Name ▲▼ | Origin ▲▼ | Description ▲▼ |
---|---|---|
God name "A'ra" | Pre - Islamic northern Arabian | Local tutelary god. Known from inscriptions at Bostra [near Damascus]. The name implies an altar or holy place, but its Arabic root also means to dye, suggesting that the altars were stained with the blood of sacrifices, probably children.... |
Goddess name "AEGIR (water)" | Icelandic / Nordic | God of the ocean. A lesser known AESIR god of Asgard concerned with the moods of the sea and their implications for mariners. The river Eider was known to the Vikings as Aegir's Door. Aegir is also depicted in some poetry as the ale brewer, perhaps an allusion to the caldrons of mead which were thought to come from under the sea (see also the Celtic deities DAGDA and GOBNIU). There are references in literature to Saxons sacrificing captives, probably to Aegir, before setting sail for home. Linked in uncertain manner to the goddess RAN he was believed to have sired nine children, the waves of the sea, who were possibly giantesses.... |
God name "AESIR" | Icelandic / Nordic | The major race of sky gods in Norse religion. The twelve Aesir gods are headed by OTHIN, the All-Father and probably are, in part, derived from a Germanic pantheon established in prehistory. The Aesir follow a common pattern whereby cultures establish a senior pantheon of great gods which usually number seven or twelve.... |
Goddess name "Abnoba" | Celtic | Goddess of the hunt, similar to the Roman Diana. Celtic |
Goddess name "Abnoba" | Roman / Celtic / European | Forest and river goddess. Known locally from the Black Forest region of Germany. The name Avon, åśśociated with many rivers, derives from her name.... |
God name "Adimurti (the primeval personification)" | Hindu / Epic / Puranic | Form or avatara of the god VIS'NU. Probably very similar to NARAYANA. Conventionally perceived as Vis'nu seated on the coils of the serpent SESA (Adisesa) and attended by two wives. Attributes: those of Vis'nu. Also Vaikunthanatha, Paramapathanatha.... |
God name "Adrammelech" | Assyria | God of the people of Sepharvaim, to whom infants were burnt in sacrifice (Kings xvii, 31). Probably the Sun. |
Goddess name "Adrastea" | Hellenized Phrygian / northwestern Turkey | mountain goddess. Probably derived from a local... |
Deities name "Agnostos Theos" | Greco - Roman | The unknown god(s) usually addressed in the plural form. They were the subject of altar inscriptions, particularly in Athens, probably out of concern lest certain less popular deities be neglected or forgotten.... |
Supreme god name "Ai Apaec" | Mochica Indian / pre - Columbian South America / northern coast of Peru | Supreme god. Probably originated as a jaguar god but came to rule the destinies of the world. He was thought to live like ordinary people and could reveal himself as man or god at will. He is depicted in anthropomorphic form, but with huge fangs and a cat-like wrinkled face with whiskers coming from his nose. He received sacrificial victims hurled from the top of a high cliff.... |
Deities name "Akeru" | Egypt | Pluralistic chthonic earth gods. Probably stemming from the pre-Dynastic period. Malevolent deities who can seize and imprison the souls of the deceased.... |
Goddess name "Akewa" | Toba | Sun and war goddess Toba |
God name "Amurru" | Western Semitic | mountain god. A minor consort of ATHIRAT whose attributes include a shepherd's crook and who was probably worshiped by herders. Known mainly from inscriptions. Also MARTU.... |
Goddess name "Andarta" | Celtic / Gallic | Fertility goddess (probable). Patron goddess of the Vocontii tribe. Her name seems to have derived either from artos (bear) or ar (ploughed land).See also ANDRASTA.... |
God name "Arab" | Pre - Christian Georgian | Local god of Agriculture. Probably derived from the Armenian god ARAY.... |
God name "Aray" | Pre - Christian Armenian | war god. Probably derived locally from the Greek ARES. Some traditions suggests that he was also a dying-andrising god.... |
God name "Areimanios" | Greek | Chthonic underworld god. Probably derived from the Persian deity AHRIMAN. Plutarch identifies him as the embodiment of HADES.... |
Goddess name "Arinna (sun goddess)" | Hittite / Hurrian | Solar deity. May have taken androgynous form, but also identified as the consort of the weather god TESUB. Probably the head of the Hittite state pantheon. There is little detail because the religious center of Arinna is knownonly from texts. The Sun goddess was also perceived to be a paramount chthonic or earth goddess. She becomes largely syncretized with the Hurrian goddess HEBAT.... |