| Name ▲▼ | Origin ▲▼ | Description ▲▼ |
|---|---|---|
| God name "MITHRA (friend)" | Persian / Iran | God of the upper air. Originating in India, Mithra is a god of light who was translated into the attendant of the god AHURA MAZDA in the light religion of Persia; from this he was adopted as the Roman deity Mithras. He is not generally regarded as a sky god but a personification of the fertilizing power of warm, light air. According to the Avesta, he possesses 10,000 eyes and ears and rides in a chariot drawn by white horses. In dualistic Zoroastrianism, which effectively demoted him, Mithra is concerned with the endless battle between light and dark forces; he represents truth. He is responsible for the keeping of oaths and contracts. He was born from a rock and, according to legend, engaged in a primeval struggle with Ahura Mazda's first creation, a wild bull, which he subdued and confined to a cave. The bull escaped, but was recaptured by Mithra, who slit its throat. From the blood sprang plant life on earth. His chief adversary is AHRIMAN, the power of darkness. Mithra is not generally worshiped on his own, but as an integral part of the Mithraic worship of Ahura Mazda, where he acts as an intercessor between gods and men. In the Hellenic period he was transformed more closely to the role of a Sun god. See also AHURA MAZDA.... |
| Goddess name "MORRIGAN (queen of demons)" | Celtic / Irish | war, fertility and vegetation goddess. A complex goddess displaying various characteristics which are both generative and destructive (see also ANAT, INANA, IS'TAR, ATHENE). At the festival of Samain, she mates with the DAGDA to ensure the future prosperity of the land and as queen Maeve (Medb) of Connaught she was ritually wedded to the mortal king whose antecedent was Ailill. As Nemain (panic) and Badb Catha (raven of battle), she takes on a more warlike and destructive aspect. Rather than engaging directly in conflict, she uses her supernatural powers to spread fear and disarray. The Irish hero Cu Chulainn was thus visited on the battle field by BADB driving a chariot and dressed in a red cloak and with red eyebrows presenting an intimidating appearance. She is capable of changing her shape into various animal forms and in the guise of a raven or a crow is able to foretell the outcome of battle.... |
| King name "Mabb" | Irish | utter intoxication. Originally queen of Tara,later queen of the Faeries and mythological queen of Connaught. She dumped her husband, king Conchobar and created nine Irish kings in succession and took each one her lover. She was also a fierce battle queen. Irish |
"Macha" | Ireland | One of the greatest of the women of the Tuatha de Danaan, she fed on the heads of men slain in battle. She, along with Badb and Morrigu, used powers of enchantment to bring mists, clouds of darkness, and showers of fire and blood over the Firbolgs at Teamhair for three days. The daughter of Emmåśś, she was killed by Balor in the second battle of Mag Tuireadh. Ireland |
| Goddess name "Macha" | Celtic / Irish | Fertility goddess. One of the aspects of the MORRIGAN (a trio of warrior goddesses with strong sexual connotations), she appears as the consort of Nemed and of Crunnchu. She is also a warrior goddess who influences the outcome of battle by magical devices. She can change shape from girl to hag and is generally dressed in red. She is depicted with red hair. She appears thus to the Irish hero, Cu Chulainn, before the Battle of Moytura when she suddenly changes herself into a crow, the harbinger of death. heads of slaughtered soldiers were fixed on the so-called Pole of Macha, and the ancient religious center of Emain Macha in Ulster is named after her.See also Banbha, ERIU and Fodla.... |
"Maeltine Mor-Brethach" | Ireland | Maeltine Mor-Brethach - styled 'of the Great Judgments', he was a wise man of the Tuatha De Danaan who advised Lugh not to spare the life of Bres after the second battle of Magh Tuireadh. Ireland |
| Demon name "Matsya" | Hindu / Epic / Puranic | Incarnation of the god VIS'NU. In this first avatara Vis'nu appears as a fish which, according to one legend, tows a ship carrying the law-giver MANU to safety after the primal flood. Matsya engages in an epic battle with the demon HAYAGRIVA who stole the Vedas from a sleeping BRAHMA. Usually depicted with a human torso carrying symbols, e.g. wheel and conch, on a fish's body.... |
"Maugys" | Britain | A giant who keeps a bridge leading to a castle by a riverside, in which a beautiful lady is besieged. Sir Lybius, one of Arthur's knights, does battle with the giant; the contest lasts a whole summer's day, but terminates with the death of the giant and liberation of the lady. Britain |
| Book name "Melissa" | s | The prophetess who lived in Merlin's cave. Bradamant gave her the enchanted ring to take to Rogero; so, åśśuming the form of Atlantes, she went to Alcina's island, and not only delivered Rogero, but disenchanted all the forms metamorphosed in the island. In Book xix. she åśśumes the form of Rodomont, and persuades Agramant to break the league which was to settle the contest by single combat. A general battle ensues. Orlando Furioso |
| Demon name "Morvran (sea crow)" | Celtic / Welsh | Local god of war. The son of CERIDWEN and TEGID FOEL. Legend has it that he was extremely ugly and that his mother tried to imbue him with wisdom by preparing a special brew of inspiration. It was drunk by Gwion. Morvran was invincible in battle because his enemies thought him a demon.... |
| God name "Muhingo" | Bunyoro / Uganda, East Africa | God of war. Invoked specifically by warriors before entering battle.... |
| Goddess name "Muireartach" | Scotland | Battle goddess Ireland / Scotland |
| Goddess name "NINURTA (lord plough)" | Mesopotamian / Sumerian / Babylonian - Akkadian / Iraq | God of thunderstorms and the plough. Ninurta is the Sumerian god of farmers and is identified with the plough. He is also the god of thunder and the hero of the Sumerian pantheon, closely linked with the confrontation battles between forces of good and evil that characterize much of Mesopotamian literature. He is one of several challengers of the malignant dragon or serpent Kur said to inhabit the empty space between the earth's crust and the primeval sea beneath. Ninurta is the son of Enlil and Ninhursaga a, alternatively Ninlil, and is the consort of Gula, goddess of healing. He is attributed with the creation of the mountains which he is said to have built from giant stones with which he had fought against the demon Asag. He wears the horned helmet and tiered skirt and carries a weapon Sarur which becomes personified in the texts, having its own intelligence and being the chief adversary, in the hands of Ninurta, of Kur. He carries the double-edged scimitar-mace embellished with lions' heads and, according to some authors, is depicted in nonhuman form as the thunderbird lmdugud (sling stone), which bears the head of a lion and may represent the hailstones of the god. His sanctuary is the E-padun-tila. Ninurta is perceived as a youthful warrior and probably equates with the Babylonian heroic god Marduk. His cult involved a journey to Eridu from both Nippur and Girsu. He may be compared with Iskur, who was worshiped primarily by herdsmen as a storm god.... |
| Deity name "Na Ngutu" | West Africa | Guardian deity of warriors slain in battle. west Africa |
| God name "Na Ngutu" | West / central African | God of the dead. Essentially the guardian deity of warriors slain in battle.... |
| Goddess name "Naeeeegaaei (slayer of alien gods)" | Navaho / USA | God of war. The most powerful of the Navaho war gods. The son of the Sun god TSOHANOAI and the fertility goddess ESTSANATLEHI. According to tradition, he vanquished a race of giants who had nearly destroyed the human race. He is a benevolent god, ready to help mankind in times of trouble. He also cures diseases brought about through witchcraft. Said to live at the junction of two rivers in the San Juan valley, he is invoked by warriors preparing for battle. His priest wears a buckskin bag mask, painted black and adorned with five zigzag lightning streaks, the eye and mouth holes covered with white sea shells. He also wears a fox skin collar, a crimson cloth around the hips and a leather belt with silver ornamentation, but is otherwise naked. No depictions are made of this deity.... |
| Goddess name "Neit" | Celtic / Irish | God of war. A minor deity identified as the consort of the goddess MORRIGAN in her aspect as Nemain. Also the grandfather of Balor, he was killed at the second legendary Battle of Moytura.... |
| Goddess name "Nemain" | Ireland | One of the triune crone goddesses of battle Ireland |
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