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

The book of Gods,Goddessess,Heroes and other Characters of Mythology
In broad terms mythology is composed of traditional stories about gods, kings, and heroes. Myths often tell about the
creation of the world (and about its destruction as well), about the creation of men, and, also, they provide lessons on a
moral code by which to live. They were attempts to provide rationale to natural events and to human emotion.
Mythological stories generally were passed on orally from generation to succeeding generation. Each tale, embellished
and "corrupted" through the re-tellings, was probably a reasoned explanation of the facts as seen by unsophisticated
and uneducated eyes. Most scholars today divide the subject into three categories: pure myth (primitive science and
primitive religion), heroic saga (primitive history), and folklore (fictional stories).
Mythological Characters WorldWide
African Mythological Characters
NOTE 1: Almost all African peoples believed in a supreme god who created the universe and all within it; this belief
pre-dated the infiltration of the Christian or Islamic religions. This does not mean they believed in a monotheistic
faith, for this supreme god had many under-gods. This deity was personalized in their individual mythologies, usually
as a bi-sexual or non-sexual being, father and mother of all creatures and creator of every detail of earth.
Abassi
(Nigeria) Efik tribe's creator of the world.
Abuk
The first woman, according to the Dinka people of Africa. She is the patron goddess of women and gardens. Her
emblem is a little snake.
Adu Ogyinae
(Ashanti) The first man. He was the leader of the seven men, some women, a dog and a leopard who were the first
beings to come to the surface of the earth from holes in the ground.
Agé
(Dahomean) Worshipped by hunters; in charge of uninhabited bush and the animals therein.
Agwe
In Benin, she is the mother of the sea. She is affectionate and nurturing to humans who honor her.
Aida Wedo
In Benin and Haiti she is the snake companion to Damballah-Wedo, the most popular god, who is also in snake form.
Aje
Yoruba goddess of wealth in all its forms.
Ajok
Chief god of the Sudanese Lotuko.
Akonadi
An oracle goddess of justice in Ghana.
Akongo
Chief deity of the Ngombe in the Congo.
Akuj
Chief deity of the Akuj in the Congo.
Ala
Earth mother of the Ibo tribe in Nigeria. She is creator of the living, queen of the dead, and goddess of fertility.
Amma
(Dogon) The supreme god who created the sun and moon. He tried to mate with the female earth but his passage was
barred by a red termite hill. This had to be cut away before he could successfully mate with the earth. This myth is
supposedly the justification for female circumcision, which is practiced by the Dogon as well as other peoples of
Africa.
Anansi
Trickster spider of West Africa, considered the creator's chief official, and a hero of many tales.
Asase Yaa
Ghanian creator of humanity, and wife of Nyame. She was also the mother of the gods.
Ashiakle
Ghanian (Africa) goddess of wealth, and of the sea.
Ayaba
(Dahomean) Sister of Loko; goddess of the hearth.
Aziri
The goddess of possessions.
Baatsi
(Zaire) The first man, made by the Creator out of clay, which he covered with skin and filled with blood. Then was
made a woman, name unknown, with whom Baatsi was commanded to make children.
Bayanni
(Yoruba) Sister of Shango. She was sacrificed to make her younger brother, Shango, a stronger god.
Bele Alua
(Ghana) A tree goddess.
Bomo Rambi
(Zimbabwe) A moon goddess.
Buk
(Sudan) Goddess of rivers and streams, and the source of life. Mother of Deng, Candit, and Nyaliep.
Buku
God/Goddess of the sky in West Africa.
Bunzi
(Zaire) A rain goddess, depicted as a rainbow-colored snake. She took over her mother's duties as rain goddess when
her mother was killed.
Cagn (Mantis)
(Bushmen of Africa) The creator, who with his wife, Coti, made everything. They had two sons: Cogaz and Gewi.
Candit
(Sudan) Goddess of streams.
Dan
(Fon) God of unity. He was the son of the twins Lisa and Mahu.
Deng
(Dinka) God of rain, whose club is lightning. The divine ancestor of the Dinka peoples.
Domfe
(Kurumba) The god of rain and wind.
Dongo
(Songhoi) God of thunder.
Edinkira
(Africa) A tree goddess.
Efé
(Pygmy) The first man.
Egungun-oya
(Africa) Another form of the Yoruba goddess of divination.
Eka Abassi
(Africa) The creator of life. Her son, and consort, was Obumo, god of thunder and rain.
Enekpe
(Africa) Goddess of the family and guardian of destiny. One story relates that when she saw that her tribe was losing a
battle, she offered herself as a sacrifice to save her people, and was buried alive on the battlefield; her tribe was saved.
Eseasar
(Africa) An earth goddess married to the sky god, Ebore.
Eshu
(Fon/Yoruba) The divine messenger, master of all languages, who acts as intermediary between men and all divinities
and between gods and gods.
Esu
(Yoruba) God of watchfulness.
Fa
The god of divination.
Faran
(Songhay) A great hero who battled the river spirit Zin-kibaru.
Fatouma
(Mali) She was born in a village near a lake that was inhabited by a virgin-devouring dragon who each year claimed a
village virgin as payment for the use of the lake's waters. The day came when Fatouma was the only eligible virgin
remaining so she was left on the shore for the dragon to eat. Along came a hero named Hammadi who slew the
dragon, married Fatouma, and lived happily ever after with her.
Gleti
(Benin) Moon goddess. She is the mother of all the stars (Gletivi). An eclipse is said to be caused by the shadow of the
her husband when he comes to "visit".
Gonzuole
(Liberia) The first woman. Without a mate she gave birth to many beautiful daughters; they lived together in a village
without men for many years. Eventually some men nearby trapped them all and Gonzuole, fearing for her daughters'
safety, agreed to give them in marriage to the men.
Gû
(Fon) The god of metal. A metal sword is still called by this name.
Gua
God of agriculture, blacksmiths, and thunder in West Africa.
Gulu
(Dinka) The creator god.
(Buganda) King of heaven.
Gunab
Hottentot god of evil.
Hêbiesso
The god of thunder.
Iku
God of death in Nigeria.
Ilankaka
(Nkundo) The sun goddess of the Nkundo of central Zaire was trapped by a man who was hunting during the night.
She begged to be released and promised him much wealth for doing so, but the only wealth he wanted was her, and so
she agreed to marry him. Soon pregnant, she refused to eat anything but forest rats. Because it was known that a man
had to provide for any whim of a pregnant woman, the man was kept very busy trapping for her. One night, however,
she awakened to realize she was no longer pregnant. Shocked, she discovered the baby had slipped out of the womb
and was already eating meat. He grew up to be the hero Itonde, who captured the heart of the Elephant Girl Mbombe.
Imana
Chief god of the Banyarwanda people of Ruanda.
Iruwa
Sun god in Kenya.
Juok
(Shilluk) The creator of all men on earth; Europeans from white clay, Arabs from reddish-brown clay, and Africans
from black earth.
Khonvum
Chief god of the Pygmies.
Kibuka
(Dinka/Buganda) God of war and storms.
Kintu
(Dinka) The first man and founder of the Dinka peoples. The Masai peoples have this myth: In the beginning there
was only one man on earth, Kintu. The daughter of heaven saw him and fell in love with him, and persuaded her
father to let them marry. Her marriage dowry consisted of all the domestic animals and all of the useful plants.
Lebé
(Dogon) The ancestor from whom the Dogon descended.
Lêgba
(Dahomean) The god of crossroads and the messenger of the gods. He understood all languages and so was also
interpreter for the gods.
Leza
(Central Africa) The creator, or supreme, god.
Libanza
Chief god of the Upotos of the Congo.
Lituolone
(Bantu) A mythic hero a la Hercules or Ulysses.
Loko
(Dahomean) The god of medicine.
Maina
(Luyia) The ancestor of the people.
Mambo
(Lovedu) The ancestor of these people.
Marwe
(Chaga) A folktale heroine.
Massim Biambe
(Congo) The creator, an omnipotent immaterial god.
Mawu-Lisa (Leza)
(Dahomean/Fon) Either an androgynous (double-sexed) being or male and female twins. The first deity. Mawu, the
female (part?) is associated with the moon, fertility, motherhood and joy. Lisa, the male (part?) is associated with the
sun, strength, labor and heat. This god (gods?) gave birth to all the other gods.
Mboze
(Zaire) Mother of the Woyo people, and mother of Bunzi. When her husband found out he was not the father of Bunzi,
he killed Mboze.
Mebeli
(Congo) The female god. See Phebele below.
Minepa
(Macoua) The god of evil.
Moombi
(Kikuyu) Creator. Wife to Gikuyu with whom she bore nine daughters.
Mukasa
(Buganda) An oracle, considered a beneficent god for he demanded no sacrifices.
Muluku
(Macoua) The supreme being.
Mulungu
(East Africa) The creator, or supreme god.
Mwambu
(Luyia) The first man.
Nambi
(Buganda) The first woman.
Nana Buluku
(Fon) The primordial mother.
Nanan-Bouclou
Ewe tribe god of herbs and medicine.
Nenaunir
(Masai) God of storms and, as a demon, a spirit of evil.
Ng ai
(Masai) The creator of the universe.
Nyambé
(Western Tropics) The creator/supreme god. The sun god. He is known among the many different peoples as Nyamé,
Ngewo, Mawu, Amma, Olorun, Chukwu, etc.
Nyankopon
(Ashanti) The sun god.
Nyasaye
Chief god of the Maragoli.
Nzame
(Bantu) The creator, who was really three in one: Nzame, Mebere, and Nkwa.
Oboto
The goddesses of serenity.
Odudua-Orishala
(Yoruba) Similar deities as Mawu-Lisa above, except for a different tribe.
Ogun
(Yoruba) The god of iron; the god of war.
Olokun
(Nigeria/Benin/Yoruba) The sea god, most worshipped of the deities, for he once destroyed most of the earth (flood
myth).
Olorun
(Yoruba) The creator, or supreme, god.
Orisha Nla
(Yoruba) The Great God ordered by Olorun to create solid ground in the marshy lands that were earth.
Osanyin
The god of medicine.
Orunmila
(Yoruba) God of mercy, who helped man after Olokun's deluge.
Oshe
(Yoruba) The god of thunder and lightning.
Osun
(Yoruba) The power (orisa) of love and sensuality. She is depicted as an old wise woman sad at the loss of her beauty.
Alternately she may be shown as tall, light-brown-skinned, and with the sensuality of a prostitute. She is patroness of
rivers and the bloodstream, and wears seven brass bracelets. She wears a mirror at her belt to admire herself, is
companioned by the primping peacock and cricket, and carries river water in her pot. Powerful spells are worked
through this lady of opposites.
Oya
(Yoruba) Oya the warrior goddess of the wind represents the winds of change. As Yoruban goddess of the marketplace
she creates changes in fortune. She was the wife of Shango , lord of thunder and fertility. Her power is associated with
lightning, tornadoes, cemeteries and death. Oya is tall, stately, and an Amazon in battle. She is the orisa of power and
action. Every breath we take is the gift of Oya.
Phebele
(Congo) The male god who with Mebeli, the female god, had a child, man, to whom Massim Biambe gave life.
Rugaba
God of the sky in Uganda.
Sagbata
(Dahomey) God of smallpox.
Shagpona
(Yoruba) God of smallpox.
Shango
(Yoruba) God of war, storms, thunder and fertility.
Sopona
(Yoruba) God of smallpox.
Tano
(Togo) A river god.
Tilo
(Mozambique) God of the sky and of thunder and rain.
Tokoloshi
Invisible half-hare, half-man creatures, believed to be messengers for witchdoctors.
Tsui'goab
(Hottentot) Rain god and great hero.
Umvelinqangi
(Zulu) The sky god who descended from heaven and married Uhlanga (a large swamp personalized). This swamp was
overgrown with reeds of many colors. Umvelinqangi broke off two reeds of each different color and made them into
people, a male and a female. Each pair thereby became the founders of a tribe of a different color. The Zulu people call
themselves Abantsundu which means "brown people".
Unkulunkulu
(Zulu) Chief god.
Utixo
(Hottentot) God of the sky, rain, and thunder.
Wak
(Ethiopia) The supreme god who lived in the clouds. Wak kept the heavens at a distance from the earth and covered it
with stars. He was a benefactor god. When the earth was flat, Wak asked man to build himself a coffin. Man did this
and Wak shut him up in it. Wak buried the coffin. For seven years he made fire rain down and this is how the
mountains were formed. Then Wak danced upon the place where the coffin was buried and man sprang forth, alive. He
was sure he had slept for a brief moment only and was surprised to find it had been so long; this is why man is awake
for most of the day. Eventually man tired of living alone. Wak took some of his blood and after four days, the blood
became a woman whom the man married. He had 30 children. However, he was ashamed at having had so many and
so hid 15 of them. An angry Wak then made the hidden children into animals and demons.
Wamara
(Bazibu) Son of Nyante. Father of Kagoro, Mugasba, Kazoba and Ryangombe.
Wantu Su
(Sudan) The supreme god.
Wele
Chief god of the Abaluyia of Kenya.
Were
Chief god of the Luo of Kenya.
Woto (Oto)
(Shongo) God of fire.
Xevioso
(Fon) God of thunder. Son of Mahu and Lisa. Twin brother of Gun. A member of the Vodu gods.
Yangombi
(Bantu) God of creation.
Yemonja
(Nigerian Yoruba) She is one of the great goddesses of Africa. She was said to be the daughter of the sea into whose
waters she empties. Her breasts are very large, because she was mother of so many of the Yoruba gods. She is also the
mother of waters (Mama Watta) who gave birth to all the world's waters. Even as she slept, she would create new
springs, which gushed forth each time she turned over. She was the sister/wife of Aganju, the soil god, and mother by
him of Orungan, god of the noonday sun. She is known by different names in many localities; As Yemoja (Yemayah)
she is the power (orisa) of the ocean and motherhood. She is long-breasted, the goddess of fishes, and wears an
insignia of alternating crystal and blue beads. She has a strong, nurturant, life-giving yet furiously destructive nature.
She is considered the Great Witch, the ultimate manifestation of female power, as Yemanja (Imanje) in Brazil she is
ocean goddess of the crescent moon, as Ymoa in West Africa she is the river goddess who grants fertility to women, in
Cuba she is Yemaya (Yemaya Ataramagwa, wealthy queen of the sea - Yemaya Achabba, stern goddess - Yemaya
Oqqutte, violent goddess - Yemaya Olokun, dream goddess), she is Agwe in Haiti. And finally as Yamoja, a
contraction of the the sentence "Iyamo eja", meaning "our mother" or "my mother of fishes".
Zambi
(Angola) The supreme being.
Zanahary
Chief god in Madagascar.
Zinkibaru
(Songhoi) Although he is a blind djinn, he is considered the "Master of Fish".
Asian Mythological Characters
Aditi
(Hindu) Supreme creator of all that has been created. Variously described as the mother, wife, and/or daughter of
Vishnu; mother of the gods, and all heavenly bodies.
Adityas
(Hindu) The divine sons of Aditi, chief among them was Varuna (Aditya). The others were Indra, Mitra, Rudra,
Tvashtar and Vishnu.
Agni
(India) God of fire. He exists as lightning.
Aizen-Myoo
(Buddhism) A deity, who despite his terrible appearance, is full of compassion for mankind. He is pictured with six
arms, three eyes, a lion's head with bristling mane, and atop his head a thunder-bolt (Vajra), with which he calms evil
passions and forbidden desires.
Aji-Suki-Taka-Hi-Kone
(Japan) A god of thunder.
Ama no Uzume
(Japan) The witty goddess of persuasion, who performed a lewd dance to entice Amaterasu out of the cave in which
she was hiding.
Ama-terasu
(Japan) The sun goddess (queen of the universe). Amaterasu Omikami, the Sun Goddess, is considered the founder of
the Japanese nation.
Amatsu Mikaboshi
(Japan) A god of evil.
Ambika
(Hindu) A feminine personification of Parvati in Hindu mythology. An astonishingly beautiful woman she lured
demons to their deaths. She announced to them that she would not bed with anyone who had not bested her in battle,
and when they approached to fight her she killed their retinue with a supersonic hum, then transformed herself into
the fearsome Kali and slew them.
Ammavaru
(India) An ancient goddess of India who existed before the beginning of time. She laid an egg that hatched into the
divine trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.
Ananta (Shesha)
(Hindu) The coiled serpent of infinite time.
Annapurna (Annapatni)
A Hindu avatar of Durga who ruled over food production.
Aruna
(Hindu) God of the dawn.
Ashvins
(Hindu) Benevolent gods. Twin horsemen and sons of the sun.
Asuras
(India) Demons, possessed of magical powers, at perpetual war with the Devas (gods).
Antaboga
Indonesian underworld serpent deity ruling over the production of rice.
Aryong Jong
Korean goddess of rainfall.
Au-Co
Vietnamese creator of humanity.
Ba
(China) Goddess of drought.
Banka-Mundi
A hunting goddess in India.
Benten (Benzai-Ten)
(Japan) Benten is one of the Japanese gods of good fortune known as the "Seven Lucky Gods." Benten is the only
female deity among the seven. Goddess of language, wisdom, literature, love, music and the sea.
Bhairavi
(Hindu) Goddess of terror.
Bishamon
(Japan) He was one of the Seven Gods of Luck. He is the Buddhist patron of warriors.
Brag-srin-mo
Ancestral goddess of Tibet. She mated with a monkey and bore six children who, when fed a special food, shed their
tails and fur and became the first Tibetans.
Brahma
(Hindu) The post-Vedic form of Prajapati, the creator.
Brihaspati
(India) The god of incantation and ritual, the personification of priestly magic.
Buddha
(Hindu) Gautama, the founder of Buddhism. Regarded as an avatar of Vishnu.
Budhi Pallien
A forest goddess in North India who roamed the jungle in the form of a tiger.
Caishen
(China) God of wealth.
Candi
(India) Another name for the goddess Durga (in her moon form). The moon was considered a god one month
(Chandra), a goddess (Candi) the next.
Challalamma
(India) Goddess of buttermilk.
Chandra
(Vedic) God of the moon.
Chang Fei
(China) God of butchers.
Chang Hsien
(China) God of dreams and god of pregnancy.
Ch'ang-O
(China) Originally a woman who lived on earth and became a goddess when she drank all the water of immortality
that was given to her husband by the gods as an award, thereby cheating him of that honor. She became goddess of the
moon.
Chang Pan
(China) God of masons.
Ch'ang Tsai
(China) God of the spleen.
Chao san-Niang
(China) Goddess of wig salesmen.
Chao T'eng-k'ang
(China) God of the bowels.
Ch'eng Huang
(China) God responsible for the land, its moats, ditches, and walls, and the people.
Cheng San-Kung
(China) God of fishing.
Cheng Yuan-ho
(China) God of strolling singers.
Chen Kao
(China) God of the ears.
Chien-Ti
(China) A Chinese ancestral mother who accidentally swallowed a multi-colored swallow's egg and gave birth
thereafter to the ancestors of the Shang dynasty.
Chih Jih
(China) God of the day.
Chih Nii
(China) Goddess of spinning.
Chih Nu
(China) She wove the beautiful robes of all the other divinities. Goddess of weaving.
Ch'ih Sung-tzu
(China) Lord of the rain.
Chimata-No-Kami
(Japan) God of the crossroads.
Ching Ling Tzu
(China) God of tea.
Ch'ing Lung
(China) God of the lungs.
Chin-hua Niang-niang
(China) God of drums and violins.
Chinnintamma
(India) Goddess of households.
Chio Yuan-Tzu
(China) God of the brain.
Chi Po
(China) God of the winds.
Chou Wang
(China) God of sodomy.
Chuang-Mu
(China) Goddess of the bedroom.
Chu-jung
(China) God of fire and celestial executioner.
Chung-kuei
(China) Protector of those who travel. God of examinations.
Chung-li Ch'üan
(China) One of the Eight Immortals of Taoism.
Ch'ung Ling-yu
(China) God of the nose.
Chung Liu
(China) God of eaves.
Chu Niao
(China) God of the heart.
Chun T'i
(China) Goddess of the dawn.
Chup-Kamui
(Japan) Sun goddess of the Ainu peoples. Originally she was the moon goddess but after one night overhead watching
all the adulterous behavings below she begged the sun god to trade places with her; he did.
Chu Ying
(China) God of the eyes.
Dai-itoku-Myoo
(Buddhism) He has six heads with terrible faces, six arms, and six legs. He uses poisons to do his evils.
Daikoku
(Japan) God of wealth and happiness. Has a magic mallet with which he creates gold.
Dakini
(Hindu) Female attendants of Kali. Terrifying-looking, they were pictured as huge in size, and sometimes with fish
bodies.
Devas
(India) Gods at perpetual war with the Asuras (demons).
Devi
(Hindu) A twelve-armed warrior goddess, created by Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva to slay Mahishasura, the shapeshifting monster who menaced the universe. She rode a lion into the fray and was victorious.
Dewi Nawang Sasih
(Sundanese) Celestial nymph who taught people how to cook rice. The myth says she gave the women a simple recipe;
place one grain of rice in a pot, boil, and wait until it sub-divides again and again until the pot is full. Her one
restriction was that no man ever touch a woman's cooking utensils. The people feasted fully, and easily, following her
instructions until one king who felt above all others deliberately touched a cooking implement. The goddess in disgust
departed the earth, and since that time it takes a whole bunch of rice to fill a pot, because although the grains swell up,
they no longer divide and reproduce.
Dewi Shri
The rice goddess of Bali. Goddess of both the underworld and the moon, she has both earthly and celestial powers.
Although she rules life, through her control of the foodstuffs of the earth, she also controls death, which returns us to
her bosom.
Dharma
(Hindu) God of justice.
Dhisana
(Hindu) Goddess of prosperity.
Di Jun
(China) God of the eastern sky.
Diti
An Indian goddess. Many mythographers see Aditi as the endless sky; Diti as the earth. Both apparently come from a
non-Aryan source of Hindu mythology, for their children, though recognized as supernatural, were never part of the
official pantheon. Diti's children were asuras, non-gods. They were powerful beings, especially the warrior Maruts,
who might have conquered the gods. Diti, whose earlier children Indra had killed, practiced magic when pregnant
again. So threatened was Indra that he watched her constantly. When Diti fell into a doze, Indra entered her vagina,
traveled to her womb, and dismembered the fetus. Even cut to pieces, the fetus was so powerful that it reformed into
forty-nine separate warriors.
Draupadi
A heroine of the Mahabharata, she was a polyandrous woman who slept in turn with each of her five husbands, who
were all brothers.
Dyaus
(Hindu/Vedic) God of the rain.
Durga
(Hindu) One of the forms of the goddess Shakti, and the wife of Shiva. She was born fully grown. Durga is famous as
the many-armed many-weaponed goddess that slays the buffalo-demon.
Dyaush
(India) The first supreme god.
Ebisu
(Japan) God of fishermen.
Emma-O
(Japan) He is the lord of hell. He is depicted as wearing a judge's cap and holding a mace. He was responsible for
judging the souls of men (his sister judged the souls of women). If a sinner was "saved" by the prayers of the living, he
was reborn on earth or in paradise.
Fan K'uei
(China) A god of butchers.
Fei Lien
(China) A god of the wind.
Fengbo
(China) Another god of the wind.
Feng Pho-Pho
(China) Goddess of the winds of China, Feng Pho-Pho was pictured as riding a tiger for her steed and with clouds for
her roadway. She was depicted as an old, wrinkled woman. On calm days, it was thought she rounded up the winds
and stuffed them into the bag she carried on her shoulder.
Fudo
(Japan) God of wisdom.
Fudo-Myoo
(Buddhism) The god who protects against catastrophes, great dangers and fire and theft. He is pictured surrounded by
flames, the symbols of his virtues. His ferocious face is half hidden by his long hair. With his sword he battles against
anger, avarice, and folly.
Fu-Hsi
(China) The god of vegetation and the inventor of writing.
Fu Hsing
(China) He was one of the three divinities known as Fu-Shou-Lu. He was considered a spirit of happiness.
Fuji
(Japan) In the myths of many cultures volcanoes have been seen as female forces (Aetna in Italy, Pele in Hawaii, and
Chuginadak in the Aleutians). The aboriginal Japanese Ainus saw volcanic fire as female also, naming their chief
divinity Fuji, goddess of the famous mountain that now bears her name.
Fukurokuju
(Japan) The star god. Another of the Seven Gods of Luck. He represents wisdom. To show that, he is depicted as
having a head nearly equal to the length of his body.
Fu-Pao
The Yellow Emperor of China was another hero with an unusual conception. His mother, Fu-Pao, sat outdoors one
night watching an unearthly light play across the sky, and she became inpregnated. Her child Huang-Ti, the Yellow
Emperor, gestated for two years (another common phenomenon among heroes) before his birth.
Ganesa (Ganesha)
(Hindu) The god of prosperity and wisdom. He is depicted with a fat human body, four arms, and an elephant's head.
Son of Shiva and Parvati.
Ganga (Ganges)
(Hindu) The story goes that this "mother of rivers" once lived in heaven with her sister, the virgin, Uma. When seadwelling demons harassed the earth, Agastya swallowed the ocean where they hid, thereby getting rid of the demons;
but the earth was left seriously parched and dry. Because of the prayers of the people, the heavenly water goddess
Ganga descended to earth. She became embodied as the sacred river Ganges. Her role is as the goddess of health,
happiness, fertility, and wealth. One of the wives of Shiva, she was the daughter of the mountain Himalaya.
Gaomei
(Chinese) Originally an ancient Chinese goddess whose name, means "first mother". She was later changed into a
male divinity.
Garuda
(Hindu) The god-mount of Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi, it is usually pictured as a creature with the head, talons,
beak, and wings of an eagle (or a vulture) and limbs and trunk of human shape.
Gauri
(Hindu) Said to be a form of the mighty Durga.
Gauri-Sankar
(India) A mountain goddess.
Gekka-O
(Japan) God of marriage.
Giri Devi
(Sri Lanka) This legendary woman is invoked in dances and songs. She was the sister of the evil demon Dala Kumara,
who indulged himself in illicit desires for her. This grew to be an obsession with him, until her wedding, where he
snapped and kidnapped her. Taking her to the forest, he raped her repeatedly and kept her as a prisoner. She finally
committed suicide by hanging herself from a tree. He never recovered from this loss, but the efforts of Pattini kept him
from devastating the world by instituting rituals to hold him at bay.
Gopis
(Hindu) The "milkmaids"; said to be the lovers of the young Krishna.
Gozanze-Myoo
(Buddhism) He is pictured with four ferocious faces, a third eye centered in his forehead, and eight hands.
Grhadevi
(India) God of the household.
Guan Di
(China) A god of war.
Gujeswari
(India) A mother goddess.
Gundari-Myoo
(Buddhism) He is pictured with three eyes and fangs. He has a red body with eight arms. Snakes are coiled about his
wrists and ankles.
Hachiman
(Japan) A god of war.
Hanuman
(Hindu) Chief minister and general of the monkey people.
Hao Ch'iu
(China) A god of the heart.
Hari-Hara
(Hindu) A composite god; the combination of Shiva and Vishnu.
Hariti
(Buddhism) She had been a cannibal devourer of children until converted by Buddha, at which time she became the
protectress of children.
Heng-o
(China) Goddess of the moon. Consort of Yi the Archer.
Hettsui-No-Kami
(Japan) Goddess who protected and provided for the family through the provisioning of harvested food.
Ho-Masubi
(Japan) A god of fire.
Ho Po (Ping-I)
(China) God of the Yellow River. Foremost among the river gods.
Hotei
(Japan) Another of the Seven Gods of Luck. He is pictured as a cheerful monk with a large protruding belly. Hotei is
sometimes referred to as the"Laughing Buddha" and it is said that if you rub his belly you will encounter good fortune.
Hou Chi
(China) Lord of abundant harvests. He was miraculously conceived when his childless mother stepped on the footprint
of a god.
Hou T'u
(China) A god of the earth.
Hsiao Wu
(China) God of prisons.
Hsieh T'ien-chun
(China) God personification of the planet Saturn.
Hsien Nung
(China) A god of agriculture.
Hsi Ling-su
(China) God of silk.
Hsi-shen
(China) God of joy.
Hsi Shih
(China) Goddess of face cream.
Hsi Wang Mu
(China) Mother goddess of the Western Paradise.
Hsuan Wen-hua
(China) The god of hair.
Hsu Ch'ang
(China) God of archery.
Huang Ti
(China) God of architecture.
Huang T'ing
(China) God of the spleen.
Hulka Devi
(Hindu) Goddess of cholera.
Huo Pu
(China) A god of fire.
Hu-Shen
(China) God of hail.
Inari
(Japan) God of rice.
Indra
(India) Main god of the Vedas. In Vedic myth, god of the atmosphere, storms, rain, and battle. Indra is the most
celebrated Vedic god. He rides the solar chariot across the sky and wields thunderbolts.
Izanagi and Izanami
(Japan) The god and goddess that created Japan.
Jagganath (Juggernaut)
(Hindu) The god whose name means "Lord of the World" (It is a cult title of Vishnu).
Jen An
(China) God of robbers.
Jizo Bosatsu
(China/Japan) The great protector of suffering humanity. He averts fires, facilitates childbirth, and is especially
honored as a protector of children.
Jurojin
(Japan) God of longevity.
Jyeshtha
(Hindu) Goddess of bad luck.
Kagutsuchi
(Japan) A god of fire.
Kali
(India) Cult name of the goddess Durga. Wife to Shiva. A bloodthirsty fertility goddess to whom the Thugs (Under the
title Bhavani, she was invoked by this secret brotherhood of murderers.) sacrificed their victims. Her idol is black, is
smeared with blood, has huge fang-like teeth, and a protruding tongue that drips with blood. She wears a necklace of
skulls, earrings of corpses, and is girdled with serpents. She usually has four arms, symbolizing absolute dominion
over all finite things. One hand holds a sword, the second holds a severed human head, the third is believed by her
devotees to be removing fear, and the fourth is often interpreted as granting bliss. Kali-omnipotent, absolute, and allpervasive-is beyond fear and finite existence and is therefore believed able to protect her devotees against fear and to
give them limitless peace. Finally, as absolute night, devouring all that exists, she is sometimes depicted as standing
on the corpse of Shiva, which, like the garland of skulls, symbolizes the remains of finite existence. Kali's worshipers
reportedly appeased her in the past with human sacrifices. She is propitiated today with the blood of mammals.
Kama
(Hindu) God of love and desire. Son of Vishnu and Lakshmi, and husband of Rati (goddess of voluptuousness, like the
Roman Venus).
Kamado-No-Kami
(Japan/Shinto) God of kitchen stoves.
Kami
(Japan) A god in Shintoism (The native religion of Japan).
Karttikeya
(Hindu) God of war. He is shown riding on a peacock, with a bow in one hand and an arrow in the other. He is also
called Skanda and Kumara.
Kawa-No-Kami
(Japan) A god of rivers.
Kaya-Nu-Hima
(Japan) Goddess of herbs.
Keng Yen-cheng
(China) Another god of robbers and thieves.
King Wan
(China) A god of luck.
Kishijoten
(Japan) A goddess of good luck.
Kishi-Mojin
(Japan/Buddhism) Goddess of motherhood.
Ko Hsien-Weng
(China) God of jugglers.
Kongo-Myoo
(Buddhism) Depicted as surrounded by fire; has three heads and six arms. His front face has five eyes.
Krishna
(Hindu) Worshipped as an incarnation of Vishnu.
Krtya
(Hindu) Goddess of witchcraft.
Kuan Ti
(China) God of war and upholder of justice.
Kuan Ti
(China) God of literature. God of fortune-telling.
Kubera
(Hindu) He is the guardian of the north and is associated with all the teasures of the earth that lie underground.
Kubjika
(Hindu) Goddess of pottery.
Kuei-ku Tzu
(China) Another god of fortune-telling.
Kujaku-Myoo
(Buddhism) He is always shown seated on a peacock. He gives protection against drought.
Kunitokotatchi
(Japan/Shinto) The chief deity.
Kuo Tzu-i
(China) Another god of happiness.
Lai Cho
(China) A god of agriculture.
Lakshmi or Laksmi
(Hindu) A consort of Vishnu and mother of Kama. She is the goddess of beauty, wealth, and pleasure. She was born
from the foam of the sea, like the Greek Aphrodite.
Lao Lang
(China) God of actors.
Lei Kung
(China) God of thunder.
Lei Tsu
(China) God of innkeepers.
Li Lao-chun
(China) God of leatherworkers.
Li Tien
(China) God of firecrackers.
Liu Meng
(China) God of agriculture.
Liu Pei
(China) God of basket-makers.
Lohasur Devi
(India) Goddess of the forging of iron.
Lo Shen
(China) Goddess of rivers.
Lo-Tsu Ta-Hsien
(China) God of barbers and beggars.
Lo Yu
(China) God of tea.
Lu Hsing
(China) Another of the three gods who were known as Fu-Shou-Lu. God of justice.
Lung Yen
(China) God of the liver.
Lu-pan
(China) God of carpenters
Ma-Ku
(China) Goddess of springtime.
Manasha
(Hindu) Goddess of snakes.
Mang Chin-i
(China) Goddess of the womb.
Mang Shen
(China) God of agriculture.
Manu
(Hindu) Ancestor of the human race. Saved from the flood by a great fish.
Mao Meng
(China) God of the planets Jupiter and Mercury.
Marici
(Japan) The goddess of dawn.
Maya
(Hindu) The Queen Mother.
Mayavel
(India) Another goddess of children.
Men Shen
(China) The two guardians of doorways, who protect against evil spirits and hostile influences.
Meru
(Hindu) akin to "Olympus" of the Greeks, a mountain in the center of the world. The abode of Vishnu, and a perfect
Paradise.
Miao Hu
(China) A god of agriculture.
Mi-lo Fo
(China) The coming Buddha.
Ming Shang
(China) God of the eyes.
Mitra
(India) Mithra, the ancient Persian god of light and wisdom. In the Avesta, the sacred Zoroastrian writings of the
ancient Persians, Mitra appears as the chief yazata (Avestan, "beneficent one"), or good spirit, and ruler of the world.
He was supposed to have slain the divine bull, from whose dying body sprang all plants and animals beneficial to
humanity. After the conquest of Assyria in the 7th century bc and of Babylonia in the 6th century bc, Mitra became the
god of the sun, which was worshipped in his name. The Greeks of Asia Minor, by identifying Mitra with Helios, the
Greek god of the sun, helped to spread the cult. It was brought to Rome about 68 bc, and during the early empire it
spread rapidly. It was a rival to Christianity in the Roman world. Mithraism was similar to Christianity in many
respects, for example, in the ideals of humility and brotherly love, baptism, the rite of communion, the use of holy
water, the adoption of Sundays and of December 25 (Mitra's birthday) as holy days, and the belief in the immortality
of the soul, the last judgment, and the resurrection. Mithraism differed from Christianity in the exclusion of women
from its ceremonies and in its willingness to compromise with polytheism. His cult expanded to become a worldwide
religion, called Mithraism. It declined rapidly in the late 3d century A.D.
Monju-Bosatsu
(Japan) God of education.
Mulhalmoni
(Korea) Goddess of water.
Nagas
(Hindu) Human-headed snakes that appear frequently in myth and legend. They sprung from Kadru, wife of Kasyapa.
They lived in the underworld where they rule as semi-devine beings. The Naga and Nagina are genii kings and
queens. Naga women can marry humans. The Nagas are enemies of the Garuda bird (a mythical symbolic bird in the
Hindu religion).
Nai-No-Kami
(Japan) God of earthquakes.
Nan-chi Hsien-weng
(China) God of longevity.
Nandi
(Hindu) The bull; the vehicle of Shiva.
Naraka
(Hindu) The place of torture for departed evil-doers.
Nataraja
(Hindu) Lord of the Dance.
Ni-O
(Buddhism) The protector of the Buddhist faith.
Nirriti
(Hindu) Goddess of corruption, decay, and disease.
Niu Wang
(China) God of oxen.
No-Il Ja-Dae
(Japan) Goddess of the toilet.
Nu-kua
(China) Goddess inventor of marriage. In some myths the one who created mankind.
Nu Wa
(China) Goddess of those who arrange marriages.
O-Kuni-Nushi
(Japan) God of medicine and sorcery.
Omoigane
(Japan) God of wisdom.
Pa
(China) Goddess of drought.
Pa Cha
(China) Goddess of grasshoppers.
Pai Chung
(China) Another god of agriculture.
Pai Liu-Fang
(China) God of the throat.
Pai Yu
(China) God of guitars.
P'an-Chin-Lien
(China) Goddess of brothels, prostitution, and sex.
P'an Niang
(China) Goddess of vaccination.
Pao Yuan-ch'uan
(China) God of the spleen.
Parashurama
(Hindu) Rama with an axe (a human incarnation of Vishnu); his magic battle-axe was a gift from Shiva.
Parjanya
(Hindu) God of lightning and thunder.
Parvati
(Hindu) Shiva's wife (or consort). Turns into Kali when "necessary".
Paurnamasi
(Hindu) Goddess of the full moon.
Phan Ku
(China)The creator who formed the mountains, valleys, rivers and oceans. When he died, his skull became the sky, his
breath the wind, his voice thunder, his legs and arms the four directions, his flesh the soil, and his blood the rivers.
Then the fleas in his hair became the people.
P'i Chia-Ma
(China) God of the ribs.
Pien Ho
(China) God of jewellers.
Po Yan Dari
(Cambodia) Goddess of disease.
Prajapati
(India) The father of gods and demons, he is the master of created beings, and the protector of those who procreate.
Prithivi
(Hindu) Goddess of the earth; consort of Dyaush.
Puchan
(India) Brings all things into relationship, blessing marriage, providing food, guiding travelers, and ushering the dead.
Purandhi
(India) Goddess of childbirth and abundance.
Purusha
(Hindu) He was sacrificed and all parts of the cosmos were made from his dismembered body.
Quan Yin (Kuan Yin)
Quan Yin is a mother/protectress type Goddess. She died in life but was made a Goddess, and because she saw a lot of
pain while she was living, she swore to protect all humans, and would not rest until the suffering of man-kind ended
Radha
(Hindu) The principal mistress of Krishna.
Raiden
(Japan) God of thunder.
Rakshas
(India) Evil semi-devine creatures that practice black magic and afflict men with misfortune.
Rama
One of the 10 incarnations of Vishnu, Rama is a traditional hero. His story forms the epic Ramayana. He is perfect in
every aspect; the perfect man, the perfect husband, the perfect brother, the perfect king, etc. and the obedient son. He
is believed to have been born for the sole purpose of killing the demon king Ravana. This "Perfect One" is depicted
usually with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana and his greatest devotee, the monkey Hanuman at his feet.
Rati
(Hindu) Goddess of love and sexual passions.
Ratri
(Hindu/Vedic) Goddess of the night.
Rodasi
(Vedic) Goddess of lightning.
Rudra
(Hindu) Vedic god of wild nature and of disease.
Rudrani
(India) Goddess of storms.
Rumina
(India) Still another goddess of children.
Samanta-Bhadra
(Tibet) Sanskrit name of Kuntu-bzang-mo, mother goddess in BARDO mysticism.
Samundra
(India) Goddess of rivers.
Sanjna
(Hindu) Goddess of the dawn.
San Kuan
(China) Collective name for the Three Officials, who were T'ien Kuan (official of heaven), Ti Kuan (official of earth)
and Shui Kuan (official of water).
Sangs-rgyas-mkhá
(Tibet) A rain goddess.
Sao-ch'ing Niang
(China) Goddess of good weather.
Sarasvati
(India) Goddess of knowledge and of fertility and prosperity. She is considered the originator of speech and of all the
arts. She is one (the maiden aspect) of the trinity which includes Devi and Lakshmi. Sarasvati is pictured as a graceful
woman with white skin, usually sitting on a lotus (or a peacock), and usually adorned with a crescent moon.
Sarudahiko
(China) The god of the crossroads and the embodiment of male sexuality. He is shown with a large nose, which is of
phallic significance.
Sati
(Hindu) First wife of Shiva. She established the custom of suttee.
Savitar
(India) The god of motion, with golden eyes, hands, and tongues.
Sengdroma
(Tibet) A lion-faced goddess called upon as a protector of herds.
Sgeg-mo-ma
(Tibet) Goddess of beauty, often depicted as holding a mirror.
Shang Chien
(China) God of the neck.
Shang Ti
(China) Originally the supreme god. He was later known as T'ien (Sky).
Shashti
(Hindu) Goddess who protects children and women in childbirth.
Shatala
(Hindu) Goddess of smallpox.
She chi
(China) Another god of agriculture, especially of grain and the land.
Sheng Mu
(China) Goddess of black magic.
Shen Hsui-Chih
(China) God of medicine.
Shen Nung
(China) Another agriculture god.
Shih Liang
(China) God of the tongue.
Shine-Tsu-Hiko
(Japan) God of the wind.
Shiu Fang
(China) God of embankments.
Shoten
(Japan) God of commerce and wisdom.
Shou-lao
(China) God who determines man's longevity.
Shun I Fu-jen
(China) Goddess of famine and floods.
Shuzanghu
(Dhammai of India) He and his wife, Zumaing-Nui, exist before anything. After making love they give birth to a girl
(Earth) and a boy (Sky), who marry and give birth to gods, and to two frogs. The frogs mate and give birth to people.
Sien-Tsang
(China) Goddess of silk cultivation.
Sitala (Satala)
(Hindu) Goddess of smallpox.
Siva (Shiva)
(India) The god of destruction. One of the gods of the Hindu Trimurti, or triad of supreme gods. Shiva, also called
Siva, personifies both the destructive and the procreative forces of the universe. As the destroyer he is represented
wearing a necklace of skulls and surrounded by demons. His reproductive aspect is symbolized by the lingam, a
phallic emblem. Shiva is also the god of asceticism and of art, especially dancing. He rides on the bull Nandi, and his
consort is the mother goddess Uma, or Kali. Some Hindus worship Shiva as the supreme deity and consider him a
benevolent god of salvation as well as a god of destruction.
Skanda
(Hindu) A warrior-god. The six-headed son of Shiva.
Soma
(India) Both a narcotic plant and a god who gives inspiration, liberates men, and represents the principle of life.
Sraddha
(Hindu) Goddess of faith.
Ssu-ma Hsiang-ju
(China) God of wine sellers.
Sung-Chiang
(China) God of thieves.
Sun Pin
(China) God of shoemakers.
Sunrta
(Hindu) Goddess of happiness.
Sun Ssu-miao
(China) God of druggists.
Sura
(India) Goddess of wine.
Surabhi
(India) A fourth goddess of children.
Surya
(Hindu) God of the sun.
Susa-no-wo
(Japan) The Storm God. Brother of Ama-terasu.
Svasti-devi
(Hindu) Goddess of the household.
Tajika-no-mikoto
(Japan) God of physical strength.
Tan Chu
(China) God of the teeth.
T'ang Ming Huang
(China) God of the theater.
Tankun
(Korea) The sun god and founder of Korea.
Tao Kung
(China) God of the diaphragm.
Tengri
(Mongolia) God of the sky.
Tho-og
(Tibet) Mother goddess, first of the gods to exist.
T'ien Fei
(China) Goddess of sailing.
Tien Hou
(China) Ocean goddess who rode across the sky on clouds and, with her wind servants, looked for sailors in danger.
She then hastened to their rescue.
Tien Mu
(China) Goddess of lightning.
Ti-tsang
(China) Deity who protects mankind; is able to rescue souls from hell and bring them to paradise.
Tsai Shen
(China) God of wealth.
Ts'ang Chien
(China) God of writing.
Ts'an Nu
(China) Goddess of silkworms.
Tsao Chun
(China) The kitchen god. The most important god of the family and home.
Tsao-Wang
(China) God of the hearth.
T'shai-Shen
(China) A god of wealth.
Tsuki-yomi
(Japan) God of the moon.
Tulsi
(India) Goddess of the basil herb.
Tung Chun
(China) God of the day.
T'ung Chung-chung
(China) God of the skin.
T'ung Lai-yu
(China) God of the stomach.
Tung Lu
(China) God of snow.
T'ung Ming
(China) God of the tongue.
Tvashtar
(Hindu) Craftsman of the gods.
Tzu-ku Shen
(China) God of toilets.
Ui Tango
(Tibet) One of three creator goddesses. The other two are Nguntre and Ninguerre.
Uka no Mitanna
(Japan) A rice goddess, usually pictured with foxes, her divine messengers.
Uke-mochi
(Japan) Goddess of food.
Uma
(Hindu) Another name for Shiva's consort.
Uminai-gami
(Okinawa) A creator goddess, who with her brother Umikii-gami, created humans and the land.
Urjani
(Hindu) Goddess of strength.
Ushas
(India) The beautiful goddess of the dawn.
Uso-dori
(Japan) Goddess of singing.
Uzume
(Japan) Goddess of laughter.
Vach
(Hindu) Goddess of speech.
Varuna
(Hindu) The top god, ruler of the sky. He is guardian of the west and is associated with oceans and waters.
(India Myth) The moon, he supervises oaths.
Vata
(India) The god of the wind.
Vayu
(Hindu/Vedic) God of air and wind.
Vishnu
(Hindu) The supreme Hindu god. Vishnu rose to power during the battle between the devas and the asuras. Both
wanted dominion over the world. The asuras finally agreed to cede whatever territory a devas could measure out in
three paces. Vishnu, who at this time was only a dwarf, proclaimed himself champion of his fellow creatures, and in
three strides traversed the whole world (the earth, the sky, and all the intervening space). Vishnu's retinue was
composed of Garuda (the eagle which served as his steed) and Hanuman (the king of the monkeys). Certain objects are
linked to him: the disc, the conch, the lotus flower. He was married to Lakhsmi. His avatars were: a fish, a tortoise, a
wild boar, a man-lion, the dwarf, Parasurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, Kalkin (to come at the end of this age). He is
always depicted sleeping on a large serpent named Adisesha or Ananda. The snake represents the earth and by
sleeping on it, Vishnu becomes the "Preserver of the Earth" (one of many of Vishnu's names). Vishnu accomplished
many things: he killed the demon Madhu, he caused people to worship, and he took and takes great care of the Earth.
Vishvakarman
(Hindu) He personifies the creative power. He fashioned the cities and weapons of the gods.
Visvamitra
(India) A ksatriya (warrior), he aspired to become a Brahman (high priest). To this end he withdrew to a forest and
practiced austerity. After a thousand years, Brahma gave him the title of royal rsi, (a position lower than Brahman). He
attempted to create a new sky, without success, and lost all the merits he had accumulated. He returned to his austerity
for another thousand years, and again Brahma made him a rsi. This time he fell in love with a nymph, Mechaka, and
consorted with her for ten years. Thus again he lost all merits. Still he persisted. This time he placed himself between
the five fires in summer, and in water in winter. Now he earned the title maharsi (super-rsi). But the gods sent him the
nymph Rambha to tempt him. He flew into a rage that they would do this and lost all his merits again. Visvamitra then
stopped eating and breathing for some years, stayed away from temptation and anger, and he finally became a
Brahman.
Vivasvat
(India) God of sunrise.
Vritra
(India) A demon who imprisons the waters before Indra slays him.
Wa
(China) A divine woman who, in ancient times, "produced the ten thousand beings through metamorphosis." It is
difficult to tell from the writings about her exactly how this creator goddess populated the world.
Waghai Devi
(India) A tiger goddess.
Wakahirume
(Japan) The favorite weaving maiden of the Japanese sun goddess Amaterasu. She died when the evil Susanoo threw a
flayed piebald colt through the roof of the "Heavenly Weaving Hall". Terrified, Wakahirume fell onto her shuttle,
which fatally punctured her vagina. This so enraged Amaterasu that she closeted herself into the Sky-Rock-Cave, and
only the creation of the world's first mirror could lure her back out. (In some interpretations, Wakahirume is the sun
goddess' younger sister, or a younger dawn form of the divinity.)
Wang-Mu-Niang-Niang
(China) Goddess of female energy.
Wang Ta-hsien
(China) God of white ants.
Weiwobo
(China) Another goddess of female energy.
Wen-ch'ang
(China) God of literature.
Wu-tai Yuan-shuai
(China) God of musicians.
Xi Hou
(China) Goddess who gave birth to ten suns. Each morning she bathes the ten suns, and then places the one which is
to light that day into a chariot drawn by dragons for the day's journey.
Xi Wangmu
(China) Personification of the female principle (yin), who with Mu Kung (yang), created heaven and earth, and all
living beings.
Xiu Wenyin
(China) Goddess of lightning and thunder.
Yainato-Hnneno-Mikoi
(Japan) This early Japanese princess became possessed by the goddess Amaterasu, ancestral mother of her clan, and
under the goddess' influence founded a temple used as Amaterasu's sanctuary.
Yakushi Nyorai
(Japan Buddhist) The Buddha of healing.
Yama
(Hindu) The lord of death. Yama was the first man, son of Vivasvant, the sun. He mated with his sister Yami to create
humanity. He is acknowledged as the first man that died, creating the path which all men since have followed.
Yama-No-Kami
(Japan) Goddess of the hunt. Goddess of the forest. Goddess of agriculture. Goddess of vegetation.
Yama-no-Karni
(Japan) This goddess was a spirit of sacred mountains, one who brought good luck to hunters and woodsmen who
attended to her rites but she could be quite stern with those who did not. One-legged and one-eyed, she was invoked as
a protector for women, for she has a secret box of souls from which she endows each new being. As a seasonal
goddess, she annually gives birth to twelve children, the year's twelve months. In singular form, she is Yama-noShinbo, the mountain mother.
Yanwang
(China) A god of death.
Yaoji
(China) This goddess was said to have been worshiped in the form of a sacred rock at the summit of a hill called the
Mount of the Sorceress. According to an old legend, a king encountered her on that hill in a dream in which she
revealed not only her name but the location of a plant to be used in love magic.
Yaparamma
(India) Goddess of commerce.
Yaya-Zakurai
(Japan) This cherry-tree goddess was a beautiful young woman each spring. She remained celibate while her beauty
lasted, only taking lovers when her petals had fallen.
Yayu
(India) God of air.
Yen-lo
(China) Ruler of the underworld.
Yen-Lo-Wang
(China) God of the earth.
Yi
(China) Husband of Chang-o. He saved the earth from destruction when all ten of its suns appeared in the sky at the
same time. Yi, an expert archer with a magic bow, shot down nine of the suns.
Yondung Halmoni
(Korea) An ancient wind goddess, she is celebrated in shamanic rituals where she is fed rice cakes.
Yu
(China)The engineer hero who measured the world from east to west and from north to south in order to lay it out. Yu,
the son of K'un, the emperor of China, was a thin, reedy man who was ill and crippled causing him to hop about on
one foot. He dug out the mountains and allowed waters to flow from a catastrophic flood. He worked at it for 13 years
without returning home. When he became a god, Yu travelled the world in order to plan it. He stabilized five sacred
mountains at the four cardinal points and at the center of the earth. Yu's wife was the daughter of T'u-chan the
mountain of the earth. Yu was the first emperor of the Hsia Dynasty.
Yu Ch'iang
(China) God of the ocean winds. He appears as a giant sea bird or a whale, or any other sea creature, but he always has
the face, hands, and feet of a human male.
Yu Huang
(China) Emperor of the gods. God of purity. God of nature. The Jade God.
Yuki-Onne
(Japan) To those lost in blizzards, struggling futilely against the cold, she came, soothing them, singing to lull them to
sleep, then breathing a deathly cold breath on them. The "snow maiden" was the spirit of death by freezing; a calm,
pale woman who appeared to the dying, making their death quiet and painless.
Yum-chen-mo
(Tibet) Goddess of wisdom.
Yun-T'ung
(China) God of the clouds.
Yu-Tzu
(China) A god of the rain.
Zaoshen
(China) God of kitchens.
Zas-ster-ma-dmar-mo
(Tibet) Goddess of wealth.
Zhang Xi
(China) A creator goddess who gave birth to twelve moons.
Zhinü
(China) A goddess of marriage and a patron of weavers.
Zhongguei
(China) God of examinations.
Zigu Shen
(China) Bathroom goddess(?)
Zisun
(China) Goddess of weddings.
Zumiang Nui
(India) Creator goddess. Mother of the earth and the sky.
Australian/New Zealand Mythological Characters
Note 1: It is important to remember that there were very many different, and isolated, tribes in Australia in the long
ago past; therefore there are many gods/goddesses with the same function but different names, and stories, according
to each tribe.
Note 2: "Dreamtime" refers to the mythological past for the aborigine peoples of Australia.
Alinga
Sun goddess.
Anjea
Goddess who forms infants from mud and places them into the mother's uterus.
Apunga
Goddess of small plants.
Arahuta
(New Zealand) Star goddess. Wife of Maunu'ura, the god of Mars.
Ariki
(New Zealand) A star goddess.
Arohirohi
(New Zealand) Sun goddess.
Biame
The "Great One," or creator.
Bila
The cannibal sun goddess. She provided light for the world by cooking her victims over a giant flame. Lizard Man
was appalled by these acts and tried to kill her. She turned herself into a ball of fire and fled, leaving the world in
darkness. He threw his boomerang at her, catching her and making her move in a slow arc across the sky. This brought
light back to the world.
Boaliri
The younger of the two sister goddesses that created life. The other was Waimariwi.
Bunbulama
Goddess of the rain.
Cunnembeille
Wife of Biame. She lives in the heavens with him and his other wife, Birrahgnooloo.
Dilga
Goddess of justice. Dilga became very angry when two of her children were killed by the "cat man" and his relatives.
Milk flowed from her breasts so copiously it formed a stream that reached to where the murderers lived and drowned
them. It also resuscitated her children and brought them back to life.
Djanggawul Sisters
Daughters of the sun, these Australian goddesses unceasingly brought forth living creatures from their endlessly
pregnant bodies. Their long vulvas broke off piece by piece with these births, producing the world's first sacred
artifacts.
Eingana
The Australian natives call her, Mother Eingana, the world-creator, the birth mother, maker of all water, land,
animals, and kangaroos. This huge snake goddess still lives, they say, in the Dreamtime, rising up occasionally to
create yet more life. This primordial snake had no vagina; as her offspring grew inside her, the goddess swelled up.
Eventually, tortured with the pregnancy, Eingana began to roll around and around. The god Barraiya saw her agony
and speared her near the anus so that birth could take place as all creatures now give birth. She is also the death
mother. They say Eingana holds a sinew of life attached to each of her creatures; when she lets it go, that life stops. If
she herself should die, they say everything would cease to exist.
Erathipa
A huge boulder in the shape of a pregnant woman bears this name. It is said that the souls of dead children reside
within it, and that if a woman of child-bearing age walks by a soul slips from the boulder and into her womb to be
reborn.
Gidja
God of the moon.
Gnowee
The sun goddess of an aboriginal people of southeast Australia. The legend goes that Gnowee once lived on the earth
at a time when the sky was always dark and people walked around carrying torches in order to see. One day while
Gnowee was out gathering yams, her baby son wandered off. She set out to search for him, carrying a huge torch, but
never found him. To this day she still climbs the sky daily, carrying her torch, trying to find her son.
Haumia
(Maori/New Zealand) God of wild plants.
Hine titama
(New Zealand) Ancestor goddess who later became the ruler of the underworld. Hine titama fled to the underworld
when she discovered that she had married her own father and had borne him children.
Ingridi
A "dreamtime" goddess.
Julana
Chief god of the Jumu tribe.
Julunggul
Goddess of initiations.
Junkgowa
An ancestor goddess who lived during the "dreamtime". She was a multiple goddess (the Junkgowa Sisters) who
created the ocean, and all the fish therein.
Karora
The creator, according to the Bandicoot clan of the Arandan aborigines of Australia.
Lia
A water goddess.
Madalait
A creator goddess.
Makara, The
Seven sisters who became the constellation Pleiades.
Nabudi, The
Goddesses of illness.
Palpinkalare
Goddess of justice.
Papa
(Maori/New Zealand) Goddess of the earth.
Rangi
(Maori/New Zealand) God of the sky.
Rongo
(Maori/New Zealand) God of cultivated plants.
Tane
(Maori/New Zealand) God of the woodlands.
Tangaroa
(Maori/New Zealand) God of the sea.
Tawhiri-ma-tea
(Maori/New Zealand) God of storms.
Tomituka
Goddess of rain.
Tu
(Maori/New Zealand) God of war.
Ungamilia
Goddess of the evening star.
Walo
The Australian aboriginals called the sun goddess by this name and said that she lived with her daughter Bara and her
sister-in-law, the world mother Madalait, far to the east. Each day Walo journeyed across the sky accompanied by
Bara, until one day the sun goddess realized that the reason the earth was so parched was their combined heat. She
sent her daughter back to the east so that the earth could become fertile and bloom.
Waramurungundi
The first woman, according to the Gunwinggu people of Australia. She was the all-creating mother of Australia; she
gave birth to the earth and then fashioned all its living creatures. She then taught her creations to talk and divided
each language group from the next.
Wati Kutjarra
This Western Australian term means "two men" and refers to the two male ancestors of mortals who taught the people
to keep in touch with Dreamtime. (Dreamtime is always present and is the source of all life.)
Wawalag Sisters
The civilizers of Australia, these two mythic women wandered the continent domesticating plants into edible
foodstuffs, evolving language for each territory, and naming all the land's creatures.
Wuluwaid
A male rainmaker.
Wuragag
The first man, and husband to Waramurungundi.
Wuriupranili
This sun goddess was said to light bark into a torch, carrying the flame through the sky from east to west. At the
western sea, she dipped it in the water, then used the embers to guide her under the earth to reach her eastern starting
point again. The brilliant skies of dawn and dusk, it was said, came from her red-ochre body paints misting up into the
sky as she powdered and beautified her body.
Wurrunna
A culture hero with many folklore tales of his wanderings.
Yhi
The goddess of light and creator goddess of the Karraur, an Australian aboriginal group, she lay asleep in the
Dreamtime before this world's creation, in a world of bone-bare, windless mountains. Suddenly, a whistle startled the
goddess. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, flooding the world with light. The earth stirred under her warm
rays. Yhi drifted down to this new land, walking north, south, east, west. As she did, plants sprang up from her
footprints. She walked the world's surface until she had stepped everywhere, until every inch was covered with green.
Then the goddess sat to rest on the treeless plain. As she glanced around, she realized that the new plants could not
move, and she desired to see something dance. Seeking that dancing life, she descended beneath the earth, where she
found evil spirits who tried to sing her to death. But they were not as powerful as Yhi. Her warmth melted the
darkness, and tiny forms began to move there. The forms turned into butterflies and bees and insects that swarmed
around her in a dancing mass. She led them forth into the sunny world. But there were still caves of ice, high in the
mountains, in which other beings rested. Yhi spread her light into them, one at a time. She stared into the cave's black
interiors until water formed. Then she saw something move-something, and another thing, and another. Fishes and
lizards swam forth. Cave after cave she freed from its darkness, and birds and animals poured forth onto the face of
the earth. Soon the entire world was dancing with life. Then, in her golden voice, Yhi spoke. She told her creatures
she would return to her own world. She blessed them with changing seasons and with the knowledge that when they
died they would join her in the sky. Then, turning herself into a ball of light, she sank below the horizon. As she
disappeared, darkness fell upon on the earth's surface. The new creatures were afraid. There was sorrow and
mourning, and finally there was sleep. And, soon, there was the first dawn, for Yhi had never intended to abandon her
creation. One by one the sleepy creatures woke to see light breaking in the east. A bird chorus greeted their mistress,
and the lake and ocean waters that had been rising in mists, trying to reach her, sank down calmly. For eons of
Dreamtime the animals lived in peace on Yhi's earth, but then a vague sadness began to fill them. They ceased to
delight in what they were. She had planned never to return to earth, but she felt so sorry for her creatures that she said,
"Just once. Just this once." So she slid down to the earth's surface and asked the creatures what was wrong. Wombat
wanted to wiggle along the ground. Kangaroo wanted to fly. Bat wanted wings. Lizard wanted legs. Seal wanted to
swim. And the confused Platypus wanted something of every other animal. And so Yhi gave them what they wanted.
From the beautiful regular forms of the early creation came the strange creatures that now walk the earth. Yhi then
swept herself up to the sky again. She had one other task yet to complete: the creation of woman. She had already
embodied thought in male form and set him wandering the earth. But nothing - not the plants, not the insects, not the
birds or beasts or fish seemed like him. He was lonely. Yhi went to him one morning as he slept near a grass tree. He
slept fitfully, full of strange dreams. As he emerged from his dreaming he saw the flower stalk on the grass tree
shining with sunlight. He was drawn to the tree, as were all the earth's other creatures. Reverent and astonished, they
watched as the power of Yhi concentrated itself on the flower stalk. The flower stalk began to move rhythmically - to
breathe. Then it changed form, softened, became a woman. Slowly emerging into the light from which she was
formed, the first woman gave her hand to the first man.
Celtic Mythological Characters
The Irish sagas: The Mythological Cycle: Deals with the pagan Celtic gods/supernatural beings. The Ulster Cycle:
Deals with the exploits of the warrior caste of pre-Christian Ireland. The Historical Cycle: Deals with the activities of
"historical" figures. The Fenian Cycle: Deals with the tales of Finn Mac Cumaill and his band of followers, the
Fianna.
Note 1: What we today call "Celtic" mythology is a combining of, (a transference of, a transfiguration of,
transformation of, transition of, transmogrification of) numerous basic mythologies of numerous barbarian tribes. One
of the earliest of those tribes has been, by differing ethnologists, called the Iberian, Berber, Silurian, Basque, or
Euskarian race. (Take your pick!) This tribe spoke a "Hamitic" language. Another of those earliest tribes are popularly
called the "Celts", who spoke an "Aryan" language. These "Celts" were made up of the Goidals (Gaels), Brythons
(Britons, Bretons), Continental Gauls, Irish (or Irish Gaelic), Manx, and Scottish Gaelic. (I'm confused too!)
Abnoba
(Gaul) Goddess of the hunt (similar to the Roman Diana)
Achall
In Irish legend, Achall was a loving sister who died of sorrow when her brother was killed in battle.
Achtan
The Irish heroine who bore Cormac, the king.
Achtland
In Celtic legend, this mortal queen could not be satisfied with human men, so she took a giant as her spouse.
Adsagsona
Celtic goddess of the underworld and of magic.
Aebh
Wife of Lêr.
Aed
Son of Lêr.
Aeifé (Aife)
Third wife of Lêr. She is the evil stepmother of Aedh, Conn, Fiachra, and Finnguala, who transforms them into
talking swans when her anger overcomes her. Her deed is discovered; she is transformed into a vulture, and made to
stay eternally in the winds.
Aeron
(Wales) God of war.
Æs Sídhe
Means "the folk of the mounds", the fairies.
Ainé
Queen of the fairies. Other fairy queens were Aoibhinn, Cliodna, and Aynia.
Airmed
A goddess of the Tuatha de Danaan of Ireland. She was the goddess of witchcraft and herb lore.
Alator
A war god worshipped in Britain.
Amaethon
(Britain) God of agriculture.
Andraste
(Britain) Andraste is a warrior goddess, the goddess of victory.
Angus (Mac Oc)
Gaelic god of youth and god of love and beauty. He had a magical harp of gold whose music was so sweet that no one
could hear and not follow it.
Annwn
(Britain) The otherworld.
Anu
One of the ancestor goddesses of Ireland. Some mythographers claim she is the same goddess as Aine, others say
Danu.
Ardwinna
A Celtic goddess of the forests.
Arianrhod
(Wales) The goddess of the moon. A magician goddess, who like Artemis lived in orgiastic maidenhood surrounded
entirely by women, although it is also said she lived a wanton life, mating with mermen. She was the most powerful of
the children of the mother goddess Don. Her palace is the Corona Borealis.
Arnamentia
(Britain) Goddess of spring water.
Artio
Celtic goddess of wildlife, who was usually depicted in the form of a bear.
Badb
(Ireland) One of the three war goddesses known collectively as the Morrigan. She was depicted in the form of a raven
with a crimson (bloody) mouth.
Balor
(Ireland) God of death.
Banba (Banbha)
Irish earth goddess, she was part of the triad that included Eriu and Folta (Fodla).
Bebhionn
An Irish underworld goddess and a patron of pleasure.
Belatucadros
(Britain) God of war and of the destruction. His name means "fair shining one". The Romans equated him with their
god Mars.
Belenus (Bel or Belenos)
(Gaul) God of healing and light, and referred to as "The Shining One". He is in charge of the welfare of sheep and
cattle. His wife is the goddess Belisama. They can be compared with Apollo and Minerva.
Beli Mawr
(Wales) Welsh ancestor deity.
Belisama
Goddess of light and fire, the forge and of crafts. She is the wife of the god Belenus.
Bheara
(Ireland/Scotland) [Also Cailleach Bheur {see Cailleach below} or Cally Berry] She controlled the weather. When a
handsome young man was kind to her, she changed herself from an ugly old hag into a beautiful young woman and
rewarded him with her favors. She is also considered to be the "White Lady" and the wife of Manannan the Sea God;
you can see her in the sunlight sparkling on the water.
Bilé
Gaelic god of the underworld from whom sprang the first men, and considered by some to be the father of the gods.
Boann
(Irish) Boann is the goddess of rivers and fertility.
Bobd the Red
A son of Dagda and king of the Tuatha Dé Danann.
Boibhniu
Celtic god of smiths.
Bors
A king of Gaul.
Borvo
(Gaul) God of healing.
Brân
(Britain) God of the underworld.
Branwen
Welsh love goddess.
Bres
(Gaelic) God of fertility and agriculture; one of the first kings of the Tuatha De Danaan.
Bride
Scotland's version of the Celtic Irish Brigid.
Brigandu
Celtic France version of the Celtic Irish Brigid.
Brigantia
Celtic Briton version of the Celtic Irish Brigid.
Brighid (Brigit)
(Gaelic) Brighid was the goddess of fertility, therapy, metalworking, and poetic inspiration. She is the wife of Bres.
She is known as Caridwen (Cerridwen) in Wales. There are three sisters by the name of Brigit in Irish myth (daughters
of In Dagda) who are the patron-goddesses of learning (poetry), healing and smithcraft.
Bronach
An Irish goddess of cliffs.
Caer
An Irish swan maiden with whom Ængus (god of poetry) fell in love. He became a swan also.
Cailleach
An ancient goddess of the pre-Celtic peoples of Ireland. She controlled the seasons and the weather; she was the
goddess of earth and sky, moon and sun.
Cairbré
A son of Cormac.
Cairpré
A bard of the Tuatha Dé Danann and a son of Ogma.
Camulus
(Gaul) God of the sky and of war.
Canola
(Irish) According to the myth she was the inventor of the Irish harp. She had a disagreement with a lover, and so she
left his bed to wander the night. Hearing beautiful music, she stopped and sat down; soon she fell asleep in the open
air. Wakening to daylight, Canola discovered the music had been made by the wind, blowing through the rotted sinews
clinging to the skeleton of a whale. Inspired by the sight and remembering its magical sound, she built the first harp.
Caradawc
Caradawc of the Strong Arms was a son of Brân.
Carlin
(Scotland) She was the spirit of the eve of Samhain (Halloween), the night the year turned to winter, and the ghosts of
the dead roamed the world of the living.
Carman
(Irish) A destructive witch, she was the goddess of evil magic. She had three equally destructive sons: Dub
("darkness"), Dother ("evil"), and Dian ("violence"). The Tuatha de Danaan, the deities ruled by the goddess Danu,
fought against Carman with their most powerful weapons. Finally the sorceress Bechuille, was able to undo Carman's
curses. Her sons were destroyed and Carman put in chains, where she died of grief.
Cartimandua
(Britain) A legendary warrior queen who waged war against the Roman Empire, she was the leader of the Brigantes,
descendants of the goddess Brigantia.
Cathubodva
Gaulish war goddess.
Ceibhfhionn
(Ireland) Goddess of inspiration.
Cenn Cruaich
(Gaelic) The heaven-god (akin to Zeus).
Cernunnos
(Gaul) Cernunnos was the god of the underworld and of animals. The horned (reindeer horns) god of virility, he is
accompanied by a ram-headed serpent and a stag. He was often depicted holding a bag of money, possibly signifying
he was considered a god of fertility also.
Cerridwen
(Wales) Cerridwen is the goddess of dark prophetic powers. She is the keeper of the cauldron of the underworld, in
which inspiration and divine knowledge are brewed.
Cessair
(Irish) A great magician, she became the first queen of Ireland. She and her band of female followers inhabited the
land after the Great Flood.
Cethé
Son of Diancecht.
Cethlenn
Wife to Balor.
Cethlion
(Irish) Prophetess of the Formorians who warned of their impending doom at the hands of the Tuatha de Danaan.
Cian
A son of Diancecht.
Cliodna
(Gaelic) Goddess of beauty and the otherworld.
Clûd
Goddess of the river Clyde.
Cocidius
(Britain) God associated sometimes with forests and hunting (linked with the Roman god Silvanus), sometimes with
war (equated with Mars).
Conairé
Conairé the Great; high king of Ireland.
Conall Cernach
(Irish) Powerful warrior; his name means "strong and victorious".
Conchobar
Conchobar's intended bride, Deidre, eloped with Noisi. Conchobar killed Noisi and his brothers and Deidre died of
sorrow.
Condatis
(Britain) God who personified the waters, sometimes considered a war god.
Coranians
A mythical tribe of dwarfs.
Corb
An Iberian god.
Cormac
Known as "the Magnificent". Descendant of Conn "the Hundred Fighter". His reputation was akin to that of Solomon.
Corra
(Scotland) Goddess of prophecy.
Coventina
(Britain) Goddess who personified a holy spring that had healing powers.
Creidhne
Creidhne was the god of metal working. One of the trio of craft-gods of the Tuatha De Danaan, as were Goibhniu and
Luchta.
Cu Chulainn
A hero akin to Heracles or Theseus, born with the strength of a man and a burning rage to conquer all in his path. His
famous exploits are described in Táin Bó Cuailgne [The Cattle Raid of Cuailgne (or Cooley)].
Cuda
(Britain) Mother goddess.
Cu Roi
(Irish) A sorcerer who transforms himself into various guises.
Dagda (Cian)
The god who was the supreme head of the People of Dana. (The equivalent of Cronus.) Dagda possesses a bottomless
cauldron of plenty and rules the seasons with the music of his oaken harp. With his mighty club Dagda can slay nine
men with a single blow, and with its small end he can bring them back to life. He was father to Brigit, Angus, Mider,
Ogma, and Bobd the Red.
Dairé of Cualgne
Owner of the Brown Bull.
Damona
(Gaul) Goddess of cattle and of fertility and healing; her name means "divine cow".
Dana (Danu)
The goddess from whom Tuatha Dé Danann (The People of Dana) were descended. She was the daughter of the god
Dagda (the Good), and had three sons, who had only one son between them, Ecne (Knowledge). She was another of
the three war goddesses known collectively as the Morrigan.
Dechtere (Dechtiré)
(Irish) The mother of Cuchulain. There are a number of versions of his birth, of which two follow: one, Dechtere
accidentally swallowed a mayfly while drinking a cup of wine, became pregnant from this event, and bore Cuchulain;
two, She was impregnated by the god Lugh with his own soul, and vomited him into life as Cuchulain, thereby
remaining a virgin.
Deidre
Deidre was the beautiful intended bride of Conchobar. She ran off with Noísi (Naoise), and died of sorrow when
Conchobar killed him and his brothers.
Dewi
(Wales) The Red Dragon god. The emblem of Wales.
Dia Griene
(Scotland) The daughter of the sun in ancient Scotland. She appears in a folktale in which, held captive in the Land of
the Big Women, she is freed by the Cailleach, disguised as a fox, and a helpful young bumbler named Brian.
Diancecht
(Irish) Diancecht is the god of healing. He killed the giant serpent that was destroying cattle throughout the land. He
also killed his own son whose skill in healing endangered his father's reputation. He is the one who fashioned a fully
functional arm of silver for Nuada.
Dil
(Ireland) Goddess of cattle.
Domnu
Mother goddess of the Fomors.
Dön
(There are two differing versions of Celtic Mythology with one of them probably based on the Welsh people's tales.)
1. Don, the mother goddess; the Welsh equivalent of the Irish Danu.
2. According to the predominant story, Dön was the leader of one of the two warring families of gods. His children
were the powers of light, the other family's children were the powers of darkness.
Druantia
Goddess of fir trees.
Eadon
(Ireland) Goddess of poetry.
Elathan
A king of the Fomors.
Elen
(Wales) In the Mabinogian, the Welsh mythic epic, this heroine appears as the world's first highway engineer. When
her land was threatened, she magically built highways across the country so that her soldiers could gather and defend
it.
Ellylion
The Welsh elves.
Emer
(Irish) An exceptionally beautiful, and intelligent, woman who knew it! Before she would allow the hero Cuchulain to
sleep with her she demanded a number of heroic tasks be successfully completed, reasoning that her superior
endowments warranted it.
Epona
The horse goddess. Usually portrayed as riding a mare, sometimes with a foal.
Erc
A king of the Fir Bolgs at Tara.
Eremon
First king of Ireland.
Eri
(Irish) The mother of Bres.
Eriu
(Irish) The goddess for whom Ireland is named. In Gaelic Ireland is rendered as Erin, which means the "land of Eriu".
Esus
(Gaul) God equated with either Roman deity Mars or Mercury. Human sacrifices to Esus were hanged and skewered
with a sword. Esus is usually pictured as a woodcutter. His sacred animal was the bull.
Etain
(Irish) An early sun goddess of ancient Ireland and wife to Mider.
Etan
Wife of Ogma.
Ethne
(Irish) An ancient Irish goddess that subsisted on the milk from a sacred cow from India.
Ethniu
Daughter of Balor.
Fachea
(Irish) A goddess of poetry.
Fagus
(Gaul) God of beech trees.
Fand
(Celtic) Wife of Manannan, god of the sea.
Fea
A war goddess, wife of Nuada.
Fedelma
(Irish) Poet and prophetess in the service of Queen Medb.
Feidiline
(Irish) A prophetess who foretold the death of Queen Maeve.
Ferghus
(Irish) King of Ulster prior to Conchobar.
Fideal
(Scotland) A water demon, Fideal was one of those seductive maidens who, after luring their lovers into the water,
dragged them under to drown.
Finchoem
(Irish) Finchoem was one of those goddesses of mythology that conceived in an "unusual" way. She swallowed a worm
from a magic well, hoping she would bear a hero. She did; his name was Conall, a prominent stalwart in Irish heroic
legend.
Findabar
(Irish) This heroine was the daughter of Queen Maeve and her consort, Aillil. Aillil opposed Findabar's choice of a
husband, but Findabar married the mortal Froach anyway.
Finn
(Irish) Leader of the Fianna.
Finvarra
King of the Irish fairies.
Fiongalla
(Irish) Legend has it that she was held in enchantment by the powerful druid Amerach. Amerach made Fiongalla vow
never to sleep with a man until one brought magical yew berries, holly boughs, and marigolds from the earthly seat of
power. A hero named Feargal actually managed to perform this almost impossible task and won Fiongalla.
Fithir
(Irish) The younger of two daughters of the king, she was courted by a neighboring king, but her father refused
permission for her to marry until her older sister was wed. Not content to wait, the neighboring king kidnapped the
older sister and claimed that she had been killed. Fithir was then married off to him. Years later, while she was on a
hunting trip, Fithir ran across her sister who had been held captive all those years. The shock of seeing her sister alive
killed Fithir. Her sister then wept herself to death.
Flidais
(Irish) The stag-mistress who roamed the earth in a chariot drawn by supernatural deer. She possessed a cow whose
milk supplied thirty people a day. She called the wild creatures of the countryside her cattle. Flidais had a daughter
named Fland who was a lake maiden who sat beneath her waters and lured mortals to herself, and to death.
Fodla (Fotla)
(Gaelic) One of the trio of goddesses who lent their name to Ireland. The other two were Banbha and Eriu.
Geofon
(Britain) She was the ocean goddess.
Goibhniu
(Celtic) Goibhniu was the smith god. One of three craft-gods of the Tuatha De Danaan. The other two were Luchta
and Creidhne.
Goidel
A mythical ancestor of the Irish.
Goleuddydd
(Wales) A Welsh princess who married a prince but remained barren. When she finally became pregnant, she "lost it"
and refused to live indoors. She went into the forest and hid from everyone. When her time came to give birth,
however, she regained her sanity. She found herself in a swineherd's yard, where she bore a son, was aptly named
Culhwch (pig). This folktale is really about an ancient sow goddess of fertility.
Govannon
(Wales) God of smiths and metalworkers. The weapons he makes are deadly in their aim, the armor unfailing in its
protection. Those who drink from his sacred cup need no longer fear old age and infirmity.
Grainne
(Irish) She is betrothed to Fionn MacCumhaill (Finn), but falls in love with Diarmuid (Dermot), when at their
(Fionn's and her's) wedding feast, a sudden breeze lifts the long bangs of the handsome Diarmuid and she sees the
magical love spot on his forehead (magical because any woman who sees it falls hopelessly in love with him; thus the
long bangs, as he is "tired" of all the love affairs). She slips drugs into the drinks of everyone, and when they are all
asleep, she demands that Diarmuid flee with her. They flee together to the Wood of the Two Tents; so called because
for their first few nights together Diarmuid refuses to sleep with Grainne no matter her entreaties. A gigantic monster
accosts her and Diarmuid rescues her; Grainne sarcastically remarks that at least something was interested in touching
her, and Diarmuid, humiliated, moves into her tent. The new lovers are eventually found by Fionn and his band, but
Diarmuid gives Grainne a cape of invisibility in which to escape. So the lovers begin traveling to stay ahead of the
vengeful Fionn. Eventually, Aengus, the god of poets, appears to Fionn to plead the lovers' cause. Fionn's heart is
touched, and Grainne and Diarmuid are allowed to return to the company.
Grian
(Irish) An early goddess of the sun. She is believed by some to be a twin of Aine, another sun goddess.
Gwendydd
(Wales) Also called Gandieda or Gwendolyn. She was Merlin's sister (or twin, or lover, or all of the above, depending
on which sources you believe).
Gwyar
(Wales) The wife of the god of heaven.
Gwyllion
(Wales) A spirit of the mountains. She was so ill-tempered that she always gave travelers the wrong directions.
Gwyn ap Nudd
(Wales) Gwyn ap Nudd is the Lord of the Underworld and master of the wild hunt.
Habetrot
(Britain) Goddess of healing and spinning.
Ilmarinen
(Finland) God of the winds, and good weather.
In Dagda (Daghdha)
(Irish) He is the leader of the gods. He has a secret affair with Boann which results in the birth of Oenghus.
Kalma
(Finland) Goddess of death.
Latis
(Britain) Goddess associated with water.
Lêr (Llyr)
(Wales) God of the sea.
Lleu
(Wales) The god who is the Welsh equivalent of the Irish Lugh. He was pictured as young, strong, radiant with hair of
gold, master of all arts, skills and crafts. Also known as Lleu Llaw Gyffes.
Luchtaine
(Celtic) He was the god of wheel making.
Ludd
(Britain) God of the sea.
Lugh (Lugus in Gaul)
1. (Celtic) His sacred symbol was a spear. He was always accompanied by two ravens. Sometimes he is shown as oneeyed. Predecessor of the Germanic Wotan and the Norse Odin?
2. (Irish) The sun god. Also known as Lugh of the Long Arm. He killed his grandfather, Balor, during a battle in
which the new order of gods and goddesses took over from the primal gods. He defeated his enemies with a magic
spear. Also known as Lug Samildanach or Lug.
Mabon
(Celtic) The Son of Light (akin to the Roman Apollo). He was the god of liberation, harmony, music and unity.
Mac Da Tho
(Irish) A god of the otherworld.
Macha
(Irish) The third of the three war goddesses known as the Morrigan. Macha feeds on the heads of slain enemies.
Manannan mac Lir
(Celtic) The god of the ocean.
Math ap Mathonwy
(Wales) God of sorcery.
Matrona
(Celtic) The river Marne is named after her.
Medb
(Irish) Queen of Connacht, her name means "she who intoxicates". A goddess of war. Where the Morrigan use magic
in battle, Medb wields a weapon herself. The sight of Medb blinds enemies, and she runs faster than the fastest horse.
Metsarhatija
(Finland) Goddess of the forest.
Mider
Gaelic god of the Underworld.
Milé
The ancestor of the Gaels.
Modron
(Wales) Goddess whose name means "divine mother".
Mogons
(Britain) His name means "great one".
Momu
(Scotland) Goddess of the hills.
Mor
(Irish) Celtic goddess of the sea and sun. She is identified with the setting sun and is depicted as sitting on a throne.
Morgen (Morgana)
(Britain) Celtic goddess of the sea, fate, death and rebirth. (Sea-sprites in Brittany are still called "morgans"). She was
a great healer and shapeshifter. Supposedly King Arthur resides with her in Avalon as he heals. She evolved into the
wicked Morgan Le Fay, an evil sorceress, in later versions of the King Arthur legend.
Morrigan (Morrígú)
(Irish) High Queen and goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann. She was a trinity; Macha, Badb, and Neman (Nemain or
Nemhain), all three bloodthirsty and feared by the enemies of the Tuatha Dé Danann. As Macha she was goddess of
war and fertility who could take the shape of a crow or a raven. As Badb (Nechtan) she was the water-god whose
sacred well was a source of knowledge. As Neman she was the goddess of war and battle.
Myrddin
British god akin to Zeus, after whom Britain was once named (Clas Myrddin). Married to Elen Lwyddawg.
Nantosuelta
(Gaul) Goddess of nature; the wife of Sucellus.
Naoise
Romantically linked to Deirdre. Son of Usnach.
Nehalennia
(Gaul) Goddess of the sea.
Nemain
(Irish) Goddess of war and battle.
Nemetoma
A British war goddess.
Nemon
A Gaelic war goddess.
Nodens (Nud)
(Britain) God of healing, akin to the Irish god Nuadhu.
Nuada
(Irish) Nuada of the Silver Hand. He lost his hand in the war against the Firbolgs (for control of Ireland), and it was
replaced by a hand crafted of silver, by one of the metalsmiths of the defeated Firbolgs.
Oberon
(Britain) King of the elves.
Oenghus (Angus)
(Irish) He is the son of Daghdha and Boann. He is the god of fatal love (akin to Cupid). Angus' kisses turn into singing
birds, and the music he plays draws all who hear it to his side.
Ogmios (Ogma in Ireland)
(Gaul) He was the god of genius, education, poetry, eloquence, magic and incantation. He is shown as an old man with
wrinkles, carrying a club and a bow. From his tongue hang fine gold chains attached to the ears of his eager followers.
Ogyrvran
British god of the Underworld.
Oisin
(Irish) Son of Finn.
Onagh
A queen of the Irish fairies.
Partholon (Partholan, Parlan)
(Irish) The leader of the first people (called Partholonians) to colonize Ireland after the flood. His people landed in
Ireland in the year 1484 BC, Partholon died in 1454 BC, and the entire colony was wiped out by plague 300 years
later in 1184 BC, according to some legends. In others Partholon and his followers arrived in about 2679 BC. The
Partholonians stayed 600 years; most died of the plague at that time. Partholon (and Nemed, a succeeding peoples)
had come in ships "from other worlds." The race of Partholon found Ireland a barren plain. But during the 300 years
of their reign the earth blossomed. For they not only constructed buildings, planted crops, hunted and fished, they even
cooked for the first time the food that they ate.
Pekko
(Finland) God of barley.
Pwyll
(Irish) He was king of a land which had a magic "kettle of plenty".
Rhiannon
(Wales) Believed to be the Welsh counterpart of Gaulish horse goddess Epona. Her son, Pryderi, succeeded his father
Pwyll as the ruler of Dyfed and of the otherworld.
Rigosamos
A war god worshipped in Britain.
Rosmerta
(Gaul) Goddess who was the native consort of the Roman Mercury; her name means "great provider".
Sadb
Daughter of Bobd the Red, and mother of Ossian.
Scáthach
(Celtic) She was a female warrior known as "the shadowy one". She was famous as a teacher of warriors, and many
Celtic heroes were initially trained by her.
Sequona
(Celtic) The river Seine is named after her.
Shony
A Hebridean sea god.
Sirona
(Gaul) Another goddess of healing.
Souconna
(Celtic) The river Sâone is named after her.
Sreng
A famous warrior of the Fir Bolgs.
Sualtam
The mortal father of Cuchulainn.
Sucellus
(Gaul) God of agriculture and forests, and of alcoholic beverages (he is often shown carrying a beer barrel suspended
from a pole), and a hammer god. His consort is Nantosvelta.
Sulis (Sulevia)
(Celtic) Goddess of healing (she presided over sacred, healing springs). She was called Brigantia by the Britons; and
later Saint Brighid (after Christianity). She is akin to the Roman goddess Minerva.
Tailtiu
The Gaelic gods defeated by the Milesians.
Taranis
(Gaul) The name Taranis derives from the Indo-European root 'taran' meaning thunderer or thunder. He has been
depicted as a wise, patriarchal being holding a lightening bolt and a solar wheel (hurling his wheel through the
clouds, unleashed the terrible din we call thunder). Taranis is the god of the wheel, associated with forces of change.
Teutates
(Gaul) He is the god of fertility, war, and wealth. His name means "the god of the tribe". Human sacrifices were made
to him (usually they were drowned in giant cauldrons). He is credited with inventing all the crafts of mankind. He is
the equivalent of the Roman god Mars.
Tuatha Dé Danann
The mythical race of people (descended from the goddess Danu) responsible for all the tales of fairies that Ireland is
famous for telling. They were said to be adept in magic and, because of this, were banished from heaven. They
possessed four talismans of great power: the stone of Fal which shrieked under the true heir to the throne; the spear of
Lug which made victory certain; the sword of Nuadhu which slays all enemies; and the ever full cauldron of Daghda
from which no man ever goes away hungry. They came to Ireland where they were forced to go into hiding when that
country was invaded by the Milesians, forerunners of today's Irish.
Tuetatesa
(Gaul) God of war.
Tuulikki
(Finland) Goddess of forest animals.
Tylwyth Teg
Collective name for the Welsh fairies.
Ukko
(Finland) God of the weather (clouds, rain, storms, thunder), and of the sky.
Urien
An Underworld king.
Uther Pendragon
Father of King Arthur.
Vitiris
(Britain) God of wisdom.
Egyptian Mythological Characters
NOTE 1: Egypt was historically divided into two "kingdoms". There was "Upper Egypt" and "Lower Egypt". "Upper
Egypt" seemed to contain a more "educated" or "civilized" peoples than "Lower Egypt". The peoples of "Upper Egypt"
were somewhat of a "different race" (a mixture of different ethnic groups) than those of "Lower Egypt". The gods
listed here (mostly from "Upper Egypt"), and their various depictions were, in the main, totally different in some
aspect or another than the gods of "Lower Egypt". For instance, Ptah, the great god of "Upper Egypt" is, in "Lower
Egypt", an ugly dwarf, with an enlarged head, carrying a club over his head as if threatening his worshippers with
vengeance, and he is the father of a brood of children as ugly and malicious as himself (the Cabeiri), whose main duty
was to torture the wicked dead
Aahmes-nefertari
Queen, circa 1540 B.C.E., who was elevated to goddess stature as a protector/punisher of humans.
Aasith
Semitic goddess of war. Originally Syrian.
Ahat
A cow goddess.
Ahemait
An Egyptian underworld goddess who is part lion, part hippopotamus, and part crocodile, and who eats the souls of
the unworthy dead.
Ahti
A malevolent goddess, depicted with the head of a wasp and the body of a hippotamus.
Akert-khentet-auset-s
One of the seven deities listed in the Egyptian Book of the Dead who provided food for the deceased in the
underworld. They are pictured as having a solar disk between their horns. The other six are: Henemet-em-anhannuit,Het-kau-nebt-er-tcher,Meh-khebitet-seh-neter, Sekhemet-ren-s-em-abet-s,Shenat-pet-uthset-neter, and Urmertu-s-teshert-sheni .
Akhet
Goddess of the seasons and sunset, sometimes called Goddess of the Nile.
Akusaa
Goddess of the setting sun. Wife of Atum.
Amaunet
A female counterpart to Amon and one of the primordial gods.
Amemet
Goddess of the underworld. Listed in the Book of the Dead.
Ament
Goddess who lived in a tree at the edge of the desert where she watched the gates of the afterworld, welcoming the
newly dead with bread and water.
Amenti
The abode of the dead.
Amit
Fire goddess of Tuat (the underworld).
Ammit
Part crocodile, part lion, and part hippopotamus, she is a goddess of the underworld.
Amn
Another goddess of the underworld.
Amon
Also called Amun, Ra or Re (the Sun), or Amun-Ra or Amen-Ra (the Great Sun), or Khepri. The king of the gods
during the Theban dynasties, and the god of fertility. He was part of the Theban Triad, along with Mut and Khonsu.
Usually associated with the wind, or things hidden.
Amset
One of the four lesser gods of the dead who supervised the mummification process. His name means "carpenter", and
he is pictured with a man's head. See also Hepi, Smotef, and Snouf.
Anatha
Goddess of love and war. Also known as a mountain goddess.
Anatis
A goddess of the moon.
Anka
A creator goddess, wife of Khnum.
Ankhtith
Goddess depicted as a serpent with the head of a woman.
Ankt
A spear-carrying Egyptian war goddess.
Antaios
He was originally a falcon god, later believed to have merged into Horus.
Anthat
Syrian war goddess adopted by Egypt. She is pictured holding a spear, shield, and battle-axe and wearing the Crown
of the South.
Anubis
The offspring of Nephthys affair with Osiris. He prepared the dead and led them into the underworld.
Anuket
An early Egyptian water goddess; she was later merged with Nephthys.
Apep
The great snake of darkness, who sometimes rose up, mouth agape, to try to swallow Ra's solar barque in its travel
across the heavens; Ra always managed to escape, but each of Apep's failed attempts resulted in fierce storms or solar
eclipses.
Apis
It means "sacred bull". Depicted as a bull with a solar disk between its horns, Apis was another form of Ptah.
Ashtoreth
Moon goddess and goddess of war. She is depicted with the head of a lion. Probably devolved from the Syrian Astarte.
At-Em
Goddess of time.
Aten (Aton)
The Pharaoh Akhenaton decreed him to be the one and only god in his attempt to establish a monotheistic religion.
Athor
The goddess of Love and Beauty. She is usually shown with cow horns, and sometimes with a cow's head. Wife of
Amun-Ra.
Atum
A primordial god that was represented in the form of a human and a serpent. The version of the Egyptian god Amon
(see above) who creates Shu and his sister Tefnut via masturbation (or expectoration).
(Sumeria) A creator god in Mesopotamia, later called Ea.
Bahet
Goddess of wealth and abundance.
Bakha
The sacred bull that was an incarnation of Menthu, a personification of the heat of the sun. He changed color every
hour of the day.
Bast or Bastet
Bastet (originally a lion goddess symbolizing the fertilizing force of the sun's rays), became the cat goddess, the
patroness of the domestic cat and the home. She is often seen in human form with the head of a cat and holding the
sacred rattle known as the sistrim. Bastet is also associated with the eye of Ra, the sun god, and acts as an instrument
of his vengeance. She ruled over pleasure, sex, dancing, music, and joy.
Bat
Mother goddess, later merged with Hathor.
Berenice
Wife of Ptolemy Soter, who promised the gods that she would cut off her beautiful hair if her husband returned safely
from war. He did, she did, and hung her hair in the temple of Arsinoe. It disappeared from the temple, and appeared in
the heavens as the constellation Coma Berenices.
Bes (Bisu)
Bes means "dancing". The patron god of pregnant women. The Egyptian dwarf god who guards against evil spirits,
snakes, and misfortune. He is a god of human pleasures, music, and dance. Bes was usually pictured full face (often
nude, with prominent genitals). He was shown to be ugly and grotesque in appearance, with a large head, protruding
tongue, bow legs and the ears, mane and tail of a lion or cat. He bore a plumed crown and wore the skin of a lion or
panther. Despite his appearance, he was a beneficent deity and his appearance was meant to scare off evil spirits. He
bore swords and knives to ward off the evil spirits, as well as musical instruments which he used to create a din which
would frighten them off. Bes was the protector of children and of women in labor, and aided the hippopotamus
goddess Taweret in childbirth.
Bubastis
Goddess of childbirth.
Busiris
A king of Egypt, who to avert famine for his people, ordered all strangers that landed on his shores be sacrificed to the
gods. He made the mistake of capturing Hercules, who escaped his chains and slew the king.
Buto
Serpent goddess of lower Egypt. Mother of the sun and moon. She spits poison on the enemies of the pharaoh, and
burns them with her fiery gaze.
Candace
Title of the hereditary queens of the desert empire of Meroe. One of them led an army of 10,000 rebels against the
Roman occupation of Egypt.
Chem
Also called Ham. He was the god of "increase", considered as the father of their race. He is usually pictured wearing a
women's garment.
Chensit
Another serpent goddess of lower Egypt. She is pictured with the crown of Hathor or with Maât's feather.
Chonso
Son of Amun-Ra and his wife Athor. Usually pictured with the new moon atop his head.
Êpet
Goddess protector of children. She is pictured as being a hippopotamus with woman's breasts and lion's feet, usually
carrying a crocodile on her back.
Ermutu
Another goddess of childbirth.
Ernutet
Goddess with the head of a cobra, wearing a headdress with a solar disk between two horns.
Gate-Keepers, The
Guardian goddesses of the gate to the underworld. The dead must say their names before they are allowed to pass
through. Aakhabit and Clother are mentioned in the Book of the Dead. The others are called by titles like "Lady of the
Light", etc.
Geb and Nut
They were the children of Shu and Tefnut. Geb was the god of earth. Nut was the sky goddess.
Hagar
A desert goddess of lower Egypt. Occult lore links her to the moon.
Hak
A frog-headed goddess of resurrection.
Hapimou
Means the Nile. "He" was depicted with the beard of a man and the breasts of a child-bearing woman.
Harpocrates
God of silence.
Hast
Another goddess of the underworld mentioned in the Book of the Dead.
Hathor
The goddess of joy and love, she was a protector of women. Also worshipped as a sky goddess, Hathor is depicted
wearing a sun disk held between the horns of a cow as a crown. Hathor was the patroness of all women, artists, music,
dance, and happiness. She is often traditionally present in all ancient Egyptian tombs to ensure safe passage into the
after world.
Hedetet
A scorpion goddess mentioned in the Book of the Dead.
Heket
Frog-headed goddess of childbirth. Her husband fashioned the bodies from clay and she gave them life.
Hepi
Another of the four lesser gods of the dead. His name means digger, and he has an ape's head.
Heptet
A serpent-headed goddess of resurrection who is associated with the resurrection of Osiris.
Heqet
Goddess of fertility and regeneration. She assisted Osiris to rise from the dead. Another frog-headed goddess.
Herit
Goddess of the North.
Her-sha-s
Goddess of the mid-day desert.
Her-tept
Another serpent-headed goddess of the underworld. She takes care of the mummified Osiris.
Het
Het is the Egyptian serpent goddess who rules fire.
Horus
The falcon-eyed son of Osiris and Isis, who was conceived miraculously by Isis and the dead Osiris. He swore to
avenge his father's murder. He did.
Imhotep
Also Imothph, the god of science or medicine. Son of Ptah and Sekhet. Counselor-physician to Zoser (Tosorthros),
who founded Egypt's 3rd Dynasty. His name means "peace".
Isis
Sometimes Isitis, which means Earth or corn-bearing Land. She is the "mother of all creation". A daughter of Geb and
Nut, she was the faithful wife of her brother Osiris. She became universally worshipped, is associated with love,
motherhood, marital devotion, healing, eternal life, and the casting of magical spells and charms. Isis is the goddess of
day, while her twin sister, Nephthys, is the goddess of night. Her sacred symbol is an amulet called the tyet. She is the
mother of Horus.
Khem
God of fertility.
Khepri
The scarab beetle god who rolled the sun through the sky.
Khnemu
The Egyptian god, who fashioned men and women on a potter's wheel, and was worshipped in the form of a ram.
Khonsu
The son of Amon and Mut, and one of the main gods of Egypt when the Theban dynasties ruled.
Kneph
The god of animal and spiritual life. He has the head and horns of a ram.
Ma'at
Ma'at is the Egyptian goddess of truth, justice and the underworld. She passed judgement over the souls of the dead in
the Judgement Hall of Osiris. The "Law of Ma'at" was the basis of civil laws in ancient Egypt.
Mehturt
Goddess of the sky.
Menthu
A god of war.
Meshkent
A goddess of childbirth.
Meskhenet
Goddess of fate.
Min
A god of fertility, virility, rain, thunder, and travelers.
Mo
Sometimes the god, sometimes the goddess, of Truth and Justice. Is depicted with ostrich feathers on the head.
Mut
Mut is seen as the mother, the nurturing force behind all things while her husband Amon is the great energy or
creative force. In ancient Egyptian, 'mut' means mother. The mother of Khonsu. Mut is another name of Isis.
Neb-Ti
The ruling goddesses of the north (Uadgit) and south (Nekhebet, the protector of childbirth).
Nefertem
God of lotus flowers.
Neith (Neit)
Means the Heavens. She is goddess of the sky, crafts, and wisdom.
Nephthys
The twin sister of Isis, Nephthys is the goddess of night and the protectoress of the dead. She is also Set's sister and
wife, although, through her subterfuge, she bore a child (the jackal-headed Anubis) by Osiris.
Nut
Goddess of the sky.
Osiris (Serapis)
He was the first child of Geb and Nut. He was the judge of the dead in the underworld. Osiris was killed by his jealous
brother Set.
Pasht
The goddess of Virtue. She is pictured with a cat's head.
Ptah
Also spelled as Pthah. He was the god of fire and the creator. His figure is bandaged like a mummy, and his head is
shaven like a priest.
Qetesh
Goddess of beauty and love.
Ra
(see Amon above) The sun god, and leader of the gods, he was pictured as a child in the early morning, a man in his
prime at noon, and an old man in the evening. He traveled through the underworld at night to be reborn at dawn.
Ranno
God of gardens.
Renenet (Renenutet)
Goddess of children and nursing mothers.
Sati
Also known as Satis and Satet, is an Egyptian archer goddess who personified the waterfalls of the river Nile.
Sebek (Sobek)
-means "crocodile".
Also called Seb. Was depicted as having a crocodile face. During the Middle Kingdom he was merged with Re (SobekRe) and was worshipped as primordial deity and creator-god.
Seker
A god of death.
Sekhet
The ennead of Memphis was headed by a triad composed of the father Ptah, the mother Sekhet, and the son Imhotep,
main gods of Egypt during the Memphite dynasties.
Sekhmet
A sun-goddess, Sekhmet is also the lion goddess and her worship was centered in Memphis. Her name means
'powerful'; she was portrayed as either a lion or a woman with the head of a lion, often holding an ankh or sistrum.
When Ra grew angry at the whinings and complaints of humankind, he ripped out one of his eyes and hurled it at the
earth; this eye changed in flight to an avenging goddess, Sekhmet, who ravaged the earth, sucking blood from the
peoples, and almost totally wiping out humankind before a remoseful Ra could stop her.
Selket
The beautiful scorpion goddess Selket, has her scorpion strike death to the wicked. She also saves the lives of the
innocent stung by a scorpion.
Serapis
-means "underworld". An ancient Egyptian god of the lower world, also worshiped in ancient Greece and Rome. He is
shown as having a bull's head. Also an alternate name for Osiris.
Seshat
Goddess of books and writing.
Seth (Set)
The son of Geb and Nut. This powerful god was regarded as god of the desert. He was Osiris' evil brother and was
considered the incarnation of wickedness. He tricked Osiris at a feast in Osiris' honor, and killed him, and took his
place on the throne. In some myths he is called Typhon, and is associated with the "abominable" animals: the pig,
donkey, and the hippopotamus. He was depicted as a strange being with a stiff, forked tail, a long gaunt body, a
tapering snout, huge erect ears and protruding eyes.
Setekh
means "hound".
Shai
God of fate.
Shu and Tefnut
They were Ra's children. Shu was the god of air and held up the sky. Tefnut, his sister and wife, was the goddess of
dew and rain. They were the parents of Geb and Nut.
Smotef
Another of the four lesser gods of the dead. His name means shaper, and he has a jackal's head.
Snouf
Another of the four lesser gods of the dead. His name means bleeder, and he has a hawk's head.
Sottef
He sometimes replaces Smotef as one of the four lesser gods of the dead. His name means cutter or purifier.
Tauret
means "hippopotamus".
This was the animal form of the great mother goddess Mut. As a nurturing force Tauret was depicted as a pregnant
hippopotamus with long teats, standing on her hind legs and carrying the scrolls of protection. As a fierce animal force
protecting the children Tauret was pictured as a lion-headed hippo carrying a dagger.
Tefnut
Tefnut is the goddess of daybreak (the goddess of dew and rain) and is associated with the mountains from which the
sun rises.
Theban Pantheon
Anit, Atumu, Hathor, Horus, Isis, Montu, Nephthys, Nut, Osiris, Shu, Sibu, Sit, Tafnuit, and Tanu. Sometimes the
group includes Khonsu, Maut, Mont, and Mut.
Thoth
The god of learning, he was the lunar god usually depicted with the head of an ibis, though he was worshipped as a
baboon in Hermopolis. He acted as secretary to the gods, and was the master over writing, languages, laws, annals,
and calculations.
Ua
Goddess of the underworld (as mentioned in the Book of the Dead).
Uadjet
A goddess of the underworld who endows justice and truth. She is pictured as a cobra (sometimes winged and
crowned) or as a snake with the face of a woman. She is the sister of Nekhebet, and together they are known as the
Nebti.
Uat
Goddess of water.
Udjat
There are two versions of the "Udjat eye":
1. It is the Eye of Ra (or of Heru). It refers to the eye of the falcon-headed god Horus after it had been torn out by Seth
during one of their never-ending battles over the throne of Egypt. The eye was then healed by Thoth, hence it was
considered a symbol of healing or revitalization.
2. According to some other texts, Atum (the creator) gave birth to his son by spitting him out. His daughter he vomited
out. Shu (the son) represented the air and Tefnut (the daughter) was a goddess of moisture. After some time Shu and
Tefnut became separated from their father and lost in the watery chaos of Nu. Atum, who had only one eye (the Udjat
eye), which was removable, removed it and sent it in search of his children. In time they returned with the eye. At this
reunion Atum wept tears of joy. Where these tears hit the ground, men grew (the beginning of the human race).
Umm s-Subyan
A death goddess who causes infants to die.
Unen-em-hetep
Goddess protector of the dead.
Urt-hekau
The lion goddess (sometimes the lion god) who is the protective power in the Eye of Horus.
Greek Mythological Characters
Abaris
A priest of Apollo who was given a magic arrow that rendered him invisible and on which he could ride through the
air. He cured diseases and spoke oracles.
Abas
King of Argolis, grandson to Danaus, and a minor character in the story of Perseus, of whom he was a greatgrandfather. He was a favorite of Hera; she blessed his shield, making it resistant to any sword-stroke and thereby
making him almost invincible in battle. Semitic meaning of Abas is "father", and it also means "lizard" from another
myth in which Demeter changes Abas, son of Celeus, into a lizard.
Abderus
The friend of Hercules who was eaten by Diomedes' horses as he was guarding them.
Acamas
Means unwearying. Son of Theseus, and a warrior at Troy.
Acantha
The spirit of the acanthus tree who was once a nymph loved by the sun god Apollo (who she refused as a lover) and
who, when she scratched his face as he tried to rape her, was transformed into a sun-loving, but thorny, tree.
Achelois
A moon-goddess (she who drives away pain) to whom sacrifice was ordered by the Dodonian Oracle.
Achelous
A river god who competed (he lost) with Heracles for the love of Deianira. In the competition Achelous changed into a
raging river (he tried to drown Heracles), a giant serpent (he tried to strangle Heracles), and a monstrous bull (he tried
to gore Heracles) but all to no avail as Heracles surmounted each challenge.
Achilles
The son of the mortal King Peleus and Thetis, a sea nymph. At birth, his mother supposedly dipped Achilles in the
River Styx which made him invulnerable except for the part of the heel by which she held him. This came in handy in
his adventures and wars. His most famous adventure is told in the Iliad, which is about the Trojan War. This war lasted
10 years, through the first nine of which Achilles laid waste to the surrounding countryside. In the last year Achilles
sulked and refused to fight any longer after a quarrel with Agamemnon, the Greek leader. This caused the war to start
going badly for the Greeks and Achilles relented enough to agree to lend his armor and his chariot to his inseparable
companion Patroclus so he could impersonate him in the battle. Hector, the Trojan hero and son of the Trojan King
Priam, killed Patroclus in the fight. Achilles received new armor from the gods and re-entered the battle where he
killed Hector. There is some uncertainty about whether Achilles was slain in this battle, although there is a tale about
Paris, another son of King Priam, killing him with an arrow shot into his heel.
Acis
The son of Faunus, he was crushed to death by a rock flung by his rival, Polyphemus (the Cyclop), for the love of
Galatea.
Actaeon
The huntsman who saw Diana (Artemis) bathing and was changed into a stag by her, and then was torn to pieces by
his own hounds.
Adamanthea
The nymph who nursed Zeus (when Rhea gave Cronos a stone to swallow instead of the new-born Zeus). Cronos was
supposedly able to see everything that occurred in the realms over which he had dominion (the earth, heavens, and the
sea), but Adamanthea deceived him by hanging the baby Zeus (in his cradle) from a tree, so that suspended between
earth, sea, and sky he was invisible to his father. There are MANY versions of this story and the nurse has a different
name in each(!)- Ida, Adrastea, Neda, Helice, Aega, Cynosura.
Admeta
Daughter of Eurystheus, for whom Heracles (Hercules) got the girdle of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons.
Admetus
A king of Thessaly whose herds were tended, unknown to him, by an exiled Apollo who he treated kindly as he did all
his men. Apollo vowed to himself that he would aid Admetus whenever the opportunity arose. When it came time for
Admetus to die, Apollo remembered his vow. See Alcestis below for the story.
Adonis
Adonis was born after an incestuous union between King Cinyras and his daughter Myrrah. The goddess Aphrodite
saw Adonis at his birth and was so taken by his beauty that she hid him away in a coffer. She told this to Persephone
who opened up the coffer. When she beheld Adonis she was also struck by his beauty. She kidnaped him and refused to
give him up. Aphrodite appealed to the god Zeus, who decreed that Adonis must spend a third of the year with
Aphodite, a third with Persephone and the other third on his own. On his own he usually spent the time boar hunting.
Aphrodite tried vainly to dissuade Adonis from hunting this dangerous game. One day he was killed by a wild boar,
after which Aphrodite begged for his life with Zeus. This time Zeus decreed that Adonis should spend half a year with
Persephone and the other half with Aphrodite.
Adrastus
King of Argos, who led the expedition in the Seven Against Thebes war.
Aeacus
King of Aegina. He was the son of the nymph Aegina (after whom his kingdom was named) and the god Zeus. Hera,
angry with Zeus for his love of Aegina, sent a plague that destroyed most of his people. Aeacus prayed to his father to
change a group of industrious ants into human beings to people his deserted city. Zeus granted his wish, creating a
race called the Myrmidons. Aeacus ruled over his people with such justice that after his death he became one of the
three judges of the underworld. He was the father of Peleus and the grandfather of Achilles.
Aédon
Wife of Zethus and mother of a daughter Itylus, whom she slew by mistake, whereupon Zeus transformed her into the
nightingale who nightly laments her murdered child -OR- a queen of ancient Thebes who plotted to kill a son of her
rival Niobe but killed her own son by mistake. Her grief led her to try suicide but she was transformed into the first
nightingale by the gods, a bird that still haunts the night with its mournful cry.
Aega
She was sister to Circe and Pasiphae, and daughter of the sun. When the Titans attacked the gods of Olympus, Gaia
placed Aega in a cave to hide her shining loveliness. Japanese (Amaterasu) and Finnish (Paivatar) myths have the
same theme.
Aegeus
Father of Theseus, whom he sent to Crete to free his kingdom of having to pay a yearly tribute of 7 youths and 7
maidens. If Theseus was successful he was to return with white sails (instead of the usual black) on his ship. Theseus
was successful but forgot to change the sails. When Aegeus saw the black sails on the approaching ship he threw
himself into the sea.
Aegina
Daughter of the river-god Asopus. She was kidnapped by Zeus, in the form of an eagle, and bore him a son, Aeacus
(grandfather of Achilles).
Aegisthus
The son of Thyestes and his daughter Pelopia. Desiring to avenge himself upon his brother Atreus and acting on the
advice of the oracle at Delphi, Thyestes consummated an incestuous union with his daughter Pelopia. Shortly
afterward, Atreus married Pelopia, not knowing she was his niece. When Aegisthus was born, Atreus accepted him as
his own son, not knowing that he had been fathered by Thyestes. Aegisthus later learned his true identity and, urged by
Thyestes, killed Atreus.
While Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, was away fighting in the Trojan War, Aegisthus became the lover of Queen
Clytemnestra. He helped Clytemnestra kill her husband upon his return from Troy. Together with the queen, Aegisthus
then ruled Mycenae for seven years. He was later murdered by Agamemnon's son Orestes.
Aegyptus
A son of Belus and twin brother to Danaus. He was a king of Egypt (named after him).
Aeneas
According to Virgil's Aeneid, a hero of the Trojan War who on his return, ultimately founded the Roman state.
Aeolus
He was the custodian of the four winds.
Aero
Also called Merope. Loved by Orion and promised in marriage to him until in a drunken fit he raped her.
Aerope
Wife of Atreus and mother of Agamemnon.
Aether
The god representing pure air, son of Erebus (The dark region of the underworld through which the dead must pass
before they reach Hades) and Nyx (She was the goddess of night), and the brother of Hemera (she was the
representation of day).
Aethra
Theseus' mother.
Agamedes
Twin brother to Trophonius. They helped build a temple to Apollo at Delphi where the oracle told them to indulge
themselves in all pleasures for six days and on the seventh their heart's desire would be granted. They did, and on the
seventh were found dead in their beds. Thus the saying: 'Those whom the gods love die young'.
Agamemnon
He was the leader of the Greeks in the Trojan War; brother of Menelaus; son of Atreus. His children by Clytemnestra,
whom he took by force, were Iphigenia, Electra, and Orestes. To obtain favorable winds for the fleet against Troy, he
sacrificed Iphigenia to Artemis, incurring Clytemnestra's hatred. Upon his return from the war, he was murdered by
Clytemnestra and her lover, Aegisthus. To avenge his death, Orestes and Electra killed Aegisthus and their mother.
Agave
Driven mad by Dionysus, she saw her son Pentheus as a lion and killed him with her own hands.
Agdos
The name of the great rock of Asia Minor (Cybele in disguise) that Zeus raped. The offspring of this union was
Agdistis, a hermaphrodite.
Aglaia
The youngest of the three Graces, this beautiful and gentle daughter of Zeus and Eurynome became the second wife of
Hephaestus, according to some myths.
Aglauros
Daughter of Cecrops, the half-dragon half-man creature. Sister of Herse who was beloved by Hermes. When Hermes
visited Herse, Aglauros, who was jealous, got in his way and said she would not move. The god took her at her word
and turned her into stone so she could not.
Ajax The Greater
A hero of the Trojan War who killed himself when the armor of Achilles was awarded to Odysseus (Ulysses) as
champion of the war.
Ajax The Lesser (Aias)
A son of Oileus, King of Locris. He was one of the heroes in the Trojan War, but had severe character flaws, such as
being arrogant, boastful and quarrelsome. He captured Cassandra, a daughter of King Priam, and raped her. He earned
the enmity of his Greek allies because of this and left Troy to return home. His ship sunk in a storm but he survived.
He boasted, long and loud about his escape, only to incur the wrath of Poseidon, who cast him back into the sea where
he drowned.
Alastor
An avenging deity or spirit, the masculine personification of Nemesis.
Albion
A sea-god, probably the kindest of Poseidon's offspring. He stumbled upon a mist-shrouded island whose inhabitants
painted themselves blue. They saw immediately that he was a god and honored him with reverence. He stayed on the
island, in appreciation, and taught the people the arts of boat-building and navigation. They became among the world's
best sailors, and named their island Albion in his honor. Today we call that island England.
Alcestis
Daughter of Pelias, king of Iolcus, and wife of Admetus, king of Pharae and friend of the god Apollo. When it was
time for Admetus to die, Apollo persuaded the Fates to let him live if he could persuade another to die in his place.
The Fates agreed to let Admetus stay alive if his mother, his father, or his wife would die in his place. Alcestis
willingly took poison to spare Admetus's life.In some myths Hercules rescued her from the dead; in others Persephone
reunited husband and wife.
Alcimedes -mighty genitals
Alcippe
This daughter of Ares and Aglauros was raped by a son of Poseidon. Ares then killed the rapist, and was brought
before the other gods to go on trial for murder; the first murder trial. After hearing the brutal facts of the case they
quickly acquitted him.
Alcmaeon
Son of Amphiaraus and Eriphyle. After Amphiaraus was killed in the war of the "Seven Against Thebes", Alcmaeon
led the Epigoni (the sons of the Seven) in a second war, that was successful. To avenge his father's death when he
returned home, he killed his mother, since she had forced her husband to go in the first war. He afterwards went mad
and wandered from place to place, haunted by the avenging goddesses, the Erinyes, until he took refuge at Psophis in
Arcadia. There, he married Arsinoe, the king's daughter. When the land was cursed with barrenness because of his
presence, he fled to the mouth of the Achelous River and married Callirrhoe, daughter of the river god. The king
(Arsinoe's father) and his sons pursued Alcmaeon and killed him.
Alcmene
Mother of Heracles by Zeus, who took the form of her husband Amphitryon to seduce her. He enjoyed himself so much
he made the night last as long as three ordinary nights.
Alcyone
Daughter of Aeolus and wife of Ceyx (son of the Morning Star). They were such a loving, happy couple that they
roused the envy of Hera, who sent a storm against Ceyx's ship, wrecking it and drowning him. His ghost appeared to
Alcyone, who drowned herself so she could join him. Zeus pitied them and turned them into kingfishers. Aeolus
forbade his winds to blow for a space of seven days each winter, so that his daughter can lay eggs in a nest which
floated on the sea (that's what kingfishers do!). Our word "halcyon", meaning a period of calm days, comes from this
myth.
Alecto
One of the three Erinyes, goddesses of vengeance.
Alectrona
An early goddess who was a daughter of the sun.
Alectryon
Ares' one time buddy. When Ares was "dallying" with Aphrodite, he asked his buddy Alectryon to stand guard and
wake him before sunrise so no one would know of his tryst. Alectryon fell asleep, and Helios (the sun) saw the
twosome, so the secret was no longer a secret. Ares, in his anger, turned his buddy into a rooster, who must awaken
before all others and proclaim the sunrise.
Alphito -white goddess
Amalthea
A nymph, the nurse of the baby Zeus (or alternately the she-goat which suckled him). In thanks, Zeus broke off a horn
from the goat and gave it to Amalthea promising that the possessor should always have in abundance everything
desired. (The Horn of Plenty, the cornucopia)
Amazons
One of a tribe of warlike women from Asia Minor. The Amazons had a matriarchal society, in which women governed
and fought while men performed the household tasks.
Amphitrite
The goddess of the sea and wife of Poseidon. He chose her to be his wife from among her sisters as they were
performing a ritual dance. She refused him and fled. Poseidon sent a dolphin after her and it took her back. After he
married her, he rewarded the dolphin by making it a constellation and placing it in the heavens.
Amphitryon
Husband of Alcmene and "stepfather" to Heracles. In order to get Alcmene to agree to his proposal of marriage, he had
to fulfill her request to avenge the death of her eight brothers at the hands of King Pterelaus. He asked King Creon to
help him; Creon agreed providing he slay the giant man-eating fox that was harassing his kingdom. With the aid of a
tracking hound, borrowed from a friendly Artemis, he was able to trace the fox to its den and kill it. Creon lent him an
army with which he attacked King Pterelaus. This king was undefeatable in battle unless he lost the single golden hair
that grew on his white-haired head. Princess Comaetho (Pterelaus' daughter) fell in love with Amphitryon and plucked
out the blonde hair while her father was asleep. Amphitryon won the battle, killed Pterelaus, and abandoned the
princess to return home and marry Alcmene. He never blamed his wife for being seduced by Zeus (Zeus had
impersonated him in the bed-chamber, and she thought she was sleeping with her husband) and was a good "father" to
Heracles.
Amymone
One of the Danaïdes. The only one who murdered her husband and escaped eternal punishment.
Ananke
Mother of the Fates (the Moirae). Also mother of Adrasteia (daughter of Zeus and distributor of rewards and
punishments). Goddess of unalterable necessity .
Anaxarete
A cruel virgin who caused her lover (Iphis) to kill himself, and was turned into stone by the gods.
Anchises
Father of Aeneas (by Aphrodite). He bragged about his affair with her, was overheard by Zeus who struck him with a
thunderbolt that crippled and disfigured him thereafter.
Androgyne -man-woman
Andromache
Hector's wife who was given upon his death to Pyrrhus. When he was also killed (by Orestes), she was given to
Helenus (Hector's brother).
Andromeda
A goddess of dreams. Daughter of King Cepheus and Queen Cassiope. Cassiope offended the Nereids by boasting that
Andromeda was more beautiful than they were. In retaliation Poseidon, their father, sent a sea monster to devastate the
kingdom. In order to escape from this destruction it was determined that Andromeda had to be sacrificed to the
monster. She was chained to a rock at the shore for the monster to devour. Perseus, flying by on the winged horse
Pegasus saw her and fell in love with her. He slew the sea monster and married her. They had six sons and a daughter.
At her death she was placed among the stars as the constellation Andromeda.
Androphonos -man-slayer
Angitia -snake-goddess
Anius
He was the son of the god, Apollo, and of Rhoeo. When Rhoeo became pregnant, her father had her placed in a chest
and cast into the sea. She landed on the island of Delos where she gave birth to Anius. Anius became the father of
three daughters, Oeno, Spermo and Elais (wine, grain seed and oil, in that order) who were granted the power to bring
these three crops to fruition.
Antaeus
He was a giant, the son of the sea god Poseidon and Gaea, the Earth goddess. He forced all who traveled through his
country to wrestle him. Since everytime he touched the Earth (his mother) he grew in strength, he was never defeated.
Heracles (Hercules), while wrestling him, discovered this and, holding him above ground, crushed him to death.
Anteros
Brother of Eros and god of returned love; he punished those who defied and scorned love.
Antianara
Amazon queen who crippled all her male slaves, "as the lame best perform the acts of love".
Anticlea
Wife of Laertes and mother of Odysseus.
Antigone -in place of a mother
She was the daughter of Oedipus and his mother, Jocasta. This was a union made unknowingly by both parties. When
he found out, Oedipus blinded himself and Antigone and her sister, Ismene, became their father's guide. Antigone
accompanied her father when he was sent into exile but returned to Thebes after his death. In a dispute over the throne
her brothers, Eteocles and Polynices (one of the "Seven Against Thebes"), killed each other. The new king, Creon,
gave Eteocles an honorable burial but ordered that the body of Polynices, whom he regarded as a traitor, remain where
it had fallen. Proper burial was considered a godly law. Antigone, believing the laws of the gods must take precedence
over the laws of man, buried her brother. Creon condemned her to be buried alive. She hanged herself in the tomb, and
her grief-stricken lover, Haemon, Creon's son, killed himself.
Antiope
She was the mother of the twins Amphion and Zethus. Her beauty attracted the god, Zeus, who assumed the form of a
satyr and raped her. The twins were the result of that attack -OR- An Amazon queen captured by Heracles and given to
Theseus. She bore him a son Hippolytus (named after her sister Hippolyta). She is the only Amazon known to have
married.
Antinuous
The most persistent of Penelope's suitors, and the first one killed by Odysseus.
Apate
The goddess of deceit.
Aphareus -unclothed
Aphroditefoam-born
Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, was born from the foam of the sea that arose when Uranus' severed penis
fell into the ocean. She was married to Hephaestus, the god of fire and smithy to the gods. Sacred to her are the
myrtle, rose, apple, poppy, sparrow, dove, swan, swallow, tortoise, ram, the planet Venus, and the month of April. Eros
was produced from a liason with Zeus. Her favorite lover is the god of war, Ares. She represented sex, affection, and
the attraction that binds people together.
Apollo
One of the most important Olympian gods; son of Zeus and Leto, twin brother of Artemis. He was also called Delian
from Delos, the island of his birth, and Pythian, from his killing of Python, the fabled serpent that guarded a shrine on
the mountains of Parnassus. He was concerned with prophecy, medicine (he was the father of Asclepius), music and
poetry (he was also the father of Orpheus and the patron of the Muses). He was associated with law, philosophy, and
the arts. He sometimes gave the gift of prophecy to mortals whom he loved, such as the Trojan princess Cassandra. He
was also a master archer and a fleet-footed athlete, credited with having been the first victor in the Olympic games.
Some tales depict Apollo as pitiless and cruel. According to Homer's Iliad, Apollo answered the prayers of the priest
Chryses to obtain the release of his daughter from the Greek general Agamemnon by shooting fiery, pestilencecarrying arrows into the Greek army. He also abducted and ravished the young Athenian princess Creusa and
abandoned her and the child born to them.
Arachne -spider
Arachne was a weaver of such skill that she foolishly challenged Athena to a contest. Athena's tapestry showed the
gods in all their majesty. Arachne's tapestry showed the gods in all their amorous adventures. Athena, in a fit of rage at
the indelicate poses of the gods, tore it to shreds. In shame, Arachne hanged herself. The goddess took pity and
loosened the rope which turned into a cobweb while Arachne changed into a spider. (Spiders are classified today as
Arachnida.)
Ares -male warrior
Ares was the bullying god of war. He was considered to be overly fond of looting and slaughter, and cowardly besides.
Son of Zeus and Hera. (He was identified with the Roman god of war Mars, who was looked on with respect by the
Romans.) The Greeks, however, looked on Ares as a quarrelsome god who sent war and pestilence and delighted in
destruction. Aggressive and bloodthirsty, Ares personified the brutal nature of war. He was unpopular with both gods
and humans. Among the deities associated with Ares were his consort Aphrodite and such minor gods as his sons
Deimos (Fear) and Phobos (Rout). Although fierce and warlike, Ares was not invincible, even against mortals. Ares
was not widely worshiped by the Greeks.
Arete
Arete is the goddess of justice, and teacher of Heracles.
Arethusa
A nymph attendant of Artemis who, when pursued by the river-god Alpheus, is changed by Artemis into a fountain.
The river-god determined to get her, flowed underground so as to mingle his waters with hers.
Argonaut
One who sailed with Jason on the Argo in search of the Golden Fleece.
Argos
Master shipbuilder responsible for the designing and building of the Argo, fastest and most manueverable of any ship
in existence at the time. He is credited with the invention of the sail that could be tilted to catch prevailing winds, and
of the rudder.
Argus
The hundred-eyed giant that Hera used to spy on Zeus to find out with whom and where he engaged his lovers in
secret trysts. Hermes killed him on Zeus' orders when he was guarding Io.
Ariadne
A goddess of dreams. She was the daughter of King Minos and Pasiphae. She fell in love with Theseus and helped him
escape the Labyrinth after he killed the Minotaur. There are three different endings to this story. One, she died in
childbirth. Two, Theseus took her to Naxos where he left her to marry Dionysus with whom she bore many children.
Three, Theseus abandoned her and she hanged herself.
Arion
The inventor of the poem of praise (dithyramb), and a singer/musician second only in skill to Orpheus. Said to sing so
beautifully that fish would rise to the surface of the sea to listen to him. When he was abducted and thrown overboard
by pirates, a dolphin (obviously a music-lover) rescued him.
Arne
Daughter of Aeolus, ancestress of the Boeotians.
Arsinoë
Sometimes said to be the mother of Aesculapius.
Artemis
Twin sister to Apollo, she was goddess of chastity, virginity, the hunt, the moon, and the natural environment. She was
chief hunter to the gods and goddess of hunting and of wild animals, especially bears. She is the daughter of Zeus and
Leto. Even though she is a virgin goddess, she also presides over childbirth. Sacred to her are the laurel, fir tree, fish,
stag, boar, bear, dog, goat, bee and other animals. Although traditionally the friend and protector of youth, especially
young women, Artemis prevented the Greeks from sailing to Troy during the Trojan war until they sacrificed a maiden
to her. According to some accounts, just before the sacrifice, she rescued the victim, Iphigenia.
Asclepius (Aesculapius, Asklepios)
Legendary physician and god of medicine. He was the son of Apollo and Coronis, a beautiful maiden of Thessaly.
Angry because Coronis was unfaithful to him, Apollo killed her and took his infant son to the centaur Chiron to be
raised. Asclepius learned all that Chiron knew about the art of healing and soon became a great physician. Because he
committed the unpardonable sin of raising a man from the dead, the god Zeus killed him with a thunderbolt. The
serpent and cock were sacred to him.
Asteria
In order to escape being raped by Zeus, this nymph changed herself into a quail.
Astraea
Daughter of Zeus and Themis and one of the goddesses of justice who resided among mortals. During the Golden Age
this star-maiden (meaning of her name) lived on earth and blessed mortals. After the age ended she was placed in the
heavens as the constellation Virgo.
Astraeos
God of starlight.
Atalanta -unswaying
Disappointed that she was not a boy, her father abandoned her on a mountainside at her birth. She was rescued and
nursed by a she-bear and later raised by hunters. By the time she had grown up, she was a skilled hunter. She took part
in the famous boar hunt of Calydon. Atalanta was a fleet-footed runner who offered to marry anyone who could defeat
her in a race. Those who lost were killed. The youth Hippomenes (or Melanion) won with the aid of Aphrodite, who
gave him three golden apples of the Hesperides. He dropped them one by one, and by stopping to pick them up,
Atalanta lost the race. She and Hippomenes were later turned into lions because of an affront to the gods.
Parthenopaeus was their son (Seven Against Thebes).
Ate
A daughter of Zeus and Eris (the goddess of discord). Zeus rejected her and hurled her to earth. She was a minor
goddess of folly, moral blindness, and infatuation.
Athena
Athena is the virgin goddess of reason in war and peace, intelligent activity, arts and literature. She sprang full grown
from Zeus' head. She is Zeus' favorite and is allowed to use his weapons including his thunderbolt. The goddess was
usually shown wearing a helmet and carrying a spear and shield. Like her father, she also wore the magic aegis, a
goatskin breastplate, fringed with snakes, that produced thunderbolts when shaken. Athena was very different from the
war god Ares. She represented the intellectual and civilized side of war; she was not so much a fighter as a wise and
prudent adviser. Sacred to her are the olive, serpent, owl, and crow. She invented the bridle, the trumpet, the flute, the
rake, the plow, the yoke, and (in some myths) the chariot.
Atlas -he who dares
Son of the Titan, Iapetus, and the nymph, Clymene (Asia), and the brother of Prometheus. Atlas was one of the Titans
that warred against Zeus, and lost. As punishment, Zeus condemned him to hold aloft the heavens forever. He is often
pictured holding the earth on his shoulders.
Atreus
When the king of Mycenae died without an heir, Atreus was chosen as their new king. Atreus's brother Thyestes (his
twin), a rival for the throne, seduced Aerope, Atreus' wife (and mother of Agamemnon and Menelaus). When he
learned of this treachery, Atreus murdered two of Thyestes' sons and served them boiled in a cauldron to their father at
a banquet. When Thyestes had finished eating, Atreus ordered a dish holding the bloody heads of the children brought
in. Thyestes laid a curse on his brother. Atreus later married Pelopia, daughter of Thyestes, not knowing her true
identity. Her son Aegisthus killed Atreus at the urging of his grandfather, Thyestes.
Atropos
Oldest of the Fates, and the most feared, for she is the one who cuts the thread of life.
Aura
Goddess of the morning wind.
Autolycus
He was the father of Anticleia, who was the mother of Odysseus. He was reknown as a swindler and thief. It is said
that Sisyphus, while visiting, recognized some property that had been stolen from him. In revenge, he seduced
Anticleia and thus was the true father of Odysseus, rather than her husband, Laertes.
Autonoe
Mother of Actaeon, the hunter turned into a deer by Diana (Artemis) when he saw her bathing naked, and killed by his
own hunting dogs.
Auxesia
Goddess of growth.
Bacchantes
(Maenades) Female worshippers of Dionysus (Bacchus), whose "antics" sometimes crossed the line.
Baubo
A Greek goddess of laughter of the kind generated by indecent gestures or ribald jokes. She is supposed to have tried
to comfort Demeter who was sadly searching for Persephone. When Demeter resisted Baubo's efforts to cheer her,
Baubo lifted her dress and exposed herself. This brought a grin to Demeter's face, the barren earth stirred and soon
Persephone returned. An almost identical story is told in Japan involving Uzume and the goddess Amaterasu.
Baucis and Philemon
The poor old couple who were the only ones willing to give hospitality to Zeus and Hermes who were wandering the
earth disguised as mortals. This so touched Zeus he granted their dearest wish, that they remain united even in death.
They were transformed into trees whose branches forever intertwined.
Bellerophon
He was the hero who, with the help of Athena, tamed Pegasus, the winged horse. Bellerophon angered Proetus, who
sent him to the king of Lycia with a sealed message requesting the bearer be slain. The king who entertained, and
became friendly with, Bellerophon before reading the message, could not do it. Instead he sent Bellerophon on a
mission he thought would be suicidal, to kill the fire-breathing monster Chimera. This was done, and the king was so
impressed he gave his daughter in marriage to the hero. Later, Bellerophon defied the gods and tried to fly Pegasus up
to Olympus, but, thrown to the earth by his horse, he wandered in misery until he died.
Bendis
(Thracian) Goddess of the moon.
Bia
A warrior, noted for being the one to bind Prometheus to the rocky crag as eternal punishment for providing fire to
humanity. The daughter of Pallas and Styx.
Biblys
One of a pair of twins. She fell in love with her brother and when he, horrified, refused her love, she turned into a
constantly flowing (weeping) fountain.
Bolbe
A lake goddess.
Boötes
Inventor of the plough. At his death he, his plough, and the two oxen yoked to it, were taken into the heavens as the
constellation, Boötes.
Boreas
God of the North wind.
Briareus
He was also known as Aegeon. A Titan, who had fifty heads and a hundred hands, and fought in the Titan war against
Zeus.
Brimo
A death goddess.
Brisa
A nymph, nurse of Dionysus.
Briseis
First name Hippodamia. She was given to Achilles as a prize in the Trojan War, and taken from him by Agamemnon,
which caused the famous quarrel that led to the death of Patroclus.
Britomartis
A Minoan (Crete) goddess depicted as a hunter, often accompanied by a baby and/or a snake. She was relentlessly
pursued by Minos II, and rather than submit, committed suicide by jumping off a cliff.
Brize
Hera's gadfly, large as a sparrow with a sting the size of a dagger; she was sent by Hera to torment Io (transformed into
a cow by Zeus, her lover, so that Hera couldn't find her, but to no avail). When Hermes rescued Io he killed Brize, too.
Brizo
(Delos) Goddess worshiped as a prophet specialising in the interpretation of dreams. She was also a minor goddess of
the sea invoked to protect ships/crews.
Brome
Another nymph who was a nurse for Dionysus.
Brontes
A Cyclops. He was the personification of a blacksmith, and his name means Thunder. He crafted Artemis' silver bow,
even though she spurned his amorous advances.
Butes
One of the Argonauts. He was a master bee-keeper whose honey was the sweetest that could be found; so sweet, in fact,
that he was commissioned to supply it to the gods on Mount Olympus as a treat.
Cabiri
Certain gods (Phrygian) worshipped in Asia Minor and Greece. The religion of the Phrygians was an ecstatic nature
worship, in which the Great Mother of the Gods, Rhea, or Cybele, and a male deity, Sabazius, played a prominent
part. The orgiastic rites of this religion influenced both the Greeks and the Romans. Their center of worship was
Samothrace, and their rituals involved scandalous obscenities. The main gods were Axierus, Axiocersa, Axiocersus,
and Cadmilus who promoted fertility and guarded mariners.
Cacus
Son of Hephaestus and Medusa. He was a three-headed giant, famous in myth for stealing cattle from Heracles.
Heracles tracked him down, and, dodging the flame that issued from each of the giant's mouths, chopped off each of
his heads.
Cadmus
Cadmus and his companions found a sacred grove guarded by a dragon. After the beast killed his companions,
Cadmus slew the dragon and, on the advice of the goddess Athena, planted its teeth in the ground. Armed men sprang
from the teeth and fought each other until all but five were killed. Cadmus enlisted the help of the victors in founding
the new city of Thebes.
Caenis
A Greek (Thessaly) woman who was brutally raped by Poseidon. She prayed to the gods that she be transformed into
an invulnerable man so she could exact revenge against the sex that had harmed her. Her wish was granted and she
became a fearful warrior (called Caeneus) killing many men in battle. In some legends she is killed as a man (in the
battle against the centaurs at the wedding of Pirithous and Hippodamia), and transformed back to a female and buried.
In other legends she is immortal as well as invulnerable and is buried alive under the weight of the rocks and tree
trunks which were hurled upon him/her by the centaurs in that battle.
Caerus
Bald god (or goddess?) representing favorable memories, which should be cherished.
Calais
He and his twin brother Zetes (sons of the North Wind) were part of the crew of the Argonaut. They saved Phineus
from his torment by the Harpies, and were rewarded by being given wings. At their death they were transformed into
birds by the gods.
Calchas
The soothsayer in the Trojan War who predicted that Achilles' aid was necessary for the Greeks to win, that Iphigenia
must be sacrificed before the Greeks sail to Troy, and that the war would take ten years to win. He died from
disappointment when bettered in a trial of skill by the prophet Mopsus.
Caligo
She was Chaos' mother, and by him she became mother of Nyx (night).
Calliope -beautiful voice
Chief of the nine Muses. She was the patron of epic poetry. In various accounts she is the mother of Orpheus, or of
Hymen and Ialemus, or of Rhesus, or of Linus. And those four groups were sired by four different men, one of whom
was the god Apollo.
Callipygos
Her name means "beautiful buttocks" and is a surname, sometimes, for Aphrodite.
Callirhoe
Wife of Alcmaeon, who was murdered by the father of his first wife. Callirhoe prayed to Zeus that her infant sons
grow to manhood in one day to avenge her husband's death. Zeus granted her wish; her sons grew six feet in one day
and killed their father's murderer.
Callisto-fairest
She was a friend/priestess of the famous huntress Artemis and took a vow to remain single. But Zeus took a liking to
her (Zeus took the form of Artemis in order to seduce her.) and she was no longer chaste. She was turned into a bear,
either by Zeus who didn't want his wife to know of the love affair, or by his wife, Hera, as revenge for the affair. She
was then killed in a hunt by her best friend Artemis who really thought she was a bear. Zeus changed the dead Callisto
into a constellation, the Ursa Major (Great Bear). Her son, Arcas, born of the affair with Zeus, was changed into the
constellation Ursa Minor (Little Bear).
Calyce -rosebud
Calypso -hidden
A sea nymph and daughter of the Titan Atlas. Calypso lived alone on the mythical island of Ogygia in the Ionian Sea.
When the Greek hero Odysseus was shipwrecked on Ogygia, she fell in love with him and kept him a virtual prisoner
for seven years. Although she promised him immortality and eternal youth if he would stay with her, she could not
make him overcome his desire to return home. She bore him two sons before, at the bidding of the god Zeus, she
finally released Odysseus and gave him materials to build a raft to leave the island. She died of grief after he left.
Campe
This female dragon was the guard of the monster children of Gaia, in their prison beneath the surface of the earth.
Canidia
A sorceress who can control the moon's movements.
Carya
In pre-classical mythology, Carya was a Greek goddess of the walnut tree. She was later assimilated into the Artemis
myth, as Caryatis in this form.
Cassandra -she who entangles men
The daughter of Priam and Hecuba. Apollo fell in love with her and promised her the gift of prophecy if she would
submit to him. She accepted the proposal, received the gift and then refused the god her favors. Apollo took his
revenge by ordaining that her prophecies would never be believed. Which is what happened. For instance, Cassandra
warned the Trojans of many dangers, including the wooden horse by which the Greeks entered the city, but she was
dismissed as a madwoman. After the fall of Troy, she was dragged from her sanctuary in the temple of the goddess
Athena by Ajax the Lesser and brought to the Greek camp. When the spoils were divided, Cassandra was awarded to
King Agamemnon as his slave and mistress. Cassandra warned him that he would be killed if he returned to Greece;
again she was not believed. Upon their arrival in Mycenae she and Agamemnon were murdered by Clytemnestra,
queen of Mycenae and wife of Agamemnon.
Cassiopeia
The wife of Cephus, king of Ethiopia. When Cassiopeia boasted that she was more beautiful than the Nereids, these
water nymphs complained to Poseidon, the god of the sea, who sent a sea monster to ravage the land. Poseidon
demanded that Cassiopeia's daughter, Andromeda, be punished for her mother's vanity by being sacrificed to the
monster, but the girl was rescued by the hero Perseus. At her death Cassiopeia was changed into a constellation, the
stars of which form the outline of a woman sitting in a chair and holding up both arms in supplication to the gods.
Castalia
A fountain goddess. Her fountain on Mt Parnassus was the sacred place of the Muses.
Castor and Pollux (Polydeuces)
Twin heroes called the Dioscuri. Castor was the son of Leda and Tyndareus and Pollux the son of Leda and Zeus.
Castor was a skilled horseman and Pollux a boxer. They were famous warriors, noted for their devotion to each other.
They were noted as patrons of mariners.
Cecrops
The founder of Athens and of Greek civilization. Reputed to have sprung half man, half serpent from the soil, he
became the first king of Attica, which he divided into 12 communities. He established marriage and property laws,
introduced bloodless sacrifice and burial of the dead, and invented writing. During his 50-year rule he testified in a
dispute over possession of Athens between Athena and Poseidon; his evidence on behalf of Athena leading the panel of
judges (the Olympian gods) to vote along gender lines (with Zeus as head of the panel abstaining), thereby declaring
Athena the winner by a vote of 6 to 5.
Centaurs
They were principally savage beasts, half-horse and half-man. Chiron was an exception as he was famous for his
virtue and his wisdom.
Cephalus
Handsome son of Hermes. His beauty so attracted Eos that she kidnapped him and told him of her love. But Cephalus
spurned her advances saying he was in love with Procris, and would remain ever faithful to her. Eos told him that
Procris would not be as steadfast when it came to him, changed his looks, and challenged him to test the love of
Procris. Procris, lonely and vulnerable, was attracted to this stranger that so reminded her of her lost Cephalus that she
declared a love for him. Eos changed him back to his own form, and the lovers became alienated. Procris ran off to
join Artemis' band, and Artemis was so appreciative that she gave Procris a spear that would never miss the target.
Procris took the spear and gave it to Cephalus as a love offering, and they were re-united as lovers. But Procris became
suspicious at his long sojourns in the forests, thinking he might be on a rendevous with Eos instead of hunting. She
followed him one day, spying on him from the bushes. He heard a rustling behind him, whirled, and threw the spear.
The spear that never misses, didn't. Procris was killed.
Cer
Daughter of Nyx and the personification of violent death.
Cerberus -demon of the pit
A many-headed dog with a mane and a tail of snakes, who guarded the entrance to the underworld (Hades). One of the
12 labors of Hercules was to capture him.
Cercopes
Two dwarfs (sons of Oceanus), clowns at heart, they were ever up to mischief. Once they came upon a sleeping
Heracles and gleefully started stealing his arrows. Heracles awoke, seized the culprits, tied them to a pole upside down
and strode off carrying the pole on his shoulders. The dwarfs laughed hysterically at this turn of events, and eventually
Heracles started laughing also. He freed them and let them go. However the dwarfs weren't so lucky when they played
a trick on Zeus; he didn't laugh, instead he turned them into monkeys.
Cercyon
The brute who challenged all passerbys to a wrestling match, which invariably ended in their deaths. That is until the
passerby turned out to be Theseus, an accomplished wrestler, who grabbed Cercyon by the ankles, whirled him around,
and bashed out his brains against a rock.
Ceto -sea monster
Ceto is the daughter of Gaia and Pontus. She is the sister of Phorcys (who was also her husband), Thaumas and
Eurybia. She is the personification of the dangers and horrors of the sea. Her name eventually became a name for any
generic sea monster. Ceto is regarded as the mother of the Gorgons and many other monsters.
Chaos-yawning
The vacant, unfathomable space from which everything arose. In the Olympian myth Gaea sprang from Chaos and
became the mother of all things.
Chariboea
A sea monster. Also known as Curissia.
Charis -grace
Charites, The -graces
The Charites are personifications of aspects of grace and beauty. They are called Aglaia (Splendor), Euphrosyne
(Mirth), and Thalia (Good Cheer). While the Muses inspire artists, the Charities apply the artists' works to the
embellishment of life.
Charon -fierce brightness
He was the foul-tempered boatman, son of Erebus and Nox (Night), who ferried the spirits of the dead over the rivers
Styx and Acheron to Elysium (the underworld). He would admit to his boat only the souls of those who had received
the rites of burial and whose passage had been paid with a coin (an obolus) placed under the tongue of the corpse.
Those who had not been buried and whom Charon would not admit to his boat were doomed to wait beside the Styx
for 100 years.
Charybdis and Scylla
Two sea monsters dwelling on the opposite sides of a narrow strait, the personification of the dangers of navigation
near the rocks and eddies. Scylla was a horrible creature with 12 feet and 6 long necks, each bearing a head with 3
rows of teeth, with which she devoured any prey that came within reach; she lived in a cave on a cliff. Across the
strait, opposite her, was a large fig tree under which Charybdis, the whirlpool, dwelt, sucking in and belching forth the
waters of the sea three times daily, engulfing anything that came near. When the Greek hero Odysseus passed between
them, he was able to avoid Charybdis, but Scylla seized six men from his ship and devoured them. Scylla, originally a
beautiful maiden loved by a sea god, had been transformed into a monster by her jealous rival, the sorceress Circe.
Chelone
A nymph that ridiculed (one version) or refused to attend (another version) the wedding of Zeus and Hera. They
punished her by changing her into a turtle (mute - 1st version) who carries its home everywhere (2nd version).
Chione
The princess who bore twin sons to two different gods, Apollo and Hermes. Hermes' son was Autolycus, master thief
and ancestor of Odysseus. Apollo's son was Philammon, a master musician. Chione goofed when she wheedled Apollo
into saying she was more beautiful than Artemis, for when the goddess heard this she slew Chione with one of her
silver arrows. Apollo turned Chione into a hawk.
Chiron
A centaur, son of Cronus. He was a wise physician and prophet whose pupils included Hercules, Achilles, Jason, and
Asclepius. After receiving an incurable wound, he gave his immortality to Prometheus and died. Zeus turned him into
the constellation Sagittarius.
Chloe
A lover of Daphnis in a Greek pastoral romance, and since, a generic name in literature for a rustic maiden, not
always of the artless variety.
Chloris
Goddess of places shaded by trees, shrubs, and vines. She was the wife of Zephyrus.
Chryses -golden
A Priest of Apollo.
Chryseis
Traitorus daughter of a priest of Apollo (Chryses), she is captured (Trojan War) and given to Agamemnon. Her father
tries to ransom her but Agamemnon refuses to let her go, whereupon the priest prays to Apollo for help. The god sends
a plague on the Greek army, and Agamemnon caves in and returns her but demands the maid Briseis (who had been
given to Achilles) as recompense. Read the Iliad for the whole story.
Cilissa
When the usurper Aegisthus wanted to eradicate Agamemnon's line, he decided to kill the infant Orestes. Cilissa,
Orestes' nurse, replaced the infant in the crib with her own baby, and Aegisthus strangled him instead. Orestes lived to
kill Aegisthus.
Circe -falcon
A sorceress, the daughter of the sun god Helios and the sea nymph Perse. She lived on an island, where with potions
and incantations, she was able to turn people into beasts. Her victims retained their reason, however, and knew what
had happened to them. In the course of his wanderings, the Greek hero Odysseus visited her island with his
companions, whom she turned into swine. On his way to find help for his men, Odysseus met the god Hermes, from
whom he received an herb (Moly) that made him immune to Circe's enchantments. He forced her to restore his
companions to human form, and in amazement that anyone could resist her spell, Circe fell in love with Odysseus. He
and his friends stayed with her for a year. When they finally decided to leave, she told Odysseus how to find the spirit
of the Theban seer Tiresias in the underworld, in order to learn from him how to safely return home.
Cleone
A water goddess. Daughter of Asopus.
Clio -proclaimer
One of the nine Muses. She was the patron of history, and inventor of historical and heroic poetry. From a union with
King Pierus she bore a son, Hyacinthus. He was a handsome lad who was killed by his lover, Apollo. From his blood
grew the flower that bears his name.
Clymene
A Titaness, the daughter of Oceanus and Tethys. She was the wife of Iapetus and bore him Prometheus, Epimetheus,
and Atlas.
Clytemnestra
The daughter of Tyndareus and Leda. She was a sister to Castor and a half sister to Helen and Pollux. She was the wife
of Agamemnon, the mother of Orestes, Electra, Iphigenia, and Chrysothemis. And she was the lover of Aegisthus. On
her husband's return from Troy she murdered him, partly (according to various forms of her legend) out of hatred for
his sacrifice of Iphigenia and partly out of jealousy of Cassandra, whom he had brought back as a captive concubine.
In retaliation for the murder of Agamemnon, she was killed by her son Orestes.
Clytie
An ocean nymph who fell in love with Apollo (aka Helios, the sun god). When she was deserted by him she changed
into a sunflower (heliotrope), and still turns to the sun, following him through his daily journey through the sky.
Copreus
The messenger who was killed for bearing bad news. He brought orders from King Eurystheus to Heracles; displeased
by the task assigned to him, Heracles, in a fit of pique, killed the messenger.
Coronis -crow or raven
Mother of Aesculapius by Apollo, who slew her for her infidelity. Also in another version, the daughter of Coronaeus,
changed by Athene into a crow to escape from Neptune.
Corunetes
A thug who prowled the roads, waylaying travelers, and crushing their skulls with a huge brass club. Unfortunately for
him, he tried to waylay the traveling Theseus; this resulted in his having his own head bashed in with his own club.
Theseus was so happy with the club he kept it as his own weapon.
Corythus
Son of Paris by the nymph Oenone. When Paris deserted her to go to Helen, she raised her son with the idea of getting
revenge. She sent him to guide the Greeks past the Trojan defenses. While there he was smitten with love for Helen.
Paris, not recognizing his son, killed him in a jealous rage.
Cottus
One of the hundred-handed giants, son of Uranus and Gaea. His two brothers were Briareus and Gyes.
Cotys
Goddess of sexuality and fertility.
Cotytto
The Thracian goddess of immodesty and debauchery.
Cratos
Brother of Bia and representation of power.
Creon
Brother of Jocasta, queen of Thebes. Creon served as regent of Thebes after King Oedipus was exiled until his nephew
Eteocles, Oedipus's younger son, claimed the throne. The elder son, Polyneices, angered at this usurpation of his legal
right, led an invading army in the battle of the "Seven Against Thebes". Both brothers killed each other in combat, and
Creon again took command of Thebes, decreeing that all who had fought against the city would be denied burial rites.
Burial of the dead was regarded as a sacred duty, and Antigone, sister of Polyneices, defied Creon and buried her
brother, claiming that she owed a higher obedience to the laws of the gods than to the laws of man. Enraged at her
defiance of his authority, Creon ordered that his niece be buried alive. His son Haemon, who had loved Antigone,
killed himself in despair at her death.
Creusa
There were three:
1. Daughter of Erechtheus, king of Athens. She was raped by Apollo and bore a son. The child was exposed to die but
was taken to Delphi by Hermes and there brought up. Xuthus, Creusa's husband, thought the child his own and
brought him back to Athens, calling him Ion.
2. First wife of Aeneas and mother of Ascanius. She was killed while trying to escape from burning Troy. Her ghost
appeared to Aeneas and warned him of perils to come.
3. Daughter of Creon, king of Corinth. Jason deserted Medea for her. Medea, in revenge, killed Glauce, Glauce's
father, and her own children by Jason.
Crius, Creus, or Kreios
A Titan, married Eurbia. Had 3 children: Astraios, Perses, Pallas. Was grandfather of (Astraios married Eos):
Zephyros/Zephyrus (West Wind), Boreas (North Wind), Notos/Notus (South Wind), Eosphoros/Eurus (East Wind), and
all the "stars". Was also grandfather of (Pallas married Styx): Zelos, Nike, Kratos, Bia.
Cronus -crow
Or Kronos, the youngest Titan, who gained his power by castrating his father Uranus. By his sister Rhea, he fathered
the great gods (the Olympians): Zeus, Poseidon, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Hestia. Zeus later led the Olympian gods
in defeating him. Cronus is equated with the Roman god Saturn.
Crotus -rhythmic beat
Curetes -young men who have shaved the hair from their heads.
Cyclopes, The -ring-eyed
Cyclop (plural Cyclopes). There are two versions. In one they were three immense one-eyed beings, who were smiths,
sons of Uranus and Gaea, who made, for Zeus, the lightning bolts he used to slay his enemies. In another, they were a
barbarous people, one of whom, Polyphemus, was encountered by Odysseus in his wanderings.
Cygnus
Son of Poseidon. Made invulnerable to spear-thrust and sword-cut by his father, he became a formidable warrior on
the side of the Trojans in the Trojan War. Even Achilles could not overcome him, until he thought to throw Cygnus to
the ground and bury him beneath a pile of rocks until he smothered. Poseidon saved him by changing him into a swan.
Since then all swans bear his name.
Cyone
Raped by her father, she forced him into a nearby temple and sacrificed him on the altar.
Cyrene
This myth has Cyrene wrestling a lion which was attacking her father's sheep. Apollo, passing by, saw this and
immediately fell in love with her. He carried her off and founded the city of Cyrene making her its queen. She bore
him two sons, Aristeus and Idmon, and also bore a child with Ares.
Dactyls, The -fingers
Ten daughters of Anchiale (born without a father). Attendants of Cybele. They introduced ironworking into Greece.
Daedalus -bright
A craftsman and inventor. Under the tutelage of Athena, he invented the sail, the compass, the potter's wheel, and the
axe. He lost favor in Athena's eyes when, jealous of the talent of his nephew Talos, he killed him. He had to flee
Athens, and landed in Crete where he went to work for King Minos. He built toys for the young princesses, like sun
umbrellas that would open by themseves when hit by the rays of the sun, tops that would spin in mid-air, and (for
Ariadne) a ball of thread that could unwind and then reel itself up again (remember the labyrinth and the minotaur).
Queen Pasphae, under a curse by Aphrodite, had developed a mad passion for a white bull in her husband's herd. She
beseeched Daedalus to help her; he built this exceptionally beautiful, hollow wooden cow with a comfortable interior
which allowed her to conceal herself inside and approach the bull. When she gave birth to the minotaur nine months
later, Minos flipped out. He ordered Daedalus to build the labyrinth, and then imprisoned the infant minotaur, the
queen, Daedalus and his son Icarus therein (You know the rest of the myth). Daedalus, in a secret laboratory he built
in the labyrinth, constructed wax and feather wings for himself and his son Icarus. They flew away, but when Icarus
came too close to the sun, his wings melted and he fell to his death. Daedalus escaped.
Dais
Personification of a replete meal.
Damia
An alternative form of Demeter in ancient Greece. Her daughter was Auxesia (similar in kind to Persephone).
Damocles
Damocles was a courtier of Dionysius the Elder. According to a legend, Damocles on one occasion commented to his
ruler on the grandeur and happiness of rulers. Dionysius soon thereafter invited his courtier to a luxurious banquet,
where Damocles enjoyed the delights of the table until his attention was directed upward and he saw a sharp sword
hanging above him by a single horsehair. By this device Dionysius made Damocles realize that insecurity might
threaten those who appeared to be the most fortunate. (Sword of Damocles: symbolic potential disaster.)
Damon and Pythias
Two young men whose loyalty to each other symbolizes true friendship. When Pythias, condemned to death by
Dionysius the Elder, was released to arrange his affairs, Damon stayed on as hostage, pledged to die in place of
Pythias, if he did not return. On Pythias' return, Dionysius freed them both.
Danae
Her father (Acrisius) was told by an oracle that her son (his grandson) would kill him so he imprisoned her in an
underground cell so that she would not meet any man. Zeus, who had fallen in love with her, broke into her cell by
taking the form of a shower of gold (which opens all doors). Her son from that union was Perseus (who did kill his
grandfather).
Danaus
Grandson of Poseidon and twin brother of Aegyptus. The father of 50 daughters known as the Danaids. See Danaids
for the story.
Danu
Aegean mother goddess.
Daphne
A nymph who was metamorphosed into a laurel tree, by Gaea, as a means of escaping from Apollo.
Daphnis
The Sicilian shepherd who invented pastoral poetry, born of the union of the god Hermes with a nymph. According to
one legend, Daphnis was blinded after breaking a vow of fidelity to a nymph who loved him.
Deianira (Dejaneira)
Wife of Heracles (Hercules). As the centaur Nessus was carrying her across a river he attempted to violate her;
Heracles shot him with a poisoned arrow. As he lay dying he told Deianira to save some of his blood, that it would
keep Heracles in love with her should he ever want to stray. Years later Heracles became enamored of Iole and brought
her home. Deianira soaked a garment in the blood and gave it to Heracles as a gift. When he put it on it burned his
flesh and could not be removed, killing Heracles in an agonizing death. Deianira killed herself in remorse.
Deidamia
Achilles' wife.
Deimos
A son of Ares and brother of Phobos. The god of terror and panic.
Deiphobe
A seer. Daughter of Glaucus.
Deiphobus
Hector's brother. He was awarded Helen as a prize after Paris was killed, and forced her into marriage against her will.
When the wooden horse was brought into the city, Helen realized what the Greeks were up to and just knew it
concealed their best warriors. While her husband was asleep she stole all his weapons and hid them. When the Greeks
started to sack the city they found the unarmed Deiphobus easy prey and killed him. Helen danced in joy when he was
slain. She hoped to win back Menelaus as husband. She was successful.
Delphinus -dolphin
Delphyne -womb
Demeter -barley-mother
She was sister to Zeus, and goddess of fertility. She had various lovers, including her brother Zeus. One of her children
was Persephone (by Zeus), who was carried off by Hades (god of the underworld), and in her grief, Demeter let the
earth grow barren (winter) and only when Persephone was returned to her, six months of the year, did she let the earth
become fruitful again (summer). Demeter is the goddess of the earth, of agriculture, and of fertility in general. Sacred
to her are livestock and agricultural products, poppy, narcissus and the crane.
Demogorgon
A mysterious spirit or deity often explained as a primeval creator god who antedates the gods of Greek mythology.
Dendritus -tree youth
Goddess of the tree.
Derceto
A goddess of fertility.
Despoena -mistress
When Demeter was wandering the earth looking for Persephone, she was pursued by Poseidon, who wanted her
favors. She changed herself into a mare to escape him, but to no avail as he changed himself into a stallion, and
impregnated her. She gave birth to twins, Despoena and Areion.
Deucalion -new-wine sailor
A son of Prometheus who with his wife, Pyrrha, built an ark and floated in it to survive the deluge sent by Zeus in
anger at humankind's irreverence. The couple became the ancestors of the renewed human race when an oracle told
them to cast behind them the stones of the earth. These stones became human and repopulated the world.
Dido
Daughter of Belus, king of Tyre. When Dido's husband was killed by her brother Pygmalion, Dido fled with her
followers to North Africa. She purchased the site of Carthage from a native ruler, Larbus, who, when the new city
began to prosper, threatened Dido with war unless she married him. Rather than submit Dido stabbed herself, or, in
another version, the Trojan prince Aeneas was shipwrecked at Carthage. He remained there with Dido, who had fallen
in love with him, until commanded by the god Jupiter to abandon her and continue his journey. In despair at his
departure, Dido killed herself on a funeral pyre.
Dike (Dice)
One of the Horae; she was the personification of justice. Also known as Astraea. She protected those that administered
justice; she encouraged rewarding the good as well as punishing the evil. Her assistant was Poena, the goddess of
retaliation and retribution.
Diomedes
King of Argos, one of the kings known as the "Seven Against Thebes". Diomedes was one of the Greek heroes of the
Trojan War. He killed numerous Trojan warriors, and with the assistance of the goddess Athena, wounded Aphrodite
(goddess of love) and Ares (god of war), both of whom were helping the Trojans. When he returned from the war and
discovered that his wife had been unfaithful, Diomedes went to Apulia, where he remarried.
Dione
A Titaness. In some early legends she is the mother of Aphrodite by Zeus; most legends though have Aphrodite born of
the sea-foam (no mother).
Dionysus -lame god
He was the god of fertility and wine, later considered a patron of the arts. Dionysus was one of the most important
Greek gods. He was thought to be the son of either Zeus and Persephone or of Zeus and Semele (and born from Zeus'
thigh after Semele's death in this version). Dionysus was attended by a carousing band of satyrs, maenads, and
nymphs. His worship was characteristically drunken and orgiastic. He was good and gentle to those who honored him,
but he brought madness and destruction upon those who spurned him or the orgiastic rituals of his cult. He taught
humans viticulture but was capable of dreadful revenge upon those (e.g., Orpheus and Pentheus) who denied his
divinity. According to tradition, Dionysus died each winter and was reborn in the spring. To his followers, this cyclical
revival, accompanied by the seasonal renewal of the fruits of the earth, embodied the promise of the resurrection of the
dead. The Romans identified him with Liber and Bacchus, who was more properly the wine god.
Dirce
The woman who was the second wife of Lycus (after he abandoned Antiope). She was a shrew and a nag and was tied
to the horns of a wild bull by Amphion and Zethus (Antiope's sons - her step-sons) and dragged to death. They also
killed Lycus.
Diwya
Mycenaean sky goddess.
Doris
Beautiful green-haired ocean goddess, who married Nereus and bore him fifty daughters (the Nereids).
Dryads -oak-nymphs
The Dryads were tree-nymphs who had beautiful female shapes. Dryads (Hamadryads) were elemental forces but
mortal, dying when the tree died. A dryad punished mortals for thoughtlessly breaking her branches or harming her.
Dryope
One legend: A nymph who was "tricked" by Apollo and who thereupon bore a son (Amphissus). She was turned into a
poplar tree. Another legend: With her sister Iole and with her young son in her arms she, while at a spring, plucked
some beautiful blossoms from a lotus tree to make a garland. The tree was really Lotis, a nymph, hiding from a
pursuer, and from where the blossoms had been plucked, blood flowed. Lotis, angry and in pain, changed Dryope into
a tree. Another legend: The mother of the lascivious Pan.
Dysnomia
Personification of lawlessness. Daughter of Eris.
Ececheira
The personification of armistice or truce. She appeared at the Olympic games to ensure that there would be no
hostilities.
Echenais
A nymph who fell in love with the mortal Daphnis and made him promise to be faithful. When he wasn't, she made
him blind so he might never again be tempted by female beauty.
Echidna -she-viper
She was half-woman, half-snake. She was married to the monster, Typhon. She was the mother of Ladon (a dragon),
Hydra (the many-headed), Chimera (goat-like), and Orthus (Orthros) and Cerberus (dog creatures). She also
mothered, by Orthus, the Sphinx and the Nemean lion. She was killed by Argus as she slept.
Echo -echo
She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, talking to Hera long enough for Zeus to fool around again. Hera was so
angry she deprived Echo of the power of speech except for the ability to repeat the last words of another. Echo fell in
love with Narcissus who was pining away staring at his reflection. Echo, in despair, faded away to nothing until only
her voice remained.
Efreisone
The female personification of a Greek ritual object: a branch of olive wood, twined with wool and hung with fruits,
which was carried in festivals by children with two living parents.
Eidothea -divine shape
A sea nymph,daughter of Proteus, who took pity on Menelaus, becalmed on his return trip from the Trojan War to
Sparta, and advised him to lie in wait for her father, who could be compelled to give him useful advice and
information if Menelaus would only seize him and hold on to him, unafraid. This was not a simple matter, since
Proteus had the power to change himself into many, and fearsome, shapes. But Menelaus held on and got the
information he wanted.
Eidyia -knowledgeable
Eileithyia
Goddess of childbirth. She was a daughter of Zeus and Hera. In some tales she is immeasurably ancient (before
Zeus/Hera); she was said to have mid-wived the gods and goddesses of classical Greece. Some legends even call her
the mother of Eros, not the god of love, but the primordial force of creation hatched from the world egg.
Eireisone
Personification (female) of a ritual object; in this case, a branch of the olive tree, around which wool is twined, and
hung with fresh fruits - carried in festivals by children with two living parents.
Eirene
One of the Horae; her name means peace.
Elais
One of the Oenotropae. She could change berries into olives.
Elasii, The
They prevented epileptic seizures. They were the descendants of Alexida, who passed on her power to prevent epilepsy
to them.
Elate
A giantess who was transformed into a spruce tree when she could not stop crying over the death of her brothers, Otus
and Ephialtes.
Electra -amber
1. Daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. She aided her brother Orestes in avenging the murder of their father by
their mother and Aegisthus.
2. One of the Pleiades, the mythical ancestors of the Trojans. She is known as the "Lost Pleiad" for she is said to have
disappeared before the Trojan War so that she would not see her favorite city destroyed. She shows herself occasionly,
but only in the guise of a comet.
3. An Oceanid, daughter of Oceanus and Tethys.
4. Mot
er (by Thaumas) of Iris, goddess of the rainbow, and also of the loathsome Harpies.
Electryon -beaming
1. A moon goddess.
2. Son of Perseus, and father of Alcmene (mother of Heracles).
Eleos
The goddess of mercy.
Eleuthera
Called "Mother of Greece".
Empusa
One of a group of ugly monsters (the Empusae) who snatch children, bedevil the shades in the underworld and haunt
travelers at night. Described picturesquely as having "one leg of brass and one of an ass", and with leathery wings and
claws for hands.
Enceladus
The most powerful of the hundred-armed giants, sons of Uranus and Gaea, who fought against Zeus.
Endymion -seduced native
A handsome young man who was loved by the moon goddess, Selene, and whose youth was preserved by eternal sleep.
Selene supposedly bore him fifty daughters by embracing him in his sleep.
Enodia
Considered a goddess of crossroads and gates.
Enyo
1.Enyo: A Greek goddess of war and waster of cities, sometimes depicted as the daughter of Ares. She appears covered
in blood, and striking attitudes of violence.
2.Enyo ("horror"): One of the Graeae, the three 'old women'.
Eos -dawn
Eos was the goddess of dawn, daughter of the Titans, Hyperion and Theia, and sister of Helios and Selene. She was the
mother of the evening star Eosphorus (Hesperus), other stars, and the winds Boreas, Zephyrus and Notus. When she
was caught in a tryst with Ares, Aphrodite cursed her with an insatiable desire for handsome young men. She most
often appears winged or in a chariot drawn by four horses, one of them being Pegasus.
Epeus
The craftsman who actually built the Wooden Horse at Troy (from Odysseus' design). The Trojan women he took
captive at the end of the war burned his homeward-bound ship when they heard stories of how murderously jealous his
wife was. Not daunted in the least, Epeus stayed in Italy and founded the city of Pisa with his captives.
Ephialtes
A giant, son of Poseidon, and brother to Otus. When they were nine years old, they were "nine fathoms tall and nine
cubits broad". Apollo killed them.
Epigoni -afterborn
The sons of the seven Greek chieftains known as the "Seven Against Thebes". To avenge the deaths of their fathers,
who had been slain in that ill-fated expedition against Thebes, the Epigoni conquered the city and completely
destroyed it. Although their name, Epigoni, (Afterborn), implied that they had come into the world too late and after
all the great deeds had been done, one of their number, the warrior Diomedes, became one of the greatest Greek heroes
of the Trojan War.
Epimenides
A religious teacher and miracle worker in Crete who is said to have fallen asleep in a cave as a boy, and that he did not
wake up for 57 years. (Origin of Rip Van Winkle?)
Epimetheus -afterthought
He was considered the dumbest of the Titans. His name means "afterthought". He was responsible for Pandora (the
first woman) and the releasing of all evils upon mankind.
Epione
Wife of Asclepius, and also a healer.
Erato -passionate
The Muse of lyric poetry and mime, usually depicted holding a lyre.
Erebus
The son of Chaos, and brother of Night. His name was given to the gloomy cavern through which the dead had to
walk to reach Hades.
Erectheus
Engaged in a war, he was told by an oracle that his city could only be saved if he sacrificed his daughters. He was
reluctant to do so, but was spared the anguish of making the deadly decision when his daughters bravely killed
themselves. The city was saved.
Erecthonius
Son of Hephaestus, born with serpentine legs. He was a kindly king, but the deformity bothered him so much he
invented the chariot to move about the kingdom with his legs concealed.
Erigone
Daughter of Icarius. When her father was killed (he had given a party where he, a follower of Dionysus, gave the
revelers their first taste of wine, and they, thinking they were poisoned, slew him) she was led to his body by their
faithful dog Maera and, overcome with grief, killed herself.
Erinnyes -angry one
The Erinnyes (Eumenides) names are Alecto (the unceasing), Megaera (the grudging), and Tisiphone (the avenging).
They are solemn maidens dressed as huntresses, wear bands of serpents around their heads, and carry torches. They
pursue wrongdoers and torment them in ways that make the criminals wish they were dead. Crimes that especially
draw their attention are disobedience toward parents, ill-treatment of the elderly, murder, violation of the law of
hospitality, and improper conduct toward suppliants. Born from the castrated Uranus's genitals.
Eris -strife
Eris is the goddess of discord and the daughter of Zeus and Hera. She is obsessed with bloodshed, havoc, and
suffering. She calls forth war and her brother Ares carries out the action.
Eros -erotic love
There are two versions of this god. In early mythology he was represented as one of the primeval forces of nature, the
son of Chaos (and brother to Gaea), and represented the attraction that brings people together (marriage, friendship,
etc. Soon, however, he was thought of as a handsome and intense young man, attended by Pothos ("longing") or
Himeros ("desire"). Later mythology made him the constant attendant of his mother, Aphrodite, goddess of love (In
this version he represented lust). In most stories he was the son of Aphrodite and Ares and was represented as a
winged youth armed with bow and arrows with which he shot darts of desire into the bosoms of gods and men. In
Roman myth, under the name Cupid or Amor, he was the naked infant son and companion of Venus.
Erysicthon
A king of Thessaly. A brawler, addicted to the battle-axe, who went stir-crazy when there was no war. He occupied
himself by chopping trees instead of enemies. He made the mistake of getting carried away and chopping down trees
in a grove sacred to Demeter. The vengeful goddess called her servant, Famine, and had her enter Erysicthon,
resulting in him being voraciously hungry at all times. He ate all the food in the castle, in the town, in the surrounding
area, in the kingdom, until there was no more food to be had. He took his daughter and, of course, his axe and moved
to the next kingdom. When his gold ran out and he could buy no more food, he sold his daughter to a rich merchant.
The unlucky daughter prayed to Poseidon for help; he gave her the power to transform herself. She changed herself
into a bird and, being a dutiful daughter, returned to her father. He was glad to see her because he had spent all the
money again; so he sold her again. She changed into a bird and returned. He sold her again; same story over and over.
That is, until he sold her to a young man, with whom she fell in love. She didn't return. Before long the hunger pains
were driving Erysicthon nuts. He started chewing on his knuckles, decided they tasted good, and ate his fingers, then
his hands, then one arm, then the other. Before long he had devoured himself completely!
Erytheia
One of the Hesperides.
Eteocles
Son of Oedipus and Jocasta, and brother of Polynices. He and Polynices killed each other (in the war "Seven Against
Thebes") as Oedipus had prophesied.
Eumaeus
The loyal swineherd who aided Odysseus when he returned and exacted revenge on Penelope's suitors.
Eumenides
Means "the kindly ones". See Errinnyes above.
Eumolpus
King Eumolpus was a special friend of the goddess Demeter. She taught him vine-culture and animal husbandry,
which he in turn taught to his subjects. In her honor he established the Eleusinian Mysteries.
Eunomia
One of the Horae.
Eunostos
Goddess of flour mills.
Euphrosyne
One of the Graces. Her name translates as "Festivity" or "Joy".
Europa -broad face
A beautiful woman who caught the eye of Zeus. He transformed himself into a white bull and carried her off. She bore
him three sons, King Minos, King Rhadamanthus and Prince Sarpedon. She later married the king of Crete who
adopted her three sons.
Eurus
The East wind. Son of Eos and the Titan, Aristeus.
Euryale
One of the Gorgons.
Eurybia
A sea goddess; daughter of Pontus and Gaea.
Eurycleia
Odysseus'old nurse who recognizes him when he returns from the Trojan War, when washing his feet she sees the scar
he received as a young man in a boar hunt.
Eurydice -wide justice
The wife of Orpheus, whom he failed to rescue from Hades when he looked back at her.
Eurylochus
A member of the Argonauts. He was the only one who didn't drink from Circe's enchanted cup, thereby avoiding being
transformed into a pig. His good fortune ran out when the starving crew landed on the island that contained Apollo's
sacred cattle which Odysseus warned were not to be killed and eaten. He didn't heed this advice and was the first to
kill and eat one of the cattle, inspiring the rest of the crew to follow suit (except Odysseus). The enraged Apollo
wrecked their ship and drowned each and all, except Odysseus, of course.
Eurynome
1. In one account she is the goddess of all creation, and ruled the Titans (with Ophion) before Cronus.
2. In another she is the daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, and the mother, by Zeus, of the Graces.
Euryphaessa
A titaness; mother of Helios.
Eurystheus
Heracles' cousin, a premature baby (Hera hastened his birth so that he might be born before Heracles and inherit the
throne), who grew up to be one of the most cowardly kings in all mythology. He was the taskmaster that could not face
Heracles in person, and so sent a messenger each time to tell Heracles what task he must perform. One of the
messengers brought a task that made the irked Heracles blow his stack. In the rage he killed the messenger (beginning
of the "Don't shoot the messenger" expression).
Euterpe -rejoicing well
The Muse of lyric poetry and music.
EuthymusHero boxer who bested the demon Alybas in a fistfight.
Eutychia
Goddess of happiness. Equivalent to the Roman goddess Felicitas.
Evadne
Wife of Capaneus (one of the Seven Against Thebes). When he was killed in that war she burned herself on his pyre.
Fates (The Moirae)
The three powerful goddesses who determined the lives of men. Clotho wove the thread of life, Lachesis measured it
out, and Atropos cut it off with her scissors of death.
Gaea
(Also Gaia or Ge) Her name is the first syllable of words like geography, geometry, geology, etc.. Gaea is the the earth
goddess. She is regarded as all-producing and all-nourishing, and one of the dieties of presiding over marriage. She
was the mother of Cronus, by Uranus, her son. Gaea was also the mother of the Titans, the Gigantes, and the
Cyclopes. The Romans called her Tellus.
Galanthis
The brave maid-servant of Alcmene, who when her mistress was suffering prolonged birth pangs (on instructions from
Hera), frightened the goddess of childbirth (Eileithia), who was doing the dirty deed for Hera, by screaming and
distracting her. The baby, Heracles, was born. Galanthis was changed into a weasel for going against Hera's wishes.
Galatea -milk white
There are three of them in Greek myth:
1.A sea nymph, loved by the monster Polyphemus (a Cyclop), although she loved Acis, who was thereby killed by
Polyphemus or the other Cyclops (two differing versions). Galatea, in bereavement, threw herself into the sea, where
she joined her sister nymphs (one version), she wept so copiously she was changed into a fountain (another version),
and she accepted Polyphemus and had by him a son, Galates (another version).
2.The woman who was originally a statue carved by Pygmalion and who was brought to life by Aphrodite in answer to
his prayers.
3.Mother of Leucippus, who was reared as a boy in order to fool Galatea's husband, who had ordered the child to be
killed at birth if it was a girl. Leto answered the mother's prayers eventually and changed Leucippus' sex to male.
Galinthias (Galauthis)
Another version of the Galanthis myth above. A servant of Alcmene's. When Alcmene was about to give birth to
Heracles, the Moerae (see Fates), sitting in front of Alcmene's house, prevented the birth by sitting with their knees
held together and their hands clasped around their knees; this was a spell that prevented birth. Galinthias, learning of
this, ran out shouting that Alcmene had given birth to a child. This so startled the Moerae they started to their feet and
in so doing freed Alcmene's thighs and her child was born. According to the poet Ovid, the Moerae were so angered by
this trick that they turned the subtle, darting Galinthias into a lizard.
Ganymeda
Originally the goddess cupbearer to the gods who served ambrosia and nectar at Olympian feasts. She was later split
in two; her name and her position as cupbearer were granted to Ganymede (see below) and her other attributes were
transferred to Hebe.
Ganymede
A mortal boy that was abducted by Zeus, given immortality and the job of cupbearer to the gods, and became Zeus'
lover.
Geras
Goddess of old age, she was the daughter of Nyx.
Glauce
See Creusa. <grkgdscd.html>
Glaucus
Five of the many:
1. Fought on the side of the Trojans in the Trojan War. He was killed in the war by Ajax.
2. Son of Minos; drowned in a vat of honey; brought back to life by the soothsayer Polyeidus.
3. One of the Argonauts. He loved Scylla (before she was changed into a monster), and was loved in turn by Circe,
who made him into a sea god.
4. Son of Sisyphus and father of Bellerophon. He fed his herd of horses on a diet of human flesh. Eventually he
became part of their diet; a fitting end to his life.
5. A fisherman who discovered an herb that could heal wounded fish. Poseidon heard about him, brought him to his
domain, and when Glaucus' ministrations increased the flocks of fish, made him into a minor sea-deity and made him
immortal.
Golden Fleece
The fleece of the golden ram, stolen by Jason and the Argonauts from the king of Colchis.
Gordius
A farmer who was surprised one day when an eagle perched on his plow while he was plowing his fields, and
remained there all day. He consulted an oracle as to the meaning of this strange event. The oracle priestess told him
that an eagle connotated royalty, and that a son of his would become king. He was so excited at the news he proposed
to her then and there; she so believed in her prophecy that she accepted. They eventually had a son they named Midas.
Some years later their country was caught up in a civil war, and the leaders of the country consulted another oracle
that told them a new king would arrive by wagon. When they left the temple they were surprised to see a wagon
approaching. The wagon carried Gordius, his wife, and their son Midas. The leaders immediately named Midas as the
new king. (This is the same Midas of "the Golden Touch".) With his son as king, Gordius didn't need to farm anymore,
so to occupy himself he spent time constructing/solving puzzles; in the course of this activity he tied a knot with
concealed ends, which neither he nor anyone else could untie. Midas consulted an oracle (oracles were kept really
busy!) who told him that whoever untied the knot would become "Lord of Asia". The knot was kept in a guarded place,
and many tried to untie it. Centuries later Alexander tried; when he couldn't untie it, he drew his sword and cut it in
two. Alexander conquered Asia (Alexander the Great). This is the famous "Gordian Knot".
Gorgons -grim ones
They were three monstrous daughters of the sea god Phorcys and his wife, Ceto, and could change men to stone at a
glance. The Gorgons, whose faces and figures were truly beautiful, were, even so, terrifying, dragonlike creatures,
covered with golden scales and having hissing snakes for hair. Medusa was the famous one. Two of the Gorgons,
Stheno (strength) and Euryale (wide sea), were immortal; Medusa (ruler) alone could be killed. The hero Perseus
killed Medusa and brought back her head, with the help of the deities Hermes and Athena. From her blood sprang the
winged horse Pegasus, her son by the god Poseidon. Their triplet sisters, the Graeae (see below), guarded the way to
the Gorgon's home beyond the sea, almost at the end of night.
Graces (Charites)
They represented splendor, mirth, and good cheer. Their names were Aglaia (Splendor), Thalia (Good Cheer), and
Euphrosyne (Mirth). They were the daughters of Zeus and the nymph, Eurynome. They were dancing goddesses; they
represented the grace of manners (for they were always gentle and polite), and the greatest grace, the gift of love itself,
which these goddesses ruled with Aphrodite.
Graeae
The three "old women" or "gray ones". They are the daughters of Phorcys (a son of Gaia and Pontus) and Ceto (his
sister). The Graeae are the sisters and the guardians of the Gorgons. They were gray-haired from birth and have only
one eye and one tooth, which they share among them. They are Enyo ("horror"), Deino ("dread") and Pemphredo
("alarm").
Gyges
The shepherd who found a magic ring that made him invisible when he wore it. He immediately recognized its value
and set off for the royal palace. When there he put the ring on his finger, became invisible, and was able to pass all the
guards and enter the throne room. He killed the king, proclaimed himself king, and married the queen.
Hades (Pluto) -sightless
He was one of the Olympian gods. He was the son of the Titans, Cronus and Rhea, and the brother of Zeus and
Poseidon. When he and his brothers drew lots to divide the world after they had deposed of their father, Cronus, Zeus
won command of the heavens, Poseidon of the sea, and Hades of the underworld. He became known as Pluto, the god
of wealth, because of the precious metals in the Earth.It was rare for Pluto to leave his realm to visit the Earth or
Olympus. (His most famous visit to Earth was the time he saw Persephone and carried her off to be his wife.)
Appropriately the planet named for Pluto is the one farthest from the sun. Although he was a grim and pitiless god,
unappeased by either prayer or sacrifice, he was not evil. As Pluto he was called the lord of riches, because both crops
and precious metals were believed to come from his kingdom below ground.
The name was also used for the underworld itself. This world of the dead was ruled by Pluto and Persephone. Guarded
by Cerberus, the three-headed, dragon-tailed dog, it was either underground or in the far west and was separated from
the land of the living by five rivers. One of these was the Styx, across which the dead were ferried. Somewhere in the
darkness of the underworld, Hades' palace was located. It was represented as a many-gated, dark and gloomy palace,
thronged with guests, and set in the midst of shadowy fields and an apparition-haunted landscape. Three judges in the
Erebus region, where the dead pass as soon as they die, decided the fate of souls; heroes went to the Elysian fields
(Elysium), and evildoers to Tartarus, lowest region of Hades, where the wicked were punished.
The five rivers of Hades were: Phlegethon, Acheron, Styx, Lethe, and Cocytus.
Haemon
Son of Creon and lover of Antigone. When Antigone defied Creon's orders and buried her brother Polynices, she was
condemned to death by him. Most myths state she was buried alive and Haemon committed suicide in grief; others say
he successfully rescued her and they escaped to another country where they were wed.
Hagno
One of the three nymphs that nursed Zeus as an infant.
Halia
Personification of the saltiness of the sea.
Halirrhothius
Son of poseidon. He raped a daughter of Ares and was killed by the angry father. Poseidon complained to the other
gods and they formed a tribunal to judge Ares in what is deemed the first murder trial. Poseidon presented his
evidence against Ares (listing all his nefarious deeds against women) and Ares defended himself by claiming a father's
right to kill his daughter's ravisher. When it came time for the jury of gods (the Olympians) to vote, all the women
(incensed at rapists) voted in favor of Ares and, since Poseidon and Ares couldn't vote, the outnumbered men lost. Ares
was acquitted.
Halsodyne
A sea goddess.
Harmonia-concordance
She was the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite, or the daughter of Zeus and Electra depending on which version of the
old legends you believe. She was carried off by Cadmus and married him. At Harmonia's wedding, which was attended
by the gods, Aphrodite gave her a beautiful necklace made by Hephaestus, god of metalwork. Although the gift
brought her good fortune, it brought only death and misery to her family. Eventually both Cadmus and Harmonia were
transformed into snakes.
Harpalyce
A huntress princess. She was so hooked on hunting that when game was scarce she hunted anything that moved,
travelers, shepherds, villagers, etc. Finally the people of her kingdom banded together, trapped her in a net, and beat
her to death with sticks.
Harpies-snatchers
Predatory monsters with the head of a woman and the body, wings, and claws of a bird.
Harpocrates
The Greek counterpart of the Egyptian Harpa-Khruti (Horus the child). He was depicted as a naked boy sucking on his
finger, and was considered the god of silence and secrecy.
Hebe-youth
She was the daughter of Zeus and Hera, and the goddess of youth. She was cup-bearer, along with Ganymede to the
major gods (they alone were allowed to pour the nectar of the gods on Olympus),. She also, as part of her duties,
prepared Ares' bath and helped Hera to her Chariot. She is also mentioned as being one of the Horae, and had the
power of restoring youth and vigor to gods and men. She was the wife of Heracles (after he became a god). The
Romans called her Juventas, which means "youth".
Hecate
Hecate brings good luck to sailors and hunters or can withhold these blessings if undeserved, so fear became a
motivating factor in her worship. When Persephone was found with Hades, Hecate remained with her as attendant and
companion and as a result has a share in the ruling over the souls in the underworld. Because of her unearthly aspect
she is regarded as a kind of queen of witches. She is the goddess of darkness, and the daughter of the Titans Perses and
Asteria. Hecate represented the darkness and the terrors of the night. On moonless nights she was believed to roam the
earth with a pack of ghostly, howling dogs. She was the goddess of sorcery and witchcraft and was especially
worshiped by magicians and witches, who sacrificed black lambs and black dogs to her. As goddess of the crossroads,
Hecate and her pack of dogs were believed to haunt these remote spots, which seemed evil and ghostly places to
travelers. In art Hecate is often represented with either three bodies (since she combined the attributes of Selene,
Artemis, and Persephone) or three heads, and with serpents entwined about her neck.
Hector
A Trojan prince, the eldest son of Priam and Hecuba, he was killed by Achilles in the Trojan War, and his dead body
tied to Achilles' chariot, was dragged around the walls of Troy three times.
Hecuba
The second wife of Priam and mother of Hector, Paris, and Cassandra, among her nineteen children. When Troy fell
she was taken by Ulysses.
Hegemone-mastery
Goddess of plants; responsible for their fruition.
Helen moon-basket
The most beautiful of women. She was the daughter of Zeus and Leda, sister of Clytemnestra and of Castor and
Pollux. She married Menelaus. When Paris awarded the apple of discord to Aphrodite, the goddess gave him Helen.
He carried her off to Troy, starting the Trojan War. After the war she returned to Sparta with Menelaus, by whom she
bore Hermione.
Helena
Moon goddess and healer.
Helia
A sun goddess, daughter of Helios and sister of Phaeton.
Helios-sun
He was the sun god, son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia and father of Phaëthon. Each morning he left a palace in
the east and crossed the sky in a golden chariot, then returned along the river Oceanus, which girded the earth.
Helle
A sea deity; daughter of Athamas and Nephele.
Hellen
Son of Deucalion and Pyrrha, the first child born after the flood that killed all but his parents. Most Greeks called
themselves "Hellenes" as they considered him the father of their tribe.
Hemera-sun
Representation of day; she was the daughter of Nyx and Erebus.
Hephaestus
God of fire and metalwork, the son of the god Zeus and the goddess Hera, or sometimes the son of Hera alone. In
contrast to the other gods, Hephaestus was lame and awkward. Shortly after his birth, he was cast out of heaven, either
by Hera, who was repelled by his deformity, or by Zeus, because Hephaestus had sided with Hera against him. In most
legends, however, he was soon honored again on Olympus and was married to Aphrodite, goddess of love, or to
Aglaia, one of the three Graces. As the artisan among the gods, Hephaestus made their armor, weapons, and jewelry.
His workshop was believed to lie under Mount Etna, a volcano in Sicily. He worked at huge furnaces, aided by
Cyclopes. Originally he was a Middle Eastern fire god. Hephaestus is often identified with the Roman god of fire,
Vulcan.
Hera-protectress
She was sister, and wife, of Zeus. Hera is the supreme goddess of the Greeks and goddess of marriage and childbirth.
Her children are Ares, Hebe, Hephaestus and Eris. Sacred to her are the peacock, pomegranate, lily and cuckoo. She
was extremely jealous and vindictive, and visited dire consequences upon those mortal women with whom Zeus
carried on affairs.
Heracles
The most popular Greek hero, he was famous for strength and courage. The son of Alcmene and Zeus, he was hated by
Hera, who sent serpents to his cradle to strangle him, but he strangled them. Later Hera drove Heracles mad, and he
killed his wife and children. He sought redemption from King Eurystheus, who set him 12 mighty labors:
1. Kill the Nemean lion- Heracles strangled the animal and wore the lion's skin.
2. Kill the Hydra-a terrible serpent with nine heads.
3. Drive off the Stymphalian birds.
4. Clean the Augean stables, which had not been cleaned for 30 years. He turned two rivers, the Alpheus and the
Peneus, through the stables, finishing the work in a single day.
5. Capture the Cerynean hind, with the golden horns.
6. Capture the Cretan bull.
7. Capture the flesh-eating wild mares of Diomedes, king of Thrace. Hercules killed Diomedes and fed him to the
horses.
8. Capture the wild Erymanthian boar.
9. Capture the cattle of the monster Geryon, which dwelt on the fabled island Erytheia.
10. Capture Cerberus, the many-headed dog who guarded the gates of the underworld. He brought Cerberus to
Eurystheus, but the king was so terrified that Heracles had to return to Hades to take the monster back.
11. Procure the girdle of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons. He defeated the Amazons, killed the queen, and took the
belt.
12. Procure the golden apples of the Hesperides guarded by the four sister nymphs called the Hesperides. Their father
was Atlas, who supported the heavens on his back. To obtain the apples Heracles took Atlas's place while Atlas took
the apples.
Later, the centaur Nessus tried to carry off Heracles' wife, Deianeira. Heracles shot Nessus with a poisoned arrow. The
dying centaur had Deianeira keep some of his blood as a love charm. When Heracles fell in love with another maiden,
Deianeira sent him a robe steeped in the blood. Heracles put it on, and poison spread through his body like fire. He led
to Mount Oeta, built a funeral fire, and threw himself on it to die. At his death he rose to Olympus, where he was
reconciled with Hera and married Hebe. He is more familiarly known by his Roman name Hercules.
Hermaphroditus
This was a creature that was partly male and partly female. One legend has him being a handsome male, the son of
Hermes and Aphrodite. Supposedly a nymph (Salmacis) fell in love with him and beseeched the gods to be forever
united with him. They answered her prayers by fusing the two together thereby creating a being that was half male and
half female.
Hermes-pillar
He was the cleverest of the Olympian gods, and messenger to all the other gods. He ruled over wealth, good fortune,
commerce, fertility, and thievery. He brought the souls of the dead to the underworld, and was honored as the god of
sleep.
Hermione
Daughter of Helen and Menelaus, conceived/born after the Trojan war when Helen was at last reunited with Menelaus.
She was affianced to Orestes but Helen gave her in marriage to Neoptolemus (Achilles' son) instead. Supposedly one
of the reasons that Orestes murdered Helen.
Hero and Leander
Hero was a priestess of Aphrodite beloved by Leander, who drowned during one of his nightly swims across the
Hellespont to be with her.
Herse
Goddess of the dew.
Hesperia-evening
The land of the evening star, where the golden apples of Hera were guarded by the dragon Ladon and by the seven
immortal maidens, the Hesperides.
Hesperides
See Hesperia.
Hesperos
The goddess of evening and wife of Atlas.
Hestia-hearth
She was the virgin goddess of the hearth, family, and peace, and the inventor of domestic architecture. She was the
daughter of Cronus and Rhea and Zeus's sister. Of all the Olympians, she is the mildest, most upright and most
charitable.
Hilaeira
Goddess of brightness.
Himalia
Goddess invoked to bless the harvest.
Himerus
God of sexual desire.
Hippasus-horseman
Hippe
Daughter of the centaur Chiron. She consorted with Aeolus and bore him a daughter, Melanippe. Afraid of what the
centaurs would do to her if they found out she had been with mortal man, she prayed to Artemis for help. The goddess
placed her in the heavens as the constellation of the Horse.
Hippodameia
Daughter of Oenomaus, king of Pisa. Oenomaus challenged each of her suitors to a chariot race; winner gets the girl,
loser loses his head. Thirteen suitors were decapitated before one who took her fancy appeared (Pelops). She bribed the
stableman to saw half-way through the axle on her father's chariot. Her father's chariot crashed during the race (a
wheel fell off) and Pelops won. He immediately killed Hippodameia's father, and then killed the stableman, so he
couldn't bear witness against him. They became the parents of Thyestes and Atreus.
Hippodamia (Briseis)
Achilles' mistress at Troy.
Hippolytus
A son of Theseus. When he repulsed the advances of his step-mother, Phaedra, she accused him of attempting to
seduce her. Theseus asked Poseidon for advice, and the god sent a huge sea-monster against Hippolytus, which so
frightened his horses that they dragged him to his death. He was restored to life by Aesculapius.
Hippomenes
The Greek who defeated Atalanta in the race in which he used the golden apples given to him by Venus, and thereby
won Atalanta's hand in marriage.
Historis well-informed
Horae
The Horae are the goddesses of the seasons and the orderly procession of things in general. They are also the collective
personfication of justice. Hesoid, who saw them as givers of the law, justice and peace gave them the names Eunomia
(Discipline), Dice (Justice) and Eirene (Peace). At Athens two of the Horae, were called Thallo and Carpo, and to the
Athenians, represented the budding and maturity of growing things. As a result, Thallo became the protectress of
youth.
Hosia
Goddess of holy rituals.
Hubris
God personifying lack of restraint.
Hyacinthus-hyacinth
A handsome Spartan youth loved both by Apollo, god of the sun, and by Zephyrus, god of the west wind. One day, as
Apollo was teaching the young man to throw the discus, the god accidentally killed Hyacinthus. From the blood of the
youth, Apollo caused a flower to spring up, each petal inscribed with an exclamation of lamentation (what looks like
AI, which means woe in Greek). According to another legend, Zephyrus was jealous of the youth's love for Apollo and
blew upon the discus, causing it to strike Hyacinthus.
TheHyades rain-makers
The name given to five (in some accounts, seven) sisters who nursed the infant wine god, Dionysus. As a reward they
were changed into the five (seven) stars at the head of the constellation Taurus, the bull.
Hybris-shamelessness
Hydra-water creature. In Greek mythology, a many-headed water serpent. When one of its heads was cut off, two new
ones appeared. It was killed by Hercules, who had his charioteer burn each neck after decapitation.
Hygieia-health
Goddess of health, and the daughter of Aesculapius. Her symbol was a serpent drinking from a cup in her hand.
Hymen
Son of Aphrodite and Dionysus. The god of marriage. He was represented as a young man carrying a torch and veil, a
mature version of Eros.
The Hyperboreans beyond-the-North-Wind-men
A race of men who lived on the northern shores of the limitless river Ocean that ran around the earth. This fortunate
race never knew care, toil, illness or old age.
Hyperion-dweller on high
The Titan god of light, he was the father of the sun, the moon, and the dawn.
Hypnos
Also known as Somnus, Hypnos was the god of rest and/or sleep, and a twin brother of Thanatos, the god of death. He
was the father of Morpheus, the god of dreams. He had many other sons, among whom were Icelus, who brought
dreams of animals and Phantasus, who brought dreams of things. From his names we get the words hypnotize and
somnambulism.
Hypsipyle
Queen of the island of Lemnos. The men of the kingdom found the women of Thrace more attractive than their wives
and would periodically raid Thrace and bring home some of these women for lovers. Finally the wives had enough and
killed every man on the island. They lived monastically for a number of years, and then the Argonauts landed there on
their travels. Every women of Lemnos had a child by an Argonaut, including Jason who teamed up with Hypsiple. She
bore twins after the Argonauts had departed and Jason never got to see them.
Iambe
The servant (daughter of Pan and Echo) who cheered Demeter during her search for Persephone by joking and
dancing.
Ianthe
A Cretan girl who married Iphis. Iphis was transformed from a girl into a young man for this purpose.
Iapetus-hurrier
Son of Uranus and Gaea. The Titan that fathered Prometheus, Menoetius, Epimetheus, and Atlas, and considered by
the Greeks, the father of the human race.
Iaso
Goddess of medicine. Daughter of Aesclepius and Epione, and sister of Aegle and Panacea.
Icarius
He was taught the cultivation of the grape vine by Dionysus, and when he introduced wine to some peasants, was
killed by them because they thought he had poisoned them when they became drunk. The peasants buried him under a
tree, and when Erigone, his daughter, and Moera, his dog, found the body she hanged herself in grief. Icarius became
the constellation Boötes; Erigone became the constellation Virgo; and Moera became the star Procyon (or the dog-star,
Sirius).
Icarus
The son of Daedalus. He and his father fastened wings to their bodies and flew over the sea. When Icarus flew higher,
the sun melted the wax fastenings and he fell to his death in the waters below.
Idas and Lyncaeus
Twins that rivaled Castor and Polydeuces in fame. Idas was a master spearman and Lyncaeus had eyes keener than an
eagles. They traveled with Jason as part of his crew. Idas fell in love with Marpessa, daughter of King Evenus, who
had decreed that all suitors for her hand must engage him in a chariot race. Win and you get his daughter, lose and
you lose your head. Idas prayed to Poseidon (who might have been Idas' father) for help and received from the god a
chariot drawn by winged horses. No contest; Idas won easily, won the girl too, and got married. A complication arose:
Apollo saw Marpessa, thought she'd be a good conquest, and abducted her. Idas quickly chased after them in his
winged-horse chariot, caught up with them, challenged Apollo to a duel. After an exchange of arrows, Zeus interfered,
saying that Marpessa should chose which one she wanted to accompany. Marpessa chose Idas.
Idomeneus
A king of Crete who fought with the Greeks at Troy. After the war he made a vow to the gods to sacrifice whatever he
first encountered if they would grant him safe passage home. He met his own son, and true to his vow, sacrificed his
son to the gods. The gods, however, sent a plague to his kingdom, and he was banished by his people and branded a
murderer.
Ilithyia
Goddess of childbirth. Also spelled Eileithyia, Eilethyia, Eleuto, etc.
Invidia
Personification of envy. Daughter of Pallas and Styx.
Inyx
A nymph who caught the eye of Zeus, but was changed into a bird by Hera before Zeus could have his way with her.
Io
She was a princess of Argos, who was turned into a heifer by Zeus to protect her from Hera's jealousy. Hera claimed
the heifer and had the many-eyed monster Argus guard it. When Hermes killed Argus, Hera drove Io to Egypt. There
Zeus returned her to human form. Io has been identified with the Egyptian goddess Isis.
Iole
Personification of the dawn.
Iphigenia
The daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. Agamemnon, having offended the goddess Artemis, vowed to
sacrifice to her the most beautiful thing he saw during the year. His daughter was born that year. He deferred the
sacrifice till she grew to womanhood, but then, with the Greek fleet ready to sail to Troy, was told that there would be
no favorable winds for the fleet until he made good on his vow to Artemis. While the sacrificial rite was in progress,
Artemis snatched the girl from the altar and carried her to heaven.
Iphimedeia
Mother of giant twins, Otus and Ephialtes by Poseidon. Poseidon was the father without "participating", as she became
pregnant by sprinkling sea water over her genitals.
Iphis
See Ianthe. (Above)
Iris-rainbow
Iris was the personification of the rainbow. She was also the messenger of the gods.
Irus
The gigantic beggar who ran errands for the suitors of Penelope (Ulysses' wife), and who tried to stop Ulysses' trip
home. He was killed by a single blow.
Ismene
Daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta. She asked to share her sister's (Antigone) fate.
Ixion-rainbow
King of the Lapithes. He murdered his bride's father to avoid paying him the bride price. When no one on earth would
purify him, Zeus took Ixion to Olympus and purified him. Ixion attempted to seduce Hera, but Zeus created a phantom
of her and by it Ixion fathered the centaurs. In punishment he was chained for eternity to a fiery wheel in Tartarus.
Jason
The husband of Medea and leader of the Argonauts who went in quest of the Golden Fleece.
Jocasta
Wife of Laius, king of Thebes. Mother and wife of Oedipus
Kakia
Goddess of vice. She attempted to seduce Heracles with promises of ease and wealth.
Ker
Goddess of violent death. Daughter of Nyx. She is pictured as a black bird hovering over a corpse.
Klotes
Goddess of spinning.
Kolias
Goddess of foothills.
Komodia
Goddess of happiness and amusement.
Kore (Core)
Her name means "maiden". She is a goddess of springtime.
Koros
Goddess of extravagant joy.
Kratesis
A goddess of victory.
Lachesis
One of the Fates. The one who measures the thread of life.
Lactura
A corn goddess.
Laertes
Foster-father of Odysseus. His wife Anticlea had been seduced by Autolycus (son of Hermes) and gotten pregnant with
Odysseus, but Laertes forgave her and brought up Odysseus as he would have a son of his own.
Lamia-lecherous
A monster serpent with the head and breasts of a woman. It preyed on human beings and sucked the blood of children.
Lampetia
Daughter of the sun. Sister to Phathusa. They guarded the sacred cattle of the sun; the myth: Odysseus and his men
landed on the island where the cattle were being herded, and heedless of his warning not to harm the cattle, his men
killed some for food. The sun god sent a storm that destroyed their boats, and only Odysseus was saved.
Lampus-torch
Laocoön
A Trojan priest of Apollo who was killed along with his two sons by two sea serpents for having warned his people of
the Trojan horse.
Laodamia
Wife of Protesilaus, the first Greek slain (by Hector) when the Greek fleet reached Troy in the Trojan War. When the
news of her husband's death reached Laodamia, she prayed to the gods to let her see him once again. Her pleas were
answered, and Hermes brought her husband back from the underworld for a 3-hour visit. When it came time for him
to return, however, Laodamia could not bear to give him up. She killed herself and returned with her husband to the
underworld.
Larissa
To save herself from rape by her father, she shoved him away so hard he fell into a wine barrel and drowned.
Leda-lady
Wife of Tyndareus, king of Sparta. In some myths Leda was seduced by Zeus, who appeared as a swan. She bore two
eggs: from one issued Castor and Clytemnestra, from the other Pollux and Helen of Troy. Another version has Zeus
pursuing Nemesis who changes into a goose; whereupon he changes into a swan and couples with her. She then laid
an egg (or two, the stories vary) which she gave to Leda to protect, and from which the above four are born.
Leiriope
Mother of Narcissus by Cephissus, a river god.
Lethe
Daughter of Eris. She is the goddess of oblivion.
Leto
Leto is the mother of Apollo and Artemis and is mostly worshipped in conjunction with her children. She was a
Titaness and considered the goddess of fruitfulness.
Leucippe
She insulted Dionysus and was stricken mad; while in this state she ripped her sons to pieces.
Leucothea
A sea goddess who protects her worshippers from being shipwrecked.
Lina
Goddess of weaving, especially of flax.
Lipse
A wind goddess.
Lotis
A nymph, who when pursued by Priapus intent on rape, prayed to be saved. She was transformed into the first lotus
tree.
Lyco
A seer. Sister to Carya and Orphe. Lyco and Orphe were changed into rocks; Carya was changed into a walnut tree.
Lycos (Lycaon)-wolf
Father of Callisto. He was changed into a wolf by the gods for having dared serve human flesh to them at a banquet.
Lynceus
One of Jason's Argonauts, of whom it was said that he could see through the earth, and distinguish objects that were
miles away.
Lyssa
An underworld goddess.
Machaon
One of the sons of Asclepius; the other was Podilarius. They inherited their father's skill at healing. Machaon became
a master surgeon who performed heroically at Troy, saving many lives. He was killed by the Amazon Penthesilea,
whose arrow was said to have killed a thousand and one men, Machaon and the thousand wounded men he would
have saved.
Macris
One of the nurses of Dionysus.
Maia
Daughter of the Titan Atlas; Mother of Hermes by Zeus. One of the Pleiades.
Malophoros
Name means either "apple-bearer" or "sheep-bearer". Alternate name for Demeter as goddess of the underworld.
Marpessa
She chose a mortal (Idas) over Apollo as a husband.
Marsyas
In some tales he is identified as a Phrygian, in others as one of the Greek satyrs. He found the flute that Athena, the
goddess of wisdom, had invented and later discarded because playing on it puffed out her cheeks and distorted her
features. Marsyas became so accomplished a musician that he challenged Apollo, god of music, to a contest, the
winner of which would have the right to punish the loser. The Muses awarded the victory to Apollo, who played the
lyre. The god thereupon flayed Marsyas, from whose blood the river Marsyas sprang.
Medea
A princess and sorceress. She fell in love with Jason and helped him obtain the Golden Fleece. She married Jason and
bore him two children. Years later, when Jason wished to marry Creusa, the vengeful Medea sent her an enchanted
gown, which burned Creusa to death. Then Medea killed the children that she bore by Jason.
Medusa-cunning
One of the three Gorgons, who were three monstrous daughters of the sea god Phorcys and his wife, Ceto. Her equally
hideous sisters were Stheno and Euryale. Medusa was the only mortal one (She was killed by Perseus, who brought
back her head, with the help of the deities Hermes and Athena. From her blood sprang the winged horse Pegasus, her
son by the god Poseidon.). The Gorgons were terrifying, dragonlike creatures, covered with golden scales and having
snakes for hair. They turned all who looked at them to stone.
Megaera
First wife of Heracles. She bore him three sons, before Hera drove him mad by warping his vision so that he mistook
Megaera and his sons for a raiding party of enemies and killed them all. For his punishment, Zeus sentenced him to
serve Eurystheus for any ten (which became twelve) labors that Eurystheus could devise.
Meiboia
The bee goddess.
Meilichia
An underworld goddess.
Melampus
Seer/Healer. He raised a group of baby snakes whose parents had been killed. They taught him the language of the
animals, and from listening to the animals he learned to read the future, learned the medicinal value of various herbs,
and learned how to cure many diseases.
Melanius-black
A skilled archer, and thus called a son of Apollo. Married to Oechalia.
Meleager
Son of Oeneus and Althea (king and queen of Calydon). Meleager led the hunt for a boar that the goddess Artemis
sent to devastate Calydon. The hero finally killed the animal, but gave the head and skin to the huntress Atalanta, who
had been the first to wound the beast and with whom Meleager was in love. When his maternal uncles, angered at this
award, took the trophies from Atalanta, Meleager killed them.
Melinoe
An underworld goddess. Daughter of Zeus and Persephone.
Melissa
A nurse of the infant Zeus when he was being hidden from Cronus; she fed him honey as well as milk from the goat
Amalthea, and he developed such a liking for honey that, when he ruled Olympus, he decreed that honey should be
fermented to make nectar, which became the drink of the gods. Cronus, before his ouster, became aware of her
nursemaid duties to Zeus, and changed her into an earthworm. Zeus, in turn, changed the worm into a queen bee.
Melissa means honey, in Greek.
Melobosis
Goddess of beneficence.
Melpomene
One of the Muses. She was the muse of Tragedy.
Memnon
King of Ethiopia, the son of the Trojan prince Tithonus and of Eos, goddess of the dawn. In the tenth year of the
Trojan War, Memnon brought his army to the assistance of Troy. He fought bravely but was eventually killed by the
Greek hero Achilles. To comfort Memnon's mother, however, the god Zeus made him immortal.
Menalippe
Satyr daughter of Cheiron. She was raped by Aeolus, and her father decided that such brutality warranted her leaving
the world of men, so he changed her so that she lost her human half and became wholly horse.
Menelaus-might of the people
King of Sparta, husband of Helen, and brother of Agamemnon. When Paris abducted Helen to Troy, Menelaus asked
the Greek kings to join him in the Trojan War. At its end he returned to Sparta with Helen.
Mentor
Odysseus's (Ulysses) trusted counselor. He was placed in charge of raising Telemachus when Odysseus went off to the
Trojan War. He did an exceptional job as Telemachus grew up to be an almost perfect son. He is often credited with
thinking up the ploy Penelope used to thwart marriage to one of the suitors (the unraveling of the tapestry each night).
Merope
One of the Pleiades. She married Sisyphus, a mortal, and bore him a son, Glaucus, who was torn to pieces by his
horses because he would not allow them to breed.
Metis
The Titaness mother of Athena. The daughter of Oceanos and Tethys and Zeus's first wife, whom he devoured when
she became pregnant (Athena was born from his skull, clad in armor and carrying a spear). She represented counsel.
Metra
See Erysicthon.
Mida
Goddess of oaths.
Midas
Midas was king of Phrygia. Because he befriended Silenus, Dionysus granted him the power to turn everything he
touched into gold. When even his food became gold, he washed away his power in the Pactolus River.
Minos
A king of Crete, the son of Zeus and Europa, who was made one of the three judges in the underworld after his death.
Mnemosyne-memory
She was the Titan goddess of memory. Zeus spent nine consecutive nights with her, after which, later, she gave birth to
the nine Muses, one each day.
Moirae
See the Fates.
Molpadia
A goddess of childbirth.
Momus
The Greek god of censure and mockery, son of Nox (Night). He was driven from Olympus for ridiculing the other
gods. He even found fault with Aphrodite for the noise made by her feet, although he could find no fault with her body.
Mormo
Ghost deity used to frighten children into behaving.
Moros
The son of Erebus and Nyx. Brother of Thanatos. Moros was the god of doom.
Morpheus
The god of dreams and the son of Somnus (god of sleep). Morpheus formed the dreams that came to those asleep.
Moira (Fate)
Supreme even over the gods of Olympus.
Mount Olympus
Where the gods lived and held court. (In some myths it is located at the center of the earth, in others it is in the
heavens, and in some it is believed to be in Greece.)
The Muses-mountain goddesses
The nine goddesses: Clio(history),Calliope(epic poetry), Erato(love poetry), Euterpe(lyric poetry),
Melpomene(tragedy), Polyhymnia(song, rhetoric, and geometry), Thalia(comedy), Terpsichore(dancing), and
Urania(astronomy and astrology).
Myrmidons
A people of Aegina. When the city was depopulated by a plague, Aeacus, its king, prayed to the gods that the ants
infesting an oak tree be turned into people to repopulate his kingdom. The prayer was granted. These men followed
Achilles to the siege of Troy, and proved to be fierce and diligent warriors.
Myrrha
The mother of Adonis.
Mystis
Teacher of Dionysus.
Naiads (Naiades)
Fresh-water nymphs who lived in and presided over brooks, springs, and fountains; or lakes, rivers, and streams.
Classified according to the type of water they inhabit: Crinaea (fountains), Eleionomae (marshes), Limnatides (lakes),
Pegaeae (springs), Potameides (rivers). Some individuals were: Abarbarea, Aigle, Bateia, Cleochareia, Echenais,
Harmonia, Melite, and Polyxo
Napaea, The
Forest nymphs that accompanied Artemis.
Narcissus-narcotic
An exceptionally handsome youth. His mother was told he would live a long life if he did not look upon his own
features. He chanced to see his reflection in the waters of a spring, fell in love with that reflection and pined away till
he died by the side of the spring. In another version, he thought the reflection was that of the nymph who dwelt there,
and jumped in to catch her, and drowned. The narcissus flower supposedly grew at that spot.
Nausicaa
The Greek heroine who brought the ship-wrecked Odysseus to her father, the king of the Phaeacians.
Nausithoe
One of the Nereides.
Neaera
There were three:
1. A nymph, mother of Lampetia and Phaethusa by Helios.
2. Wife of a river god and mother of Euadne.
3. Nymph mother of Aigle by Zeus.
Neda
Nymph nurse to the infant Zeus.
Nemea
Goddess of the Nemean Games (one of the four great national festivals; the other three being: Olympian Games,
Pythian Games, Isthmian Games). She was the daughter of Zeus and Selene.
Nemesis-divine vengeance
Nemesis is the personification of divine vengeance. Happiness and unhappiness are measured out by her, determining
that happiness was not too frequent or excessive. If so, she brings about losses and suffering. She is one of the
assistants of Zeus, and is the daughter of Nox (Night).
Nereids
The sea (salt-water) nymphs; the 50 daughters of Nereus and 'grey-eyed' Doris. The best known are: Amphitrite,
Thetis, Panope, and Galatea. Others include: Agave, Arethusa, Cale, Cranto, Cymo, Dero, Doto, Drimo, Euarne,
Eudia, Galene, Glauke, Halia, Helice, Ione, Lilaea, Memphis, Neso, Opis, Ploto, Proto, Sao, Speio, and Themisto.
Nereus
The father of the Nereids, usually depicted as a very old man.
Nicothoe
One of the Harpies.
Nike
The winged goddess of victory. She was the daughter of Pallas and Styx.
Nikta
A goddess of the night.
Niobe-snowy
Her husband, King Amphion, was a son of the god Zeus and a great musician. Niobe bore him six handsome sons and
six beautiful daughters. Although she was happy, Niobe exhibited the same arrogance toward the gods that her father,
Atreus, had shown. (See story below.) Niobe commanded the people of Thebes to worship her instead of the goddess
Leto, who had only two children. The gods heard her words and resolved to punish her. Leto's children, Apollo and
Artemis fired their arrows with deadly aim, killing all of Niobe's children. The grief-stricken Niobe was turned into a
stone that was forever wet with her tears.
(ATREUS: king of Mycenae. Atreus's brother Thyestes, a rival for the throne, seduced Aerope, wife of Atreus and
mother of Agamemnon and Menelaus. In revenge, Atreus murdered two of Thyestes' sons and served them boiled in a
cauldron to their father at a banquet. When Thyestes had eaten the disgusting meal, Atreus ordered a dish holding the
bloody heads of the children brought in. Thyestes laid a curse on his brother. The oracle at Delphi then advised
Thyestes to ravish his own daughter, Pelopia. From the incestuous union was born Aegisthus. Atreus later married
Pelopia, daughter of Thyestes, not knowing her true identity. Her son Aegisthus killed Atreus at the command of his
true father Thyestes)
Nissa
A nymph, sometimes cited as the mother of the sun.
Notus (Notos)
God of the South Wind. Son of Eos and Astraeos.
Nymphs
[Classified as: Dryads (trees), Hamadryads (trees), Naiads (fresh-water), Nereids (salt-water), Haliae (water),
Oceanides (water), Limoniades (plants/flowers) and Oreads (mountains)] They were all in beauteous female form.
They were not immortal but their life span was several thousand years.
Nyseides, The
The nymphs who nursed Dionysus. They include: Brome, Cisseis, Erato, Eripha, Nysa, and Polyhymno.
Nyx (Nox)
She was the goddess of night. She was the daughter of Chaos and the mother of Death and Sleep. She was one of the
most feared of the gods.
Oceanides, The
Collective name for the water nymphs who were the daughters of Tethys and Oceanus. Some (there were thousands!)
were: Acaste, Aethra, Amphiro, Asterope, Beroe, Caliadne, Calypso, Clymene, Clytia, Dione, Doris, Electra, Eudora,
Europa, Eurynome, Hippo, Leucippe, Melia, Merope, Metis, Pasithoe, Perse, Pleione, Polydora, Rhodope, Telesto,
Theia, Tyche, Urania, Zeuxippe, and Zeuxo.
Oceanus-of the swift queen
One of the Titans, he was the unending stream that encircled the world, and as such is represented as a snake with its
tail in its mouth. As a sea god he is depicted as an old man with a long beard and with bull's horns. With his wife,
Tethys, he produced the rivers and three thousand ocean nymphs.
Ocypete
Goddess of storm winds who later became one of the Harpies.
Ocyrrhoë
Three of them:
1. Mother of Phasis by Helios.
2. Daughter, of Cheiron and Chariclo, who spoke prophecies.
3. Nymph mother of Caicus by Hermes.
Odysseus-angry
(Called by the Romans - Ulysses.) King of Ithaca and husband of Penelope. A Greek leader in the Trojan War, Homer
depicted him as wise and cunning. In later legends he is wily, lying, and evil.
See The Odyssey under "Epics" on Home page.
Odyne
Goddess of pain.
Oeno-of wine
One of a triad called The Oenotropae, who could change water into wine. The other two were Elais and Spermo.
Oenone-queen of wine
She was the wife of Paris who jilted her for Helen of Troy. When he was wounded in the Trojan War she was the only
one who could cure him, but because she was bitter about being jilted, she refused. When his condition worsened and
he was near death, she relented but did not get to Troy in time to save him. Overcome with grief at his death, she
committed suicide.
The Olympians
The gods who supplanted the Titans. They were: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite, Athena, Hestia,
Ares, Hephaestus, Hermes, and Hades.
Omphale-navel
Queen of Lydia. She was very masculine, and when Heracles (Hercules) was her slave for three years, she wore the
lion's skin while he wore a female garment and spent his time spinning wool.
Oncaea
Nymph from Lesbos who birthed Arion by Poseidon.
Oneroi
Collective name for the sons of Hypnos. They were Icelus (dreams of humans), Morpheus (shaping dreams), Phobetor
(frightening dreams of beasts), and Phantasos (apparitions).
Ophiuchus
(There is a constellation called Ophiuchus which lies on top of the constellation Serpens and many cultures saw a man
wrestling with a snake.) He was the son of Apollo and legend has it that he learned the art of healing from a snake. He
became so good that he could raise people from the dead. Hades complained to Zeus and Zeus struck him down with a
thunderbolt. Ophiuchus and Serpens were then placed in the sky with Serpens wrapped around Ophiuchus' stick (the
medical profession's symbol). See also Asclepius for another version.
Orestes-mountaineer
Son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, brother of Electra and Iphigenia. Orestes was exiled after the slaying of
Agamemnon by Clytemnestra and Aegisthus. Later he returned and, helped by Electra, killed his mother and her
lover.
Orion-dweller on the mountain
A handsome giant and mighty hunter, the son of Poseidon, the god of the sea, and Euryale, the Gorgon. Orion fell in
love with Merope, the daughter of Oenopion, king of Chios, and sought her in marriage. Oenopion, however,
constantly deferred his consent to the marriage. Orion, while drunk, raped Merope. Incensed at his behavior, her
father, with the aid of the god Dionysus, threw him into a deep sleep and blinded him. Orion then consulted an oracle,
who told him he could regain his sight by going to the east and letting the rays of the rising sun fall on his eyes. His
sight restored, he lived on Crete as the huntsman of the goddess Artemis. The goddess eventually killed him, however,
because she was jealous of his affection for Aurora, goddess of the dawn. After Orion's death, Artemis placed him in
the heavens as a constellation.
Ornis-bird
Orpheus
A legendary poet and musician, son of the Muse Calliope by Apollo or by Oeagrus, a king of Thrace. He was given the
lyre by Apollo and became such an excellent musician that he had no rival among mortals. He is said to have played
the lyre so beautifully that he charmed everything animate and inanimate. His music enchanted the trees and rocks
and tamed wild beasts, and even the rivers turned in their course to follow him. He married the lovely nymph
Eurydice. Soon after the wedding the bride was stung by a viper and died. Orpheus determined to go to the underworld
and try to bring her back, something no mortal had ever done. Hades, the ruler of the underworld, was so moved by
his playing that he gave Eurydice back to Orpheus on the one condition that he not look back until they reached the
upperworld, but Orpheus could not control his eagerness and as he gained the light of day he looked back a moment
too soon, and Eurydice vanished. Grief-stricken, Orpheus forsook human company and wandered in the wilds, playing
for the rocks and trees and rivers. Finally a fierce band of Thracian women, who were followers of the god Dionysus,
came upon the gentle musician and killed him. When they threw his severed head in the river Hebrus, it continued to
call for Eurydice, and was finally carried to the shore of Lesbos, where the Muses buried it. After Orpheus's death his
lyre became the constellation Lyra.
Ophthalmitis
Patron goddess of eyesight.
Orseis
The nymph who by Hellen (the ancestor founder of the Hellenes or Greeks, as we call them) and mother of Aeolus
(founder of the Aeolan branch), Dorus (founder of the Dorian branch), and Xuthus (founder of the Ionian branch).
Ossa
Goddess of rumor; equivalent to the Roman goddess Fama.
Paen (Paeon)
The god of healing, even for the other gods.
Palamedes
Son of Nauplius and Clymene, he fought with the Greeks at Troy. He supposedly invented lighthouses, scales, the
discus, and dice.
Pallas-maiden or youth
Pallas Athena or Athena, was one of the most important Olympian deities, born full-grown from the forehead of Zeus.
She was the goddess of war and peace, a patron of arts and crafts, a guardian of cities, and the goddess of wisdom. Her
most important temple was the Parthenon. A virgin goddess, Athena is depicted as a stately figure, armored, and
wielding her breastplate, the aegis. The Romans identified her with Minerva.
Pamphile
A sorceress who could control the moon.
Pan-pasture
He was the son of Hermes, and the god of flocks. He had the head and torso of a man, but the hindquarters and horns
of a goat. He was a great musician with the pipes. He was considered a symbol of fecundity because of his lustful
nature.
Panacea
Goddess of healing. Daughter of Epione and Asclepius and sister of Aigle, Hygeia, and Iaso.
Panatis
Goddess of weaving.
Pandia
Goddess of bright light and daughter of Zeus and Eos.
Pandora all-giving
There are two versions of the story of Pandora's Box. In one, the box is a jar containing all kinds of misery and evil.
When Pandora opens it all the miseries and evils escape and fly all over the earth. In the other, the box contains all
kinds of blessings which were subsequently lost to humans when she opened the box.
Pandrosos
One of the Augralids. Pandrosos is credited with the introduction of spinning. She is also worshipped as a goddess of
agriculture.
Panope
One of the Nereides. Mother of Aigle.
Paregoros
Goddess of persuasion and consolation. Daughter of Tethys and Oceanus but not a water deity.
Pareia
A nymph.
Paris
The son of Priam and Hecuba. Because of a prophecy that he would destroy Troy, he was abandoned on Mt. Ida by his
parents, but shepherds rescued him. Later he was chosen as judge in a dispute among Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite.
Spurning Hera, who offered him greatness, and Athena, who promised success in war, he awarded the golden apple of
discord to Aphrodite, who offered the most beautiful woman in the world. His abduction of that woman, Helen, caused
the Trojan War.
Parnassides, The
Another name for the Muses, as they were from Mt. Parnassus.
Pasiphae
Wife of Minos, Cretan king. She was the mother by him of Ariadne, and also, by consorting with a white bull, the
mother of the Minotaur.
Patroclus-glory of the father
A good friend of Achilles who, while taking Achilles' place when he refused to fight (at Troy), was slain by Hector.
Peitho
She represented persuasion. The daughter of Aphrodite and Hermes.
Penelope
Means with a web over her face. Wife of Odysseus, mother of Telemachus and a model of fidelity. Pursued by suitors
during Odysseus' absence, at the Trojan War (10 years for the war plus another 10 years in adventures and captivity
while returning home), she agreed to marry after she finished weaving her father-in-law's (Laertes) shroud, but
unraveled her work each night. Each night, for three years, she undid what she had woven during the day, but one of
her maids discovered this secret and told the suitors. She finally promised to marry the man who could bend Odysseus'
bow, but none could. Odysseus returned at this time disguised as a beggar, bent the bow, and slew the suitors.
Penia
Goddess of poverty and wife of Porus.
Penthus
God of grief.
Persephone-bringer of destruction
She was the goddess of springtime and, after her abduction by Hades, the queen of the underworld for six months of
each year. The mint and pomegranate is sacred to her. Persephone raised Aphrodite's child Adonis.
Perseus-destroyer
Son of Zeus and Danaë, a mortal woman. Told by an oracle that Perseus would kill him, his grandfather Acrisius set
him and his mother Danaë afloat in a chest. They were rescued by King Polydectes, who fell in love with Danaë.
Seeing Perseus as an obstacle to his love for Danaë, the king sent his step-son out to kill Medusa, one of three sisters
called the Gorgons who were so ugly, anyone who looked at them would turn to stone. He appealed to the gods for help
and was given a mirrored shield by Athena, the goddess of wisdom, and a pair of winged sandals by Hermes, the
messenger of the gods. Perseus flew using the sandals to find Medusa. When he found her, he did not look at her.
Instead, he used the reflection in the shield to guide his sword so he could behead her as she slept. As she died, the
white, winged horse Pegasus sprang from her neck. On his way back from his victory against Medusa, Perseus came
across a woman chained to a rock, waiting to be sacrificed to a sea monster, called either Cetus or Draco, depending
on which version of the myth you believe. This woman was Andromeda. Her mother, Cassiopeia boasted that she and
her daughter were more beautiful than the Nereids, the daughters of Poseidon, the god of the sea. Angered by the
insult to his daughters, Poseidon sent floods to the lands ruled by Cassiopeia and her husband, King Cepheus. Cepheus
consulted an oracle who told him that the only way to quell Poseidon's anger was to sacrifice his daughter. Perseus
came on the scene just in the nick of time and killed the sea monster and saved Andromeda, and then married her.
Later, while competing in a discus contest, Perseus accidentally killed Acrisius, thus fulfilling the prophecy.
Phaea
A monster in the form of a giant sow.
Phaedra-bright one
Daughter of Minos and Pasiphaë, wife of Theseus. When her stepson, Hippolytus, rejected her love, she accused him
of rape, then hanged herself.
Phaëthon-shining
The son of Helios (god of the sun) and Clymene (a nymph). Helios had granted Phaëthon anything he wished, and
could not back out when Phaëthon asked to drive the sun-chariot across the sky. He lost control of the chariot and
nearly set the earth afire before Zeus slew him with a thunderbolt.
Phantasos
Son of Somnus and god of dreams. In dreams he was able to turn himself into rock, water, tree, and all other natural
objects.Pharmaceia
Nymph who could change the waters of her fountain into poisonous water.
Pheme
Personification of rumors.
Phemonoe
A goddess of poetry and daughter of Apollo. She invented hexameter verse.
Philoctetes
A famous archer in the Trojan War. When Hercules died he bequeath his arrows to Philoctetes. In the last year of the
Trojan War an oracle declared that Troy could not be taken without the arrows of Hercules. Odysseus sent for
Philoctetes, who using the arrows left him by Hercules, killed Paris, thereby ending the war.
Philotes
Daughter of Nyx and goddess of affection.
Phobetus (Phobetor)
Another son of Somnus and a god of dreams. In dreams he could assume the form of all animals.
Phobus (Phobos)-fear
A son of Ares and brother of Deimos, he personified fear.
Phoebe-bright moon
She was a Titan, the daughter of Uranus and Gaea. She is identified with the moon like her Roman counterpart Diana.
By her brother Coeus she is the mother of Asteria and Leto. Through Leto, she is the grandmother of Apollo and
Artemis.
Phoenix blood-red
Phoenix and his father, King Amyntor, had a violent quarrel which led Amyntor to curse him with childlessness.
Phoenix ended up being responsible for the upbringing of Achilles, and was with him at the Trojan War.
Phorcys
Phorcys is a son of Gaia and Pontus. He married the sea-monster Ceto, his sister, and had many children with her
including the Graeae and the Gorgons.
Phospherus
The god of the morning star.
Phthonus
He represented envy.
Physis
A goddess of nature.
Phytalus
Mortal woman raised to demi-goddess status by Demeter.
Phytia
Goddess who changed the sex of a female baby to male when its father planned to kill the unwanted female child.
Pipleia
Nymph lover of Daphnis.
Pithys
Two short myths:
1. Pan, aroused at the sight of such a beautiful nymph, tried to seduce her. She fled his advances, but in doing so fell
hard onto a rock and died. She was turned into a pine tree.
2. Both Pan and Boreas (the north wind) saw this beautiful nymph and desired her. She chose Pan, whereupon Boreas
blew her off a cliff, killing her. Gaea changed her into a pine tree (which weeps when the north wind blows).
Pleiades-flock of doves
These were seven sisters born from the union of the Titan, Atlas, and Pleione. They were Maia, Electra, Alcyone,
Merope, Sterope, Taygete and Celaeno. They were pursued by Orion, a famous hunter, and begged relief from Zeus. He
changed them into a constellation and placed them in the sky. Then, as was his wont, he turned Orion into a
constellation and placed him in the sky in a position where he still could chase the sisters.
Ploto
Goddess of sailing.
Plutus
The god of riches (hence the term plutocrat).
Poene
Goddess of retaliation.
Polyhymnia (Polymnia)
The muse of lyric poetry, and the inventor of the lyre.
Polynices
A son of Oedipus. It was for him (so that he could gain the throne his younger brother had usurped) that the "Seven
against Thebes" fought that ill-fated war.
Polyphemus-famous
He was the most famous Cyclop. He was the son of Poseidon and a sea nymph. It was Polyphemus who captured
Odysseus and his crew when they were shipwrecked on his island. After about half his men were eaten by the Cyclop,
Odysseus managed to get him drunk and blinded him by plunging a burning stake into his eye. Odysseus and the rest
of his men escaped when they clung to the bellies of the sheep being let out to pasture.
Polyxena
Another daughter of King Priam and Hecuba. She was claimed as booty by the ghost of Achilles and put to death at
his tomb.
Poseidon
God of the sea, protector of all waters. Powerful, violent, and vengeful, he carried the trident, with which he caused
earthquakes. The son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea, and the brother of Zeus and Hades, Poseidon was the husband of
Amphitrite, one of the Nereids, by whom he had a son, Triton. Poseidon had numerous other love affairs, however,
especially with nymphs of springs and fountains, and was the father of several children famed for their wildness and
cruelty, among them the giant Orion and the Cyclops Polyphemus. Poseidon and the Gorgon Medusa were the parents
of Pegasus, the famous winged horse. The Romans identified Poseidon with their god of the sea, Neptune.
Pothos
A son of Aphrodite, he was the personification of desire.
Praxidice
Goddess of oaths.
Priam-redeemed
He was the king of Troy during the Trojan War. Priam was married to Hecuba with whom he had many children,
amongst whom was Hector and Paris. In the tenth year, alone, of the Trojan War he lost 13 sons. When Troy finally
fell, Neoptolemus, Achilles' son, killed Priam on an altar to the gods.
Priapus-pruner
His father was Dionysus. His mother unknown. He was grotesquely formed and was always represented with a huge
phallus. (See priapism in your dictionary.) He was adopted as the god of gardens, probably because he was considered
fertile.
Procrustes
A notorious robber and murderer. He placed his victims on an iron bed and, if they were longer than the bed, he cut off
the parts that were overhanging. If they were shorter than the bed, he stretched them till they fit it. He was killed by
Theseus.
Prometheus-forethought
The wisest Titan, and the creator of mankind. Originally a good friend and ally to Zeus, he later fell from favor (he
supposedly tricked Zeus out of his share of a sacrificed ox), and was chained in the Caucasus Mountains, where an
eagle fed upon his "ever-regrowing" liver each day. He is credited with stealing fire from Hephaestus and giving it to
the human race.
Prosymna
Name for the new moon. Nurse of Hera with her sisters Acraea and Euboea.
Proteus-first man
A son of Poseidon, god of the sea, his attendant and the keeper of his seals. Proteus knew all things past, present, and
future but was able to change his shape at will to avoid prophesying. Each day at noon Proteus would rise from the sea
and sleep in the shade of the rocks on the island of Carpathus with his seals. Anyone wishing to learn the future had to
catch hold of him at that time and hold on as he assumed dreadful shapes, including those of wild animals and terrible
monsters. If all this proved unavailing, Proteus resumed his usual form and told the truth.
Protogenia
Earth goddess associated with success in business.
Protogonus
A god representing the origins.
Psamathe
Wife of Proteus.
Pudicitia
Goddess of modesty.
Pygmalion
He was king of Cyprus, and sculptor of a beautiful statue of a woman. When he prayed to Aphrodite for a wife like it,
she brought the statue (Galatea) to life, and Pygmalion married her.
Pyrene
As a result of being raped by Heracles, she gave birth to a snake. She "lost it" when she saw what she had birthed and
fled into the mountains where she was killed by wild animals. The mountains are named the Pyrenees today.
Pyrrha
Pyrrha, and her husband Deucalion, built an ark and floated in it to survive the flood sent by Zeus. The couple became
the ancestors of the renewed human race when an oracle told them to cast behind them the bones (stones) of the earth.
Those thrown by Deucalion became men, and those thrown by Pyrrha became women. These men and women
repopulated the earth.
Rhacius-ragged
King of Caria, husband of Manto, and father of Mopsus,the famous soothsayer.
Rhadamanthys
One of the three sons of Zeus and Europa (along with Minos and Sarpedon). He was famous for his wisdom and
justice. After his death he became one of the judges of the dead in the Underworld.
Rhaecus
A centaur, who with another centaur (Hylaeus), attempted to rape Atalanta but was killed (both of them) by her.
Rhea-earth
She was a daughter of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaea (Earth). She married her brother, Cronus. A prophecy told Cronus
that one of his children would overthrow him. So to forestall that happening Cronus swallowed his children as they
were born. Those children were Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon. Rhea, finally, decided to fool Cronus and
at the birth of her next child, Zeus, she presented Cronus with a large stone wrapped in blankets, which he, thinking it
was Zeus, promptly swallowed. As foretold Zeus eventually overthrew Cronus, who was made to regurgitate the
children he had swallowed. Rhea is also known as Agdistis.
Rhene-ewe
A nymph, mother of Medon.
Rhesus-breaker
One of the Greek kings at Troy, the son of Strymon and one of the Muses. He was renowned for his horses which were
snow-white and swift as the wind. After one day of battle (in the tenth year of the war), in which he wrought havoc
among the Greeks, he was killed by Odysseus and Diomedes.
Rhode
Daughter of Amphitrite by Poseidon.
Rhodope
Daughter of the Strymon river god, wife of Haemus, and companion to Persephone.
Rhodopis
Either a beautiful Egyptian girl or a beautiful Greek girl, depending on the myth version. One day an eagle flew off
with one of her sandals and dropped it in front of the king, Psammetichus. He was astonished at the workmanship of
the shoe, and had his courtiers search the land for the owner. When she was found, he married her. (Sound familiar?)
Rhodos (Rhodus)
A nymph, daughter of Halia by Poseidon. Wife of Helios and mother of seven sons by him (the Heliades).
Rhoecus
The tale about Rhoecus tells of a time he saw an oak tree about to topple and propped it up so it was once again steady.
The dryad who lived within it, and who would have perished had it fallen, told him to ask anything he desired and she
would grant it. He said he wanted only her love, and she consented. She told him to be alert, and when she was ready
to make love with him she would send a messenger bee to summon him. Rhoecus got involved with some companions,
and in the give-and-take that followed, forgot about the bee. When a bee came by and started buzzing near him he
swat it and injured it. When he returned to the tree at a later date, the dryad blinded him in her anger of his treatment
of her messenger. (He didn't get her either!)
Rhoetus
1. One of the Titans, killed (by Dionysus) in the war against the gods.
2. One of the revelers with Phineus at the marriage of Perseus and Andromeda. He was killed by Perseus.
Ripheus
A centaur of enormous size, with a vicious temper. He attended, uninvited, the wedding of Peirithous, a friend of
Theseus. In a fit of lust, he grabbed the bride-to-be and galloped off with her. Theseus pursued him, caught up with
him, and killed him. He returned the bride to the feast and the wedding ceremony continued.
Rumor
A feathered and swift-footed goddess-demon who delivers messages, not always truthfully
Sabazius
A Phrygian god, possibly the forerunner of Dionysus. The idea of taming oxen and yoking them to the plough is
attributed to him. Supposedly the issue of Zeus, in the form of a serpent, and Persephone. He was pictured with horns
on his forehead.
Salamis
A daughter of Asopus. Poseidon abducted her, and she bore him a son, Cychreus.
Salmacis
1. The nymph who saw Hermaphroditus sitting next to her spring and fell in love with him. She prayed to be united
with him. The gods merged her with him and they became the first bisexual being (a hermaphrodite).
2. The spring named after Salmacis, the nymph. It was said that whoever drank from this spring, male or female, from
then on preferred lovers of their own sex.
Salmaone
A mother goddess.
Salmoneus
A son of Aeolus and Aenarete, married to Alcidice, by whom he fathered a daughter, Tyro. He was an extreme egotist;
tried to emulate Zeus by building a bronze road on which he drove a chariot with iron wheels, dragging chains behind,
and throwing burning torches all about him; trying to imitate the thunder and thunderbolts of Zeus. Zeus struck him
with a real thunderbolt, killing him and wiping out his kingdom.
Samon
Son of Hermes and a nymph, Rhene.
Sanape
An Amazon with an unhealthy love of wine. Her name means "drunkard".
Sangarius
A river god. His daughter told him he was about to become a grandfather; he demanded to know the name of her lover.
She claimed that she had none, and had become pregnant by eating an almond. He flew into a murderous rage, but
before he could kill her she explained that Aphrodite had come to her in a dream and told her that her grandson from
this offspring would be an immortal hero. Her father was willing to settle for that and let her live. Her offspring was
Hecuba, who became the mother of Hector.
Sao
A goddess of sailing.
Sappho
Greek poetess, whose poetry was so renowned that Plato referred to her two centuries after her death as 'the Tenth
muse'. She was born on the island of Lesbos. According to tradition, Alcaeus was her lover. Another legend holds that
because of unrequited love for the young boatman Phaon she leaped to her death from a steep rock into the sea. She
had a daughter named Cleis. She taught the art of poetry to a group of maidens, to whom she was devotedly attached
and whose bridal odes she composed when they left her to be married. Later writers, commenting upon the group,
accused Sappho of immorality and vice, from which arose the modern terms for female homosexuality, "lesbianism"
and "sapphism."
Sarpedon
The third son of Zeus and Europa. He was a belligerent man and not as wise as his brothers Minos and
Rhadamanthys. He fought bravely in the Trojan War, but was eventually killed by Patroclus.
Satyr
A forest and mountain creature. Part human, with a horse's tail and ears, and a goat's horns and legs, satyrs were
merry, drunken, lustful devotees of Dionysus. See satyriasis in your dictionary.
Saurus -lizard
A bandit who was killed by Heracles.
Scamander
A river god. He was involved in an epic struggle with Achilles during the Trojan War. The night before Achilles was to
do battle with Hector, Andromache (Hector's wife) bathed in the river and implored Scamander to intervene on her
husband's behalf. She persuaded Hector to lead Achilles to the river during their battle, whereupon Scamander (with
help from another river-god, Simois) tried heroically to drown Achilles. Scamander was unsuccessful because Achilles,
the son of a sea goddess, was undrownable. Achilles then killed Hector.
Scamandrius
A Trojan who was killed by Menelaus in the Trojan War.
Schedius
One of Helen's suitors. He was killed by Hector in the Trojan War.
Schoeneus
Father of Atalanta.
Sciapodes
An African people whose name, in Greek, means "shady feet". It was said that in summer they would lie upon the
ground and raise their enormous feet above them to shade them from the sun.
Sciron
A robber/highwayman who forced his victims to wash his feet and then threw them over the rocks into the sea, where
they were devoured by a sea monster, a giant turtle. He tried to do the same thing to Theseus, but was thrown by
Theseus into the turtle's jaws instead.
Scotia
A sea goddess.
Scylla
1. The daughter of King Nisus, who promised her lover, Minos, that she would deliver her father's kingdom to him,
and to effect this, cut off her father's golden hair while he was asleep. Minos despised her for this act of treachery
against her father, and rejected her love. She threw herself into the sea in despair.
2. Scylla was a beautiful nymph and lover of Glaucus; she applied to Circe for a love potion. But Circe decided she
wanted Glaucus for herself, and changed Scylla into a sea monster with six heads, twelve feet, and a lower body made
up of hideous monsters. Scylla (and Charybdis) were two immortal monsters who lived on opposite shores of a narrow
strait. Scylla ate anything, and anybody that came within reach. When the Greek hero Odysseus passed between them,
he was able to avoid Charybdis, but Scylla seized six men from his ship and devoured them. Scylla probably was a tale
to explain a partially submerged rock that ships floundered on and Charybdis was probably the explanation for a
whirlpool.
Scythes
Son of Heracles (or Zeus) and Echidna, and brother of Agathyrsus and Gelonus. One tale quotes Heracles as telling
Echidna that when the three sons grew up whoever could draw the bow and use the baldric he was leaving should rule
the country, while the other two should be exiled. Scythes was the winner.
Selene -moon
The Greek goddess of the moon and daughter of Hyperion and Theia. Her twin brother is the sun-god Helios and her
sister is Eos (dawn). At night, she rose from the ocean and with her chariot, drawn by white horses (or oxen) she rode
through the sky. She had 50 daughters by Endymion and three by Zeus. Selene, also called Mene, wasn't worshipped
much, unlike her Roman counterpart, Luna, who was far more popular.
Selinus
Son of Poseidon, and ruler of Achaea. His only daughter, Helice, married Ion, who succeeded Selinus as king.
Semele
She was the mother of Dionysus through union with Zeus. Hera, wife of Zeus vowed revenge for Semele's pregnancy.
Disguised as an old woman, she sweet-talked Semele into inviting Zeus, in all his splendor, for a visit. Zeus, who had
promised Semele to grant her every wish, felt honor bound to agree, although he knew that the sight of him adorned
with his firebolts would kill her. Zeus did manage to save her unborn child, Dionysus, though.
Semiramis
Daughter of Derceto (goddess with woman's face and body of a fish) and Caystrus. Derceto killed Caystrus and
abandoned the baby in the fields. The baby was brought up by doves, who fed her on food stolen from nearby
shepherds. (Her name means "the one who comes from the doves".) She was eventually married to one of the king's
advisers, Onnes. Semiramis gained a reputation as being very wise; she advised her husband in all matters, and he
became very successful. When the king, Ninus, went to war, Onnes remained with him as adviser. Onnes took
Semiramis along with him, and when the attack stalled, Semiramis gave Onnes a battle plan that worked, and brought
victory to their forces. The king realized what a prize Semiramis was (and a beauty, too) and offered Onnes his own
daughter to wife if he would "trade" Semiramis. Onnes refused, whereupon the king threatened him with blindness;
Onnes committed suicide. Ninus then married Semiramis. She continued giving sage advice, and is credited with
many great works; some attribute the "Hanging Gardens" to her. It is said that when she died she changed into a dove
and flew to heaven.
Senecta
Goddess of old age. Daughter of Erebus and Nyx.
Serestus
A companion to Aeneas.
Sergestus
Another companion of Aeneas.
Sibyls
Ten mortal women who had the gift of prophecy. Even though they sometimes shared these prophecies, they were not
always believed. Some traditions have Cassandra as one of them.
Siden
A wife of Orion, who was hurled into the Underworld by Hera for daring to rival her in beauty.
Sidero
A wife of Salmoneus, who mistreated her step-son Tyro very badly. She was eventually killed by Pelias, one of Tyro's
sons.
Silenus
The oldest satyr, the son of Hermes or Pan, and the companion, adviser, or tutor of Dionysus.
Sinis
A noted robber, also known as the Pinebender because he tied his victims to two pine trees bent to the ground, and
then watched as they were torn apart when he released the trees. He was captured by Theseus, and put to death by his
own method. His daughter, Perigune, was attracted by Theseus' good looks, and convinced him to stay with her in the
forest for a few days. She later gave birth to Melanippus, who became a runner of legendary speed.
Sinon
The Greek who talked the Trojans into accepting the Wooden Horse. Son of Sisyphus and half-brother to Odysseus.
Sinope
A daughter of Ares and Aegina. Zeus tried to make her his lover, but she persuaded him to grant her a wish first. He
promised. She asked for eternal virginity, which, having promised, he granted. She later got Apollo and Halys (a rivergod) to grant her the same promise.
Sirens-those who bind
The mythical monsters that were half beautiful woman and half bird, and sang such sweet songs that listeners forgot
everything and died of hunger. In the oldest legends there were two, later writers had three, and still later writers kept
adding more. They sat on rocks by the sea and lured sailors to their doom by singing to them. Aglaope (beautiful face),
Aglaophonos (beautiful voice), Leucosia (white being), Ligeia (shrill), Molpe (music), Parthenope (maiden face),
Peisinoë (persuading mind), Raidne (improvement), Teles (perfect), Thelxepeia (soothing words), Thelxiope
(persuasive face) are their names. The three most famous were Parthenope, Ligea, and Leucosia. Ulysses escaped from
them by filling his crew's ears with wax while he tied himself to the ship's mast. The Argonauts were saved by
Orpheus' music.
Sisyphus -very wise
Legend has it that when Death came to take him he turned the tables and captured Death whom he put in chains. No
one died while Death was in chains and it stayed that way until Ares arrived and freed Death. In the meantime
Sisyphus had his wife, Merope, promise to leave him unburied when he died, a practice clearly against the orders of
the gods. When Death was released he claimed Sisyphus and brought him to the underworld where Sisyphus pointed
out the fact that his body was unburied. The gods allowed him to return to life so that he could punish his wife. Once
back home he lived to a ripe old age before he died for a second time. His punishment then was to roll a huge boulder
up a hill to the top, but each time he neared the top the boulder would roll back down the hill, so his task is neverending.
Sithon
A king of Thrace, said to be the son of Ares, or of Poseidon and the nymph Ossa. He was killed by Dionysus with a
stroke of his thyrus. Ovid suggests he became a woman.
Smyrna (Myrrh)
A princess who "wanted" her father. She got him drunk and had her way. When he found out she was pregnant by him
he pursued her, caught up to her in a forest, and axed her to death. She became a myrrh tree at her death, and from
this tree Adonis was born.
Solois
Companion of Theseus in his campaign against the Amazons.
Sopatrus
Supposedly the first man to offer a blood sacrifice to the gods. It was an accident that became formality.
Sophax
After Heracles had murdered Antaeus, he slept with Antaeus' wife Tinge. She gave birth to Sophax as a result.
Sophrosyne
Goddess of temperance and moderation.
Soteira
Goddess of safety.
Sparta
Daughter of the river-god Eurotas and Cletas. She became wife to Lacedaemon and bore Amyclas and Eurydice.
Speio
Goddess of caves.
Spercheius
A river-god, son of Oceanus and Thethys.
Spermo-of the seed
One of the Oenotropae. She changes grass into wheat.
Staphylus
The shepherd credited with the discovery of grapes. His king, Oeneus, is credited with the idea of pressing the grapes,
thereby making wine. This liquid was named after the king, from which we get "oeno", our prefix meaning wine.
Stentor
A Greek herald in the Trojan War. His voice was supposedly as loud as the combined voices of 50 men. Hence our
word stentorian.
Sterope
Three of them:
1. One of the Pleiades; daughter of Atlas and Pleione.
2. Daughter of Porthaon and Euryte.
3. Daughter of Helios.
Stheneboea
Wife of King Proetus. She fell in love with Bellerophon when he visited and made advances toward him. When he
refused to be seduced, she denounced him to Proetus, claiming attempted rape. The upshot; she tried to flee, using
Bellerophon's Pegasus, but was unseated when over the sea and drowned.
Sthenelus
(Four of them:)
1. Companion of Heracles in the battle against the Amazons.
2. A grandson of Minos.
3. One of Helen's suitors.
4. A son of Perseus and Andromeda.
Stheno
One of the Gorgons.
Stilbe
There were two of them:
1. Daughter of the Peneius river god and Creusa, and sister of Daphne.
2. Daughter of Eosphorus, and said by some to be the mother of Autolycus by Hermes.
Strymo
Mother of Astyoche, Cilla, and Hesione (and maybe Priam). Daughter of Scamander. Wife of Laomedon.
Strymon
A river-god, father of Rhesus by one of the Muses.
Styx-hated
The goddess of the River Styx who prevented the living from crossing into the realm of Hades without first undergoing
death's torments. The river that wound beneath the earth in the land of the dead is also called Styx.
Syleus
Wine maker with an evil heart. He forced passers-by to work in his vinyards until near-death; then he killed them. Of
course he went to the well once too often, as one of the passers-by turned out to be Heracles, who instead of tilling the
vines, tore them from the ground. When Syleus rushed toward him in anger, Heracles killed him with the hoe. As
usual in these myths, Heracles completed things by bedding Syleus' daughter.
Syllis
Nymph lover of Zeuxippus.
Syme
Bore a son, Chthonius, by Poseidon.
Syrinx
A nymph who, to avoid the attentions of Pan, took refuge in a river and asked the gods to change her into a reed,
which they did. Ironically, Pan plucked the reed from the river and from it made the pipes upon which he plays his
magical music.
Syrus
Supposedly the inventor of arithmetic, and the one who introduced the concept of reincarnation (metempsychosis).
Tabliope
A goddess of gambling.
Talaus
Son of Bias and Pero, father of Adrastus, and an Argonaut.
Talos
1. A bronze giant/robot forged by Hephaestus to protect the island of Crete. He threw boulders at strangers who
attempted to land on Crete. If that did not kill them, or deter them, he would submerge himself into a fire till he grew
white with the heat, and then hug the strangers until they burned to death. He had but one vein, that ran the length of
his body; Medea pierced the vein and he bled to death.
2. A nephew of Daedalus, who killed him out of jealousy because he was a better inventor.
Talthybius
Herald for Agamemnon in the Trojan war.
Tanagra
Daughter of Aeolus and Enarete.
Tanais
A river god, son of Oceanus and Tethys.
Tantalus-most wretched
He was an intimate friend of the gods, often invited to their feasts and banquets. He was sentenced to the underworld
for a crime against the gods. There are a number of crimes stated in differing stories but the one most prevalent is one
where he stole nectar and ambrosia from one of the feasts and gave them to men. His punishment in the underworld
was to stand neck deep in swirling water with fruits hanging over his head. When he would attempt to eat the fruit, a
wind would arise and blow them out of his reach. When he would attempt to drink, the water would swirl away from
him. Tantalize is a word derived from this tale.
Taphius
Son of Poseidon and Hippothoe.
Tartarus
The land beneath the earth, where the Titans were confined; a vast realm of darkness.
Taygete
One of the Pleiades.
Techne
Goddess of art.
Tecmessa
Trojan concubine of Ajax the Great.
Telamon
The father of Ajax, and a member of the Argonauts as well as a participant in the Calydonian Boar hunt.
Telamos
A Cyclops who foretold that Polyphemus would lose his eye in confrontation with Odysseus.
Telchines
The dwarflike creatures that worked for Hephaestus.
Telecleia
Wife of Cisseus. Sometimes cited as mother of Hecuba.
Teledamos
Twin son, with Pelops, of Agamemnon and Cassandra; they were murdered as children by Aegisthus.
Teledice
A nymph.
Telegonus
A son of Odysseus and Circe, who unknowingly killed his father while stealing cattle from his kingdom. He later
married Penelope, Odysseus' widow, and in some accounts fathered Italus with her.
Telemachus
The only son of Odysseus and Penelope. He helped his father kill Penelope's suitors. Later, according to some, he
married Circe!
Telephassa
An early goddess of light. Sometimes cited as the mother of Europa.
Telephus
Son of Heracles and Auge; he guided the Greeks to Troy (for the Trojan War), but did not engage in the battle.
Teles
One of the Sirens.
Telesphorus
God of convalescence; he was companion to Asclepius.
Telesto
One of the Oceanides.
Telete
One of the Horae.
Telphusa
A fountain nymph.
Telphusia
One of the Erinyes.
Tereus
Another Greek tragedy! Son of Ares, and husband of Procne. He hungered for his wife's sister, Philomena; raped her,
and cut out her tongue so she couldn't tell what happened. Philomena wove the story in a tapestry and sent it to her
sister. Procne avenged the wrong by killing their son Itylus, and serving him to Tereus for dinner. When Tereus found
out he pursued the sisters to kill them. The gods intervened and changed all three into birds.
Terpsichore-rejoicing in the dance
The Muse of dancing and choral singing.
Tethys-disposer
She was a Titan, and the wife of Oceanus and gave birth to around 3,000 river-gods and the Oceanides. Hera was
raised by Tethys until she was ready to marry Zeus.
Teucer
A son of Telamon, and half-brother to Ajax. He was exiled by his father for not avenging the death of his brother by
Odysseus.
Thalassa
Daughter of Aether (sky) and Hemera (day).
Thalia (Thaleia)
There were three of them:
1. One of the nine Muses. She presided over comedy and pastoral poetry.
2. One of the Three Graces (Charites).
3.One of the Nereides.
Thallo
One of the Horae. Daughter of Zeus and Themis. Personification of the spring season.
Thamyris
A Greek bard who challenged the Muses to a contest to see who was better. He lost. The Muses deprived him of his
sight and the powers of song. He is depicted with a broken lyre.
Thanatos
The Greek personification of death, twin brother of Sleep (Hypnos).
Thaumas
According to some, husband of Electra and father of Iris, and the Harpies.
Thebe
There were two:
1. A nymph, daughter of Prometheus and Iodane.
2. A nymph, daughter of Asopus and Metope.
Theia-divine
The wife of her brother Hyperion, Theia gave birth to Helios (sun), Eos (dawn), and Selene (moon). She is the goddess
from whom light emanates and considered especially beautiful.
Theisoa
One of the three nymphs who helped raised Zeus when he was an infant being hidden from his father. The other two
were Hagno and Neda.
Thelchtereia
One of the Sirens.
Thelxiepeia
Another Siren; sister of Aglaopheme and Peisinoe.
Themis-order
Themis is the goddess of the order of things established by law, custom and ethics. By Zeus' command, she convenes
the assembly of the gods, and she is invoked when mortals assemble. Another Titan, she is the mother of the Horae
(seasons), the Fates, the Hesperides and Prometheus.
Themisto
One of the Nereides, daughter of Nereus and Doris.
Theophane
A mortal beauty who was abducted by Poseidon and subsequently gave birth to the ram with the golden fleece of the
Argonaut myth.
Therimachos
Son of Heracles and Megara who with his brother, Creontiades, was killed by his father in the rage-induced madness
brought on by Hera.
Thersites
Supposedly the ugliest man at the Trojan War. It was he who mocked Achilles when he "loved" the dead Penthesilea,
and who was killed by Achilles for his comments.
Theseus-he who lays down
Son of King Aegeus. His most famous adventure was the slaying of the Minotaur, which he accomplished with the
help of Ariadne, daughter of King Minos of Crete. In the land of the Amazons he abducted Antiope, who bore him
Hippolytus. Antiope was later killed, and Theseus then married Phaedra. When he and his friend Pirithoüs attempted
to take Persephone from Hades, they were imprisoned there until Hercules rescued Theseus. He was murdered by King
Lycomedes.
Thespius
The king who sheltered Heracles, and provided him, as bed-partners, each of his fifty daughters. Some myths have
Heracles spending fifty nights at this task; others say it was seven nights; still others say it was one night!
Thessalos
Son of Heracles and Chalciope.
Thetis-disposer
She was loved by both Zeus and Poseidon. When a prophecy was made that indicated she would bear a son that would
become greater than his father, both gods hastened to marry her off to King Peleus. She resisted his advances by
changing into various shapes but he finally got to her. The child, when born, was Achilles.
Thoon
A giant killed in the Gigantomachy.
Thoosa
A nymph, daughter of Phorcys, sometimes considered to be the mother of Polyphemus by Poseidon.
Thrasymedes
A son of Nestor. One of the warriors within the wooden horse at Troy.
Thriae
Three sisters of prophecy; daughters of Zeus with various nymphs. Their prophecies were paid for with honey, their
favorite food.
Thyestes
Son of Pelops and brother of Atreus. Thyestes was the rival of his brother for the throne of Mycenae. He seduced
Atreus's wife, Aerope, and persuaded her to steal the fleece of a golden lamb that Atreus treasured. The people of
Mycenae decided that the possessor of the fleece should be their king, and Thyestes was chosen. The god Zeus
intervened, however, and, by causing the sun to reverse its course and set in the east, gained Thyestes' abdication.
Atreus succeeded as king and banished his brother. Later he discovered the infidelity of his wife and in revenge called
Thyestes back from exile. At a welcoming banquet, Atreus served his brother the flesh of Thyestes' two murdered sons.
When this was revealed to him, Thyestes laid a curse on Atreus and his descendants. The oracle at Delphi then advised
Thyestes to ravish his own daughter, Pelopia. From the incestuous union was born Aegisthus, who later helped fulfill
the curse that Thyestes had placed on the house of Atreus.
Thyia
A nymph, daughter of the river-god Cephissus. She consorted with Apollo, and bore his son Delphus.
Tiphys
Helmsman of the Argo.
Tiresias
A Theban seer. He was said to have been struck blind by the goddess Athena (because he had accidently seen her
bathing) by her splashing water in his face, but to have been recompensed by her later with the gift of prophecy and
the ability to understand the language of the birds, and the gift of a staff with which he could walk as safely as if he
had sight. According to another version, he was for a time transformed into a woman (for seven years). Later, having
become a man again, he was asked by Zeus and Hera, king and queen of the gods, to tell which sex had more pleasure
in love. When he replied that woman had nine times as much pleasure as man, Hera, in anger, blinded him, but Zeus
granted him long life. Tiresias played a prominent part in Theban legends, delivering prophecies to Oedipus, king of
Thebes. He died while fleeing the wrath of the Epigoni (by drinking from the well of Tilphosa), bellicose descendants
of the Argive heroes who were killed in the war of the Seven Against Thebes.
Tisiphone
One of the Erinyes.
Titanides, The
Daughters of Uranus and Gaea. They are Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Rhea, Tethys, Theia, and Themis.
Titanis
One of the Horae.
Titans
(By most accounts they numbered twelve). They were children of Uranus and Gaea. Often called the Elder Gods, they
were for many ages the supreme rulers of the universe and were of enormous size and incredibly strong. They were:
(six brothers) Oceanus (the river that flowed around the earth), Coeus, Crius, Hyperion (the father of the sun, the
moon, and the dawn), Iapetus (the father of Prometheus, who created mortals), and Cronus (Kronos; he was the most
important of the Titans and ruled the universe until he was dethroned by his son Zeus, who seized power for himself.)
and (six sisters) Theia, Rhea, Themis (the goddess of divine justice), Mnemosyne (the goddess of memory), Phoebe,
and Tethys (wife of Oceanus). Of all the Titans only Prometheus and Oceanus sided with Zeus against Cronus. As a
result, they were honored and the others were bound in Tartarus. Eventually, however, Zeus was reconciled with the
Titans, and Cronus was made ruler of the Golden Age.
Tithonus
A handsome Trojan who was beloved by Eos (who bore him a son, the hero Memnon, king of Ethiopia), to whom he
prayed for immortality, which she granted. He neglected to ask for eternal youth as well, and so grew older and older.
At last he prayed to Eos again, asking for death, but this she could not grant him, so she changed him into a
grasshopper.
Tityus
A son of Zeus and Gaea who was so huge his body covered nine acres of land. He tried to defile Latona, but Apollo
cast him into Tartarus, where a vulture feeds on his liver which grows as fast as it is eaten.
Torone
One of the Oceanides.
Triton
Triton was the son of the sea god Poseidon and Amphitrite. He had the power to calm or agitate the waves by blowing
on a twisted seashell.
Tritopatores
A goddess of the winds.
Trochilus
A son of Io. Supposedly invented the chariot. After his death he was placed among the stars as the constellation of the
Charioteer.
Tyche
Goddess symbolizing fortune and prosperity.
Tyndareus
Father of the Dioscuri, Helen, Clytemnestra, Timandra, and Phylonoe.
Typhon (Typhoeus)-hot wind
The youngest son of Tartarus of the underworld and Gaea. He was described as a grisly monster with a hundred
dragon's heads. He was imprisoned under Mount Etna (a volcano) and thus was considered the personification of
volcanic forces. He was married to Echidna, and had as children, Orthos, Cerberus (the three headed dog that guarded
the entrance to Hades), the multi-headed Lernean Hydra, Chimaera, the Theban Sphinx, and the Nemean Lion. Zeus
killed him with a thunderbolt.
Ucalegon
1. Father of the Sphinx. 2. A Trojan warrior, friend to Priam and Aeneas.
Udaios
One of the survivors of the battle between the warriors who sprang up from the sown dragon's teeth.
Uranus-king of the mountains
Gaea (Earth) with Chaos, produced Uranus, the Mountains and the Sea. From her union with Uranus was born the
Titans and the Cyclopes. Uranus hated his children and hid them within Gaea's body. Gaea pleaded with them to
avenge her. Only the Titan Cronus obeyed her. When Uranus approached Gaea, Cronus sprung upon him and cut off
his testicles. Some of the blood spattered on Gaea and from the blood was born the Furies and the Giants. The genitals
were tossed into the sea producing a white foam from which was born Aphrodite.
Urania
1. Muse of astronomy and astrology (One of the nine Muses). Mother of a son Linus, by Apollo, and a daughter
Hymnaeus, by Dionysus. Both children were master musicians. Linus tutored Heracles, who killed him in a fit of
anger. Urania is often pictured carrying a globe in one hand and a pair of compasses in the other.
2. Also the name of one of the Oceanides.
Volupta
Daughter of Psyche and Eros. Her name means "Pleasure".
Xanthippe
Daughter of Doris and wife of Pleuron.
Xantho
One of the Nereides.
Xenia
The nymph who loved Daphnis.
Xenodamos
Son of the nymph Knossia.
Xenodike
Daughter of Minos and Pasiphae; sister to Ariadne and Phaedra.
Xuthus
The second son of Hellen (or in some accounts, brother of Hellen and Dorus), and the grandson of Deucalion. He
married Creusa, a daughter of Erechtheus. She had previously borne a son Ion to Apollo, but the child was taken from
her at its birth. She and Xuthus were childless and consulted the oracle at Delphi, which told them to adopt as their
son the first young man they met. So, who did they meet leaving the temple? Right. They met Ion, who had been
raised in the temple.
Zacynthus
Son of Dardanus, and minor Greek hero.
Zagreus-restored to life
He was a son of Zeus. Zeus, disguised as a snake, seduced his daughter Persephone. Zagreus, who resulted from this
union, was Zeus' favorite child and due to inherit all of Zeus' power. Hera was jealous (as usual) of any woman with
whom he had an affair or any child resulting from his amours and talked the Titans into killing it. The Titans tore the
child apart and began eating the parts. Athena managed to save the boy's heart and brought it to Zeus, who swallowed
it. Zeus then blew the Titans into dust with his thunderbolts. From this dust mankind arose. Zeus (according to one
version of this myth) then got Semele pregnant and instilled the heart of Zagreus into the fetus. The baby, when born,
was Dionysus.
Zalmoxis
He sometimes symbolized immortality.
Zelus (Zelos)
Son of the Titan Pallas and the river Styx. His name means "zeal". He personified enthusiasm and zeal.
Zephyrus
The god of the west wind. He was the son of the Titan Astraeus and of Eos, the goddess of the dawn. Zephyrus was
said to be the husband of his sister Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, or the husband of his sister Chloris, the goddess of
spring (a la the Roman Flora). His brothers were Boreas and Notus, the gods of the north and south winds,
respectively. He was the father of Carpus, Xanthus and Balius. In some versions he fathered Xanthus and Balius
(Achilles' horses) by the Harpy Podarge, another of his sisters.
Zetes and Calais
Twin brothers (with wings), noteworthy mainly because they were slain by Heracles.
Zethus and Amphion
Also twin brothers. They hated their king, Lycus, for he had badly mistreated and abandoned their mother. They killed
Lycus, and tied his new wife Dirce to a bull, and whipped the bull so that it stampeded over rough ground, dragging
Dirce to her death. They then became co-rulers of the city, which they named Thebes, after the nymph Thebe whom
Zethus married. Zethus, a man of extraordinary strength, carried huge boulders and placed them around the city as
fortification. Those boulders he could not carry "danced" their by themselves under the influence of Amphion, a
master musician, and his lyre.
Zeus-bright sky
Zeus was the god of the sky and ruler of the Olympian gods. He was considered the father of the gods, and of mortals,
although he did not create either; he was their father in the sense of being the ruler both of the Olympian gods and of
the human race. He was the rain god, and the cloud gatherer, who wielded the terrible thunderbolt. His breastplate was
the aegis, his bird the eagle, his tree the oak. Zeus was the youngest son of the Titans, Cronus and Rhea, and the
brother of the Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter, and Hera. According to one of the ancient myths of the birth of Zeus,
Cronus, having heard the prophecy that he might be dethroned by one of his children, swallowed them as they were
born. Upon the birth of Zeus, Rhea wrapped a stone in swaddling clothes for Cronus to swallow and concealed the
infant god in Crete, where he was fed on the milk of the goat Amalthaea and reared by nymphs. When Zeus grew to
maturity, he forced Cronus to disgorge the other children, who were eager to take vengeance on their father. In the war
that followed, the Titans fought on the side of Cronus, but Zeus and the other gods were successful, and the Titans
were banished to Tartarus. Zeus henceforth ruled over the sky, and his brothers Poseidon and Hades were given power
over the sea and the underworld, respectively. The earth was to be ruled in common by all three. He is represented as
the god of justice and mercy, the protector of the weak, and the punisher of the wicked. As husband to his sister Hera,
he is the father of Ares, the god of war; Hebe, the goddess of youth; Hephaestus, the god of fire; and Eileithyia, the
goddess of childbirth. At the same time, Zeus is noted for falling in love with one woman after another and resorting
to all kinds of tricks to hide his infidelity from his wife. Stories of his escapades were numerous in ancient mythology,
and many of his offspring were a result of his love affairs with both goddesses and mortal women. Zeus' image was
represented in sculptural works as a kingly, bearded figure. Zeus corresponds to the Roman god Jupiter.
Zeuxippe
One of the Oceanides; daughter of Tethys and Oceanus.
Zeuxo
Another one of the Oceanides; also a daughter of Tethys and Oceanus.
Mythological Characters of the Mid-East
The Sumerians had four leading deities, known as creating gods. These gods were An, the god of heaven; Ki (Kiki),
the goddess of earth; Enlil, the god of air; and Enki (who later became Ea), the god of water. Next in importance to the
creating deities were the three sky deities, Nanna, the god of the moon; Utu, the sun god; and Inanna (who later
became Ishtar), the queen of heaven and the goddess of love, procreation, and war. Another god of great importance
was Ninurta, the deity in charge of the violent and destructive south wind. One of the most beloved deities was the
shepherd god Dumuzi (the biblical Tammuz).
A
(Babylonia) A Chaldean moon goddess. Her emblem is a disk with eight rays, a number that is associated with the
goddess of light in many cultures.
Adad
(Babylonian/Mesopotamian) Babylonian: The god of wind, storm, and flood. Mesopotamian: Embodiment of violent
thundering rainstorms. Portrayed both as a bull and a lion. His symbol is a forked lightning bolt.
Adapa
(Babylonian/Mesopotamian) One of the Seven Sages and the hero of Akkadian myth which features him as a priest of
Ea, who is tricked into refusing the food and drink of immortality.
Adrammelech
God to whom infants were burnt in sacrifice.
Aeon
(Phoenicia) Discoverer of edible fruits.
Agasaya
Semitic war goddess who was merged into Ishtar in her identity as fearless warrior of the sky.
Ahriman
(Persia) Also known as Angra Mainyu. The son of Zurvan.
Ahura Mazda
(Persia) The supreme god, and another son of Zurvan.
Ahurani
(Persia) Goddess of rain and water.
Ai-ada
(Turk) The moon god.
Aja
The Babylonian dawn goddess and consort of the sun god.
Aka
The mother goddess in ancient Turkey.
Al-Lat
A mythic figure of great antiquity she is one (she represented the earth and its fruits) of the trinity of desert goddesses
named in the Koran; Al-Uzza (goddess of the morning star) and Menat (goddess of fate and time) being the others.
An
(Sumeria) God of the Underworld and chief deity.
Anahita
Persian goddess, both protective mother and warrior defender of her people, she was also the goddess of rivers and
waters.
Anath (Anat)
(Phoenician) Chief West Semitic goddess of love and war, the sister and helpmate of the god Baal (Bel). A goddess
with four differing aspects: mother, virgin, warrior, and wanton. Though a "mother" she was ever a "virgin". Her lust
for blood, and or sex, was legendary.
Anatu
Mesopotamian goddess, ruler of the earth and queen of the sky.
Anu
(Babylonian) The head of the gods, he had an army of stars to destroy evildoers.
Anunitu
An early Babylonian goddess of the moon who was symbolized by a disk with eight rays. She was later merged with
Ishtar.
An-Zu
Assyrian goddess of chaos, who like Tiamat, was killed in order to form the universe.
Apsu
In the Babylonian creation story Enuma elish, the world parents, Apsu and Tiamat, bear off-spring who later find
themselves opposed to the parents. The off-spring defeat the parents in a battle, and from the immolated body of
Tiamat the world is created.
Ararat
The ancient Anatolian (Turkey) creator goddess.
Arinna
(Hittite) Goddess of the sun.
Asherali
(Canaan) Moon goddess of fertility.
Ashnan
Sumerian goddess of grain.
Ashtoreth (Astarte or Ashtart)
The supreme female divinity of the Phoenician nations, the goddess of love and fruitfulness. She symbolized the
female principle, as Baal symbolized maleness. The Babylonian and Assyrian counterpart of Ashtoreth was Ishtar.
Ashur
(Assyria) Chief deity; god of war and fertility.
Astarte
The supreme female divinity of the Phoenician nations. The goddess of love and fruitfulness. She symbolized the
female principle. Astarte has been identified with various Greek goddesses: the goddess of the moon, Selene; the
goddess of wild nature, Artemis; and the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite. The Babylonian and Assyrian
counterpart of Astarte was Ishtar.
Atar
(Iran) God of fire.
Athirat
(Canaan) Goddess of the sea.
Athtart
(Canaan) Goddess of fertility and sex. Another name for Astarte.
Aya
(Mesopotamia) Goddess of dawn.
Baal (Bel)
(Phoenicia) Baal has the titles "Almighty" and "Lord of the Earth." He is the god of the thunderstorm, war, good
harvests, and fertilty; the most vigorous and aggressive of their gods. Baal is usually depicted holding a thunderbolt.
There is a myth that tells of a challenge to him from Yamm, the Sea God. Armed with magical weapons made by the
craftsman god, Kothar, Baal manages to overcome Yamm. Another myth concerns Baal's relations with Mot, god of
Death, whom he initially defies, but to whom he eventually succumbs. Anath disposes of Mot, and then dreams that
Baal is alive again, and so it is. Mot also returns to life and they renew their war. This occurs year after year,
synbolizing the return of the seasons.
Baalat (Ba'Alat)
(Phoenicia) Baalat is queen of the gods. She is associated with books, libraries, and writers. She was worshipped
primarily in the city of Byblos (which is the original source of papyrus) and Byblos is what the Greeks called papyrus
and, eventually, books.
Baau
(Phoenicia) Creator goddess.
Beelsamin
(Phoenicia) Sun god and lord of the sky.
Belit-Seri
Babylonian scribe of the underworld who kept the records of human activities so she could advise the queen of the
dead on their final judgement.
Beruth
Earth mother goddess of the Phoenicians. Today's Beirut is her city.
Broxa
In Jewish folklore the name of a bird believed to suck the milk of goats during the night.
Caelestis
(Carthage) A moon goddess.
Cassios, Lebanon, Antilebanon, and Brathy
(Phoenicia) Giants who lived on the mountains that bear their names.
Chaos
(Babylonia) Mother of the gods.
Chemosh
(Moab) The national god of the Moabites; human sacrifices were made to him.
Cotys
(Phrygian) Earth goddess who presided over debauchery.
Cybele
(Phrygian) A goddess of forests, mountains, and fertility.
Daena
(Persia) The goddess who meets the souls of the dead (on the fourth day after death) and leads them to heaven or hell.
She has a dog who sniffs at the soul and tells her if it is good or bad.
Daevas
(Persia) Zoroastrianism religion referred to demons as daevas, hence the word devil.
Dagon
(Mesopotamia) God of vegetation. He was half-man and half-fish.
Damkina
(Sumeria) The earth mother goddess.
Dazimus
(Sumer) Goddess of healing.
Derketo
(Chaldea) A moon goddess associated with fertility. She is sometimes depicted as a mermaid.
Dhat-Badan
The primary goddess of the Arabs of Yemen. She was a goddess of the natural forces of the wilderness, worshiped
especially in tree-circled oases.
Dilmun
(Sumeria) God of fresh water.
Dumuzi (Du'uzu)-shepherd god
(Sumerian) (The biblical Tammuz) Dumuzi was originally a mortal ruler whose marriage to Inanna ensured the
fertility of the land and the fecundity of the womb. This marriage, however, according to a myth whose denouement
has only recently come to light, ended in stark tragedy when the goddess, offended by her husband's unfeeling
behavior toward her, decreed that he be carried off to the netherworld for six months of each year-hence the barren,
sterile months of the hot summer. At the autumnal equinox, which marked the beginning of the Sumerian new year,
Dumuzi returned to the earth. His reunion with his wife caused all animal and plant life to be revitalized and made
fertile once again.
Duttur
(Sumer) Mother of Dumuzi, and goddess of ewes.
Ea
(Babylonian) The god of wisdom, spells, incantations, and the seas.
El
(Phoenicia) Leader of the gods.
Endukugga
(Sumeria) God of the Underworld.
Enki
(Sumerian) A creator god in Mesopotamia, later called Ea. The Sumerian god of water.
Enlil
(Sumerian) The god of air and weather.
Ennugi
(Mesopotamia) God of canals.
Eriskegal, Ereshkigal (Allatu)
(Babylonia) She is one of the divinities who ruled the netherworld. The goddess that ruled over the dead. Wife of
Nergal.
Eshara
(Chaldean) Goddess of war, and of productive fields.
Eshmun
(Canaan) God of healing.
Firanak
(Persia) She was the mother of the hero Feridun, whom she saved from a threatened massacre by hiding him in a
garden where a miraculous cow named Prumajeh suckled him.
Fravashi
(Persia) Her name means "She-who-is-many". She is made up of the souls of all living creatures, including those NotYet-Born.
Gatamdug
(Babylonia) A mother goddess along the Tigris River. She was an interpreter of dreams, who was later assimilated into
the goddess Gula.
Genea
(Phoenicia) Daughter of Kolpia and Baau, and, with Genos, the first inhabitants of Phoenicia.
Genos
(Phoenicia) Son of Kolpia and Baau, and, with Genea, the first inhabitants of Phoenicia.
Gestinanna
(Sumerian) Sister of Dumuzi. The dying Dumuzi, tortured by nightmares, brought the dreams to his sister for
interpretation. Gestinanna realized her brother was under attack by demons. She tells him this and advises him to flee.
Dumuzi flees, swearing Gestinanna to secrecy as to where he is going into hiding. The demons attacked Gestinanna to
force her to reveal her brother's whereabouts, but she remained silent. The demons, however, soon found Dumuzi,
hiding in the form of a gazelle in his sister's sheepfold. He was carried off to the underworld by them; Gestinanna then
set out to rescue him. They were eventually reunited after many adventures. The goddess then persuaded the
underworld divinities to grant Dumuzi half her own life; thus each was allowed to live on earth six months of each
year.
Gula
(Babylonia) Sometimes called Gula-Bau. A mother goddess, with the power to inflict disease, or to cure disease. She
lived in a garden at the center of the world, and watered the tree that forms its axis.
Hadad
(Canaan) God of lightning and thunder.
Hannahanna
(Hittite) God of agriculture.
Hatti
(Hittite) The throne goddess, protector of the king.
Hea
(Mesopotamia) Goddess of wisdom.
Hiribi
(Canaan) Goddess of summer.
Houri, The
(Persia) The nymphs who accompany the faithful in paradise.
Humban
(Mesopotamia) The supreme deity.
Innana
Sumerian goddess that later became known as Ishtar. She was the queen of heaven. also the goddess of love,
procreation, and war.
Ishkur
(Mesopotamia) God of rain.
Ishtar
(Babylonian) The daughter of Sin, she was the goddess of sexuality, and the ambitious, dynamic goddess of love and
war. The Babylonian goddess Ishtar was a later, more complex form of the Sumerian goddess Inanna and their myths
were similar. Both loved a vegetation god who died yearly and was reborn yearly. Both were responsible for the death
as well as the rebirth of the beloved. Like Inanna (her lover was Dumuzi), Ishtar descended to the underworld in
search of Tammuz, the lover whose death she had caused. But even a divine visitor to the hell queen, Eriskegal, must
go naked, so Ishtar was forced to give up her jewels and clothes (some article at each of the seven gates) as she
descended. So Ishtar was stripped: her crown taken from her at the first gate, then her earrings, her necklace, her
diadem, her belt, her bracelets, and finally-at the seventh gate- her very garment. All these were courting presents
from Tammuz, and Ishtar was loath to part with them. But to gain her desire-the resurrection of the vegetation god
Tammuz for whom earth's women were wailing-Ishtar allowed herself to be stripped and stood naked before Eriskegal.
Eriskegal (Ereshkigal) had Ishtar imprisoned and assaulted her with illness after illness, sixty in all. (That's wintertime). Finally Ea, the god of wisdom, intervened and through his magic Ishtar was released. (That's spring-time).
Ithm
(Canaan) God of herds.
Jamshid or Jamshyd
[Persia Myth (Iran)] An early legendary king of Persia who reigned for 700 years, and had demons (Devs) as his
slaves.
Kabta
(Sumeria) God of bricks.
Kadi
(Assyria) Goddess of justice.
Kamrusepas
(Hittite) God of healing and magic.
Ki (Kiki)
(Sumerian)The goddess of earth.
Kingu
The dragon of chaos.
Kolpia
(Phoenicia) Male creator god; husband to Baau, and father of Aeon and Protogonis.
Kothar-u-Khasis
(Canaan) God of crafts.
Lahar
(Babylonian) Goddess of herds, especially sheep.
Marduk
The fertility god and the lord of all the gods. In Babylonian religion, the supreme god. Originally, he was a god of
thunderstorms. According to Enuma elish, an ancient epic poem of creation, Marduk defeated Tiamat and Kingu, the
dragons of chaos, and thereby gained supreme power. Acknowledged as the creator of the universe and of humankind,
the god of light and life, and the ruler of destinies, he rose to such eminence that he claimed 50 titles. Eventually, he
was called simply Bel, meaning "Lord."
Mari
(Middle East) "Mother Sea". Basic name of the goddess known as Marian, Mariamne, Myrrhine, Myrrha, Marratu,
Maria, Maerin, Mariana and Marina. Also the basic name for the merry-maid, or mermaid (also mare-mynd,
mareminde, marraminde, maraeman or mereminne). She was often seen dressed in a blue robe and pearl necklace,
edged with pearly foam.
Meni
(Phoenicia) God of luck, both good and bad.
Merodach
(Babylonia) A sun god.
Misor
(Phoenicia) He, with Sydyk, discovered salt and its uses.
Moloch
(Canaan) Sun god.
Mot
Ancient Phoenician god of the dead and of all the powers that opposed life and fertility; he was the favorite son of the
god El, and the most prominent enemy of the god Baal. Mot was the god of sterility and the master of all barren
places. Traditionally, Mot and Baal (a god of springs, sky, and fertility) were perpetually engaged in a seasonal
struggle in which Baal, like many similar harvest deities, was annually vanquished and slain. Mot, however, was also
annually killed by Baal's sister Anath, who thus aided Baal's resurrection.
Mushdama
(Mesopotamia) God of architecture.
Mylitta
(Babylonian) Goddess of fertility.
Naamah
(Canaan) Goddess of sexuality.
Nabu (Nebo)
Son of Marduk, and the scribe and herald of the gods.
Nairyosangha
(Iran) God of fire.
Nammu
(Sumerian) Early goddess of the formless waters of creation.
Namtaru
(Assyria) God of plagues.
Nanna
(Sumerian) The god of the moon, and the father of Utu and Inanna.
Nebo
(Assyria) The god of teaching and writing.
Nergal
One of the divinities who ruled the netherworld in Assyro-Babylonian mythology.
Nidaba
(Sumeria) Goddess of writing.
Ninhursag or Nintu
Sumerian goddess of the earth and creator of humans. She became enraged at her husband's (Enki) incestuous
adventures with his daughters and other goddesses forcing him to retreat to the underworld, leaving the earth parched,
accounting for the seasonal cycle.
Ninlil
(Sumeria) God of air and grain.
Ninsar
(Sumeria) Goddess of plants.
Nintur
(Babylonian) Goddess of the womb.
Ninurta
(Sumerian) The deity in charge of the violent and destructive south wind.
Pa
(Canaan) Goddess of droughts.
Qadshu
(Syria) Goddess of fertility.
Rapithwin
(Persia) God of the noon-day heat.
Resheph (Mikal or Mekal)
Ancient Phoenician god of the plague and of the underworld, the companion of Anath, and the equivalent of the
Babylonian god Nergal. He was also a war god and was thus represented as a bearded man, brandishing an ax, holding
a shield, and wearing a tall, pointed headdress with a goat's or gazelle's head on his forehead. Resheph was usually
believed to be related to Mot, the god of sterility and death, but he also seems to have been a god of well-being, plenty,
and fertility, and in that respect he may have been a form of the god Baal.
Rimmon
(Babylonia) Another sun god.
Sadarnuna
(Sumeria) Goddess of the new moon.
Shahar
(Canaan) God of the dawn.
Shalim
(Canaan) God of the dusk.
Shamish
(Babylonian) The son of Sin, he was the sun god and the god of justice.
Shapshu
(Canaan) Goddess of the sun.
Sheger
(Canaan) God of cattle.
Sin
The Babylonian moon god (counterpart of the Sumerian Nanna).
Siris (Sirah)
(Babylonia) Goddess of Banquets.
Taautos
(Phoenicia) Descendant of Misor; devolved into the Egyptian Thoth.
Tammuz
The harvest god and husband of Ishtar, whose violent love sessions sent him comatose to the underworld, where she
would go yearly to revive him, thus accounting for the seasons.
Tanit
(Canaan) Goddess of the moon.
Taru
(Hittite) The weather god.
Tasimmet
(Hittite) Goddess of weather.
Telipinu
(Hittite) God of agriculture.
Tiamat
The savage and defiant goddess of chaos in the Mesopotamian creation myth. From her corpse, (she was a dragonlike
personification of the oceans, whose destruction was prerequisite to an orderly universe) the world is created.
Tishtrya
(Iran) God of clouds, sea, and water.
Tsehub
(Hittite) The weather god.
Utnapishtim
(Babylonian) This man and his family are the survivors of the flood in the Gilgamesh epic.
Utu
(Sumerian) The sun god.
Wurusemu
(Hittite) The sun goddess, also called Arinna. Her consort was the weather god.
Yam
(Canaan) God of the sea.
Yarih (Yarikh)
(Canaan) Moon god.
Yima
(Persia) God of light. He is responsible for the fact that the earth is three times larger than originally intended. Mortal
humans and mortal animals have overpopulated the planet three times and each time Yima has enlarged it for them.
Zaba
The Hurrite god of war.
Zababa
(Kish) Chief of the gods.
Zam
A Persian earth-spirit.
Zanahary (Zanaharibe)
(Madagascar) He was Zanahary the "creator god" and he was also Railanitra the "father of heaven". He was a
terrifying god that spoke in thunder and lightning. He was careless, however, and was deceived by his double from
down below. In the beginning there were two Zanaharys: one above called Andriamanitra and one below. The one
below amused himself by making clay figures representing men, women and animals. But he could not bring them to
life. The Zanahary above asked him for some of these figures in exchange for sunlight. The one below offered him fish
but the one above wanted women. They then agreed and the Zanahary above gave them life but the one below refused
to be separated from the women. The two gods became enemies, and that is how the worlds above and below came to
be separated.
Zarpandit
(Assyro-Babylonian) An early pregnancy goddess who was worshiped each night as the moon rose.
Zarathustra
(Persia) A priest-magician who spoke with the gods, fought against the demons and performed miracles.
Zatavu
(Madagascar) A great magician, he asked for the hand of a sky goddess in marriage. His marriage request was denied
by the gods because a marriage between a mortal and a goddess was deemed improper. However, Zatavu was able to
prove that he created himself, and was not therefore to be considered as other mortals. So logical was his argument
that the marriage was approved.
Zazavavindrano
(Madagascar) Water spirits of whom mortal males make the claim that there is nothing a Zazavavindrano wants more
than to marry a mortal male.
Ziusudra
(Sumerian) The survivor in the Sumerian flood myth, which was probably the source of the later Babylonian flood
myth (he becomes Utnapishtim in Gilgamesh), which was undoubtedly the source of the biblical flood myth (where he
is now Noah).
Zu (Imdugud)
(Assyria) The god of thunder and storms.
Zurvan
(Persia) Father of Ahriman and Ahuramazda. The god of infinite time.
Oceania Mythological Characters
NOTE: Oceania is a name used to designate all the islands in the South Pacific Ocean. The subdivisions of Oceania
are Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia, which are grouped together in accordance with the physical and cultural
characteristics of the inhabitants, and the Malay Archipelago. (As defined by the United Nations, (but not in these
pages), the term also includes Australia and New Zealand.) We are including Hawaii in this grouping, although
geographically it is NOT in the South Pacific.
Abeguwo
(Melanesia/New Guinea) Rain goddess whose urine turns to moisture.
Abere
(Melanesia) An evil demoness who attacks males.
Adaro
(Polynesia and Melanesian) A sea god.
Afekan
(Melanesia/New Guinea) The creator goddess.
Ai Tupua'i
(Polynesia) Goddess of healing and of war.
'Aiaru
(Polynesia) One of the seven guardians of the world. Her function is to predict death. The others are Fa'a'ipu,
Firifiri'Aufau, Nihoniho teitei, 'Orerorero, Tahu'a, and Tamaumau'orero.
Ala Muki
(Polynesia) A river goddess who takes the form of a dragon.
Alalahe
(Polynesia) Goddess of love.
Alii Menehune
(Hawaii) Chief of the Little People. The aboriginal little people of long, long ago were called menehune; Alii means
highest: thus Alii Menehune.
Aluluei
(Micronesia) God of knowledge.
Atanea
A dawn goddess in some South Pacific islands, who created the seas when she miscarried and filled the hollows of the
earth with amniotic fluid.
Audjal
(Caroline Islands) The earth goddess.
Aumakua
(Hawaii) Means "Ghost of Your Ancestors". Huna, the religion of early Hawaii, taught that each person had two souls.
When one died the earthly soul (unihi-pili) remained earth-bound and descended to the the underworld. The aumakua
(higher soul) ascended to the heavens to rejoin the deceased ancestors.
Babamik
(New Guinea) A cannibalistic ogress. When she died she became the crocodile ancestor.
Buring une
An agricultural goddess who lives benath the earth.
Darago
(Philippines) A volcano goddess who "demanded" a human sacrifice once a year to keep her from erupting.
Dayang-Raca
(Borneo) The sole survivor of a flood that killed off the rest of the human race. She mated with the flames of her
campfire, became pregnant, and repopulated the earth.
De ai
(Micronesia) Mother of the sun, moon, and sea.
Dogai
(Melanesian) A malignant spirit who tried constantly to frustrate human enterprise by making crops fail, scaring fish
away from nets, etc. Some places he was a male god, in other places she was a female goddess.
Enda semangko
(Melanesia) Both a war goddess and a fertility goddess.
Faumea
(Polynesia) Goddess of fertility.
Giriputri
(Bali) The sacred mountain of Gunung Agaung is ruled by the benevolent goddess Giriputri. Each year sacred water is
drawn from a mountain stream and used to bless the harvest.
Goga
In Melanesia-Papua New Guinea and nearby islands the story of how humans got fire goes like this: The primal being
was an ageless old woman named Goga. In her body she nurtured fire, which a human boy stole from her. She pursued
the boy who, trying to elude her, accidentally dropped the burning branch onto a tree, which caught fire. Inside the
tree was a snake, whose tail caught fire. Though Goga deluged the world with rain, hoping to quench the stolen fire,
the snake's tail continued to smolder, and humans used it to light the first earthly blaze.
Haumea
(Hawaii) Goddess of childbirth.
Hiiaka'
1. (Polynesian) Sister to Pele and her helper in keeping the fires of Kilauea burning.
2. (Hawaii) Patroness of hula dancing.
Hina
(Hawaii) Goddess of the moon.
Hine
(Polynesia) Goddess of darkness.
Hoa-Tapu
(Tahiti) God of war.
'Imoa
(Polynesia) The first woman.
Io
Polynesian myth tells how their supreme god, Io, created the world. In the beginning there were only waters and
darkness. By his word and thought Io separated the waters and created Earth and sky. He said: "Let the waters be
separated, let the heavens be formed, let the Earth be."
Kanaloa
(Hawaii) God of the sea.
Kane
(Hawaii) God of fertility, fresh water, and the woodlands.
Kapo
(Hawaii) Goddess of abortions, childbirth, and fertility.
Kava
(Hawaii) The god of good and evil.
Konori
(New Guinea) Creator of the world.
Ku
(Hawaii) The god of power and war.
Kuklikimoku
(Polynesia) God of war.
Laka
(Hawaii) Goddess of fertile land.
Laulaati
(Loyalty Islands) Creator of the world.
Lono
(Hawaii) God of the sky, rain, and agriculture.
Mahiuki
(Polynesia) Ruler of the underworld, and as Mahuika is goddess of fire and earthquakes.
MakeMake
(Easter Island) Half human, half bird, he was the protector of birds.
Marruni
(Melanesia) God of earthquakes.
Maui
The most famous folktale character of Polynesia is Maui, the trickster hero who steals fire for man (The legend
describes the descent of Maui to the underworld, where he learns the art of making fire by rubbing two sticks
together), fishes up the islands of the South Pacific, traps the sun to lengthen the day, and helps raise the sky. Maui is
also known in Micronesian and some Melanesian folklore.
Melu
The creation god of the Bagobo (Bagopo) people of the Philippines.
Menehune
The "little people" of Polynesian folklore are also called "menehune".
Moeuhane
(Hawaii) God of dreams.
Ndauthina
(Fiji) God of adultery, fire, and fishing.
Ne Te-reere
(Micronesia) Goddess of trees.
Nevinbimbaau
(Melanesia) Initiation goddess.
Ngendei
(Fiji) The creator, and head god of all the original Fiji gods. Supporter of the world; every time he moves we have an
earthquake. He is also the god of good harvest and the king of the land of the dead. He is half snake and half rock.
Nobu
(New Hebrides) In part of New Hebrides he is considered the creator of the world.
Oro
(Polynesia) The war god.
Ove
(Fiji) Creator of the world.
Paka'a
(Hawaii) A son of a guardian of the king, who serves the king so well himself that he becomes the greatest chief of all.
Papa
(Hawaii) Goddess of the Underworld.
Pele
(Polynesian) Goddess in charge of keeping the volcano Kilauea burning.
Quat
Melanesian sun god.
Rati
(Bali) Goddess of fertility.
Rati-mbati-ndua
(Fiji) The god of hell is a man with only one tooth with which he devours the dead.
Ratu-Mai-Mbula
(Fiji) God of fertility.
Rua
(Tahiti) God of crafts.
Ruahatu
(Tahiti) A sea god.
Saning Sri
(Java) Goddess of rice.
Ta'aroa
(Tahiti) Supreme deity.
Tamakaia
(New Hebrides) Creator of the world.
Tane
(Oceania) Nature god, son of Rangi (the sky) and PaPa (the earth).
Tanemahuta
(Polynesian) The Maori peoples' lord of the forest.
Tangaroa
(Polynesian) The Maori peoples' lord of the ocean, and the supreme god who created all the other gods and mankind.
Tawhaki
(New Zealand) God of clouds and thunder.
Tiki
(Polynesian) He is sometimes identified as the first man.
Tinirau
(Polynesia) God of the sea.
Tu
(Polynesia) The war god.
Tuli
(Samoa) Creator goddess of the world.
Turi-a-faumea
(Polynesia) God of fish and reptiles.
Ukupanipo
(Hawaii) God of sharks.
Wahini-Hal
(Polynesian) The demonic mother figure of Polynesia looked like a seductive woman (except for her protruding eyes
and her tongue hanging to her toes!). She sneaked through the world at night stealing and eating small children.
Walutahanga
(Melanesia) The eight-fold snake goddess was born to a human mother; the woman was afraid of her husband and hid
the serpent girl. But he discovered the deception and was so shocked he cut Walutahanga into eight pieces. After eight
days of rain, the girl's body rejoined into a whole. Walutahanga traveled through the islands, tormenting humans in
retaliation for her murder. Captured, she was again chopped into eight pieces; everyone, except a woman and her
daughter ate the body, and threw her bones into the sea;. It rained for another eight days. Then the bones under the sea
again formed themselves into the goddess. To punish humanity, Walutahanga covered the islands with eight huge
flooding waves, which killed everyone but the woman and her child, the only ones who had not eaten the goddess'
flesh. The goddess gave these two many gifts, including the coconut and clearwater streams, before again retreating to
the ocean.
Wari-Ma-Te-Takere
(Polynesia) This goddess was a coconut-shell divinity who parthenogenetically produced the other gods from her right
and left sides. Wari symbolizes the fertile slime of primordial times and literally means "mud".
Whaitiri
(Polynesia) She was a powerful figure who owned the thunder and ate human flesh. Once she descended to earth to
marry a warrior chief, misunderstanding his title, "mankiller." When Whaitiri had taken up residence with her
husband, she found that he did not, after all, share her affection for eating humans. Not only that, but he complained
about the smell of their children's excrement. She invented the toilet, showed humans how to use it, and returned to
the sky, where she still lives.
Wigan
(Philippines) The first woman; she wanted to populate the world beneath her sky, but her daughter, also named Wigan,
and her son Bigan were resistant to leaving home. So she sent them into the forest to pick tubers, and then unleashed a
huge flood on the world. Floating upon the raging waters, Wigan and Bigan found houses, pigs, cats, chickens, dogs
and jars full of food. Tbey settled down among these goodies and soon had a nice homestead on earth, but populating
the land was difficult because, as brother and sister, the couple were forbidden from having sex. But one night Bigan
came to his sister while she was asleep and impregnated her. The taboo against brother-sister incest was re-imposed as
soon as the earth was populated.
Roman Mythological Characters
Note:As a rule the Romans were not myth-makers, and the myths they had were usually imported. The Roman gods
were utilitarian, like the practical Romans themselves. These gods were expected to serve and protect men, and when
they failed to do so their worship was curtailed. Most of the contents of Roman myths were copied from the Greeks
(and changed to suit their needs). As their empire grew, they incorporated aspects borrowed from the Egyptians and
from the religions of Asia Minor and the Middle East. They made minor changes again to suit their religion and
lifestyle and Latinized the names.
Abeona
She is the goddess guardian of children leaving home to go on their own.
Abundantia (Abundita)
Goddess of agriculture and abundance.
Acaviser
An Etruscan goddess, one of the Lasas (Fates).
Acca
Goddess associated with Hercules.
Acca Larentia
An earth goddess. The foster-mother, as a she-wolf, that nursed Romulus and Remus. She is also said to be an early
Etruscan goddess who passed into Roman myth as a semi-devine prostitute.
Acidusa
Called "Mother of Maidens". Wife of Scamander.
Adeona
Goddess of schoolchildren; similar to Abeona above.
Adeos
Goddess of modesty.
Admeta
A priestess of Juno.
Aegeria
A goddess of prophecy. She is invoked by pregnant women. One of the Camenae.
Aeneas
One of the heroes of the Iliad, and the subject of Virgil's Aeneid. Son of Venus.
Aestas
Goddess of summer; usually portrayed nude and adorned with garlands of corn.
Aetna
Aetna is the Roman mountain goddess after whom the Italian volcano Mount Etna is named. In some legends she is
the wife of the smith god Vulcan.
Albina
Etruscan dawn goddess; protector of ill-fated lovers. A white sow goddess similar to the celtic Cerridwen.
Albunea
A prophetic priestess.
Alemona
Goddess of fetuses.
Alpan
(Etruscan) An attendant to Turan, goddess of love.
Altria
(Etruscan) An ancient earth goddess.
Amor
God of love.
Anagtia
A goddess of healing.
Anceta
Goddess of healing along with Angita and Anagtia.
Angerona
The goddess of the winter solstice, and goddess of fear and anguish (producing or relieving).
Angina
Another goddess of health, specifically of sore throats.
Angitia
Early Roman goddess of healing and witchcraft.
Anieros
A very early earth goddess, who with her daughter Axiocersa, personified the earth in spring (Axiocersa) and in
autumn (Anieros).
Anima Mundi
Personification of immortality; means "Soul of the World".
Anna Perenna
An Etruscan goddess who ruled human and vegetative reproduction.
Anteros
Etruscan god of passion.
Antevorta
Goddess of prophecy and childbirth.
Appiades, The
Two groups:
1. The nymphs of the Appian Spring in Rome.
2. The five goddesses: Concordia, Minerva, Pax, Venus, and Vesta.
Appias
A fountain nymph.
Aricia
A goddess of prophetic visions.
Arria
A heroic Roman whose husband was ordered by the emperor to commit suicide. The husband could not force himself
to do so until Arria grabbed his dagger, stabbed herself, then handed the dagger to her husband saying, "It does not
hurt."
Ascanius
The son of Aeneas. He is the founder of the city of Alba Longa in Italy.
Astraea
Goddess of justice.
Attis
A vegetation god.
Aurita
Goddess that heals earaches.
Aurora
The personification of the dawn. Her Greek counterpart was Eos.
Averna
The queen of the dead
Avernales
Nymphs of the rivers of the underworld.
Averruncus
Goddess of childbirth; specifically of the delivery.
Aversa
(Etruscan) A goddess pictured carrying an ax. Function unknown.
Bacchus
In Greek and Roman mythology, the god of wine and ecstasy, identified with Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, and
Liber, the Roman god of wine. His followers were mostly women who celebrated in a rite that gave us the modern term
Bacchanalia. His feasts were drunken euphoria-filled revelries that sometimes led to bloodshed. The name Bacchus
came into use in ancient Greece during the 5th century bc. It refers to the loud cries with which he was worshiped at
the Bacchanalia, frenetic celebrations in his honor. These events, which supposedly originated in spring nature
festivals, became occasions for licentiousness and intoxication, at which the celebrants danced, drank, and generally
debauched themselves. The Bacchanalia became more and more extreme and were prohibited by the Roman Senate in
186 bc.
Befana
(Italy) She is represented as an old woman who, although ugly, is also very kind. On January 5th of each year she
distributes candy to the good children and lumps of coal to the bad.
Begoe
Goddess of lightning and thunder.
Bellona
The goddess of war, popular among the Roman soldiers. She accompanied Mars in battle. She was either the wife,
daughter, or sister of Mars, and was sometimes portrayed as his charioteer or muse. This serpent-haired goddess is
often described as the feminine side of the god Mars. She is identified with the Greek war goddess Enyo. In front of
Bellona's temple, the fetialis (priestly officials) performed the declaration of war ceremony, the casting of a spear
against the distant enemy. Bellona's attribute is a sword and she is depicted wearing a helmet. She could be of
Etruscan origin. Human sacrifices were made to her.
Bona
Goddess of female characteristics.
Bona Dea
Latin for "Good Goddess". The deity of fruitfulness, both in earth and in women. She was worshipped by the Vestals as
the goddess of chastity and fertility.
Bormonia
A goddess of healing.
Bubona
Goddess protector of animals.
Byblis
A water nymph who suffered from unrequited love.
Caca
Goddess of fire or vice.
Cacus
Fire deity, brother of Caca. Cacus, three-headed and vomiting flames, was a son of Vulcan. He was noted as a robber,
and was strangled to death by Hercules when he stole some of Hercules' cattle.
Calybe
A water nymph.
Camenae, The
These water spirits dwell in freshwater springs and rivers. Their name means "foretellers". Their festival, the
Fontinalia, was celebrated on October 13 by tossing good luck wreaths into wells. Among them are Aegiria, Antevorta,
Carmentis (the leader), Porrima, Prorsa, Proversa, Postvorta, Tiburtis, and Timandra.
Camilla
A virgin queen. She was so swift, it is said, that she could run over the sea without getting her feet wet. She was a
warrior dedicated to the service of the virgin goddess Diana. In one myth Camilla led an army against Aeneas and his
invading Trojans. On foot, and with breasts bare, she fought at the head of the army, but was killed by Aeneas. In
another she is killed in battle by the Etruscan Arruns.
Camise
A water nymph; mother of Tibernius by Janus.
Candelifera
Goddess who assists at birth, in charge of providing enough light during delivery.
Canente
Ocean nymph who grieved so much over the loss of her husband she dissolved in tears.
Cardea
Goddess who possessed power over doorways. Cardea was a minor goddess who personified the hinges of the front
door, and therefore the comings and goings of family life. She was particularly invoked to protect sleeping children
against night-spirits who might harm or kill them. She is similar to the Greek goddess Artemis also.
Carmenta (Carmentis)
A goddess of prophecy and midwifery; she also brought the art of writing to her land. She was said to assist a woman
in labor and to tell the future of the newborn.
Carmina
Etruscan goddess of spells.
Carna
A pesonification of the physical processes of survival. "Carnal" is a derivative.
Ceres
Daughter of Saturn and Ops. Goddess of the growth of food plants. She and her daughter Proserpine were the
counterparts of the Greek goddesses Demeter and Persephone. Her worship involved fertility rites and rites for the
dead, and her chief festival was the Cerealia. (Our word cereal is derived from Ceres.)
Cloacina
Goddess who watched over the construction and preservation of sewers (think Cloaca Maxima, that famous sewer in
ancient Rome). She was also the protector of sexual intercourse in marriage.
Cloelia
Heroine whose bravery was responsible for the peace talks between her countrymen, the Romans, and her Etruscan
captors.
Coinquenda
Goddess of trees.
Collatina
Goddess of hills.
Comitia
A goddess of childbirth.
Comus
Son of Bacchus and Circe(?). The god of sensual pleasure.
Conciliatrix
Goddess of marital harmony.
Concordia
Concordia is the goddess of peace and is pictured as a heavyset matron holding a cornucopia in one hand and an olive
branch in the other.
Consentes Dii
The 12 chief gods (a la the 12 Greek Olympian gods): Jupiter, Apollo, Neptune, Mars, Mercury, Vulcan, Juno, Diana,
Minerva, Venus, Ceres, and Vesta.
Consus
A god of agriculture and counseling.
Copia
Goddess of plenty a la "cornucopia" and "copious".
Corvus
The messenger of the gods.
Cuba
Goddess of infants. She brings sleep to them; her cohorts are Edulica who blesses their food and Portina who blesses
their drinking. She is sister to Cunina and Rumina.
Culsa
A goddess of the underworld.
Cunina
Goddess who protected infants asleep in their cradles.
Cupid
Means desire (Lat. cupido). The son of Venus, goddess of love. His Greek mythology counterpart was Eros, god of
love. The most famous myth about Cupid is the one that documents his romance with Psyche:
Psyche was a beautiful princess. Venus, jealous of Psyche's beauty, ordered her son Cupid, god of love, to make Psyche
fall in love with the ugliest man in the world. Instead, he fell in love with her, and spirited her away to a secluded
palace where he visited her only at night, unseen and unrecognized by her. He forbade her to ever look upon his face,
but one night while he was asleep she lit a lamp and looked at him. Cupid then abandoned her and she was left to
wander the world, in misery, searching for him. Finally Cupid repented and had Jupiter make her immortal so they
could be together forever.
Cupra
Personification of the day (or light).
Cura
Goddess who first fashioned humans from clay.
Cyane
Sicilian nymph, companion of Proserpina. She was so devastated over the loss of Proserpina that she cried until she
became a well.
Cybele
Her Greek mythology counterpart was Rhea, mother of the Olympian gods. Cybele was the goddess of nature and
fertility. Because Cybele presided over mountains and fortresses, her crown was in the form of a city wall. The cult of
Cybele was directed by eunuch priests called Corybantes, who led the faithful in orgiastic rites accompanied by wild
cries and the frenzied music of flutes, drums, and cymbals. Her annual spring festival celebrated the death and
resurrection of her beloved Attis, a vegetation god.
Dea Dia
Ancient goddess of corn and agriculture.
Dea Marica
Goddess of the marshes.
Decuma
One of the Parcae.
Deverra
One of the three goddesses who protect young mothers. The other two are Intercidona and Pilumnus.
Dia
Her name shows that she was one of Italy's original goddesses, but there is little information about her today.
Diana
Goddess of the hunt. In Roman art Diana usually appears as a huntress with bow and arrow, along with a hunting dog
or a stag. She is also goddess of the moon, forests, animals, and women in childbirth. Both a virgin goddess and an
earth goddess, she was identified with the Greek Artemis. She is praised for her strength, athletic grace, beauty and
her hunting skills. With two other deities she made up a trinity: Egeria the water nymph (her servant and assistant
midwife), and Virbius (the woodland god).
Dido
The Carthaginian Queen who was involved in an ill-fated affair with Aeneas (in the Aeneid).
Disciplina
Goddess of discipline.
Discordia
She was the personification of strife. She was sister to Mars and belonged to the retinue of Mars and Bellona. She is
identified with the Greek Eris (The goddess of discord).
Dis Pater
God of death and the Underworld. Also called Dispater or Dis.
Edusa
Goddess of infants who are weaning.
Egeria
A water nymph who was religious adviser to Numa, King of Rome (700 BCE).
Empanda (Empanada)
This goddess of asylum personified the idea of openness and generosity.
Equestris
Protector of domesticated animals.
Erichthonius
Son of Vulcan. He was deformed (had dragon feet). Athena put him in a box and gave it to the care of the daughters of
Cecrops, with strict orders not to open the box. Naturally they opened it and what they saw so frightened them they
jumped off Acropolis to their deaths. He later became the constellation Auriga, which is Latin for charioteer, as he is
said to be the inventor of the chariot.
Ethausva
Goddess of childbirth.
Fama
Goddess of fame or rumor. She is said to have many eyes and mouths. She travels about the world, first whispering her
rumors to only a few, then becoming louder and louder till the whole world knows the news. She lived in a palace with
a thousand windows, all of which were always kept open so she could hear everything that was said by anyone on
earth. Her friends were Credulitas (error), Laetitia (joy), Timores (terror), and Susuri (rumor). She was known as Ossa
to the Greeks.
Fate
Goddess of fate.
The Fates
The Roman Fates were the "Parcae"; the Norse Fates were the "Norns" (They were usually three: Urth (Wyrd), past;
Verthandi, present; and Skuld, future); the Greek fates were called the "Moerae" or "Moirai" (Clotho, who spun the
web of life; Lachesis, who measured its length; and Atropos, who cut it). The Parcae were three very old women who
spin the fate of mortal destiny. They were Nona, Decuma, and Morta. Nona spun the thread of life, Decuma assigned it
to a person and Morta cut it, ending that person's life.
Fauna
Goddess who personified fertility. She was the wife of Faunus.
Faunus
Son of Picus. A woodland deity, protector of herds and crops; identified with the Greek Pan. The grandson of the god
Saturn, he was worshiped as the god of the fields and of shepherds. He was believed to speak to people through the
sounds of the forest and in nightmares. He was attended by the fauns, creatures that resemble humans somewhat
except for the fact that they have short horns, pointed ears, tails and goat's feet, the counterparts of the Greek satyrs.
Faustulus
The shepherd who, with his wife Acca, found and raised the twins Romulus and Remus.
Febris
Goddess of fevers.
Februa
Goddess of purification. Sometimes called Februus, and considered male.
Februlis
Another goddess of purification.
Februus
Etruscan god of purification who dwells in the underworld.
Fecunditas
Goddess of fertility.
Felicitas
The goddess of good luck. She was a favorite of the Roman emperors and their generals.
Feronia
The deity who protects freedmen. This goddess made her home in woodlands or at the foot of mountains. Some believe
she is an Etruscan goddess dating back before Rome, powerful enough to maintain her own identity after the Roman
conquest.
Fides
Goddess of good faith and honesty. Fides was the guardian of integrity and honesty in all dealings between individuals
and groups. She was depicted as an old woman wearing an olive wreath and carrying a basket of fruit.
Flora
Goddess of flowers and springtime. Her festival, the Floralia, was licentious in spirit (she was revered especially by
courtesans since flowers are the sex organs of plants and she represented flowers) and featured dramatic spectacles, the
passing of obscene medallions and love-making by friends and/or strangers. The women paraded about unclothed, at
least until the 3rd century CE, when that was banned by the authorities. Flora was depicted as a beautiful maiden,
wearing a crown of flowers.
Fluonia
Goddess who stops the menstrual flow.
Fons
Goddess of fountains.
Fornax
Goddess of bread.
Fortuna
She controls the destiny of every human being by permitting the fertilization of humans, animals and plants. She was
shown as a blind woman holding a rudder (for steering a course for each of us) and a cornucopia (for the wealth that
she could bring).
Fraud (Fraus)
Goddess of betrayal. She has a human face, the body of a serpent, and a scorpion stinger at the end of her tail.
Fulgora
Goddess of lightning.
Furrina
An ancient Italian goddess who is all but forgotten in myth now. Some mythographers believe she was one of the
Furies.
Furina
Etruscan goddess of darkness and robbers.
Galiana
(Etruscan) She saved her city from a Roman invasion by appearing naked on the battlefield. Her appearance so
affected the Romans that they fell back in confusion.
Geneta Mana
A goddess who presided over life and death.
Giane
(Sardinia) A woodland spinning spirit, an average-sized woman with steel fingernails, long disheveled hair, and long,
pendant breasts that she threw over her shoulders as she was working her magic loom. As she worked she would sing
plaintive love songs. If a human man should respond she would have intercourse with him. The man would die when
they were done and his child, a half-breed brute, would be born only three days later.
Glaucus
God of the sea (according to Virgil).
Hercules
The Romans borrowed this hero from the Greeks (Herakles) and changed his name into the familiar Latin one of
Hercules (see under Heracles).
Hippona
Goddess who presides over horses.
Hora
Goddess who presides over time and/or beauty.
Horta
Goddess of gardens.
Hostilina
Goddess who presides over corn in growth.
Hybla
Ancient Sicilian earth goddess, and ancestor of humanity.
Hygieia
Goddess of health.
Hymen (Hymenaeus)
God of marriage, invoked the wedding night.
Iaso
Goddess of healing.
Ilia
The Vestal virgin who became, by Mars, the mother of the twins Romulus and Remus. She is the daughter of king
Numitor of Alba Longa, who was dethroned by his brother Amulius. Her uncle gave her to the goddess Vesta so she
would remain a virgin for the rest of her life. Amulius had learned from an oracle that her children would become a
threat to his power. However, because she had violated her sacred vow (by dallying with Mars), she and her children
were cast in the Tiber. The god Tiberinus rescued her and made her his wife.
Inferna
Her name means "underworld"; used as an alternate name for Proserpina.
Intercidona
Protectress of children and goddess of the axe that separated the newborn from danger. She guards new mothers from
evil spirits.
Interduca
Name given to Juno when related to the marriage ceremony.
Jana
Moon goddess, wife of Janus.
Janus
Janus, custodian of the universe, god of beginnings. The guardian of gates and doors, he held sacred the first hour of
the day, first day of the month, and first month of the year (which bears his name). He is represented with two bearded
heads set back to back, the better to see the year just ended and to face the year just beginning.
Juga (Jugalis)
Goddess of marriage.
Juno
Queen of the gods, the wife and sister of the god Jupiter. She was the protector of women and was worshiped under
several names. As Juno Pronuba she presided over marriage; as Juno Lucina she aided women in childbirth; and as
Juno Regina she was the special counselor and protector of the Roman state. She is considered to be the female
counterpart to Jupiter, king of the gods. Every year, on the first of March, women held a festival in honor of Juno
called the Matronalia. To this day, many people consider the month of June, which is named after the goddess to be the
most favorable time to marry. The peacock is sacred to Juno. Her Greek mythology counterpart was Hera.
Jupiter
King of the Roman gods, son of Saturn (whom he overthrew) and Ops, brother and husband of Juno. He was
particularly concerned with oaths, treaties, confederations and with the most ancient and sacred form of marriage.
Jupiter, the name, is derived from the same root word as Zeus (bright). He was improperly called Jove also. Originally
the god of the sky, Jupiter was worshiped as god of rain, thunder, and lightning. He developed into the prime protector
of the state, and as the protector of Rome he was called Jupiter Optimus Maximus. As Jupiter Fidius he was guardian
of law, defender of truth, and protector of justice and virtue. The Romans identified Jupiter with Zeus, the supreme god
of the Greeks, and assigned to the Roman god the attributes and myths of the Greek divinity; the Jupiter of Latin
literature, therefore, has many Greek characteristics, but the Jupiter of Roman religious worship remained
substantially untouched by the Greek influence. With the goddeses Juno and Minerva, Jupiter formed the triad whose
worship was the central cult of the Roman state.
Justitia
Goddess of justice. She is depicted as blindfolded holding two balanced scales and a sword.
Juturna
Goddess of fountains. In some myths she is the mother of Fons.
Juventas
Goddess of youth.
Kerres
Ancient mother goddess. Probably an early form of Ceres.
Kulsu
Ancient underworld goddess.
Lalal
Etruscan moon goddess.
Lara
A goddess of the underworld.
Lares
Gods of the household. They were spirits of dead ancestors who protected the family.
Larunda
House goddess.
Lasa
Goddess of fate; usually depicted with wings and with hammer and nail.
Lasa-Rakuneta
Etruscan winged goddess.
Latinus
An early king of Italy, supposedly the son of Faunus and the nymph Marcia.
Laverna
Patron goddess of thieves.
Lavinia
Goddess of the earth's fertility.
Libentina
Goddess of sexual pleasure.
Liber
God of fertility and grapevines.
Libera
Goddess of the cultivation of grapes.
Liberalitas
Goddess of generosity.
Libertas
Goddess of liberty.
Libitina
Goddess of death and funerals.
Lignaco Dex
Forest goddess.
Limentina (Lima)
Goddess of thresholds.
Losna
Etruscan moon goddess.
Lua
Goddess of plagues. Also goddess of religious purification.
Lucifera
Name used for Diana as a moon goddess.
Lucina
Goddess of childbirth.
Luna
Moon goddess that regulates the seasons and the months.
Lupa
The goddess she-wolf who suckled Romulus and Remus.
Luperca
Goddess of herds and fruitfulness.
Lupercus
God of herds and fruitfulness.
Lutinus
A god of fertility.
Lympha
Goddess of healing.
Magna Mater or Mater Magna
A mother goddess. She is depicted as a dove and doves are her messengers.
Maia
Goddess of spring warmth (and sexual heat). Wife of Vulcan.
Majestas
Goddess of honor and reverence.
Mana
Goddess who presides over infants that die at birth.
Mania
Representations of her were hung in household doorways to ward off evil. She was a goddess of the underworld.
Marica
A water nymph.
Mars
The son of Jupiter and Juno, he was the god of war. Mars was regarded as the father of the Roman people because he
was the father of Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome, and husband to Bellona. He was the most prominent of the
military gods that were worshipped by the Roman legions. The martial Romans considered him second in importance
only to Jupiter. His festivals were held in March (named for him) and October. Mars was identified with the Greek
Ares.
Matrona
Name used for Juno when worshipped as a protector of women from birth to death.
Matuta
Goddess of sea travel.
Meditrina
A goddess of healing.
Mellona
Honey goddess. Bee goddess.
Mens
A mother/guardian goddess. The word menstruation comes from her name.
Mephitis
Goddess of noxious vapors. She protects her followers from poisonous gasses.
Mercury
Mercury was the son of Jupiter and of Maia, the daughter of the Titan Atlas. He was the messenger of the gods.
Mercury was also the god of merchants and of trading, and shared many of the attributes of the Greek god Hermes.He
was often depicted holding a purse, to symbolize his business functions.
Messia
Goddess of agriculture.
Minerva
Minerva is the goddess of wisdom, commerce, crafts, and the inventor of music. Ovid called her the "goddess of a
thousand works." Her Greek mythology counterpart was Athena, and Minerva too sprung fully grown, and fully
armored, from the head of Jupiter.
Miseria
Goddess of poverty.
Mlakukh
Etruscan love goddess.
Molae, The
Goddesses who presided over mills.
Moneta
Guardian of finances.
Mors
A god of death.
Morta
One of the Parcae; she's the one who cuts the thread of life.
Muliebris
Protector of chastity and womanhood.
Munthukh
Etruscan goddess of health.
Muta
Goddess of silence.
Naenia
Goddess of funerals. All her places of worship were placed outside the city's walls.
Nascio
Goddess of childbirth; protector of infants.
Necessitas
Goddess of destiny. Akin to the Greek Anake.
Neptune
Son of Saturn, and brother to Jupiter and Pluto. God of the sea. Usually shown carrying a trident and rising from the
sea.His Greek mythology counterpart was Poseidon.
Nerine
Sabine woman supposedly married to Mars.
Nerio
A minor Roman goddess, and the consort of Mars.
Nixi, The
Deities who assist women during childbirth by easing the pain.
Nona
Goddess of fetal formation.
Nortia
Etruscan goddess of healing.
Nox
Goddess of night.
Numeria
Goddess of childbirth.
Nundina
The goddess who presides over a child's naming day (ninth day after birth).
Opigena
Goddess of childbirth.
Ops
Earth goddess. Protector of everything connected to agriculture.
Orbona
Goddess of children, especially orphans.
Palato
Daughter of the north wind and wife of the god of agriculture.
Pales
Goddess who watched over pastures. Goddess of flocks and shepherds.
Pallor
Goddess of fear.
Panacea
Goddess of health.
Parca (Partula)
Goddess of childbirth.
Parcae, The
Name for the Fates. They are Decuma. Morta, and Nona.
Parthenope
One of the Roman Sirens. She was the mother of Europa.
Patella
An agriculture goddess.
Pax
Goddess of peace.
Pecunia
Goddess who presides over money.
Pelonia
Goddess who is invoked to ward off enemies.
Penates
Gods who presided over the welfare of the family.
Pertunda (Prema)
Goddess who presides over the newlyweds' first sexual intercourse.
Philemon and Baucis
A peasant couple remarkable for their mutual love. When Jupiter and Mercury wandered about on earth in human
form seeking food and shelter, they were turned away by all, except Philemon and Baucis, an old couple, who offered
them both, although they had little food to share. As a reward for their kindness, Jupiter offered to grant them a wish.
They decided that when their time was near they wished to die together. Their wish was granted and Jupiter turned
each into a tree when they died
Pietas
Goddess of justice.
Picus
A god of agriculture and forests.
Pietas
Goddess of duty.
Pluto (Dis or Dis Pater, Orcus)
God of the dead, the abductor, and later, the husband of Proserpine. Pluto assisted his two brothers, Jupiter and
Neptune, in overthrowing their father, Saturn. They then divided the world among themselves, with Jupiter choosing
the earth and the heavens as his realm, Neptune becoming the ruler of the sea, and Pluto receiving the lower world as
his kingdom. He was originally considered a fierce and unyielding god, deaf to prayers and unappeased by sacrifices.
Later the belief arose in which the milder and more beneficent aspects of the god were stressed. He was believed to be
the bestower of the blessings hidden in the earth, such as mineral wealth and crops. He was the Latin counterpart of
the Greek god Hades.
Poena
Goddess of punishment.
Pomona
The goddess of fruit and fertility.
Portunus
God of harbors.
Porus
God of prosperity.
Postvorta
Goddess of the past.
Potina
Goddess of children's drinks and of weaving.
Praxidike (Praxidice)
Goddess of vengeance. Goddess of oaths.
Priapus
God of fertility.
Proserpina
Proserpina, daughter of Ceres, is the counterpart of the Greek goddess, Persephone. She was kidnapped by Pluto, who
married her, and took her to his underworld and made her queen of the dead.
Psyche
A beautiful princess loved by Cupid. Venus, jealous of Psyche's beauty, ordered her son Cupid, god of love, to make
Psyche fall in love with the ugliest man in the world. Instead, he fell in love with her, and spirited her away to a
secluded palace where he visited her only at night, unseen and unrecognized by her. He forbade her to ever look upon
his face, but one night while he was asleep she lit a lamp and looked at him. Cupid then abandoned her and she was
left to wander the world, in misery, searching for him. Finally Cupid repented and had Jupiter make her immortal so
they could be together forever.
Pudicitia
Goddess of modesty.
Puta
Goddess of tree-pruning.
Quies
Goddess of tranquility.
Quirinus
God of war.
Quiritis
Sabine goddess of motherhood.
Rhea Silvia
A Vestal Virgin until she was deflowered by the god Mars. She bore him the twins Romulus and Remus.
Robigo
Goddess of grain, especially corn.
Robigus
God of grain, especially corn.
Roma
Personification of Rome.
Romulus & Remus
The brothers who founded the city of Rome.
Rumia Dea
Protector of infants.
Rumina
One of the three goddesses who protected sleeping infants. The other two are her sisters Cuba and Cunina.
Runcina
Goddess of agriculture who presides over weeding.
Rusina
Goddess of fields and open country.
Salacia
A sea goddess. (How do we get to "salacious" from here?)
Salus
Goddess of health. Assimilated into the Roman pantheon from an earlier Sabine goddess.
Sapientia
Goddess of wisdom. (From whence comes the term "Homo Sapiens".)
Saturn
The god of farmers. The biggest feast in his honor was the Saturnalia which became the biggest influence in the
inception of today's Christmas-New Year holidays. Saturday was named for Saturn.
Scabies
Goddess invoked to cure skin diseases.
Secia
Goddess of stored seeds.
Segetia
Goddess of planted seeds. She controls sprouting and is part of a threesome; the other two being Seia and Tutilina.
Sentia
Sentia is the Roman goddess who heightens feelings.
Silvanus
God of nature and the woods.
Sol
Sun god.
Somnus
God of sleep and dreams.
Strenia
Goddess of health and protector of the young.
Strenua
Goddess of vigor who gives energy to the weak and tired.
Suada
Goddess of persuasion.
Summanus
A god of thunder.
Tages
Early Etruscan god of prophecy. Born in the morning as a clod of earth rising from recently plowed fields, he
predicted the future to the villagers who saw him, taught them the rites of prophecy, then died. His words became the
foundation of Etruscan prophecy.
Tagni
Italian god of witchcraft.
Tana
Italian star goddess.
Tanit
(Carthage) Goddess of the moon. Her symbol was the crescent moon or the full moon.
Tanus
Italian star god, and husband to Tana.
Tarpeia
Possibly a Vestal Virgin; she betrayed Rome to the Sabines in the war that followed the rape of the Sabine women. She
fell in love with Tatius, commander of the Sabine army, and said she would allow his army passage into Rome if he
would marry her, or give her that which his soldiers wore on their left arms, meaning the gold bracelets each wore. He
agreed, but when the teachery was complete and Rome defeated, he fulfilled his promise by having all his army pile
their heavy shields, which they carried on their left arms, piled upon her. She was crushed to death.
Tarquinius Priscus
Fifth legendary king of Rome, who some say was responsible for the building of the Cloaca Maxima.
Tarquinius Superbus
Seventh, and last, of the legendary kings of Rome. He, or his son Sextus, raped Lucretia who, in shame, committed
suicide. He was overthrown by Brutus, thus ending the Roman monarchy.
Telesphorus
God of strength.
Tellus Mater (Terra)
The Roman "Mother Earth" is the constant companion of Ceres, and the two of them are patrons of vegetative and
human reproduction. Tellus is also the mother death goddess since the dead are returned into her womb, the earth.
Tempestates (Tempestas)
Tempestates is the Roman goddess of wind and storm.
Terminus
God of boundaries (or boundary stones).
Tesana
Goddess of the dawn (a la Aurora).
Thalna
Goddess of beauty.
Thermia
Goddess who presides over healing springs.
Tiberinus
The Roman god of the river Tiber.
Tinia
Etruscan god of storms.
Trivia
Name for Diana when she presides over crossroads.
Tuchulcha
Etruscan death demon. She is part human, part bird, and part animal, with snakes in her hair and around her arms.
Tullus Hostilius
Third legendary king of Rome. Successful in battle against the Sabines, he was struck dead by a lightning bolt from
Jupiter.
Turan
Etruscan goddess of sexual love.
Tursa
Goddess of terror.
Umbria
Goddess of shadows and secrecy.
Uni
Etruscan protector of cities and the women therein, and a goddess of witchcraft.
Unxia
Protector of the newly married.
Vacuna
A war goddess that evolved from the Sabine goddess of victory.
Valeria
A virgin chosen to be sacrificed during an epidemic. Just as she was about to stab herself with a sword at the altar, an
eagle appeared, tooked the sword from her hand and replaced it with a stick, then flew away, dropping the sword on a
nearby heifer. Valeria interpreted this to mean she was to sacrifice the heifer instead of herself. She did that. (Smart
girl!)
Valetudo
Goddess of health.
Vanth
Etruscan goddess of death. She is depicted with wings, a cap on her head, and a key to open tombs in her hand.
Vaticanus
The spirit that opens the mouths of newborn infants so they can issue their first cry.
Venilia
Goddess of the wind and the sea.
Venus
As the goddess of love, Venus is the "queen of pleasure" and mother of the Roman people. Possibly the daughter of
Jupiter, she was the daughter of Dione. Venus was the wife of Vulcan, god of metalwork, but she was often unfaithful
to him. Among her many lovers were Mars, the god of war; and the handsome shepherd Adonis. Venus was also the
mother (by Mercury) of Cupid, god of love. She was the goddess of chastity in women, despite the fact that she had
many affairs with both gods and mortals. As Venus Genetrix, she was worshiped as the mother (by Anchises) of the
hero Aeneas, the founder of the Roman people; as Venus Felix, the bringer of good fortune; as Venus Victrix, the
bringer of victory; and as Venus Verticordia, the protector of feminine chastity. Venus is also a nature goddess,
associated with the arrival of spring. She is the bringer of joy to gods and humans. Venus really had no myths of her
own but was so closely identified with the Greek Aphrodite that she "took over" Aphrodite's myths.
Vergiliae, The
Goddesses representing the constellation Pleiades.
Veritas
Goddess of truth and justice.
Verplaca
Goddess of family harmony.
Verticordia
Goddess of love and sexuality.
Vertumnus
The Ancient Roman god of the seasons. He was the husband of Pomona.
Vesta
Goddess of the hearth and home. Households kept a fire burning on the hearth for Vesta (Above the hearth stood a
statue of Lares, guard of the fields, and Penates protector of the house). Rome kept an "eternal" fire burning in the
main temple dedicated to Vesta. This fire was attended to by the Vestal Virgins, and was only allowed to be
extinguished and rekindled but once a year at the beginning of the new year. Her Greek counterpart was Hestia, one of
the 12 great Olympians.
Vestal Virgins
Priestesses of Vesta. Four to six spotless virgins, who were selected by lot from maidens between the ages of six and
ten from prominent Roman families, who were sworn to chastity, served for a period not less than ten years, and
another ten monitoring and instructing their successors; after which they were returned to "normal" life, and could
marry. If they lost their virginity before their service ended, they could be buried alive.
Victoria
Goddess of victory, similar to the Greek Nike.
Virbius
Companion of Diana in her sacred grove.
Virginia
Goddess of politics.
Virgo (Virginensis)
Goddess presiding over virginity.
Virilis
Goddess invoked by women praying to continue to be exciting to their husbands.
Virtus
Personification of bravery in war.
Volumna
Goddess of the nursery.
Voluptas
Goddess of sensual pleasure.
Vulcan
A son of Jupiter and Juno. He was also called Mulciber. He was the craftsman that forged the armor of the gods, their
drinking vessels, and many of their objects of ornamentation. He also forged the thunderbolts of Jupiter.The Cyclops
assisted him in his work. It is said he built metal robots that carried out his every order. Venus was his wife, and
because he trapped her in a comprimising position with her lover Mars, Vulcan was considered the patron of cuckolds.
Vulcan was also the god of fire, usually in destructive form like forest fires, volcano eruptions, etc. Because of this his
temples were always built outside of the town. Originally an old Italian deity, Vulcan was identified with the Greek
god Hephaestus in classical times.
Zana
Pre-Roman goddess of the Balkans adopted by the Romans and revered for her beauty and courage.
Zirna
The Etruscan moon goddess was the companion of the love goddess Turan; she was represented with a half-moon
hanging from her neck.
Foreign gods adopted by the Romans:
As the Roman Empire spread to embrace territories outside of Italy, the Romans came into increasing contact with
foreign ideas, philosophies and, especially, religions. Later Roman mythology includes the following deities:
Attis: Human consort of Cybele (originally from Phrygia).
Cybele: The "great mother" goddess (originally from Phrygia).
Isis: Goddess whose cult became popular in the Roman Empire (originally from Egypt).
Mithras: God of soldiers and armies (originally from Persia).
Serapis: God associated with the cult of Isis (originally from Egypt).
Sol Invictus: An eastern god introduced to Rome by the emperor Elagabalus.
Balto-Slavic
Note: Included here are (from the Proto-Indo-European language group):
(Baltic): Lithuania and Latvia
(Slavic): Russia, Serbo-Croatia, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, etc.
and
(Altaic): Mongolia, etc.
and
(Finno-Ugric): Hungary, Siberia, etc.
(These latter two groups are not related to the Balto-Slavic groups by language heritage but are listed here because of
geographical connections.)
Aba-khatun
Baikal/Siberian sea goddess.
Aigiarm
An ancient Mongolian princess who is said to have challenged all suitors, her virginity against their horses, to the one
who could wrestle her to the ground. There is no record of her ever marrying, and it is told that she won 10,000
horses.
Ajysyt
The birth goddess of the Yakuts of Siberia.
Alkonost
(Russia) Goddess of the land of the dead. She is pictured as half-woman, half-bird.
Almoshi
(Siberia) Goddess of animals.
Altan-Telgey
Earth goddess of the Mongol people.
Ama
(Baikal/Siberia) Goddess of the dark and of the underworld.
Anapel
(Koryak/Siberia) She presides over birth and reincarnation. It is said that when a child is born, the father ties a stone
on a string and attaches it to a stick. Then, holding the stick horizontal to the ground, he recites all the names of his
and his wife's dead relatives. When Anapel makes the stone swing at one of the names, they know that the child is the
reincarnation of that relative.
As-ava
(Russia) Goddess of fresh water.
Ausaitis
(Lithuania) God of health.
Austeja
(Lithuania) Bee goddess.
Ayt'ar
(Slavic) God of procreation.
Baba Yaga (Jezi Baba)
(Slavic/Russian) The grandmother of the devil, and a cannibal; a hideous man-eating female demon. Her mouth is said
to stretch from earth to the gates of hell.
Belobog (Belun)
(Slavic) God of happiness, luck, and order.
Boldogasszony
(Hungary) Virgin goddess who protected mothers and children.
Breksta
In Lithuanian mythology, goddess of the darkness and one of the three goddesses that ruled the passing hours, along
with Austrine, goddess of the dawn, and Zleja, goddess of the midday or high day.
Bugady Musun
Evenki/Siberian goddess, mother of all animals.
Chernobog
(Slavic) God of chaos and the night.
Cinei-new
(Chukchi/Siberia) A sea goddess and wife of Peruten, god of the sea.
Colleda (Koliada)
Serbian goddess of the winter solstice.
Cuvto-ava
(Russia) A tree goddess. When one cuts down a tree, or trims it, one must ask forgiveness of her.
Dali
(Russian Georgia) A goddess of the hunt; she ruled over all wild horned animals.
Darzu-mate
(Latvia) Goddess of vegetation; her name means "Mother of the Garden". She is one of the seventy sisters of Zeme.
Dazhbog
(Slavic) Also known as Dabog (Serbs) and Dazbog (Poles). The sun god. Son of Svarog (god of the sky), and brother
of Svarazic (god of fire). He rides through the sky on his diamond chariot, starting out in the morning as a new-born
and ending the day as an old man. Sometimes said to be married to Myesyats (the moon goddess) and to be the father
of Zvezda Dennitsa, the Morning Star. (In some stories Myesyats is a male moon god and is married to Zvezda
Dennitsa.)
Debena
(Czechoslovakia) Goddess of the forests and the hunting therein.
Devana
(Czechoslovakia) Goddess of the hunt.
Diiwica (Dilwica)
(Serbia) Another goddess of the hunt.
Doda (Dodola)
(Serbia) Goddess of rain.
Dolya
(Serbia) This goddess of fate was said to live behind the stove. When she was in a fine mood, she was called Dolya, the
little old lady who brought good luck; when annoyed, she was Nedolya, the shabbily dressed old hag of bad fortune.
Occasionally she appeared as a young woman rather than the usual gray-haired granny; in either shape she presided
over birth.
Dragoni
(Albania) God of thunder and lightning.
Dugnai
(Lithuania) Goddess of the bakery.
Dunne Enin
An important goddess in Tungus/Siberia; she ruled over the clan territory.
Edji
(Slavic) The first woman; she had a fur-covered body.
Elena
Heroine that is featured in a Russian folktale about a firebird.
Erce
(Slavic) The earth mother who was honored each spring by the pouring of milk, flour, and water into the newly-turned
furrows of the tilled farm.
Etugen
(Mongol) A virgin earth goddess.
Fates, The
(Slavic) Called The Narucnici in Bulgaria, The Sudice in Poland, The Sudjenice in Serbia, The Sudicy in Bohemia,
The Sojenice in Slovenia.
Fatit, The
(Albania) The three goddesses of fate. Three days after the birth of a child, they appear at crib-side and determine its
fate.
Gabija
(Lithuania) Goddess of the hearth fire. To honor her one throws salt on the fire.
Ganiklis
(Lithuania) God of shepherds.
Giltine
(Lithuania) Goddess of death.
Hotogov Mailgan
(Buriat/Siberia) Goddess of heaven at night.
Hov-ava
(Russia) The moon goddess.
Iarila
(Russia) A fertility goddess.
Isten
(Hungarian) Chief deity.
Ja-neb'a
(Samoyed/Siberia) A benevolent earth goddess.
Jedza
(Poland) Polish equivalent of Baba Yaga.
Joda-mate
(Latvia) Mother of the devil.
Kaldas
(Russia) Goddess of cattle.
Kaltes
(Vogul/Siberia) Goddess of birth.
Keretkun
(Siberia) God of the sea.
Khadau
(Siberia) Creator god, who with his wife Mamaldi, created Asia.
Kostrubonko
(Russia) God of spring.
Kovas
(Lithuania) God of war.
Krumine
(Lithuania) Corn god.
Kupala
(Slavic) Goddess of herbs, sorcery, and sex.
Kupalo
(Russia) Mid-summer goddess.
Laima
(Latvia) Goddess of fate and good fortune, and of birth.
Leshy
(Slavonic) Also known as Lesiye or Lesovik. The spirit of the forest who led hunters astray in the woods. He had a
long, green beard, and cast no shadow in the sun. He could become as small as a mouse or as tall as the tallest tree.
Marina
(Slavic) Goddess of the moon.
Marzana
(Poland) Goddess of winter.
Matergabiae
(Lithuania) Household goddess.
Mat Syra Zemlya
(Slavonic) The earth goddess.
Medeine
(Lithuania) God of the forests.
Menu (Menulis)
(Baltic) The moon god. Husband/consort of Saule (the sun); their children were the stars; except for the Morning Star
which was Saule's by the thunder god Perkuno. That's why Menulis, in shame, avoided Saule by only appearing at
night.
Mir-Susne-Khum
(Siberia) The sun god.
Myesyats
(Slavonic) The moon deity. In some myths HE is the cold, bald-headed uncle of the sun-god Dazhbog. In other myths
SHE is a beautiful woman, the consort of Dazhbog and mother by him of the stars.
Nastasija
(Russia) Goddess of sleep.
Nelaima
(Latvia) Goddess of destiny. Her name means "misfortune", the opposite of Laima, the goddess of good fortune.
Norov
(Russia) Corn god.
Numi-Tarem
(Siberia) The sky god.
Ora
(Albania) Guardian "angel" who accompanies each person from birth to death.
Ot
(Mongol) Goddess of fire.
Patollo
(Baltic) The chief god and war god. He was depicted as an old man with a green beard and death-like pallor, wearing a
turban. He bestowed good fortune (and took it away).
Patrimpas
(Lithuania) God of agriculture and spring.
Perkuno
(Baltic) Known as Perkunas in Lithuania, Perkons or Perkonis in Latvia. The thunder god. He was shown as an angry
middle-aged man with a ruddy face and a curly balck beard.
Perun
(Russia) The thunder god. He was the chief god and a creator god.
Pikuolis
(Lithuania) God of death and the Underworld.
Pilnytis
(Lithuania) God of wealth.
Piluitus
(Latvia) Fertility god.
Potrimpo
(Baltic) God of fertility. He was pictured as a happy young man without a beard and sporting ears of grain.
Puskaitis
(Lithuania) God of fruit.
Rod
(Slavic) God of fertility.
Rultennin
(Siberia) Personification of the constellation Orion.
Rusalki
The Rusalki were water nymphs and can be found in both Slavonic and Russian mythology. They were thought to be
the spirits of drowned girls. In south-eastern Europe, they were commonly pictured as beautiful, siren-like creatures
who would attempt to lure unsuspecting passers-by into the water with their magical song. In the northern Europe,
they were considered to be malevolent, unkempt and unattractive creatures, who would grab travellers from the river
banks and drag them down into the river and drown them.
Sakhadai-Noin
(Siberia) God of fire.
Saule
The Baltic sun goddess and, according to some myths, the mistress of the thunder god Perkuno. She was worshipped
by Lithuanians, Prussians and Letts. Her worship took the form of looking after a harmless green snake. Every house
kept one. Apart from ensuring a household's wealth and fertility, the kindness shown to the snake was regarded as a
guarantee of Saule's generosity. To kill a snake was an act of sacrilege. Saule was usually depicted as pouring light
from a jug. The golden liquid which she gave to the world was the basis of life itself; the warmth so necessary after the
cold north-eastern European winter.
Semargl
(Slavic) God of the family.
Stribog
(Slavic) God of the winds.
Svantovit (Svantevit)
(Slavic) He was the war god. Human sacrifices were offered in his worship. Some believe he was the supreme deity
and father of the other gods.
Svarazic (Svarozic, Svarogich)
(Slavic) The fire god. He was the son of Svarog and brother to Dazhbog. He was usually pictured as wearing a helmet
and carrying a sword, and on his chest was a black bison's head. Human sacrifices were made to him.
Tapio
(Russia) God of forests.
Tengri
(Mongolia) Sky god.
Tñairgin
(Siberia) God of the dawn.
Triglav
A three-headed god of the Slavs in Poland, associated with war.
Ulgen (Ulgan, Ülgön)
(Siberia) Supreme god of heaven. He created the body of First Woman but could not give her life. The devil appeared
and gave her life. THIS IS NOT A COMMENT ABOUT WOMAN BY ME; I didn't write the myth!
Veles (Volos)
(Russia) God of flocks and herds, death and the Underworld.
Vesna
(Slavic) Goddess of spring.
Xatel-Ekwa
(Hungarian) The goddess of the sun, who rode through the sky mounted simultaneously on three horses.
Xoli-Kaltes
(Hungarian) The goddess of the dawn, a hot-blooded young woman who baked men who came to court her.
Yamm
(Ugarit) A god of the sea.
Yarilo
(Slavic) God of fertility.
Yarovit
(Slavic) God of victory.
Ynakhsyt
(Yakut/Siberia) Goddess of cattle.
Zaria
(Slavic) Goddess of beauty.
Zeme mate
(Latvia) Creator of earth. According to late tradition she had from forty to seventy sisters, all of whom were related in
some way to fertility. All their names ended with the suffix -mate, which means "mother". Some of her sisters: Briezu,
Dziparu, Joda, Kapu, Laimas, Lauka, Lauku, Lazda, Linu, Mera, Meza, Naves, Ogu, Piegulas, Pirts, Saules, Sene,
Smilsu, Veja, and Velu.
Zemyna
(Lithuanian) Because all life came from her, this Lithuanian earth goddess was honored at the birth of every child,
when the soil was tenderly kissed both morning and evening; food offerings were laid in front of piled stones, tied to
tree boughs, or cast into flowing water to thank Zemyna for the new life. Her special area of concern was all plant life.
Plant and human life were believed to flow together, with souls taking up residence after death in trees. Women lived
on in lindens and spruce; men, in oaks, maples and birches. Virginal young girls survived as lilies; village ancestors
resided in fruit trees.
Ziva (Siva)
(Slavic) Goddess of life.
Zizilia
(Poland) Goddess of love and sexuality.
Zonget
(Khanty/Siberia) The ancient goddess of hunting among the Mansi and Khanty peoples of Siberia. She ruled all bird
and animal life, as well as those who hunted them. At her command, birds and animals would either come to the snare
or leave it empty. To mortals she had the appearance of a greyhen (an arctic bird).
Zorya
(Slav) They were three Slavic dawn goddesses. There was Utrennyaya, the morning star; Vechernyaya, the evening
star; and the midnight Zorya. All have the same job: to guard a chained dog who tries to eat the constellation Ursa
Minor, the little bear. If the chain should ever break and the dog should ever get loose, the universe will end. Thus the
Zoryas are guardian goddesses.
Zvoruna
(Lithuania) Goddess of the hunt. Goddess of animals.
Zvezda Dennitsa
(Slavic) The morning star goddess. The wife of the man in the moon.
Zywie
(Poland) Goddess of health and healing.
North Germanic Mythological Characters
Note: Included here are (from the Proto-Indo-European language):
(North Germanic): Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Scandinavia, Iceland, etc.
and
(Finno-Ugric): Finland, Lapland, etc.
(This latter group is not related by language heritage to the North Germanic group but is listed here because of
geographical connections.)
Aegir (Eagor)
Germanic god of the ocean, and husband of Ran. His nine daughters, known as the "billow maidens", directed the
swirling waves under his orders. He was sometimes depicted as a very old man with white hair and claw-like fingers.
Whenever he left his glistening underwater palace it was with the single-minded purpose of destroying ships and their
crews. To placate him the Vikings often sacrificed some prisoners before setting sail.
Aesir
The collective name for the the principal race of Norse gods; the other was the Vanir. The Aesir gods under the
leadership of Odin, included Balder (god of beauty), Bragi (god of eloquence), Forseti (god of mediation), Freyr (god
of fertility, who originally was from the Vanir), Heimdall guardian of the bridge), Hodr (the blind god), Loki (god of
fire and ally of the frost giants), Njord (the sea god, and another ex-Vanir), Thor (god of thunder), Tyr (god of war),
Vili (brother to Odin), Ve (brother to Odin), and Vidar (Odin's son). The goddesses included Freyja (the fertility
goddess), Frigg (Odin's wife), Sif (Thor's wife), and Idun (keeper of the apples of youth). They lived in Asgard, and
are primarily viewed as ruling over government, social order, and war.
Alberich (Andvari)
(Scandinavian) King of the Dwarfs who steals the magic gold ring, Andvarinaut, (and the rest of the treasure) guarded
by the Rhine Maidens, but is forced to give up all he has for his freedom after he has been captured. His curse upon
the ring led to the deaths of all who tried to possess it.
Alfhild
A maiden goddess of Scandinavia who dressed as a warrior to avoid being taken in marriage by King Alf. Only when
they engaged in a fight to the death (almost), and he proved to be as strong as she, did she agree to mate with him.
Alfs
(Germanic) Spirits of the ancestral fathers. There are different kinds of alfs:
1. The Ljossalfs (Light Alfs) live in Ljossalfsheim and are seldom seen by humans. Their ruler is Frey, and they are
helpful spirits.
2. Swartalfs, (Black Alfs) live in Swartalfsfheim, which reaches from Midgard to Helheim. The Swartalfs are skilled
craftsmen and make many of the great treasures of the gods. They are known as Black Alfs because their skin turns
black from the soot from their coal fires, which they use in their forges. A sub-group of the Dark Alfs, known as
"mound-alfs", live in Midgard, and can be helpful or not, depending on their mood. They are the spirits of dead men
and frequently linger near burial mounds.
Alvis
(Germanic) His name means all-wise. He was a member of the dwarf race. In return for the weapons he forged for the
gods he was promised Thrud, Thor's daughter, in marriage. Thor didn't like this arrangement and devised a test of
knowledge to stop the marriage. He told Alvis that he had to prove that his great wisdom made up for his small
stature. Thor prolonged the test until sunrise when the rays of the sun fell upon the dwarf; all dwarves turned to stone
if touched by the sun's rays. End of story.
Amma
A great mother in the Norse creation story, Amma ("grandmother") gave birth to the race of Churls, who conducted
business and learned trades.
Angerboda
(Norse) A frost giantess who was mate (or mistress) to the trickster god Loki. She bore three children; Jormungand
(the Midgard Serpent), who grew so large he surrounded the earth; Fenrir or Fenris (the Wolf of Ragnarok) and Hel or
Hella (the death queen).
Arnamentia
(Germanic/Britain) Goddess of springs.
Asgard
The home of the Norse gods. To reach this land one had to cross the bridge Bifrost (rainbow). Asgard was divided into
a number of separate kingdoms, each ruled over by a different god. Valhalla was ruled by Odin, Thrudheim by Thor,
etc. The walls surrounding Asgard were built by Hrimthurs, who asked in payment the hand of Freyja plus the sun and
the moon. Odin agreed providing the walls be complete in six months. Hrimthurs had a magic horse, named Svadifari,
who helped him in his work. To Odin (and the other gods, especially Freyja)'s horror, with but a few days left,
Hrimthurs was almost finished. Loki, the trickster, turned himself into a mare and beguiled the stallion Svadifari
away. The job was not completed in time and no payment was given.
Askr and Embla
(Norse) The first man and first woman and the progenitors of the human race. They were created out of tree trunks by
Odin his two brothers.
Balder (Baldur)
(Norse) Balder was the second son of Odin, chief of the gods, and Frigg. His mother took oaths from all plants,
creatures, elements and metals that they would not harm him, all except the mistletoe plant for she felt it was too
young and too small to harm him. He was therefore thought to be immune from harm and the other gods, in sport,
would throw things at him. Loki, the god of mischief, deceived Hod (Hoder), a blind god and Balder's brother, into
throwing a spear made from mistletoe at Balder, thereby killing him. He is taken to Hel, and Frigg searches out Hella
to find out what can be done to bring him back. Hella says that if every living thing will weep for Baldur, she will
release him. Frigg is able to secure pledges from all living creatures except for an old woman named Thokk, who is
actually Loki in disguise. Baldur, therefore, still waits in Hel with his wife, and will come out again only after
Ragnarok to help rule the new world.
Beiwe
A Lappland goddess who heralded the arrival of spring.
Berserk, Berserker
(Norse) Grandson of the eight-handed Starkadder and Alfhilde. He always fought ferociously and recklessly, without
armor. That's the origin of berserk for a savage fighter, or one with the "fighting fever".
Bertha
(Norse) The goddess of spinning.
Beowulf
(Germanic) Denmark hero, killer of two mythical water monsters; Grendel, the sea monster and Grendel's mother, a
monstrous merwoman. In his old age he slew another monster, a fire-breathing dragon, but lost his own life in the
battle.
Bergelmir
(Germanic) The frost giant who, with his wife, were the only frost giants to survive drowning in the blood when Odin
and his brothers killed Ymir.
Bestla
(Scandinavia) The mother of Odin and his brothers Vili and Ve, by her husband Bor.
Billing
(Germanic) Father of the beautiful Rind, who despite an initial repugnance toward Odin eventually capitulated to his
wooing and bore him a son, Vali. Vali later killed Hoder, thereby avenging Balder's death.
Bor
(Norse) Son of Buri, husband of the giant Bestla, and father of Odin, Vili and Ve.
Bragi
(Norse) The god of poetry and eloquence, and considered the greatest of all the bards. He is the son of Odin and
Gunnlod, a female giant. He was married to Idun (Iduna) guardian of the "apples of immortality".
Brono
(Norse) Brono was the son of Balder. He was the god of daylight.
Brunhild, Brünnehilde or Brynhild
(Germanic) A mighty female warrior, one of the Valkyrie. She defied Odin and in punishment he imprisoned her
within a ring of fire on earth, decreeing that there she would remain until a brave hero rescued her. Enter Siegfied
(Sigurd). He braved the fire, broke her charmed sleep, and fell in love with her. He gave her the ring, Andvarinaut,
unaware of its curse. Eventually she kills herself when she learns that Sigurd had betrayed her with another woman
(Gudrun), not knowing he had been bewitched into doing so by Grimhild.
Buri
(Norse) The first god, was the father of Bor and the grandfather of Odin. His "birth" was by being released from the
primeval ice when Audhumla (the cow) licked the ice.
Bylgja
(Norse) A daughter of Aegir and Ran.
Dag
(Scandinavian) Goddess of the day; daughter of Nat, goddess of the night. Dag rides across the heavens on her horse,
Skenfaxi, whose mane shines so brightly that it lights heaven and earth.
Donar
(Germanic) The god of sky and thunder.
Edda
(Edda means great grandmother, and the term eddas, "tales of great grandmother" is the word used to describe the
great stories in Scandinavian mythology.) The dwarfish Edda was the first to create offspring with her husband Ai. She
gave birth to the Thralls, the ones "enthralled" to service as food producers.
Eir
A companion of Frigg, Eir is the goddess of healing. She taught her art and the secret powers of herbs only to women,
the only physicians in ancient Scandinavia.
Elle (Elli)
(Norse) Personification of Old Age; in the form of an old hag she wrestled Thor to defeat, much to his shame.
Embla
(Norse) The name of the first woman.
Erda
(Germanic) Ancient earth goddess.
Farbanti (Farbauti)
(Norse) He was a giant who ferried the dead over the waters to the underworld. He was the father of Loki by Laufey,
who gave birth to Loki when Farbanti struck her with a lightning bolt.
Fengi
(Scandinavia) The answer to the question, "Why is the sea so salty?": Once upon a time, in the days of King Frodi,
there were two female giants who worked a mill called Grotti. Fengi and Mengi were the only beings strong enough to
turn the giant millstone that magically produced food and plenty for Frodi's land. The king kept them working
constantly, letting them rest only as long as it took them to sing a song. One night, angry and exhausted, they sang a
magical charm that caused Frodi's death. But the new king, Mysing, set the giants to work as before, this time
grinding salt. They ground so much that the entire ocean was filled with it.
Fenris (Fenrir)
(Norse) Fenris is the monstrous wolf, son of the god Loki who will swallow Odin at Ragnarok but will be slain by
Odin's son, Vidar.
Fjalar
(Norse) The evil dwarf who, with his brother Galar, killed the wise man Kvasir in order to gain Kvasir's magic
powers. They mixed his blood with honey in a cauldron and ended up with a mead that bestowed wisdom to the
drinker. But the mead was taken by Suttung, a frost giant, who boasted of his acquisition to all. When the boasts
reached Odin, he decided to go to Jotunheim (land of the frost giants) to get the mead for himself. He disguised
himself as the evil frost giant Bolverk, and persuaded Baugi (another frost giant) to dig a tunnel through the mountain
to where Suttung kept the mead under the guard of his daughter Gunnlod. Then Odin turned himself into a snake and
slithered through the tunnel to the treasure. When he reached the cavern he turned himself into a handsome giant and
for three days and nights was Gunnlod's passionate lover. She allowed him to drink all of the mead whereupon he
changed himself into an eagle, flew home to Asgard and spit up the mead into some empty jars.
Fjorgyn
(Norse) The mother of the Norse god Thor, she appears in few myths.
Forseti or Forsetti (Forsite)
(Norse) God of justice and meditation. Son of Balder and Nanna.
Frey (Freyr)
(Norse) A god of the Vanir race. Twin brother of Freyja. He was the god of peace, fertility and weather. He is married
to Gerd (Gerda), a giantess he fell in love with after spying her from Odin's high seat. He gave his sword to his
manservant as payment for him to go and bring Gerd to him. As a result, he will be without his weapon at Ragnarok
and will have to battle Surt with only an antler. Frey also has a boat, Skidbladnir, which can be folded up and carried.
Freyja (Freya)
(Norse )She was originally from the Vanir. Goddess of love, sex, magic and witchcraft, fertility, and beauty, sometimes
identified as the goddess of battle and death. She was also quite accommodating in sexual matters. She is said to have
traded sexual favors (by sleeping with the four dwarves who had fashioned the necklace) to possess the necklace of the
Brisings. When it was taken from her by Loki, she started a war of retaliation. Her father was Njord, a fertility god.
Blond, blue-eyed, and beautiful, Freyja traveled in a chariot drawn by cats. She is the leader of the Valkyries and the
Idises - one of her titles is Vanadis. She resided in the celestial realm of Folkvang, where it was her privilege to receive
half of all the warriors slain in battle and take their souls to her hall, Sessrumnir, in Folkvang; the god Odin received
the other half at Valhalla. She loves music, spring and flowers, and spends much time with the fey. She is seen
wearing a cloak of bird feathers, which allows the wearer to change into a falcon and the beautiful necklace of the
Brisings given to her by dwarves, which the Norse still refer to as the Milky Way. In Germany, Freyja was sometimes
identified with Frigg, the wife of Odin. She was also the twin sister of the god Frey.
Frigg (Frigga, Frija, Fricka)
(Norse) Goddess of the sky. Daughter of Fjorgyn, goddess of the earth. She was Odin's wife and mother of Balder and
Hoth. Friday is named after her. Frigg is the patroness of marriage and motherhood. She assists women in labor and is
associated with the naming of children. Frigg has the reputation of knowing everyone's destiny, but never reveals it.
Being the wife of the god Odin, she was known as the Queen of the Heavens. She is the central diety in Asgard where
her hall, Fensalir ("water halls") is located. Her tools are the spindle and the distaff.
Fulla
(Norse) From her name we get our word for abundance. Fulla is Frigg's handmaiden and messenger. She carries
Frigg's casket of treasures and her support makes it possible for Frigg to do her work. Prayers are addressed to her for
intercession with Frigg, and for guidance in service. She was pictured as a young woman with long, full hair, bound at
the temple with a golden band.
Fylgja(sing.), Fylgakona(plural)
(Iceland) A family's guardian spirit (sometimes called Haminga). Some legends consider them to be ominous as well
as protective spirits.
Top
Garm
(Norse) The hound which stands in front of Hel's home and snarls with jaws dripping blood at the pilgrims from the
upper world. He will kill, and be killed by, Tyr at Ragnarok.
Gefion (Gefinn, Gefjon)
There are two Scandinavian females with this name (or can it be one with two very different set of character traits?).
One Gefjon was a trickster giantess; she was promised as much land as four oxen could plow in a day. So she
conceived four ox-shaped sons by a another giant; when her sons had grown, Gefjon brought them back to Sweden,
where they plowed off a part of that country and dragged it to a new location, where it became the island of Zealand.
The other Gefjon, a goddess, sold her hymen for a jewel but miraculously retained her virginity. She was an attendant
of Frigg. All women who die as maidens were said to pass into this Gefjon's possession. She is also the bringer of good
luck and prosperity.
Geirrod
(Norse) A frost giant and father of two daughters, Gjalp and Greip. He was a bitter enemy of Thor, and having
captured Loki (when Loki was flying around as a hawk) received from him a promise that he, Loki, would bring Thor
to Geirrod's castle without Thor having his magic belt and magic hammer. Loki did as promised and led Thor into the
trap. On the way there, though, they stopped to rest at the home of a giantess named Grid. She told Thor what was up
when Loki left the room, and gave him her magic belt, iron gloves and magic staff. Needless to say Thor used each
with supreme efficiency and slew Geirrod, his daughters and all other frost giants in the vicinity.
Gerd (Gerda)
A Scandinavian deity of light. She was the most beautiful of creatures, the daughter of a female giant and a mortal
man. Frey became infatuated with Gerd and sent his servant to fetch her. Gerd refused, but Frey kept sending gifts
and, finally, threats. A spell in runes eventually won Gerd, and she traveled to Asgard, the home of the gods, to live
with Frey.
Ginnunggap
(Norse) Ginnunggap was the "Yawning Void" that existed before the creation of gods.
Gioll
(Norse) The river which surrounded the underworld, Hel.
Gleipnir
(Norse) The chain which binds Fenris. It is made from the footfalls of cats, the beards of women, the roots of
mountains and the breath of fish.
Gna
(Norse) The messenger of heaven and of heaven's queen, Frigg. She was a wind deity.
Godar
(Scandinavian) The Scandinavian gods were served by a class of priest-chieftains called Godar. Worship was originally
conducted outdoors, under guardian trees, near sacred wells, or within sacred arrangements of stones. Later, wooden
temples were used, with altars and with carved representations of the gods. Here animals and even human beings were
sacrificed.
Goilveig
(Scandinavian) She is a mighty witch who, according to legend, was killed three times but still lived. (She comes to
Asgard and irritates the Aesir. They burn her three times, and twice she rises from the dead. Her death leads to the war
between the Vanir and the Aesir. To end the war, the Aesir and Vanir agree to exchange hostages. The Aesir send
Kvasir and Mimnir to the Vanir and the Vanir send Frey, Frejya and Njord to the Aesir. Eventually, the two races of
Gods semi-merge, though not entirely.) Some believe she is an avatar for the mightiest of the Vanir, Freya.
Gold-comb
(Norse) The cock who shall crow when Ragnarok comes.
Gondul
(Norse) One of the most famous Valkyries, Gondul was sent to earth to bring back the spirits of famous kings who fell
in battle.
Gonlod
(Scandinavian) The mother of poetry. She was the giant who owned the cauldron of inspiration that the god Odin took
by trickery. She was also said to be the mother of Bragi, god of poets.
Gotterdammerung
(Norse) The end of the world.
Groa
(Scandinavian) A wise old woman who, in the eddas, is credited with being a sorcerer, a healer and a caster of spells.
Gulltopr
(Norse) Heimdall's horse.
Gungnir
(Norse) Odin's spear, obtained from the dwarves by Loki for Odin.
Halls of the Gods
(Germanic)
Bilskinir - Thor's Hall
Breiablikk - Baldur's Hall
Fensilar - Frigga's Hall
Folksvang - Freya's Hall
Gladsheim - Odin's Hall (Valhalla is within Gladsheim)
Glitnir - Forsetti's Hall
Hel - Hel's (Hella) Hall
Himminbjorg - Heimdal's Hall
Landvidi - Vidar's Hall
Sokkvabekk - Saga's Hall
Thrymheim - Skadi's Hall
Valaskjalf - Vali's Hall
Vingol - Hall of the Goddesses
Ydalir - Uller's Hall
Heimdall (Heimdalr)
(Norse) He is said to be the son of nine mothers. He lived at the foot of Bifrost, the rainbow bridge, and guarded it. He
was known as the watchman of the gods. Heimdall was the keeper of the Gjallahorn, the "ringing" horn, which he was
to sound when Ragnarök, the end of the world, was near. His hearing is so sensitive he can hear the grass growing and
the wool on sheep growing. In an Irish myth he is called Rígr, and is considered the father of mankind. He consorted
with three women, from whom descend the three classes of mankind: serf(thrall), freeman(karl), and nobleman(jarl).
Hel (Hella)
(Norse) The goddess of the dead. She dwelt beneath one of the three roots of the sacred ash tree Yggdrasil and resides
in her hall, Elvidnir (misery) in the underworld (Helheim) of Niflheim, the World of Darkness. She was the daughter
of Loki, the spirit of mischief or evil, and the giantess Angerbotha (Angerboda). Odin, the All-Father, hurled Hel into
Niflheim, the realm of cold and darkness, itself also known as Hel, over which he gave her sovereign authority. Here
the dead suffered unimaginable tortures, except for those who died heroically in battle (who ended up in Valhalla, the
Hall of the Heroes). Hel is described as being half white and half black or half-living and half-dead. She is responsible
for plagues, sickness and catastrophes.
Hermod
(Norse) Son of Odin and Frigg, and brother of Balder. He was divine messenger of the gods (same as Hermes and
Mercury).
Hlin
(Scandinavian) Goddess of consolation. Protector of those whose lives are in danger.
Hnoss
(Scandinavian) Goddess of infatuation. Daughter of Freyja.
Hod (Hodr, Hodur)
(Norse) The blind brother of Balder, tricked by Loki, throws a mistletoe dart at his brother and kills him.
Hogni
(Norse) He and his brother Gunner, persuaded by Brynhild to avenge her honor, arranged Sigurd's death. They
inherited his fortune, including the cursed ring Andvarinaut, and were in turn doomed at the hands of Atli.
Holer (Holler)
(Norse) The god of death and destruction and the one who brings diseases and disasters. He takes people to his
dungeon where he tortures them to death.
Holda
(Norse) She cares for children who have died, and, with Odin, leads the Wild Hunt during the Yule season. She is
considered a patron of Witches, and is described as kind with a helpful disposition, except when she notices disorder
in the household affairs. She helps to make sure spinners finish their spinning before the end of Yule. She also gave
flax to mankind, allowing them to weave, and she taught them how to hunt.
Honir (Hoenir)
(Norse) The long-legged god of the Aesir, and brother of Odin. He and the wise god Mimir were sent to live with the
Vanir to seal their truce. The Vanir gladly accepted them and made Honir one of their leaders. Honir, however, was not
as smart as the Aesir had claimed (was very indecisive, actually) and relied heavily on Mimir. He gave noncommittal
answers whenever Mimir was not around. The Vanir, feeling cheated, cut off Mimir's head and sent it back to Odin.
Honir is one of the gods that will survive Ragnarok.
Hreidmar
(Norse) The father of Regin, Fafnir and Otter. See Fafnir.
Hresvelgr
(Norse) The giant who lives in the extreme north; the motion of his wings causes wind and tempest.
Hrungnir
(Norse) The strongest of the frost giants, killed by Thor in a personal duel.
Hugi
(Norse) The young frost giant who defeated Thialfi (Thor's human servant) in a foot race; one of the many adventures
undergone by Thor and Loki in their journey to Utgard, land of the frost giants.
Huginn
(Norse) Huginn (thought) was one of the two ravens which sat upon Odin's shoulder and which brought him news
each day of what was happening in the world. The other was Muninn (memory).
Hymir
(Norse) Hymir is a sea giant, the husband of Hrod, who lives at edge of the heaven. He possessed an enormous
cauldron which the Aesir coveted because they could brew enough beer in it for all the gods, and Thor was sent to
obtain it. In the final battle against the gods, Hymir will sail the terrible ship Naglfar, which is made entirely from the
nails of the dead. The flood that precedes Ragnarok will free the ship after which the giants will board it and, with
Hymir as commander, sail towards the battlefield of Vigrond.
Idises
(Germanic) Spirits of the ancestral mothers. Freya is their leader under the name Vanadis. The people kept statues or
icons representing these mother-spirits of their family and burned incense and left offerings before them. The Idises
helped during childbirth and times of death. They took an active role in protecting their living kin, sometimes even
giving messages through dreams.
Idun (Iduna, Idunnor)
(Norse) She was the goddess of spring and eternal youth. Wife of Bragi, and guardian of the golden apples of
immortality which the gods ate whenever they wanted to renew their youth. Married to Bragi.
Ilmarinen
(Finnish) The primeval smith in Kalevala.
Jabme-akka
(Lapland) The goddess of the dead who presides over Jabme-aimo (Jabmeanimo), the realm of the dead.
Jarnsaxa
(Scandinavia) Wife of Thor and mother of Mangi and Modi(?).
Jörd
(Norse)Mother of Thor and mistress to Odin.
Jormungandr
(Norse) Jormungandr is the great dragon-serpent, son of Loki and the frost giantess Angrboda, which lives in the
stream that circles earth. He is known as the Midgard Serpent.
Jotunheim
(Norse) The abode of the giants (Jotuns). It is on the edge of the ocean, far to the northeast. It is one of the nine worlds
sheltered by the cosmic tree, Yggdrasil. Jotunheim, Asgard and Niflheim each have a well within them where a root of
Yggdrasil can be found; they are, in order, Mimir's well, Hvergelmir's spring, and Urd's well. Bifrost, the "Rainbow
Bridge", links Asgard and Midgard (heaven and earth).
The others are:
Alfheim or Ljossalfsheim, home of the "light" elves
Asgard, the home of the Aesir gods
Midgard, home of humankind
Muspelheim, the land of fire
Nidavellir, home of the dwarfs
Niflheim, the region of everlasting cold and endless night, and home of the unworthy dead
Svartalfsheim, home of the "dark" elves
Vanaheim, home of the Vanir gods
Jotuns
(Norse) The race of Giants who are forces of destruction and are generally foes of the Gods. The Jotuns live in
Jotunheim, which is where one of the three roots of Yggdrasil grows. Some Jotuns, such as Skadi, Gerd and Loki have
taken on divine status through marriage or blood-brotherhood to one of the Gods.
Judur
(Scandinavia) One of the Valkyries.
Jumala
(Finland) The ancient creator god and supreme deity. His sacred tree was the oak.
Kajsa
(Sweden) Goddess of the wind.
Kalma
(Finland) Goddess of death; owner of a monstrous animal that devours humans.
Kara
(Scandinavia) One of the Valkyries, and wife of the hero, Helgi (who accidentally killed her during a battle).
Kied Kie Jubmel
(Lapland) Lord of the herds. Reindeer were sacrificed to him before a hunt. He is called Storjunka in Sweden.
Kolga
(Norse) Kolga is a daughter of Aegir and Ran.
Kornjunfer
(Germanic) A goddess of corn.
Kvasir
(Norse)He was considered the wisest of all men. He was a teacher, never at loss for an answer to a question. Fjalar and
Galar killed him when they became tired of learning and poured his blood into a magic kettle. When mixed with
honey this concoction formed mead, which gave wisdom (or the gift of poetry in some myths) to those who drank it.
Laga
(Norse) Laga is the goddess of wells and springs. She is a "friend" of Odin.
Leib-Olmai
(Lapland) The god of bears; hunters had to offer up prayers to him before he would allow them to kill a bear.
Lemminkäinen
(Finnish) Also seeks a wife from Pohjola in Kalevala. See Kalevala <epics2.html>. He attempted to kill the swan of
Tuoni (god of the dead) and was torn apart by Tuoni's son; his magician mother put his body back together and
restored him to life.
Lif and Lifthrasir
(Norse) The man and woman destined to be the only survivors of Ragnarok by hiding in the world tree Yggdrasil.
They are to re-populate the new world.
Linda
(Finland) The bird goddess; usually pictured as a swan. She is the wife of Kalev.
Lofn (Lufn)
(Norse) Goddess of indulgence and forbidden love, Lofn encourages illicit unions..
Loki (Lopt)
(Norse) God of fire and chaos. He was one of the Aesir (the principal gods), but a cause of dissension among the gods.
Loki was a sometimes friend to the gods who admired his clever plans when he was helping them. But he was
mischievous and evil too. He was responsible for the death of Balder, Odin's son. Loki had the ability to change his
form and even to change his sex. He, through Angrboda, produced Hel, goddess of death, Jörmungand, the evil serpent
who was Thor's mortal enemy, and Fenrir, the wolf. With his second wife, Sigyn, he fathered Vali and Narvi. As a
woman he bore Sleipnir.
Lorelei
A young maiden of Germany, who threw herself into the river in despair over a faithless lover and was transformed
into a siren, a creature whose hypnotic music lured fishermen to destruction.
Luonnotar
(Finland) The creator goddess. Mother of Väinämöinen.
Maan-emo
(Finland) An earth goddess. The wife of Ukko, god of thunder. She prsides over the fertility of women.
Madder-Akka
(Lapland) Creator goddess, with her companion Madder-Atcha, of mankind. Their three daughters were: Sarakka
(supported women during childbirth), Juksakka, (changed the sex from female to male of a proportionate number of
births), and Uksakka (protected the new-born child).
Magni
(Norse) Son of Thor and the frost giantess Jarnsaxa, and the brother of Modi. Magni and Modi are due to inherit
Mjollnir (Thor's magic hammer) after Ragnarok.
Mani
(Scandinavian) means "moon". The beautiful boy driver of the moon-car (a chariot pulled by horses), the son of
Mundilfoeri and brother of Sol. He is followed by a wolf (Hati), which, when time is no more, will devour Mani and
his sister Sol (the Sun).
Marjatta
(Finland) A virgin goddess, who conceives a son after swallowing a cranberry. She is a character in the Kalevala.
Metsarhatija
(Finland) A forest goddess.
Midgard
(Scandinavian) The abode of the first pair of human beings in Norse mythology, from whom came the human race. It
is midway between Niflheim and Muspelheim and joined to Asgard by the rainbow bridge Bifrost.
Mimir
(Norse) Suppose to have been the wisest of the Aesir tribe of gods, and thus a god of wisdom and knowledge. He was
sent to live with the Vanir after the war between the gods. There, unfortunate being, he had his head cut off and sent
back to the Aesir. Odin smeared the head with magic herbs so that it would never rot, and recited a magic charm over
it that restored its power of speech; all this so he could have Mimir's wise counsel as needed. Mimir dwelt by the ashtree Yggdrasil, guarding the "Well of Wisdom". Here he allowed Odin to drink for the price of one of his eyes; that is
why Odin is usually depicted as having but one eye.
Modgud
(Norse) The servant of Hel, Modgud is the maiden that stands guard on a gold-paved bridge on a path leading to the
underworld.
Mokkuralfi
(Norse) The Mist Calf from the story of Thor's battle with Hrungnir. When he appeared after Thor slew Hrungnir it is
said Thor wet himself. Thor's man-servant Thialfi wasn't quite as afraid and attacked the giant with his axe.
Mothir
A mother in the Norse creation myth, Mothir gave birth to the Jarls or leaders, the ones who hunted, fought, and
attended school.
Möûll
(Scandinavia) Goddess of snow and ice.
Muninn
(Norse) Muninn ("memory") was the other one of the ravens which sat upon Odin's shoulder and brought Odin news
each day of what was occurring in the world.
Muspelheim
(Scandinavian) In Norse mythology a hot, glowing land of fire in the south, where the giant Bergelmer and his wife
caught flying sparks and fastened them in the heavens as stars. The "Home of Brightness" to the south of Niflheim,
where Surt ruled with his flaming sword, and where lived the sons of Muspel the fire giant.
Nanna
(Norse) Baldur's wife. At his funeral, she throws herself upon his pyre to join him in Hel, waiting for the end of
Ragnarok, when they will both come out of Hel to rule the new Midgard.
Nastrand
(Norse) The worst area of hell. It's roofs and doors were covered with hissing snakes, spitting poison, and it was
through this that murderers and perjurers were forced to wade as punishment.
Nehallenia (Nehalennia)
(Holland) Goddess of vegetation, dogs and the sea. She was invoked by sailors before they tried crossing the sea.
Nidhogg
(Norse) The dragon which devours the corpses of evil doers. He lives in Hwergelmir, a secluded part of Hel.
Njörd
(Norse) Also Niord, Niordhr, or Njorthr. The god of the wind and the sea. He was the father of Frey and Freyja by his
sister, Nerthus. He was the protector of ships, who lived at Noatun by the sea-shore. His wife Skadi lives in the
mountains because the cries of the gulls disturbs her sleep.
Niflheim
(Scandinavian) The realm of the dead in Norse mythology.
Norns
(Norse) Divine beings who shape the fate of each person and god, though they do not create it. They weave the web of
Wyrd, and are sometimes known as the "Wyrd Sisters". The goddesses of these destinies are the three sisters called Urd
(the eldest), the goddess of the past (fate), Verdandi (the middle sister), the goddess of the present (necessity) and
Skuld (the youngest), the goddess of the future (being).
Nott
(Norse) The goddess of night and the daughter of Narvi. Nott was married three times and with each husband she had
one child. Her first husband was Naglfari, and their son was Audr (Udr). Her second husband was Annar, father of
Jord. Her third husband was Dellingr, the personification of twilight, father of Dagur (Day). She and her son were
given horse-drawn chariots by the gods and were placed in the sky to round the world every two half-days. Notts
chariot is pulled by the horse Hrimfaxi ("frosty-maned") which covers the earth with dew (the drippings from his
foaming mouth) early in the morning.
Odin
Also Odhinn, Woden, Wodan, and Woutan. He is the supreme god and oldest of all in Norse mythology, god of
wisdom, poetry, magic, runes, occult, and war. He belonged to the Aesir race of gods. Among his many names is Allfather, for he is the father of all the gods. Husband of Frigga, father (with her) of Baldur, Hodur and Hermod; consort
of Rind, father (with her) of Vali and Vidar; consort of Jord, father (with her) of Thor. One story about him relates how
he acquired great wisdom. Supposedly he gained this wisdom when he hanged himself on the world tree for nine days
and nights and was pierced by a spear. This was a spiritual death in which he sacrificed himself to himself. Another
story about his acquiring wisdom is that he sacrificed an eye for the privilege of drinking from Mimir's, fountain of
wisdom. He had two black ravens, Huginn or Huninn (Thought) and Muninn (Memory), who flew forth each day to
gather the news of the world to bring back to him, and two wolves, Freki and Geri. His greatest treasures were
Sleipner (an eight-legged horse), Gunger (a spear that never misses), and Draupnir (a ring which drops eight new
rings, as clones, every ninth night). His hall is Gladsheim (Valhalla is located within Gladsheim).
Outgard
(Norse) The home of giants and monsters.
Ottar
(Norse) The human lover of Freyja. She transformed him into a boar so that she could keep him with her in Asgard.
Pekko
(Finland) God of barley.
Poshjo-akka
(Scandinavia) Goddess of the hunt.
Ragnarok
(Norse) Ragnarok is the ultimate battle between good and evil from which a new order will come (The end of our
world).
Ran
(Norse) Ran is goddess of the sea and storms, and wife to the sea god Aegir. She collects the drowned in her net and
takes them to her hall located at the bottom of the ocean.
Rana Nedia
(Lapland) Goddess of spring.Her sacred object is the spinning wheel.
Rauni
(Finland) She had intercourse with the thunder god, Ukko, and from this union came all the plants of earth.
Rig
(Norse) Rig was the name taken by Heimdall when he created the three types of mankind: the thrall (slave), the karl
(free peasant) and the jarl (noble or chief).
Rind
(Norse) She was the daughter of King Billing and the mistress of Odin, who had pursued her in various disguises.
Their affair led to the birth of Vali, the child who was later to avenge the death of Baldr.
Roskva
(Norse) She was a farmer's daughter who became a servant of the god Thor. How this came about was when Thor
stopped at her father's house and asked for food and shelter. They were too poor to provide meat, so Thor offered the
goats who pulled his chariot on the condition that no bones were broken. But Roskva's brother Trialfi accidentally
broke one of the thigh bones and when Thor came to resurrect the goats one of them had a limp. The enraged god was
only pacified by the promised service of Roskva and Thialfi, who travelled with him thereafter as his servants.
Rota
(Scandinavia) One of the Valkyries.
Saga
Saga, the all-knowing goddess, is an aspect of Frigg in some mythology tales. She lives at Sinking Beach, a waterfall
of cool waves where she offers her guests drinks in golden cups. Her name, which means "omniscience," is applied to
the epic heroic tales.
Sessrumnir
(Germanic) A fertility goddess.
Siegfried or Sigurd
Hero of early Germanic mythology. His legend recounts his killing of the dragon Fafnir and winning an accursed
hoard of gold, his marriage to Gudrun, his love and betrayal of Brunhild (Brynhild), and his death through Brunhild's
jealous contrivance. For more see Sigurd below.
Sif
(Norse) Sif is the golden-haired wife of Thor, by whom she bore Thrud, and the goddess of crops and fertility. She was
the mother, by a previous marriage, of Uu (Uller), god of archery and skiing.
A myth about her:
Loki, one night cut off her beautiful golden hair. Next morning Thor was beside himself with rage at Sif's distress.
When Loki protested that it was only a joke, Thor demanded to know how he was going to rectify the situation; the
fire god said he would get the dwarves to weave a wig as a replacement. So Loki asked the sons of Ivaldi to make a
wig from spun gold. The wig when finished was quite remarkable, for it was so light and realistic that even a slight
breeze was enough to ruffle it and so real that it grew on her head like magic. Thinking to get the gods even more into
their debt,the sons of Ivaldi constructed a collapsible boat named Skidbladnir for Freyr and a magic spear called
Gungnir for Odin. On his way back to Asgard Loki met the dwarf brothers Brokk and Eiti. They were so jealous of the
workmanship that had gone into the wig, the boat and the spear that Loki easily persuaded them to make something
better; he even bet his own head on their inability to do so. As a result, the dwarf brothers fashioned the magic
hammer known as Mjollnir. The gods were delighted with the treasures Loki and Brokk had brought back. However,
Brokk demanded Loki's head. The gods would not agree, but they had no objection to Brokk sewing up Loki's lips with
a thong when Thor dragged the god back home after he tried to flee, which caused Loki to plan revenge against Thor.
Signy
(Norse) She was the daughter of Volsung, a descendant of Odin. Married against her will to King Siggeir, she tried to
warn her father and her ten brothers about his plot against them, but she and her brothers were ambushed in a forest
and bound to a fallen tree. Each night a wolf devoured one of them in turn, until only her youngest brother Sigmund
was left alive. Signy got a slave to smear Sigmund's face with honey so that the wolf would lick him instead of biting
him. Sigmund was thus able to catch the wolf's tongue in his teeth and overcome the beast. Signy helped Sigmund to
plot revenge. She even slept with him in disguise and bore a son named Sinfiotli. When Sinfiotli grew up she placed
him in Sigmund's care, but they were both captured by Siggeir. A magic sword freed them and killed Siggeir and his
sons. Signy chose to die herself in the burning palace, but not before she had told Sigmund the truth about Sinfiotli's
parentage.
Sigurd
(Norse) Sigurd (Siegfried) was a northern Germanic hero. He was the foster-son of Regin, who sent him to recover a
fabulous hoard of gold. Regin's father Hreidmar had first acquired this treasure, which once belonged to the dwarf
Andvari. To get their hands on the gold Regin and his brother Fafnir had then killed Hreidmar, but Fafnir wanted the
treasure for himself and turned into a dragon to guard it. By cunningly stabbing the monster from underneath, Sigurd
succeeded in slaying Fafnir, thus gaining both wealth and wisdom (by licking the blood of the slain dragon), since
Fafnir was said to have understood the language of birds. When he realized that Regin intended to kill him for the
gold, Sigurd slew him before carrying it away himself.
Sigyn
(Germanic) Sigyn, also known as Sigunn or Sigryn, was the faithful wife of Loki and mother of his sons Narvi and
Vali. Once the gods realized that in Loki they had allowed the growth of evil in their midst, they bound him in a cave.
First they took hold of three slabs of rock, stood them on end and bored a hole through each of them. Then the entrails
of Loki's son Narvi, whom they slew, were employed as a rope which bound the fire god to the stones. When the gods
had tied the last knot, the entrails became as hard as iron. To ensure Loki's discomfort the frost giantess Skadi, Njord's
wife, fastened a snake to a stalactite above the god's head and there Loki was to remain until Ragnarok. Despite all
that her husband had done, Sigyn remained true to him and did what she could to lessen his suffering hy catching the
venom dripping from the snake in a wooden bowl. However, whenever she went away to empty its poisonous contents,
the venom fell on Loki's head and caused him to twitch violently from the pain. According to the Vikings, it was these
compulsive movements that accounted for earthquakes.
Sjofn
(Norse) Sjofn is the goddess to inspire human passions. She was also a goddess concerned with causing men and
women to think of love. It was her duty to stop fights between married couples.
Skadi (Skade)
A giantess, called the "snow-shoe goddess", and thus the embodiment of winter. When her father Thiassi was slain by
the gods for stealing some golden apples from Idun, Skadi wanted to take revenge so she armed herself and went to
their stronghold where she demanded a husband and a belly full of laughter as compensation. The gods thought it wise
to reconciliate and offered her a marriage with one of them. She was free to marry any god, but had to chose from
those eligible without being allowed to see anything but their feet. She noticed a very elegant pair and, convinced that
their owner was the handsome Balder, she choose them. Unfortunately for her, those feet belonged to the older god
Njord. The belly full of laughter was provided by Loki, who tied his testicles to a goat. The marriage between Njord
and Skadi was not a happy one. She wanted to live where her father had lived, in the mountains, and Njord wanted to
live in his palace by the sea. So they agreed to spend the first nine days in the mountains and the following nine days
by the sea. This arrangement did not work out very well, and they separated. Eventually, Skadi left Njord for the god
Ull.
Skirnir
(Norse) Skirnir was a servant of Freyr. When Freyr wished to marry the frost giantess Gerda, being a shy guy, he
promised Skirnir his horse and his sword to make his pitch to Gerda for him, and sent him to Jotunheim. Skirnir had
some difficulty in persuading Gerda to agree to the match, however. Eleven apples of youth, the magic fruit that kept
the gods young, were no temptation to her. Nor was one of Odin's arm-rings. Gerda showed no fear when Skirnir
threatened to behead her, but she began to panic the moment he started to recite a powerful spell. It promised to deny
her any joy or passion, for the beautiful frost giantess would be transformed into a loveless outcast, a companion of the
"unworthy dead". As a result of this threatened fate, Gerda at last consented to meet Freyr and so Skirnir received his
promised rewards. On another occasion, Skirnir acted in his role as messenger by going to the dwarfs on Odin's behalf
to order a magical fetter so that Odin could restrain the terrible wolf Fenrir.
Skuld
(Scandinavian) Youngest of the Norns; she determines the length of all lives and assigns your destiny.
Snotra
(Norse) Goddess of intelligence.
Sunna
(Norse) A sun goddess.
Surtr (Surt)
(Norse) Surtr (means "black") was a giant who lived in the extreme south, and whose flaming sword guarded
Muspelheim. In Ragnarok, he is the one who sets the nine worlds on fire; all the gods, frost giants, the living, the
dead, dwarfs, elves, monsters and animals would be consumed. Then the earth would sink into the cosmic sea and
another would arise, all fresh and green, to begin again.
Syn
(Norse) Goddess of "Denial", and a powerful defender in legal matters in which one is the accused.
Thiassi
(Norse) Thiassi was the father of Skadi (see above) who is burned to death in his futile effort to catch Loki. Odin took
the eyes from the dead giant and flung them up into heaven where they shone thereafter as stars.
Thokk
(Norse) After Baldr's death, Hel, the queen of the underworld, said that she would allow him to return to the land of
the living if "everything in the nine worlds, dead or alive, weeps for him". Everyone did mourn except for Thokk, a
giantess, who refused. Baldr stayed dead. Some myths claim that Thokk was really Loki in disguise.
Thor
(Norse) The god of thunder and lightning, eldest son of Odin, ruler of the gods, and Jord, the earth goddess. Thor was
the strongest of the Aesir, the chief gods, whom he helped protect from their enemies, the giants. Thor owed three
magical treasures. Mjollnir his hammer (thunderbolt) which when thrown at an enemy returns to Thor. He is able to
handle Mjollnir with the second of his treasures, iron-clad gloves. The third treasure is his magic girdle, a belt that
increases and replenishes his divine strength when he wears it. Thunder was supposed to be the sound of the rolling of
his goat-driven chariot. Sif was his wife. He also has a consort, Jarnsaxa, by whom he fathered Magni (might) and
Modi (strength).Thursday is named for Thor.
Thrud
(Germanic) Thrud was the daughter of Thor and his wife Sif. She was promised to the dwarf Alvis as a payment for
his work. But Thor prevented the dwarf from claiming Thrud by keeping him talking until morning, when the sunlight
turned Alvis into stone.
Thrym
(Germanic) Thrym was the frost giant who came to acquire Thor's magic hammer. The gods were in a panic because
only this weapon could protect them from the frost giants. When Thrym said he would exchange the hammer for the
hand of Freyja in marriage, Loki persuaded Thor to go to the frost giant's castle disguised as the bride in order to
recover the hammer. Loki also went along in the form of a maidservant. And so they arrived at Thrym's hall. Even
though the frost giant was suspicious about his bride-to-be, Loki cleverly managed to talk him into producing the
hammer, which Thor then used to slay all the frost giants in sight.
Thunor
(Germanic) A god of lightning and thunder.
Tiwaz
(Germanic) God of law.
Tuoni
(Finland) Tuoni was the god of the dead, who lived in the dark land of Tuonela, from which few visitors return. With
his wife Tuonetar he had several children who were deities of suffering, including Kipu-Tytto, goddess of illness. One
of the few heroes who managed to escape from Tuonela was Vainamoinen. After successfully crossing the river that
marked the border of Tuonela, he was received there by Tuonetar, who gave him beer to drink. But while he slept, her
son created a vast iron mesh across the river so that Vainamoinen could not return that way and would be trapped
forever. But when he woke, the hero changed into an otter and swam easily through the net.
Tuulikki
(Finland) Goddess of the woods, invoked to assure an abundance of game.
Tyr (Tiu, Tiw, Tiv, Tiwaz)
(Norse) Son of Odin and Frigg, and younger brother of Thor. A god of war and of justice. It was he who placed his
hand in the mouth of the giant wolf, Fenris, to show good faith as the rest of the gods, pretending sport but intending a
trap, chained the wolf. When Fenrir realized he had been tricked he bit off Tyr's hand. Tuesday is derived from Tyr's
name.
Ukko
(Finland) The god of sky and air who controlled the rain. He replaced Jumala as supreme deity. His wife was Akka.
Ull (Uller)
(Norse) Ull was the stepson of Thor, the thunder god. He was the god of hunting, and was involved with snowshoes,
bow and weapons of war.
Urd
(Scandinavian) The Norn goddess of fate; she rules the past.
Väinämöinen
(Finland) Son of the primal goddess Luonnotar. He possessed the wisdom of the ages from birth, for he was in his
mother's womb for thirty years. The 'eternal sage', who exerts order over chaos and establishes the land of Kaleva, that
so many of the events in Kalevala revolve around. His search for a wife brings the land of Kaleva into friendly but
later hostile contact with its dark and threatening neighbour in the north, Pohjola.
Valhalla
(Norse) The hall of dead heroes. Heroic warriors, killed in battle, were "stored" here for the advent of Ragnarök, or
Doomsday. Odin kept them "alive" in this pleasure palace for that day so they could be at his side.
Vali
(Norse) God of vengeance.
Valkyries
The Valkyries are beautiful maidens that help Odin choose which brave warrirors of those slain on the battlefield may
then serve Odin in Valhalla. They are also Odins messengers, and when they ride forth on their winged horses, their
armor shines and flickers causing the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights).
They are : Brynhild,Geirahöd,Geirolul,Geirskogul,Gol,Goli,Göndul,Gudr,Gunnr,Guth,Herfjötur
,Hervor,Hildr,Hiorthrimul,Hlathguth,Hlökk,Hrist,Judur,Kara,Mist,Olrun,Randgríðr,Rathgrith,
Reginleif,Róta,Sangridr,Sigrdrifa,Sigrún,Sigrlinn, Sigrun,Skeggjöld,Skögul,Skuld,Svafa,Sváva,
Svipul, and Thrud
Vanir
(Norse) They were the other race of gods, who become united with the Aesir. Frey and Njörd were Vanir gods.
Var
(Norse) Spirit of awareness; nothing can be hidden from her insight.
Verdandi
(Scandinavian) Norn goddess that rules the present.
Vidar (Vithar)
(Norse) A son of Odin noted for his taciturnity, and his fearless destruction of Fenrir (Fenris).
Vor
(Norse) She witnesses oaths that are made and punishes those who break their oaths, including marriage vows.
Waldmichen
(Germanic) This wood nymph was a form of the goddess Freya. Her servants were rabbits; two of them held the train
of her cloak while two others lit her way with candles. She lived in a grotto, where a visitor could see the souls of
unborn babies cavorting; she owned a mill where she ground old men and women young again.
Wave Maidens
(Scandinavia) These nine giantesses (Atla, Augeia, Aurgiafa, Egia, Gialp, Greip, Iarnsaxa, Sindur and Ulfrun) were
daughters of the sea goddess Ran. When they favored a sailor, they played in the waves around his ship, pushing him
forward to his destination.
Wodan (Wotan, Woden)
(Germanic) Alternate names for Odin.
Yabme-Akka
(Scandinavian) Death goddess who appeared as an old woman.
Ygg
(Norse) Odin's name when considered as the god of storm and war.
Ymir
(Norse) The "evil" source of creation in Norse myths. The primeval father of all the Giants. He was fed by the 4 milky
streams that flowed from Audhumla, the cow. He fathered the race of frost giants who were enemies of the gods. Ymir
grew so large and so evil that Odin and his brothers (Vili and Ve) could no longer live with him. They killed him, and
the blood gushed from his body in such torrents (A flood myth) that all the giants except Bergelmer and his wife were
killed. These two took refuge on a chest and came to the shores of Jotunheim. From them another race of frost giants
was born.
Zempat
(Prussia) God of the earth. God of cattle.
Zisa
(German) A harvest goddess.
Creatures,and Artifacts of Mythology
Creatures of Mythology
Abraxas (Roman):
One of Aurora's horses.
Alü (Babylonian):
A demon who crushed men with his enormous bulk.
Amalthea (Greek):
The she-goat whose milk nourished the infant Zeus as he was being hid from his father. After her death he used her
hide to cover his shield, filled her horn with the fruit from the Garden of the Hesperides, which magically replenished
itself when eaten (the cornucopia), and placed both goat and horn in the heavens as the constellation Capricorn.
Apis (Egypt):
The sacred bull of the ancient Egyptians. It was known to them as Hapi and was regarded as the incarnation of Osiris
or of Ptah. It was believed that when Apis died, a new Apis appeared and had to be searched out; he would be
recognizable by certain sacred marks upon his body, such as his color (mainly black) and a knot under his tongue.
Apis is sometimes represented as a man with the head of a bull.
Argus (Greek):
A 100-eyed giant (also called Panoptes) who was assigned by the goddess Hera, wife of Zeus, to guard Io, of whom she
was jealous. Zeus, who favored his mistress Io, changed her into a heifer to protect her from Hera. The god Hermes,
dispatched by Zeus to rescue Io, slew Argus by lulling his eyes to sleep with music and then severing his head. In one
version of the story, Argus subsequently became a peacock; in another, Hera transplanted his eyes onto the peacock's
tail.
Also known by the name Argus was the old dog of Odysseus, Greek leader during the Trojan War. When his master
returned after 19 years, Argus recognized him and promptly died.
Asuras(Asian):
Demons who are sworn enemies of the Vedic gods.
Balios or Balius (Greek):
Achilles' horse, and brother of Achilles' other horse, Xanthus (Xanthos). Balios spoke Greek, and could uncouple itself
from Achilles' chariot to fight at his master's side.
Banshee (THE BAN SIDH) (Gaelic):
Literally means a fairy woman, but is usually used to mean the spirit of a dead ancestress. In the Highlands she was
known as the Glaistig Uaine (Green Lady).
A female spirit whose wailing warns a family that one of them will soon die.
Barghest (England):
In northern England this monstrous dog with huge teeth and claws appeared only at night. It was believed that anyone
who saw such a dog clearly would die soon after.
In Wales, the dog was the red-eyed Gwyllgi, the Dog of Darkness.
On the Isle of Man it was called Mauthe Doog.
(This fearsome apparition may well have provided the inspiration for the Sherlock Holmes detective story "The Hound
of the Baskervilles," by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.)
Basilisk (Ancient):
See cockatrice below.
Brownie (Scotland):
A good-natured, invisible household goblin. During the night, the brownie performs household tasks; however, if
offered payment for his services, he disappears and never returns.
Centaur (Greek):
A creature half-man, half-horse, descended from Ixion, and living mostly in ancient Thessaly. These centaurs were
invited to a marriage feast, where one of them tried to abduct the bride which resulted in a war that drove them out of
Thessaly. Most were savage followers of Dionysus, but some, like Chiron, taught humans.
Cerberus (Greek):
A three-headed, dragon-tailed dog guarding the entrance to Hades. He permitted all spirits to enter Hades, but none to
leave. Only a few heroes ever escaped; the great musician Orpheus charmed it with his lyre, and the Greek hero
Hercules captured it bare-handed and brought it for a short time to the regions above. In Roman mythology the
beautiful maiden Psyche (or Sybil) and the Trojan prince Aeneas were able to pacify Cerberus with a drugged honey
cake and thus to continue their journey through the underworld.
Cerynean Hind (Greek):
Brother stag to the four who drew Artemis' chariot. They had golden horns and hooves of brass. It was the fastest of
the group and was able to escape Artemis when she captured the other four. Heracles was sent to capture it as his third
labor. It took him more than a year before he was able to trap it. When Artemis reproached him, Heracles promised to
bring the stag back to her when his labor was finished. He did so and Artemis used it as the fifth stag for her moonchariot.
Chichevache (German):
A monster that only fed on "good women" and was therefore mostly skin and bones because its food was extremely
scarce!
Chimaera (Greek):
A monster that had a lion's head, a goat's body, and a dragon's tail. It was killed by Bellerophon.
Cockatrice or Basilisk (Ancient):
A mythical snake with the head of a cock, wings of a fowl, and tail of a dragon; a legendary serpent that is hatched
from a round, yolk-less egg laid by a seven-year-old rooster and hatched by a toad. According to legend there were two
main types:
1. The golden basilisk poisoned everything with a stare from his evil eye.
2. The blood-red basilisk whose sting made the flesh fall off the bones of his victim.
Both species were so dreadful that their breath wilted vegetation and crumbled stones. The only way to kill a basilisk
was by holding a mirror, or some reflecting substance, in front of its eyes; when the creature saw its own reflection, it
died of fright. It had two natural enemies; the weasel, which was immune to its glance and its poison and could kill it,
and the cock, for should the basilisk hear it crow, it would die instantly.
Demons (Worldwide):
A term generally applied to those spirits capable of interaction with humans. They may be human or non-human, or
friendly or hostile. They include the demons who cause nightmares; Slavic vampires, or witch-ghosts, who suck the
blood of living victims; succubi, who consort with men, and incubi, who consort with women and may impregnate
them; the Roman genius, a guardian spirit that stays with a person for life; the Norse troll, a one-eyed monster; the
Hindu rakshasa, a malignant ogre who can assume any shape; the Celtic and Teutonic giants, who destroy humans and
eat them; the lamias of Greece, who take the form of beautiful women and suck the blood of children or eat them; and
the fiery flying "snakes" of Russia (which I've been told by Jade <http://www.xlnt-arts.com/maria/> are really
"Drakons, creatures similar to dragons, three-headed reptiles who could fly, breathe fire, and in many instances even
talk". Babylonian demons were the children of Heaven and Earth. They were surrounded by a halo that made them
invisible to humans. They were dirty, with a virulent odor, fed on blood, and emitted a terrible poison. In Christian
mythology there is Lucifer, and other fallen angels, and witches who swear loyalty to Satan. There is the Japanese oni,
who brings on the winds and lives in the center of the storm, and the Chinese air dragons, whose battles cause
waterspouts. Lilith (Jewish and Babylonian),Adam's (of Adam and Eve) first wife, who left him after a major quarrel.
In Jewish folklore she is a demon that is the enemy of newborn children. There is a whole branch of learning devoted
to the subject called demonology.
Dragon (Ancient):
A legendary reptilian monster similar in form to a crocodile but with wings, huge claws, and fiery breath. In the
Mesopotamian creation myth (Enuma Elish), dating from about 2000 BC, a dragon was considered a symbol for
destruction and evil. So it was also considered in the writings of the ancient Hebrews. The Bible (Revelation) also so
considers it. Dragons became more benign in later mythologies. The Greeks and Romans believed that they had the
ability to understand and to teach mortals the secrets of the earth. Because of this duality, destruction and positive
influence, it was often adopted as a military emblem; the Roman legions used it thusly as early as the first century AD.
The folklore of northern Europe contains a similar interpretation of the dragon. Norsemen carved the prows of their
ships with likenesses of the dragon. The ancient Celtic considered the dragon a symbol of sovereignty. The Teutonic
invaders of Britain had dragons depicted on their shields. The dragon also figures in the folklore of Japan.
In China it is traditionally considered as a symbol of good fortune, and was the national emblem of the Chinese
Empire. Unlike Middle Eastern or Western dragons, the Lungs (Chinese appelation for "dragons") were benevolent
and brought rain, guarded sacred dwellings and such tasks.
There were four types:
1.The T'ien Lung, or Celestial Dragon
2.The Fu Tsang Lung or Treasure Dragon
3.The Ti Lung, or Earth Dragon
4.The Shen Lung, or Rain Dragon (also called Kung Kung)
The latter two Lungs are together known as the Wang Lung, and are propitiated as water deities, dwelling in the Seas.
Echidna (Greek):
A monster, and a mother of monsters. She bore Cerberus, the Chimera, and Scylla, all by the dragon Typhon. In some
accounts she was also the mother of the Hydra and the Sphinx. She was half woman and half serpent. She was killed
by Argus.
Erymanthian Boar (Greek):
A huge, savage beast, whose capture (alive) was Heracles' fourth labor. Heracles trapped the animal in a deep snowdrift, wrestled him to the ground, and carried him back to Eurystheus. The cowardly Eurystheus hid in a jar until
Heracles imprisoned the beast in a bronze cage.
The Evil Eye (Gaelic):
This is a Highland belief, which has its origins in the Celtic legend of the Fomorian God "Balor of the Evil Eye".
Faery (Fairy) (Worldwide):
One of a variety of supernatural beings having magical powers. Belief in fairies has existed from earliest times, but the
concept and description of the creatures varies widely, from the tiny old men, or leprechauns, of Irish legend, to
beautiful enchantresses like the Germanic Lorelei, to human-eating giants, or ogres. Particular kinds of fairies include
the Arabic jinni, the Scandinavian troll, the Germanic elf, and the English pixie. Although usually represented as
mischievous and capricious, they could also be loving and bountiful. In Gaelic folklore the belief in fairies was very
widespread until recently. There are several schools of thought as to the origin of the belief in Celtic fairies: 1. Some
say the fairies are a folk memory of a former race of people, who lived underground in mound-like dwellings. 2. Many
people see the fairies as a non-human race of nature spirits. 3. Some see them as the spirits of the dead, because so
many "fairy hills" seem to be located on, or near, ancient burial places. In Arabic and Islamic folklore, the jinni (Genie
is the English form.) is a spirit or demon lower in the hierachy than an angel. They could be good, and beautiful, or
bad, and ugly. They are mischievous spirits who enjoy punishing humans for wrongs done them, even unintentionally,
and so accidents and diseases are considered their work. They are popular in the folklore of Egypt, Syria, Iran, Turkey,
and North Africa. The troll is the Scandinavian equivalent and is variously portrayed as a friendly or mischievous
dwarf or as a giant, that lives in caves, in the hills, or under bridges. The English pixie is a fairylike or elfin creature,
especially one that is mischievous; a playful sprite.
Fafnir (Norse):
Fafnir was the son of Hreidmar (the farmer-magician who had received the cursed ring Andvarinaut from Loki). With
his brother Regin, Fafnir slew his father to get the ring and the rest of the treasure; his monstrous greed turned him
into a dragon so he could guard the hoard. He was eventually slain by Sigurd (Siegfried), who took the ring with
disastrous results to himself.
Fauns (Greek):
Mischievous creatures, half man, half goat.
Gallü (Babylonian):
A demon who slew all men he encountered.
Geryon (Greek):
A monster with three heads and three bodies, whose oxen ate human flesh, and who were guarded by Orthrus, a twoheaded dog. Hercules slew both Geryon and Orthrus in his tenth labor.
Gnome (Greek):
A misshapen elemental spirit, dwelling in the bowels of the earth, and guarding mines and quarries. The word may
have been invented by Paracelsus.
Goblin (Worldwide):
A grotesque, elfin creature of folklore, thought to work mischief or evil.
Grendel
A water monster invulnerable to weapons. He was killed by Beowulf. The monster's mother, another water monster,
was later killed by Beowulf when she tried to avenge Grendel's death.
Gryphon (or Griffin or Griffon) (Mid-East):
A fabulous beast with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion.Originating in Middle Eastern legend, it is
often found in Persian art.It is thought to have symbolized strength and vigilance.
Harpy (Greek):
Foul creatures with the heads of old women and the bodies, wings, beaks, and claws of birds. They could fly with the
speed of the wind, and their feathers, which could not be pierced, served as armor. They snatched up mortals and
carried them to the underworld, leaving behind a sickening odor.
Hippocampus (Roman):
The hippocampus is a creature that is half-horse and half-fish, with the head and forequarters of a horse and the tail
and hindquarters of a dolphin. It had forelegs with webbed paws, and may have a fin on the back of its neck.
Neptune's chariot was pulled through the ancient seas by several of these creatures, and Neptune was occasionally seen
riding one.
Hydra (Greek):
One of the most hideous creatures of Greek mythology is the nine-headed hydra. For each head that was cut off, the
monster grew two new ones. The subject of Heracles' second labor.
Ibis (Egypt):
A sacred bird. It had a white body and black head and tail. It was associated with Thoth, who was pictured as ibisheaded, as was the moon god Aah, sometimes. The bird was sacred to Isis.
Ichneumon (Egypt):
A type of mongoose venerated by ancient Egyptians (called "Pharaoh's rat" because it fed on vermin, crocodile eggs,
snakes, etc.).
Incubus (Medieval):
A male demon that sought sexual intercourse with sleeping women. Supposedly a fallen angel.
Kelpie (Scotland):
A water sprite that is instrumental in bringing about the drowning of sailors and swimmers.
Kobold (Germany):
A similar household spirit to the brownie and, also, a gnome that inhabits underground places.
Kouei (China):
A class of demons. They were repulsive creatures with black or green faces covered with long hair, and with long,
sharp teeth.
Ladon (Greek):
The serpent who guarded the golden apples in the Garden of Hesperides. This giant serpent was said to be a half-mile
long, with a mouth that started at his head and ended at his tail! His teeth were longer than an elephant's tusk and as
sharp as a sword. Heracles faced him in his eleventh labor, and even he was too fearsome to get close to the beast. He
came up with an ingenious plan; He looked for and found dead trees loaded with bee-hives, took the hives and flung
them, angry bees and all, into Ladon's gaping mouth. The bees did the rest, stinging Ladon in the only part of him that
was vulnerable, his tongue and throat. The thousands of bee stings killed the monster.
Laelaps (Greek):
The hunting dog given to Procris by Artemis. Procris gave the dog to her lover Cephalus, and was accidentally killed
by him while he was out hunting with Laelaps.
Laestrygones (Greek):
Giants who feasted on human flesh. They lived on an island where the sun chased the moon across the sky with such
speed that day followed night every few minutes. Odysseus and his men landed there; two of his three ships were
smashed by the giants, and their crews were eaten alive. Odysseus and some of his men escaped in the third ship.
Lamastu (Babylonian):
A demon that attacked babies at their mother's breast.
Lymnades (Greek):
Water demons. They had the gift of mimicry, and when a traveller neared one of their streams, they would call out for
help in the voice of one of the traveller's loved ones. When the traveller approached the stream to help, he was pulled
underwater and drowned.
Manticore (Persia):
A legendary animal with the head of a man, the body of a lion, a porcupine's quills, and the tail of a dragon or
scorpion. First mentioned by Ctesias, a Greek writer in the late 5th or early 4th centuries B.C. when he wrote a history
of Persia.
Mermaid (Ancient):
In folklore, a supernatural, sea-dwelling creature; from the waist up, a mermaid is a beautiful, alluring woman and
from the waist down she has the body and tail of a fish, complete with scales. The mermaid is frequently described as
appearing above the surface of the water and combing her long hair with one hand while holding a mirror in the other.
While grooming herself she is likely to sing with a voice so enchanting that men cannot resist it. Mermaids, in the
numerous tales told of them, often foretell the future, sometimes under compulsion; give supernatural powers to
human beings; or fall in love with human beings and entice their mortal lovers to follow them beneath the sea. Most
mermaids are kind and gentle but some are cruel (there are tales that depict some mermaids as drinkers of blood). A
similarity exists between many mermaid stories and those told about the Sirens.
In Irish folktales, one is named Merrow, a mermaid who warns fishermen of coming storms.
Minotaur (Greek): A man-eating monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man. It was the offspring of
Pasiphae, queen of Crete, and a snow-white bull the god Poseidon had sent to Pasiphae's husband, King Minos. When
Minos refused to sacrifice the beast, Poseidon made Pasiphae fall in love with it. Afterwards she gave birth to the
Minotaur. Minos ordered the architect and inventor Daedalus to build a labyrinth so intricate that escape from it
without assistance would be impossible. Here the Minotaur was confined and fed with young human victims Minos
forced Athens to send him as tribute. The Greek hero Theseus was determined to end the useless sacrifice and offered
himself as one of the victims. When Theseus reached Crete, Minos's daughter Ariadne fell in love with him. She
helped him escape by giving him a ball of thread, which he fastened to the door of the maze and unwound as he made
his way through it. When he came upon the sleeping Minotaur, he beat the monster to death and then led the other
sacrificial youths and maidens to safety by following the thread back to the entrance.Namtar (Babylonian):
A demon that grabbed men by the hair and dragged them to the underworld. A plague demon.
Nemean Lion (Greek):
The subject of Heracles' first labor. A lion as large as an elephant, with teeth like ivory daggers, claws like baling
hooks, and a hide that could not be pierced by any weapon. Heracles succeeded in strangling the animal, skinned it
and wore the hide as his armor.
Nidhogg(Norse):
The evil serpent that eternally attacks Yggdrasil, the world tree.
Ophion (Greek):
The gigantic serpent who arose from Chaos and, with Eurynome, the moon goddess that appeared later, sired sun,
earth, stars, and all life.
Pazuzu (Babylonian):
A demon whose roar made mountains tremble.
Pegasus (Greek):-of the wells
A winged horse, son of Poseidon, god of the sea, and the Gorgon Medusa. Pegasus sprang from Medusa's neck when
she was killed by the hero Perseus. Shortly after its birth, the magical steed struck the ground with his hoof on Mount
Helicon, and on the spot a spring, later sacred to the Muses and believed to be a source for poetic inspiration, began to
flow. All longed in vain to catch and tame the creature, and this became the obsession of Bellerophon, prince of
Corinth. On the advice of a seer, Bellerophon spent a night in the temple of the goddess Athena. As he slept, the
goddess appeared to him with a golden bridle and told him that it would enable him to capture Pegasus. When
Bellerophon awoke, he found the golden bridle beside him, and with it he easily captured and tamed the winged horse.
Peri (Persia):
A supernatural being descended from fallen angels.
Phoenix (Arabia):
In both ancient Greek and Egyptian mythology, the phoenix is a fabulously beautiful bird thought to be the servant of
God. Ancient Chinese, Sumerian, Assyrian, Egyptian, Incan, and Aztec mythology all tell of this uniquely immortal
bird. It lived close to a cool well. It had brilliant gold and reddish-purple feathers, and was as large or larger than an
eagle. Each morning at dawn, it would bathe in the water and sing such a beautiful song that the sun god would stop
his chariot to listen. There only existed one phoenix at a time, and it was always male. Some writers believed its life
cycle was as long as 12,954 years. When it felt it's death approaching, it would build a nest and set it on fire, and jump
in to be consumed by flames. When it was burned, a new phoenix sprang forth from the pyre. The long life of the
phoenix, and its dramatic rebirth from its own ashes, made it a symbol of immortality and spiritual rebirth.
Early Christian tradition adopted the phoenix as a symbol of both immortality and resurrection.
In Japan it appears as Ho-ho and announces the coming of a new era.
A legendary bird that lived in Arabia. According to tradition, the phoenix consumed itself by fire every 500 years, and
a new, young phoenix sprang from its ashes.
In the mythology of ancient Egypt,the phoenix represented the sun,which dies at night and is reborn in the morning. It
is equated with Bennu, the Sun Bird, emblem of Ra.
The phoenix of Chinese legend is called Fung-hwang or Fum-hwang and is one of the Four Spiritually Endowed
presiding over the destinies of China. It originated from fire (was born in the "Hill of the Sun's Halo") and has its body
inscribed with the Five Cardinal Virtues.
Pygmies (Greek):
A race of dwarfs, each of whom measured about 22 inches tall. They figure in a myth about Heracles: Heracles,
visiting Egypt for a rest, fell asleep on the banks of the Nile. The pygmies attacked him as he slept, placing ladders
against him, scaling them, and attacking him with their needle-sized swords. Heracles awoke, gathered them up in his
lion-skin, and brought them home to Eurystheus. Eurystheus did not cower in fear as he usually did for they were to
small for him to fear. (Doesn't this story sound familiar?)
Python (Greek):
The giant serpent sent by Hera against Leto, to prevent the birth of any children she might bear as a result of her
encounter with Zeus. Eventually Leto did get to give birth - to Apollo and Artemis. When Apollo grew up he tracked
down Python and slew him with a barrage of golden arrows.
Top
Raksava (India):
Demons representing all hostile forces. Their leader was Ravana, the enemy of Rama.
Rumor (Greek):
A malicious demon. She spent her time telling tales to anyone who would listen; harmful tales, whether true or not.
Satyr (Greek):
A forest and mountain creature. Part human, with a horse's tail and ears, and a goat's horns and legs, satyrs were
merry, drunken, lustful devotees of Dionysus.
Silenus (Greek):
Part bestial, part human creature of forests and mountains, and follower of Dionysus.
Sleipnir (Norse):
Sleipnir was the swift eight-legged horse ridden by Odin. It was the offspring of Svadilfari (the horse that helped build
the walls of Asgard) and Loki (disguised as a mare in that event); and was given to Odin as a gift. Sleipnir could
travel through the air and over the sea, and was swift enough to beat any other horse in a race.
Sphinx (Egypt/Greek):
1.In Egyptian mythology, a creature having the body of a lion and the head of a man, ram, or hawk.
2.In Greek Mythology, a winged creature having the head of a woman and the body of a lion, noted for killing those
who could not answer its riddle.
Stymphalian Birds (Greek):
Monstrous winged creatures, pictured as giant crane-like birds with long iron beaks. They were the subject of Heracles'
sixth labor.
Succubus (Medieval):
A female demon, also a fallen angel, who sought intercourse with sleeping men.
Talus (Greek):
The tree-tall living statue made by Hephaestus, at the request of Zeus, to guard the island of Crete where dwelt Europa
and her three sons (by Zeus). Talus had a single vein that ran from his throat to his ankle, through which the blood
flowed that gave him life. The vein was closed with a bronze pin at the ankle to prevent the loss of the blood. Talus
kept all ships away from the island by pelting them with giant rocks if they attempted to land. But then Jason on the
Argo decided to land to take on food and water, and when Talus started his rock-throwing, Medea came on deck and
played her famous lyre. The music put Talus to sleep, first time ever that he slept. Medea drew out the bronze pin, the
blood drained out, and Talus was no longer alive to do guard duty.
Tch'e-yeou (China):
A demon; he had the body of a man, the feet of a bull, four eyes, and six hands. His head was copper, with a forehead
of iron. He is supposed to have invented weapons.
Tengu (Japan):
A class of demons; they had magic powers, could become invisible, and kidnapped children. They were usually
depicted as birds with powerful claws.
Thunderbird (Amerindian):
Mythological creature usually depicted as eagle-like, representing the great forces of nature (the Great Spirit). It
sometimes was a creator, and at other times was associated with the destructive powers of war. It appears in almost all
North Amerindian myths, and was also considered a rain-bringer. The Pacific Indians pictured it with a lake on its
back (It can eat whales!).
The Siberian Giant Eagle has similar properties, its flashing eyes are lightning and its flapping wings the thunder.
Japan also has a thunderbird. It flies about during storms and is connected with the destructive powers of nature such
as thunder and lightning. It also guards the entrance to the Sky-heaven.
Troll (Icelandic/Scandinavian):
(Icelandic) Malignant one-eyed giants.
(Scandinavian) Dwarfs, some cunning and treacherous, some fair and good to men. They were skilled in working
metals.
Unicorn (Worldwide):
A fabled beast having the head and legs of a horse and a long, twisted horn set in the middle of its forehead. Pure
white, it has been used as a symbol of virginity, holiness and chastity. It has also been described as a white horse, with
the legs of an antelope, and a spirally grooved horn projecting forward from the center of its forehead, with the horn
being white at the base, black in the middle, and red at the tip. The earliest reference to the unicorn is found in the
writings of the Greek, Ctesias. Ctesias returned from Persia about the year 398 BC and wrote a book on the marvels of
the Far East. He told of a certain wild ass in India with a white body and a horn on the forehead. The dust filed from
this horn, he said, was a protection against deadly drugs. Ancient mythology contains stories of unicorns where the
horn was supposed to contain a liquid that would cure disease, but the animal was very swift and hard to catch. It was
once considered native to India, though it was reportedly seen throughout the world.
The Ch'i-lin is the Chinese 'Unicorn'. An odd-looking creature, it was regarded as a sign of good fortune and justice. It
was said to be able to see the evil in men's hearts and slay the wicked with its single horn. It's body and head were
similar to a deer's; it had hooves like a horse; a tail like an ox; and a single backward-curving, fleshy horn. Accounts
vary as to whether it was a shiny, scaly-skinned creature whose scales refracted the many colors around it or whether it
just had multi-coloured hair. Some stories feature them as horses that could run as fast as the speed of light; other
stories portray them as being able to walk on grass without crushing it; and several stories point to their ability to
sense the guilty. The Japanese Ki-rin is strongly based on the Ch'i-lin.
Vlkodlak (Slavic):
A wolf-man in Slavic folklore. The wolf was the most feared creature in northern and eastern Europe and Vlkodlak
was the personification of the wolf.
Xanthus (Xanthos)(Greek):
1. Achilles' horse, and brother of Achilles' other horse, Balios. They were the offspring of Zephyrus and Podarge
(Podarge, one of the Harpies or Podarge, one of Hector's horses). This superb matched pair of horses are immortal and
endowed with human speech. Xanthus prophesied Achilles' death and Achilles answered, in effect, "Yes, I know, I
know; you don't have to tell me!"
2. The name of the god of the river Scamander, which flowed past Troy.
3. A river in Lycia, sacred to Apollo.
Artifacts of Mythology
Aegis (Greek):
A garment of Zeus, the king of the gods, and of Athena, his daughter. A short cloak with golden tassels, generally
worn over the shoulders. The aegis served as the symbol of Zeus's power; it not only protected him but terrified his
enemies. Originally made for Zeus by Hephaestus, the god of artisans, it became the ordinary dress of Athena in later
mythology. In art, Athena's aegis was frequently depicted as a breastplate or as a shield fringed with serpents. The
garment was also occasionally used by other gods.
Ambrosia:
The food of the Greek and Roman gods or, in some stories, the ointment or perfume of the gods.
Angus' Harp (Celtic):
Like his father, Dagda, Angus had a harp; his was made of gold and its music was so sweet that it was impossible to
hear it and not follow the player.
Bifrost (Norse)
The rainbow bridge between Asgard (Scandinavian heaven) and Midgard (earth), that is guarded by Heimdall.
Bone of Ull (Norse)
The god Ull had a bone upon which all his spells were carved .The spells were activated by reading them aloud.
Bone Prison (Celtic):
The Bone Prison of Oeth and Anoeth was built by Manawyddan, ruler of the Underworld to house those trespassingin
his realm. It was made entirely of human bones in the shape of a beehive, and had innumerable cells that formed a
labyrinth.
Bran's Cauldron of Renovation (Celtic)
It brought the dead back to life.
Caduceus (Greek):
A staff with two wings on top and entwined with two snakes. In ancient Greece it was carried by heralds and
ambassadors as a badge of office, and a mark of personal inviolability, because it was the symbol of Hermes, the
messenger of the gods. Apollo gave the staff to Hermes in return for the lyre. In Roman mythology the symbol is
associated with the god Mercury. The staff of Asclepius, the Greek god of healing, which was entwined by a single
snake, was also called acaduceus and was adopted as a symbol by the medical profession. It is also the emblem of the
medical branches of the U.S. Army and Navy.
Chariot (Greek):
According to Greek myth, the chariot was invented by Erichthonius to conceal his feet , which were those of a dragon.
Dagda's Cauldron (Celtic)
The Cauldron, Undry, had the ability to feed all who came to it and from which none left unsatisfied.
Dagda's Harp (Celtic)
The harp is an object of great power. It had the power to affect mens minds; it could make men laugh uncontrollably;
feel sorrow to the point of suicide; or send them to sleep depending on the tune played. The harp also had the power to
summon the seasons.
Draupnir (Norse)
Also called the "Ring of the Neibulungen". It had the power to draw wealth to the one who wears it, but did not
guarantee enjoyment of the wealth.
Fylfot (Worldwide):
A mystic emblem also known as the swastika. It has been found on ancient Etruscan tombs,Celtic monuments,
Buddhist inscriptions, Greek coins, etc. It was used among Amerindians as an ornament of religious import. It is
believed to represent the power of the sun (with the four winds, lightning).
Girdle of Thor (Norse):
It doubles the strength of the one who wears it.
Gjallahorn (Norse):
The Gjallahorn is used by Heimdall to summon the forces of light to fight in the Ragnarok. Since the heroes who are
to fight this battle are mainly from Valhalla this means it has the power to summon the dead.
Gleipnir (Norse):
The evil wolf Fenrir was prophesied to be the creature that would kill Odin, so Odin ordered Frey to chain the beast.
Frey tricked Fenrir into captivity but lost his hand in the process. The fetter (chain) was extremely light and made out
of the noise of a cat moving, the roots of a mountain, the sinews of a bear, the breath of a fish, the beard of a woman,
and the spittle of a bird. The chains had the property that the harder Fenrir struggled against them the tighter they
became. In Ragnarok, Fenrir breaks the chains and devours Odin (the first god to die) before itself being slain.
Ichor:
An ethereal fluid taking the place of blood in the veins of the ancient Greek gods.
Mider's Cauldron (Gaelic):
Stolen by Cuchulainn in his foray into the Underworld, it is said that in it "was always found an inexhaustible supply
of meat, with treasure of silver and gold to boot". (Celtic Myths and Legends - C. Squire)
Mimir (Scandinavian):
The well of wisdom that lies beneath a root of Yggdrasil, the world tree. This is the fountain from which Odin,
sacrificing an eye to do so, drank to gain wisdom. It is also the name of the guardian of the well.
Mimir's Head (Scandinavian):
When Mimir (the guardian of the Well of Wisdom) was killed, Odin refused to do without his wise council and had the
head re-animated. It had a limited precognitive ability, though.
Nectar:
The drink of the Greek and Roman gods.
Net of Ran (Norse)
Ran (The Ravisher) was a handmaiden (or the consort) to the Sea God. She had an insatiable desire for young male
seafarers. Ran cast her net toward passing ships, thereby netting some men, and dragged them overboard and into her
waiting arms.
Ogyrvran's Cauldron (Celtic):
The cauldron from which the Celtic Muses arose. (See chapter 21 - "The Mythological 'Coming of Arthur'".
Pryderi/Manawyddan Cauldron (Celtic):
Pryderi and Manawyddan as co-rulers of the Underworld shared ownership of a magic cauldron of inspiration.
Supposedly it was the artifact that later became known as the Holy Grail.
Skidbladnir (Norse)
It was also called The Ship of The Gods. It was big enough to hold all the Aesir and the Vanir.
Soma
(India) Soma is an intoxicating plant juice of the milkweed family used in ancient India as an offering to the gods and
as a drink of immortality by worshipers in Vedic ritual and worshiped as a Vedic god of inspiration.
Thirteen Treasures of Britain:
These treasures are enumerated in some myths as: a sword (owned by Gwrnach the Giant), a basket (holds enough
food for all the men in the world; is owned by Gwyddneu Garanhir), a cauldron (cooks meat to perfection; is owned by
Diwrnach), a chariot, a chess-board, a drinking-horn (magically refills; is owned by Gwlgawd Gododin), a garment, a
harp (plays music by itself; is owned by Teirtu), a knife, a mantle, a platter, a pot (holds the sweetest honey of the
world; is owned by Llwyr), and a whetstone.
Thunderbolt:
Another symbol utilized in many mythologies.
Roman- Jupiter was depicted by the ancient Romans seated on a throne, holding a sceptre in his left hand and
thunderbolts in his right hand.
Greek- Zeus was armed with thunderbolts.
Norse- Thor's magical hammer (Mjollnir) was a thunderbolt.
Dorje of Tibetan Buddhism is a thunderbolt.
Ju-i is the Chinese version of the thunderbolt.
Nyoi is the Japanese version.
Thyrsus (Greek):
The staff carried by Dionysus and his attendants. It was topped by a pine cone and decorated with vine and ivy leaves.
Utgard(Norse):
The home of the giants, where Loki had his castle.
Wave-Sweeper (Celtic):
The boat owned by Manannan, which went unaided to whatever destination its owner wished.
Yggdrasil (Scandinavian):
An ash (and evergreen) tree which drops honey, and in which sits an eagle, a trouble-making squirrel (Ratatösk), and
four stags. It is the tree of life and knowledge, and of time and space; it connects all parts of the universe, as well as
the past, the present and the future, but it is perpetually under attack from Nidhogg, the evil serpent, who nibbles at its
roots and by the deer which eat its leaves. It has three main roots. One root is in Asgard and extends deep into Urd's
well, the fountain of youth. One root is in Nifiheim, where it enters Hrergelmir's fountain, which is the source of the
great rivers of the world. The third root is in Jotunheim's Fountain of Mirmir, the fountain of wisdom. Magic runes lie
beneath these roots. This huge tree overspreads the world and binds earth, hell, and heaven together.
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