering the gift of the olive tree. Same as Greek goddess Athena.

 

Mithras: Persian. God of light and wisdom, worshiped by soldiers. Bbears comparison with Jesus.

 

Mixcoatl: Aztec. Cloud serpent god of the Chichimecs; god of the pole star. Victims to be sacrificed to him were painted white or red. It was thought that they turned into stars which were considered food for the Sun. Associated with hunting weapons that strike from a distance, such as javelins and spears.

 

Moccus: Celtic (Britain). Hunting god whose name means "pig" or "hog." Similar to the Roman Mercury; associated with sacred places.

 

Modron: Celtic (Wales). Fertility goddess whose name means "divine mother"; associated with the harvest and often equated with Greece's Demeter or Ireland's Danu.

 

Momu: Celtic (Scotland). Goddess and hillsides and wells.

 

Mother of Metsola: Finno-Ugrian. Deification of the forest and the trees, bushes and wild animals that live within it.

 

Montu: Egyptian. An ancient falcon-god of war; associated with strength, virility, and victory.

 

Morgan LeFay: Celtic (Britain and Wales). A powerful sorceress and antagonist of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere in the Arthurian legend; associated with death, music, water, sovereignty, and bigotry.

 

Morgay: Celtic (England and Scotland). Goddess of the harvest; associated with seasonal rites.

 

Morrigan: Celtic. Goddess of war who hovered over the battlefield as a crow or raven. Associated with sovereignty, prophecy, war and death on the battlefield.

 

The Morrigu: Celtic (Britain, Ireland, and Wales). Goddess of fate, war and death; associated with warriors, battles, and overcoming enemies, but also with lakes and rivers, magic and prophecy.

 

Mot: Canaanite. God of sterility, death, and the underworld who was cut up and sown by Anat.

 

Muireartach: Celtic (Scotland and Ireland). Goddess of war whose name means "eastern sea"; depicted as being bald with jagged teeth and a ruddy complexion, and with one eye in the center of her forehead.

 

Mukuru: Macouas of Zambesi, Banayis, Africa. Supreme God, creator of everything; associated with agriculture and harvests, and architecture.

 

Mullo: Celtic (Britain). God similar to the Roman Mars; associated with horses an mules, and protection during travel.

 

Mummu: Sumerian. Craftsman god; personification of technical skill, mathematics and abstract concepts. Name translates as "the one who has awoken."

 

Mungo: Giryama of Kenya, Africa. God of rain.

 

Murigen: Celtic (Scotland, Ireland and Wales). Goddess of lakes; associated with flooding and water magic.

 

Mut: Egyptian. Ancient vulture-headed mother goddess with multiple aspects that changed over the thousands of years of the culture. Associated with creation and marriage.

 

N

 

Naas: Celtic (Ireland). Goddess who died in County Kildare (the site still bears her name today).

 

Nai-no-Kami: Japanese. God of earthquakes, who lives within the earth. At times he inflicts terrible punishment upon the Japanese islands.

 

Nair: Celtic (Ireland). Goddess whose name means "modesty"; associated with prosperity, and spirits.

 

Nammu: Sumerian. Sea goddess and creator of heaven and earth, she moulded clay collected and brought it to life, thus creating mankind.

 

Nanna: Sumerian. God of the moon. His name means "illuminator." He decides the fate of the dead.

 

Nanna: Norse. Goddess who died of grief when her husband, Balder, died.

 

Nanse: Sumerian. Fertility goddess associated with rivers and canals; gave priests the ability to prophesy and interpret dreams.

 

Naru-Kami: Japanese. Thunder goddess associated with artisans and protection.

 

Nehalennia: Celtic (Britain). Goddess almost always depicted with marine symbols and a large, benign-looking dog at her feet. Associated with the protection of sea traders.

 

Nehebkau: Egyptian. Fierce snake-god who guarded the entrance to the underworld. Associated with death, protecting the pharaoh in the afterlife, vengeance, and cursing.

 

Neit: Celtic (Ireland). God of war and fertility rites.

 

Neith: Egyptian. Goddess similar to the Greek goddess Athena. Depicted as a weaver, and also as a weapon-bearing war goddess. A mortuary goddess connected with the woven bandages of the mummy.

 

Nekhebet: Egyptian. Local goddess-patron of the city of Nekheb; later the patron of upper Egypt. Associated with childbirth, motherhood, and protection.

 

Nemain: Celtic (Ireland). The fairy spirit of the frenzied havoc of war, and possibly an aspect of the Morrígan, whose name means frenzy or fury. She sometimes appears as a bean nighe, the weeping washer by a river, washing the clothes or entrails of a doomed warrior.

 

Nemesis: Greek. Goddess of divine retribution against those who succumb to excessive pride, undeserved happiness, and the absence of moderation. Vengeful fate personified as a remorseless goddess.

 

Nemetona: Celtic (England). Goddess whose name means "shrine"; associated with temples and sacred groves.

 

Nemglan: Celtic (Ireland). God of birds, spirits of the dead and fertility.

 

Nenaunir: Masai of Kenya, Africa. Evil, dreaded god associated with rainbows, clouds, and storms.

 

Neper: Egyptian. God of grain and reaping; associated with barley and emmer wheat.

 

Nephthys: Egyptian. The divine corresponding "power" (or completion) of her sister, Isis; "The Useful Goddess," who represented divine assistance and protective guardianship on a multitude of levels. An underworld goddess associated with life and death.

 

Neptune: Roman. God of horses, analogous but not identical to the god Poseidon of Greek mythology. Associated with fresh water, as opposed to Oceanus, god of the world-ocean.

 

Nerit: Egyptian. Goddess associated with physical strength.

 

Nergal: Babylonian. Evil god of the underworld who rules with his consort Ereshkigal. Responsible for war, pestilence, and devastation. Represents the sun of noontime and of the summer solstice that brings destruction.

 

Ngai: Masai of Africa. Creator god associated with life and Death.

 

Ngami: Africa. Goddess of the moon.

 

Niamh: Celtic (Ireland). Goddess whose name means "bright"; associated with love, aiding the passing from life to death, and contact with the spirit world.

 

Nicevenn: Celtic (Scotland). Goddess during the middle ages whose name means "Divine" or "Brilliant. Equated with the Roman goddess Diana and her Wild Hunt.

 

Ninazu: Sumerian. Benevolent god of healing and the underworld, where he kept the waters of life.

 

Ninhurzag: Sumerian. Earth and mother goddess, acted as midwife at the creation of man. Responsible for the change of seasons. Ensures fertile fields; when she cursed the world it became barren.

 

Nintu: Babylonian. Wife of Anu and mother of all gods, she created humans from clay and blood.

 

Ninurta: Sumerian. Ancient thunder god of rain, fertility, war, thunderstorms, wells, canals, floods, the plough and the South Wind. Had a warlike character.

 

Njambi: Lele, Africa. Creator god associated with fertility, forests, help, justice, and protection.

 

Njord: Norse. God of wind, fertile land along the seacoast, as well as seamanship, sailing and fishing. Father of Freyr and Freya.

 

Noctiluca: Celtic (Gaul). Goddess about whom little is known today; possibly of Roman origin, associated with magic rituals.

 

Nohochacyum: Mayan. Creation god and protector against evil.

 

Nu: Egyptian. The male form of the Egyptian goddess Naunet; deification of the primordial watery abyss.

 

Nu Kua: Chinese. Goddess creator of mankind and repairer of the wall of heaven; intermediary between men and women, who grants children. Associated with creation myths.

 

Num: Finno-Ugrian. God of the sky and heaven.

 

Numitorem: Finno-Ugrian. Sky god and the creator of all animals.

 

Nun: Egyptian. Personification of the waters of chaos that existed on Earth before land, and the chaos that existed at the edges of the universe.

 

Nut: Egyptian. Goddess whose body arches across the sky, wearing a dress decorated with stars that forms a canopy over the Earth.

 

Nwyrve: Celtic (Wales). Sky god about whom little is known today.

 

Nyambe: Koko of Nigeria, Africa. Life restoring god.

 

Nyambi: The Barotse of Upper Zambesi, Africa. Great god; the creator of everything.

 

Nyame: The Twi of West Africa. Great god who prepared the soul to be reborn and handed out its fate.

 

Nyamia Ama: Senegal, Africa. Sky god associated with storms, rain and lightning.

 

Nzambi: The Bankongo of the Congo, Africa. Great goddess who created everything, associated with human justice, reward, and punishment.

 

O

 

Oanuava: Celtic (Britain). Ancient Earth Mother Goddess; the source of all life.

 

Oba: Africa. River goddess.

 

Ochumare: Yoruba, Africa. Goddess of the rainbow.

 

Oddudua: Africa. The primary mother goddess.

 

Odin: Norse. God of wisdom, war, battle and death who with his brothers killed the giant Ymir and created the earth, heavens, and ocean from its body. Also associated with magic, poetry, prophecy, victory, and the hunt.

 

Ogma: Celtic (Ireland). God who carried a huge club and invented the Ogam script alphabet. Associated with language and literature, eloquence, physical strength, and reincarnation. Equated with the Greek Heracles.

 

Ogun: The Nago and Yoruba of West Africa. God of iron and warfare, associated with smiths, steel, hunters, justice, barbers, warfare, and removing difficulties.

 

Ohdows: North American (Iroquois). Earthly spirits who confine those of the underworld, preventing them from reaching the surface.

 

Ohkuni-nushi: Japanese. Highest god of the land; ruler of the unseen world of spirits and magic. He is believed to be a god of nation-building, farming, business and medicine.

 

Ohyamatsumi: Japanese. God that controls the hills and mountains. Had one daughter named Kono-Hana-Sakuya-Hime, the spirit of Mt. Fuji.

 

Olorun: Yoruba, Africa. Sky god associated with truth, destiny, victory when the odds are against you, foresight, and control of the elements.

 

Onatah: North American (Iroquois). Goddess of corn.

 

Orgelmir: Norse. Primordial giant and the progenitor of the race of frost giants, created from the melting ice of Niflheim when it came in contact with the hot air from Muspell. Alternate name for the giant Ymir.

 

Oshadagea: North American (Iroquois). Giant dew-eagle god, associated with brining rain.

 

O-Ryu: Japanese. Willow tree goddess.

 

Osiris: Egyptian. The god of life, death, and fertility; the redeemer and merciful judge of the dead in the afterlife, but also sprouting vegetation and the fertile flooding of the Nile River.

 

Ostara: Anglo-Saxon. Goddess of the rising sun, associated with spring and fertility. Friend of all children and to amuse then she changed her pet bird into a rabbit. Identical to the Greek Eos and the Roman Aurora.

 

O-wata-tsumi: Japanese. Important sea god; associated with tides, fish, and other creatures of the sea.

 

O-Yama-tsu-mi: Japanese. Primary mountain god, associated with volcanos.

 

P

 

Pa: Chinese. Drought goddess.

 

Pachacamac: Incan. God who created earthquakes and worked miracles; associated with occupations, oracles, and the arts.

 

Paiva: Finno-Ugrian. God associated with the sun.

 

Pakhet: Egyptian. Huntress cat war goddess, protector of motherhood. Depicted as a feline-headed woman, or as a feline, often killing snakes with her sharp claws.

 

Pan: Greek. God of shepherds and flocks, of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music. The son of Hermes, he was depicted as a satyr with a reed pipe, a shepherd's crook and a branch of pine or crown of pine needles.

 

Pan: Agni, Africa. God-son of the Earth, associated with crop cultivation.

 

P'an-Chin-Lien: Chinese. Goddess of fornication and prostitution.

 

Papait: Egyptian. Goddess of childbirth.

 

Parvati: Indian (Hindu). Goddess who was the consort of the destroyer god Shiva; rides a lion or the corpse of a demon. The embodiment of the total energy in the universe.

 

Pellervoinen: Finno-Ugrian. Fertility god credited with sowing all the forests during the land's creation.

 

Pestit: Egyptian. Sunrise goddess.

 

Pestu: Egyptian. God of light.

 

Phaethon: Greek. Son of Helios and the sea-nymph Clymene. Rode his father's sun chariot too close to the earth, setting the earth on fire. To stop it, Zeus killed him with a bolt of lightning.

 

Phoebe: Greek. Moon goddess, a huntress and archer who was worshiped on the days of full and new moons.

 

Phoebus Apollo: Greek. "The radiant one." An epithet of Apollo because of his connection with the sun or as descendant of the Titaness Phoebe (his grandmother).

 

Pi-Hsia Yuan Chin: Chinese. Goddess of labor and childbirth; associated with maternal protection and good fortune for the newborn child.

 

Pilumnus: Roman. Minor nature deity, brother of Picumnus. He ensured children grew properly and stayed healthy.

 

Poia: North American (Blackfoot). God-son of the morning star.

 

Poseidon: Greek. god of the sea, horses, and earthquakes. Brother of Zeus and Hades.

 

Ptah: Egyptian. The deification of the primordial mound, the land risen from the waters. Having dreamt creation in his heart, he called the world into being. Creator of Memphis, the capital of ancient Egypt.

 

Puchan: Indian. God of meeting, responsible for marriages, protecting travelers from bandits and wild beasts, roads, and the feeding of cattle.

 

Pwyll: Celtic (Wales). God ruler of the underworld; associated with contact with the dead as well as fraternal love and loyalty.

 

Q

 

Quetzalcoatl: Aztec. Benevolent creator god of the wind depicted as an old, bearded man. Referred to as The Feathered Serpent and was connected to the planet Venus. A wise legislator. Associated with civilization, the arts, metallurgy, and fate.

 

R

 

Ra: Egyptian. The sun god, identified primarily with the mid-day sun. He commanded sky, earth, underworld, and was later subsumed into the god Horus.

 

Rafu-sen: Japanese. Goddess associated with plum blossoms.

 

Rama: Indian (Hindu). Among the most popular figures and deities in Hinduism and its religious scriptures in South and Southeast Asia. He is the husband of Sita, who Hindus consider to be an Avatar of Lakshmi and the embodiment of perfect womanhood.

 

Rat: Egyptian. Mother of the gods, associated with knowledge and wisdom. Depicted wearing a disk with horns and a uraeus.

 

Rati: Indian (Hindu). Goddess of passion and lust, and a daughter of Daksha. She married K?ma, the god of love.

 

Ratis: Celtic. Goddess whose name means "of the fortress"; associated with the defense of fortifications.

 

Rauni: Finno-Ugrian. Powerful fertility goddess, associated with pain relief and childbirth.

 

The Rbhus: Indian (Hindu). Three semi-divine beings; artists who formed the horses of Indra, the carriage of the Ashvins, and the miraculous cow of Brihaspati.

 

Re: Egyptian. The most important of the Egyptian gods, the personification of the (midday) sun.

 

Rekhit: Egyptian. Goddess associated with knowledge.

 

Remi: Egyptian. God associated with fish and fishing.

 

Remnit: Egyptian. Goddess associated with cows.

 

Renenutet: Egyptian. Anthropomorphic deification of the act of gaining a true name, an aspect of the soul, during birth.

 

Renpet: Egyptian. Deification of the year; mistress-goddess of eternity. Associated with the passage of time.

 

Rhea: Greek. Called the "Mother of the gods" because she gave birth to the Olympians: Demeter, Hades, Hera, Hestia, Poseidon, and Zeus.

 

Rhiannon: Celtic (Ireland). A horse goddess whose name means "great queen"; associated with horses and birds, fertility and death, patience and dreams.

 

Rock-Sens: The Serer of Gambia, Africa. Sky god who controlled thunder, lightning, and rain.

 

Rosmerta: Celtic (Gaul). Goddess of fertility and abundance, her attributes being those of plenty such as the cornucopia.

 

Rudra: Indian. Thought to be an early form of the god Shiva; a god of the storm, the wind, and the hunt. Associated with herbs and healing, forests and wild animals, song, sacrifice, and judgment.

 

Rugaba: Ankore of Uganda, Africa. Creator god, Sun god, Sky God associated with judgement, life and death, sickness and healing.

 

Ruhanga: Banyoro, Africa. God of death and rebirth, children, animals, the harvest, health and sickness, and judgement.

 

S

 

Saa: Egyptian. The the deification of wisdom; associated with writing and protection of the heart.

 

Sabazius: Thracian/Phrygian. A fertility god of vegetation, identified with Dionysus. His symbol was a snake.

 

Sae-no-Kami: Japanese. Name given to gods who guard roads and protect travelers.

 

Saitada: Celtic. Goddess of mourning; associated with the transition from life to death.

 

Sakarabru: Agni of Guinea, Africa. God who is strongest during the main phases of the Moon. Swift to punish wrongful deeds. Associated with, medicine, justice and retribution.

 

Sakyamuni: Japanese. Japanese name for the Buddha. Associated with enlightenment, virtue, and self-realization.

 

Sao-Ts'ing Niang: Chinese. Goddess of clouds and the end of the drought.

 

Sarasvati: Indian (Hindu). Goddess of the river waters and of fertility and wealth; patroness of speech, writing and learning, and of the arts and sciences.

 

Satet: Egyptian. Deification of the floods of the Nile River. Her name means "she who shoots forth," referring to the annual flooding of the river. She was also an early hunting, war, and fertility deity.

 

Savitri: Indian. Personification of the rising and setting sun; a golden-haired goddess who rides a chariot drawn by two horses. Associated with rest, healing, and achieving immortality.

 

Scathach: Celtic (Scotland and Ireland). A legendary warrior goddess and martial arts teacher; associated with protection and healing, blacksmiths and phrophecy.

 

Segomo: Celtic. Warrior god whose name means "victor" or "mighty one"; associated with the eagle, hawk, or falcon.

 

Seker: Egyptian. Deification of the separation of soul from the body, after death.

 

Sekhmet: Egyptian. The warrior goddess of Upper Egypt and protector of the pharaohs. Depicted as a lioness, her breath was said to have created the desert sands.

 

Selene: Greek. Goddess of the moon, worshiped on the days of full and new moons. Same as the Roman goddess Luna.

 

Sequana: Celtic (Britain). Goddess of the springs at the source of the river Seine; associated with water rites and purification.

 

Serket: Egyptian. Goddess of healing stings and bites who originally was the deification of the scorpion; protector of pharaohs.

 

Seshat: Egyptian. Goddess of wisdom, knowledge, writing, architecture, astronomy, astrology, building, mathematics, and surveying -- she was seen as a scribe and record keeper, and the inventor of writing.

 

Setem: Egyptian. God associated with hearing.

 

Seth: Egyptian. God of the desert, storms, and chaos; Immensely powerful, regarded consequently as the chief god and patron of Upper Egypt.

 

Seti: Egyptian. God of chaos, evil, war, storms, deserts, and foreign lands who kiled his brother Osiris. Personification of hostility and evil.

 

Sha: Egyptian. Genderless deification of the concept of fate. Associated with fate and human lifespan.

 

Shaka-Nyorai: Chinese. Historical Buddha, the embodiment of virtue, enlightenment, and self-realization.

 

Shamash: Akkadian. The sun god, principally the judge and law-giver, with some fertility attributes. Associated with justice, for just as the sun disperses darkness, so Shamash brings wrong and injustice to light.

 

Shango: Yoruba of Nigeria, Africa. God who carried a double-headed axe much like the nordic Thorr. Associated with magic, war, thunder and storms.

 

Shang-Ti: Chinese. Supreme god who rules over lesser gods of the sun, the moon, the wind, the rain, and other natural forces and places; regulates human affairs and rules over the material universe.

 

Shapsu: Canaanite. Sun goddess, known as the torch of the gods.

 

Shesmu: Egyptian. Demon-god of the underworld; associated with precious oils for beauty and embalming, and the wine press.

 

Sheila-Na-Gig: Celtic (Ireland). Regeneration goddess associated with femininity and opening.

 

Shen Nung: Chinese. God of pharmacists and medicine. He is said to have invented the plow and taught man the art of agriculture as well as the cultivation of forests.

 

Shen Yi: Chinese. Sun god and Heavenly Archer who received a draught of immortality from the goddess Xi Wang-mu.

 

Shichi Fukujin: Japanese. Collective name given to the seven lucky gods of happiness.

 

Shiva: Indian (Hindu). The Destroyer god, accompanied by demons and represented as a phallus. Lord of the dance, the all knowing, he is male and female and at the same time. God of creation, destruction, maintenance, and regeneration.

 

Shoney: Celtic (Ireland and Scotland). God of the North Sea.

 

Shou-Hsing: Chinese. God of time, stars, longevity and old age; associated with death and reincarnation.

 

Shu: Egyptian. The god who held up the body of the goddess Nut each night, so that the earth and the sky were separated.

 

Shui-Khan: Chinese. God-defender against evil; forgiver of sins.

 

Sia: Egyptian. Deification of the perceptive mind. Associated with intellectual achievement.

 

Sin: Celtic (Ireland). Warrior goddess associated with nourishing and housing soldiers, physical strength and stamina, protection and prosperity.

 

Sionnan: Celtic (Britain). River goddess associated with springs, wells, and streams.

 

Sirona: Celtic (Britain). Goddess of healing, associated with healing springs and purification.

 

Si-Wang-Mu: Chinese. Mother goddess or Mother Queen of the West. A deputy of heaven who could see the world from her mountain peak and send punishments to evil doers.

 

Sin: Babylonian. Moon god and the father of Shamash; counterpart of the Sumerian Nanna.

 

Sirona: Celtic. Goddess of healing springs, associated with fertility and astronomy. Her attributes were wolves and children.

 

Slaine: Celtic (Ireland). God of medicine and healing arts.

 

Siva Jnana-Dakshinamurti: Indian. An aspect of Shiva as a guru (teacher) of all type of knowledge; personification as the supreme or the ultimate awareness.

 

Siva Lingodbhava: Indian. An iconic representation of Shiva, installed in the rear devakoshta (niche) of the garbagriha (sanctum) of all Shiva temples. Associated with fertility and reproduction.

 

Sobek: Egyptian. The deification of crocodiles. His worship began as an attempt to pacify crocodiles so as to reduce the danger they posed. A creator god, occasionally linked with the sun god Ra.

 

Soko: Nupe of north Nigeria, Africa. Creator god associated with the elements, witchcraft, and communication with the dead.

 

Sol: Roman. Sun god and the sun itself. Equated with the Roman Sol. Drives a chariot led by 4 fire-breathing horses across the sky each day. Same as Greek god Helios.

 

Somhlth: Celtic (Scotland and Ireland). Non-physical god who represented pure masculine energy.

 

Sucellos: Celtic (Britain and Gaul). A father/sky god whose name means "good striker"; associated with water and death. Similar to the Greek Zeus.

 

Sulis : Celtic (Britain). Goddess of healing; associated with purifying hot springs, knowledge and prophecy. She is closely linked with the Greek goddess Athena.

 

Supai: Incan. God of death and the underworld, associated with greed and mortality.

 

Surya: Indian (Hindu). Benevolent sun god (corresponds with the Greek god, Helios). The husband of dawn, as well as her son, he is depicted as a red man with four arms. He holds water lilies with two of his hands, while the other two encourage and bless his worshipers.

 

Susanoh: Japanese. God of the winds, storms, oceans, and snakes who was born from Izanagi's nose.

 

Sussistanako: North American (Pueblo). Spider-creator goddess associated with intellect and thinking.

 

Sutalidihi: North American (Cherokee). A sun-god.

 

T

 

Taillte: Celtic (Ireland). August harvest goddess associated with fertility and harvest rites.

 

T'ai-Yueh-Ta-Ti: Chinese. God-protector of animals and men; associated with success and prosperity, fate and fortune, and just payment of bad and good karma.

 

Tkinich Kak Mo: Mayan. Sun god associated with the lighting of the sacrificial fire.

 

Takuskanskan: North American (Dakota). Prankster wind god.

 

Taliesin: Celtic (Wales). God of barley; associated with the barley harvest, as well as general fertility.

 

Tamara: Celtic (Wales). River goddess associated with boundaries, protection, and fortification.

 

Tamesis: Celtic (Britain). Eponymous goddess of the River Thames, associated with water rites and rituals.

 

Tanent: Egyptian. Earth mother goddess, associated with strength and stability, life and death.

 

Tannus: Celtic (Britain). God of thunder; associated with weather changes, seasonal rituals, and fertility.

 

Tapio: Finno-Ugrian. Forest god to whom hunters prayed before the hunt. Associated with game abundance.

 

Tara: Indian. Goddess who appears as a female Buddha in Vajrayana Buddhism. Known as the "mother of liberation," she represents the virtues of success in work and achievements.

 

Taurt: Egyptian. Benevolent protector-goddess of fertility and childbirth; associated with the nursing of infants.

 

Tawaret: Egyptian. With the head of a hippopotamus, she was the deification of the norther sky. Residing below the horizon and only present at night, evil during the day was thought to be a result of her maleficence.

 

Tefnut: Egyptian. A goddess of water and fertility, indeed her name means moist waters.

 

Temu: Egyptian. Evening form of the creator god Ra. Father of the human race, associated with the setting sun, rest, and peace.

 

Tethra: Celtic (Ireland). Minor god of death, associated with changes in weather, water and the sea.

 

Tezcatlipoca: Aztec. Warrior god of the north and the god of sin and misery; associated with the night sky, the night winds, hurricanes, the north, the earth, obsidian, enmity, discord, rulership, divination, temptation, sorcery, beauty, war and strife. Carried a magic mirror that gave off smoke and killed enemies.

 

Thanatos: Greek. A minor god, the personification of death who dwells in the lower world.

 

Thor: Norse. Red-haired and bearded god of thunder, portrayed as a large, powerful man with eyes of lightning. He had a famous hammer named Mjolnir and a belt of strength named Megingjardir.

 

Thoth: Egyptian. Considered one of the most important deities, often depicted with the head of an Ibis. He was considered the heart and tongue of Ra as well as the means by which Ra's will was translated into speech.

 

Tiamat: Babylonian. A huge, bloated female dragon associated with underworld oceans and a monstrous embodiment of primordial chaos. Also the primordial mother of all that exists, including the gods themselves.

 

Tien-Hou: Chinese. Sky goddess; protector of fishermen and sailors.

 

T'ien-Khuan: Chinese. God of earthly happiness.

 

Tien-Mu: Chinese. Goddess of lightning whose name literally means "Mother of Lightning."

 

Ti-Khuan: Chinese. God-forgiver of sins.

 

Tilo: Mozambique, Africa. Sky god associated with rain and thunder.

 

Tirawa: North American (Pawnee). Creator god who made the world in the shape of a bowl in space. Also created the stars, sun, and moon.

 

Ti-Tsang-Wang-Pu-Sa: Chinese. God of mercy who descends into hell and attempts to arrange for the reincarnation of sinners.

 

Tlachtga: Celtic (Ireland). Powerful goddess of sacrificial rites, and rites of passage.

 

Tlaloc: Aztec. God of rain, fertility, agriculture, fire, and the south. Feared for his ability to send hail, thunder and lightening, and for being the lord of the powerful element of water. Depicted with goggle eyes and fangs; associated with caves, springs and mountains.

 

Tlauixcalpantecuhtli: Aztec. God of the morning star Venus; an aspect of Quetzalcoatl, associated with the dawn.

 

Tlazolteotl: Aztec. Goddess of the crescent moon who rode naked on a broom holding a red snake and blood-smeared rope. Associated with sex, fertility, and death.

 

Tonatiuh: Aztec. Warrior sun god presiding over the fifth (present) Aztec world age. He demanded human sacrifice as tribute and without it would refuse to move through the sky. Associated with fate, warriors who die in battle, and women who die in childbirth.

 

Tou-Mou: Chinese. Record-keeper goddess of the polestar; associated with judgement, record-keeping, and writing.

 

Tuoni: Finno-Ugrian. God of the underworld, associated with death.

 

Toyota Mahime: Japanese. Goddess associated with the sea.

 

Toyo-Uke-Bime: Japanese. Goddess of earth, agriculture, and food.

 

Tozi: Aztec. Mother of the gods and the personification of all the aspects of nature. Her August honored midwives and women healers. Associated with sweat baths and healing.

 

Triduana: Celtic (Scotland). Goddess of Edinburgh who tore out out her beautiful eyes rather than submit to the advances of Nechtan, King of the Picts, thus being able to continue her pious life.

 

Tsai Shen: Chinese. Taoist god of weath; associated with success and abundance.

 

Tsao-Wang: Chinese. God of the hearth and the kitchen; associated with protecting families and recording their words and actions.

 

Tsi-Ku: Chinese. Goddess of the outhouse, and of divination.

 

Tuan Mac Carell: Celtic (Ireland). Hero turned god of woodlands and animals; associated with wildlife, reincarnation, and ecology rituals.

 

Turrean: Celtic (Ireland). The most beautiful of goddesses who was turned into a scruffy Irish wolfhound by a jealous faery queen.

 

Tvashtar: Indian. The "heavenly builder," maker of divine implements. Associated with creativity, and skillful craftsmanship.

 

Twen-Ch'ang: Chinese. Crane Chinese god of poetry and literature; associated with writing, publishing, and artistic fame.

 

Tyche: Greek. Goddess of chance, fortune, and prosperity. She governed the fortune and prosperity of a city, its destiny.

 

Tyr: Norse. God of single-handed combat and heroic glory.

 

U

 

Uadjet: Egyptian. Originally the ancient patron goddess of the city of Dep' often depicted as a snake-headed woman or a cobra. Protector of country, pharaohs, and other deities.

 

Uathach: Celtic (Scotland and Ireland). Warrior goddess associated with strength and protection of soldiers.

 

Uairebhuidhe: Celtic (Ireland). Fairy goddess and guardian protector of all birds; associated with death and the underworld.

 

Ukko: Finno-Ugrian. God of sky, weather, crops (harvest) and other natural things. The equivalent of Thor, he was associated with thunder, clouds, and rain.

 

Uma: Indian (Hindu). Gentle, supreme mother goddess; all other goddesses are referred to as her incarnations or manifestations. The embodiment of the total energy in the universe.

 

Unkulunkulu: The Amazulu and Ndebele of Zimbabwe, Africa. Great Earth god associated with order, organization, and Fertility.

 

Un: Egyptian. God associated with existence.

 

Unit: Egyptian. Goddess associated with stars.

 

Unta: Egyptian. God associated with light.

 

Untabi: Egyptian. Goddess associated with the 27th day of the month.

 

Urcaguary: Incan. God of metals, jewels and other underground items of great value. A chimera of serpent and deer, whose tail was adorned with chains of gold.

 

Ur-Henu: Egyptian. God associated with water.

 

Uso-Dori: Japanese. Goddess of singing; takes on the appearance of a bullfinch.

 

Utchait: Egyptian. Goddess associated with the moon.

 

Utekh: Egyptian. God associated with embalming.

 

Utet-Tefef: Egyptian. God associated with the 29th day of the month.

 

Utixo: The Hottentots, Africa. Sky god who speaks with a voice of thunder. Associated with rebirth, harvests, thunder, rain, and storms.

 

Utu: Sumerian. God of the sun and of justice, and the implementation of law. He is usually depicted as wearing a horned helmet and carrying a saw-edged weapon used to cut through the side of a mountain from which he emerges, symbolising the dawn.

 

Uzume: Japanese. Shinto goddess of joy, happiness, and good health.

 

V

 

Vaga: Celtic. Goddess of the river Wye.

 

Vajrapani: Indian. Protector and guide of the Buddha, and rose to symbolize the Buddha's power.

 

Venus: Roman. Goddess of love, lust, and beauty. Often depicted with the sea, dolphins, doves, swans, pomegranates, apples, myrtle, rose and lime trees, clams, scallop shells and pearls. Same as the Greek goddess Aphrodite.

 

Verbeia: Celtic. Goddess of the Avon and Wharfe rivers; depicted with an overlarge head, wearing a long, pleated robe, and grasping two large snakes.

 

Varuna: Indian (Hindu). God of the sky, of waters and of the celestial ocean, as well as a god of law and of the underworld.

 

Vesta: Roman. Virgin goddess of the hearth, home, and family, symbolized by the sacred fire that burned at her hearth and temples.

 

Viracocha: Incan. Powerful god-creator of civilization, associated with the sun and storms.

 

Vishnu: Indian (Hindu). The creator and destroyer of all existences, one who supports, sustains and governs the Universe and originates and develops all elements within.

 

Visvakarma: Indian (Hindu). God of all craftsmen and architects; fabricated and designed the divine architecture of the Universe at the behest of Brahma, the Lord of Creation.

 

Volturnus: Roman. A river deity associated with the river Volturnus in Campania (Italy), possibly an ancient name for the Tiber.

 

Vulcan: Roman. God of technology, blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metals and metallurgy, and fire. Associated with volcanos. Same as Greek god Hephaestus.

 

W

 

Wachilt: Celtic. A minor sea goddess, also known as a witch.

 

Wakan Tanka: North American (Dakota). Creator god who made the earth, sky, and sun because he was lonely.

 

Wakinyan: North American (Dakota). God of thunder.

 

Wakonda: North American (Sioux). Great Spirit god who maintains balance in the universe.

 

Wele Xakaba: African (Kenya). The high god, the creator and giver of all things (the Earth, sun, moon, and all living creatures).

 

Wepwawet: Egyptian. War deity whose name means "opener of the ways." Often depicted as a wolf; associated with defense, martial arts, and journeys.

 

Were: Luo of Kenya, Africa. Great father-creator god, associated with birth and death, nature and judgement.

 

White Lady: Celtic. Ghost-goddess associated with annihilation and death.

 

X

 

Xaman Ek: Mayan. God of the north star, associated with peace and plenty, and commerce.

 

Xevioso: West Africa. God who used a thunder axe. Associated with rain and fertility.

 

Xipe: Aztec. God of agriculture, the west, disease, spring, goldsmiths and the seasons. He flayed himself to give food to humanity, symbolic of the maize seed losing the outer layer of the seed before germination and of snakes shedding their skin. Associated with agriculture, west, goldsmiths, and self-mutilation to give penance.

 

Xi Wang-mu: Chinese. Goddess of immortality who personifies the feminine "yin"; Ruler of the western paradise and goddess of immortality.

 

Xochiquetzal: Aztec. Mother goddess of maize, flowers (especially marigolds, which are laid on graves), and the underworld. Associated with sexual love, twins, children, and craftsmen.

 

Xochipilli: Aztec. God of art, games, beauty, dance, flowers, maize, and song. His name means "Flower Prince."

 

Xochiquetzal: Aztec. Goddess of flowers, fertility, erotic love, maize, artistry, games, dancing and agriculture, as well as craftsmen, prostitutes and pregnant women. She was originally a moon and love goddess.

 

Xolotl: Aztec. The evil form of Venus and adversary of the Sun; a monster animal with its feet on reversed. Associated with bad luck and fire.

 

Y

 

Yacatecuhtli: Aztec. God of traders and merchants.

 

Yam: Canaanite. God of rivers and sea who lives in an undersea palace. Deity of the primordial chaos who represents the power of the sea untamed and raging; he is seen as ruling tempests and the disasters they wreak.

 

Yama: Indian. God-judge of the dead.

 

Yambe-Akka: Finno-Ugrian. Goddess of the underworld, whose name means "The Old Woman of the Dead."

 

Yao-Shih: Chinese. God dedicated to saving lives, healing wounds and curing diseases; associated with healing and psychic abilities.

 

Yarikh: Canaanite. Moon god whose epithets are the Illuminator of the Heavens, the Illuminator of the Myriads of Stars, and Lord of the Sickle. Provider of nightly dew.

 

Ymir: Norse. Primordial giant and the progenitor of the race of frost giants. After Odin helped to kill Ymir, Ymir's body helped build the world with his blood, drowning most of the frost giants.

 

Ymoja: Yoruba, Africa. River goddess associated with women and children.

 

Yu-huang: Chinese. Highest ruler of the Taoist heavens and all realms of existence below including that of Man and Hell. Known as the "Jade Emperor."

 

Yum Caax: Mayan. God of maize; associated with fertility, abundant crops, life and happiness.

 

Yum Kimil: Mayan. Personification of disaster and darkness. Also called Ah Puch, Hunahau or Hunhau, he rules the ninth and lowest of the underworlds.

 

Z

 

Zeus: Greek. King of the gods, equivalent of the Roman god Jupiter. The supreme ruler of Mount Olympus and of the Pantheon of gods who resided there.