God or Goddess- Gods and Goddesses thought to be holy, divine or sacred believed to be real entities have a religion and/or religious followers communicate with their followers through a priest, oracle or other medium wields supernatural powers is immortal believed to be the cause of miracles such as healing, visions, etc. believed to be the cause of natural phenomena such as floods, earthquakes, storms believed to have granted gifts to mankind: o fire o writing o music o laws Monotheism: the belief or worship of one god or goddess Polytheism: the belief or worship of more than one god or goddess, with various ranks or levels of deities Pantheon: the collection of gods and/or goddesses of a group or culture also the temple in which these deities may be worshipped (this is more specfic to the Greek and Roman cultures) Genius Loci- a local spirit or deity, usually attributed to a specific place (such as a mountain or river), often a guardian (ex. a dryad)
Name some gods and/or goddesses that you know and what they are believed have power over:
Please pick one of the Gods or Goddesses from the following list to research. None of these are complete lists, but all of them attempt to represent the most prominent or major characters in each of the following mythologies. Each was complied from several different sources, that are cited along with where the diagrams were found. Major Gods and Goddesses in Hawaiian/Polynesian Mythology Haikili - god of thunder Haumea - goddess of birth, mother of Pele, Kā ne Milohai, Hi iaka, Namaka, Kā -moho-ali i, Nā makaokaha'i, Kapo and Hi iakaikapolio, killed by Kaulu Hi iaka - goddess of hula and daughter of Haumea Hina - goddess of Moon Kamapua'a- son of Hina and Kahikula, a trickster, best known for trying to romance the fire goddess Pele Kā mohoali'i - shark god, brother of Kā ne Milohai, Pele, Kapo, Nā maka and Hi iaka, known to help guide men lost at sea home, sometimes believed to have guided the original men to Hawaii Kanaloa- depicted as a squid or octopus, is oftened paired in deeds with Kane, is also considered to be the god of the Underworld and a teacher of magic Kā ne Creator God, highest of the four major Hawaiian deities, associated with Sun and Sky Kapo- mother of Laka, sister of Kā ne Milohai, Kamohoali'i, Pele, Nā maka and Hi'iaka, goddess of fertility, sorcery and dark powers, can assume any shape she wants Kaulu a trickster god, killer of Haumea Kū - god of war, one of the four great gods, husband of Hina Lono- god of peace, associated with fertility, agriculture, rainfall, and music, one of the four highist gods, Nā maka - sea goddess, daughter of Ku-waha-ilo and Haumea and sister of Pele, Paka'a - god of the wind, the inventor of the sail Poli ahu one of four goddesses of snow, enemy of Pele Papahā naumoku or Papa- earth goddess, the creator goddess, married to Wakea, the sky Pele - goddess of wind, lightning and volcanoes Wā kea - Sky father, married to Papa The above information is summarized and condensed from Encyclopedia Mythia, pantheon.or, and Hawaiian Mythology by Martha Beckwith
Major Gods and Goddesses in Norse/Scandinavian Mythology This is not a complete list, but represents some of the most prominent figures in this cultures mytholody source diagram: pantheon.org Balder Son of Odin and Frigg. Known as a gentle and wise god. Killed accidentally by his brother Hod. Will return after Ragnarok. Bragi The Norse God of poetry and eloquence. Son of Odin and husband of Idun. Freyja Main goddess of the Vanir (fertility gods). Daughter of Njord and sister of Freyr. Frigga Main goddess. Wife of Odin and mother of Balder. Heimdall Watchman of the Norse gods and owner of the horn Gjall. Hel ruler of Helheim, the realm of the dead Hermod Son of Odin. Rode to Hel to try and rescue his brother Balder. Hoder Son of Odin. A blind god who accidentally killed his brother Balder. he will return after Ragnarok. Idun Guardian of the golden apples of youth and wife of Bragi. Loki The sly, trickster of the Norse gods. Son of two giants. Also known as the Sly One, the Trickster, the Shape Changer and the Sky Traveller. Becomes increasingly more evil. He is responsible for the death of Balder. Bound until Ragnarok. Norns Urd fate, Skuld being and Verandi necessity. Three goddesses of destiny. Odin King of the Norse Gods, God of poetry, battle and death. Chief god of the Aesir. Also known as the all-father, the terrible one, one-eyed and father of battle. Sif Wife of Thor whose golden hair was cut off by Loki.
Sigyn Wife of Loki. Skadi Goddess of Winter and of the Hunt. Thor God of Sky, thunder and fertility. Associated with law and order in Asgard and guardian of the Norse gods. Son of Odin and Earth and husband of Sif. Also known as the thunder god and charioteer Tyr War god. Son of Odin who sacrificed his hand in the binding of Fenrir. Major Gods and Goddesses in Greek Mythology This is not a complete list, but represents some of the most promient figures The Titans Gaea: The Earth Goddess Uranus: The Sky God. Son of Gaea. Cronus: God of time. Married to Rhea. Ate his children. diagram source: pantheon.org Rhea: Goddess of Fertility. Married to Cronus. Their Children were the first of the Olympians Oceanus: God of the Seas/Ocean. Creates Oceans. Married to Tethys. Tethys: Goddess of the Sea. Hyperion: God of Light. Married Theia. Son of Gaea and Uranus. Mnemosyne: Goddess of Memory. Themis: Titan of Justice. Iapetus: God of Mortality. Father of Prometheus, Epimetheus, Menoetius, and Atlas. Coeus: Titan of Intelligence. Crius: God of the Constellations. Phoebe: Titan of the Moon. Thea: Goddess of sight and the light in the sky. Prometheus: God of fire and creator of mankind. Able to predict the future. Epimetheus: God of afterthought. Atlas: God of Heaven and Astronomy. Supported Cronus against Zeus.
Metis: Titan of Wisdom and Knowledge. Dione: Mother of Aphrodite. The Olympians Zeus: Lord of the Sky. Son of Cronus (See Titans). Brothers are Poseidon and Hades.The Thunderbolt is his weapon. Poseidon: Lord of the Sea. Hades: Lord of the Underworld Hestia: Goddess of the Hearth and Home. The Virgin Goddess Hera: Goddess of Love and Marriage. Married to Zeus (and she is also his sister) Ares: God of War. Son of Zeus and Hera. Athena: Goddess of Wisdom. Apollo: God of Music. Aphrodite: Goddess of Love, Desire, and Beauty Hermes: The Messenger of the Gods. The messenger of Zeus and God of thieves Artemis: Goddess of the Hunt. Hephaestus: God of Fire. Persephone: Queen of the Underworld. Wife of Hades. Demeter: Goddess of Agriculture. Dionysus: God of Wine. Major Gods and Goddesses in Roman Mythology Apollo (Apollo): God of music, healing, light and truth. Twin of Diana,son of Jupiter and Leto. Ceres (Demeter): Goddess of agriculture and civilization. Diana (Artemis): Goddess of fertility, nature, and the moon. Juno (Hera): Queen of the Gods. Jupiter (Zeus): God of the sky. God of lightning and thunder. Ruler of the Gods. Mars (Ares): God of war and Spring. Mercury (Hermes): God of trade and profit. Minerva (Athena): Goddess of wisdom. Neptune (Poseidon): God of the sea. Venus (Aphrodite): Goddess of gardens. Vesta (Hestia): Goddess of fire. Vulcan (Hephaestus): God of fire and craftmanship. Romulus: Named Rome and became the first King to rule over Rome.
Remus: Was defeated by his twin Romulus. Gods and Goddesses in Japanese Mythology Izanagi- god of the sky, light and heaven, husband and brother to Izanami diagram source: pantheon.org Izanami- goddess of sky and darkness, wife and sister to Izanagi, died giving birth to fire god Kagutsuchi Kagutsuchi- god of fire, son of Izangi and Izanami Owatatsumi- god of the sea Amaterasu- sun goddess, the centrol god in Japanese mythology, brother to Susanowa, invented the cultivation of rice, wheat, and silk worms, weaving with a loom, married to Takami-Musubi Susanowa- god of the winds, storms, ocean, and snakes Okuni-Nushi- son of Susanowa, god of magic and medicine, ruler of the unseen and spirits Ninigi-no-mikoto- god of rice, god of the imperial family, grandson of Amaterasu Takami-Musubi-the creator god, husband to Amaterasu Uzume- goddess of joy and happiness Ko-no-hana- wife of Ninigi, mother of Hoderi and Hoori Otohime (Toyotama)- wife of Hoori, daugher of Ryujin Ryujin- dragon god of the sea, controls the tidal flows, father of Otohime Isora- god of the seashore Sarutahiko Ohkami- god of the crossroads, pathways and surmounting obstacles Kamado-gami- god of the hearth
Gods and Goddesses of Egyptian Mythology this is not a complete list, but represents some of the major characters diagram source: legendsandmythology.blogspot.com Anubis- the god of the dead and embalming Ra- king of the gods, god of the sun, husband to Nut Nut- sky goddess, wife of Ra Geb- earth god Thoth- god of wisdom, time, writing, the moon Isis-the great mother goddess, mother of Horus, wife of Osiris Seth- god of the desert, storm, violence Osiris- god of the dead, husband of Isis, brother of Seth Hathor- goddess of love, music, dancing, dance Sekhmet- goddess of destruction, called the eye of ra Bastet- goddess of cats Amun- god of creation Ma'at- goddess of justice, wife of Thoth Anubis-god of embalming Horus- son of Isis and Osiris pantheon.org
Major Gods and Goddesses of Sumerian/Mesopotamian Mythology this is absolutely not a complete list, but only some of the major characters diagram source: http://72.52.202.216/~fenderse/fall2.htm Nammu- Goddess of the Primeval Sea, "the mother who gave birth to heaven and earth." An- God of the Heavens Ki,-Goddess of the Earth Enlil- God of Air and Storms, son of An and Ki Utu- sun god, god of justice Ninhursag- Mother Earth, the source of all life Enki- Lord of Water and Wisdom, intelligence and craftsmman Inanna- Goddess of Love and War Ereshkigal- Goddess of Darkness, Gloom, and Death, sister of Inanna http://history-world.org/sumerian_gods_and_goddesses.htm
Major Gods and Goddesses from Mayan Mythology Kukulcan- (Quetzalcoatl) feathered serpent, winged god, god of the four elements, fire, water, earth, and air Chac-god of rain and thunder, fertility and agriculture Kinich Ahau- sun god Yumil Kaxob- maize god Yum Cimil (Ah Puch)- god of the underworld Ixtab- goddess of suicides Yum Caax- god of the woods, and nnature Ix chel- goddess of the earth and moon, weavers and pregnannt women Ixbalanque (Xbalanque)- son of Hun Hunapu, one of the Maya Hero Twins Hunahpu- son of Hun Hunapu, one of the Maya Hero Twins Source: popol vuh