African Gods

 

God/ Goddess        What they Rule

Abassi     Creator god of the Efik people in Nigeria.

Abuk       According to Dinka mythology, the first woman. She is the patron of women and gardens, and her emblem is a small snake.

Adroa       God of the Lugbara people. Adroa has two aspects: one good and one evil. Considered to be the creator of Heaven and Earth, and will appear to those about to die. Adroa is represented as a tall, white man with only half a body one eye, one arm, one leg, one ear.

Adroanzi                 The children of Lugbara god Adroa. They dwell near large trees, rocks and streams. The Adroanzi are fond of following people at night. If the person does not look back, they will be safe. If the person does look back, the Adroanzi will          .

Agé.         Dahomey god of the wilderness and the animals which dwell within it. Often worshipped by hunters

Agwe       The mother of the sea. Affectionate and nurturing to humans who honor her.

Aha Njoku              Goddess of yams and the women who care for them. Worshipped by the Ibo tribe of Nigeria.

Aja           Forest Goddess of the Yoruba people. Teaches the use of medicinal herbs.

Arebati    Sky and moon god of the Pygmies of Zaire

Asa          God of the Akamba people of Kenya. A strong yet merciful lord who offers help when human help is not available

Banga      Ngbandi peoples' god of clear waters.

Buku        West African god of the sky.

Chiuta     Rain god of the Tumbuka, considered the supreme god of the tribe.

Chuku     Supreme god of the Ibo peoples, all good comes from him. The creator god, he also brings the rains which make the plants grow.

Da            Great serpent god of the Fon peoples. He supports creation with his giant coils, 3,500 above the earth and 3,500 below.

Deng        Creator and sky god of the Dinka tribe. Also god of rain and fertility.

Domfe     Kurumba god of rain, water and wind. He gave the first food bearing seeds to humanity.

Dongo     Songhai god of thunder

Dziva       Creator Goddess of the Shona people. Generally benevolent, but occasionally awful.

Edinkira                  Tree Goddess.

Egungun Oya         Yoruban Goddess of divination.

Enekpe    Goddess of the family and guardian of destiny.

Enkai       Rain god of the Maasai of East Africa.

Eseasar    An earth Goddess married to the sky god, Ebore.

Eshu        Yoruba god of beginnings, doorways and crossroads. He rules the opportunity and potentiality of a situation, and the risks and rewards inherent in it.

Faro         Sky and water god of the Bambara people. He became pregnant by the rocking of the universe, and he gave birth to various twins, the ancestors of the human race. Returns to earth every 400 years to verify that everything is still in order.

Gamab    a god of fate and the master of life and death. He shoots arrows from the high heavens at Earth, and those who are hit must die.

Gbadu     Goddess of fate among the Fon people.

Gun          Fon god of iron and war.

Heitsi       Khoikhoi god of the hunt. He dies and is reborn.

Imana      Creator and the supporter of all the Banyarwanda people.

Kaka Guie              Protector of men and god of death and the afterlife among the Baule Negroes of the Ivory Coast.

Kalunga                  God of the sea and supreme creator god of the Lunda people.

Khonvoum             Hunter god of the Pygmies. Also considered the creator of mankind and the jungles.

Lisa          Fon god of the sun, sky and power.

Mami Wata            African deity of the water and of excess, she is seen as both a mermaid (complete with tail) and a beautiful woman walking the streets of modern Africa. She loves all things expensive, modern and beautiful.

Mawu      Supreme deity of the Fon people. Married to Lisa.

Minga Bengale      Shongon god of hunters, who taught mankind how to make nets.

Mugasa   Sky god of the Bambusi people of Zaire. Also associated with the moon.

Mugasha                 Bazabi god of water.

Musso Koroni        Goddess of discord and disorder among the Bambara people.

Neiterogob             Earth Goddess of the Masai.

Nyalitch                  Supreme god of the Dinka. God of the sky and rain.

Obatala   One of the major deities of the Yoruba people. He is the sky god and god of the North, and the first Orisha to be created. He helped to create humans.

Odudua   Yourba god of the South. Brother of Obatala.

Oromila God of divination of the Benin people.

Oshunmare             The rainbow serpent of the Yoruba people.

Oya          Goddess of strength and woman’s power

Ryangombe            Baziba god of cattle.

Shakpana                Angry god of the Yoruba, who inflicts man with pox and madness.

Shango    God of thunder and ancestor of the Yoruba. He is often depicted with a double axe on his head (symbol of thunder) and six eyes. His symbol is the ram and his colors are red and white.

Tore         Wood god of the Pygmies of Zaire. He is patron of the hunt and lord of the animals.

Tsui         Khoikhoi god of rain, thunder and sorcerers.

Umvelinqangi        Creator god of the Zulu. He manifests as thunder and earthquakes.

Unumbotte             Creator god of the Basari of Togo.

Wele        Supreme god of the Kavirondo (Vugusu) in Kenya. Manifests as two personalities: Omuwanga, the gentle 'white' god and Gumali the 'black' god of misfortune.

Woto       Shongo god of fire.

Yansan    Yoruba deity of the wind.

Yemaja   Mother Goddess of the Yoruba. Goddess of birth and fertility, and worshipped primarily by women.

 

Aztec Gods

 

God/ Goddess        What they rule

Acolmiztli              God of the underworld.

Amimitl                  God of lakes and fish hunters.

Atl            God of water

Atlaua.    God of fisherman and called 'lord of the waters'. Associated with the arrow

Camaxtli                 God of war, hunting and fate. Creator of fire.

Centeotl                  God of maize. May have originally been a Goddess.

Centzonuitznaua   Gods of the southern stars. Rebel brothers of the sun god Huitzilopochtli.

Chalchiuhtlicue     Matron Goddess of rivers, streams and marriage. Ruled over all waters of the earth.

Chalchiutotolin      God of pestilence.

Chalmecacihuilt    A Goddess of the underworld.

Chantico                 Goddess of hearth and volcano fires.

Chicomecoatl         Goddess of maize. In September, a girl representing her would be sacrificed in order to ensure the fertility of the maize in the following year. Her symbol is an ear of corn.

Chicomexochtli     God of painters

Chiconahui             Hearth Goddess and guardian of the household.

Cihuacoatl              Earth mother Goddess. Patron of childbirth and those who died while giving birth. Often portrayed with a child in her arms.

Citlalatonac            God who created the stars.

Citlalicue                Creator Goddess. With Citlalatonac, created the stars.

Ciucoatl                  Goddess of the earth.

Coatlicue                Goddess of earth and fire. Embodied the devouring mother who represented both birth and death.

Cochimetl               God of merchants and commerce.

Coyolxauhqui        Goddess of the moon and earth. Slew her mother, Coatlicue, from whose corpse sprang the god Huitzilopochtli. He slew Coyolxauhqui and tossed her head into the sky, where it became the moon.

Ehecatl    God of the winds. Brings life to all that is lifeless.

Huitzilopochtli      Mighty god of war, the sun and storms. Slew his sister and tossed her head into the sky to become the moon. Represented as the hummingbird.

Huixtocihuatl         Fertility        .   nnected with salt and salt water.

Itzli          Stone knife god, and god of sacrifice.

Itzpapalotl              Goddess of agriculture.

Ixtlilton   God of healing, medicine, feasting and      .

Malinalxochi          Sorceress Goddess with power over scorpions, snakes and other stinging, biting insects of the desert.

Metztli    Moon god.

Mictlantecutli        Lord of the dead and ruler of the Aztec underworld. Often seen as a skeleton or a figure wearing a skull. His animals are the spider, owl and bat.

Mixcoatl                 God of the hunt and war. Also ruler of the polar star.

Nanauatzin             God who sacrificed himself in a fire so that the sun could shine on the world.

Omacatl                  God of feasts and joy. Seen as an aspect of the god Tezcatlipoca.

Ometecuhtli           Creator god and god of fire. The highest god of the Aztec pantheon. Ruled over duality and the unity of opposites.

Opochtli                  God of fishing, hunting and bird snaring.

Patecatl   God of healing and fertility.

Paynal     Messenger god to Huitzilopochtli.

Quetzalcoatl           Major god of the Aztecs and other Middle American peoples. a creator god and wise legislator, he created the humans of this era from the bones of the dead from past eras and his own blood. God of the wind, water and fertility. Light skinned and bearded, or represented as a feathered, flying snake.

Tecciztecatl            Moon god.

Teoyaomqui           God of dead warriors.

Tepeyollotl             God of caves and the earth. Believed to create earthquakes and the echo. His animal is the jaguar.

Teteoinnan             Mother of the gods.

Tezcatlipoca           God of night and material things. A tempter, he often tried to urge men to evil as a test of their moral character. Sometimes seen as the opposite of spiritual Quetzalcoatl.

Tlahuixcalpantecuhtli          God of the dawn and Venus as the morning star. An aspect of Quetzalcoatl.

Tlaloc      God of rain, agriculture, fire and the south. His worship predates the Aztec civilization.

Tlaltecuhtli             Monster earth god.

Tlazolteotl              earth mother Goddess, and Goddess of sex.

Tonatiuh                 Aztec sun god and god of warriors.

Tzitzimime             God of the stars.

Ueuecoyotl             God of sex and irresponsible merrymaking.

Xilonen   Goddess of maize. Called 'the hairy one' for the tassels of the corn.

Xipe Totec             God of agriculture, spring and the turning of the seasons. Flayed himself each year to offer food for humans (as a maize seed loses it's outer skin). After he shed his skin, he appeared as a shining, golden god.

Xiuhcoatl                Fire snake. God of drought and scorched earth.

Xiuhtecutli.            The senior deity of the Aztec pantheon. He is the personification of light in the darkness, warmth in coldness, and life in death. Often depicted with a red or yellow face

Xochipilli               God of flowers, dance, love,      , beauty, song and dance.

Xochiquetzal          Goddess of birds, butterflies, song, dance and love. Also a protector of artisans, prostitutes, pregnant women and birth.

Xolotl      God of lightning who guides the dead to the underworld. Seen as the twin brother of Quetzalcoatl. Depicted as a skeleton or a man with the head of a dog.

Yacatecuhtli           God of traveling merchants.

 

Celtic

 

God/Goddess         What they rule

Aengus                     God of love and harper for the Tuatha De Danann.

Aine                          Goddess of love and fertility. Later worshipped as a fairy queen.

Airmid    Healing goddess, protector of medicinal plants, and the keeper of the spring that brings the dead back to life.

Amaethon                                Welsh god of agriculture

Arianrhod               Earth goddess.

Badb                         Irish war goddess and Crone.

Balor                        God of death and king of the Formorians - a race of evil giants defeated by the Tuatha De Danann.

Belatu-Cadros                         God of war and destruction of enemies.

Belenus                    God of light; called 'the shining one'. Protector of sheep and cattle. The holiday Beltane means 'Bel's fires'.

Belisama                                  Goddess of light, fire, forging and crafts.

Boann                       Goddess of bounty and fertility. Her symbol is the white cow.

Bran         A hero god, protector of poetry and the underworld.

Branwen                                  Goddess of love and beauty.

Bres                          God of fertility and agriculture.

Brigit, or Brighid                                   Goddess of healing, fertility and the hearth. She is the patron of poets, smiths and doctors. Transformed into St. Brigid in the Christian revolution of Ireland.

Cailleach                                 Also known as Skadi or Scotia, she is an ancient goddess, both in worship and in form. She appears as an old hag with teeth of a bear and tusks of a boar. She is a sorceress who created the earth.

Caridwen                                 Originally a corn goddess, she is the protector of poets. Associated with Brigit.

Cernunnos                               The horned one" - God of fertility, life, animals and the underworld. Depicted with the antlers of a stag.

Dagda                       God of the Earth and father of the Irish gods. He rules the seasons with a magical harp, and owns a            cauldron of plenty. A skilled fighter and artisan.

Danu                         Universal mother of the gods. The earth mother. Goddess of rivers, wells, prosperity, plenty, magic and wisdom

Dylan                       Welsh sea god

Epona                       Goddess of horse. Her symbol is the cornucopia and the horse.

Goibhnu                                   God of smiths, jewelry makers, and brewing.

Gwydion                                  God of warriors and magicians.

Lugh                         Called "Lugh of the light hand" he is a sun god and protector of the harvest.

Manannan mac Lir                                Irish god of the sea and fertility. He forecasts the weather. He is older than the Tuatha De Dannan, yet appears to be one of them.

Morrigan                                 Goddess of war and death. She can take the form of a crow or raven. If seen by a warrior before battle, that warrior will die.

Nantosuelta                             Goddess of nature, valleys and streams. Her symbol is the raven.

Oghma                     God of wisdom, learning communication and poetry.

Ogmios                    God of poetry, language and eloquence. Depicted as an old man with a bald head who has golden chains that hang from his tongue attached to the ears of his followers. Invented the runes of the Druids.

Rhiannon                                 Goddess associated with faeryland. Lost her child when a great black bird stole him from the crib. To avoid trouble the maids smeared the blood of a puppy on her. She had to carry the visitors to her husband’s court n her back.  The boy was eventually returned and she named him Pryderi or “trouble”

Rosmerta                                 Goddess of fertility and wealth.

Smertrios                                 God of war.

Sucellus                                   God of the forests and agriculture. Ferries the dead to the otherworld.

Taranis                     God of thunder, his symbols are the wheel and the lightning flash.

 

Chinese Gods

 

God/Goddess         What they rule

Ba            Daughter of Heaven. Symbol of drought.

 

Ba Xian   "Eight Immortals" of Taoist mythology, and among the best known deities of China. The deities of the Ba Xian represent eight conditions of human existence: youth, old age, poverty, wealth, the populace, nobility, masculine and feminine.

Bixia Yuanjin        Taoist Goddess of dawn, destiny and childbirth.

Cai-shen                 God of prosperity in both Taoist and folk religion. Usually seen riding a black tiger. He has a black face and a thick mustache, and wears a helmet of iron.

Cao Guo-jiu           One of the Ba Xian, or eight immortals of Taoist myth. He became a hermit from shame, and became an immortal after being taught the secret of perfection. He is the patron of actors.

Cheng-huang         Deities who protect and help the cities under their care. They ward off disaster and bring rain and a bountiful harvest. The are also said to escort the souls of their citizens safely to Heaven.

Chu Jiang               King of the second Hell of Taoist belief, the hell of thieves and murderers. It is believed to be a large lake of ice.

Dha-shi-zhi            Female bodhisattva of Chinese Buddhism. She broke the cycle of rebirth for all through the power of her love. In the heavenly paradise, souls appear before her in the shape of flowers.

Di-cang   One of the four great bodhisattvas of Chinese Buddhism. He liberates souls which dwell in the various hells, and can take on six forms to help beings of the six modes of existence. Depicted as a monk with a staff in his right hand with six rings on it and a wish fulfilling jewel in his left.

Di-guan   Ruler of the Earth in religious Taoism. Forgives sins and transgressions.

Dong-yue da-di     Helper of the sky god Yu-huang. Supervises the lives of living creatures from birth to death.

Dou-mu Goddess who supervises the register where all births and deaths are recorded. She is worshipped by those wishing a long life and personal compassion. Portrayed sitting on a lotus throne and has four heads, with three eyes in each, and eight arms.

Er-lang    Guardian god who dispels evil spirits by setting the Hounds of Heaven on them.

Fan-kui   God of butchers.

Fei Lian                  God of the winds. Depicted as a dragon with the head of a stag and tail of a snake.

Feng Bo  Earl of the Wind

Feng Po-po             Goddess of the Wind.

Fu-xing   God of happiness, one of the San-xing. Often seen in the blue clothes of a civil servant and in the company of children, or in his symbolic form of a bat.

Gao Yao                 Ancient god of judgment. Often accompanied by a ram.

Gong De Tian        Goddess of luck. Holds a wish fulfilling pearl in her left hand.

Gou Mang.             Messenger of the sky-god. Associated with the East, springtime and happiness

Guan-di   Taoist god of war. One of the most well-known of Chinese deities, he opposes all disturbers of the peace and protects the realm from all enemies, both external and internal. Pictured as a nine-foot tall giant with a two-foot long beard, red face, the eyes of a phoenix and eyebrows of silkworms. Also the patron of literature, rulers, and bean-curd sellers.

Gui Xian                 A magical being, the turtle Gui Xian is the symbol of happiness.

Han Xian-zi           One of the popular Ba Xian. Usually portrayed holding a flute, basket of flowers or a peach.

He Xian-gu            The only female member of the Ba Xian.

Heng O   Chinese moon Goddess and symbol of the Yin. Often portrayed in beautiful robes with her hand on the lunar disc.

Hou Ji     God of Millet.

Hou Tu    God of earth and soil.

How-chu                 God of the air.

How-too                 Ancient earth god. Seen as a monster who lives in mountains and rivers.

Hu Jing-de              Guardian god.

Huang Fei-hu         Originally an earth god, became a mountain god who rules the mountain of Tai Shan in eastern China. He judges the souls of the deceased who come to his mountain.

Huang-lao              Taoist deity. Named for the founders of Taoism, Huang-di and Lao-zi, they have been combined as a single deity and worshipped since the 2nd century BC.

Huang-lao-jun       Important deity of early Taoism. He is said to have returned to earth several times as the great teachers of Taoism in order to spread the word about the Tao. One of these incarnations is believed to be Lao-Zi.

Ji Nu        Goddess of the stars.

Jian Lao                  God of the earth and permanence.

Jin Jia      God of literature. He punishes wicked scholars and waves a flag before the homes of families whose descendants will achieve high honor in the Imperial Examinations.

Kui-xing                 Stellar god. In charge of issuing official testimonials

Kwan Yin               Also Guan Yin. One of the great bodhisattvas of Chinese Buddhism, Kwan Yin is seen as the patron of mercy and childless women. Often depicted as the thousand-eyed and thousand-armed, or holding a child.

Lan Cai- he            One of the Ba Xian. Depicted as dressed in rags, wearing a belt made of black wood, and wearing a boot on one foot while the other one is bare. In summer he would wear a thick overcoat but dress lightly in winter. His breath is like hot steam.

Lao-jun   Deified form of Lao-zi, one of the founders of Taoism.

Lei-gong                 Chinese god of thunder. Depicted as having the beak, wings and claws of an owl, although his body is in the shape of a human. Carries a drum and hammer.

Lei-zi       Goddess of thunder. Taught the Chinese the art of breeding silkworms.

Li Tie-guai             One of the Ba Xian. Depicted as crippled in one leg and using a crutch.

Ling-bao tian-zong               Ruler of the Second Heaven of Taoist teachings. Guardian of magical writings. He calculates time and regulates the yin and yang.

Liu Bei    God of basket makers and straw shoe sellers.

Long-wang             T he Dragon Kings, gods of funerals and rain.

Lu Ban    God of carpenters.

Lu Dong-bin          One of the Ba Xian of Taoism. Considered compassion to be the main way of attaining perfection.

Lu-xing   God of the imperial star. Also god of literature. As the star of Honor, he is also a member of the San-xing.

Ma Wang                God of horses.

Ma-mian                 Bureaucrat of the underworld.

Men-shen               Two gods who guard the double-doorways of Chinese dwellings and public buildings.

Mo-hi-hai               God of water.

Mu Gong                Taoist god of immortality and 'Lord of the East'. The embodiment of Yang.

Mu-king                  God of fire.

Niu Wang               God of cattle.

Nü-gua    Goddess who created the first human beings from yellow mud. The intermediary between men and women, and the granter of children.

Pa             God of drought.

Pa-cha     God who protects crops from locusts.

Pan Jin Lian           Goddess of fornication and prostitutes.

Pan-gu     Primordial giant who created the earth.

Qi Gu-niang.          Goddess venerated by girls wanting to know who they will marry

Ru Shou                  Messenger of the sky-god. Associated with Autumn, the west and misfortune.

San-qing                 The three Taoist heavens and the three immortals who inhabit them.

San-xing                 Three stellar gods of good fortune. Fu-xing (Lucky Star), Lu-xing (Star of Honor) and Shou-xing (Star of Longevity).

Shen Yi   Sun god. Also known as the Heavenly Archer, for shooting nine of the ten suns with arrows in order to stop the scorching of the earth. Often portrayed with a sun in his hand.

Shen-nung              God who created the plow and taught man the arts of agriculture and medicine. Patron of pharmacists.

Shou-lao                 Taoist god of good luck and longevity. Popular name of Shou-xing, the Star of Longevity.

Shou-xing               Deity of the stars, considered the god of longevity. Portrayed with an enormous baldhead, supporting himself on a staff, and carrying the peach of longevity. He is a member of the San-xing.

Shui-guan               God of water and overcoming of obstacles.

Si-ming   God of Fate, who determines the life span of each individual. Has two books: the Book of Death, for those who must die, and the Book of Life for the immortals

Song Di   King of the third hell of Chinese legend. Punishes those guilty of unofficial behavior, disobedience, disloyalty, and rebellion.

Song-zi niang-niang             Goddess who bestows children.

Sun-pi     God of cobblers.

Tai-sui-xing           God of time and the planets.

Tai-yi      The supreme deity of some Chinese mythologies.

Tai-yue da-di         Ruler of earth and mankind in Taoist faith. Decides the life span, reincarnation, wealth, progeny, and status of all individuals.

Tao-de tian-zong   Heavenly ruler of the most supreme of Taoist heavens. He teaches the wisdom of the Tao to earthlings.

Tian Hou                Goddess of the sky and protector of fishermen.

Tian-guan               Ruler of Heaven and a god of good luck, wealth and good fortune.

Tian-mu                  Goddess of lightning.

Tu-di       Gods of small areas, such as streets, districts and public buildings. Keeps a record of the lives and death of all inhabitants in his area.

Wang Mu niang niang         Goddess and keeper of the Peaches of Immortality

Wei Cheng             Guardian of the back door of homes and public buildings.

Wei-tuo   God of teaching.

Wen-chang             Taoist god of literature and writing, often called on by scholars to assist them in their labors.

Wen-shu                 One of the four great bodhisattvas of China. Proclaimed the Buddhist teachings in China.

Wu Guan                King of the fourth hell, known as the Lake of Blood. Punishes counterfeiters and cheats.

Xi Shi      Goddess of merchants who sell face creams and perfumes.

Xi Wang-mu.         Goddess of immortality and embodiment of the element of Yin

Xian         Being who has attained physical immortality in religious Taoism.

Yang Jing               Goat god, protects his patrons from wild animals.

Yan-lo     God of the dead and lord of the fifth hell. Punishes those in his domain by memory of things past.

Yao-shi   Chinese Buddha who is dedicated to saving lives, healing wounds and curing disease.

Yen-lo-wang          Earth god.

Yi-Ti       God of wine.

Yuan-shi tian-zong               "Celestial Venerable of the Primordial Beginning", literally the creator of all things in Heaven and earth. Considered eternal, limitless and invisible.

Yu-huang               The Jade Emperor of Chinese mythology, he rules over all of heaven and Earth. His administrators are the Cheng-huang and Tu-di, as well as other deities in charge of wind, rain, thunder, love, war, etc. The most powerful and revered of Chinese gods.

Yu-qiang                God of the sea and the ocean winds.

Zao-jun   God of the heart, home and family in Chinese folk religion.

Zhang Fei               A god of butchers.

Zhang Xian            Bestower of male offspring on those who follow him.

Zhi Song-zi            God of rain.

Zhi-ni      Goddess of spinners, who wove the robes of all other divinities.

Zhong kui               Taoist god of the afterlife and exorcism.

Zhu Rong               God of fire and ruler of the South.

Zi-yu       God who invented war and weapons.

 

Egyptian Gods

 

God/Goddess         What they rule

Aker        God of the earth and the dead. Guards the place where the eastern and western horizons meet, as well as the gate through which the pharaoh enters the underworld. Depicted as a strip of land with both ends forming the heads of a lion or human, or two lions facing in opposite directions.

Amathaunta            Goddess of the sea.

Amaunet                 Mother Goddess and personification of the life-giving northern wind. Pictures as a snake or snake-head wearing the crown of lower Egypt.

Ament     Goddess who welcomed the spirits of the newly dead at the gates of the underworld with bread and water.

 Amun     Originally a god of wind and ruler of the air, became the all-powerful sun deity of Thebes and then supreme ruler of the gods.

Amun-Re                Combination of gods Amun and Re or Ra, used as the name of Amun when he became the national god of Thebes and Egypt.

Andjety   God of the underworld, responsible for the rebirth of souls in the afterlife.

Anhur      Warrior and hunter god. Personified the royal warriors.

Ankt        Spear-carrying Goddess of war.

Anouke   Elder Goddess of war. Pictured with bow and arrows.

Anti         Guardian deity and god of ferrymen.

Anubis    God of the dead and embalming, and protector of cemetaries and burial tombs. He holds the scales which weigh the hearts of the dead - if the heart is light, the soul will be taken to Osiris. If the heart is heavy, it will be destroyed. Pictured as a man with the head of a jackal or dog.

Anuket    Goddess of the Nile river and nourisher of the fields. Pictured with a crown of reeds and ostrich feathers.

Apep        God of chaos, darkness and evil. He battles with the sun god Re to keep the sun from returning to the world on its nightly journey through the underworld.  Also Apophis.

Arensnuphis           Benign god of Egyptian Nubia and a companion of Isis. Seen as a lion or a man wearing a plumed crown.

Aten        God of the sun and name of the visible solar disc. Aten was, for a time, the only god of Egypt during the reign of Akanaten, but the land returned to polytheism on the pharaoh's death. Pictured as a solar disc with rays that end in human hands, holding the ankh.

Atum       Primordial sun god and creator of the world. He is the evening or setting sun.

Ba            Ram god and a god of fertility. Invoked by women in the hopes that he would help them conceive.

Babi         Demonic god said to live on human entrails. He helped to devour the hearts of those deemed unworthy in the ceremony of the weighing of the heart.

Banebdjetet            `Ram god of lower Egypt. Pictured as a man with a ram's head.

Bastet      Cat headed Goddess of Egypt. Often seen as another form of Sekhmet. A solar and later lunar deity.

Bes           Grotesque dwarf god. Said to guard households against evil spirits and misfortune. Also a god of joviality, dancing, singing and happiness.

Beset       Female version of the god Bes.

Buto        Snake Goddess of the oracle at Buto and protector of the Egyptian royal family.

Chenti-cheti           Falcon or crocodile god.

Chenti-irti               Falcon god of law and order.

Cherti      Ferryman of the dead and protector of the pharaoh's tomb. Pictured as a ram or a man with a ram's head.

Chnum    Ram god who makes the Nile delta fertile and suitable for agriculture.

Chons      God of the moon and the master of time.

Chontamenti          God of the dead and the land of the west. Seen as a dog or dog's head with horns.

Dedun     God of wealth and incense. Pictured as a man or a lion.

Dua          God of toiletry.

Duamutef               Guardian of the east and a funerary god. He protected the stomach of the deceased.

Ennead    Council of the gods, specifically those of the Osiris pantheon.

Hah          God of the sky. He represents the limitless expanse of the sky, and is pictured with his arms spread wide to support it.

Hapi         Personification of the Nile River. Pictured as a fat man to signify abundance. Also, a funerary god and son of Horus. Protected the lungs of the deceased.

Har-nedj-itef          Form of the god Horus. Protector of the dead.

Hathor     One of the main Goddesses of Egypt, Hathor is the celestial cow and protector of women and the Queen of Egypt. She is the Goddess of love, children, pregnancy, dancing, singing, and poetry. She has been associated with many other Goddesses, including Sekhmet, Bastet, Beb, and Isis. Often pictures as a cow with the sun disk between it's horns or as a woman wearing a disc and horns headdress.

Hatmehit                 Fish Goddess.

Hauhet    Goddess of immeasurable infinity. Often pictured as a frog or a woman with a frog's head.

Hedetet   Scorpion Goddess.

Heket       Goddess of childbirth and protector of the dead. Seen as a frog or a woman with the head of a frog.

Hemen    Falcon god.

Hemsut   Goddess of fate.

Hesat       Cow Goddess and Goddess of milk.

Hez-ur     Baboon god.

Hike        God of supernatural powers. Doctors were called priests of Hike because they invoked the deity during their work.

Horus      Name for a number of gods, all of which invoke the sun, kingship and victory. Horus in his many forms was a protector and warrior god, and the sun and moon were considered his eyes. He was often pictures as a hawk or hawk-headed man.

Ihu           God of the sistrum, a sacred rattle.

Ihy           Son of Hathor. A god of music and dancing. Pictured as a child holding a sistrum, or sacred rattle.

Imiut        Protective deity of the underworld.

Imset       One of the four protective deities of embalming. Protected the liver of the deceased.

Inmutef   Deity who bears the heavens.

Ipet          Goddess of childbirth and 'mother of the two lands'. Pictured as a hippopotamus.

Isis           One of the most popular goddesses of Egypt. The divine queen and mother of the heavens, both sister and wife to Osiris and mother of Horus. She was the protector and mother-figure of the pharaohs and the protector of women, children and sailors. Her worship lasted well into the Roman era, and continues among many Wiccans and Pagans today.

Joh           God of the moon.

Kauket    Primordial who rules the darkness of primal chaos.

Kebechet                Goddess who represents purification through water. A major Goddess of the funeral cult, she is pictured as a snake.

Kebechsenef          One of the four gods of embalming. Protector of the lower viscera of the deceased.

Khem      God of fertility, agriculture and human reproduction. Pictured as a mummy.

Khentamenti          Ancient jackal-headed god of the dead. Later recognized as Osiris.

Khentimentiu         God who rules the destiny of the dead. Called the 'dog of the dead'.

Khepri     Scarab beetle god. Said to roll the sun across the horizon in the same way that scarab beetles roll balls of dung through the desert. Symbolized rebirth, renewal and everlasting life. Seen as a beetle, man with the face of a beetle, or man with a beetle on his head.

Khnum    God who created the bodies of the gods and men on his potter's wheel. Pictured as a ram-headed man.

Kuk          God of the darkness of primal chaos. With Kauket, produces the twilight at the end of the day.

Maahes   God of punishment for transgressions. Invoked to protect the innocent. Seen as a lion or lion-headed man with a knife.

Ma'at       Goddess of truth, judgment and order. She represented the concepts of justice and universal order, and all judges were her representatives. Pictured as a woman with a large ostrich feather in her crown.

Mahes     God of the summer heat an called 'Lord of the Massacre'. Pictured as a lion or man with a lion's head.

Mehturt   Sky-Goddess. Represents the time of morning and the waters from which Re (the sun) emerged. Seen as a giant cow with the solar disk between her horns.

Mendes   Nature god.

Menhit    Goddess of war. Seen as a lioness.

Menthu   God of war. Pictured as a man with a falcon's head.

Meret       Goddess of song and rejoicing.

Meretseger             Goddess of the mountain overlooking the Valley of the Kings. Protected the royal tombs from disturbance. Seen as a cobra or a scorpion with the head of a woman.

Mesenet                  Egyptian Goddess of childbirth. She forms the child in the womb and the ka, or spirit, of the child. Also seen as Goddess of fate or fortune.

Meskhenet              Goddess of midwives and the birth chamber.

Min          God of fertility, vegetation and male virility. Often evoked at the coronation of the pharaoh to ensure his sexual prowess and production of a male heir. Seen as a man holding a flail in his right hand and his erect penis in his left.

Mnewer Sacred black bull of the sun. Worshipped for his fertility and oracles. Pictured with the solar disk between his horns.

Mut          Primordial Goddess of the sky and the 'mother of mothers'. Seen as a vulture or a woman with the head of a vulture, wearing bright red or blue robes.

Naunet    Goddess of the primordial abyss of the underworld. Her male counterpart is Nun.

Nefertem                God of the lotus and the rising sun. Pictured as a man with a cluster of lotus blossoms on his head, sometimes on the back of a lion.

Nehebkau               Serpent god who guards the entrance of the Underworld and accompanies the sun god Re on his nightly journey through it. Seen as a snake with human arms and legs.

Neith       Goddess of war and weapons, including the weapons of the hunter. Also the Goddess of weaving, she provided the wrappings for the mummies' bodies.

Nekhbet                  Vulture Goddess of Upper Egypt and protector of the infant pharaoh. She was present at the birth of the future rulers of Egypt. Pictured on the pharaoh's crown.

Neper      God of grain, particularly barley and wheat.

Nephthys                'Mistress of the House". Goddess who meets and teaches the newly dead, as well as comforting the members of their family left alive. Also involved with childbirth. Seen as a woman or a Kite (bird).

Nepit       Grain Goddess. Female counterpart of the God Neper.

Nun          God and primeval water that circles the entire world. The most ancient of gods, even Re, the sun, arose from him. Depicted as a man holding the solar boat above his head.

Nunet      Goddess of the ocean.

Nut           The sky Goddess, and literal personification of the sky and the heavens. Along with her husband, Seb, forms the natural world. She is the barrier between chaos and the order of the world. Portrayed as a             painted dark blue with stars on her body.

Osiris       Important god of Egypt. Seen as the god of the dead and the underworld, although worshipped as a god of fertility, resurrection and vegetation. Married to the sky-Goddess Isis. Killed by his brother Set and chopped into pieces. The pieces were found by Isis and reformed, and he was mummified and resurrected. Re, the father god, did not allow him to stay in the land of the living, but sent him to the Underworld to be the god and judge of the dead. Seen as a mummified man.

Pachet     Goddess of the desert.

Petbe       God of retaliation and revenge.

Ptah         A creator god of Memphis, seen as a patron to craftsmen and especially stoneworkers. Pictured as a mummified man with only his hands free to grasp a scepter.

Qetesh     Originally a Syrian Goddess, worshipped in Egypt as a Goddess of love. Possible connection with Hathor.

Ra            The most important of the gods in Egypt. The personification of the sun. The actual sun was said to be either his body or his eye. He traveled in the sun boat across the sky each day, and through the Underworld at night to make a complete circuit of the cosmos. Sacred god of the pharaohs, who were said to be 'sons of Re'. Pictured as a man with the head of a falcon.

Renenet   Goddess of plenty and good fortune.

Renenutet               Goddess of the harvest. Could ensure the plentiful production of fields with one look. Pictured as a snake.

Renpet     Goddess of Spring and youth.

Resheph                  Warrior god.

Sai            Deity of destiny.

Sakhmet                  Also known as Sekhmet. Bloodthirsty and violent Goddess of war and divine vengeance. Re once sent her to slay mortals who were plotting against him. She so enjoyed her task that she almost slew all of humanity. She was tricked by Re into drinking a great quantity of beer colored red like blood, and abandoned her slaughter. She is seen as the Goddess who accompanies the pharaoh into battle, as well as the Goddess of plague and disease. Pictured as a woman with the head of a lioness.

Satet        Goddess of the flooding Nile and fertility.

Seb           God of the Earth, and husband of Nut. One of the primordial forces of nature, Seb is seen as personifying the earth and fertility. He was pictured as black and green, the colors of Nile mud and vegetation. Thought to imprison the souls of the wicked so that they could not ascend to Heaven.

Sebek      Crocodile god, he represented the fertility of the Nile and the might of the pharaohs. Seen as a crocodile or man with a crocodile's head.

Seker       Funerary god, the patron of craftsmen who create tombs and items used in funeral services. Sometimes seen as a form of Osiris. Pictured as a man with the head of a hawk.

Septu       God of war.

Serket      Scorpion Goddess. Teacher of the dead and protector of the canopic jars which house the bodily organs of mummies. Pictured as a woman with a scorpion-shaped headdress.

Seshat      Goddess of writing, mathematics, building-schemes, histories and historical records. A daughter of Thoth, she kept the royal annals of the pharaohs.

Sesmu     God of oil and wine pressing.

Set            God of chaos, hostility and possibly evil. He was a protector of the desert, but caused dust storms that could kill unwary travelers. Killed his brother Osiris and scattered the pieces of his body throughout Egypt. Later fought Osiris' son Horus, who vanquished him and became king of the Gods. Seen as a man with a head of indeterminable origin, possibly an aardvark, or as a dog.  

Shai         Goddess of Fate, usually seen with Reneret, or fortune.

Shu          God of air. Father of Nut, whom he holds high above Seb (earth).

Sia            Primeval Goddess embodying the Mind.

Sons of Horus        Sons of the god Horus who assist the dead in their journey to the Underworld. Their heads are on the canopic jars and the four corners of the sarcophagus. They are Imset, Hapi, Duamutef and Kebechsenef.

Sopdet     Fertility Goddess and the Dog Star, Sirius. With the appearance of Sirius, the Nile floods began and Sopdet became associated with the fertility of the floods. She was later merged with Isis.

 Taouris   Goddess of pregnancy and birth. Pictured as a hippopotamus with a huge belly standing on her hind legs.

Tatenen   Vegetation god and the mound of earth which rose from the primordial waters. Seen as a man with ram's horns and a crown of feathers. Identified with Ptah.

Taurt        God of good fortune and childbirth. Seen as a hippopotamus with a crocodile's head and lion's feet. Protector of women before, during and after childbirth.

Tefnut     Goddess of moisture. Produced Seb and Nut with Shu.

Tenenit    Goddess of beer.

Thoth       God of wisdom and the mind, inventor of writing and patron of scribes and scholars. Messenger and mediator of the gods, he questioned the dead at the Weighing of the Heart. Seen as a man with the head of an Ibis, or as an Ibis or baboon.

Uneg        Plant god.

 Unut       Hare Goddess.

Wepwawet             God of the openings and the dead. He opened the way into battle, and opened the way for the dead into the Underworld. Seen as a jackal.

Wosyet    Goddess protector of the young.

 

Etruscan Gods

 

God/Goddess         What they rule

Aita          God of the Underworld.

Alpan      Goddess of love and the Underworld. Usually pictured naked.

Ani           Sky God who lives in the highest Heaven. Similar to Roman Janus.

Aplu        God of thunder and lightning. Pictured with a laurel wreath on his head and carrying a sprig of laurel.

Artume    Goddess of night and death, as well as growth in nature. Similar to Greek goddess Artemis.

Cautha     Also Cath; Sun god, pictured as rising from the ocean.

Charun    Demon who torments the souls of the dead in the Underworld. Pictured with the nose of a vulture, pointed ears, and wings. Carries a hammer with which he finishes off his victims.

Culsu       Demoness who guards the entrance to the Underworld. Her symbols are a torch and scissors.

Evan        Goddess of personal immortality.

Februus   God of the underworld and purification. Month of February named after him.

Feronia    Fire and fertility goddess.

Fufluns    God of vitality, vegetation and gaiety. Similar to Dionysus and Bacchus.

Horta       Goddess of agriculture.

Laran       God of war. Pictured as a naked young man wearing a helmet and carrying a spear.

Lasa         Goddesses who guard the graves of believers. Sometimes pictured with wings. Their symbols are the mirror and the wreath.

Losna      Goddess of the Moon.

Mania      Guardian of the Underworld.

Mantus    God of the Underworld and of the city of Mantua.

Menrva   Counterpart of the Greek goddess Athena. She is the predecessor of the Roman goddess Minerva.

Nethuns Originally just the god of wells, but eventually became the God of all water. Similar to the Greek god Poseidon and the predecessor of the Roman God Neptune.

Nortia      Goddess of fate and fortune. Her symbol was a large nail, and at the beginning of the new year a large nail was driven into the wall of her sanctuary.

Selvans   God of woodlands, boundaries and wild fields.

Sethlans                  God of fire and blacksmiths. Similar to Roman Vulcan.

Tages       God of wisdom, he appeared from a groove when a field was newly-plowed and taught those in attendance divination and augury. Portrayed as a young man with two snakes for legs.

Thalna     Goddess of childbirth.

Thesan    Goddess of the dawn and of childbirth. Similar to Roman goddess Aurora.

Tinia        Supreme god of the sky. His symbols are a cluster of lightning bolts, a spear and a sceptre.

Tuchulcha              Demoness of the underworld. A winged creature with snakes for hair and the beak of a bird.

Turan       Goddess of love, health and fertility. Usually seen as a beautiful young woman with wings and accompanied by the Lasas. Her animals are the pigeon and the black swan.

Turms      Messenger of the gods and he who leads the deceased to the Underworld. Similar to the Greek Hermes.

Uni           Goddess of the cosmos and the supreme goddess of the Etruscan pantheon. Similar to Greek Hera or Roman Juno.

Vanth      Demoness of death, and she who assists the dying. The eyes on her wings can see all, and she is omnipresent.

Veive       God of revenge. Seen as a youth wearing a laurel wreath and carrying arrows. A goat stands with him.

Voltumna               God of the Underworld; later promoted to supreme god of the Etruscan pantheon.