Category: Deities

Gods – Ra

Egyptian Sun God Ra from gods-and-goddesses.com

Ra is the Egyptian god of the Sun. He was also the predominant creator god in ancient Egyptian religion. He was the most powerful and most worshiped of all Egyptian gods. The sun, and therefore Ra, represented life, warmth, and growth to ancient Egyptians. He was so important that he earned the status of King of the Gods, with the Egyptian kings or pharaohs holding the title “sons of Ra.”

Understanding and describing Ra is difficult because of the many forms he was depicted in, as well as the practice of creating new deities by merging existing deities. As one of the creator gods, Ra created himself before his identity was combined with several other gods, including Horus and Atum. This resulted in new names such as Ra-Horakhty and Atum-Ra.

Ra Facts

Name(s):  Ra, Amun-Ra
Rules over: Sun, Chief God
Gender: Male
Symbols: Sun, Sun Disk, Scepter, Ankh
Sacred animals: Falcon
Parents:  None
Siblings: Thoth, Serket, Sobek, Apep

Origins

Reference to Ra was first made during the Second Dynasty of ancient Egypt (c. 2890 – c. 2686 BC), also known as the Old Kingdom. His stature grew to that of a major god by the Fifth Dynasty (c. 2494 – c. 2345 BC).

Family

The eye of Ra is an extension of Ra’s power, and is the feminine counterpart to the sun god in Egyptian mythology. His daughters Bastet, Sekhmet, and Hathor were all considered to be “eyes of Ra” and instruments of his vengeance.

Together with Atum, Ra also fathered Shu, the god of wind, and Tefnut, the goddess of rain. Tefnut gave birth to Nut and Geb, who in turn were the parents of Osiris, Isis, Set, and Nephthys. These nine make up the Heliopolitan Ennead.

Symbols

Ra is pictured and represented in many pieces of ancient Egyptian art found in temples, tombs, hieroglyphics, relics, and other relics. He was generally depicted in human form, most notably with a falcon head crowned with a sun disc; a sacred cobra called Uraeus encircled the disc. Sometimes his head also took the form of a ram or a beetle, depending on the deity with whom he merged.

Powers & Duties

The ancient Egyptians believed Ra created all forms of life by calling them into existence using their secret names. Alternatively, some narratives also stated that man was created from Ra’s tears and sweat.

The sun god was believed to travel across the sky in a solar bark with the sun on his head. He traveled through the underworld in a bark called Sektet (meaning “growing weaker”) during the night, defending himself against and overcoming monsters such as the serpent Apophis. The prayers and the blessings of the living supposedly accompanied him together with the souls of the dead. In the morning he traveled in a bark called Matet (meaning “becoming stronger”).

Worship

Egyptian pharaohs spent most of their money on sun temples during the Fifth Dynasty. They were specially aligned in Ra’s honor. By the time the New Kingdom arrived (c. 1550 BC), the worship became more elaborate. Detailed texts describing Ra’s journey on the sun boats were written on tomb walls, while hymns, prayers, and spells were created in acts of worship.

Heliopolis, meaning sun city in Greek, was the principal seat of worship of Ra. It was known as Iunu or “place of the pillars” in ancient Egypt. Its remains can still be seen today in the Cairo suburb of Al-Matariyyah.

Facts About Ra

  • Many solar temples were built in honor of Ra, but none featured a statue of him. Instead, he was represented by the sunlight openly flowing into the temple, which had an obelisk and altar at its center.
  • A scarab beetle called Khepri who rolled up the sun at sunrise was seen as Ra’s morning manifestation;
  • At sunset Ra manifested in Khnum, another creator god, normally depicted with a ram’s head;
  • At noon, when the sun was most powerful, the sun god was just Ra;
  • Apep, the god of chaos, was Ra’s greatest enemy. He supposedly tried to swallowed Ra as the sun god entered the underworld, causing the sun to set. When he spat Ra out after not succeeding in his quest, the sun rose again;
  • Many solar temples were built in honor of Ra, but none featured a statue of him. Instead, he was represented by the sunlight openly flowing into the temple, which had an obelisk and altar at its center;
  • Egyptian mythology links Ra to the Tree of Life, a sacred symbol in the solar temple at Heliopolis. The fruit of the Tree of Life gave eternal life, although it was only available to the gods and aging pharaohs;
  • The Tree of Life was seat to Bennu, the mythological phoenix that represented Ra’s soul;
  • The worship of Ra began to fade with the rise of Christianity after the Romans conquered Egypt around 30 BC.

Goddess – Ix Chel

Ix Chel Mayan goddess of the Moon, fertility, weaving. waters. from gods-and-goddesses.com

Ix Chel is the Mayan goddess of the Moon, fertility, weaving and waters. At times, she is also described as a war goddess.

Ix Chel Facts

Name(s): Ix Chel
Rules over: The Moon, Fertility, Waters
Gender: Female
Symbols: Moon, Upside-Down Jug
Sacred animals: Jaguar
Parents:
Siblings:
Greek Similar: Selene
Roman Similar: Luna

The Mayan pantheon consisted of many different gods with very specific roles. Some of these gods, however, had incredibly wide portfolios. One of these was the goddess Ix Chel, who played a number of important parts and roles in the Mayan world. She had a significant role in childbirth, was the equivalent of a midwife or even a physician goddess, and also had an importance in “weaving” the universe.

Description

Along with having various roles, Ix Chel had multiple descriptions, or profiles.

Ix Chel was capable of taking several forms, or aspects. It is quite possible that some of these aspects of Ix Chel are actually depictions of other, forgotten goddesses. With that said, there are two major aspects of Ix Chel that are relatively agreed upon.

Ix Chel was primarily depicted as an older woman who wore a serpent crown and who dressed in traditional Mayan garb. In this iteration, Ix Chel may have, at times, worn a skirt that had crossed bones on her dress. She also may have, at various times, had claws on her hands and her feet. She was commonly shown with either a large earthen vessel or with a gaping, frightening mouth.

Sometimes, Ix Chel was depicted as a young woman. In this version, she was generally attractive, and sometimes had a beak on her upper lip. She also tended to wear some sort of headdress. This younger iteration of Ix Chel was usually presented in a much friendlier manner than her elder counterpart.

Symbols

The most common symbol associated with Ix Chel is the Moon. There is a great deal of debate over which phase of the moon she should be associated with. Some scholars argue that all phases of the moon fell under her domain, while others believe only the waning moon did.

Ix Chel was also associated with an upside-down jar, which might have represented flooding or possibly abundance. She was also frequently associated with weaving tools in her role as a major figure in Mayan cosmology.

Lastly, she had a tendency to be affiliated with rainbows, which were a negative omen in the Mayan world.

There are several other symbols that were associated with Ix Chel, but there is debate as to which symbols actually belonged to this goddess and which symbols might have belonged to other related goddesses. Some of thes other minor associations included crossed bones, headdresses, and sometimes even spiders. The latter symbols are less certain than the former.

Powers & Abilities

In her role as a fertility goddess, she had power over rain and waters. She was generally considered to have the ability to cause great floods. Whether this meant she had responsibility for catastrophes or for the changing of the seasons is also a matter of debate. Regardless of the exact role of her waters, she seemed to control them through the upside-down jar that she carried.

In Ix Chel’s role as a weaver, she used a special spindle that also served as the center of the universe. Her responsibility for this spindle gave her a great deal of power, though her exact role in ensuring that the universe continued to function is unclear.

Family

As there were a host of different potential myths that may or may not have involved Ix Chel, her family could range fairly widely.

The biggest place in which her family diverged was in the matter of her husband. In some Mayan tales she’s married to Voltan/Votan, and in others she is married to Itzamna.

In the myths in which she’s married to Itzamna, she has thirteen sons. Four of these sons, the Bacabs, are the deities that hold up the sky in Mayan mythology. To make things even more complicated, it should be noted that the four Bacabs may have also been only a single son of Ix Chel and Itzamna known as Bacab.

Ix Chel also had some kind of connection with Hun Hunahpu, the Maize god. Though it’s not known if Hun Hunahpu was one of her thirteen sons, she did aid him in being reborn and also assisted with the birth of his sons.

Worship

A great deal of the worship of Ix Chel happened at Cozumel. Mayan women who wanted to ensure that their upcoming marriages would be successful would make a pilgrimage to Cozumel and speak to an oracle who was hidden in a statue there. There seems to have been a related island called Isla Mujeres where women would bring, leave, or make idols of Ix Chel.

At Tixchel, there were tales of women being sacrificed to a goddess who was most likely Ix Chel. The best evidence of this practice was the fact that the village itself was named for the goddess and that she seems to have been a primary goddess that was worshiped in the region.

There was also a Feast of Ix Chel, in which both shamans and physicians would bring out bundles of medical supplies and divination supplies. Ix Chel was frequently invoked during and after childbirth, specifically in her role as a midwife.

Facts about Ix Chel

  • Ix Chel was a goddess with many domains, including childbirth, midwifery, weaving, destruction, birth, and medicine.
  • Ix Chel had at least two different incarnations that correspond to the waxing and waning moon.
  • Ix Chel was considered not to be not just a goddess of birth, but also a goddess of warfare and perhaps even apocalyptic destruction.
  • Unlike many other Mayan gods, Ix Chel’s classical glyph is still unknown.
  • Ix Chel had several corresponding deities in the Aztec culture.
  • On of the major places she was worshiped was at the now popular tourist destination of Cozumel, Mexico.
  • She was affiliates with the Moon, waters, spindle, jaguar and spiders.

Gods – Chac

Chac Mayan God of Rain from gods-and-goddesses.com

Chac is the Mayan god of Rain. He is very similar to the Aztec god Tlaloc.

Chac Facts

Name(s): Chac
Rules over: Rain, Lightning
Gender: Male
Symbols:
Sacred animals: Snake
Greek Similar: Zeus
Roman Similar: Jupiter

At times, Chac could manifest into four different gods, or parts. Each god had a cardinal direction and color, as well as a unique name. These manifestations are as follows:

  • Sac Xib Chac, North, White
  • Chac Xib Chac, East, Red
  • Kan Xib Chac, South, Yellow
  • Ek Xib Chac, West, Black

These four gods, or parts, are sometimes referred to as The Chacs. These four could also be seen as assistants to the god Chac.

Appearance

Chac had a very unique and distinct appearance in Mayan mythology. The deity was known for his long, hooked nose, fangs and long tongue. His nose was turned up, much like an elephant’s nose.

 

He was also portrayed with animal attributes as well. He could be depicted as having scales, like those of a fish or reptile. This was likely due to his affiliation with rain.

Powers & Abilities

Rain gods had a couple of different ways of making it rain. They would use jade or stone axes to hit rain-carrying snakes, or throw the axes or snakes at the clouds, causing rain, lightning and thunder.

Worship

There are several known rituals associated with Chac. One of these is known as Burner periods and rituals. A Burner period lasted 65 days, or a quarter of the 260 day religious Mayan calendar.

Note – The Mayans had two calendars. One was similar to ours, and had 360 days. The other was a religious calendar, and had 260 days.

Each of the four Chac gods was associated with one of the four Burner periods. Not a lot is known about Burner rituals and periods, but they are mentioned in several Mayan texts. It is possible that a sacred fire was constantly lit and tended to by a priest for the duration of a 65 day Burner period. After a given Burner period ended, a new priest would tend to the fire.

Sadly, in later Mayan times, another ritual involving child sacrifice became associated with worship of Chac. These sacrifices became more numerous in periods of long droughts.

Facts about Chac

  • He is sometimes referred to as god B. This is due to Paul Schellhas’ classification of the Mayan gods around the turn of the 20th century as he examined the four Mayan codices.
  • His name can also be spelled Chaac, Chaak or Chaack.
  • Depictions of this deity can be found at Mayan sites including Chichen Itza, Copan and Peten.
  • According to Mayan mythology, he created lightning, rain and thunder by throwing his stone or jade ax at the clouds.
  • He is one of the major gods of Mayan mythology, and is depicted more than any other Mayan god.
  • Chac is also the name for the Mayan color red.

References

  • Mercatante, Anthony S., and Down, James R. The Facts on File Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend. Second Edition, 2004. Pages 227 and 228.
  • Jones, David M. Mythology of the Aztecs and Mayam, 2007. Anness Publishing Limited. Page 23.
  • Luxton, Richard N. The Book of Chumayel: The Counsel Book of the Yucatec Maya 1539 – 1638. Aegean Park Press, 1995. Page 279.
  • Wikipedia contributors. “Chaac.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 5 Feb. 2020. Web. 19 Feb. 2020.

Goddess – Hel

Norse Goddess of Death from gods-and-goddesses.com

Hel is the Norse goddess of the dead. She ruled over the underworld, Niflheim, where she received the dead. Her name means “one that hides.”

In general, Hel is only mentioned in passing in Old Norse literature. It means her character is ill-defined and her personality little-developed. Some historians even suggest that she is a figment of the imagination of the Norse poets.

Facts About Hel

Name(s): Hel
Rules over: The Underworld
Gender: Female
Symbols: Hagalaz Rune
Linked Animals: Hellhound (named Garmr), Crows
Parents: Loki and Angrboda
Siblings: Fenrir and Jörmungandr
Greek Similar: Hades
Roman Similar: Pluto

Family

In Norse mythology, Hel’s father was the trickster god Loki and her mother the giantess Angrboda. Loki and Angrboda had three children: the wolf Fenrir; the serpent Jörmungandr; and Hel, their only daughter.

Hel was born with the bones on one half of her body fully exposed and, thus, is often depicted as a half-black and half-white monster. She grew up with Fenrir and Jörmungandr in Jotunheim, land of the giants, until Odin, ruler of the Aesir, decided they should live in Asgard where their father came from.

Symbols

Hel is associated with a hellhound named Garmr as well as crows. She is also sometimes affiliated with the Hagalaz Rune stone.

Powers & Duties

In Asgard, the other Norse gods were uncomfortable with Hel’s appearance. For this reason, Odin agreed to send her away, and gave her the World of Niflheim – one of the Nine Realms. There she became queen of the dead.

The Norse believed that most people went to Niflheim when they died. Only warriors who were killed on the battlefield did not go to Niflheim. Instead, half of the warriors who died on the battlefield went to live with Odin in his palatial home Valhalla and the other half with Freya in her afterlife realm Folkvang.

Niflheim was divided into sections, including one called the shore of corpses. Here, a castle filled with venomous serpents stood facing north. It was full of murderers, perjurers, and adulterers who suffered while their blood was sucked by a dragon named Nidhogg.

When Odin’s son Baldur died because of a trick by Loki, his soul was also received in Niflheim. Hermod, another son of Odin’s, agreed to go to Hel to convince her to send Baldur home. But Loki played another trick to make it impossible for Baldur to return to the real world. The eventual exposure of his trickery led to the end of the world, a battle between good and evil known as Ragnarok.

In Niflheim, Hel was waited upon by two servants called Ganglati and Ganglot. It is said they moved so slowly that they appeared to be standing still. They served her meals in a dish named “hunger” and with a knife named “famine.”

Facts About Hel

  • Holland, Helvetia, Helsinki, and Holstein are well-known places that were probably named after Hel;
  • Hel’s appearance could be the inspiration of the masked harlequin who appeared in Commedia dell’ Arte;
  • No-one could hide anything from Hel. She had an eye of fire, which could only see the truth;
  • The Vikings feared Hel’s appearance, and they were wary of Niflheim;
  • Niflheim was an icy cold place rather than a place of fire and brimstone most associated with the modern idea of hell;
  • In the Prose Edda written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13 th century, Niflheim is described as a place where a constant wail can be heard from the residents. It is damp with sleet and the walls are built with worms and the bones of humans;
  • In the Gylfaginning, the first part of the Prose Edda, Hel is described as “rather downcast and fierce-looking”;
  • Hel was feared by the Vikings, but the Gauls, Dutch, and Germanic peoples were more sympathetic towards her. They did not see Niflheim as a place of punishment and had a kinder approach to death;
  • The expression “go to hell” originated with Hel and Niflheim;
  • Niflheim existed beneath the roots of the world tree Yggdrasil;
  • Jacob Grimm, a scholar of Norse mythology, had a theory that Hel was only a “half-goddess.” He argued that because Loki made the giantess Angrboda pregnant, there was no proof that Hel was of full divine blood;
  • Some scholars have suggested that several of the imitation medallions and bracteates which remain from the Migration Period depicts Hel;
  • Hela, the fictional villainess in Marvel Comics’ American comic books, is based on Hel. She is also featured in the webcomic The Order of the Stick, in which she is an antagonist who wants to destroy the world.

Gods – Loki

Loki Norse God of Mischief from .gods-and-goddesses.com

Loki is known as the trickster god and deity of mayhem and mischief in Norse mythology. He is one of the most well-known gods of Norse mythology. He is at least half-giant; however, some think he is full-giant but sneaked his way to becoming a god.

Loki Facts

Name(s): Loki
Rules over: Chaos, Mischief
Gender: Male
Symbols: Mistletoe, Horned Helmet (modern depictions)
Linked Animals: Two Intertwined Snakes
Parents: Fárbauti and Laufey
Siblings: Helblindi and Býleistr
Greek Similar: Atë
Roman Similar: Laverna

Family

Loki’s father was Fárbauti and his mother was Laufey. It is unknown whether his mother was a lesser known goddess or a giant, and his father definitely was a giant.

This duplicity may have attributed to Loki’s split feelings about the gods of Asgard. Sometimes he is helpful to them, but other times he insults them, causes trouble, and during Ragnarok leads the giants into battle against Asgard.

Symbols

Loki has been associated with mistletoe, two intertwined snakes, and also a helmet with two horns.

Powers & Duties

Loki had the power to shape-shift in Norse legends. In various stories, he turned into a salmon, mare, seal, fly, and elderly woman. He also used a combination of masterful trickery and cunning to achieve his objectives.

Stories

The first time Loki helped the gods was when they were building Asgard. The gods had run out of funds and all they had built was a wall. Loki came up with the idea that a giant should finish the job for them. The gods agreed, as did the giant. But, the giant asked for the Sun, the Moon, and the goddess Freya as payment if he completed the job on time. The gods weren’t sure, but Loki assured them that the giant would never finish on time. The giant had a huge stallion called Svadilfari to help him, and the gods got nervous. Loki changed shape into a mare and seduced the giant’s horse. As a result of Loki’s trickery, the giant wasn’t able to finish on schedule and tried to kidnap Freya. Before the giant could, Thor cracked his skull with a hammer. However, Loki, as the female horse, got pregnant and gave birth to an eight-legged stallion named Sleipnir, which he gave to Odin.

Another time he helps the gods of Asgard is when Thor lost his hammer, Mjolnir. Thor asks Loki for help and they work together to find where the hammer is located. Thrymr, the giant, had stolen the weapon and taken it to the home of the giants. He would only return it if Freya would agree to marry him. Loki came up with a plan that included his and Thor’s cross-dressing to get the hammer back. It succeeded, and Thrymr was punished.

During a great feast in Asgard, Loki wasn’t invited and was upset. He asked the guard what the gods were talking about, and the guard told him they were talking about war, weapons, and saying negative things about Loki. Loki burst in, and the gods became silent. Loki then asks for a seat, and Odin finally agrees to let him sit. Loki gives a toast to all the gods except for Bragi, whom he insults instead. They start arguing and other gods and goddesses get involved.

Loki begins to insult them all, including Odin, and when Frigg, Odin’s wife, tries to stop Loki, he ends up insulting her as well. She tells Loki that if her son Baldur were still alive, Loki wouldn’t be able to escape the wrath of the gods. Loki then reminds her that he is responsible for Baldur’s death. The insults continue when Freya calls Loki mad – he retorts that she is a whore. Heimdall tells Loki he’s drunk and to stop, but Loki insults Heimdall. Skadi tells Loki to watch it or he’ll be bound up, and Loki insults her. Sif, the wife of Thor, gives him mead in a golden goblet saying she is blameless and he can’t insult her. Loki claims she is his lover. Thor finally arrives, threatens Loki to silence with Mjolmir, and Loki finally leaves after insulting Thor. He disguises himself as a salmon, but the gods find him and finally bind him until Ragnarok.

Facts About Loki

  • In Old Norse, Loki means “close”;
  • Loki typically cheated dwarves at any opportunity given to him. They finally were able to stitch his mouth shut to keep him quiet from insults;
  • Loki is the father of Hel, the goddess of the land of the dead. He is also father of Fenrir, the wolf demon that bites off Tyr’s hand and will eat Odin during Ragnarok. He is also the father of Jormungandr, the world serpent;
  • Loki steals Freya’s amber necklace, in which Heimdall fights him and retrieves it;
  • Loki tricked blind Hod to kill Baldur with mistletoe;
  • When bound until Ragnarok, Skadi places a venomous snake above him, which causes him terrible pain with the poison.

Goddess – Nut

Egyptian Goddess Nut from gods-and-goddesses.com

Nut is the Egyptian goddess of the sky. She is a member of the Ennead, the nine original Egyptian gods and goddesses of Heliopolis, which was a city near Cairo and the birthplace of the gods.

Nut Facts

Name(s): Nut
Rules over: Sky
Gender: Female
Symbols: Water Pot, Ladder called maqet
Sacred animals: Cow
Parents: Shu (Father) and Tefnut (Mother)
Siblings: Geb

Family

She is the daughter of Shu and Tefnut, and both sister and wife to Geb, the earth god.

Egyptian mythology said that Nut and Geb were inseparable, which left no room for creation by Atum Ra, the creator god. Atum Ra and Shu, who were jealous of the closeness between Nut and Geb, did not want them to have children. Shu separated them by lifting Nut up. She continued to form the sky, while Geb remained beneath her to form the earth.

In another myth featuring Ra, Nut is referred to as his mother. The Pyramid Texts reveal that her body becomes a pathway for the sun. Ra passes over it during the day before Nut swallows him at night. Then, a new day starts when she gives birth to him again in the morning.

Ra issued a decree that Nut “shall not give birth on any day of the year.” She conspired with Thoth, the god of wisdom, who won five extra days from the moon for her to bear five children. She gave birth to Osiris, ruler of the gods; Horus the Elder, god of war; Set, god of evil; Isis, goddess of magic; and Nephthys, goddess of water. This is the story of how a year came to have 365 days.

Symbols

Nut is most commonly depicted as a naked woman with a water pot on her head; the pot is also the hieroglyph for her name. Sometimes she is pictured in an arch, with her hands and feet on the ground, touching it on the earth’s four cardinal points and serving as the pillars of the sky. Often, Shu is seen holding her as Geb rests propped up by his elbow on the earth.

Nut is often portrayed holding the key of life, called the ankh. She may also be seen holding the was scepter in depictions of her. This scepter is a long staff with an animal head on top and is a symbol of authority and divine power.

Nut is sometimes depicted as a cow with eyes representing the sun and the moon, or a giant suckling sow whose piglets were the stars. The sycamore tree, representing protection and eternity, is another symbol associated with Nut.

Powers & Duties

Nut’s primary duty is being the Egyptian sky goddess. However, because she was said to give birth to many of the major Egyptian gods, she was also referred to as “She who Bore the Gods”. There are inscriptions of Nut at Dendera, the birthplace of Isis, emphasizing her importance as “She who Bore the Gods”.

Nut was also a protector goddess, namely a protector of the dead. The Pyramid Texts contain many prayers to Nut to ask for protection for those who have died.

A picture of Nut was often painted on the inside of a coffin (sarcophagus) to protect the dead. Sometimes she is pictured with protective wings, and other times the symbol of the ladder was used to depict her. Many examples of these can be seen at the Cairo Museum.

Worship

The chief cult center for Nut was at Heliopolis, but she was also worshiped as a healing goddess in Memphis at a shrine called the House of Nut. No known temples were built exclusively for her.

Facts About Nut:

  • Alternative names for Nut are Nueth, Newet, or Nuit;
  • Pictures and depictions of Nut are present in many forms of ancient Egyptian art. They have been found in tombs, temples, and manuscripts. For example, she is represented on the vaults of tombs which are painted in dark blue and with many stars;
  • When Set killed Osiris and Isis put him back together after gathering all the body pieces, Osiris climbs a ladder (called a maqet), a sacred symbol of Nut, to enter her heavenly skies for protection. Set later became god of the underworld while she was regarded as protector of the dead.
  • An ancient Egyptian astronomical text, The Fundamentals of the Course of the Stars, was later renamed to the Book of Nut. It dates back to before 2,000 BC;
  • The passionate relationship between Nut and Geb offers an alternative myth about how night and day came to be. It is said that they separated during the day, but that she would reach down to the earth in the evening to meet him. Darkness set in when she was away from the sky.

Gods – Thoth

Egyptian God Thoth from gods-and-goddesses.com

Thoth Facts

Name(s): Thoth
Rules over: Knowledge, Wisdom, Moon
Gender: Male
Symbols: Moon Disk
Sacred animals: Ibis bird
Parents: None
Siblings: None
Greek Similar: Apollo, God of Knowledge

Thoth is the Egyptian god of Knowledge. He was widely worshiped as inventor of the written word and credited with the creation of different branches of knowledge.

Thoth is a central figure in ancient Egyptian religion, filling various important roles in the mythological world. However, the worship of Thoth lasted only until the dynastic era. Regardless, the Egyptians and Greeks alike credit him as the inventor of all knowledge.

Family

Egyptian myth told that Thoth was self-created, while at least two alternate stories claim he was either born from the sun god Ra’s lips or from the war god Set’s forehead after Set swallowed the semen of his brother Horus.

Symbols

He is commonly depicted in human form with the head of an Ibis, a sacred bird associated with wisdom. The name Thoth is the Greek version of the Egyptian name Djehuti, which means “He Who is Like the Ibis.” Sometimes he is pictured holding an ankh, a famous hieroglyph resembling a cross, and scepter; other times, he is pictured holding a scribe’s palette and stylus. He is also seen wearing the Atef crown usually worn by Osiris. When he took the form of A’an, god of equilibrium, he was depicted with the head of a baboon.

Powers & Duties

Considered to be the author of the Book of the Dead, Thoth also acted as scribe to the gods and of the underworld. In this capacity, he stood by during the weighing of the hearts of deceased persons. Hearts lighter or equal to the weight of a feather could move on to a heavenly existence. Thoth’s just decisions in these and other matters made him a respected judge.

Appropriately, one epithet given to Thoth is “The Reckoner of Time and of Seasons.” He possesses the gift of measuring and recording time. In one popular myth, he added an extra five days to add to the 360 day calendar. This was to enable Nut, the sky goddess, to have a child on each of these days after Ra issued a decree that she was to have no children on any day of the original year.

Worship

Thoth was first worshiped as a moon god. The moon’s cycles played an important role in Egyptian life. The crescent moon resembled an ibis, the bird associated with Thoth.

Thoth’s main temple is at Khmun. Here he led the Ogdoad pantheon, the four gods and four goddesses who made up the principal deities before creation. He has shrines in numerous other cities.

Mythical Forest

A festival of Thoth was held at Khmun, where his worshipers buried mummified baboons and ibises as votive offerings. Evidence of these have been found by archaeologists at the necropolis of Tuna el-Gebel.

Facts About Thoth

  • When Set killed Osiris, Thoth helped Isis to resurrect him and assisted Anubis with the first act of mummification;
  • Invoked in many spells used in popular magic, Thoth is also seen as a god of magic;
  • Thoth remains a well-known god in popular culture. In modern literature, for example, he is the character Mr. Ibis in Neil Gaiman’s American Gods. He is also featured on his throne on the logo of the University of Cairo;
  • Thoth was associated with Hermes, the messenger god, by the Greeks. They were combined to form Hermes Trismegistus. Thereafter, Khmun became Hermopolis;
  • According to myth, Thoth wrote 42 books containing all the knowledge humanity needs. He was given the title of “Author of Every Work on Every Branch of Knowledge, Both Human and Divine.” Some of this knowledge was so powerful that it could not be revealed to everyone;
  • The Mansion of Thoth was his home in the afterlife. Souls found a safe place to rest here, where they received magic spells to protect them from demons;
  • Some of the disciplines the Greeks credit Thoth for include mathematics, astrology, geometry, botany, and land surveying;
  • Djehuti, an Egyptian pharaoh of the Sixteenth dynasty, was named after Thoth. He ruled for three years.

Goddess – Minerva

Minerva – Facts and mythology from gods-and-goddesses.com

In Roman mythology, Minerva was a goddess jack-of-all-trades. She oversaw many realms that involved art and deep thought. She was regarded as the goddess of “all activities involving mental skill,” such as science, medicine, wisdom, handmade items, skilled professions, and trade. Later, she was seen as a goddess of war.

She was believed to have invented Roman numerals, or numbers, as well as a variety of musical instruments. Many researchers believe that the worship of Minerva in Rome was an extension of the cult of Athena, the Greek goddess with whom Minerva is equated. She may have been introduced to Italy by the Etruscans, who called her Menerva or Menvra. She was said to have had golden hair.

Myths & Stories

Minerva plays a role in many of Rome’s myths. For instance, in the Roman poet Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Minerva is jealous of the lowly human Arachne’s ability to craft objects of wool, as Arachne’s skill rivals her own. Nymphs, humans, and others would travel great distances to view Arachne’s creations and to watch her work.

Minerva had taught Arachne this skill, but she was jealous of her teacher in turn and would give Minerva no credit. Instead, she invited Minerva to compete with her in weaving. Therefore, Minerva disguises herself as an old woman and advises Arachne to entreat Minerva’s forgiveness. When Arachne refuses, Minerva reveals herself and the contest begins. Both woman and goddess weave beautiful tapestries on their looms.

Minerva once again tries to teach Arachne a lesson by weaving into her tapestry scenes of humans losing to gods in various contests, and even her own failure against the god Neptune. Obstinate Arachne replies with weavings of the gods’ less than honorable activities, such as seducing both mortals and immortals. When finished, Minerva could find no flaw in Arachne’s tapestry, yet she “tore up the embroidered tapestry with its stories of the gods’ shameful deeds.”

Then, she beats Arachne’s face with a wooden weaving tool. Arachne tries to strange herself with a noose, but Minerva does not let her perish. Instead, she turned her into a spider through the use of a magic herb, saying she and her descendants would always hang and always weave. Today, spiders are known as “arachnids” due to this myth.

Worship

Along with Jupiter and Juno, Minerva was worshiped as part of the Capitoline Triad, or trinity. They shared a temple on the Capitoline Hill in Rome. A temple devoted exclusively to Minerva was located on the Aventine Hill. This shrine served as a meeting place for the guilds of craftsmen, actors, and poets. Physicians worshiped this goddess as the patroness Minerva Medica.

Minerva was worshiped as a goddess of war alongside the god Mars. After a number of conquests on the Roman Empire’s eastern border, a temple to Minerva was built in Pompey – no doubt funded by the spoils of war. Her worship in Rome reached a peak in the first century A.D. when she was claimed as a special, personal protector by Emperor Domitian.

Festivals

Two events dedicated to Minerva were marked on the Roman Calendar. The first was known as the Quinquatria, celebrated by students and artisans on March 19-23, just after the Ides of March, made famous by the assassination of Julius Caesar and subsequent play by William Shakespeare. On June 13, a shorter observance called the minor Quinquatrus was celebrated. The Quintratrus was also the time of school holidays and when fees for schooling became due. Thus, Minerva was seen as a patron of schoolchildren as well as the skilled workers they would someday become. Minerva shared her festivals with the war god Mars. She was often identified with Nerio, the Sabine goddess who became the consort of Mars.

Today

Today, a church called Santa Maria sopra Minerva is located in a former temple to Minerva. Minerva’s interest in the sciences and pursuit of wisdom still lives in the moniker of the Japanese MINERVA space exploration robot. MINERVA, in this case, is an acronym for MIcro/Nano Experimental Robot Vehicle for Asteroid.

Gods – Mercury

Mercury • Facts & Mythology about the Roman god of communication, trade, business

Mercury is the messenger to the Roman gods. He is well known for his incredible speed. Originally, Mercury was a god of trade related to the corn crop. In fact, his name is derived from the Latin word merces, meaning “merchandise.”

Mercury, who is sometimes referred to as Mercurius, was also lauded as the protector of merchants, travelers, and shopkeepers. He was also defamed as the patron of thieves and those who played practical jokes.

Origins

In early Roman mythology, there was no mention of Mercury as a member of the ruling class of gods. Eventually, he was absorbed into Roman culture from the Greek god Hermes, messenger of the Greek gods. Mercury carried out many of the same functions as Hermes.

Mercury was the son of Jupiter, the Roman equivalent of the Greek god Zeus. The story of the birth of Mercury held that Jupiter secretly impregnated the goddess Maia in a cave on the island of Arcadia. The following day, Maia gave birth to Mercury before wrapping him in swaddling blankets and falling asleep. As his mother slept, Mercury raced across Arcadia to steal cattle from his brother, Apollo, before returning to his mother.

Maia woke to the sight of Mercury wrapped in his swaddling blanket and Apollo accusing him of stealing his cattle. Eventually, Jupiter stepped in to reveal he had watched Mercury steal the cattle and ordered their return. During the night, Mercury had fashioned a lyre from cattle intestines and began playing beautiful music. This inspired Apollo to ask for a trade of the cattle for the lyre.

Appearance

In most portrayals, Mercury is shown as a youthful god of Rome who is clean-shaven and is often little more than a child. Mercury is depicted in Roman artworks as wearing a helmet and sandals with attached wings that reflect his speed and position as the messenger of the gods. The son of Jupiter is also the god of commerce, leading him to being shown in some sculptures and paintings holding a purse.

Symbols

There are many symbols associated with Mercury, including his winged cap and sandals that reflect the speed of the Roman god. Mercury is often depicted as carrying a staff, which was a symbol the members of his cult added to their daily lives.

Mercury is associated with many animals, including the tortoise that played a role in his first day of life. Mercury used the shell of a tortoise to fashion the lyre he would trade for the cattle of Apollo. The tortoise would become a common symbol of Mercury throughout Roman culture and be accompanied by his close links to the ram and the rooster.

The rooster is the symbol of the new day that is brought by Mercury as a messenger of the gods. The ram is a symbol of fertility for the Roman people and is often seen with Mercury in stories and artworks.

Powers & Duties

Mercury’s main power is his ability to move at great speeds. He is most well-known for his role as a messenger to the gods. Interestingly, the role of the messenger also included the task of conducting the passage of individuals from Rome to the underworld when they died.

Mercury is also one of the most duplicitous gods in Roman culture. He is known for his trickery and ability to cheat people out of their belongings.

Myths & Stories

Mercury plays a role in many myths. As noted above, he is said to have stolen cattle and a bow and arrow when just a child. In the myth of Cupid and Psyche, he is called upon by Jupiter to make a proclamation demanding the capture of Psyche.

In the Aeneid, he is sent by Jupiter to Aeneas with orders to leave his lover and “sail away to fulfill his destiny in Italy.” He also plays a role in Roman poetry and theater, much of which was based on mythology.

In the play Amphitruo by the dramatist Plautus, Mercury dresses as a servant and aids Jupiter in disguing himself Amphitryon in order to seduce Amphitryon’s wife.

The poet Horace wrote of him in his Odes. In fact, Horace called himself mercurialis, meaning a lyric poet protected by Mercury.

Many of the myths of Mercury are derived from those of Hermes. Monuments to Hermes were thought to bring good luck, and this idea was perpetuated with Mercury as well. Another borrowed role was that of escorting the souls of the deceased to the underworld. It is speculated that the myths originated among shepherds, lending their interest in “music and fertility.” In fact, in some legends, Mercury is said to have invented the guitar-like lyre, and his son is said to have been a nymph who invented the music of the pastoral societies.

Worship

A temple to Mercury was dedicated on Rome’s Aventine Hill in 495 B.C. The festival of Mercuralia was held on May 15, the anniversary of the temple dedication, in honor of both Mercury and his mother Maia of the Pleiades. Rituals of this festival involved merchants drawing water from the well at Porta Capena to be sprinkled on their trade goods and on their own heads. Trade fairs were also held at the temple, and it was the location of Rome’s busy commercial center.

Art

In art and statues, Mercury is typically depicted as a handsome young man, even boyish in appearance, wearing a white garment. Mercury often carries a money purse, symbolizing his function as patron of merchants and business owners. His fleetness as messenger of the gods is represented by a hat or sandals with wings, called petasus and talaria, respectively. Mercury was thus called Alipes, meaning “with the winged feet.” He is also seen carrying a staff called a caduceus. The caduceus was a symbol of peace, carried by ambassadors to foreign lands. It consisted of a branch with two shoots, originally decorated with ribbons or garlands. In later times, these attributes were replaced by two twining snakes, with a pair of wings above the snakes. The snakes were related to Mercury’s role as a fertility god and in delivering souls to the underworld. Today, this symbol is used to represent physicians, the medical field, and the U.S. Army Medical Corps.

Today

Like many mythical figures, Mercury has been immortalized in the naming of celestial objects. The planet Mercury, as visible just after sunset, was called in ancient times by his Greek counterpart, Hermes. This was likely due to the planet’s rapid motion in comparison to other stellar objects. Interestingly, Mercury’s morning visitation, just before sunrise, was not recognized as being the same “star;” it was thus called Apollos. The element mercury (Hg) , atomic number 80 on the periodic table, was once known as “quicksilver.” The symbol for the planet Mercury was used to represent quicksilver in sixth century alchemy, and thus the chemical took on the name of the god as well.

Facts about Mercury

  • Hermes is the Greek equivalent of the Roman god Mercury.
  • He was the grandson of the Titan Atlas.
  • Woden / Odin was significantly affiliated with Mercury in ancient times. They were referenced together in the Roman author Tacitus’ literary work Germania. Germanic tribes referred to Wednesday as Wodenstag, whereas in Latin Wednesday is called dies Mercurii. This was possibly due to their similar roles in sacrifice and death.
  • Gaulish Mercury refers to worship of Mercury by the early Celtic tribes of western Europe. In these tribes, he was likely held as the highest among the gods.
  • The French translation of Wednesday is Mercredi. In Italian it is Mercoledì. Both are derived from the Latin word for Mercury.
  • Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. It is the fastest planet to complete a full orbit around the Sun.
  • The element Mercury is named after the Roman god.
  • Mercury was a brand of automobile whose production lasted for 70 years. Production of the cars ceased in 1970.
  • Mercury’s roles included being the god of store owners, merchants, travelers, trade, profit, tricksters, and theives.

Goddess – Hera

Hera – Greek Goddess of Marriage and Queen of Olympus from greekgodsandgoddesses.net

Hera is the Queen of the GODS and is the wife and sister of ZEUS in the Olympian pantheon. She is known for being the Goddess of Marriage & Birth. Despite being the Goddess of Marriage, she was known to be jealous and vengeful towards the many lovers and offspring of her husband Zeus.

She was also known to turn her anger towards mortals who crossed her as well – for example, Paris, who chose APHRODITE over Hera as the most beautiful goddess at the marriage of the sea-nymph Thetis to a mortal called PELEUS.

In images and STATUES, Hera is portrayed as being majestic and solemn, crowned with the polos – a high cylindrical crown worn by many of the Great Goddesses.

Even before her marriage with Zeus, she ruled over the heavens and the Earth. This is one reason why she is referred to as ‘The Queen of Heaven’ – ruling over Mount Olympus where all the gods and GODDESSES live.

Even the great Zeus feared his wife Hera. Her never-ending hatred of Heracles, the illegitimate son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene stemmed from his continuous adultery and, amongst other things, Hera raised a storm at sea in order to drive Heracles out of his course to kill him.

Zeus became so angry that he hung her in the clouds by a golden chain, and attached heavy anvils to her feet. Her son HEPHAESTUS tried to release his mother from her humiliating position, for which Zeus threw him out of heaven, and his leg was broken by the fall.

Facts about Hera

Hera was Queen of the OLYMPIAN GODS.

She was the wife and SISTER OF ZEUS.

Hera was a jealous wife, and she fought with Zeus frequently over his extramarital affairs and illegitimate children. For this reason, Hera was known for punishing offending husbands.

She was the protector of women, presiding over marriages and births.

She had three CHILDREN WITH ZEUS – HEBE, ARES, and Hephaestus.

While Hera was worshipped in all parts of Greece, temples were erected in her honor at Argos and Salmos.

The peacock was sacred to her.

Hera had few, if any, redeeming qualities. She never forgot an injury.

The Titans Ocean and TETHYS brought her up.

Hera is often described as “cow-faced,” although she was also called the chief among the immortals in beauty.

Though she may have been physically attractive, her vindictive personality makes her less so.

The TROJAN WAR would have ended in peace, but Hera had a vested interest in its outcome and influenced Zeus to either switch sides or remain neutral.

Hera had no concept of justice when angry or jealous; she could not forgive the women with whom Zeus had sexual relations—even if they were innocent of wrongdoing.

Ilithyia, a daughter of Hera’s, assisted women in childbirth.

In the story of the Quest of THE GOLDEN FLEECE, Hera was a gracious protector of the heroes.

Paris awarded Aphrodite the Golden Apple over ATHENA and Hera.

Hera punished one of Zeus’s love interests, Io, by putting her in the charge of Argus. Argus had a hundred eyes and kept vigilant watch over her so that Zeus could not come to her aid.

Hera turned Callisto into a bear because Zeus fell in love with her.

Hera arranged the death of SEMELE, another of Zeus’s mortal conquests, although she did not directly cause it.

Hera never forgave HERCULES for being ZEUS’S SON, but when Hercules died and was taken to heaven, he and Hera reconciled. While in heaven, Hercules married Hera’s daughter Hebe.

In some stories, it was at Hera’s orders that DIONYSUS was torn to pieces. He was brought back to life, and it is this resurrection that was celebrated in theatres.

Source: <a href=”https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/goddesses/hera/”>Hera – Greek Goddess of Marriage and Queen of Olympus: https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net</a&gt; – Greek Gods & Goddesses, September 19, 2014

Gods – Zeus

Zeus – Greek God Of The Sky and King of the Gods from greekgodsandgoddesses.net

Zeus was the first of the GODS and a very imposing figure. Often referred to as the “Father of Gods and men”, he is a sky god who controls lightning (often using it as a weapon) and thunder. Zeus is king of Mount Olympus, the home of Greek gods, where he rules the world and imposes his will onto gods and mortals alike.

Zeus was the last child of the titans Cronus and RHEA, and avoided being swallowed by his father (who had been told one of his children would overthrow him) when Rhea sought help from URANUS and Gaea. Cronus had previously swallowed DEMETER, HESTIA, HERA, HADES and POSEIDON.

Along with Hades and Poseidon, Zeus shared the rule of the world and became king of Olympus as the children of CRONUS were filled with admiration for their noble brother and sided with him against their unjust father – even following Zeus into The Battle of the Titans.

Zeus mated with many goddesses and mortals (including Aegina, Alcmena, CALLIOPE, Cassiopea, DEMETER, Dione, Europa, Io, Leda, LETO, MNEMOSYNE, Niobe, PERSEPHONE and SEMELE) but was married to his sister Hera – goddess of marriage and monogamy.

Roles and responsibilities of Zeus

As the king of the gods and sitting atop the golden throne on MOUNT OLYMPUS, Zeus was revered by all. Mortal kings would boast that they were descendants of Zeus. With this supreme power came a number of roles and responsibilities.

Hesiod described Zeus as a god who “brought peace in place of violence” and referred to him as the “lord of justice”.

Though he is most well known as GOD OF THE SKY and thunder, Zeus was the supreme cultural embodiment of Greek religious beliefs. He had many epithets (titles) that emphasized different aspects of complete and wide ranging authority.

  • Zeus Olympios emphasized Zeus’s kingship over the gods.
  • Zeus Xenios, Philoxenon or Hospites: Zeus was the patron of hospitality (xenia) and guests, ready to avenge any wrong done to a stranger.
  • Zeus Horkios: Zeus he was the keeper of oaths. Exposed liars were made to dedicate a statue to Zeus, often at the sanctuary of Olympia.
  • Zeus Agoraeus: Zeus watched over business at the agora and punished dishonest traders.
  • Zeus Aegiduchos or Aegiochos: Zeus was the bearer of the AEGIS with which he strikes terror into the impious and his enemies.
  • Zeus Tallaios (“solar Zeus”): the Zeus that was worshiped in Crete.
  • Zeus Geōrgos (“earth worker”, “farmer”), the god of crops and harvest, in Athens.
  • Astrapios (“lightninger”)
  • Brontios (“thunderer”)

Appearance and personality of Zeus

According to “Work and Days” by Hesiod (line 59), Zeus was a carefree god who loved to laugh out loud. He was regarded as wise, fair, just, merciful, and prudent. He was also unpredictable – nobody was able to guess the decisions he would make.

He was also easily angered which could be very destructive. He has previously hurled lightning bolts and caused violent storms that wreaked havoc on earth.

Zeus fell in love easily and had many affairs with various women, however he would severely punish anybody who attempted to escort/fall in love with his wife Hera – like the giant PORPHYRION who took a lightning bolt from the engraged god for lusting after his wife (albeit with a little help from the love god Eros).

He is often described as a strong, imposing man with a regal body and long, often curly, hair. He usually had a short beard or scruff and carried his trusty thunderbolt at all times.

How Many Wives Did Zeus Have?

ZEUS HAD SEVEN IMMORTAL WIVES. They are Metis, Themis, EURYNOME, Demeter, Mnemosyne, Hera, and Leto. From these marriages produced many MANY SONS and  DAUGHTERS.

How Did Zeus Become the Leader of the Gods?

Cronus, managed to overthrow his father, Uranus.

But Uranus made a prediction that Cronus would be overthrown by one of his children. Because Cronus was afraid of losing the kingdom, he made the same mistakes his father did and turned into a terrible, angry king and did lots of horrible things to stay in power.

He ate his children, just to keep them from overthrowing him. But Rhea, his wife, managed to fool Cronus by feeding him a large stone and kept one of his children safe. This child was named Zeus. Rhea hid him away in a cave on the island of CRETE so he would be safe.

Once Zeus grew up, he went to his father’s mountain and served him as a cupbearer. His father did not know that Zeus was his son. A TITAN GODDESS NAMED METIS helped Zeus fool his father into drinking a mixture of mustard in his wine.

This caused Cronus to feel sick, and he threw up all of his children that he had eaten, one by one including the stone. Once Cronus had expelled all of Zeus’ brothers and sisters, Zeus talked them into rebelling against Cronus, their father.

This is what started the TITANOMACHY, or the Titan’s War. Zeus and his brothers and sisters rebelled against their father, Cronus. Zeus set the CYCLOPES and the Hecatonchires free from their underground prison and convinced them to join the fight against Cronus too.

Cronus had been the one who locked up his siblings, so they agreed to join Zeus. The Hecatonchires used rocks as weapons, and the Cyclopes made Zeus’ thunderbolts. Together they also made POSEIDON‘s trident and HADES‘ helm of darkness.

The only Titians to fight with Zeus were THEMIS and PROMETHEUS. This war lasted ten years. ATLAS was a major leader on the side of the Titans and Cronus. After the war was over, Zeus imprisoned all of the Titans in TARTARUS, except for Themis and Prometheus who fought for him.

These Titans were imprisoned in the earth the same way that Cronus, HECATONCHIRES and the Cyclopes once were. Hecatonchires guarded the Titans in their prison. Because Atlas was such an important fighter for the opposition, Zeus gave him the special punishment of holding up the world.

After the Titans’ War Zeus and his brothers, Hades and Poseidon decided to divide the universe into three parts. They drew straws to see who would rule over which part. Zeus drew the longest straw, so he was given the title of king of the sky.

This also meant that he was the head of mortals and all the gods, too. Poseidon got the middle straw, so he became king of the sea. Hades drew the shortest straw, so he became the ruler of the UNDERWORLD.

Facts about Zeus

Zeus became the ruler of heaven and earth after a revolt against his father, Kronos. In his position as king of the gods, Zeus had to play mediator when other the immortals were mad at each other.

He is the father of ATHENA, who is said to have SPRUNG FROM HIS HEAD. She was his favorite child, with whom he shared the thunderbolt and aegis.

Hades and Poseidon were his brothers.

His wife Hera was also his sister.

Zeus was not a faithful husband; he was known for having many affairs with mortal women.

Zeus fathered HERCULES, the famous Greek hero, by deception. He disguised himself as Amphitryon, Alcmene’s husband, in order to have sexual relations with her.

Zeus fathered PERSEUS by impregnating Danaë. When he did so, he appeared to her in the form of a golden shower.

The name Zeus means “bright” or “sky.”

His weapon of choice was the thunderbolt, made for him by the MYTHICAL CREATURES, the CYCLOPS.

Zeus, more recently known for causing thunder and lightning, was once a rain-god. He was always associated with the weather in some form.

The Zeus described in Homer was not an extension of nature; instead, he had a standard of right and wrong that made him more relatable to mankind.

Before monarchies were rendered obsolete, Zeus protected the king and his family.

Hesiod calls Zeus the “the lord of justice.” Perhaps because of this, he was reluctant to join a side in THE TROJAN WAR. He preferred the Trojans, but he wanted to stay neutral because Hera preferred the Greeks. She was insufferable when he opposed her openly.

Metis, the goddess of prudence, was Zeus’s first love.

ARES, HEPHAESTUS, Hebe and EILEITHYIA are the CHILDREN OF ZEUS AND HERA.

His union with Leto brought forth the twins APOLLO and Artemis.

Zeus had many children with some believing he had over 50 CHILDREN

When he seduced the Spartan queen Leda, ZEUS TRANSFORMED HIMSELF INTO A BEAUTIFUL SWAN, and two sets of TWINS were born.

When Zeus had an affair with Mnemosyne, he coupled with her for nine nights. This scenario produced nine DAUGHTERS, who became known as the MUSES

Zeus punished men by giving them women.

Zeus’s servants were named Force and Violence.

ZEUS’ FAMILY TREE
Father Cronus Mother Rheas
CHILDREN
Goddesses Mortals
Mother Offspring Mother Offspring
Demeter Persephone Alcmene Heracles
Dione Aphrodite Antiope Amphion, Zethus
Eurynome Charities (Graces) Callisto Arcas
Hera Ares, Eileithyia, Hebe, Hephaestus Danae Perseus
Leto Apollo, Artemis Aegina Aecus
Maia Hermes Electra Dardanus, Harmonia, Iasius
Metis Athena Europa Minos, Rhadamanthys, Sarpedon
Mnemosyne Muses Io Epaphus
Themes Horae (Seasons), Moirae (Fates) Laodamia Sarpedon
Leda Polydeuces (Pollux), Helen
Niobe Argos, Pelasgus
A nymph Tantalus
Semele Dionysus
Taygete Lacadaemon

Zeus FAQS

What is Zeus the God of?

Zeus is the God of sky and thunder in ancient Greek religion, who rules as king of the gods of Mount Olympus.

How many children did Zeus Have?

Zeus had 54 children – 31 by Divine unions including Ares, The Three Graces, The Nine Muses, The Horae and 23 via human unions including Perseus and Heracles.

Who is the Father of Zeus?

The father of Zeus is Cronus, youngest son of Uranus and Gaea, the leader of the first generation of Titans, and, for a brief period, the ruler of all gods and men.

What is the Symbol of Zeus?

The symbols of Zeus include the lightning bolt, the eagle, the bull, and the oak tree. Zeus is often portrayed with a scepter in one hand and the thunderbolt in the other – both symbols of his authority. Sometimes he wears a crown of oak leaves.

 

Gods -Perses

Perses

Perses from greekgodsandgoddesses.net

Long before the rise of the OLYMPIANS, Titans ruled the world. In Greek mythology, THE TITANS were a race of elder gods. The earliest generation of Titans was born from Chaos. Known as primordial deities, the first Titans represented fundamental principles of the Earth and universe. However, their children and subsequent generations resembled humans and giants with great mystical powers.

As a whole, the Titans are not as well-known as the more famous Olympians of the Greek Pantheon. However, they still play an important role in GREEK MYTHOLOGY.

One Titan whose story is largely lost to the sands of time is Perses. A second-generation Titan god, Perses is the god of destruction. He represents the devastation and disorder that can come from war, depicting the obliteration of land and lives in the process.

The Origins of Perses

Information about Perses is sparse. He did not play a significant role in Greek mythology. Despite his importance to ancient Greeks, he’s only briefly mentioned in poems and texts. Most information comes from “THE THEOGONY” by Hesiod, which is the most trusted source for tracing immortal lineage. Perses is mentioned in the Homeric Hymns and works by Apollodorus as well.

Perses is the son of Titans CRIUS and EURYBIA. Crius was the god of constellations, and Eurybia was the goddess of mastery of the seas. The two elder Titans came from the first primordial deities. Together they bore Perses, Pallas, and ASTRAEUS.

There’s very little information about Perses’ upbringing or personal history. Like many Titans, Greeks didn’t actively worship Perses. The only time Greeks would ask for assistance was during times of war. But outside of that, Perses didn’t have any temples, sanctuaries, or cults.

Perses Depictions

Few artistic depictions exist of Perses exist throughout history. Unlike the Twelve Olympians, Perses and other Titans didn’t get many paintings, sculptures, or pottery. As a result, modern artists have taken many creative liberties with the god’s appearance.

Generally, Perses is shown as a destructive force in the midst of war. As with many other Titans, Perses is usually depicted as a giant among men.

Some scholars believe that Perses was envisioned with animalistic features. The Titan Crius and his three sons have a strong connection to a group of interconnected star constellations, which also hold animal-like qualities. Perses takes the form of a canine. Meanwhile, his brothers Pallas and Astraeus had the form of a goat-like giant and an equine, respectively. Their father, Crius was a ram.

Perses Symbolism

The son of the Titan CRIUS was the personification of destruction. He was a violent and aggressive deity who represented all of the war’s darker aspects. Perses is just one of many war gods. While not as famous as Ares, he certainly made his mark.

Perses had a reputation for his bloodlust. Ancient Greeks knew him as “The Destroyer,” accompanying soldiers in the heat of battle to conquer nations. He had a fondness for chaotic battle, reveling in the ensuing violence.

As mentioned earlier, Perses didn’t have a cult of temples dedicated to his honor. But, that didn’t stop Greeks from praying for his favor. Soldiers often prayed to Perses for assistance during battle. They didn’t just ask for his protection. Greeks turned to Perses for strength and strategy, ensuring that they had what it took to take out their biggest enemies.

According to Hesiod, Perses was also a master of strategy. He reportedly had wisdom that could win battles even if the odds were stacked in his favor. The god was particularly helpful with military strategy, but he also had wisdom that surpassed all men.

Interestingly enough, some versions of Perses’ tale say that he didn’t just focus on destruction. Some scholars believe that Perses was the god of both destruction and peace. In ancient Greece, war was constant. Towns were ransacked frequently as death loomed over territory disputes and simple disagreements.

Many in ancient Greece turned to Perses for more than just success during the war. They asked for a swift end to battle so that they could enjoy the peace that followed. Even if the pause was brief, many saw Perses as a symbol of what came after conflicts were resolved.

Marriage and Children

Perses married Asteria. Asteria was a Titan goddess born from Coeus (Polus) and PHOEBE. She was an immortal inhabitant of Olympus and a dark goddess of necromancy.

Asteria was known to practice witchcraft and communicate with the dead. According to legend, she also predicted the future.

The union of the goddess of necromancy and the god of the destruction resulted in a powerful child. The pair gave birth to Hecate, the GREEK GODDESS of magic, specters, witchcraft, and more.

Confusion with King Perses

The Titan god Perses is often confused with King Perses of COLCHIS. Because there’s not much information about the Titan, some elements of the figures’ stories overlap.

King Perses is a minor figure in Greek mythology. He’s the son of Helios and Perseis, an OCEANID. Helios and Perseis gave birth to multiple children, making Perses the brother of Aeetes, CIRCE, and PASIPHAE.

Of his four siblings, this Perses is one of the least famous. He became the king of Tauric Chersonese. Tauric Chersonese doesn’t exist anymore, but it’s thought to be in the modern-day Crimean peninsula. However, his brother and sisters have a more significant part in Greek mythology. Aeetes became the king of Colchis and is most commonly associated with THE ARGONAUTS. Meanwhile, Circe became a famous sorceress, and Pasiphae married KING MINOS OF CRETE.

Eventually, this Perses did become the king of Colchis. His brother, Aeetes, feared that he would lose his kingdom if THE GOLDEN FLEECE ever left Colchis. If you’re familiar with the story of the hero JASON and his Argonauts, you know what ended up happening with the famed Golden Fleece. It left Colchis, and Perses seized the opportunity to take the throne. Perses threw Aeetes into a prison cell as the sons of HELIOS fell into a full-blown civil war.

Of course, Perses’ rule didn’t last long.

Aeetes’ daughter, Medea, returned to Colchis with her son Medus. The two lied, giving false identities. Perses didn’t recognize his own niece, giving her plenty of opportunities to kill Perses. She gave her son Medus a sword to slay the king of Colchis. Then, she freed her father Aeetes to help him regain his rightful place on the throne.

The story of King Perses doesn’t have any relation to the Titan god Perses. But because their names are the same, many confuse the two. It doesn’t help that names like “Circe” and “Medea” occur in both tales. While there are similarities even in the family tree, most scholars agree that the two Perses’ are unique entities deserving of their own spot in the mythology.

The Legacy of Perses

The Titan Perses doesn’t have much significance in Greek mythology, but he’s important to the earlier history and lore of the ancient religion. Perses was one of the first war gods to exist. As a second-generation Titan, he is an early deity that existed long before the uprising of the Olympians.

He helped ancient Greeks create a path of destruction during war before Ares or ATHENA ever came into the mix. He exhibits the primal nature of warriors and a never-ending lust for blood. The god also represented the powers of war, for better or worse. Even in the wake of massive annihilation, the end of conflicts brought a period of peace that ancient Greeks always longed for.

The Titans eventually fell to ZEUS and the Olympians. How Perses fared in the TITANOMACHY is unknown. Whether or not he participated in the great war is up for debate. One thing scholars do know is that he is not listed among the Titans that were banished to TARTARUS. As a result, most assume that the figure faded into obscurity or served the people of Greece in some other way. He fails to appear in later stories, further cementing the idea that other Greek gods like ARES took over his role.

Trivia:

Perses was the Titan god of destruction.

Not to be confused with King Perses of Colchis, Perseus, the slayer of MEDUSA, or Perses, the ancestor of the Persians.

The name Perses comes from the ancient Greek words “perso” and “pertho,” which has an English translation of “to sack” or “to destroy.”

Perses is the progeny of Titans Crius and Eurybia.

The Titan god Perses belongs to the second generation of Titan gods.

Asteria is Perses’ wife.

With Asteria, Perses had one child: Hecate.

Source: <a href=”https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/gods/perses/”>Perses – Greek Titan God of Destruction: https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net</a&gt; – Greek Gods & Goddesses, December 22, 2021

Goddess – Circa (Greek)

Circa (Greek) c. 2011 Lady Abyss

“She-Falcon”.  Dark Moon Goddess; Fate-Spinner.  As the circle, or cirque, she was the fate-spinner, weaver of destinies.  Ancient Greek writers spoke of her as Circe of the Braided Tresses because she could manipulate the forces of creation and destruction by knots and braids in her hair.  Goddess of physical love, sorcery, enchantments, precognitive dreams, evil spells, vengeance, dark magic, witchcraft and cauldrons.

Circe

From greekgodsandgoddesses.net

In GREEK MYTHOLOGY, Circe was a goddess of magic, though she was sometimes depicted as a nymph (minor nature god), a witch or an enchantress.

In any case, she was associated with magic. She knew a lot about potions and herbs, and sometimes used this knowledge against her enemies and people who offended her, turning them into wild animals. She also had a wand or staff called the rhabdos which she also used to channel her magic. In fact, this was the earliest mention of a “magical wand or staff” in Western writings; it was referred to in Homer’s epic poem, the Odyssey, when Circe used it to turn Odysseus’s men into beasts.

Circe was the daughter of HELIOS, a TITAN who represented the Sun, and Perse, an ocean nymph. She was one of three thousand of her kind, daughters of TITANS OCEANUS and TETHYS. In another version, Circe was the daughter of HECATE, a goddess of sorcery.

She had two brothers. One was named Aeetes, and he looked after the GOLDEN FLEECE, a fleece that was the property of royalty. It was made from the wool of a golden ram with wings. Her second brother was PERSES.

PASIPHAE was her only sister, and she was the queen of the Greek island, CRETE, and also the wife of King Minos. It was also said that she gave birth to the MINOTAUR, a creature that was half man, half bull, with the head and horns of a cattle and the body of a man.

In some stories, Circe was exiled by her father Helios to live alone on AEAEA, a fictional island, as punishment for killing the prince of COLCHIS, who was her husband at the time.

She later had children with ODYSSEUS, the king of ITHACA from Homer’s writings. Her three sons were Ardeas, Latinus and Telegonus.

Source: <a href=”https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/goddesses/circe/”>Circe: https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net</a&gt; – Greek Gods & Goddesses, June 10, 2018

God – Xiuhtecuhtli

Xiuhtecuhtli – Aztec god of fire, day and heat from en.wikipedia.org

In Aztec mythology, Xiuhtecuhtli [ʃiʍˈtekʷt͡ɬi] (“Turquoise Lord” or “Lord of Fire”),[3] was the god of fire, day and heat.[4] In historical sources he is called by many names, which reflect his varied aspects and dwellings in the three parts of the cosmos.[5] He was the lord of volcanoes,[6] the personification of life after death, warmth in cold (fire), light in darkness and food during famine. He was also named Cuezaltzin [kʷeˈsaɬt͡sin] (“flame”) and Ixcozauhqui [iʃkoˈsaʍki],[7] and is sometimes considered to be the same as Huehueteotl (“Old God”),[8] although Xiuhtecuhtli is usually shown as a young deity.[9] His wife was Chalchiuhtlicue. Xiuhtecuhtli is sometimes considered to be a manifestation of Ometecuhtli, the Lord of Duality, and according to the Florentine Codex Xiuhtecuhtli was considered to be the father of the Gods,[10] who dwelled in the turquoise enclosure in the center of earth.[11] Xiuhtecuhtli-Huehueteotl was one of the oldest and most revered of the indigenous pantheon.[12] The cult of the God of Fire, of the Year, and of Turquoise perhaps began as far back as the middle Preclassic period.[13] Turquoise was the symbolic equivalent of fire for Aztec priests.[14] A small fire was permanently kept alive at the sacred center of every Aztec home in honor of Xiuhtecuhtli.[14]

The Nahuatl word xihuitl means “year” as well as “turquoise” and “fire”,[11] and Xiuhtecuhtli was also the god of the year and of time.[15][16] The Lord of the Year concept came from the Aztec belief that Xiuhtecuhtli was the North Star.[17] In the 260-day ritual calendar, the deity was the patron of the day Atl (“Water”) and with the trecena 1 Coatl (“1 Snake”).[15] Xiuhtecuhtli was also one of the nine Lords of the Night and ruled the first hour of the night, named Cipactli (“Alligator”).[18] Scholars have long emphasized that this fire deity also has aquatic qualities.[13] Xiuhtecuhtli dwelt inside an enclosure of turquoise stones, fortifying himself with turquoise bird water.[19] He is the god of fire in relation to the cardinal directions, just as the brazier for lighting fire is the center of the house or temple.[20] Xiuhtecuhtli was the patron god of the Aztec emperors, who were regarded as his living embodiment at their enthronement.[21] The deity was also one of the patron gods of the pochteca merchant class.[22]

Stone sculptures of Xiuhtecuhtli were ritually buried as offerings, and various statuettes have been recovered during excavations at the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan with which he was closely associated.[23] Statuettes of the deity from the temple depict a seated male with his arms crossed.[24] A sacred fire was always kept burning in the temples of Xiuhtecuhtli.[25] In gratitude for the gift of fire, the first mouthful of food from each meal was flung into the hearth.[21]

Xiuhtecuhtli is depicted in the Codex Borgia.[26]

Attributes

Xiuhtecuhtli’s face is painted with black and red pigment.[16] Xiuhtecuhtli was usually depicted adorned with turquoise mosaic, wearing the turquoise xiuhuitzolli crown of rulership on his head and a turquoise butterfly pectoral on his chest,[27] and he often wears a descending turquoise xiuhtototl bird (Cotinga amabilis) on his forehead and the Xiuhcoatl fire serpent on his back.[28] He owns fire serpent earplugs.[12] On his head he has a paper crown painted with different colors and motifs. On top of the crown there are sprays of green feathers, like flames from a fire.[12] He has feather tufts to each side, like pendants, toward his ears. On his back he has plumage resembling a dragon’s head, made of yellow feathers with marine conch shells.[12] He has copper bells tied to the insteps of his feet. In his left hand he holds a shield with five greenstones, called chalchihuites, placed in the form of a cross on a thin gold plate that covered almost all the shield.[12] In his right hand he has a kind of scepter that was a round gold plate with a hole in the middle, and topped by two globes, one larger than the other, the smaller one had a point.[12] Xiuhtecuhtli is closely associated with youthful warriors and with rulership, and was considered a solar god.[29] His principal symbols are the tecpatl (flint) and the mamalhuatzin, the two sticks that were rubbed together to light ceremonial fires.[30] A staff with a deer’s head was also an attribute of Xiuhtecuhtli, although not exclusively so as it could also be associated with Xochiquetzal and other deities.[31]

Many of the attributes of Xiuhtecuhtli are found associated with Early Postclassic Toltec warriors but clear representations of the god are not common until the Late Postclassic.[28] The nahual, or spirit form, of Xiuhtecuhtli is Xiuhcoatl, the Fire Serpent.[32]

Xiuhtecuhtli was embodied in the teotecuilli, the sacrificial brazier into which sacrificial victims were cast during the New Fire ceremony.[32] This took place at the end of each cycle of the Aztec calendar round (every 52 years),[33] when the gods were thought to be able to end their covenant with humanity. Feasts were held in honor of Xiuhtecuhtli to keep his favors, and human sacrifices were burned after removing their heart.

Annual festival[edit]

The annual festival of Xiuhtecuhtli was celebrated in Izcalli, the 18th veintena of the year.[34] The Nahuatl word izcalli means “stone house” and refers to the building where maize used to be dried and roasted between mid-January and mid-February. The whole month was therefore devoted to fire.[14] The Izcalli rituals grew in importance every four years.[35] A framework image of the deity was constructed from wood and was richly finished with clothing, feathers and an elaborate mask.[34] Quails were sacrificed to the idol and their blood spilt before it and copal was burnt in his honour.[36] On the day of the festival, the priests of Xiuhtecuhtli spent the day dancing and singing before their god.[37] People caught animals, including mammals, birds, snakes, lizards and fish, for ten days before the festival in order to throw them into the hearth on the night of the festival.[38] On the tenth day of Izcalli, during a festival called huauhquiltamalcualiztli (“eating of the amaranth leaf tamales”), the New Fire was lighted, signifying the change of the annual cycle and the rebirth of the fire deity.[39] During the night the image of the god was lit with using the mamalhuatzin.[40] Food was consumed ritually, including shrimp tamales, after first offering it to the god.[38]

Every four years a more solemn version of the festival was held at the temple of Xiuhtecuhtli in Tenochtitlan, attended by the emperor and his nobles.[42] Slaves and captives were dressed as the deity and sacrificed in his honour.[43] Godparents were assigned to children on this day and the children had their ears ritually pierced. After this, the children, their parents and godparents all shared a meal together.[42]

New Fire Ceremony[edit]

Xiuhtecuhtli was celebrated often but especially at the end of every 52-year period. This was the time the 365-day solar and the 260-day sacred calendars ended on the same day and the Aztec celebrated the Binding of the Years with the New Fire Ceremony.[17] In order to perform the ritual, priests marched in solemn procession up the Hill of the Star on a peninsula near Culhuacán to wait for the star Yohualtecuhtli (either Aldebaran in the Taurus constellation or the Pleiades as a whole) to get past its zenith. Having ascertained this, they would tear out the heart of a sacrificial victim and kindle a flame in a small wooden hearth they placed inside the hole left in his chest. Priests used a drill method to generate this sacred flame. It was then carried on pine sticks to light the fires anew in every hearth, including the sacred braziers of perpetual fire, that numbered over 600 in the capital alone.[44]

Goddess – Chantico, or Xantico

Chantico, The Aztec Goddess of Fire and the Household from oldworldgods.com

It was not unusual to see that in some religions, there were deities linked to both domestic and military matters. The Aztec goddess Chantico was an example of this link, just like the Roman goddess Vesta was in the Roman religion.

What was Chantico the goddess of?

In Aztec religion, Chantico was a domestic deity. She was mainly associated with the fires burning in the house hearth but was considered to be the protectress of the house and of the possessions inside it in general.

Because of a process of extension of her prerogatives, the Aztecs came to think of her as the protectress of their empire as a whole: it has been reported by the Spanish that Moctezuma, one of the last Aztec emperors, had an idol of the Aztec goddess Chantico with a removable leg, that he would have used as a tool to curse the land, obstructing the advance of Hernan Cortes.

For this reason, probably, Chantico had a tight link to the army and to military life in general, which was made evident in her iconography.

The appearance of Chantico goddess of fire

Her representations, in fact, usually displayed a crown made of spikes of a poisonous cactus, which was seen as a sign of aggressivity and peril, and at the top of her head was often present an ornament of feathers, which were a typical symbol of warriors.

In addition, among her accessories could be found the so-called alt-tlachinolli, or water-fire, a necklace which also was linked to warfare. Other elements which help to identify her in codexes and images are the obsidian sandals at her feet, the so-called itzcactli, and a golden pendant at her neck, which probably was a representation of the sun.

Connections and relationships with other Aztec deities

Being the goddess who presided to the domestic fire, Chantico was connected to this element, too, and was therefore linked to the other fire deities of the Aztec pantheon.

In particular, she was often associated with the god Xolotl: their connection was represented by the fact that they both were often depicted wearing the yacaxtuitl, a blue nose ornament.

Her cult was particularly strong among stonecutters. Likely for this reason, she was particularly worshipped in the town of Xochimilco, where stonecutting was widely practiced.

The meaning of Chantico Aztec goddess: Origin of the Name

It seems that the name “Chantico” might have signified “she who lives in the house”, surely alluding to her role as a domestic goddess.

Anyway, she was also referred to with other names. One of these was Quaxolotl, which would have meant “split in the upper part”, and would have therefore been a reference to Chantico’s link to the god of duality and twins, Xolotl.

Among stonecutters, she would have been also called Papaloxaual or Tlappapalo, meaning respectively “butterfly painting” and “the one of the red butterfly”. Anyway, there seem to be no other pieces of information clarifying this association of her with butterflies.

History of Chantico goddess and Most Important Myths Related to Her

According to some scholars, the cult of the Aztec goddess Chantico would have originated there where she was most worshipped, in the town of Xochimilco.

Therefore, it would have spread to all the Aztec Empire, included of course the capital, Tenochtitlan, where Chantico goddess would have been venerated in the most important religious building, the Templo Mayor.

Chantico goddess of fire was the main character of an interesting myth describing food taboos among the Aztecs. Let’s see this story in greater detail.

The Aztec goddess Chantico and the Paprika

According to this story, the Aztec goddess of fire Chantico liked paprika very much. Some suggest that the reason behind this fact could be found in Chantico’s association with fire: paprika, in fact, remembers fire both in color and taste.

Anyway, in Aztec religion, food was a prerogative of the god Tonacatecuhtli, who used to occasionally declare fasts, i.e. days during which some particular foods were banned.

One day, a fast of this sort, forbidding anyone to eat paprika, was pronounced by Tonacatecuhtli; nonetheless, the Aztec goddess Chantico could not resist pouring this beloved spice on her meal, which consisted of roasted fish.

Angered, Tonacatecuhtli changed Chantico into a dog, as a form of punishment. According to some, this might be the reason why dogs love to rest by the hearth.

Powers of the Aztec goddess Chantico

In her role of protectress of possessions, of the house, and, more generally, of the Aztec homeland, the Aztec goddess Chantico was thought to be able to deny access to strangers and enemies.

Symbols of Chantico and Their Meanings

Besides the ones already mentioned, one of Chantico’s symbols was an eagle foot covered with the skin of a jaguar, located on a dish of blood.

Like many others of her attributes, this peculiar image, also, might have represented her link with war, since the dish of blood was a symbol of warrior sacrifice.

Additional Aztec goddess Chantico Facts

Chantico’s figure is linked to one of the most impressive and important archeological remains found in the lands once occupied by the Aztecs: the so-called Coyolxauhqui-Chantico monument.

As its name suggests, this object has been linked by scholars to two Aztec goddesses: one is the goddess of the moon, Coyolxauhqui, while the other is the domestic goddess Chantico.

It represents a giant head and has been discovered in the Templo Mayor, the most important and famous building that could be found in the ancient city of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire. This head was called this way by Hermann Mayer, an important Mesoamerican scholar.

In fact, he argued, elements related to both deities could be found in it. The form and the subject of the statue, a giant head, surely reminded of Coyolxauhqui, and in particular of her role in the myth describing the birth of Huitzilopochtli: according to this story, in fact, Coyolxauhqui and her brothers would have tried to kill their mother while she was pregnant with Huitzilopochtli, but he would have come out of his mother’s womb and defeated them, beheading Coyolxauhqui.

At the same time, as noted by Eduard Seler, the character to whom the head belongs, represented in other objects, presents elements that can be easily associated with Chantico. In particular, it wears the itzcactli, the obsidian sandals, and a golden pendant which are often displayed in Chantico’s portraits. These facts have led some scholars to think that the two deities might be connected. Anyway, none of the surviving sources in their possession is able to confirm or clarify this point.

Gods – Cernunnos

Cernunnos – Wild God of the Forest from learnreligions.com

Cernunnos is a horned god found in Celtic mythology. He is connected with male animals, particularly the stag in rut, and this has led him to be associated with fertility and vegetation. Depictions of Cernunnos are found in many parts of the British Isles and western Europe. He is often portrayed with a beard and wild, shaggy hair–he is, after all, the lord of the forest.

With his mighty antlers, Cernunnos is a protector of the forest and master of the hunt. He is a god of vegetation and trees in his aspect as the Green Man, and a god of lust and fertility when connected with Pan, the Greek satyr. In some traditions, he is seen as a god of death and dying, and takes the time to comfort the dead by singing to them on their way to the spirit world.

History and Worship of Cernunnos

In Margaret Murray’s 1931 book, God of the Witches, she posits that Herne the Hunter is a manifestation of Cernunnos. Because he is found only in Berkshire, and not in the rest of the Windsor Forest area, Herne is considered a “localized” god and could indeed be the Berkshire interpretation of Cernunnos. During the Elizabethan age, Cernunnos appears as Herne in Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor. He also embodies fealty to the realm, and guardianship of royalty.

In some traditions of Wicca, the cycle of seasons follows the relationship between the Horned God–Cernunnos–and the Goddess. During the fall, the Horned God dies, as the vegetation and land go dormant, and in the spring, at Imbolc, he is resurrected to impregnate the fertile goddess of the land. However, this relationship is a relatively new Neopagan concept, and there is no scholarly evidence to indicate that ancient peoples might have celebrated this “marriage” of the Horned God and a mother goddess.

Because of his horns (and the occasional depiction of a large, erect phallus), Cernunnos has often been misinterpreted by fundamentalists as a symbol of Satan. Certainly, at times, the Christian church has pointed to the Pagan following of Cernunnos as “devil worship.” This is in part due to nineteenth-century paintings of Satan which included large, ram-like horns much like those of Cernunnos.

Today, many Pagan traditions honor Cernunnos as an aspect of the God, the embodiment of masculine energy and fertility and power.

A Prayer to Cernunnos

God of the green,
Lord of the forest,
I offer you my sacrifice.
I ask you for your blessing.

You are the man in the trees,
the green man of the woods,
who brings life to the dawning spring.
You are the deer in rut,
mighty Horned One,
who roams the autumn woods,
the hunter circling round the oak,
the antlers of the wild stag,
and the lifeblood that spills upon
the ground each season.

God of the green,
Lord of the forest,
I offer you my sacrifice.
I ask you for your blessing.

Honoring Cernunnos in Ritual

If your tradition calls for you to honor Cernunnos in ritual–especially around the season of the Beltane sabbat–be sure to read John Beckett’s article at Patheos, The Cernunnos Ritual. Beckett says,

“His presence, which had been mild but undeniable since we started setting up (what, you think a Forest God is going to sit quietly outside the door till he gets a proper invitation?) became overwhelming. Someone shouted. Someone got up and began to dance. Then another got up, and another, and another. Before long we had a whole line of people dancing, spinning, and chanting around the altar.
Cernunnos! Cernunnos! Cernunnos!”

Juniper, at Walking the Hedge, has an absolutely lovely and moving ritual worth reading about called A Devotional Ritual to Cernunnos. She says,

“I call to Him with feeling, with love with desire. I call until I feel His presence, I do not assume a few words of poetry will be enough and carry on. I call until the hair on the back of my neck stands up and goosebumps run down my arms. I call until I can smell His scent on the air… When Cernunnos has arrived I thank Him with gifts, by showing Him what offerings I have brought for Him and placing it at the foot of the god-stang.”

Other ways you can honor Cernunnos in a ritual setting include making offerings to him, particularly if you have a forest or wooded area nearby. Take some wine, milk, or consecrated water in a chalice and pour it upon the ground while calling to him. You can also decorate your altar with his symbols, such as leaves, shed antlers, moss, and fresh clean soil. If you’ve trying to conceive, and you’ve got a significant other who’s open to the practice of ritual sex magic, consider a bit of outdoor passion some evening, and call upon Cernunnos to bless your union.

Goddess – Epona

The motif of the “Lady of the Animals” lives on this religious depiction. Flanked by two horses, Epona is shown sitting on a throne holding a fruit basket on her lap. The Celtic goddess was revered as the patroness for wagoners. She was also popular among the military. The images was mainly occurred in the provinces of Gaul and Germania. Image credit: Rosemania – Flickr  

Epona – One Of The Oldest And Widely Known Celtic Deities from ancientpages.com

Epona is the Gaulish goddess of horses, donkeys, and mules. She was one of the oldest and most notable Celtic deities and was worshiped in ancient Rome.

Her name, ‘Epona,’ means ‘mare,’ and she was believed to be the protector of horses, donkeys, mules, and ponies.

As involved in ancient beliefs of many cultures, some scholars do not exclude that this goddess was often associated with death, similar to other mother goddesses. In that case, her symbol was a crow, a raven, or a dog symbolizing the afterlife.

As the guide (or companion) of souls, leading the deceased to the land of the dead, Epona had a mysterious key to opening the underworld (otherworld).

No doubt, Epona was a very popular deity in the Roman Empire, but as we said, she was not of Roman origin, for there were no such equestrian goddesses in the pantheon of these people. The Roman army adopted her worship and spread her cult throughout the empire. She was the only Celtic goddess granted a feast day (December 18).

The greatest concentration of inscriptions to Epona, along with altars and depictions of her, have been found in Roman Gaul, especially in Burgundy, and in the Metz-Trier and Meuse valley regions of Germany, Britain, Bulgaria, and North Africa as well.

In Celtic Gaul, Epona was initially associated with the beliefs of the tribe of Aedui, who inhabited the regions between Liger (Loire, the longest river in France) and Arar (the modern Saone river of eastern France).

In historical records, these people were remembered as allies of Rome, who in time supported Vercingetorix, a brave warrior who gathered an army of Gallic people against the Roman Empire and in 52 BC was defeated by Julius Caesar. At the same time, the Aeduians were incorporated into Roman Gaul.

Despite Epona’s wide popularity in ancient times, very little is known about her.  Many believe this goddess had many local incarnations and appeared under other names.

However, there is one interesting mythological story about when our planet Earth was almost empty. There were no gods or humans, only the sea and the land. When the sea met the ground, a white mare, Eiocha, made of sea foam, was born.

In the vicinity of this critical event, a strong oak tree grew, giving support to “a plant with white berries of “foam tears” from the sea. The white mare, Eiocha, ate the berries and grew heavy with the child. She gave birth to the first god, Cernunnos. The birth was painful, and in her struggle, Eiocha ripped pieces of bark from the oak tree and threw them into the sea, thus creating the Giants of the Deep. Cernunnos was lonely and coupled with Eiocha to produce other gods: Maponus, Tauranus, Teutates, and the goddess Epona.” 1

Horses for the Celts were vital because they were used for transport. In war and agriculture, it is only natural that the cult of the goddess – patroness of horses- constituted an essential part of their religious views. She was usually depicted on a horse, feeding a horse from her hand, leading two horses, or standing with horses around her.

Other attributes were a horn of plenty and a loaf of bread, which means she was also worshiped as a fertility goddess.

The Study of Pagan Gods and Goddesses: Vidar c. 2018

Vidar

Vidar (Old Norse Víðarr), his name might mean “Wide Ruler” he is the son of the all-father Odin and the giantess Gríðr. Yes, you read that correctly, some of the Æsir have previously been together with the Jotuns, also known as giants. Some of the giants were so beautiful that even the Gods could not resist their beauty.

Vidar is the second strongest of the Æsir only Thor is stronger than him, Vidar might have inherited some of his strength from the giant side of the family. Vidar lives in Asgard in a great hall called Vidi, it’s a peaceful home and the inside looks like a garden.

Vidar is known for being very silent he loves being at peace with nature. Vidar sometimes sits for hours in his garden working on a special shoe.
This special shoe is the strongest of all the shoes and is being made from all bits and pieces of leather that shoemakers throw in the trash when making new shoes in Midgard. Vidar will use this special shoe to revenge his father’s death Odin at Ragnarok (Ragnarök).

This is when Vidar will fight the fearsome Fenris wolf, by placing one foot on Fenris’s lower jaw and pressing his hands on the upper jaw until Fenris’s mouth will be pulled apart. Ragnarok is the doom of the Gods and the end of the world. But from death, there also comes life, and Vidar is one of the few Gods who will survive Ragnarok and rebuilt the new world

—————————————

Hymn to Vidarr

Vidar1Hail to the Silent God
Who sees much and speaks little,
Who waits patiently for the moment
Of injustice that needs to be equalized.
Hail to the God called upon
When cruelty has gone so far
That there is no making things right,
Hail to the God of cold vengeance
Who does what is necessary
To even up the debt,
To bring Fate’s balance true
Quicker than entropy would allow.
Hail to the God of the Thick-Soled Shoe
Whose steps are silent
So that he might approach from behind.
Hail to you, son of Grid the Wise
And Odin the Powerful,
May I know to call upon you
Only as a last resort.

— Seawalker, Author

————————————————–

Vidar

It is said that Odin had an affair with the warrior goddess Grid, and that she bore him a son named Vidarr, who took after his father and became one of the honored Aesir Gods. He is one of the two Gods of Vengeance – the other being his half-brother Váli, as it seems that in ancient Norse culture one deity of vengeance was not enough.

Vidarr’s name may originally have meant “widely ruling”. He is known as “the Silent God”, meaning that he does not flaunt his vengeance; Vidarr is said to speak little, but be a fierce warrior when the moment is needed. It is also said that he is almost as strong as Thor, and that the Gods depend upon him in times of trouble. Some scholars theorize that his “silent God” appellation may have something to do with ancient rituals of vengeance; it may be that individuals who were preparing for a vengeance battle refrained from speaking as part of a ritual purification.

He is also known as the God of the Thick Shoe, as he is constantly in the process of building up the soles of his shoes. This is done so that if Ragnarok comes and he faces Fenrir, he will be able to put his foot on Fenrir’s enormous jaws and strike his heart through his throat. Traditionally, shoemakers (and before that, people who made their own shoes) were encouraged to dedicate the little scraps of leather they trimmed off of their new shoe soles to Vidarr, who would collect them and add them slowly to his own soles.

In the saga Grímnismál, Odin describes the halls of many Gods, including that of his son Vidarr:

Brushwood grows and high grass
widely in Vidar’s land
and there the son proclaims on his horse’s back
that he’s keen to avenge his father.

This latter point is a harbinger of the prophecy that if Ragnarok comes, Fenrir will be loosed and will slay Odin, but he will be slain in turn by Vidarr. Both brothers are said to survive Ragnarok and help to rebuild a new world after Surt’s fires have burnt down. To make an offering to Vidarr, give him a weapon – throw it into icy water, or a bog, or bury it in ice.

 

Reference

Norse Mythology

Odin’s Family Tribe of Asgard

Goddess Of The Day: VENUS c. 2011

Venus

 

 

Lupercalia (Rome)
Themes: Love; Passion; Romance; Sexuality
Symbols: Doves; Flowers; Berries; Trees; Pine Cones
About Venus: Venus was originally an Italic goddess of blossoms; hearts and flowers have slowly become attributed to her loving, passionate energies. In fact, her name became the root for the word to venerate – to lift up, worship, or esteem. So it is that Venus greets prespring efforts for uplifting our hearts with positive relationships.
To Do Today: During Lupercalia, an ancient predecessor of Valentine’s Day, single girls put their names in a box, and unmarried men drew lots to see with whom they would be paired off for the coming year. To be more modern-minded, try pinning five bay leaves to your pillow instead to dream of future loves. If you’re married or otherwise involved, steep the bay leaves in water and drink the resulting tea to strengthen the love in your relationship.
To encourage balance in a relationship, bind together Venus’s symbols, a pine cone and a flower, and put them somewhere in your home. Or, to spice up a passionate moment, feed fresh berries to each others and drink a berry beverage from one cup (symbolizing united goals and destinies).
In Roman tradition, anywhere there’s a large stone adjacent to a tall tree, Venus is also there. Should you know of such a place, go there today and commune with her warm, lusty energy.

 

)0( 

By Patricia Telesco

Goddess Of The Day: Chihnu

Chihnu

Phra Buddha Bat Fair (Thailand)

  Themes: Arts; Creativity; Tradition; Excellence

Symbols: Woven Items; Thread or Yarn; Home Crafts; Lyres

About Chihnu: In China and surrounding regions, Chihnu’s name means “weaving woman.” According to myths, Chihnu’s talents in this art are so great that she can weave seamless garments for the gods. From her heavenly domain in the constellation Lyre, she acts like a refreshing spring wind to inspire excellence in our inherited arts and crafts.

 To Do Today: This annual Thai festival features folk dancing and traditional handicrafts in honor of Buddha’s footprint, which is enshrined nearby. Generally, it is a time to rejoice in Thai tradition, so if you have a Thai restaurant in the neighborhood, by all means indulge yourself, saying a brief prayer of thanks to the provider of your feast-Chihnu.

 To make a Chihnu-inspired creativity charm, take three strands of yellow thread or yarn (yellow is the color of inventiveness). Braid these together so that the strands cross four rimes, saying,

 One, Chihnu’s power absorbs;

two, inside the magic’s stored;

three, the magic’s alive in me;

four, bear Chihnu’s creativity!

 Carry this when you need more ingenious energy, or leave it near your artistic endeavors so they can absorb Chihnu’s compelling excellence.

 Finally, wear woven or handmade items to honor Chihnu’s talents today.

 .By Patricia Telesco ~ From “365 Goddess”  (FMP) and GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast

c. 2011