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 pro!ide lessons on a
moral code by which to li!e. They were attempts to pro!ide rationale to natural e!ents and to human emotion.
Mythological stories generally were passed on orally from generation to succeeding generation. "ach tale, embellished
and #corrupted# through the re$tellings, was probably a reasoned e%planation of the facts as seen by unsophisticated
and uneducated eyes. Most scholars today di!ide the sub&ect into three categories' pure myth (primiti!e science and
primiti!e religion, heroic saga (primiti!e history, and folklore (fictional stories.
Mythological Characters (orld(ide
)frican Mythological Characters
*+T" ,' )lmost all )frican peoples belie!ed in a supreme god who created the uni!erse and all within it- this belief
pre$dated the infiltration of the Christian or Islamic religions. This does not mean they belie!ed in a monotheistic
faith, for this supreme god had many under$gods. This deity was personali.ed in their indi!idual mythologies, usually
as a bi$se%ual or non$se%ual being, father and mother of all creatures and creator of e!ery detail of earth.
)bassi
(*igeria "fik tribe/s creator of the world.
)buk
The first woman, according to the 0inka people of )frica. 1he is the patron goddess of women and gardens. Her
emblem is a little snake.
)du +gyinae
()shanti The first man. He was the leader of the se!en men, some women, a dog and a leopard who were the first
beings to come to the surface of the earth from holes in the ground.
)g2
(0ahomean (orshipped by hunters- in charge of uninhabited bush and the animals therein.
)gwe
In 3enin, she is the mother of the sea. 1he is affectionate and nurturing to humans who honor her.
)ida (edo
In 3enin and Haiti she is the snake companion to 0amballah$(edo, the most popular god, who is also in snake form.
)&e
4oruba goddess of wealth in all its forms.
)&ok
Chief god of the 1udanese 5otuko.
)konadi
)n oracle goddess of &ustice in Ghana.
)kongo
Chief deity of the *gombe in the Congo.
)ku&
Chief deity of the )ku& in the Congo.
)la
"arth mother of the Ibo tribe in *igeria. 1he is creator of the li!ing, 6ueen of the dead, and goddess of fertility.
)mma
(0ogon 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 &ustification for female circumcision, which is practiced by the 0ogon as well as other peoples of
)frica.
)nansi
Trickster spider of (est )frica, considered the creator/s chief official, and a hero of many tales.
)sase 4aa
Ghanian creator of humanity, and wife of *yame. 1he was also the mother of the gods.
)shiakle
Ghanian ()frica goddess of wealth, and of the sea.
)yaba
(0ahomean 1ister of 5oko- goddess of the hearth.
).iri
The goddess of possessions.
3aatsi
(7aire The first man, made by the Creator out of clay, which he co!ered with skin and filled with blood. Then was
made a woman, name unknown, with whom 3aatsi was commanded to make children.
3ayanni
(4oruba 1ister of 1hango. 1he was sacrificed to make her younger brother, 1hango, a stronger god.
3ele )lua
(Ghana ) tree goddess.
3omo 8ambi
(7imbabwe ) moon goddess.
3uk
(1udan Goddess of ri!ers and streams, and the source of life. Mother of 0eng, Candit, and *yaliep.
3uku
God9Goddess of the sky in (est )frica.
3un.i
(7aire ) rain goddess, depicted as a rainbow$colored snake. 1he took o!er her mother/s duties as rain goddess when
her mother was killed.
Cagn (Mantis
(3ushmen of )frica The creator, who with his wife, Coti, made e!erything. They had two sons' Coga. and Gewi.
Candit
(1udan Goddess of streams.
0an
(:on God of unity. He was the son of the twins 5isa and Mahu.
0eng
(0inka God of rain, whose club is lightning. The di!ine ancestor of the 0inka peoples.
0omfe
(;urumba The god of rain and wind.
0ongo
(1onghoi God of thunder.
"dinkira
()frica ) tree goddess.
"f2
(<ygmy The first man.
"gungun$oya
()frica )nother form of the 4oruba goddess of di!ination.
"ka )bassi
()frica The creator of life. Her son, and consort, was +bumo, god of thunder and rain.
"nekpe
()frica Goddess of the family and guardian of destiny. +ne story relates that when she saw that her tribe was losing a
battle, she offered herself as a sacrifice to sa!e her people, and was buried ali!e on the battlefield- her tribe was sa!ed.
"seasar
()frica )n earth goddess married to the sky god, "bore.
"shu
(:on94oruba The di!ine messenger, master of all languages, who acts as intermediary between men and all di!inities
and between gods and gods.
"su
(4oruba God of watchfulness.
:a
The god of di!ination.
:aran
(1onghay ) great hero who battled the ri!er spirit 7in$kibaru.
:atouma
(Mali 1he was born in a !illage near a lake that was inhabited by a !irgin$de!ouring dragon who each year claimed a
!illage !irgin as payment for the use of the lake/s waters. The day came when :atouma was the only eligible !irgin
remaining so she was left on the shore for the dragon to eat. )long came a hero named Hammadi who slew the
dragon, married :atouma, and li!ed happily e!er after with her.
Gleti
(3enin Moon goddess. 1he is the mother of all the stars (Gleti!i. )n eclipse is said to be caused by the shadow of the
her husband when he comes to #!isit#.
Gon.uole
(5iberia The first woman. (ithout a mate she ga!e birth to many beautiful daughters- they li!ed together in a !illage
without men for many years. "!entually some men nearby trapped them all and Gon.uole, fearing for her daughters/
safety, agreed to gi!e them in marriage to the men.
G=
(:on The god of metal. ) metal sword is still called by this name.
Gua
God of agriculture, blacksmiths, and thunder in (est )frica.
Gulu
(0inka The creator god.
(3uganda ;ing of hea!en.
Gunab
Hottentot god of e!il.
H>biesso
The god of thunder.
Iku
God of death in *igeria.
Ilankaka
(*kundo The sun goddess of the *kundo of central 7aire was trapped by a man who was hunting during the night.
1he 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. 1oon pregnant, she refused to eat anything but forest rats. 3ecause it was known that a man
had to pro!ide for any whim of a pregnant woman, the man was kept !ery busy trapping for her. +ne night, howe!er,
she awakened to reali.e she was no longer pregnant. 1hocked, she disco!ered 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 "lephant Girl Mbombe.
Imana
Chief god of the 3anyarwanda people of 8uanda.
Iruwa
1un god in ;enya.
?uok
(1hilluk The creator of all men on earth- "uropeans from white clay, )rabs from reddish$brown clay, and )fricans
from black earth.
;hon!um
Chief god of the <ygmies.
;ibuka
(0inka93uganda God of war and storms.
;intu
(0inka The first man and founder of the 0inka peoples. The Masai peoples ha!e this myth' In the beginning there
was only one man on earth, ;intu. The daughter of hea!en saw him and fell in lo!e 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.
5eb2
(0ogon The ancestor from whom the 0ogon descended.
5>gba
(0ahomean The god of crossroads and the messenger of the gods. He understood all languages and so was also
interpreter for the gods.
5e.a
(Central )frica The creator, or supreme, god.
5iban.a
Chief god of the @potos of the Congo.
5ituolone
(3antu ) mythic hero a la Hercules or @lysses.
5oko
(0ahomean The god of medicine.
Maina
(5uyia The ancestor of the people.
Mambo
(5o!edu The ancestor of these people.
Marwe
(Chaga ) folktale heroine.
Massim 3iambe
(Congo The creator, an omnipotent immaterial god.
Mawu$5isa (5e.a
(0ahomean9:on "ither an androgynous (double$se%ed being or male and female twins. The first deity. Mawu, the
female (partA is associated with the moon, fertility, motherhood and &oy. 5isa, the male (partA is associated with the
sun, strength, labor and heat. This god (godsA ga!e birth to all the other gods.
Mbo.e
(7aire Mother of the (oyo people, and mother of 3un.i. (hen her husband found out he was not the father of 3un.i,
he killed Mbo.e.
Mebeli
(Congo The female god. 1ee <hebele below.
Minepa
(Macoua The god of e!il.
Moombi
(;ikuyu Creator. (ife to Gikuyu with whom she bore nine daughters.
Mukasa
(3uganda )n oracle, considered a beneficent god for he demanded no sacrifices.
Muluku
(Macoua The supreme being.
Mulungu
("ast )frica The creator, or supreme god.
Mwambu
(5uyia The first man.
*ambi
(3uganda The first woman.
*ana 3uluku
(:on The primordial mother.
*anan$3ouclou
"we tribe god of herbs and medicine.
*enaunir
(Masai God of storms and, as a demon, a spirit of e!il.
*g ai
(Masai The creator of the uni!erse.
*yamb2
((estern Tropics The creator9supreme god. The sun god. He is known among the many different peoples as *yam2,
*gewo, Mawu, )mma, +lorun, Chukwu, etc.
*yankopon
()shanti The sun god.
*yasaye
Chief god of the Maragoli.
*.ame
(3antu The creator, who was really three in one' *.ame, Mebere, and *kwa.
+boto
The goddesses of serenity.
+dudua$+rishala
(4oruba 1imilar deities as Mawu$5isa abo!e, e%cept for a different tribe.
+gun
(4oruba The god of iron- the god of war.
+lokun
(*igeria93enin94oruba The sea god, most worshipped of the deities, for he once destroyed most of the earth (flood
myth.
+lorun
(4oruba The creator, or supreme, god.
+risha *la
(4oruba The Great God ordered by +lorun to create solid ground in the marshy lands that were earth.
+sanyin
The god of medicine.
+runmila
(4oruba God of mercy, who helped man after +lokun/s deluge.
+she
(4oruba The god of thunder and lightning.
+sun
(4oruba The power (orisa of lo!e and sensuality. 1he is depicted as an old wise woman sad at the loss of her beauty.
)lternately she may be shown as tall, light$brown$skinned, and with the sensuality of a prostitute. 1he is patroness of
ri!ers and the bloodstream, and wears se!en brass bracelets. 1he wears a mirror at her belt to admire herself, is
companioned by the primping peacock and cricket, and carries ri!er water in her pot. <owerful spells are worked
through this lady of opposites.
+ya
(4oruba +ya the warrior goddess of the wind represents the winds of change. )s 4oruban goddess of the marketplace
she creates changes in fortune. 1he was the wife of 1hango , lord of thunder and fertility. Her power is associated with
lightning, tornadoes, cemeteries and death. +ya is tall, stately, and an )ma.on in battle. 1he is the orisa of power and
action. "!ery breath we take is the gift of +ya.
<hebele
(Congo The male god who with Mebeli, the female god, had a child, man, to whom Massim 3iambe ga!e life.
8ugaba
God of the sky in @ganda.
1agbata
(0ahomey God of smallpo%.
1hagpona
(4oruba God of smallpo%.
1hango
(4oruba God of war, storms, thunder and fertility.
1opona
(4oruba God of smallpo%.
Tano
(Togo ) ri!er god.
Tilo
(Mo.ambi6ue God of the sky and of thunder and rain.
Tokoloshi
In!isible half$hare, half$man creatures, belie!ed to be messengers for witchdoctors.
Tsui/goab
(Hottentot 8ain god and great hero.
@m!elin6angi
(7ulu The sky god who descended from hea!en and married @hlanga (a large swamp personali.ed. This swamp was
o!ergrown with reeds of many colors. @m!elin6angi broke off two reeds of each different color and made them into
people, a male and a female. "ach pair thereby became the founders of a tribe of a different color. The 7ulu people call
themsel!es )bantsundu which means #brown people#.
@nkulunkulu
(7ulu Chief god.
@ti%o
(Hottentot God of the sky, rain, and thunder.
(ak
("thiopia The supreme god who li!ed in the clouds. (ak kept the hea!ens at a distance from the earth and co!ered it
with stars. He was a benefactor god. (hen the earth was flat, (ak asked man to build himself a coffin. Man did this
and (ak shut him up in it. (ak buried the coffin. :or se!en years he made fire rain down and this is how the
mountains were formed. Then (ak danced upon the place where the coffin was buried and man sprang forth, ali!e. 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. "!entually man tired of li!ing alone. (ak took some of his blood and after four days, the blood
became a woman whom the man married. He had BC children. Howe!er, he was ashamed at ha!ing had so many and
so hid ,D of them. )n angry (ak then made the hidden children into animals and demons.
(amara
(3a.ibu 1on of *yante. :ather of ;agoro, Mugasba, ;a.oba and 8yangombe.
(antu 1u
(1udan The supreme god.
(ele
Chief god of the )baluyia of ;enya.
(ere
Chief god of the 5uo of ;enya.
(oto (+to
(1hongo God of fire.
Ee!ioso
(:on God of thunder. 1on of Mahu and 5isa. Twin brother of Gun. ) member of the Fodu gods.
4angombi
(3antu God of creation.
4emon&a
(*igerian 4oruba 1he is one of the great goddesses of )frica. 1he was said to be the daughter of the sea into whose
waters she empties. Her breasts are !ery large, because she was mother of so many of the 4oruba gods. 1he is also the
mother of waters (Mama (atta who ga!e birth to all the world/s waters. "!en as she slept, she would create new
springs, which gushed forth each time she turned o!er. 1he was the sister9wife of )gan&u, the soil god, and mother by
him of +rungan, god of the noonday sun. 1he is known by different names in many localities- )s 4emo&a (4emayah
she is the power (orisa of the ocean and motherhood. 1he is long$breasted, the goddess of fishes, and wears an
insignia of alternating crystal and blue beads. 1he has a strong, nurturant, life$gi!ing yet furiously destructi!e nature.
1he is considered the Great (itch, the ultimate manifestation of female power, as 4eman&a (Iman&e in 3ra.il she is
ocean goddess of the crescent moon, as 4moa in (est )frica she is the ri!er goddess who grants fertility to women, in
Cuba she is 4emaya (4emaya )taramagwa, wealthy 6ueen of the sea $ 4emaya )chabba, stern goddess $ 4emaya
+66utte, !iolent goddess $ 4emaya +lokun, dream goddess, she is )gwe in Haiti. )nd finally as 4amo&a, a
contraction of the the sentence #Iyamo e&a#, meaning #our mother# or #my mother of fishes#.
7ambi
()ngola The supreme being.
7anahary
Chief god in Madagascar.
7inkibaru
(1onghoi )lthough he is a blind d&inn, he is considered the #Master of :ish#.
)sian Mythological Characters
)diti
(Hindu 1upreme creator of all that has been created. Fariously described as the mother, wife, and9or daughter of
Fishnu- mother of the gods, and all hea!enly bodies.
)dityas
(Hindu The di!ine sons of )diti, chief among them was Faruna ()ditya. The others were Indra, Mitra, 8udra,
T!ashtar and Fishnu.
)gni
(India God of fire. He e%ists as lightning.
)i.en$Myoo
(3uddhism ) deity, who despite his terrible appearance, is full of compassion for mankind. He is pictured with si%
arms, three eyes, a lion/s head with bristling mane, and atop his head a thunder$bolt (Fa&ra, with which he calms e!il
passions and forbidden desires.
)&i$1uki$Taka$Hi$;one
(?apan ) god of thunder.
)ma no @.ume
(?apan The witty goddess of persuasion, who performed a lewd dance to entice )materasu out of the ca!e in which
she was hiding.
)ma$terasu
(?apan The sun goddess (6ueen of the uni!erse. )materasu +mikami, the 1un Goddess, is considered the founder of
the ?apanese nation.
)matsu Mikaboshi
(?apan ) god of e!il.
)mbika
(Hindu ) feminine personification of <ar!ati in Hindu mythology. )n astonishingly beautiful woman she lured
demons to their deaths. 1he announced to them that she would not bed with anyone who had not bested her in battle,
and when they approached to fight her she killed their retinue with a supersonic hum, then transformed herself into
the fearsome ;ali and slew them.
)mma!aru
(India )n ancient goddess of India who e%isted before the beginning of time. 1he laid an egg that hatched into the
di!ine trinity of 3rahma, Fishnu, and 1hi!a.
)nanta (1hesha
(Hindu The coiled serpent of infinite time.
)nnapurna ()nnapatni
) Hindu a!atar of 0urga who ruled o!er food production.
)runa
(Hindu God of the dawn.
)sh!ins
(Hindu 3ene!olent gods. Twin horsemen and sons of the sun.
)suras
(India 0emons, possessed of magical powers, at perpetual war with the 0e!as (gods.
)ntaboga
Indonesian underworld serpent deity ruling o!er the production of rice.
)ryong ?ong
;orean goddess of rainfall.
)u$Co
Fietnamese creator of humanity.
3a
(China Goddess of drought.
3anka$Mundi
) hunting goddess in India.
3enten (3en.ai$Ten
(?apan 3enten is one of the ?apanese gods of good fortune known as the #1e!en 5ucky Gods.# 3enten is the only
female deity among the se!en. Goddess of language, wisdom, literature, lo!e, music and the sea.
3haira!i
(Hindu Goddess of terror.
3ishamon
(?apan He was one of the 1e!en Gods of 5uck. He is the 3uddhist patron of warriors.
3rag$srin$mo
)ncestral goddess of Tibet. 1he mated with a monkey and bore si% children who, when fed a special food, shed their
tails and fur and became the first Tibetans.
3rahma
(Hindu The post$Fedic form of <ra&apati, the creator.
3rihaspati
(India The god of incantation and ritual, the personification of priestly magic.
3uddha
(Hindu Gautama, the founder of 3uddhism. 8egarded as an a!atar of Fishnu.
3udhi <allien
) forest goddess in *orth India who roamed the &ungle in the form of a tiger.
Caishen
(China God of wealth.
Candi
(India )nother name for the goddess 0urga (in her moon form. The moon was considered a god one month
(Chandra, a goddess (Candi the ne%t.
Challalamma
(India Goddess of buttermilk.
Chandra
(Fedic God of the moon.
Chang :ei
(China God of butchers.
Chang Hsien
(China God of dreams and god of pregnancy.
Ch/ang$+
(China +riginally a woman who li!ed on earth and became a goddess when she drank all the water of immortality
that was gi!en to her husband by the gods as an award, thereby cheating him of that honor. 1he became goddess of the
moon.
Chang <an
(China God of masons.
Ch/ang Tsai
(China God of the spleen.
Chao san$*iang
(China Goddess of wig salesmen.
Chao T/eng$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 1an$;ung
(China God of fishing.
Cheng 4uan$ho
(China God of strolling singers.
Chen ;ao
(China God of the ears.
Chien$Ti
(China ) Chinese ancestral mother who accidentally swallowed a multi$colored swallow/s egg and ga!e birth
thereafter to the ancestors of the 1hang dynasty.
Chih ?ih
(China God of the day.
Chih *ii
(China Goddess of spinning.
Chih *u
(China 1he wo!e the beautiful robes of all the other di!inities. Goddess of wea!ing.
Ch/ih 1ung$t.u
(China 5ord of the rain.
Chimata$*o$;ami
(?apan God of the crossroads.
Ching 5ing T.u
(China God of tea.
Ch/ing 5ung
(China God of the lungs.
Chin$hua *iang$niang
(China God of drums and !iolins.
Chinnintamma
(India Goddess of households.
Chio 4uan$T.u
(China God of the brain.
Chi <o
(China God of the winds.
Chou (ang
(China God of sodomy.
Chuang$Mu
(China Goddess of the bedroom.
Chu$&ung
(China God of fire and celestial e%ecutioner.
Chung$kuei
(China <rotector of those who tra!el. God of e%aminations.
Chung$li Ch/Gan
(China +ne of the "ight Immortals of Taoism.
Ch/ung 5ing$yu
(China God of the nose.
Chung 5iu
(China God of ea!es.
Chu *iao
(China God of the heart.
Chun T/i
(China Goddess of the dawn.
Chup$;amui
(?apan 1un goddess of the )inu peoples. +riginally she was the moon goddess but after one night o!erhead watching
all the adulterous beha!ings below she begged the sun god to trade places with her- he did.
Chu 4ing
(China God of the eyes.
0ai$itoku$Myoo
(3uddhism He has si% heads with terrible faces, si% arms, and si% legs. He uses poisons to do his e!ils.
0aikoku
(?apan God of wealth and happiness. Has a magic mallet with which he creates gold.
0akini
(Hindu :emale attendants of ;ali. Terrifying$looking, they were pictured as huge in si.e, and sometimes with fish
bodies.
0e!as
(India Gods at perpetual war with the )suras (demons.
0e!i
(Hindu ) twel!e$armed warrior goddess, created by 3rahma, Fishnu, and 1i!a to slay Mahishasura, the shape$
shifting monster who menaced the uni!erse. 1he rode a lion into the fray and was !ictorious.
0ewi *awang 1asih
(1undanese Celestial nymph who taught people how to cook rice. The myth says she ga!e the women a simple recipe-
place one grain of rice in a pot, boil, and wait until it sub$di!ides again and again until the pot is full. Her one
restriction was that no man e!er touch a woman/s cooking utensils. The people feasted fully, and easily, following her
instructions until one king who felt abo!e all others deliberately touched a cooking implement. The goddess in disgust
departed the earth, and since that time it takes a whole bunch of rice to fill a pot, because although the grains swell up,
they no longer di!ide and reproduce.
0ewi 1hri
The rice goddess of 3ali. Goddess of both the underworld and the moon, she has both earthly and celestial powers.
)lthough she rules life, through her control of the foodstuffs of the earth, she also controls death, which returns us to
her bosom.
0harma
(Hindu God of &ustice.
0hisana
(Hindu Goddess of prosperity.
0i ?un
(China God of the eastern sky.
0iti
)n Indian goddess. Many mythographers see )diti as the endless sky- 0iti as the earth. 3oth apparently come from a
non$)ryan source of Hindu mythology, for their children, though recogni.ed as supernatural, were ne!er part of the
official pantheon. 0iti/s children were asuras, non$gods. They were powerful beings, especially the warrior Maruts,
who might ha!e con6uered the gods. 0iti, whose earlier children Indra had killed, practiced magic when pregnant
again. 1o threatened was Indra that he watched her constantly. (hen 0iti fell into a do.e, Indra entered her !agina,
tra!eled to her womb, and dismembered the fetus. "!en cut to pieces, the fetus was so powerful that it reformed into
forty$nine separate warriors.
0raupadi
) heroine of the Mahabharata, she was a polyandrous woman who slept in turn with each of her fi!e husbands, who
were all brothers.
0yaus
(Hindu9Fedic God of the rain.
0urga
(Hindu +ne of the forms of the goddess 1hakti, and the wife of 1hi!a. 1he was born fully grown. 0urga is famous as
the many$armed many$weaponed goddess that slays the buffalo$demon.
0yaush
(India The first supreme god.
"bisu
(?apan God of fishermen.
"mma$+
(?apan He is the lord of hell. He is depicted as wearing a &udge/s cap and holding a mace. He was responsible for
&udging the souls of men (his sister &udged the souls of women. If a sinner was #sa!ed# by the prayers of the li!ing, he
was reborn on earth or in paradise.
:an ;/uei
(China ) god of butchers.
:ei 5ien
(China ) god of the wind.
:engbo
(China )nother god of the wind.
:eng <ho$<ho
(China Goddess of the winds of China, :eng <ho$<ho was pictured as riding a tiger for her steed and with clouds for
her roadway. 1he was depicted as an old, wrinkled woman. +n calm days, it was thought she rounded up the winds
and stuffed them into the bag she carried on her shoulder.
:udo
(?apan God of wisdom.
:udo$Myoo
(3uddhism The god who protects against catastrophes, great dangers and fire and theft. He is pictured surrounded by
flames, the symbols of his !irtues. His ferocious face is half hidden by his long hair. (ith his sword he battles against
anger, a!arice, and folly.
:u$Hsi
(China The god of !egetation and the in!entor of writing.
:u Hsing
(China He was one of the three di!inities known as :u$1hou$5u. He was considered a spirit of happiness.
:u&i
(?apan In the myths of many cultures !olcanoes ha!e been seen as female forces ()etna in Italy, <ele in Hawaii, and
Chuginadak in the )leutians. The aboriginal ?apanese )inus saw !olcanic fire as female also, naming their chief
di!inity :u&i, goddess of the famous mountain that now bears her name.
:ukuroku&u
(?apan The star god. )nother of the 1e!en Gods of 5uck. He represents wisdom. To show that, he is depicted as
ha!ing a head nearly e6ual to the length of his body.
:u$<ao
The 4ellow "mperor of China was another hero with an unusual conception. His mother, :u$<ao, sat outdoors one
night watching an unearthly light play across the sky, and she became inpregnated. Her child Huang$Ti, the 4ellow
"mperor, 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.
1on of 1hi!a and <ar!ati.
Ganga (Ganges
(Hindu The story goes that this #mother of ri!ers# once li!ed in hea!en with her sister, the !irgin, @ma. (hen sea$
dwelling demons harassed the earth, )gastya swallowed the ocean where they hid, thereby getting rid of the demons-
but the earth was left seriously parched and dry. 3ecause of the prayers of the people, the hea!enly water goddess
Ganga descended to earth. 1he became embodied as the sacred ri!er Ganges. Her role is as the goddess of health,
happiness, fertility, and wealth. +ne of the wi!es of 1hi!a, she was the daughter of the mountain Himalaya.
Gaomei
(Chinese +riginally an ancient Chinese goddess whose name, means #first mother#. 1he was later changed into a
male di!inity.
Garuda
(Hindu The god$mount of Fishnu and his consort 5akshmi, it is usually pictured as a creature with the head, talons,
beak, and wings of an eagle (or a !ulture and limbs and trunk of human shape.
Gauri
(Hindu 1aid to be a form of the mighty 0urga.
Gauri$1ankar
(India ) mountain goddess.
Gekka$+
(?apan God of marriage.
Giri 0e!i
(1ri 5anka This legendary woman is in!oked in dances and songs. 1he was the sister of the e!il demon 0ala ;umara,
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. 1he finally
committed suicide by hanging herself from a tree. He ne!er reco!ered from this loss, but the efforts of <attini kept him
from de!astating the world by instituting rituals to hold him at bay.
Gopis
(Hindu The #milkmaids#- said to be the lo!ers of the young ;rishna.
Go.an.e$Myoo
(3uddhism He is pictured with four ferocious faces, a third eye centered in his forehead, and eight hands.
Grhade!i
(India God of the household.
Guan 0i
(China ) god of war.
Gu&eswari
(India ) mother goddess.
Gundari$Myoo
(3uddhism He is pictured with three eyes and fangs. He has a red body with eight arms. 1nakes are coiled about his
wrists and ankles.
Hachiman
(?apan ) god of war.
Hanuman
(Hindu Chief minister and general of the monkey people.
Hao Ch/iu
(China ) god of the heart.
Hari$Hara
(Hindu ) composite god- the combination of 1hi!a and Fishnu.
Hariti
(3uddhism 1he had been a cannibal de!ourer of children until con!erted by 3uddha, at which time she became the
protectress of children.
Heng$o
(China Goddess of the moon. Consort of 4i the )rcher.
Hettsui$*o$;ami
(?apan Goddess who protected and pro!ided for the family through the pro!isioning of har!ested food.
Ho$Masubi
(?apan ) god of fire.
Ho <o (<ing$I
(China God of the 4ellow 8i!er. :oremost among the ri!er gods.
Hotei
(?apan )nother of the 1e!en Gods of 5uck. He is pictured as a cheerful monk with a large protruding belly. Hotei is
sometimes referred to as the#5aughing 3uddha# and it is said that if you rub his belly you will encounter good fortune.
Hou Chi
(China 5ord of abundant har!ests. He was miraculously concei!ed when his childless mother stepped on the footprint
of a god.
Hou T/u
(China ) god of the earth.
Hsiao (u
(China God of prisons.
Hsieh T/ien$chun
(China God personification of the planet 1aturn.
Hsien *ung
(China ) god of agriculture.
Hsi 5ing$su
(China God of silk.
Hsi$shen
(China God of &oy.
Hsi 1hih
(China Goddess of face cream.
Hsi (ang Mu
(China Mother goddess of the (estern <aradise.
Hsuan (en$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 0e!i
(Hindu Goddess of cholera.
Huo <u
(China ) god of fire.
Hu$1hen
(China God of hail.
Inari
(?apan God of rice.
Indra
(India Main god of the Fedas. In Fedic myth, god of the atmosphere, storms, rain, and battle. Indra is the most
celebrated Fedic god. He rides the solar chariot across the sky and wields thunderbolts.
I.anagi and I.anami
(?apan The god and goddess that created ?apan.
?agganath (?uggernaut
(Hindu The god whose name means #5ord of the (orld# (It is a cult title of Fishnu.
?en )n
(China God of robbers.
?i.o 3osatsu
(China9?apan The great protector of suffering humanity. He a!erts fires, facilitates childbirth, and is especially
honored as a protector of children.
?uro&in
(?apan God of longe!ity.
?yeshtha
(Hindu Goddess of bad luck.
;agutsuchi
(?apan ) god of fire.
;ali
(India Cult name of the goddess 0urga. (ife to 1hi!a. ) bloodthirsty fertility goddess to whom the Thugs (@nder the
title 3ha!ani, she was in!oked by this secret brotherhood of murderers. sacrificed their !ictims. Her idol is black, is
smeared with blood, has huge fang$like teeth, and a protruding tongue that drips with blood. 1he wears a necklace of
skulls, earrings of corpses, and is girdled with serpents. 1he usually has four arms, symboli.ing absolute dominion
o!er all finite things. +ne hand holds a sword, the second holds a se!ered human head, the third is belie!ed by her
de!otees to be remo!ing fear, and the fourth is often interpreted as granting bliss. ;ali$omnipotent, absolute, and all$
per!asi!e$is beyond fear and finite e%istence and is therefore belie!ed able to protect her de!otees against fear and to
gi!e them limitless peace. :inally, as absolute night, de!ouring all that e%ists, she is sometimes depicted as standing
on the corpse of 1hi!a, which, like the garland of skulls, symboli.es the remains of finite e%istence. ;ali/s worshipers
reportedly appeased her in the past with human sacrifices. 1he is propitiated today with the blood of mammals.
;ama
(Hindu God of lo!e and desire. 1on of Fishnu and 5akshmi, and husband of 8ati (goddess of !oluptuousness, like the
8oman Fenus.
;amado$*o$;ami
(?apan91hinto God of kitchen sto!es.
;ami
(?apan ) god in 1hintoism (The nati!e religion of ?apan.
;arttikeya
(Hindu God of war. He is shown riding on a peacock, with a bow in one hand and an arrow in the other. He is also
called 1kanda and ;umara.
;awa$*o$;ami
(?apan ) god of ri!ers.
;aya$*u$Hima
(?apan Goddess of herbs.
;eng 4en$cheng
(China )nother god of robbers and thie!es.
;ing (an
(China ) god of luck.
;ishi&oten
(?apan ) goddess of good luck.
;ishi$Mo&in
(?apan93uddhism Goddess of motherhood.
;o Hsien$(eng
(China God of &ugglers.
;ongo$Myoo
(3uddhism 0epicted as surrounded by fire- has three heads and si% arms. His front face has fi!e eyes.
;rishna
(Hindu (orshipped as an incarnation of Fishnu.
;rtya
(Hindu Goddess of witchcraft.
;uan Ti
(China God of war and upholder of &ustice.
;uan Ti
(China God of literature. God of fortune$telling.
;ubera
(Hindu He is the guardian of the north and is associated with all the teasures of the earth that lie underground.
;ub&ika
(Hindu Goddess of pottery.
;uei$ku T.u
(China )nother god of fortune$telling.
;u&aku$Myoo
(3uddhism He is always shown seated on a peacock. He gi!es protection against drought.
;unitokotatchi
(?apan91hinto The chief deity.
;uo T.u$i
(China )nother god of happiness.
5ai Cho
(China ) god of agriculture.
5akshmi or 5aksmi
(Hindu ) consort of Fishnu and mother of ;ama. 1he is the goddess of beauty, wealth, and pleasure. 1he was born
from the foam of the sea, like the Greek )phrodite.
5ao 5ang
(China God of actors.
5ei ;ung
(China God of thunder.
5ei Tsu
(China God of innkeepers.
5i 5ao$chun
(China God of leatherworkers.
5i Tien
(China God of firecrackers.
5iu Meng
(China God of agriculture.
5iu <ei
(China God of basket$makers.
5ohasur 0e!i
(India Goddess of the forging of iron.
5o 1hen
(China Goddess of ri!ers.
5o$Tsu Ta$Hsien
(China God of barbers and beggars.
5o 4u
(China God of tea.
5u Hsing
(China )nother of the three gods who were known as :u$1hou$5u. God of &ustice.
5ung 4en
(China God of the li!er.
5u$pan
(China God of carpenters
Ma$;u
(China Goddess of springtime.
Manasha
(Hindu Goddess of snakes.
Mang Chin$i
(China Goddess of the womb.
Mang 1hen
(China God of agriculture.
Manu
(Hindu )ncestor of the human race. 1a!ed from the flood by a great fish.
Mao Meng
(China God of the planets ?upiter and Mercury.
Marici
(?apan The goddess of dawn.
Maya
(Hindu The Hueen Mother.
Maya!el
(India )nother goddess of children.
Men 1hen
(China The two guardians of doorways, who protect against e!il spirits and hostile influences.
Meru
(Hindu akin to #+lympus# of the Greeks, a mountain in the center of the world. The abode of Fishnu, and a perfect
<aradise.
Miao Hu
(China ) god of agriculture.
Mi$lo :o
(China The coming 3uddha.
Ming 1hang
(China God of the eyes.
Mitra
(India Mithra, the ancient <ersian god of light and wisdom. In the )!esta, the sacred 7oroastrian writings of the
ancient <ersians, Mitra appears as the chief ya.ata ()!estan, #beneficent one#, or good spirit, and ruler of the world.
He was supposed to ha!e slain the di!ine bull, from whose dying body sprang all plants and animals beneficial to
humanity. )fter the con6uest of )ssyria in the Ith century bc and of 3abylonia in the Jth century bc, Mitra became the
god of the sun, which was worshipped in his name. The Greeks of )sia Minor, by identifying Mitra with Helios, the
Greek god of the sun, helped to spread the cult. It was brought to 8ome about JK bc, and during the early empire it
spread rapidly. It was a ri!al to Christianity in the 8oman world. Mithraism was similar to Christianity in many
respects, for e%ample, in the ideals of humility and brotherly lo!e, baptism, the rite of communion, the use of holy
water, the adoption of 1undays and of 0ecember LD (Mitra/s birthday as holy days, and the belief in the immortality
of the soul, the last &udgment, and the resurrection. Mithraism differed from Christianity in the e%clusion of women
from its ceremonies and in its willingness to compromise with polytheism. His cult e%panded to become a worldwide
religion, called Mithraism. It declined rapidly in the late Bd century ).0.
Mon&u$3osatsu
(?apan God of education.
Mulhalmoni
(;orea Goddess of water.
*agas
(Hindu Human$headed snakes that appear fre6uently in myth and legend. They sprung from ;adru, wife of ;asyapa.
They li!ed in the underworld where they rule as semi$de!ine beings. The *aga and *agina are genii kings and
6ueens. *aga women can marry humans. The *agas are enemies of the Garuda bird (a mythical symbolic bird in the
Hindu religion.
*ai$*o$;ami
(?apan God of earth6uakes.
*an$chi Hsien$weng
(China God of longe!ity.
*andi
(Hindu The bull- the !ehicle of 1hi!a.
*araka
(Hindu The place of torture for departed e!il$doers.
*atara&a
(Hindu 5ord of the 0ance.
*i$+
(3uddhism The protector of the 3uddhist faith.
*irriti
(Hindu Goddess of corruption, decay, and disease.
*iu (ang
(China God of o%en.
*o$Il ?a$0ae
(?apan Goddess of the toilet.
*u$kua
(China Goddess in!entor of marriage. In some myths the one who created mankind.
*u (a
(China Goddess of those who arrange marriages.
+$;uni$*ushi
(?apan God of medicine and sorcery.
+moigane
(?apan God of wisdom.
<a
(China Goddess of drought.
<a Cha
(China Goddess of grasshoppers.
<ai Chung
(China )nother god of agriculture.
<ai 5iu$:ang
(China God of the throat.
<ai 4u
(China God of guitars.
</an$Chin$5ien
(China Goddess of brothels, prostitution, and se%.
</an *iang
(China Goddess of !accination.
<ao 4uan$ch/uan
(China God of the spleen.
<arashurama
(Hindu 8ama with an a%e (a human incarnation of Fishnu- his magic battle$a%e was a gift from 1hi!a.
<ar&anya
(Hindu God of lightning and thunder.
<ar!ati
(Hindu 1hi!a/s wife (or consort. Turns into ;ali when #necessary#.
<aurnamasi
(Hindu Goddess of the full moon.
<han ;u
(ChinaThe creator who formed the mountains, !alleys, ri!ers and oceans. (hen he died, his skull became the sky, his
breath the wind, his !oice thunder, his legs and arms the four directions, his flesh the soil, and his blood the ri!ers.
Then the fleas in his hair became the people.
</i Chia$Ma
(China God of the ribs.
<ien Ho
(China God of &ewellers.
<o 4an 0ari
(Cambodia Goddess of disease.
<ra&apati
(India The father of gods and demons, he is the master of created beings, and the protector of those who procreate.
<rithi!i
(Hindu Goddess of the earth- consort of 0yaush.
<uchan
(India 3rings all things into relationship, blessing marriage, pro!iding food, guiding tra!elers, and ushering the dead.
<urandhi
(India Goddess of childbirth and abundance.
<urusha
(Hindu He was sacrificed and all parts of the cosmos were made from his dismembered body.
Huan 4in (;uan 4in
Huan 4in is a mother9protectress type Goddess. 1he died in life but was made a Goddess, and because she saw a lot of
pain while she was li!ing, she swore to protect all humans, and would not rest until the suffering of man$kind ended
8adha
(Hindu The principal mistress of ;rishna.
8aiden
(?apan God of thunder.
8akshas
(India "!il semi$de!ine creatures that practice black magic and afflict men with misfortune.
8ama
+ne of the ,C incarnations of Fishnu, 8ama is a traditional hero. His story forms the epic 8amayana. He is perfect in
e!ery aspect- the perfect man, the perfect husband, the perfect brother, the perfect king, etc. and the obedient son. He
is belie!ed to ha!e been born for the sole purpose of killing the demon king 8a!ana. This #<erfect +ne# is depicted
usually with his wife 1ita and his brother 5akshmana and his greatest de!otee, the monkey Hanuman at his feet.
8ati
(Hindu Goddess of lo!e and se%ual passions.
8atri
(Hindu9Fedic Goddess of the night.
8odasi
(Fedic Goddess of lightning.
8udra
(Hindu Fedic god of wild nature and of disease.
8udrani
(India Goddess of storms.
8umina
(India 1till another goddess of children.
1amanta$3hadra
(Tibet 1anskrit name of ;untu$b.ang$mo, mother goddess in 3)80+ mysticism.
1amundra
(India Goddess of ri!ers.
1an&na
(Hindu Goddess of the dawn.
1an ;uan
(China Collecti!e name for the Three +fficials, who were T/ien ;uan (official of hea!en, Ti ;uan (official of earth
and 1hui ;uan (official of water.
1angs$rgyas$mkhM
(Tibet ) rain goddess.
1ao$ch/ing *iang
(China Goddess of good weather.
1aras!ati
(India Goddess of knowledge and of fertility and prosperity. 1he is considered the originator of speech and of all the
arts. 1he is one (the maiden aspect of the trinity which includes 0e!i and 5akshmi. 1aras!ati is pictured as a graceful
woman with white skin, usually sitting on a lotus (or a peacock, and usually adorned with a crescent moon.
1arudahiko
(China The god of the crossroads and the embodiment of male se%uality. He is shown with a large nose, which is of
phallic significance.
1ati
(Hindu :irst wife of 1hi!a. 1he established the custom of suttee.
1a!itar
(India The god of motion, with golden eyes, hands, and tongues.
1engdroma
(Tibet ) lion$faced goddess called upon as a protector of herds.
1geg$mo$ma
(Tibet Goddess of beauty, often depicted as holding a mirror.
1hang Chien
(China God of the neck.
1hang Ti
(China +riginally the supreme god. He was later known as T/ien (1ky.
1hashti
(Hindu Goddess who protects children and women in childbirth.
1hatala
(Hindu Goddess of smallpo%.
1he chi
(China )nother god of agriculture, especially of grain and the land.
1heng Mu
(China Goddess of black magic.
1hen Hsui$Chih
(China God of medicine.
1hen *ung
(China )nother agriculture god.
1hih 5iang
(China God of the tongue.
1hine$Tsu$Hiko
(?apan God of the wind.
1hiu :ang
(China God of embankments.
1hoten
(?apan God of commerce and wisdom.
1hou$lao
(China God who determines man/s longe!ity.
1hun I :u$&en
(China Goddess of famine and floods.
1hu.anghu
(0hammai of India He and his wife, 7umaing$*ui, e%ist before anything. )fter making lo!e they gi!e birth to a girl
("arth and a boy (1ky, who marry and gi!e birth to gods, and to two frogs. The frogs mate and gi!e birth to people.
1ien$Tsang
(China Goddess of silk culti!ation.
1itala (1atala
(Hindu Goddess of smallpo%.
1i!a (1hi!a
(India The god of destruction. +ne of the gods of the Hindu Trimurti, or triad of supreme gods. 1hi!a, also called
1i!a, personifies both the destructi!e and the procreati!e forces of the uni!erse. )s the destroyer he is represented
wearing a necklace of skulls and surrounded by demons. His reproducti!e aspect is symboli.ed by the lingam, a
phallic emblem. 1hi!a is also the god of asceticism and of art, especially dancing. He rides on the bull *andi, and his
consort is the mother goddess @ma, or ;ali. 1ome Hindus worship 1hi!a as the supreme deity and consider him a
bene!olent god of sal!ation as well as a god of destruction.
1kanda
(Hindu ) warrior$god. The si%$headed son of 1hi!a.
1oma
(India 3oth a narcotic plant and a god who gi!es inspiration, liberates men, and represents the principle of life.
1raddha
(Hindu Goddess of faith.
1su$ma Hsiang$&u
(China God of wine sellers.
1ung$Chiang
(China God of thie!es.
1un <in
(China God of shoemakers.
1unrta
(Hindu Goddess of happiness.
1un 1su$miao
(China God of druggists.
1ura
(India Goddess of wine.
1urabhi
(India ) fourth goddess of children.
1urya
(Hindu God of the sun.
1usa$no$wo
(?apan The 1torm God. 3rother of )ma$terasu.
1!asti$de!i
(Hindu Goddess of the household.
Ta&ika$no$mikoto
(?apan God of physical strength.
Tan Chu
(China God of the teeth.
T/ang Ming Huang
(China God of the theater.
Tankun
(;orea The sun god and founder of ;orea.
Tao ;ung
(China God of the diaphragm.
Tengri
(Mongolia God of the sky.
Tho$og
(Tibet Mother goddess, first of the gods to e%ist.
T/ien :ei
(China Goddess of sailing.
Tien Hou
(China +cean goddess who rode across the sky on clouds and, with her wind ser!ants, looked for sailors in danger.
1he then hastened to their rescue.
Tien Mu
(China Goddess of lightning.
Ti$tsang
(China 0eity who protects mankind- is able to rescue souls from hell and bring them to paradise.
Tsai 1hen
(China God of wealth.
Ts/ang Chien
(China God of writing.
Ts/an *u
(China Goddess of silkworms.
Tsao Chun
(China The kitchen god. The most important god of the family and home.
Tsao$(ang
(China God of the hearth.
T/shai$1hen
(China ) god of wealth.
Tsuki$yomi
(?apan God of the moon.
Tulsi
(India Goddess of the basil herb.
Tung Chun
(China God of the day.
T/ung Chung$chung
(China God of the skin.
T/ung 5ai$yu
(China God of the stomach.
Tung 5u
(China God of snow.
T/ung Ming
(China God of the tongue.
T!ashtar
(Hindu Craftsman of the gods.
T.u$ku 1hen
(China God of toilets.
@i Tango
(Tibet +ne of three creator goddesses. The other two are *guntre and *inguerre.
@ka no Mitanna
(?apan ) rice goddess, usually pictured with fo%es, her di!ine messengers.
@ke$mochi
(?apan Goddess of food.
@ma
(Hindu )nother name for 1hi!a/s consort.
@minai$gami
(+kinawa ) creator goddess, who with her brother @mikii$gami, created humans and the land.
@r&ani
(Hindu Goddess of strength.
@shas
(India The beautiful goddess of the dawn.
@so$dori
(?apan Goddess of singing.
@.ume
(?apan Goddess of laughter.
Fach
(Hindu Goddess of speech.
Faruna
(Hindu The top god, ruler of the sky. He is guardian of the west and is associated with oceans and waters.
(India Myth The moon, he super!ises oaths.
Fata
(India The god of the wind.
Fayu
(Hindu9Fedic God of air and wind.
Fishnu
(Hindu The supreme Hindu god. Fishnu rose to power during the battle between the de!as and the asuras. 3oth
wanted dominion o!er the world. The asuras finally agreed to cede whate!er territory a de!as could measure out in
three paces. Fishnu, who at this time was only a dwarf, proclaimed himself champion of his fellow creatures, and in
three strides tra!ersed the whole world (the earth, the sky, and all the inter!ening space. Fishnu/s retinue was
composed of Garuda (the eagle which ser!ed as his steed and Hanuman (the king of the monkeys. Certain ob&ects are
linked to him' the disc, the conch, the lotus flower. He was married to 5akhsmi. His a!atars were' a fish, a tortoise, a
wild boar, a man$lion, the dwarf, <arasurama, 8ama, ;rishna, 3uddha, ;alkin (to come at the end of this age. He is
always depicted sleeping on a large serpent named )disesha or )nanda. The snake represents the earth and by
sleeping on it, Fishnu becomes the #<reser!er of the "arth# (one of many of Fishnu/s names. Fishnu accomplished
many things' he killed the demon Madhu, he caused people to worship, and he took and takes great care of the "arth.
Fish!akarman
(Hindu He personifies the creati!e power. He fashioned the cities and weapons of the gods.
Fis!amitra
(India ) ksatriya (warrior, he aspired to become a 3rahman (high priest. To this end he withdrew to a forest and
practiced austerity. )fter a thousand years, 3rahma ga!e him the title of royal rsi, (a position lower than 3rahman. 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 3rahma made him a rsi. This time he fell in lo!e with a nymph, Mechaka, and
consorted with her for ten years. Thus again he lost all merits. 1till he persisted. This time he placed himself between
the fi!e fires in summer, and in water in winter. *ow he earned the title maharsi (super$rsi. 3ut the gods sent him the
nymph 8ambha to tempt him. He flew into a rage that they would do this and lost all his merits again. Fis!amitra then
stopped eating and breathing for some years, stayed away from temptation and anger, and he finally became a
3rahman.
Fi!as!at
(India God of sunrise.
Fritra
(India ) demon who imprisons the waters before Indra slays him.
(a
(China ) di!ine woman who, in ancient times, #produced the ten thousand beings through metamorphosis.# It is
difficult to tell from the writings about her e%actly how this creator goddess populated the world.
(aghai 0e!i
(India ) tiger goddess.
(akahirume
(?apan The fa!orite wea!ing maiden of the ?apanese sun goddess )materasu. 1he died when the e!il 1usanoo threw a
flayed piebald colt through the roof of the #Hea!enly (ea!ing Hall#. Terrified, (akahirume fell onto her shuttle,
which fatally punctured her !agina. This so enraged )materasu that she closeted herself into the 1ky$8ock$Ca!e, and
only the creation of the world/s first mirror could lure her back out. (In some interpretations, (akahirume is the sun
goddess/ younger sister, or a younger dawn form of the di!inity.
(ang$Mu$*iang$*iang
(China Goddess of female energy.
(ang Ta$hsien
(China God of white ants.
(eiwobo
(China )nother goddess of female energy.
(en$ch/ang
(China God of literature.
(u$tai 4uan$shuai
(China God of musicians.
Ei Hou
(China Goddess who ga!e birth to ten suns. "ach morning she bathes the ten suns, and then places the one which is
to light that day into a chariot drawn by dragons for the day/s &ourney.
Ei (angmu
(China <ersonification of the female principle (yin, who with Mu ;ung (yang, created hea!en and earth, and all
li!ing beings.
Eiu (enyin
(China Goddess of lightning and thunder.
4ainato$Hnneno$Mikoi
(?apan This early ?apanese princess became possessed by the goddess )materasu, ancestral mother of her clan, and
under the goddess/ influence founded a temple used as )materasu/s sanctuary.
4akushi *yorai
(?apan 3uddhist The 3uddha of healing.
4ama
(Hindu The lord of death. 4ama was the first man, son of Fi!as!ant, the sun. He mated with his sister 4ami to create
humanity. He is acknowledged as the first man that died, creating the path which all men since ha!e followed.
4ama$*o$;ami
(?apan Goddess of the hunt. Goddess of the forest. Goddess of agriculture. Goddess of !egetation.
4ama$no$;arni
(?apan This goddess was a spirit of sacred mountains, one who brought good luck to hunters and woodsmen who
attended to her rites but she could be 6uite stern with those who did not. +ne$legged and one$eyed, she was in!oked as
a protector for women, for she has a secret bo% of souls from which she endows each new being. )s a seasonal
goddess, she annually gi!es birth to twel!e children, the year/s twel!e months. In singular form, she is 4ama$no$
1hinbo, the mountain mother.
4anwang
(China ) god of death.
4ao&i
(China This goddess was said to ha!e been worshiped in the form of a sacred rock at the summit of a hill called the
Mount of the 1orceress. )ccording to an old legend, a king encountered her on that hill in a dream in which she
re!ealed not only her name but the location of a plant to be used in lo!e magic.
4aparamma
(India Goddess of commerce.
4aya$7akurai
(?apan This cherry$tree goddess was a beautiful young woman each spring. 1he remained celibate while her beauty
lasted, only taking lo!ers when her petals had fallen.
4ayu
(India God of air.
4en$lo
(China 8uler of the underworld.
4en$5o$(ang
(China God of the earth.
4i
(China Husband of Chang$o. He sa!ed the earth from destruction when all ten of its suns appeared in the sky at the
same time. 4i, an e%pert archer with a magic bow, shot down nine of the suns.
4ondung Halmoni
(;orea )n ancient wind goddess, she is celebrated in shamanic rituals where she is fed rice cakes.
4u
(ChinaThe engineer hero who measured the world from east to west and from north to south in order to lay it out. 4u,
the son of ;/un, the emperor of China, was a thin, reedy man who was ill and crippled causing him to hop about on
one foot. He dug out the mountains and allowed waters to flow from a catastrophic flood. He worked at it for ,B years
without returning home. (hen he became a god, 4u tra!elled the world in order to plan it. He stabili.ed fi!e sacred
mountains at the four cardinal points and at the center of the earth. 4u/s wife was the daughter of T/u$chan the
mountain of the earth. 4u was the first emperor of the Hsia 0ynasty.
4u 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.
4u Huang
(China "mperor of the gods. God of purity. God of nature. The ?ade God.
4uki$+nne
(?apan To those lost in bli..ards, struggling futilely against the cold, she came, soothing them, singing to lull them to
sleep, then breathing a deathly cold breath on them. The #snow maiden# was the spirit of death by free.ing- a calm,
pale woman who appeared to the dying, making their death 6uiet and painless.
4um$chen$mo
(Tibet Goddess of wisdom.
4un$T/ung
(China God of the clouds.
4u$T.u
(China ) god of the rain.
7aoshen
(China God of kitchens.
7as$ster$ma$dmar$mo
(Tibet Goddess of wealth.
7hang Ei
(China ) creator goddess who ga!e birth to twel!e moons.
7hinG
(China ) goddess of marriage and a patron of wea!ers.
7hongguei
(China God of e%aminations.
7igu 1hen
(China 3athroom goddess(A
7isun
(China Goddess of weddings.
7umiang *ui
(India Creator goddess. Mother of the earth and the sky.
)ustralian9*ew 7ealand Mythological Characters
*ote ,' It is important to remember that there were !ery many different, and isolated, tribes in )ustralia in the long
ago past- therefore there are many gods9goddesses with the same function but different names, and stories, according
to each tribe.
*ote L' #0reamtime# refers to the mythological past for the aborigine peoples of )ustralia.
)linga
1un goddess.
)n&ea
Goddess who forms infants from mud and places them into the mother/s uterus.
)punga
Goddess of small plants.
)rahuta
(*ew 7ealand 1tar goddess. (ife of Maunu/ura, the god of Mars.
)riki
(*ew 7ealand ) star goddess.
)rohirohi
(*ew 7ealand 1un goddess.
3iame
The #Great +ne,# or creator.
3ila
The cannibal sun goddess. 1he pro!ided light for the world by cooking her !ictims o!er a giant flame. 5i.ard Man
was appalled by these acts and tried to kill her. 1he turned herself into a ball of fire and fled, lea!ing the world in
darkness. He threw his boomerang at her, catching her and making her mo!e in a slow arc across the sky. This brought
light back to the world.
3oaliri
The younger of the two sister goddesses that created life. The other was (aimariwi.
3unbulama
Goddess of the rain.
Cunnembeille
(ife of 3iame. 1he li!es in the hea!ens with him and his other wife, 3irrahgnooloo.
0ilga
Goddess of &ustice. 0ilga became !ery angry when two of her children were killed by the #cat man# and his relati!es.
Milk flowed from her breasts so copiously it formed a stream that reached to where the murderers li!ed and drowned
them. It also resuscitated her children and brought them back to life.
0&anggawul 1isters
0aughters of the sun, these )ustralian goddesses unceasingly brought forth li!ing creatures from their endlessly
pregnant bodies. Their long !ul!as broke off piece by piece with these births, producing the world/s first sacred
artifacts.
"ingana
The )ustralian nati!es call her, Mother "ingana, the world$creator, the birth mother, maker of all water, land,
animals, and kangaroos. This huge snake goddess still li!es, they say, in the 0reamtime, rising up occasionally to
create yet more life. This primordial snake had no !agina- as her offspring grew inside her, the goddess swelled up.
"!entually, tortured with the pregnancy, "ingana began to roll around and around. The god 3arraiya saw her agony
and speared her near the anus so that birth could take place as all creatures now gi!e birth. 1he is also the death
mother. They say "ingana 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 e!erything would cease to e%ist.
"rathipa
) 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$bearing age walks by a soul slips from the boulder and into her womb to be
reborn.
Gid&a
God of the moon.
Gnowee
The sun goddess of an aboriginal people of southeast )ustralia. The legend goes that Gnowee once li!ed on the earth
at a time when the sky was always dark and people walked around carrying torches in order to see. +ne day while
Gnowee was out gathering yams, her baby son wandered off. 1he set out to search for him, carrying a huge torch, but
ne!er found him. To this day she still climbs the sky daily, carrying her torch, trying to find her son.
Haumia
(Maori9*ew 7ealand God of wild plants.
Hine titama
(*ew 7ealand )ncestor goddess who later became the ruler of the underworld. Hine titama fled to the underworld
when she disco!ered that she had married her own father and had borne him children.
Ingridi
) #dreamtime# goddess.
?ulana
Chief god of the ?umu tribe.
?ulunggul
Goddess of initiations.
?unkgowa
)n ancestor goddess who li!ed during the #dreamtime#. 1he was a multiple goddess (the ?unkgowa 1isters who
created the ocean, and all the fish therein.
;arora
The creator, according to the 3andicoot clan of the )randan aborigines of )ustralia.
5ia
) water goddess.
Madalait
) creator goddess.
Makara, The
1e!en sisters who became the constellation <leiades.
*abudi, The
Goddesses of illness.
<alpinkalare
Goddess of &ustice.
<apa
(Maori9*ew 7ealand Goddess of the earth.
8angi
(Maori9*ew 7ealand God of the sky.
8ongo
(Maori9*ew 7ealand God of culti!ated plants.
Tane
(Maori9*ew 7ealand God of the woodlands.
Tangaroa
(Maori9*ew 7ealand God of the sea.
Tawhiri$ma$tea
(Maori9*ew 7ealand God of storms.
Tomituka
Goddess of rain.
Tu
(Maori9*ew 7ealand God of war.
@ngamilia
Goddess of the e!ening star.
(alo
The )ustralian aboriginals called the sun goddess by this name and said that she li!ed with her daughter 3ara and her
sister$in$law, the world mother Madalait, far to the east. "ach day (alo &ourneyed across the sky accompanied by
3ara, until one day the sun goddess reali.ed that the reason the earth was so parched was their combined heat. 1he
sent her daughter back to the east so that the earth could become fertile and bloom.
(aramurungundi
The first woman, according to the Gunwinggu people of )ustralia. 1he was the all$creating mother of )ustralia- she
ga!e birth to the earth and then fashioned all its li!ing creatures. 1he then taught her creations to talk and di!ided
each language group from the ne%t.
(ati ;ut&arra
This (estern )ustralian term means #two men# and refers to the two male ancestors of mortals who taught the people
to keep in touch with 0reamtime. (0reamtime is always present and is the source of all life.
(awalag 1isters
The ci!ili.ers of )ustralia, these two mythic women wandered the continent domesticating plants into edible
foodstuffs, e!ol!ing language for each territory, and naming all the land/s creatures.
(uluwaid
) male rainmaker.
(uragag
The first man, and husband to (aramurungundi.
(uriupranili
This sun goddess was said to light bark into a torch, carrying the flame through the sky from east to west. )t 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$ochre body paints misting up into the
sky as she powdered and beautified her body.
(urrunna
) culture hero with many folklore tales of his wanderings.
4hi
The goddess of light and creator goddess of the ;arraur, an )ustralian aboriginal group, she lay asleep in the
0reamtime before this world/s creation, in a world of bone$bare, windless mountains. 1uddenly, a whistle startled the
goddess. 1he took a deep breath and opened her eyes, flooding the world with light. The earth stirred under her warm
rays. 4hi drifted down to this new land, walking north, south, east, west. )s she did, plants sprang up from her
footprints. 1he walked the world/s surface until she had stepped e!erywhere, until e!ery inch was co!ered with green.
Then the goddess sat to rest on the treeless plain. )s she glanced around, she reali.ed that the new plants could not
mo!e, and she desired to see something dance. 1eeking that dancing life, she descended beneath the earth, where she
found e!il spirits who tried to sing her to death. 3ut they were not as powerful as 4hi. Her warmth melted the
darkness, and tiny forms began to mo!e there. The forms turned into butterflies and bees and insects that swarmed
around her in a dancing mass. 1he led them forth into the sunny world. 3ut there were still ca!es of ice, high in the
mountains, in which other beings rested. 4hi spread her light into them, one at a time. 1he stared into the ca!e/s black
interiors until water formed. Then she saw something mo!e$something, and another thing, and another. :ishes and
li.ards swam forth. Ca!e after ca!e she freed from its darkness, and birds and animals poured forth onto the face of
the earth. 1oon the entire world was dancing with life. Then, in her golden !oice, 4hi spoke. 1he told her creatures
she would return to her own world. 1he blessed them with changing seasons and with the knowledge that when they
died they would &oin her in the sky. Then, turning herself into a ball of light, she sank below the hori.on. )s 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. )nd, soon, there was the first dawn, for 4hi had ne!er intended to abandon her
creation. +ne by one the sleepy creatures woke to see light breaking in the east. ) bird chorus greeted their mistress,
and the lake and ocean waters that had been rising in mists, trying to reach her, sank down calmly. :or eons of
0reamtime the animals li!ed in peace on 4hi/s earth, but then a !ague sadness began to fill them. They ceased to
delight in what they were. 1he had planned ne!er to return to earth, but she felt so sorry for her creatures that she said,
#?ust once. ?ust this once.# 1o she slid down to the earth/s surface and asked the creatures what was wrong. (ombat
wanted to wiggle along the ground. ;angaroo wanted to fly. 3at wanted wings. 5i.ard wanted legs. 1eal wanted to
swim. )nd the confused <latypus wanted something of e!ery other animal. )nd so 4hi ga!e them what they wanted.
:rom the beautiful regular forms of the early creation came the strange creatures that now walk the earth. 4hi then
swept herself up to the sky again. 1he had one other task yet to complete' the creation of woman. 1he had already
embodied thought in male form and set him wandering the earth. 3ut nothing $ not the plants, not the insects, not the
birds or beasts or fish seemed like him. He was lonely. 4hi went to him one morning as he slept near a grass tree. He
slept fitfully, full of strange dreams. )s 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. 8e!erent and astonished, they
watched as the power of 4hi concentrated itself on the flower stalk. The flower stalk began to mo!e rhythmically $ to
breathe. Then it changed form, softened, became a woman. 1lowly emerging into the light from which she was
formed, the first woman ga!e her hand to the first man.
Celtic Mythological Characters
The Irish sagas' The Mythological Cycle' 0eals with the pagan Celtic gods9supernatural beings. The @lster Cycle'
0eals with the e%ploits of the warrior caste of pre$Christian Ireland. The Historical Cycle' 0eals with the acti!ities of
#historical# figures. The :enian Cycle' 0eals with the tales of :inn Mac Cumaill and his band of followers, the
:ianna.
*ote ,' (hat 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. +ne
of the earliest of those tribes has been, by differing ethnologists, called the Iberian, 3erber, 1ilurian, 3as6ue, or
"uskarian race. (Take your pickN This tribe spoke a #Hamitic# language. )nother of those earliest tribes are popularly
called the #Celts#, who spoke an #)ryan# language. These #Celts# were made up of the Goidals (Gaels, 3rythons
(3ritons, 3retons, Continental Gauls, Irish (or Irish Gaelic, Man%, and 1cottish Gaelic. (I/m confused tooN
)bnoba
(Gaul Goddess of the hunt (similar to the 8oman 0iana
)chall
In Irish legend, )chall was a lo!ing sister who died of sorrow when her brother was killed in battle.
)chtan
The Irish heroine who bore Cormac, the king.
)chtland
In Celtic legend, this mortal 6ueen could not be satisfied with human men, so she took a giant as her spouse.
)dsagsona
Celtic goddess of the underworld and of magic.
)ebh
(ife of 5>r.
)ed
1on of 5>r.
)eif2 ()ife
Third wife of 5>r. 1he is the e!il stepmother of )edh, Conn, :iachra, and :innguala, who transforms them into
talking swans when her anger o!ercomes her. Her deed is disco!ered- she is transformed into a !ulture, and made to
stay eternally in the winds.
)eron
((ales God of war.
Os 1Pdhe
Means #the folk of the mounds#, the fairies.
)in2
Hueen of the fairies. +ther fairy 6ueens were )oibhinn, Cliodna, and )ynia.
)irmed
) goddess of the Tuatha de 0anaan of Ireland. 1he was the goddess of witchcraft and herb lore.
)lator
) war god worshipped in 3ritain.
)maethon
(3ritain God of agriculture.
)ndraste
(3ritain )ndraste is a warrior goddess, the goddess of !ictory.
)ngus (Mac +c
Gaelic god of youth and god of lo!e and beauty. He had a magical harp of gold whose music was so sweet that no one
could hear and not follow it.
)nnwn
(3ritain The otherworld.
)nu
+ne of the ancestor goddesses of Ireland. 1ome mythographers claim she is the same goddess as )ine, others say
0anu.
)rdwinna
) Celtic goddess of the forests.
)rianrhod
((ales The goddess of the moon. ) magician goddess, who like )rtemis li!ed in orgiastic maidenhood surrounded
entirely by women, although it is also said she li!ed a wanton life, mating with mermen. 1he was the most powerful of
the children of the mother goddess 0on. Her palace is the Corona 3orealis.
)rnamentia
(3ritain Goddess of spring water.
)rtio
Celtic goddess of wildlife, who was usually depicted in the form of a bear.
3adb
(Ireland +ne of the three war goddesses known collecti!ely as the Morrigan. 1he was depicted in the form of a ra!en
with a crimson (bloody mouth.
3alor
(Ireland God of death.
3anba (3anbha
Irish earth goddess, she was part of the triad that included "riu and :olta (:odla.
3ebhionn
)n Irish underworld goddess and a patron of pleasure.
3elatucadros
(3ritain God of war and of the destruction. His name means #fair shining one#. The 8omans e6uated him with their
god Mars.
3elenus (3el or 3elenos
(Gaul God of healing and light, and referred to as #The 1hining +ne#. He is in charge of the welfare of sheep and
cattle. His wife is the goddess 3elisama. They can be compared with )pollo and Miner!a.
3eli Mawr
((ales (elsh ancestor deity.
3elisama
Goddess of light and fire, the forge and of crafts. 1he is the wife of the god 3elenus.
3heara
(Ireland91cotland Q)lso Cailleach 3heur Rsee Cailleach belowS or Cally 3erryT 1he controlled the weather. (hen 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 fa!ors. 1he is also considered to be the #(hite 5ady# and the wife of Manannan the 1ea God-
you can see her in the sunlight sparkling on the water.
3il2
Gaelic god of the underworld from whom sprang the first men, and considered by some to be the father of the gods.
3oann
(Irish 3oann is the goddess of ri!ers and fertility.
3obd the 8ed
) son of 0agda and king of the Tuatha 02 0anann.
3oibhniu
Celtic god of smiths.
3ors
) king of Gaul.
3or!o
(Gaul God of healing.
3rUn
(3ritain God of the underworld.
3ranwen
(elsh lo!e goddess.
3res
(Gaelic God of fertility and agriculture- one of the first kings of the Tuatha 0e 0anaan.
3ride
1cotland/s !ersion of the Celtic Irish 3rigid.
3rigandu
Celtic :rance !ersion of the Celtic Irish 3rigid.
3rigantia
Celtic 3riton !ersion of the Celtic Irish 3rigid.
3righid (3rigit
(Gaelic 3righid was the goddess of fertility, therapy, metalworking, and poetic inspiration. 1he is the wife of 3res.
1he is known as Caridwen (Cerridwen in (ales. There are three sisters by the name of 3rigit in Irish myth (daughters
of In 0agda who are the patron$goddesses of learning (poetry, healing and smithcraft.
3ronach
)n Irish goddess of cliffs.
Caer
)n Irish swan maiden with whom Ongus (god of poetry fell in lo!e. He became a swan also.
Cailleach
)n ancient goddess of the pre$Celtic peoples of Ireland. 1he controlled the seasons and the weather- she was the
goddess of earth and sky, moon and sun.
Cairbr2
) son of Cormac.
Cairpr2
) bard of the Tuatha 02 0anann and a son of +gma.
Camulus
(Gaul God of the sky and of war.
Canola
(Irish )ccording to the myth she was the in!entor of the Irish harp. 1he had a disagreement with a lo!er, and so she
left his bed to wander the night. Hearing beautiful music, she stopped and sat down- soon she fell asleep in the open
air. (akening to daylight, Canola disco!ered the music had been made by the wind, blowing through the rotted sinews
clinging to the skeleton of a whale. Inspired by the sight and remembering its magical sound, she built the first harp.
Caradawc
Caradawc of the 1trong )rms was a son of 3rUn.
Carlin
(1cotland 1he was the spirit of the e!e of 1amhain (Halloween, the night the year turned to winter, and the ghosts of
the dead roamed the world of the li!ing.
Carman
(Irish ) destructi!e witch, she was the goddess of e!il magic. 1he had three e6ually destructi!e sons' 0ub
(#darkness#, 0other (#e!il#, and 0ian (#!iolence#. The Tuatha de 0anaan, the deities ruled by the goddess 0anu,
fought against Carman with their most powerful weapons. :inally the sorceress 3echuille, was able to undo Carman/s
curses. Her sons were destroyed and Carman put in chains, where she died of grief.
Cartimandua
(3ritain ) legendary warrior 6ueen who waged war against the 8oman "mpire, she was the leader of the 3rigantes,
descendants of the goddess 3rigantia.
Cathubod!a
Gaulish war goddess.
Ceibhfhionn
(Ireland Goddess of inspiration.
Cenn Cruaich
(Gaelic The hea!en$god (akin to 7eus.
Cernunnos
(Gaul Cernunnos was the god of the underworld and of animals. The horned (reindeer horns god of !irility, he is
accompanied by a ram$headed serpent and a stag. He was often depicted holding a bag of money, possibly signifying
he was considered a god of fertility also.
Cerridwen
((ales Cerridwen is the goddess of dark prophetic powers. 1he is the keeper of the cauldron of the underworld, in
which inspiration and di!ine knowledge are brewed.
Cessair
(Irish ) great magician, she became the first 6ueen of Ireland. 1he and her band of female followers inhabited the
land after the Great :lood.
Ceth2
1on of 0iancecht.
Cethlenn
(ife to 3alor.
Cethlion
(Irish <rophetess of the :ormorians who warned of their impending doom at the hands of the Tuatha de 0anaan.
Cian
) son of 0iancecht.
Cliodna
(Gaelic Goddess of beauty and the otherworld.
Cl=d
Goddess of the ri!er Clyde.
Cocidius
(3ritain God associated sometimes with forests and hunting (linked with the 8oman god 1il!anus, sometimes with
war (e6uated with Mars.
Conair2
Conair2 the Great- high king of Ireland.
Conall Cernach
(Irish <owerful warrior- his name means #strong and !ictorious#.
Conchobar
Conchobar/s intended bride, 0eidre, eloped with *oisi. Conchobar killed *oisi and his brothers and 0eidre died of
sorrow.
Condatis
(3ritain God who personified the waters, sometimes considered a war god.
Coranians
) mythical tribe of dwarfs.
Corb
)n Iberian god.
Cormac
;nown as #the Magnificent#. 0escendant of Conn #the Hundred :ighter#. His reputation was akin to that of 1olomon.
Corra
(1cotland Goddess of prophecy.
Co!entina
(3ritain Goddess who personified a holy spring that had healing powers.
Creidhne
Creidhne was the god of metal working. +ne of the trio of craft$gods of the Tuatha 0e 0anaan, as were Goibhniu and
5uchta.
Cu Chulainn
) hero akin to Heracles or Theseus, born with the strength of a man and a burning rage to con6uer all in his path. His
famous e%ploits are described in TMin 3V Cuailgne QThe Cattle 8aid of Cuailgne (or CooleyT.
Cuda
(3ritain Mother goddess.
Cu 8oi
(Irish ) sorcerer who transforms himself into !arious guises.
0agda (Cian
The god who was the supreme head of the <eople of 0ana. (The e6ui!alent of Cronus. 0agda possesses a bottomless
cauldron of plenty and rules the seasons with the music of his oaken harp. (ith his mighty club 0agda can slay nine
men with a single blow, and with its small end he can bring them back to life. He was father to 3rigit, )ngus, Mider,
+gma, and 3obd the 8ed.
0air2 of Cualgne
+wner of the 3rown 3ull.
0amona
(Gaul Goddess of cattle and of fertility and healing- her name means #di!ine cow#.
0ana (0anu
The goddess from whom Tuatha 02 0anann (The <eople of 0ana were descended. 1he was the daughter of the god
0agda (the Good, and had three sons, who had only one son between them, "cne (;nowledge. 1he was another of
the three war goddesses known collecti!ely as the Morrigan.
0echtere (0echtir2
(Irish The mother of Cuchulain. There are a number of !ersions of his birth, of which two follow' one, 0echtere
accidentally swallowed a mayfly while drinking a cup of wine, became pregnant from this e!ent, and bore Cuchulain-
two, 1he was impregnated by the god 5ugh with his own soul, and !omited him into life as Cuchulain, thereby
remaining a !irgin.
0eidre
0eidre was the beautiful intended bride of Conchobar. 1he ran off with *oPsi (*aoise, and died of sorrow when
Conchobar killed him and his brothers.
0ewi
((ales The 8ed 0ragon god. The emblem of (ales.
0ia Griene
(1cotland The daughter of the sun in ancient 1cotland. 1he appears in a folktale in which, held capti!e in the 5and of
the 3ig (omen, she is freed by the Cailleach, disguised as a fo%, and a helpful young bumbler named 3rian.
0iancecht
(Irish 0iancecht 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 sil!er for *uada.
0il
(Ireland Goddess of cattle.
0omnu
Mother goddess of the :omors.
0Wn
(There are two differing !ersions of Celtic Mythology with one of them probably based on the (elsh people/s tales.
,. 0on, the mother goddess- the (elsh e6ui!alent of the Irish 0anu.
L. )ccording to the predominant story, 0Wn 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.
0ruantia
Goddess of fir trees.
"adon
(Ireland Goddess of poetry.
"lathan
) king of the :omors.
"len
((ales In the Mabinogian, the (elsh mythic epic, this heroine appears as the world/s first highway engineer. (hen
her land was threatened, she magically built highways across the country so that her soldiers could gather and defend
it.
"llylion
The (elsh el!es.
"mer
(Irish )n e%ceptionally beautiful, and intelligent, woman who knew itN 3efore 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.
"pona
The horse goddess. @sually portrayed as riding a mare, sometimes with a foal.
"rc
) king of the :ir 3olgs at Tara.
"remon
:irst king of Ireland.
"ri
(Irish The mother of 3res.
"riu
(Irish The goddess for whom Ireland is named. In Gaelic Ireland is rendered as "rin, which means the #land of "riu#.
"sus
(Gaul God e6uated with either 8oman deity Mars or Mercury. Human sacrifices to "sus were hanged and skewered
with a sword. "sus is usually pictured as a woodcutter. His sacred animal was the bull.
"tain
(Irish )n early sun goddess of ancient Ireland and wife to Mider.
"tan
(ife of +gma.
"thne
(Irish )n ancient Irish goddess that subsisted on the milk from a sacred cow from India.
"thniu
0aughter of 3alor.
:achea
(Irish ) goddess of poetry.
:agus
(Gaul God of beech trees.
:and
(Celtic (ife of Manannan, god of the sea.
:ea
) war goddess, wife of *uada.
:edelma
(Irish <oet and prophetess in the ser!ice of Hueen Medb.
:eidiline
(Irish ) prophetess who foretold the death of Hueen Mae!e.
:erghus
(Irish ;ing of @lster prior to Conchobar.
:ideal
(1cotland ) water demon, :ideal was one of those seducti!e maidens who, after luring their lo!ers into the water,
dragged them under to drown.
:inchoem
(Irish :inchoem was one of those goddesses of mythology that concei!ed in an #unusual# way. 1he swallowed a worm
from a magic well, hoping she would bear a hero. 1he did- his name was Conall, a prominent stalwart in Irish heroic
legend.
:indabar
(Irish This heroine was the daughter of Hueen Mae!e and her consort, )illil. )illil opposed :indabar/s choice of a
husband, but :indabar married the mortal :roach anyway.
:inn
(Irish 5eader of the :ianna.
:in!arra
;ing of the Irish fairies.
:iongalla
(Irish 5egend has it that she was held in enchantment by the powerful druid )merach. )merach made :iongalla !ow
ne!er to sleep with a man until one brought magical yew berries, holly boughs, and marigolds from the earthly seat of
power. ) hero named :eargal actually managed to perform this almost impossible task and won :iongalla.
:ithir
(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. *ot content to wait, the neighboring king kidnapped the
older sister and claimed that she had been killed. :ithir was then married off to him. 4ears later, while she was on a
hunting trip, :ithir ran across her sister who had been held capti!e all those years. The shock of seeing her sister ali!e
killed :ithir. Her sister then wept herself to death.
:lidais
(Irish The stag$mistress who roamed the earth in a chariot drawn by supernatural deer. 1he possessed a cow whose
milk supplied thirty people a day. 1he called the wild creatures of the countryside her cattle. :lidais had a daughter
named :land who was a lake maiden who sat beneath her waters and lured mortals to herself, and to death.
:odla (:otla
(Gaelic +ne of the trio of goddesses who lent their name to Ireland. The other two were 3anbha and "riu.
Geofon
(3ritain 1he was the ocean goddess.
Goibhniu
(Celtic Goibhniu was the smith god. +ne of three craft$gods of the Tuatha 0e 0anaan. The other two were 5uchta
and Creidhne.
Goidel
) mythical ancestor of the Irish.
Goleuddydd
((ales ) (elsh princess who married a prince but remained barren. (hen she finally became pregnant, she #lost it#
and refused to li!e indoors. 1he went into the forest and hid from e!eryone. (hen her time came to gi!e birth,
howe!er, she regained her sanity. 1he 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.
Go!annon
((ales 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 1he is betrothed to :ionn MacCumhaill (:inn, but falls in lo!e with 0iarmuid (0ermot, when at their
(:ionn/s and her/s wedding feast, a sudden bree.e lifts the long bangs of the handsome 0iarmuid and she sees the
magical lo!e spot on his forehead (magical because any woman who sees it falls hopelessly in lo!e with him- thus the
long bangs, as he is #tired# of all the lo!e affairs. 1he slips drugs into the drinks of e!eryone, and when they are all
asleep, she demands that 0iarmuid flee with her. They flee together to the (ood of the Two Tents- so called because
for their first few nights together 0iarmuid refuses to sleep with Grainne no matter her entreaties. ) gigantic monster
accosts her and 0iarmuid rescues her- Grainne sarcastically remarks that at least something was interested in touching
her, and 0iarmuid, humiliated, mo!es into her tent. The new lo!ers are e!entually found by :ionn and his band, but
0iarmuid gi!es Grainne a cape of in!isibility in which to escape. 1o the lo!ers begin tra!eling to stay ahead of the
!engeful :ionn. "!entually, )engus, the god of poets, appears to :ionn to plead the lo!ers/ cause. :ionn/s heart is
touched, and Grainne and 0iarmuid are allowed to return to the company.
Grian
(Irish )n early goddess of the sun. 1he is belie!ed by some to be a twin of )ine, another sun goddess.
Gwendydd
((ales )lso called Gandieda or Gwendolyn. 1he was Merlin/s sister (or twin, or lo!er, or all of the abo!e, depending
on which sources you belie!e.
Gwyar
((ales The wife of the god of hea!en.
Gwyllion
((ales ) spirit of the mountains. 1he was so ill$tempered that she always ga!e tra!elers the wrong directions.
Gwyn ap *udd
((ales Gwyn ap *udd is the 5ord of the @nderworld and master of the wild hunt.
Habetrot
(3ritain Goddess of healing and spinning.
Ilmarinen
(:inland God of the winds, and good weather.
In 0agda (0aghdha
(Irish He is the leader of the gods. He has a secret affair with 3oann which results in the birth of +enghus.
;alma
(:inland Goddess of death.
5atis
(3ritain Goddess associated with water.
5>r (5lyr
((ales God of the sea.
5leu
((ales The god who is the (elsh e6ui!alent of the Irish 5ugh. He was pictured as young, strong, radiant with hair of
gold, master of all arts, skills and crafts. )lso known as 5leu 5law Gyffes.
5uchtaine
(Celtic He was the god of wheel making.
5udd
(3ritain God of the sea.
5ugh (5ugus in Gaul
,. (Celtic His sacred symbol was a spear. He was always accompanied by two ra!ens. 1ometimes he is shown as one$
eyed. <redecessor of the Germanic (otan and the *orse +dinA
L. (Irish The sun god. )lso known as 5ugh of the 5ong )rm. He killed his grandfather, 3alor, during a battle in
which the new order of gods and goddesses took o!er from the primal gods. He defeated his enemies with a magic
spear. )lso known as 5ug 1amildanach or 5ug.
Mabon
(Celtic The 1on of 5ight (akin to the 8oman )pollo. He was the god of liberation, harmony, music and unity.
Mac 0a Tho
(Irish ) 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 5ir
(Celtic The god of the ocean.
Math ap Mathonwy
((ales God of sorcery.
Matrona
(Celtic The ri!er Marne is named after her.
Medb
(Irish Hueen of Connacht, her name means #she who into%icates#. ) goddess of war. (here 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.
Metsarhati&a
(:inland Goddess of the forest.
Mider
Gaelic god of the @nderworld.
Mil2
The ancestor of the Gaels.
Modron
((ales Goddess whose name means #di!ine mother#.
Mogons
(3ritain His name means #great one#.
Momu
(1cotland Goddess of the hills.
Mor
(Irish Celtic goddess of the sea and sun. 1he is identified with the setting sun and is depicted as sitting on a throne.
Morgen (Morgana
(3ritain Celtic goddess of the sea, fate, death and rebirth. (1ea$sprites in 3rittany are still called #morgans#. 1he was
a great healer and shapeshifter. 1upposedly ;ing )rthur resides with her in )!alon as he heals. 1he e!ol!ed into the
wicked Morgan 5e :ay, an e!il sorceress, in later !ersions of the ;ing )rthur legend.
Morrigan (MorrPgX
(Irish High Hueen and goddess of the Tuatha 02 0anann. 1he was a trinity- Macha, 3adb, and *eman (*emain or
*emhain, all three bloodthirsty and feared by the enemies of the Tuatha 02 0anann. )s Macha she was goddess of
war and fertility who could take the shape of a crow or a ra!en. )s 3adb (*echtan she was the water$god whose
sacred well was a source of knowledge. )s *eman she was the goddess of war and battle.
Myrddin
3ritish god akin to 7eus, after whom 3ritain was once named (Clas Myrddin. Married to "len 5wyddawg.
*antosuelta
(Gaul Goddess of nature- the wife of 1ucellus.
*aoise
8omantically linked to 0eirdre. 1on of @snach.
*ehalennia
(Gaul Goddess of the sea.
*emain
(Irish Goddess of war and battle.
*emetoma
) 3ritish war goddess.
*emon
) Gaelic war goddess.
*odens (*ud
(3ritain God of healing, akin to the Irish god *uadhu.
*uada
(Irish *uada of the 1il!er Hand. He lost his hand in the war against the :irbolgs (for control of Ireland, and it was
replaced by a hand crafted of sil!er, by one of the metalsmiths of the defeated :irbolgs.
+beron
(3ritain ;ing of the el!es.
+enghus ()ngus
(Irish He is the son of 0aghdha and 3oann. He is the god of fatal lo!e (akin to Cupid. )ngus/ kisses turn into singing
birds, and the music he plays draws all who hear it to his side.
+gmios (+gma in Ireland
(Gaul He was the god of genius, education, poetry, elo6uence, magic and incantation. He is shown as an old man with
wrinkles, carrying a club and a bow. :rom his tongue hang fine gold chains attached to the ears of his eager followers.
+gyr!ran
3ritish god of the @nderworld.
+isin
(Irish 1on of :inn.
+nagh
) 6ueen of the Irish fairies.
<artholon (<artholan, <arlan
(Irish The leader of the first people (called <artholonians to coloni.e Ireland after the flood. His people landed in
Ireland in the year ,YKY 3C, <artholon died in ,YDY 3C, and the entire colony was wiped out by plague BCC years
later in ,,KY 3C, according to some legends. In others <artholon and his followers arri!ed in about LJIZ 3C. The
<artholonians stayed JCC years- most died of the plague at that time. <artholon (and *emed, a succeeding peoples
had come in ships #from other worlds.# The race of <artholon found Ireland a barren plain. 3ut during the BCC years
of their reign the earth blossomed. :or they not only constructed buildings, planted crops, hunted and fished, they e!en
cooked for the first time the food that they ate.
<ekko
(:inland God of barley.
<wyll
(Irish He was king of a land which had a magic #kettle of plenty#.
8hiannon
((ales 3elie!ed to be the (elsh counterpart of Gaulish horse goddess "pona. Her son, <ryderi, succeeded his father
<wyll as the ruler of 0yfed and of the otherworld.
8igosamos
) war god worshipped in 3ritain.
8osmerta
(Gaul Goddess who was the nati!e consort of the 8oman Mercury- her name means #great pro!ider#.
1adb
0aughter of 3obd the 8ed, and mother of +ssian.
1cMthach
(Celtic 1he was a female warrior known as #the shadowy one#. 1he was famous as a teacher of warriors, and many
Celtic heroes were initially trained by her.
1e6uona
(Celtic The ri!er 1eine is named after her.
1hony
) Hebridean sea god.
1irona
(Gaul )nother goddess of healing.
1ouconna
(Celtic The ri!er 1Uone is named after her.
1reng
) famous warrior of the :ir 3olgs.
1ualtam
The mortal father of Cuchulainn.
1ucellus
(Gaul God of agriculture and forests, and of alcoholic be!erages (he is often shown carrying a beer barrel suspended
from a pole, and a hammer god. His consort is *antos!elta.
1ulis (1ule!ia
(Celtic Goddess of healing (she presided o!er sacred, healing springs. 1he was called 3rigantia by the 3ritons- and
later 1aint 3righid (after Christianity. 1he is akin to the 8oman goddess Miner!a.
Tailtiu
The Gaelic gods defeated by the Milesians.
Taranis
(Gaul The name Taranis deri!es from the Indo$"uropean 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 in!enting all the crafts of mankind. He is
the e6ui!alent of the 8oman god Mars.
Tuatha 02 0anann
The mythical race of people (descended from the goddess 0anu 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 hea!en. They
possessed four talismans of great power' the stone of :al which shrieked under the true heir to the throne- the spear of
5ug which made !ictory certain- the sword of *uadhu which slays all enemies- and the e!er full cauldron of 0aghda
from which no man e!er goes away hungry. They came to Ireland where they were forced to go into hiding when that
country was in!aded by the Milesians, forerunners of today/s Irish.
Tuetatesa
(Gaul God of war.
Tuulikki
(:inland Goddess of forest animals.
Tylwyth Teg
Collecti!e name for the (elsh fairies.
@kko
(:inland God of the weather (clouds, rain, storms, thunder, and of the sky.
@rien
)n @nderworld king.
@ther <endragon
:ather of ;ing )rthur.
Fitiris
(3ritain God of wisdom.
"gyptian Mythological Characters
*+T" ,' "gypt was historically di!ided into two #kingdoms#. There was #@pper "gypt# and #5ower "gypt#. #@pper
"gypt# seemed to contain a more #educated# or #ci!ili.ed# peoples than #5ower "gypt#. The peoples of #@pper "gypt#
were somewhat of a #different race# (a mi%ture of different ethnic groups than those of #5ower "gypt#. The gods
listed here (mostly from #@pper "gypt#, and their !arious depictions were, in the main, totally different in some
aspect or another than the gods of #5ower "gypt#. :or instance, <tah, the great god of #@pper "gypt# is, in #5ower
"gypt#, an ugly dwarf, with an enlarged head, carrying a club o!er his head as if threatening his worshippers with
!engeance, 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
)ahmes$nefertari
Hueen, circa ,DYC 3.C."., who was ele!ated to goddess stature as a protector9punisher of humans.
)asith
1emitic goddess of war. +riginally 1yrian.
)hat
) cow goddess.
)hemait
)n "gyptian underworld goddess who is part lion, part hippopotamus, and part crocodile, and who eats the souls of
the unworthy dead.
)hti
) male!olent goddess, depicted with the head of a wasp and the body of a hippotamus.
)kert$khentet$auset$s
+ne of the se!en deities listed in the "gyptian 3ook of the 0ead who pro!ided food for the deceased in the
underworld. They are pictured as ha!ing a solar disk between their horns. The other si% are' Henemet$em$anh$
annuit,Het$kau$nebt$er$tcher,Meh$khebitet$seh$neter, 1ekhemet$ren$s$em$abet$s,1henat$pet$uthset$neter, and @r$
mertu$s$teshert$sheni .
)khet
Goddess of the seasons and sunset, sometimes called Goddess of the *ile.
)kusaa
Goddess of the setting sun. (ife of )tum.
)maunet
) female counterpart to )mon and one of the primordial gods.
)memet
Goddess of the underworld. 5isted in the 3ook of the 0ead.
)ment
Goddess who li!ed 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.
)menti
The abode of the dead.
)mit
:ire goddess of Tuat (the underworld.
)mmit
<art crocodile, part lion, and part hippopotamus, she is a goddess of the underworld.
)mn
)nother goddess of the underworld.
)mon
)lso called )mun, 8a or 8e (the 1un, or )mun$8a or )men$8a (the Great 1un, or ;hepri. The king of the gods
during the Theban dynasties, and the god of fertility. He was part of the Theban Triad, along with Mut and ;honsu.
@sually associated with the wind, or things hidden.
)mset
+ne of the four lesser gods of the dead who super!ised the mummification process. His name means #carpenter#, and
he is pictured with a man/s head. 1ee also Hepi, 1motef, and 1nouf.
)natha
Goddess of lo!e and war. )lso known as a mountain goddess.
)natis
) goddess of the moon.
)nka
) creator goddess, wife of ;hnum.
)nkhtith
Goddess depicted as a serpent with the head of a woman.
)nkt
) spear$carrying "gyptian war goddess.
)ntaios
He was originally a falcon god, later belie!ed to ha!e merged into Horus.
)nthat
1yrian war goddess adopted by "gypt. 1he is pictured holding a spear, shield, and battle$a%e and wearing the Crown
of the 1outh.
)nubis
The offspring of *ephthys affair with +siris. He prepared the dead and led them into the underworld.
)nuket
)n early "gyptian water goddess- she was later merged with *ephthys.
)pep
The great snake of darkness, who sometimes rose up, mouth agape, to try to swallow 8a/s solar bar6ue in its tra!el
across the hea!ens- 8a always managed to escape, but each of )pep/s failed attempts resulted in fierce storms or solar
eclipses.
)pis
It means #sacred bull#. 0epicted as a bull with a solar disk between its horns, )pis was another form of <tah.
)shtoreth
Moon goddess and goddess of war. 1he is depicted with the head of a lion. <robably de!ol!ed from the 1yrian )starte.
)t$"m
Goddess of time.
)ten ()ton
The <haraoh )khenaton decreed him to be the one and only god in his attempt to establish a monotheistic religion.
)thor
The goddess of 5o!e and 3eauty. 1he is usually shown with cow horns, and sometimes with a cow/s head. (ife of
)mun$8a.
)tum
) primordial god that was represented in the form of a human and a serpent. The !ersion of the "gyptian god )mon
(see abo!e who creates 1hu and his sister Tefnut !ia masturbation (or e%pectoration.
(1umeria ) creator god in Mesopotamia, later called "a.
3ahet
Goddess of wealth and abundance.
3akha
The sacred bull that was an incarnation of Menthu, a personification of the heat of the sun. He changed color e!ery
hour of the day.
3ast or 3astet
3astet (originally a lion goddess symboli.ing the fertili.ing force of the sun/s rays, became the cat goddess, the
patroness of the domestic cat and the home. 1he is often seen in human form with the head of a cat and holding the
sacred rattle known as the sistrim. 3astet is also associated with the eye of 8a, the sun god, and acts as an instrument
of his !engeance. 1he ruled o!er pleasure, se%, dancing, music, and &oy.
3at
Mother goddess, later merged with Hathor.
3erenice
(ife of <tolemy 1oter, 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 )rsinoe. It disappeared from the temple, and appeared in
the hea!ens as the constellation Coma 3erenices.
3es (3isu
3es means #dancing#. The patron god of pregnant women. The "gyptian dwarf god who guards against e!il spirits,
snakes, and misfortune. He is a god of human pleasures, music, and dance. 3es was usually pictured full face (often
nude, with prominent genitals. He was shown to be ugly and grotes6ue 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. 0espite his appearance, he was a beneficent deity and his appearance was meant to scare off e!il spirits. He
bore swords and kni!es to ward off the e!il spirits, as well as musical instruments which he used to create a din which
would frighten them off. 3es was the protector of children and of women in labor, and aided the hippopotamus
goddess Taweret in childbirth.
3ubastis
Goddess of childbirth.
3usiris
) king of "gypt, who to a!ert 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.
3uto
1erpent goddess of lower "gypt. Mother of the sun and moon. 1he spits poison on the enemies of the pharaoh, and
burns them with her fiery ga.e.
Candace
Title of the hereditary 6ueens of the desert empire of Meroe. +ne of them led an army of ,C,CCC rebels against the
8oman occupation of "gypt.
Chem
)lso 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
)nother serpent goddess of lower "gypt. 1he is pictured with the crown of Hathor or with MaUt/s feather.
Chonso
1on of )mun$8a and his wife )thor. @sually pictured with the new moon atop his head.
[pet
Goddess protector of children. 1he is pictured as being a hippopotamus with woman/s breasts and lion/s feet, usually
carrying a crocodile on her back.
"rmutu
)nother goddess of childbirth.
"rnutet
Goddess with the head of a cobra, wearing a headdress with a solar disk between two horns.
Gate$;eepers, The
Guardian goddesses of the gate to the underworld. The dead must say their names before they are allowed to pass
through. )akhabit and Clother are mentioned in the 3ook of the 0ead. The others are called by titles like #5ady of the
5ight#, etc.
Geb and *ut
They were the children of 1hu and Tefnut. Geb was the god of earth. *ut was the sky goddess.
Hagar
) desert goddess of lower "gypt. +ccult lore links her to the moon.
Hak
) frog$headed goddess of resurrection.
Hapimou
Means the *ile. #He# was depicted with the beard of a man and the breasts of a child$bearing woman.
Harpocrates
God of silence.
Hast
)nother goddess of the underworld mentioned in the 3ook of the 0ead.
Hathor
The goddess of &oy and lo!e, she was a protector of women. )lso 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. 1he is often traditionally present in all ancient "gyptian tombs to ensure safe passage into the
after world.
Hedetet
) scorpion goddess mentioned in the 3ook of the 0ead.
Heket
:rog$headed goddess of childbirth. Her husband fashioned the bodies from clay and she ga!e them life.
Hepi
)nother of the four lesser gods of the dead. His name means digger, and he has an ape/s head.
Heptet
) serpent$headed goddess of resurrection who is associated with the resurrection of +siris.
He6et
Goddess of fertility and regeneration. 1he assisted +siris to rise from the dead. )nother frog$headed goddess.
Herit
Goddess of the *orth.
Her$sha$s
Goddess of the mid$day desert.
Her$tept
)nother serpent$headed goddess of the underworld. 1he takes care of the mummified +siris.
Het
Het is the "gyptian serpent goddess who rules fire.
Horus
The falcon$eyed son of +siris and Isis, who was concei!ed miraculously by Isis and the dead +siris. He swore to
a!enge his father/s murder. He did.
Imhotep
)lso Imothph, the god of science or medicine. 1on of <tah and 1ekhet. Counselor$physician to 7oser (Tosorthros,
who founded "gypt/s Brd 0ynasty. His name means #peace#.
Isis
1ometimes Isitis, which means "arth or corn$bearing 5and. 1he is the #mother of all creation#. ) daughter of Geb and
*ut, she was the faithful wife of her brother +siris. 1he became uni!ersally worshipped, is associated with lo!e,
motherhood, marital de!otion, healing, eternal life, and the casting of magical spells and charms. Isis is the goddess of
day, while her twin sister, *ephthys, is the goddess of night. Her sacred symbol is an amulet called the tyet. 1he is the
mother of Horus.
;hem
God of fertility.
;hepri
The scarab beetle god who rolled the sun through the sky.
;hnemu
The "gyptian god, who fashioned men and women on a potter/s wheel, and was worshipped in the form of a ram.
;honsu
The son of )mon and Mut, and one of the main gods of "gypt when the Theban dynasties ruled.
;neph
The god of animal and spiritual life. He has the head and horns of a ram.
Ma/at
Ma/at is the "gyptian goddess of truth, &ustice and the underworld. 1he passed &udgement o!er the souls of the dead in
the ?udgement Hall of +siris. The #5aw of Ma/at# was the basis of ci!il laws in ancient "gypt.
Mehturt
Goddess of the sky.
Menthu
) god of war.
Meshkent
) goddess of childbirth.
Meskhenet
Goddess of fate.
Min
) god of fertility, !irility, rain, thunder, and tra!elers.
Mo
1ometimes the god, sometimes the goddess, of Truth and ?ustice. Is depicted with ostrich feathers on the head.
Mut
Mut is seen as the mother, the nurturing force behind all things while her husband )mon is the great energy or
creati!e force. In ancient "gyptian, /mut/ means mother. The mother of ;honsu. Mut is another name of Isis.
*eb$Ti
The ruling goddesses of the north (@adgit and south (*ekhebet, the protector of childbirth.
*efertem
God of lotus flowers.
*eith (*eit
Means the Hea!ens. 1he is goddess of the sky, crafts, and wisdom.
*ephthys
The twin sister of Isis, *ephthys is the goddess of night and the protectoress of the dead. 1he is also 1et/s sister and
wife, although, through her subterfuge, she bore a child (the &ackal$headed )nubis by +siris.
*ut
Goddess of the sky.
+siris (1erapis
He was the first child of Geb and *ut. He was the &udge of the dead in the underworld. +siris was killed by his &ealous
brother 1et.
<asht
The goddess of Firtue. 1he is pictured with a cat/s head.
<tah
)lso spelled as <thah. He was the god of fire and the creator. His figure is bandaged like a mummy, and his head is
sha!en like a priest.
Hetesh
Goddess of beauty and lo!e.
8a
(see )mon abo!e 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 e!ening. He tra!eled through the underworld at night to be reborn at dawn.
8anno
God of gardens.
8enenet (8enenutet
Goddess of children and nursing mothers.
1ati
)lso known as 1atis and 1atet, is an "gyptian archer goddess who personified the waterfalls of the ri!er *ile.
1ebek (1obek
$means #crocodile#.
)lso called 1eb. (as depicted as ha!ing a crocodile face. 0uring the Middle ;ingdom he was merged with 8e (1obek$
8e and was worshipped as primordial deity and creator$god.
1eker
) god of death.
1ekhet
The ennead of Memphis was headed by a triad composed of the father <tah, the mother 1ekhet, and the son Imhotep,
main gods of "gypt during the Memphite dynasties.
1ekhmet
) sun$goddess, 1ekhmet 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.
(hen 8a 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 a!enging goddess, 1ekhmet, who ra!aged the earth, sucking blood from the
peoples, and almost totally wiping out humankind before a remoseful 8a could stop her.
1elket
The beautiful scorpion goddess 1elket, has her scorpion strike death to the wicked. 1he also sa!es the li!es of the
innocent stung by a scorpion.
1erapis
$means #underworld#. )n ancient "gyptian god of the lower world, also worshiped in ancient Greece and 8ome. He is
shown as ha!ing a bull/s head. )lso an alternate name for +siris.
1eshat
Goddess of books and writing.
1eth (1et
The son of Geb and *ut. This powerful god was regarded as god of the desert. He was +siris/ e!il brother and was
considered the incarnation of wickedness. He tricked +siris at a feast in +siris/ honor, and killed him, and took his
place on the throne. In some myths he is called Typhon, and is associated with the #abominable# animals' the pig,
donkey, and the hippopotamus. He was depicted as a strange being with a stiff, forked tail, a long gaunt body, a
tapering snout, huge erect ears and protruding eyes.
1etekh
means #hound#.
1hai
God of fate.
1hu and Tefnut
They were 8a/s children. 1hu was the god of air and held up the sky. Tefnut, his sister and wife, was the goddess of
dew and rain. They were the parents of Geb and *ut.
1motef
)nother of the four lesser gods of the dead. His name means shaper, and he has a &ackal/s head.
1nouf
)nother of the four lesser gods of the dead. His name means bleeder, and he has a hawk/s head.
1ottef
He sometimes replaces 1motef as one of the four lesser gods of the dead. His name means cutter or purifier.
Tauret
means #hippopotamus#.
This was the animal form of the great mother goddess Mut. )s a nurturing force Tauret was depicted as a pregnant
hippopotamus with long teats, standing on her hind legs and carrying the scrolls of protection. )s a fierce animal force
protecting the children Tauret was pictured as a lion$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 <antheon
)nit, )tumu, Hathor, Horus, Isis, Montu, *ephthys, *ut, +siris, 1hu, 1ibu, 1it, Tafnuit, and Tanu. 1ometimes the
group includes ;honsu, 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 o!er writing, languages, laws, annals,
and calculations.
@a
Goddess of the underworld (as mentioned in the 3ook of the 0ead.
@ad&et
) goddess of the underworld who endows &ustice and truth. 1he is pictured as a cobra (sometimes winged and
crowned or as a snake with the face of a woman. 1he is the sister of *ekhebet, and together they are known as the
*ebti.
@at
Goddess of water.
@d&at
There are two !ersions of the #@d&at eye#'
,. It is the "ye of 8a (or of Heru. It refers to the eye of the falcon$headed god Horus after it had been torn out by 1eth
during one of their ne!er$ending battles o!er the throne of "gypt. The eye was then healed by Thoth, hence it was
considered a symbol of healing or re!itali.ation.
L. )ccording to some other te%ts, )tum (the creator ga!e birth to his son by spitting him out. His daughter he !omited
out. 1hu (the son represented the air and Tefnut (the daughter was a goddess of moisture. )fter some time 1hu and
Tefnut became separated from their father and lost in the watery chaos of *u. )tum, who had only one eye (the @d&at
eye, which was remo!able, remo!ed it and sent it in search of his children. In time they returned with the eye. )t this
reunion )tum wept tears of &oy. (here these tears hit the ground, men grew (the beginning of the human race.
@mm s$1ubyan
) death goddess who causes infants to die.
@nen$em$hetep
Goddess protector of the dead.
@rt$hekau
The lion goddess (sometimes the lion god who is the protecti!e power in the "ye of Horus.
Greek Mythological Characters
)baris
) priest of )pollo who was gi!en a magic arrow that rendered him in!isible and on which he could ride through the
air. He cured diseases and spoke oracles.
)bas
;ing of )rgolis, grandson to 0anaus, and a minor character in the story of <erseus, of whom he was a great$
grandfather. He was a fa!orite of Hera- she blessed his shield, making it resistant to any sword$stroke and thereby
making him almost in!incible in battle. 1emitic meaning of )bas is #father#, and it also means #li.ard# from another
myth in which 0emeter changes )bas, son of Celeus, into a li.ard.
)bderus
The friend of Hercules who was eaten by 0iomedes/ horses as he was guarding them.
)camas
Means unwearying. 1on of Theseus, and a warrior at Troy.
)cantha
The spirit of the acanthus tree who was once a nymph lo!ed by the sun god )pollo (who she refused as a lo!er and
who, when she scratched his face as he tried to rape her, was transformed into a sun$lo!ing, but thorny, tree.
)chelois
) moon$goddess (she who dri!es away pain to whom sacrifice was ordered by the 0odonian +racle.
)chelous
) ri!er god who competed (he lost with Heracles for the lo!e of 0eianira. In the competition )chelous changed into a
raging ri!er (he tried to drown Heracles, a giant serpent (he tried to strangle Heracles, and a monstrous bull (he tried
to gore Heracles but all to no a!ail as Heracles surmounted each challenge.
)chilles
The son of the mortal ;ing <eleus and Thetis, a sea nymph. )t birth, his mother supposedly dipped )chilles in the
8i!er 1ty% which made him in!ulnerable e%cept for the part of the heel by which she held him. This came in handy in
his ad!entures and wars. His most famous ad!enture is told in the Iliad, which is about the Tro&an (ar. This war lasted
,C years, through the first nine of which )chilles laid waste to the surrounding countryside. In the last year )chilles
sulked and refused to fight any longer after a 6uarrel with )gamemnon, the Greek leader. This caused the war to start
going badly for the Greeks and )chilles relented enough to agree to lend his armor and his chariot to his inseparable
companion <atroclus so he could impersonate him in the battle. Hector, the Tro&an hero and son of the Tro&an ;ing
<riam, killed <atroclus in the fight. )chilles recei!ed new armor from the gods and re$entered the battle where he
killed Hector. There is some uncertainty about whether )chilles was slain in this battle, although there is a tale about
<aris, another son of ;ing <riam, killing him with an arrow shot into his heel.
)cis
The son of :aunus, he was crushed to death by a rock flung by his ri!al, <olyphemus (the Cyclop, for the lo!e of
Galatea.
)ctaeon
The huntsman who saw 0iana ()rtemis bathing and was changed into a stag by her, and then was torn to pieces by
his own hounds.
)damanthea
The nymph who nursed 7eus (when 8hea ga!e Cronos a stone to swallow instead of the new$born 7eus. Cronos was
supposedly able to see e!erything that occurred in the realms o!er which he had dominion (the earth, hea!ens, and the
sea, but )damanthea decei!ed him by hanging the baby 7eus (in his cradle from a tree, so that suspended between
earth, sea, and sky he was in!isible to his father. There are M)*4 !ersions of this story and the nurse has a different
name in each(N$ Ida, )drastea, *eda, Helice, )ega, Cynosura.
)dmeta
0aughter of "urystheus, for whom Heracles (Hercules got the girdle of Hippolyta, 6ueen of the )ma.ons.
)dmetus
) king of Thessaly whose herds were tended, unknown to him, by an e%iled )pollo who he treated kindly as he did all
his men. )pollo !owed to himself that he would aid )dmetus whene!er the opportunity arose. (hen it came time for
)dmetus to die, )pollo remembered his !ow. 1ee )lcestis below for the story.
)donis
)donis was born after an incestuous union between ;ing Cinyras and his daughter Myrrah. The goddess )phrodite
saw )donis at his birth and was so taken by his beauty that she hid him away in a coffer. 1he told this to <ersephone
who opened up the coffer. (hen she beheld )donis she was also struck by his beauty. 1he kidnaped him and refused to
gi!e him up. )phrodite appealed to the god 7eus, who decreed that )donis must spend a third of the year with
)phodite, a third with <ersephone and the other third on his own. +n his own he usually spent the time boar hunting.
)phrodite tried !ainly to dissuade )donis from hunting this dangerous game. +ne day he was killed by a wild boar,
after which )phrodite begged for his life with 7eus. This time 7eus decreed that )donis should spend half a year with
<ersephone and the other half with )phrodite.
)drastus
;ing of )rgos, who led the e%pedition in the 1e!en )gainst Thebes war.
)eacus
;ing of )egina. He was the son of the nymph )egina (after whom his kingdom was named and the god 7eus. Hera,
angry with 7eus for his lo!e of )egina, sent a plague that destroyed most of his people. )eacus prayed to his father to
change a group of industrious ants into human beings to people his deserted city. 7eus granted his wish, creating a
race called the Myrmidons. )eacus ruled o!er his people with such &ustice that after his death he became one of the
three &udges of the underworld. He was the father of <eleus and the grandfather of )chilles.
)2don
(ife of 7ethus and mother of a daughter Itylus, whom she slew by mistake, whereupon 7eus transformed her into the
nightingale who nightly laments her murdered child $+8$ a 6ueen of ancient Thebes who plotted to kill a son of her
ri!al *iobe 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.
)ega
1he was sister to Circe and <asiphae, and daughter of the sun. (hen the Titans attacked the gods of +lympus, Gaia
placed )ega in a ca!e to hide her shining lo!eliness. ?apanese ()materasu and :innish (<ai!atar myths ha!e the
same theme.
)egeus
:ather of Theseus, whom he sent to Crete to free his kingdom of ha!ing to pay a yearly tribute of I youths and I
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. (hen )egeus saw the black sails on the approaching ship he threw
himself into the sea.
)egina
0aughter of the ri!er$god )sopus. 1he was kidnapped by 7eus, in the form of an eagle, and bore him a son, )eacus
(grandfather of )chilles.
)egisthus
The son of Thyestes and his daughter <elopia. 0esiring to a!enge himself upon his brother )treus and acting on the
ad!ice of the oracle at 0elphi, Thyestes consummated an incestuous union with his daughter <elopia. 1hortly
afterward, )treus married <elopia, not knowing she was his niece. (hen )egisthus was born, )treus accepted him as
his own son, not knowing that he had been fathered by Thyestes. )egisthus later learned his true identity and, urged by
Thyestes, killed )treus.
(hile )gamemnon, king of Mycenae, was away fighting in the Tro&an (ar, )egisthus became the lo!er of Hueen
Clytemnestra. He helped Clytemnestra kill her husband upon his return from Troy. Together with the 6ueen, )egisthus
then ruled Mycenae for se!en years. He was later murdered by )gamemnon/s son +restes.
)egyptus
) son of 3elus and twin brother to 0anaus. He was a king of "gypt (named after him.
)eneas
)ccording to Firgil/s )eneid, a hero of the Tro&an (ar who on his return, ultimately founded the 8oman state.
)eolus
He was the custodian of the four winds.
)ero
)lso called Merope. 5o!ed by +rion and promised in marriage to him until in a drunken fit he raped her.
)erope
(ife of )treus and mother of )gamemnon.
)ether
The god representing pure air, son of "rebus (The dark region of the underworld through which the dead must pass
before they reach Hades and *y% (1he was the goddess of night, and the brother of Hemera (she was the
representation of day.
)ethra
Theseus/ mother.
)gamedes
Twin brother to Trophonius. They helped build a temple to )pollo at 0elphi where the oracle told them to indulge
themsel!es in all pleasures for si% days and on the se!enth their heart/s desire would be granted. They did, and on the
se!enth were found dead in their beds. Thus the saying' /Those whom the gods lo!e die young/.
)gamemnon
He was the leader of the Greeks in the Tro&an (ar- brother of Menelaus- son of )treus. His children by Clytemnestra,
whom he took by force, were Iphigenia, "lectra, and +restes. To obtain fa!orable winds for the fleet against Troy, he
sacrificed Iphigenia to )rtemis, incurring Clytemnestra/s hatred. @pon his return from the war, he was murdered by
Clytemnestra and her lo!er, )egisthus. To a!enge his death, +restes and "lectra killed )egisthus and their mother.
)ga!e
0ri!en mad by 0ionysus, she saw her son <entheus as a lion and killed him with her own hands.
)gdos
The name of the great rock of )sia Minor (Cybele in disguise that 7eus raped. The offspring of this union was
)gdistis, a hermaphrodite.
)glaia
The youngest of the three Graces, this beautiful and gentle daughter of 7eus and "urynome became the second wife of
Hephaestus, according to some myths.
)glauros
0aughter of Cecrops, the half$dragon half$man creature. 1ister of Herse who was belo!ed by Hermes. (hen Hermes
!isited Herse, )glauros, who was &ealous, got in his way and said she would not mo!e. The god took her at her word
and turned her into stone so she could not.
)&a% The Greater
) hero of the Tro&an (ar who killed himself when the armor of )chilles was awarded to +dysseus (@lysses as
champion of the war.
)&a% The 5esser ()ias
) son of +ileus, ;ing of 5ocris. He was one of the heroes in the Tro&an (ar, but had se!ere character flaws, such as
being arrogant, boastful and 6uarrelsome. He captured Cassandra, a daughter of ;ing <riam, and raped her. He earned
the enmity of his Greek allies because of this and left Troy to return home. His ship sunk in a storm but he sur!i!ed.
He boasted, long and loud about his escape, only to incur the wrath of <oseidon, who cast him back into the sea where
he drowned.
)lastor
)n a!enging deity or spirit, the masculine personification of *emesis.
)lbion
) sea$god, probably the kindest of <oseidon/s offspring. He stumbled upon a mist$shrouded island whose inhabitants
painted themsel!es blue. They saw immediately that he was a god and honored him with re!erence. He stayed on the
island, in appreciation, and taught the people the arts of boat$building and na!igation. They became among the world/s
best sailors, and named their island )lbion in his honor. Today we call that island "ngland.
)lcestis
0aughter of <elias, king of Iolcus, and wife of )dmetus, king of <harae and friend of the god )pollo. (hen it was
time for )dmetus to die, )pollo persuaded the :ates to let him li!e if he could persuade another to die in his place.
The :ates agreed to let )dmetus stay ali!e if his mother, his father, or his wife would die in his place. )lcestis
willingly took poison to spare )dmetus/s life.In some myths Hercules rescued her from the dead- in others <ersephone
reunited husband and wife.
)lcimedes $mighty genitals
)lcippe
This daughter of )res and )glauros was raped by a son of <oseidon. )res then killed the rapist, and was brought
before the other gods to go on trial for murder- the first murder trial. )fter hearing the brutal facts of the case they
6uickly ac6uitted him.
)lcmaeon
1on of )mphiaraus and "riphyle. )fter )mphiaraus was killed in the war of the #1e!en )gainst Thebes#, )lcmaeon
led the "pigoni (the sons of the 1e!en in a second war, that was successful. To a!enge 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 a!enging goddesses, the "rinyes, until he took refuge at <sophis in
)rcadia. There, he married )rsinoe, the king/s daughter. (hen the land was cursed with barrenness because of his
presence, he fled to the mouth of the )chelous 8i!er and married Callirrhoe, daughter of the ri!er god. The king
()rsinoe/s father and his sons pursued )lcmaeon and killed him.
)lcmene
Mother of Heracles by 7eus, who took the form of her husband )mphitryon to seduce her. He en&oyed himself so much
he made the night last as long as three ordinary nights.
)lcyone
0aughter of )eolus and wife of Cey% (son of the Morning 1tar. They were such a lo!ing, happy couple that they
roused the en!y of Hera, who sent a storm against Cey%/s ship, wrecking it and drowning him. His ghost appeared to
)lcyone, who drowned herself so she could &oin him. 7eus pitied them and turned them into kingfishers. )eolus
forbade his winds to blow for a space of se!en days each winter, so that his daughter can lay eggs in a nest which
floated on the sea (that/s what kingfishers doN. +ur word #halcyon#, meaning a period of calm days, comes from this
myth.
)lecto
+ne of the three "rinyes, goddesses of !engeance.
)lectrona
)n early goddess who was a daughter of the sun.
)lectryon
)res/ one time buddy. (hen )res was #dallying# with )phrodite, he asked his buddy )lectryon to stand guard and
wake him before sunrise so no one would know of his tryst. )lectryon fell asleep, and Helios (the sun saw the
twosome, so the secret was no longer a secret. )res, in his anger, turned his buddy into a rooster, who must awaken
before all others and proclaim the sunrise.
)lphito $white goddess
)malthea
) nymph, the nurse of the baby 7eus (or alternately the she$goat which suckled him. In thanks, 7eus broke off a horn
from the goat and ga!e it to )malthea promising that the possessor should always ha!e in abundance e!erything
desired. (The Horn of <lenty, the cornucopia
)ma.ons
+ne of a tribe of warlike women from )sia Minor. The )ma.ons had a matriarchal society, in which women go!erned
and fought while men performed the household tasks.
)mphitrite
The goddess of the sea and wife of <oseidon. He chose her to be his wife from among her sisters as they were
performing a ritual dance. 1he refused him and fled. <oseidon sent a dolphin after her and it took her back. )fter he
married her, he rewarded the dolphin by making it a constellation and placing it in the hea!ens.
)mphitryon
Husband of )lcmene and #stepfather# to Heracles. In order to get )lcmene to agree to his proposal of marriage, he had
to fulfill her re6uest to a!enge the death of her eight brothers at the hands of ;ing <terelaus. He asked ;ing Creon to
help him- Creon agreed pro!iding he slay the giant man$eating fo% that was harassing his kingdom. (ith the aid of a
tracking hound, borrowed from a friendly )rtemis, he was able to trace the fo% to its den and kill it. Creon lent him an
army with which he attacked ;ing <terelaus. This king was undefeatable in battle unless he lost the single golden hair
that grew on his white$haired head. <rincess Comaetho (<terelaus/ daughter fell in lo!e with )mphitryon and plucked
out the blonde hair while her father was asleep. )mphitryon won the battle, killed <terelaus, and abandoned the
princess to return home and marry )lcmene. He ne!er blamed his wife for being seduced by 7eus (7eus had
impersonated him in the bed$chamber, and she thought she was sleeping with her husband and was a good #father# to
Heracles.
)mymone
+ne of the 0ana\des. The only one who murdered her husband and escaped eternal punishment.
)nanke
Mother of the :ates (the Moirae. )lso mother of )drasteia (daughter of 7eus and distributor of rewards and
punishments. Goddess of unalterable necessity .
)na%arete
) cruel !irgin who caused her lo!er (Iphis to kill himself, and was turned into stone by the gods.
)nchises
:ather of )eneas (by )phrodite. He bragged about his affair with her, was o!erheard by 7eus who struck him with a
thunderbolt that crippled and disfigured him thereafter.
)ndrogyne $man$woman
)ndromache
Hector/s wife who was gi!en upon his death to <yrrhus. (hen he was also killed (by +restes, she was gi!en to
Helenus (Hector/s brother.
)ndromeda
) goddess of dreams. 0aughter of ;ing Cepheus and Hueen Cassiope. Cassiope offended the *ereids by boasting that
)ndromeda was more beautiful than they were. In retaliation <oseidon, their father, sent a sea monster to de!astate the
kingdom. In order to escape from this destruction it was determined that )ndromeda had to be sacrificed to the
monster. 1he was chained to a rock at the shore for the monster to de!our. <erseus, flying by on the winged horse
<egasus saw her and fell in lo!e with her. He slew the sea monster and married her. They had si% sons and a daughter.
)t her death she was placed among the stars as the constellation )ndromeda.
)ndrophonos $man$slayer
)ngitia $snake$goddess
)nius
He was the son of the god, )pollo, and of 8hoeo. (hen 8hoeo became pregnant, her father had her placed in a chest
and cast into the sea. 1he landed on the island of 0elos where she ga!e birth to )nius. )nius became the father of
three daughters, +eno, 1permo and "lais (wine, grain seed and oil, in that order who were granted the power to bring
these three crops to fruition.
)ntaeus
He was a giant, the son of the sea god <oseidon and Gaea, the "arth goddess. He forced all who tra!eled through his
country to wrestle him. 1ince e!erytime he touched the "arth (his mother he grew in strength, he was ne!er defeated.
Heracles (Hercules, while wrestling him, disco!ered this and, holding him abo!e ground, crushed him to death.
)nteros
3rother of "ros and god of returned lo!e- he punished those who defied and scorned lo!e.
)ntianara
)ma.on 6ueen who crippled all her male sla!es, #as the lame best perform the acts of lo!e#.
)nticlea
(ife of 5aertes and mother of +dysseus.
)ntigone $in place of a mother
1he was the daughter of +edipus and his mother, ?ocasta. This was a union made unknowingly by both parties. (hen
he found out, +edipus blinded himself and )ntigone and her sister, Ismene, became their father/s guide. )ntigone
accompanied her father when he was sent into e%ile but returned to Thebes after his death. In a dispute o!er the throne
her brothers, "teocles and <olynices (one of the #1e!en )gainst Thebes#, killed each other. The new king, Creon,
ga!e "teocles an honorable burial but ordered that the body of <olynices, whom he regarded as a traitor, remain where
it had fallen. <roper burial was considered a godly law. )ntigone, belie!ing the laws of the gods must take precedence
o!er the laws of man, buried her brother. Creon condemned her to be buried ali!e. 1he hanged herself in the tomb, and
her grief$stricken lo!er, Haemon, Creon/s son, killed himself.
)ntiope
1he was the mother of the twins )mphion and 7ethus. Her beauty attracted the god, 7eus, who assumed the form of a
satyr and raped her. The twins were the result of that attack $+8$ )n )ma.on 6ueen captured by Heracles and gi!en to
Theseus. 1he bore him a son Hippolytus (named after her sister Hippolyta. 1he is the only )ma.on known to ha!e
married.
)ntinuous
The most persistent of <enelope/s suitors, and the first one killed by +dysseus.
)pate
The goddess of deceit.
)phareus $unclothed
)phroditefoam$born
)phrodite, the goddess of lo!e and beauty, was born from the foam of the sea that arose when @ranus/ se!ered penis
fell into the ocean. 1he was married to Hephaestus, the god of fire and smithy to the gods. 1acred to her are the
myrtle, rose, apple, poppy, sparrow, do!e, swan, swallow, tortoise, ram, the planet Fenus, and the month of )pril. "ros
was produced from a liason with 7eus. Her fa!orite lo!er is the god of war, )res. 1he represented se%, affection, and
the attraction that binds people together.
)pollo
+ne of the most important +lympian gods- son of 7eus and 5eto, twin brother of )rtemis. He was also called 0elian
from 0elos, the island of his birth, and <ythian, from his killing of <ython, the fabled serpent that guarded a shrine on
the mountains of <arnassus. He was concerned with prophecy, medicine (he was the father of )sclepius, music and
poetry (he was also the father of +rpheus and the patron of the Muses. He was associated with law, philosophy, and
the arts. He sometimes ga!e the gift of prophecy to mortals whom he lo!ed, such as the Tro&an princess Cassandra. He
was also a master archer and a fleet$footed athlete, credited with ha!ing been the first !ictor in the +lympic games.
1ome tales depict )pollo as pitiless and cruel. )ccording to Homer/s Iliad, )pollo answered the prayers of the priest
Chryses to obtain the release of his daughter from the Greek general )gamemnon by shooting fiery, pestilence$
carrying arrows into the Greek army. He also abducted and ra!ished the young )thenian princess Creusa and
abandoned her and the child born to them.
)rachne $spider
)rachne was a wea!er of such skill that she foolishly challenged )thena to a contest. )thena/s tapestry showed the
gods in all their ma&esty. )rachne/s tapestry showed the gods in all their amorous ad!entures. )thena, in a fit of rage at
the indelicate poses of the gods, tore it to shreds. In shame, )rachne hanged herself. The goddess took pity and
loosened the rope which turned into a cobweb while )rachne changed into a spider. (1piders are classified today as
)rachnida.
)res $male warrior
)res was the bullying god of war. He was considered to be o!erly fond of looting and slaughter, and cowardly besides.
1on of 7eus and Hera. (He was identified with the 8oman god of war Mars, who was looked on with respect by the
8omans. The Greeks, howe!er, looked on )res as a 6uarrelsome god who sent war and pestilence and delighted in
destruction. )ggressi!e and bloodthirsty, )res personified the brutal nature of war. He was unpopular with both gods
and humans. )mong the deities associated with )res were his consort )phrodite and such minor gods as his sons
0eimos (:ear and <hobos (8out. )lthough fierce and warlike, )res was not in!incible, e!en against mortals. )res
was not widely worshiped by the Greeks.
)rete
)rete is the goddess of &ustice, and teacher of Heracles.
)rethusa
) nymph attendant of )rtemis who, when pursued by the ri!er$god )lpheus, is changed by )rtemis into a fountain.
The ri!er$god determined to get her, flowed underground so as to mingle his waters with hers.
)rgonaut
+ne who sailed with ?ason on the )rgo in search of the Golden :leece.
)rgos
Master shipbuilder responsible for the designing and building of the )rgo, fastest and most manue!erable of any ship
in e%istence at the time. He is credited with the in!ention of the sail that could be tilted to catch pre!ailing winds, and
of the rudder.
)rgus
The hundred$eyed giant that Hera used to spy on 7eus to find out with whom and where he engaged his lo!ers in
secret trysts. Hermes killed him on 7eus/ orders when he was guarding Io.
)riadne
) goddess of dreams. 1he was the daughter of ;ing Minos and <asiphae. 1he fell in lo!e with Theseus and helped him
escape the 5abyrinth after he killed the Minotaur. There are three different endings to this story. +ne, she died in
childbirth. Two, Theseus took her to *a%os where he left her to marry 0ionysus with whom she bore many children.
Three, Theseus abandoned her and she hanged herself.
)rion
The in!entor of the poem of praise (dithyramb, and a singer9musician second only in skill to +rpheus. 1aid to sing so
beautifully that fish would rise to the surface of the sea to listen to him. (hen he was abducted and thrown o!erboard
by pirates, a dolphin (ob!iously a music$lo!er rescued him.
)rne
0aughter of )eolus, ancestress of the 3oeotians.
)rsino]
1ometimes said to be the mother of )esculapius.
)rtemis
Twin sister to )pollo, she was goddess of chastity, !irginity, the hunt, the moon, and the natural en!ironment. 1he was
chief hunter to the gods and goddess of hunting and of wild animals, especially bears. 1he is the daughter of 7eus and
5eto. "!en though she is a !irgin goddess, she also presides o!er childbirth. 1acred to her are the laurel, fir tree, fish,
stag, boar, bear, dog, goat, bee and other animals. )lthough traditionally the friend and protector of youth, especially
young women, )rtemis pre!ented the Greeks from sailing to Troy during the Tro&an war until they sacrificed a maiden
to her. )ccording to some accounts, &ust before the sacrifice, she rescued the !ictim, Iphigenia.
)sclepius ()esculapius, )sklepios
5egendary physician and god of medicine. He was the son of )pollo and Coronis, a beautiful maiden of Thessaly.
)ngry because Coronis was unfaithful to him, )pollo killed her and took his infant son to the centaur Chiron to be
raised. )sclepius learned all that Chiron knew about the art of healing and soon became a great physician. 3ecause he
committed the unpardonable sin of raising a man from the dead, the god 7eus killed him with a thunderbolt. The
serpent and cock were sacred to him.
)steria
In order to escape being raped by 7eus, this nymph changed herself into a 6uail.
)straea
0aughter of 7eus and Themis and one of the goddesses of &ustice who resided among mortals. 0uring the Golden )ge
this star$maiden (meaning of her name li!ed on earth and blessed mortals. )fter the age ended she was placed in the
hea!ens as the constellation Firgo.
)straeos
God of starlight.
)talanta $unswaying
0isappointed that she was not a boy, her father abandoned her on a mountainside at her birth. 1he was rescued and
nursed by a she$bear and later raised by hunters. 3y the time she had grown up, she was a skilled hunter. 1he took part
in the famous boar hunt of Calydon. )talanta 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 )phrodite, who
ga!e him three golden apples of the Hesperides. He dropped them one by one, and by stopping to pick them up,
)talanta lost the race. 1he and Hippomenes were later turned into lions because of an affront to the gods.
<arthenopaeus was their son (1e!en )gainst Thebes.
)te
) daughter of 7eus and "ris (the goddess of discord. 7eus re&ected her and hurled her to earth. 1he was a minor
goddess of folly, moral blindness, and infatuation.
)thena
)thena is the !irgin goddess of reason in war and peace, intelligent acti!ity, arts and literature. 1he sprang full grown
from 7eus/ head. 1he is 7eus/ fa!orite and is allowed to use his weapons including his thunderbolt. The goddess was
usually shown wearing a helmet and carrying a spear and shield. 5ike her father, she also wore the magic aegis, a
goatskin breastplate, fringed with snakes, that produced thunderbolts when shaken. )thena was !ery different from the
war god )res. 1he represented the intellectual and ci!ili.ed side of war- she was not so much a fighter as a wise and
prudent ad!iser. 1acred to her are the oli!e, serpent, owl, and crow. 1he in!ented the bridle, the trumpet, the flute, the
rake, the plow, the yoke, and (in some myths the chariot.
)tlas $he who dares
1on of the Titan, Iapetus, and the nymph, Clymene ()sia, and the brother of <rometheus. )tlas was one of the Titans
that warred against 7eus, and lost. )s punishment, 7eus condemned him to hold aloft the hea!ens fore!er. He is often
pictured holding the earth on his shoulders.
)treus
(hen the king of Mycenae died without an heir, )treus was chosen as their new king. )treus/s brother Thyestes (his
twin, a ri!al for the throne, seduced )erope, )treus/ wife (and mother of )gamemnon and Menelaus. (hen he
learned of this treachery, )treus murdered two of Thyestes/ sons and ser!ed them boiled in a cauldron to their father at
a ban6uet. (hen Thyestes had finished eating, )treus ordered a dish holding the bloody heads of the children brought
in. Thyestes laid a curse on his brother. )treus later married <elopia, daughter of Thyestes, not knowing her true
identity. Her son )egisthus killed )treus at the urging of his grandfather, Thyestes.
)tropos
+ldest of the :ates, and the most feared, for she is the one who cuts the thread of life.
)ura
Goddess of the morning wind.
)utolycus
He was the father of )nticleia, who was the mother of +dysseus. He was reknown as a swindler and thief. It is said
that 1isyphus, while !isiting, recogni.ed some property that had been stolen from him. In re!enge, he seduced
)nticleia and thus was the true father of +dysseus, rather than her husband, 5aertes.
)utonoe
Mother of )ctaeon, the hunter turned into a deer by 0iana ()rtemis when he saw her bathing naked, and killed by his
own hunting dogs.
)u%esia
Goddess of growth.
3acchantes
(Maenades :emale worshippers of 0ionysus (3acchus, whose #antics# sometimes crossed the line.
3aubo
) Greek goddess of laughter of the kind generated by indecent gestures or ribald &okes. 1he is supposed to ha!e tried
to comfort 0emeter who was sadly searching for <ersephone. (hen 0emeter resisted 3aubo/s efforts to cheer her,
3aubo lifted her dress and e%posed herself. This brought a grin to 0emeter/s face, the barren earth stirred and soon
<ersephone returned. )n almost identical story is told in ?apan in!ol!ing @.ume and the goddess )materasu.
3aucis and <hilemon
The poor old couple who were the only ones willing to gi!e hospitality to 7eus and Hermes who were wandering the
earth disguised as mortals. This so touched 7eus he granted their dearest wish, that they remain united e!en in death.
They were transformed into trees whose branches fore!er intertwined.
3ellerophon
He was the hero who, with the help of )thena, tamed <egasus, the winged horse. 3ellerophon angered <roetus, who
sent him to the king of 5ycia with a sealed message re6uesting the bearer be slain. The king who entertained, and
became friendly with, 3ellerophon before reading the message, could not do it. Instead he sent 3ellerophon 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 ga!e his daughter in marriage to the hero. 5ater, 3ellerophon defied the gods and tried to fly <egasus up
to +lympus, but, thrown to the earth by his horse, he wandered in misery until he died.
3endis
(Thracian Goddess of the moon.
3ia
) warrior, noted for being the one to bind <rometheus to the rocky crag as eternal punishment for pro!iding fire to
humanity. The daughter of <allas and 1ty%.
3iblys
+ne of a pair of twins. 1he fell in lo!e with her brother and when he, horrified, refused her lo!e, she turned into a
constantly flowing (weeping fountain.
3olbe
) lake goddess.
3oWtes
In!entor of the plough. )t his death he, his plough, and the two o%en yoked to it, were taken into the hea!ens as the
constellation, 3oWtes.
3oreas
God of the *orth wind.
3riareus
He was also known as )egeon. ) Titan, who had fifty heads and a hundred hands, and fought in the Titan war against
7eus.
3rimo
) death goddess.
3risa
) nymph, nurse of 0ionysus.
3riseis
:irst name Hippodamia. 1he was gi!en to )chilles as a pri.e in the Tro&an (ar, and taken from him by )gamemnon,
which caused the famous 6uarrel that led to the death of <atroclus.
3ritomartis
) Minoan (Crete goddess depicted as a hunter, often accompanied by a baby and9or a snake. 1he was relentlessly
pursued by Minos II, and rather than submit, committed suicide by &umping off a cliff.
3ri.e
Hera/s gadfly, large as a sparrow with a sting the si.e of a dagger- she was sent by Hera to torment Io (transformed into
a cow by 7eus, her lo!er, so that Hera couldn/t find her, but to no a!ail. (hen Hermes rescued Io he killed 3ri.e, too.
3ri.o
(0elos Goddess worshiped as a prophet specialising in the interpretation of dreams. 1he was also a minor goddess of
the sea in!oked to protect ships9crews.
3rome
)nother nymph who was a nurse for 0ionysus.
3rontes
) Cyclops. He was the personification of a blacksmith, and his name means Thunder. He crafted )rtemis/ sil!er bow,
e!en though she spurned his amorous ad!ances.
3utes
+ne of the )rgonauts. He was a master bee$keeper whose honey was the sweetest that could be found- so sweet, in fact,
that he was commissioned to supply it to the gods on Mount +lympus as a treat.
Cabiri
Certain gods (<hrygian worshipped in )sia Minor and Greece. The religion of the <hrygians was an ecstatic nature
worship, in which the Great Mother of the Gods, 8hea, or Cybele, and a male deity, 1aba.ius, played a prominent
part. The orgiastic rites of this religion influenced both the Greeks and the 8omans. Their center of worship was
1amothrace, and their rituals in!ol!ed scandalous obscenities. The main gods were )%ierus, )%iocersa, )%iocersus,
and Cadmilus who promoted fertility and guarded mariners.
Cacus
1on of Hephaestus and Medusa. He was a three$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 gro!e guarded by a dragon. )fter the beast killed his companions,
Cadmus slew the dragon and, on the ad!ice of the goddess )thena, planted its teeth in the ground. )rmed men sprang
from the teeth and fought each other until all but fi!e were killed. Cadmus enlisted the help of the !ictors in founding
the new city of Thebes.
Caenis
) Greek (Thessaly woman who was brutally raped by <oseidon. 1he prayed to the gods that she be transformed into
an in!ulnerable man so she could e%act re!enge against the se% 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 <irithous and Hippodamia, and transformed back to a female and buried.
In other legends she is immortal as well as in!ulnerable and is buried ali!e under the weight of the rocks and tree
trunks which were hurled upon him9her by the centaurs in that battle.
Caerus
3ald god (or goddessA representing fa!orable memories, which should be cherished.
Calais
He and his twin brother 7etes (sons of the *orth (ind were part of the crew of the )rgonaut. They sa!ed <hineus
from his torment by the Harpies, and were rewarded by being gi!en wings. )t their death they were transformed into
birds by the gods.
Calchas
The soothsayer in the Tro&an (ar who predicted that )chilles/ 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
1he was Chaos/ mother, and by him she became mother of *y% (night.
Calliope $beautiful !oice
Chief of the nine Muses. 1he was the patron of epic poetry. In !arious accounts she is the mother of +rpheus, or of
Hymen and Ialemus, or of 8hesus, or of 5inus. )nd those four groups were sired by four different men, one of whom
was the god )pollo.
Callipygos
Her name means #beautiful buttocks# and is a surname, sometimes, for )phrodite.
Callirhoe
(ife of )lcmaeon, who was murdered by the father of his first wife. Callirhoe prayed to 7eus that her infant sons
grow to manhood in one day to a!enge her husband/s death. 7eus granted her wish- her sons grew si% feet in one day
and killed their father/s murderer.
Callisto$fairest
1he was a friend9priestess of the famous huntress )rtemis and took a !ow to remain single. 3ut 7eus took a liking to
her (7eus took the form of )rtemis in order to seduce her. and she was no longer chaste. 1he was turned into a bear,
either by 7eus who didn/t want his wife to know of the lo!e affair, or by his wife, Hera, as re!enge for the affair. 1he
was then killed in a hunt by her best friend )rtemis who really thought she was a bear. 7eus changed the dead Callisto
into a constellation, the @rsa Ma&or (Great 3ear. Her son, )rcas, born of the affair with 7eus, was changed into the
constellation @rsa Minor (5ittle 3ear.
Calyce $rosebud
Calypso $hidden
) sea nymph and daughter of the Titan )tlas. Calypso li!ed alone on the mythical island of +gygia in the Ionian 1ea.
(hen the Greek hero +dysseus was shipwrecked on +gygia, she fell in lo!e with him and kept him a !irtual prisoner
for se!en years. )lthough she promised him immortality and eternal youth if he would stay with her, she could not
make him o!ercome his desire to return home. 1he bore him two sons before, at the bidding of the god 7eus, she
finally released +dysseus and ga!e him materials to build a raft to lea!e the island. 1he died of grief after he left.
Campe
This female dragon was the guard of the monster children of Gaia, in their prison beneath the surface of the earth.
Canidia
) sorceress who can control the moon/s mo!ements.
Carya
In pre$classical mythology, Carya was a Greek goddess of the walnut tree. 1he was later assimilated into the )rtemis
myth, as Caryatis in this form.
Cassandra $she who entangles men
The daughter of <riam and Hecuba. )pollo fell in lo!e with her and promised her the gift of prophecy if she would
submit to him. 1he accepted the proposal, recei!ed the gift and then refused the god her fa!ors. )pollo took his
re!enge by ordaining that her prophecies would ne!er be belie!ed. (hich is what happened. :or instance, Cassandra
warned the Tro&ans of many dangers, including the wooden horse by which the Greeks entered the city, but she was
dismissed as a madwoman. )fter the fall of Troy, she was dragged from her sanctuary in the temple of the goddess
)thena by )&a% the 5esser and brought to the Greek camp. (hen the spoils were di!ided, Cassandra was awarded to
;ing )gamemnon as his sla!e and mistress. Cassandra warned him that he would be killed if he returned to Greece-
again she was not belie!ed. @pon their arri!al in Mycenae she and )gamemnon were murdered by Clytemnestra,
6ueen of Mycenae and wife of )gamemnon.
Cassiopeia
The wife of Cephus, king of "thiopia. (hen Cassiopeia boasted that she was more beautiful than the *ereids, these
water nymphs complained to <oseidon, the god of the sea, who sent a sea monster to ra!age the land. <oseidon
demanded that Cassiopeia/s daughter, )ndromeda, be punished for her mother/s !anity by being sacrificed to the
monster, but the girl was rescued by the hero <erseus. )t 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
) fountain goddess. Her fountain on Mt <arnassus was the sacred place of the Muses.
Castor and <ollu% (<olydeuces
Twin heroes called the 0ioscuri. Castor was the son of 5eda and Tyndareus and <ollu% the son of 5eda and 7eus.
Castor was a skilled horseman and <ollu% a bo%er. They were famous warriors, noted for their de!otion to each other.
They were noted as patrons of mariners.
Cecrops
The founder of )thens and of Greek ci!ili.ation. 8eputed to ha!e sprung half man, half serpent from the soil, he
became the first king of )ttica, which he di!ided into ,L communities. He established marriage and property laws,
introduced bloodless sacrifice and burial of the dead, and in!ented writing. 0uring his DC$year rule he testified in a
dispute o!er possession of )thens between )thena and <oseidon- his e!idence on behalf of )thena leading the panel of
&udges (the +lympian gods to !ote along gender lines (with 7eus as head of the panel abstaining, thereby declaring
)thena the winner by a !ote of J to D.
Centaurs
They were principally sa!age beasts, half$horse and half$man. Chiron was an e%ception as he was famous for his
!irtue and his wisdom.
Cephalus
Handsome son of Hermes. His beauty so attracted "os that she kidnapped him and told him of her lo!e. 3ut Cephalus
spurned her ad!ances saying he was in lo!e with <rocris, and would remain e!er faithful to her. "os told him that
<rocris would not be as steadfast when it came to him, changed his looks, and challenged him to test the lo!e of
<rocris. <rocris, lonely and !ulnerable, was attracted to this stranger that so reminded her of her lost Cephalus that she
declared a lo!e for him. "os changed him back to his own form, and the lo!ers became alienated. <rocris ran off to
&oin )rtemis/ band, and )rtemis was so appreciati!e that she ga!e <rocris a spear that would ne!er miss the target.
<rocris took the spear and ga!e it to Cephalus as a lo!e offering, and they were re$united as lo!ers. 3ut <rocris became
suspicious at his long so&ourns in the forests, thinking he might be on a rende!ous with "os instead of hunting. 1he
followed him one day, spying on him from the bushes. He heard a rustling behind him, whirled, and threw the spear.
The spear that ne!er misses, didn/t. <rocris was killed.
Cer
0aughter of *y% and the personification of !iolent death.
Cerberus $demon of the pit
) many$headed dog with a mane and a tail of snakes, who guarded the entrance to the underworld (Hades. +ne of the
,L labors of Hercules was to capture him.
Cercopes
Two dwarfs (sons of +ceanus, clowns at heart, they were e!er up to mischief. +nce they came upon a sleeping
Heracles and gleefully started stealing his arrows. Heracles awoke, sei.ed 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 e!ents, and e!entually
Heracles started laughing also. He freed them and let them go. Howe!er the dwarfs weren/t so lucky when they played
a trick on 7eus- he didn/t laugh, instead he turned them into monkeys.
Cercyon
The brute who challenged all passerbys to a wrestling match, which in!ariably 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 $sea monster
Ceto is the daughter of Gaia and <ontus. 1he is the sister of <horcys (who was also her husband, Thaumas and
"urybia. 1he is the personification of the dangers and horrors of the sea. Her name e!entually became a name for any
generic sea monster. Ceto is regarded as the mother of the Gorgons and many other monsters.
Chaos$yawning
The !acant, unfathomable space from which e!erything arose. In the +lympian myth Gaea sprang from Chaos and
became the mother of all things.
Chariboea
) sea monster. )lso known as Curissia.
Charis $grace
Charites, The $graces
The Charites are personifications of aspects of grace and beauty. They are called )glaia (1plendor, "uphrosyne
(Mirth, and Thalia (Good Cheer. (hile 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 "rebus and *o% (*ight, who ferried the spirits of the dead o!er the ri!ers
1ty% and )cheron to "lysium (the underworld. He would admit to his boat only the souls of those who had recei!ed
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 1ty%
for ,CC years.
Charybdis and 1cylla
Two sea monsters dwelling on the opposite sides of a narrow strait, the personification of the dangers of na!igation
near the rocks and eddies. 1cylla was a horrible creature with ,L feet and J long necks, each bearing a head with B
rows of teeth, with which she de!oured any prey that came within reach- she li!ed in a ca!e on a cliff. )cross 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. (hen the Greek hero +dysseus passed between
them, he was able to a!oid Charybdis, but 1cylla sei.ed si% men from his ship and de!oured them. 1cylla, originally a
beautiful maiden lo!ed by a sea god, had been transformed into a monster by her &ealous ri!al, the sorceress Circe.
Chelone
) nymph that ridiculed (one !ersion or refused to attend (another !ersion the wedding of 7eus and Hera. They
punished her by changing her into a turtle (mute $ ,st !ersion who carries its home e!erywhere (Lnd !ersion.
Chione
The princess who bore twin sons to two different gods, )pollo and Hermes. Hermes/ son was )utolycus, master thief
and ancestor of +dysseus. )pollo/s son was <hilammon, a master musician. Chione goofed when she wheedled )pollo
into saying she was more beautiful than )rtemis, for when the goddess heard this she slew Chione with one of her
sil!er arrows. )pollo turned Chione into a hawk.
Chiron
) centaur, son of Cronus. He was a wise physician and prophet whose pupils included Hercules, )chilles, ?ason, and
)sclepius. )fter recei!ing an incurable wound, he ga!e his immortality to <rometheus and died. 7eus turned him into
the constellation 1agittarius.
Chloe
) lo!er of 0aphnis in a Greek pastoral romance, and since, a generic name in literature for a rustic maiden, not
always of the artless !ariety.
Chloris
Goddess of places shaded by trees, shrubs, and !ines. 1he was the wife of 7ephyrus.
Chryses $golden
) <riest of )pollo.
Chryseis
Traitorus daughter of a priest of )pollo (Chryses, she is captured (Tro&an (ar and gi!en to )gamemnon. Her father
tries to ransom her but )gamemnon refuses to let her go, whereupon the priest prays to )pollo for help. The god sends
a plague on the Greek army, and )gamemnon ca!es in and returns her but demands the maid 3riseis (who had been
gi!en to )chilles as recompense. 8ead the Iliad for the whole story.
Cilissa
(hen the usurper )egisthus wanted to eradicate )gamemnon/s line, he decided to kill the infant +restes. Cilissa,
+restes/ nurse, replaced the infant in the crib with her own baby, and )egisthus strangled him instead. +restes li!ed to
kill )egisthus.
Circe $falcon
) sorceress, the daughter of the sun god Helios and the sea nymph <erse. 1he li!ed on an island, where with potions
and incantations, she was able to turn people into beasts. Her !ictims retained their reason, howe!er, and knew what
had happened to them. In the course of his wanderings, the Greek hero +dysseus !isited her island with his
companions, whom she turned into swine. +n his way to find help for his men, +dysseus met the god Hermes, from
whom he recei!ed an herb (Moly that made him immune to Circe/s enchantments. He forced her to restore his
companions to human form, and in ama.ement that anyone could resist her spell, Circe fell in lo!e with +dysseus. He
and his friends stayed with her for a year. (hen they finally decided to lea!e, she told +dysseus 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
) water goddess. 0aughter of )sopus.
Clio $proclaimer
+ne of the nine Muses. 1he was the patron of history, and in!entor of historical and heroic poetry. :rom a union with
;ing <ierus she bore a son, Hyacinthus. He was a handsome lad who was killed by his lo!er, )pollo. :rom his blood
grew the flower that bears his name.
Clymene
) Titaness, the daughter of +ceanus and Tethys. 1he was the wife of Iapetus and bore him <rometheus, "pimetheus,
and )tlas.
Clytemnestra
The daughter of Tyndareus and 5eda. 1he was a sister to Castor and a half sister to Helen and <ollu%. 1he was the wife
of )gamemnon, the mother of +restes, "lectra, Iphigenia, and Chrysothemis. )nd she was the lo!er of )egisthus. +n
her husband/s return from Troy she murdered him, partly (according to !arious forms of her legend out of hatred for
his sacrifice of Iphigenia and partly out of &ealousy of Cassandra, whom he had brought back as a capti!e concubine.
In retaliation for the murder of )gamemnon, she was killed by her son +restes.
Clytie
)n ocean nymph who fell in lo!e with )pollo (aka Helios, the sun god. (hen she was deserted by him she changed
into a sunflower (heliotrope, and still turns to the sun, following him through his daily &ourney through the sky.
Copreus
The messenger who was killed for bearing bad news. He brought orders from ;ing "urystheus to Heracles- displeased
by the task assigned to him, Heracles, in a fit of pi6ue, killed the messenger.
Coronis $crow or ra!en
Mother of )esculapius by )pollo, who slew her for her infidelity. )lso in another !ersion, the daughter of Coronaeus,
changed by )thene into a crow to escape from *eptune.
Corunetes
) thug who prowled the roads, waylaying tra!elers, and crushing their skulls with a huge brass club. @nfortunately for
him, he tried to waylay the tra!eling Theseus- this resulted in his ha!ing his own head bashed in with his own club.
Theseus was so happy with the club he kept it as his own weapon.
Corythus
1on of <aris by the nymph +enone. (hen <aris deserted her to go to Helen, she raised her son with the idea of getting
re!enge. 1he sent him to guide the Greeks past the Tro&an defenses. (hile there he was smitten with lo!e for Helen.
<aris, not recogni.ing his son, killed him in a &ealous rage.
Cottus
+ne of the hundred$handed giants, son of @ranus and Gaea. His two brothers were 3riareus and Gyes.
Cotys
Goddess of se%uality and fertility.
Cotytto
The Thracian goddess of immodesty and debauchery.
Cratos
3rother of 3ia and representation of power.
Creon
3rother of ?ocasta, 6ueen of Thebes. Creon ser!ed as regent of Thebes after ;ing +edipus was e%iled until his nephew
"teocles, +edipus/s younger son, claimed the throne. The elder son, <olyneices, angered at this usurpation of his legal
right, led an in!ading army in the battle of the #1e!en )gainst Thebes#. 3oth 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.
3urial of the dead was regarded as a sacred duty, and )ntigone, sister of <olyneices, 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. "nraged at her
defiance of his authority, Creon ordered that his niece be buried ali!e. His son Haemon, who had lo!ed )ntigone,
killed himself in despair at her death.
Creusa
There were three'
,. 0aughter of "rechtheus, king of )thens. 1he was raped by )pollo and bore a son. The child was e%posed to die but
was taken to 0elphi by Hermes and there brought up. Euthus, Creusa/s husband, thought the child his own and
brought him back to )thens, calling him Ion.
L. :irst wife of )eneas and mother of )scanius. 1he was killed while trying to escape from burning Troy. Her ghost
appeared to )eneas and warned him of perils to come.
B. 0aughter of Creon, king of Corinth. ?ason deserted Medea for her. Medea, in re!enge, killed Glauce, Glauce/s
father, and her own children by ?ason.
Crius, Creus, or ;reios
) Titan, married "urbia. Had B children' )straios, <erses, <allas. (as grandfather of ()straios married "os'
7ephyros97ephyrus ((est (ind, 3oreas (*orth (ind, *otos9*otus (1outh (ind, "osphoros9"urus ("ast (ind, and
all the #stars#. (as also grandfather of (<allas married 1ty%' 7elos, *ike, ;ratos, 3ia.
Cronus $crow
+r ;ronos, the youngest Titan, who gained his power by castrating his father @ranus. 3y his sister 8hea, he fathered
the great gods (the +lympians' 7eus, <oseidon, 0emeter, Hera, Hades, and Hestia. 7eus later led the +lympian gods
in defeating him. Cronus is e6uated with the 8oman god 1aturn.
Crotus $rhythmic beat
Curetes $young men who ha!e sha!ed the hair from their heads.
Cyclopes, The $ring$eyed
Cyclop (plural Cyclopes. There are two !ersions. In one they were three immense one$eyed beings, who were smiths,
sons of @ranus and Gaea, who made, for 7eus, the lightning bolts he used to slay his enemies. In another, they were a
barbarous people, one of whom, <olyphemus, was encountered by +dysseus in his wanderings.
Cygnus
1on of <oseidon. Made in!ulnerable to spear$thrust and sword$cut by his father, he became a formidable warrior on
the side of the Tro&ans in the Tro&an (ar. "!en )chilles could not o!ercome him, until he thought to throw Cygnus to
the ground and bury him beneath a pile of rocks until he smothered. <oseidon sa!ed him by changing him into a swan.
1ince then all swans bear his name.
Cyone
8aped 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. )pollo, passing by, saw this and
immediately fell in lo!e with her. He carried her off and founded the city of Cyrene making her its 6ueen. 1he bore
him two sons, )risteus and Idmon, and also bore a child with )res.
0actyls, The $fingers
Ten daughters of )nchiale (born without a father. )ttendants of Cybele. They introduced ironworking into Greece.
0aedalus $bright
) craftsman and in!entor. @nder the tutelage of )thena, he in!ented the sail, the compass, the potter/s wheel, and the
a%e. He lost fa!or in )thena/s eyes when, &ealous of the talent of his nephew Talos, he killed him. He had to flee
)thens, and landed in Crete where he went to work for ;ing Minos. He built toys for the young princesses, like sun
umbrellas that would open by themse!es when hit by the rays of the sun, tops that would spin in mid$air, and (for
)riadne a ball of thread that could unwind and then reel itself up again (remember the labyrinth and the minotaur.
Hueen <asphae, under a curse by )phrodite, had de!eloped a mad passion for a white bull in her husband/s herd. 1he
beseeched 0aedalus to help her- he built this e%ceptionally beautiful, hollow wooden cow with a comfortable interior
which allowed her to conceal herself inside and approach the bull. (hen she ga!e birth to the minotaur nine months
later, Minos flipped out. He ordered 0aedalus to build the labyrinth, and then imprisoned the infant minotaur, the
6ueen, 0aedalus and his son Icarus therein (4ou know the rest of the myth. 0aedalus, in a secret laboratory he built
in the labyrinth, constructed wa% 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. 0aedalus escaped.
0ais
<ersonification of a replete meal.
0amia
)n alternati!e form of 0emeter in ancient Greece. Her daughter was )u%esia (similar in kind to <ersephone.
0amocles
0amocles was a courtier of 0ionysius the "lder. )ccording to a legend, 0amocles on one occasion commented to his
ruler on the grandeur and happiness of rulers. 0ionysius soon thereafter in!ited his courtier to a lu%urious ban6uet,
where 0amocles en&oyed the delights of the table until his attention was directed upward and he saw a sharp sword
hanging abo!e him by a single horsehair. 3y this de!ice 0ionysius made 0amocles reali.e that insecurity might
threaten those who appeared to be the most fortunate. (1word of 0amocles' symbolic potential disaster.
0amon and <ythias
Two young men whose loyalty to each other symboli.es true friendship. (hen <ythias, condemned to death by
0ionysius the "lder, was released to arrange his affairs, 0amon stayed on as hostage, pledged to die in place of
<ythias, if he did not return. +n <ythias/ return, 0ionysius freed them both.
0anae
Her father ()crisius 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. 7eus, who had fallen in lo!e 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 <erseus (who did kill his
grandfather.
0anaus
Grandson of <oseidon and twin brother of )egyptus. The father of DC daughters known as the 0anaids. 1ee 0anaids
for the story.
0anu
)egean mother goddess.
0aphne
) nymph who was metamorphosed into a laurel tree, by Gaea, as a means of escaping from )pollo.
0aphnis
The 1icilian shepherd who in!ented pastoral poetry, born of the union of the god Hermes with a nymph. )ccording to
one legend, 0aphnis was blinded after breaking a !ow of fidelity to a nymph who lo!ed him.
0eianira (0e&aneira
(ife of Heracles (Hercules. )s the centaur *essus was carrying her across a ri!er he attempted to !iolate her-
Heracles shot him with a poisoned arrow. )s he lay dying he told 0eianira to sa!e some of his blood, that it would
keep Heracles in lo!e with her should he e!er want to stray. 4ears later Heracles became enamored of Iole and brought
her home. 0eianira soaked a garment in the blood and ga!e it to Heracles as a gift. (hen he put it on it burned his
flesh and could not be remo!ed, killing Heracles in an agoni.ing death. 0eianira killed herself in remorse.
0eidamia
)chilles/ wife.
0eimos
) son of )res and brother of <hobos. The god of terror and panic.
0eiphobe
) seer. 0aughter of Glaucus.
0eiphobus
Hector/s brother. He was awarded Helen as a pri.e after <aris was killed, and forced her into marriage against her will.
(hen the wooden horse was brought into the city, Helen reali.ed what the Greeks were up to and &ust knew it
concealed their best warriors. (hile her husband was asleep she stole all his weapons and hid them. (hen the Greeks
started to sack the city they found the unarmed 0eiphobus easy prey and killed him. Helen danced in &oy when he was
slain. 1he hoped to win back Menelaus as husband. 1he was successful.
0elphinus $dolphin
0elphyne $womb
0emeter $barley$mother
1he was sister to 7eus, and goddess of fertility. 1he had !arious lo!ers, including her brother 7eus. +ne of her children
was <ersephone (by 7eus, who was carried off by Hades (god of the underworld, and in her grief, 0emeter let the
earth grow barren (winter and only when <ersephone was returned to her, si% months of the year, did she let the earth
become fruitful again (summer. 0emeter is the goddess of the earth, of agriculture, and of fertility in general. 1acred
to her are li!estock and agricultural products, poppy, narcissus and the crane.
0emogorgon
) mysterious spirit or deity often e%plained as a prime!al creator god who antedates the gods of Greek mythology.
0endritus $tree youth
Goddess of the tree.
0erceto
) goddess of fertility.
0espoena $mistress
(hen 0emeter was wandering the earth looking for <ersephone, she was pursued by <oseidon, who wanted her
fa!ors. 1he changed herself into a mare to escape him, but to no a!ail as he changed himself into a stallion, and
impregnated her. 1he ga!e birth to twins, 0espoena and )reion.
0eucalion $new$wine sailor
) son of <rometheus who with his wife, <yrrha, built an ark and floated in it to sur!i!e the deluge sent by 7eus in
anger at humankind/s irre!erence. 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.
0ido
0aughter of 3elus, king of Tyre. (hen 0ido/s husband was killed by her brother <ygmalion, 0ido fled with her
followers to *orth )frica. 1he purchased the site of Carthage from a nati!e ruler, 5arbus, who, when the new city
began to prosper, threatened 0ido with war unless she married him. 8ather than submit 0ido stabbed herself, or, in
another !ersion, the Tro&an prince )eneas was shipwrecked at Carthage. He remained there with 0ido, who had fallen
in lo!e with him, until commanded by the god ?upiter to abandon her and continue his &ourney. In despair at his
departure, 0ido killed herself on a funeral pyre.
0ike (0ice
+ne of the Horae- she was the personification of &ustice. )lso known as )straea. 1he protected those that administered
&ustice- she encouraged rewarding the good as well as punishing the e!il. Her assistant was <oena, the goddess of
retaliation and retribution.
0iomedes
;ing of )rgos, one of the kings known as the #1e!en )gainst Thebes#. 0iomedes was one of the Greek heroes of the
Tro&an (ar. He killed numerous Tro&an warriors, and with the assistance of the goddess )thena, wounded )phrodite
(goddess of lo!e and )res (god of war, both of whom were helping the Tro&ans. (hen he returned from the war and
disco!ered that his wife had been unfaithful, 0iomedes went to )pulia, where he remarried.
0ione
) Titaness. In some early legends she is the mother of )phrodite by 7eus- most legends though ha!e )phrodite born of
the sea$foam (no mother.
0ionysus $lame god
He was the god of fertility and wine, later considered a patron of the arts. 0ionysus was one of the most important
Greek gods. He was thought to be the son of either 7eus and <ersephone or of 7eus and 1emele (and born from 7eus/
thigh after 1emele/s death in this !ersion. 0ionysus 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 !iticulture but was capable of dreadful re!enge upon those (e.g., +rpheus and <entheus who denied his
di!inity. )ccording to tradition, 0ionysus died each winter and was reborn in the spring. To his followers, this cyclical
re!i!al, accompanied by the seasonal renewal of the fruits of the earth, embodied the promise of the resurrection of the
dead. The 8omans identified him with 5iber and 3acchus, who was more properly the wine god.
0irce
The woman who was the second wife of 5ycus (after he abandoned )ntiope. 1he was a shrew and a nag and was tied
to the horns of a wild bull by )mphion and 7ethus ()ntiope/s sons $ her step$sons and dragged to death. They also
killed 5ycus.
0iwya
Mycenaean sky goddess.
0oris
3eautiful green$haired ocean goddess, who married *ereus and bore him fifty daughters (the *ereids.
0ryads $oak$nymphs
The 0ryads were tree$nymphs who had beautiful female shapes. 0ryads (Hamadryads were elemental forces but
mortal, dying when the tree died. ) dryad punished mortals for thoughtlessly breaking her branches or harming her.
0ryope
+ne legend' ) nymph who was #tricked# by )pollo and who thereupon bore a son ()mphissus. 1he was turned into a
poplar tree. )nother legend' (ith 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 5otis, a nymph, hiding from a
pursuer, and from where the blossoms had been plucked, blood flowed. 5otis, angry and in pain, changed 0ryope into
a tree. )nother legend' The mother of the lasci!ious <an.
0ysnomia
<ersonification of lawlessness. 0aughter of "ris.
"cecheira
The personification of armistice or truce. 1he appeared at the +lympic games to ensure that there would be no
hostilities.
"chenais
) nymph who fell in lo!e with the mortal 0aphnis and made him promise to be faithful. (hen he wasn/t, she made
him blind so he might ne!er again be tempted by female beauty.
"chidna $she$!iper
1he was half$woman, half$snake. 1he was married to the monster, Typhon. 1he was the mother of 5adon (a dragon,
Hydra (the many$headed, Chimera (goat$like, and +rthus (+rthros and Cerberus (dog creatures. 1he also
mothered, by +rthus, the 1phin% and the *emean lion. 1he was killed by )rgus as she slept.
"cho $echo
1he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, talking to Hera long enough for 7eus to fool around again. Hera was so
angry she depri!ed "cho of the power of speech e%cept for the ability to repeat the last words of another. "cho fell in
lo!e with *arcissus who was pining away staring at his reflection. "cho, in despair, faded away to nothing until only
her !oice remained.
"freisone
The female personification of a Greek ritual ob&ect' a branch of oli!e wood, twined with wool and hung with fruits,
which was carried in festi!als by children with two li!ing parents.
"idothea $di!ine shape
) sea nymph,daughter of <roteus, who took pity on Menelaus, becalmed on his return trip from the Tro&an (ar to
1parta, and ad!ised him to lie in wait for her father, who could be compelled to gi!e him useful ad!ice and
information if Menelaus would only sei.e him and hold on to him, unafraid. This was not a simple matter, since
<roteus had the power to change himself into many, and fearsome, shapes. 3ut Menelaus held on and got the
information he wanted.
"idyia $knowledgeable
"ileithyia
Goddess of childbirth. 1he was a daughter of 7eus and Hera. In some tales she is immeasurably ancient (before
7eus9Hera- she was said to ha!e mid$wi!ed the gods and goddesses of classical Greece. 1ome legends e!en call her
the mother of "ros, not the god of lo!e, but the primordial force of creation hatched from the world egg.
"ireisone
<ersonification (female of a ritual ob&ect- in this case, a branch of the oli!e tree, around which wool is twined, and
hung with fresh fruits $ carried in festi!als by children with two li!ing parents.
"irene
+ne of the Horae- her name means peace.
"lais
+ne of the +enotropae. 1he could change berries into oli!es.
"lasii, The
They pre!ented epileptic sei.ures. They were the descendants of )le%ida, who passed on her power to pre!ent epilepsy
to them.
"late
) giantess who was transformed into a spruce tree when she could not stop crying o!er the death of her brothers, +tus
and "phialtes.
"lectra $amber
,. 0aughter of )gamemnon and Clytemnestra. 1he aided her brother +restes in a!enging the murder of their father by
their mother and )egisthus.
L. +ne of the <leiades, the mythical ancestors of the Tro&ans. 1he is known as the #5ost <leiad# for she is said to ha!e
disappeared before the Tro&an (ar so that she would not see her fa!orite city destroyed. 1he shows herself occasionly,
but only in the guise of a comet.
B. )n +ceanid, daughter of +ceanus and Tethys.
Y. Mot
er (by Thaumas of Iris, goddess of the rainbow, and also of the loathsome Harpies.
"lectryon $beaming
,. ) moon goddess.
L. 1on of <erseus, and father of )lcmene (mother of Heracles.
"leos
The goddess of mercy.
"leuthera
Called #Mother of Greece#.
"mpusa
+ne of a group of ugly monsters (the "mpusae who snatch children, bede!il the shades in the underworld and haunt
tra!elers at night. 0escribed pictures6uely as ha!ing #one leg of brass and one of an ass#, and with leathery wings and
claws for hands.
"nceladus
The most powerful of the hundred$armed giants, sons of @ranus and Gaea, who fought against 7eus.
"ndymion $seduced nati!e
) handsome young man who was lo!ed by the moon goddess, 1elene, and whose youth was preser!ed by eternal sleep.
1elene supposedly bore him fifty daughters by embracing him in his sleep.
"nodia
Considered a goddess of crossroads and gates.
"nyo
,."nyo' ) Greek goddess of war and waster of cities, sometimes depicted as the daughter of )res. 1he appears co!ered
in blood, and striking attitudes of !iolence.
L."nyo (#horror#' +ne of the Graeae, the three /old women/.
"os $dawn
"os was the goddess of dawn, daughter of the Titans, Hyperion and Theia, and sister of Helios and 1elene. 1he was the
mother of the e!ening star "osphorus (Hesperus, other stars, and the winds 3oreas, 7ephyrus and *otus. (hen she
was caught in a tryst with )res, )phrodite cursed her with an insatiable desire for handsome young men. 1he most
often appears winged or in a chariot drawn by four horses, one of them being <egasus.
"peus
The craftsman who actually built the (ooden Horse at Troy (from +dysseus/ design. The Tro&an women he took
capti!e at the end of the war burned his homeward$bound ship when they heard stories of how murderously &ealous his
wife was. *ot daunted in the least, "peus stayed in Italy and founded the city of <isa with his capti!es.
"phialtes
) giant, son of <oseidon, and brother to +tus. (hen they were nine years old, they were #nine fathoms tall and nine
cubits broad#. )pollo killed them.
"pigoni $afterborn
The sons of the se!en Greek chieftains known as the #1e!en )gainst Thebes#. To a!enge the deaths of their fathers,
who had been slain in that ill$fated e%pedition against Thebes, the "pigoni con6uered the city and completely
destroyed it. )lthough their name, "pigoni, ()fterborn, 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 0iomedes, became one of the greatest Greek heroes
of the Tro&an (ar.
"pimenides
) religious teacher and miracle worker in Crete who is said to ha!e fallen asleep in a ca!e as a boy, and that he did not
wake up for DI years. (+rigin of 8ip Fan (inkleA
"pimetheus $afterthought
He was considered the dumbest of the Titans. His name means #afterthought#. He was responsible for <andora (the
first woman and the releasing of all e!ils upon mankind.
"pione
(ife of )sclepius, and also a healer.
"rato $passionate
The Muse of lyric poetry and mime, usually depicted holding a lyre.
"rebus
The son of Chaos, and brother of *ight. His name was gi!en to the gloomy ca!ern through which the dead had to
walk to reach Hades.
"rectheus
"ngaged in a war, he was told by an oracle that his city could only be sa!ed if he sacrificed his daughters. He was
reluctant to do so, but was spared the anguish of making the deadly decision when his daughters bra!ely killed
themsel!es. The city was sa!ed.
"recthonius
1on of Hephaestus, born with serpentine legs. He was a kindly king, but the deformity bothered him so much he
in!ented the chariot to mo!e about the kingdom with his legs concealed.
"rigone
0aughter of Icarius. (hen her father was killed (he had gi!en a party where he, a follower of 0ionysus, ga!e the
re!elers 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, o!ercome with grief, killed herself.
"rinnyes $angry one
The "rinnyes ("umenides names are )lecto (the unceasing, Megaera (the grudging, and Tisiphone (the a!enging.
They are solemn maidens dressed as huntresses, wear bands of serpents around their heads, and carry torches. They
pursue wrongdoers and torment them in ways that make the criminals wish they were dead. Crimes that especially
draw their attention are disobedience toward parents, ill$treatment of the elderly, murder, !iolation of the law of
hospitality, and improper conduct toward suppliants. 3orn from the castrated @ranus/s genitals.
"ris $strife
"ris is the goddess of discord and the daughter of 7eus and Hera. 1he is obsessed with bloodshed, ha!oc, and
suffering. 1he calls forth war and her brother )res carries out the action.
"ros $erotic lo!e
There are two !ersions of this god. In early mythology he was represented as one of the prime!al forces of nature, the
son of Chaos (and brother to Gaea, and represented the attraction that brings people together (marriage, friendship,
etc. 1oon, howe!er, he was thought of as a handsome and intense young man, attended by <othos (#longing# or
Himeros (#desire#. 5ater mythology made him the constant attendant of his mother, )phrodite, goddess of lo!e (In
this !ersion he represented lust. In most stories he was the son of )phrodite and )res and was represented as a
winged youth armed with bow and arrows with which he shot darts of desire into the bosoms of gods and men. In
8oman myth, under the name Cupid or )mor, he was the naked infant son and companion of Fenus.
"rysicthon
) king of Thessaly. ) brawler, addicted to the battle$a%e, who went stir$cra.y when there was no war. He occupied
himself by chopping trees instead of enemies. He made the mistake of getting carried away and chopping down trees
in a gro!e sacred to 0emeter. The !engeful goddess called her ser!ant, :amine, and had her enter "rysicthon,
resulting in him being !oraciously hungry at all times. He ate all the food in the castle, in the town, in the surrounding
area, in the kingdom, until there was no more food to be had. He took his daughter and, of course, his a%e and mo!ed
to the ne%t kingdom. (hen his gold ran out and he could buy no more food, he sold his daughter to a rich merchant.
The unlucky daughter prayed to <oseidon for help- he ga!e her the power to transform herself. 1he changed herself
into a bird and, being a dutiful daughter, returned to her father. He was glad to see her because he had spent all the
money again- so he sold her again. 1he changed into a bird and returned. He sold her again- same story o!er and o!er.
That is, until he sold her to a young man, with whom she fell in lo!e. 1he didn/t return. 3efore long the hunger pains
were dri!ing "rysicthon nuts. He started chewing on his knuckles, decided they tasted good, and ate his fingers, then
his hands, then one arm, then the other. 3efore long he had de!oured himself completelyN
"rytheia
+ne of the Hesperides.
"teocles
1on of +edipus and ?ocasta, and brother of <olynices. He and <olynices killed each other (in the war #1e!en )gainst
Thebes# as +edipus had prophesied.
"umaeus
The loyal swineherd who aided +dysseus when he returned and e%acted re!enge on <enelope/s suitors.
"umenides
Means #the kindly ones#. 1ee "rrinnyes abo!e.
"umolpus
;ing "umolpus was a special friend of the goddess 0emeter. 1he taught him !ine$culture and animal husbandry,
which he in turn taught to his sub&ects. In her honor he established the "leusinian Mysteries.
"unomia
+ne of the Horae.
"unostos
Goddess of flour mills.
"uphrosyne
+ne of the Graces. Her name translates as #:esti!ity# or #?oy#.
"uropa $broad face
) beautiful woman who caught the eye of 7eus. He transformed himself into a white bull and carried her off. 1he bore
him three sons, ;ing Minos, ;ing 8hadamanthus and <rince 1arpedon. 1he later married the king of Crete who
adopted her three sons.
"urus
The "ast wind. 1on of "os and the Titan, )risteus.
"uryale
+ne of the Gorgons.
"urybia
) sea goddess- daughter of <ontus and Gaea.
"urycleia
+dysseus/old nurse who recogni.es him when he returns from the Tro&an (ar, when washing his feet she sees the scar
he recei!ed as a young man in a boar hunt.
"urydice $wide &ustice
The wife of +rpheus, whom he failed to rescue from Hades when he looked back at her.
"urylochus
) member of the )rgonauts. He was the only one who didn/t drink from Circe/s enchanted cup, thereby a!oiding being
transformed into a pig. His good fortune ran out when the star!ing crew landed on the island that contained )pollo/s
sacred cattle which +dysseus warned were not to be killed and eaten. He didn/t heed this ad!ice and was the first to
kill and eat one of the cattle, inspiring the rest of the crew to follow suit (e%cept +dysseus. The enraged )pollo
wrecked their ship and drowned each and all, e%cept +dysseus, of course.
"urynome
,. In one account she is the goddess of all creation, and ruled the Titans (with +phion before Cronus.
L. In another she is the daughter of +ceanus and Tethys, and the mother, by 7eus, of the Graces.
"uryphaessa
) titaness- mother of Helios.
"urystheus
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. +ne of the
messengers brought a task that made the irked Heracles blow his stack. In the rage he killed the messenger (beginning
of the #0on/t shoot the messenger# e%pression.
"uterpe $re&oicing well
The Muse of lyric poetry and music.
"uthymusHero bo%er who bested the demon )lybas in a fistfight.
"utychia
Goddess of happiness. "6ui!alent to the 8oman goddess :elicitas.
"!adne
(ife of Capaneus (one of the 1e!en )gainst Thebes. (hen he was killed in that war she burned herself on his pyre.
:ates (The Moirae
The three powerful goddesses who determined the li!es of men. Clotho wo!e the thread of life, 5achesis measured it
out, and )tropos cut it off with her scissors of death.
Gaea
()lso Gaia or Ge Her name is the first syllable of words like geography, geometry, geology, etc.. Gaea is the the earth
goddess. 1he is regarded as all$producing and all$nourishing, and one of the dieties of presiding o!er marriage. 1he
was the mother of Cronus, by @ranus, her son. Gaea was also the mother of the Titans, the Gigantes, and the
Cyclopes. The 8omans called her Tellus.
Galanthis
The bra!e maid$ser!ant of )lcmene, who when her mistress was suffering prolonged birth pangs (on instructions from
Hera, frightened the goddess of childbirth ("ileithia, 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'
,.) sea nymph, lo!ed by the monster <olyphemus (a Cyclop, although she lo!ed )cis, who was thereby killed by
<olyphemus or the other Cyclops (two differing !ersions. Galatea, in berea!ement, threw herself into the sea, where
she &oined her sister nymphs (one !ersion, she wept so copiously she was changed into a fountain (another !ersion,
and she accepted <olyphemus and had by him a son, Galates (another !ersion.
L.The woman who was originally a statue car!ed by <ygmalion and who was brought to life by )phrodite in answer to
his prayers.
B.Mother of 5eucippus, 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. 5eto answered the mother/s prayers e!entually and changed 5eucippus/ se% to male.
Galinthias (Galauthis
)nother !ersion of the Galanthis myth abo!e. ) ser!ant of )lcmene/s. (hen )lcmene was about to gi!e birth to
Heracles, the Moerae (see :ates, sitting in front of )lcmene/s house, pre!ented the birth by sitting with their knees
held together and their hands clasped around their knees- this was a spell that pre!ented birth. Galinthias, learning of
this, ran out shouting that )lcmene had gi!en birth to a child. This so startled the Moerae they started to their feet and
in so doing freed )lcmene/s thighs and her child was born. )ccording to the poet +!id, the Moerae were so angered by
this trick that they turned the subtle, darting Galinthias into a li.ard.
Ganymeda
+riginally the goddess cupbearer to the gods who ser!ed ambrosia and nectar at +lympian feasts. 1he 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
) mortal boy that was abducted by 7eus, gi!en immortality and the &ob of cupbearer to the gods, and became 7eus/
lo!er.
Geras
Goddess of old age, she was the daughter of *y%.
Glauce
1ee Creusa. ^grkgdscd.html_
Glaucus
:i!e of the many'
,. :ought on the side of the Tro&ans in the Tro&an (ar. He was killed in the war by )&a%.
L. 1on of Minos- drowned in a !at of honey- brought back to life by the soothsayer <olyeidus.
B. +ne of the )rgonauts. He lo!ed 1cylla (before she was changed into a monster, and was lo!ed in turn by Circe,
who made him into a sea god.
Y. 1on of 1isyphus and father of 3ellerophon. He fed his herd of horses on a diet of human flesh. "!entually he
became part of their diet- a fitting end to his life.
D. ) fisherman who disco!ered an herb that could heal wounded fish. <oseidon 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 :leece
The fleece of the golden ram, stolen by ?ason and the )rgonauts from the king of Colchis.
Gordius
) 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 e!ent. The oracle priestess told him
that an eagle connotated royalty, and that a son of his would become king. He was so e%cited at the news he proposed
to her then and there- she so belie!ed in her prophecy that she accepted. They e!entually had a son they named Midas.
1ome years later their country was caught up in a ci!il war, and the leaders of the country consulted another oracle
that told them a new king would arri!e by wagon. (hen 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#. (ith his son as king, Gordius didn/t need to farm anymore,
so to occupy himself he spent time constructing9sol!ing pu..les- in the course of this acti!ity he tied a knot with
concealed ends, which neither he nor anyone else could untie. Midas consulted an oracle (oracles were kept really
busyN who told him that whoe!er untied the knot would become #5ord of )sia#. The knot was kept in a guarded place,
and many tried to untie it. Centuries later )le%ander tried- when he couldn/t untie it, he drew his sword and cut it in
two. )le%ander con6uered )sia ()le%ander the Great. This is the famous #Gordian ;not#.
Gorgons $grim ones
They were three monstrous daughters of the sea god <horcys and his wife, Ceto, and could change men to stone at a
glance. The Gorgons, whose faces and figures were truly beautiful, were, e!en so, terrifying, dragonlike creatures,
co!ered with golden scales and ha!ing hissing snakes for hair. Medusa was the famous one. Two of the Gorgons,
1theno (strength and "uryale (wide sea, were immortal- Medusa (ruler alone could be killed. The hero <erseus
killed Medusa and brought back her head, with the help of the deities Hermes and )thena. :rom her blood sprang the
winged horse <egasus, her son by the god <oseidon. Their triplet sisters, the Graeae (see below, guarded the way to
the Gorgon/s home beyond the sea, almost at the end of night.
Graces (Charites
They represented splendor, mirth, and good cheer. Their names were )glaia (1plendor, Thalia (Good Cheer, and
"uphrosyne (Mirth. They were the daughters of 7eus and the nymph, "urynome. They were dancing goddesses- they
represented the grace of manners (for they were always gentle and polite, and the greatest grace, the gift of lo!e itself,
which these goddesses ruled with )phrodite.
Graeae
The three #old women# or #gray ones#. They are the daughters of <horcys (a son of Gaia and <ontus and Ceto (his
sister. The Graeae are the sisters and the guardians of the Gorgons. They were gray$haired from birth and ha!e only
one eye and one tooth, which they share among them. They are "nyo (#horror#, 0eino (#dread# and <emphredo
(#alarm#.
Gyges
The shepherd who found a magic ring that made him in!isible when he wore it. He immediately recogni.ed its !alue
and set off for the royal palace. (hen there he put the ring on his finger, became in!isible, and was able to pass all the
guards and enter the throne room. He killed the king, proclaimed himself king, and married the 6ueen.
Hades (<luto $sightless
He was one of the +lympian gods. He was the son of the Titans, Cronus and 8hea, and the brother of 7eus and
<oseidon. (hen he and his brothers drew lots to di!ide the world after they had deposed of their father, Cronus, 7eus
won command of the hea!ens, <oseidon of the sea, and Hades of the underworld. He became known as <luto, the god
of wealth, because of the precious metals in the "arth.It was rare for <luto to lea!e his realm to !isit the "arth or
+lympus. (His most famous !isit to "arth was the time he saw <ersephone and carried her off to be his wife.
)ppropriately the planet named for <luto is the one farthest from the sun. )lthough he was a grim and pitiless god,
unappeased by either prayer or sacrifice, he was not e!il. )s <luto he was called the lord of riches, because both crops
and precious metals were belie!ed to come from his kingdom below ground.
The name was also used for the underworld itself. This world of the dead was ruled by <luto and <ersephone. Guarded
by Cerberus, the three$headed, dragon$tailed dog, it was either underground or in the far west and was separated from
the land of the li!ing by fi!e ri!ers. +ne of these was the 1ty%, across which the dead were ferried. 1omewhere in the
darkness of the underworld, Hades/ palace was located. It was represented as a many$gated, dark and gloomy palace,
thronged with guests, and set in the midst of shadowy fields and an apparition$haunted landscape. Three &udges in the
"rebus region, where the dead pass as soon as they die, decided the fate of souls- heroes went to the "lysian fields
("lysium, and e!ildoers to Tartarus, lowest region of Hades, where the wicked were punished.
The fi!e ri!ers of Hades were' <hlegethon, )cheron, 1ty%, 5ethe, and Cocytus.
Haemon
1on of Creon and lo!er of )ntigone. (hen )ntigone defied Creon/s orders and buried her brother <olynices, she was
condemned to death by him. Most myths state she was buried ali!e and Haemon committed suicide in grief- others say
he successfully rescued her and they escaped to another country where they were wed.
Hagno
+ne of the three nymphs that nursed 7eus as an infant.
Halia
<ersonification of the saltiness of the sea.
Halirrhothius
1on of poseidon. He raped a daughter of )res and was killed by the angry father. <oseidon complained to the other
gods and they formed a tribunal to &udge )res in what is deemed the first murder trial. <oseidon presented his
e!idence against )res (listing all his nefarious deeds against women and )res defended himself by claiming a father/s
right to kill his daughter/s ra!isher. (hen it came time for the &ury of gods (the +lympians to !ote, all the women
(incensed at rapists !oted in fa!or of )res and, since <oseidon and )res couldn/t !ote, the outnumbered men lost. )res
was ac6uitted.
Halsodyne
) sea goddess.
Harmonia$concordance
1he was the daughter of )res and )phrodite, or the daughter of 7eus and "lectra depending on which !ersion of the
old legends you belie!e. 1he was carried off by Cadmus and married him. )t Harmonia/s wedding, which was attended
by the gods, )phrodite ga!e her a beautiful necklace made by Hephaestus, god of metalwork. )lthough the gift
brought her good fortune, it brought only death and misery to her family. "!entually both Cadmus and Harmonia were
transformed into snakes.
Harpalyce
) huntress princess. 1he was so hooked on hunting that when game was scarce she hunted anything that mo!ed,
tra!elers, shepherds, !illagers, etc. :inally the people of her kingdom banded together, trapped her in a net, and beat
her to death with sticks.
Harpies$snatchers
<redatory monsters with the head of a woman and the body, wings, and claws of a bird.
Harpocrates
The Greek counterpart of the "gyptian Harpa$;hruti (Horus the child. He was depicted as a naked boy sucking on his
finger, and was considered the god of silence and secrecy.
Hebe$youth
1he was the daughter of 7eus and Hera, and the goddess of youth. 1he was cup$bearer, along with Ganymede to the
ma&or gods (they alone were allowed to pour the nectar of the gods on +lympus,. 1he also, as part of her duties,
prepared )res/ bath and helped Hera to her Chariot. 1he is also mentioned as being one of the Horae, and had the
power of restoring youth and !igor to gods and men. 1he was the wife of Heracles (after he became a god. The
8omans called her ?u!entas, which means #youth#.
Hecate
Hecate brings good luck to sailors and hunters or can withhold these blessings if undeser!ed, so fear became a
moti!ating factor in her worship. (hen <ersephone was found with Hades, Hecate remained with her as attendant and
companion and as a result has a share in the ruling o!er the souls in the underworld. 3ecause of her unearthly aspect
she is regarded as a kind of 6ueen of witches. 1he is the goddess of darkness, and the daughter of the Titans <erses and
)steria. Hecate represented the darkness and the terrors of the night. +n moonless nights she was belie!ed to roam the
earth with a pack of ghostly, howling dogs. 1he was the goddess of sorcery and witchcraft and was especially
worshiped by magicians and witches, who sacrificed black lambs and black dogs to her. )s goddess of the crossroads,
Hecate and her pack of dogs were belie!ed to haunt these remote spots, which seemed e!il and ghostly places to
tra!elers. In art Hecate is often represented with either three bodies (since she combined the attributes of 1elene,
)rtemis, and <ersephone or three heads, and with serpents entwined about her neck.
Hector
) Tro&an prince, the eldest son of <riam and Hecuba, he was killed by )chilles in the Tro&an (ar, and his dead body
tied to )chilles/ chariot, was dragged around the walls of Troy three times.
Hecuba
The second wife of <riam and mother of Hector, <aris, and Cassandra, among her nineteen children. (hen Troy fell
she was taken by @lysses.
Hegemone$mastery
Goddess of plants- responsible for their fruition.
Helen moon$basket
The most beautiful of women. 1he was the daughter of 7eus and 5eda, sister of Clytemnestra and of Castor and
<ollu%. 1he married Menelaus. (hen <aris awarded the apple of discord to )phrodite, the goddess ga!e him Helen.
He carried her off to Troy, starting the Tro&an (ar. )fter the war she returned to 1parta with Menelaus, by whom she
bore Hermione.
Helena
Moon goddess and healer.
Helia
) sun goddess, daughter of Helios and sister of <haeton.
Helios$sun
He was the sun god, son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia and father of <ha]thon. "ach morning he left a palace in
the east and crossed the sky in a golden chariot, then returned along the ri!er +ceanus, which girded the earth.
Helle
) sea deity- daughter of )thamas and *ephele.
Hellen
1on of 0eucalion and <yrrha, the first child born after the flood that killed all but his parents. Most Greeks called
themsel!es #Hellenes# as they considered him the father of their tribe.
Hemera$sun
8epresentation of day- she was the daughter of *y% and "rebus.
Hephaestus
God of fire and metalwork, the son of the god 7eus and the goddess Hera, or sometimes the son of Hera alone. In
contrast to the other gods, Hephaestus was lame and awkward. 1hortly after his birth, he was cast out of hea!en, either
by Hera, who was repelled by his deformity, or by 7eus, because Hephaestus had sided with Hera against him. In most
legends, howe!er, he was soon honored again on +lympus and was married to )phrodite, goddess of lo!e, or to
)glaia, one of the three Graces. )s the artisan among the gods, Hephaestus made their armor, weapons, and &ewelry.
His workshop was belie!ed to lie under Mount "tna, a !olcano in 1icily. He worked at huge furnaces, aided by
Cyclopes. +riginally he was a Middle "astern fire god. Hephaestus is often identified with the 8oman god of fire,
Fulcan.
Hera$protectress
1he was sister, and wife, of 7eus. Hera is the supreme goddess of the Greeks and goddess of marriage and childbirth.
Her children are )res, Hebe, Hephaestus and "ris. 1acred to her are the peacock, pomegranate, lily and cuckoo. 1he
was e%tremely &ealous and !indicti!e, and !isited dire conse6uences upon those mortal women with whom 7eus
carried on affairs.
Heracles
The most popular Greek hero, he was famous for strength and courage. The son of )lcmene and 7eus, he was hated by
Hera, who sent serpents to his cradle to strangle him, but he strangled them. 5ater Hera dro!e Heracles mad, and he
killed his wife and children. He sought redemption from ;ing "urystheus, who set him ,L mighty labors'
,. ;ill the *emean lion$ Heracles strangled the animal and wore the lion/s skin.
L. ;ill the Hydra$a terrible serpent with nine heads.
B. 0ri!e off the 1tymphalian birds.
Y. Clean the )ugean stables, which had not been cleaned for BC years. He turned two ri!ers, the )lpheus and the
<eneus, through the stables, finishing the work in a single day.
D. Capture the Cerynean hind, with the golden horns.
J. Capture the Cretan bull.
I. Capture the flesh$eating wild mares of 0iomedes, king of Thrace. Hercules killed 0iomedes and fed him to the
horses.
K. Capture the wild "rymanthian boar.
Z. Capture the cattle of the monster Geryon, which dwelt on the fabled island "rytheia.
,C. Capture Cerberus, the many$headed dog who guarded the gates of the underworld. He brought Cerberus to
"urystheus, but the king was so terrified that Heracles had to return to Hades to take the monster back.
,,. <rocure the girdle of Hippolyta, 6ueen of the )ma.ons. He defeated the )ma.ons, killed the 6ueen, and took the
belt.
,L. <rocure the golden apples of the Hesperides guarded by the four sister nymphs called the Hesperides. Their father
was )tlas, who supported the hea!ens on his back. To obtain the apples Heracles took )tlas/s place while )tlas took
the apples.
5ater, the centaur *essus tried to carry off Heracles/ wife, 0eianeira. Heracles shot *essus with a poisoned arrow. The
dying centaur had 0eianeira keep some of his blood as a lo!e charm. (hen Heracles fell in lo!e with another maiden,
0eianeira sent him a robe steeped in the blood. Heracles put it on, and poison spread through his body like fire. He led
to Mount +eta, built a funeral fire, and threw himself on it to die. )t his death he rose to +lympus, where he was
reconciled with Hera and married Hebe. He is more familiarly known by his 8oman name Hercules.
Hermaphroditus
This was a creature that was partly male and partly female. +ne legend has him being a handsome male, the son of
Hermes and )phrodite. 1upposedly a nymph (1almacis fell in lo!e with him and beseeched the gods to be fore!er
united with him. They answered her prayers by fusing the two together thereby creating a being that was half male and
half female.
Hermes$pillar
He was the cle!erest of the +lympian gods, and messenger to all the other gods. He ruled o!er wealth, good fortune,
commerce, fertility, and thie!ery. He brought the souls of the dead to the underworld, and was honored as the god of
sleep.
Hermione
0aughter of Helen and Menelaus, concei!ed9born after the Tro&an war when Helen was at last reunited with Menelaus.
1he was affianced to +restes but Helen ga!e her in marriage to *eoptolemus ()chilles/ son instead. 1upposedly one
of the reasons that +restes murdered Helen.
Hero and 5eander
Hero was a priestess of )phrodite belo!ed by 5eander, who drowned during one of his nightly swims across the
Hellespont to be with her.
Herse
Goddess of the dew.
Hesperia$e!ening
The land of the e!ening star, where the golden apples of Hera were guarded by the dragon 5adon and by the se!en
immortal maidens, the Hesperides.
Hesperides
1ee Hesperia.
Hesperos
The goddess of e!ening and wife of )tlas.
Hestia$hearth
1he was the !irgin goddess of the hearth, family, and peace, and the in!entor of domestic architecture. 1he was the
daughter of Cronus and 8hea and 7eus/s sister. +f all the +lympians, she is the mildest, most upright and most
charitable.
Hilaeira
Goddess of brightness.
Himalia
Goddess in!oked to bless the har!est.
Himerus
God of se%ual desire.
Hippasus$horseman
Hippe
0aughter of the centaur Chiron. 1he consorted with )eolus and bore him a daughter, Melanippe. )fraid of what the
centaurs would do to her if they found out she had been with mortal man, she prayed to )rtemis for help. The goddess
placed her in the hea!ens as the constellation of the Horse.
Hippodameia
0aughter of +enomaus, king of <isa. +enomaus challenged each of her suitors to a chariot race- winner gets the girl,
loser loses his head. Thirteen suitors were decapitated before one who took her fancy appeared (<elops. 1he bribed the
stableman to saw half$way through the a%le on her father/s chariot. Her father/s chariot crashed during the race (a
wheel fell off and <elops 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 )treus.
Hippodamia (3riseis
)chilles/ mistress at Troy.
Hippolytus
) son of Theseus. (hen he repulsed the ad!ances of his step$mother, <haedra, she accused him of attempting to
seduce her. Theseus asked <oseidon for ad!ice, and the god sent a huge sea$monster against Hippolytus, which so
frightened his horses that they dragged him to his death. He was restored to life by )esculapius.
Hippomenes
The Greek who defeated )talanta in the race in which he used the golden apples gi!en to him by Fenus, and thereby
won )talanta/s hand in marriage.
Historis well$informed
Horae
The Horae are the goddesses of the seasons and the orderly procession of things in general. They are also the collecti!e
personfication of &ustice. Hesoid, who saw them as gi!ers of the law, &ustice and peace ga!e them the names "unomia
(0iscipline, 0ice (?ustice and "irene (<eace. )t )thens two of the Horae, were called Thallo and Carpo, and to the
)thenians, represented the budding and maturity of growing things. )s a result, Thallo became the protectress of
youth.
Hosia
Goddess of holy rituals.
Hubris
God personifying lack of restraint.
Hyacinthus$hyacinth
) handsome 1partan youth lo!ed both by )pollo, god of the sun, and by 7ephyrus, god of the west wind. +ne day, as
)pollo was teaching the young man to throw the discus, the god accidentally killed Hyacinthus. :rom the blood of the
youth, )pollo caused a flower to spring up, each petal inscribed with an e%clamation of lamentation (what looks like
)I, which means woe in Greek. )ccording to another legend, 7ephyrus was &ealous of the youth/s lo!e for )pollo and
blew upon the discus, causing it to strike Hyacinthus.
TheHyades rain$makers
The name gi!en to fi!e (in some accounts, se!en sisters who nursed the infant wine god, 0ionysus. )s a reward they
were changed into the fi!e (se!en stars at the head of the constellation Taurus, the bull.
Hybris$shamelessness
Hydra$water creature. In Greek mythology, a many$headed water serpent. (hen 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$health
Goddess of health, and the daughter of )esculapius. Her symbol was a serpent drinking from a cup in her hand.
Hymen
1on of )phrodite and 0ionysus. The god of marriage. He was represented as a young man carrying a torch and !eil, a
mature !ersion of "ros.
The Hyperboreans beyond$the$*orth$(ind$men
) race of men who li!ed on the northern shores of the limitless ri!er +cean that ran around the earth. This fortunate
race ne!er knew care, toil, illness or old age.
Hyperion$dweller on high
The Titan god of light, he was the father of the sun, the moon, and the dawn.
Hypnos
)lso known as 1omnus, Hypnos was the god of rest and9or 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 <hantasus, who brought dreams of things. :rom his names we get the words hypnoti.e and
somnambulism.
Hypsipyle
Hueen of the island of 5emnos. The men of the kingdom found the women of Thrace more attracti!e than their wi!es
and would periodically raid Thrace and bring home some of these women for lo!ers. :inally the wi!es had enough and
killed e!ery man on the island. They li!ed monastically for a number of years, and then the )rgonauts landed there on
their tra!els. "!ery women of 5emnos had a child by an )rgonaut, including ?ason who teamed up with Hypsiple. 1he
bore twins after the )rgonauts had departed and ?ason ne!er got to see them.
Iambe
The ser!ant (daughter of <an and "cho who cheered 0emeter during her search for <ersephone by &oking and
dancing.
Ianthe
) Cretan girl who married Iphis. Iphis was transformed from a girl into a young man for this purpose.
Iapetus$hurrier
1on of @ranus and Gaea. The Titan that fathered <rometheus, Menoetius, "pimetheus, and )tlas, and considered by
the Greeks, the father of the human race.
Iaso
Goddess of medicine. 0aughter of )esclepius and "pione, and sister of )egle and <anacea.
Icarius
He was taught the culti!ation of the grape !ine by 0ionysus, and when he introduced wine to some peasants, was
killed by them because they thought he had poisoned them when they became drunk. The peasants buried him under a
tree, and when "rigone, his daughter, and Moera, his dog, found the body she hanged herself in grief. Icarius became
the constellation 3oWtes- "rigone became the constellation Firgo- and Moera became the star <rocyon (or the dog$star,
1irius.
Icarus
The son of 0aedalus. He and his father fastened wings to their bodies and flew o!er the sea. (hen Icarus flew higher,
the sun melted the wa% fastenings and he fell to his death in the waters below.
Idas and 5yncaeus
Twins that ri!aled Castor and <olydeuces in fame. Idas was a master spearman and 5yncaeus had eyes keener than an
eagles. They tra!eled with ?ason as part of his crew. Idas fell in lo!e with Marpessa, daughter of ;ing "!enus, who
had decreed that all suitors for her hand must engage him in a chariot race. (in and you get his daughter, lose and
you lose your head. Idas prayed to <oseidon (who might ha!e been Idas/ father for help and recei!ed from the god a
chariot drawn by winged horses. *o contest- Idas won easily, won the girl too, and got married. ) complication arose'
)pollo saw Marpessa, thought she/d be a good con6uest, and abducted her. Idas 6uickly chased after them in his
winged$horse chariot, caught up with them, challenged )pollo to a duel. )fter an e%change of arrows, 7eus interfered,
saying that Marpessa should chose which one she wanted to accompany. Marpessa chose Idas.
Idomeneus
) king of Crete who fought with the Greeks at Troy. )fter the war he made a !ow to the gods to sacrifice whate!er he
first encountered if they would grant him safe passage home. He met his own son, and true to his !ow, sacrificed his
son to the gods. The gods, howe!er, sent a plague to his kingdom, and he was banished by his people and branded a
murderer.
Ilithyia
Goddess of childbirth. )lso spelled "ileithyia, "ilethyia, "leuto, etc.
In!idia
<ersonification of en!y. 0aughter of <allas and 1ty%.
Iny%
) nymph who caught the eye of 7eus, but was changed into a bird by Hera before 7eus could ha!e his way with her.
Io
1he was a princess of )rgos, who was turned into a heifer by 7eus to protect her from Hera/s &ealousy. Hera claimed
the heifer and had the many$eyed monster )rgus guard it. (hen Hermes killed )rgus, Hera dro!e Io to "gypt. There
7eus returned her to human form. Io has been identified with the "gyptian goddess Isis.
Iole
<ersonification of the dawn.
Iphigenia
The daughter of )gamemnon and Clytemnestra. )gamemnon, ha!ing offended the goddess )rtemis, !owed 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 fa!orable winds for the fleet until he made good on his !ow to )rtemis. (hile the sacrificial rite was in progress,
)rtemis snatched the girl from the altar and carried her to hea!en.
Iphimedeia
Mother of giant twins, +tus and "phialtes by <oseidon. <oseidon was the father without #participating#, as she became
pregnant by sprinkling sea water o!er her genitals.
Iphis
1ee Ianthe. ()bo!e
Iris$rainbow
Iris was the personification of the rainbow. 1he was also the messenger of the gods.
Irus
The gigantic beggar who ran errands for the suitors of <enelope (@lysses/ wife, and who tried to stop @lysses/ trip
home. He was killed by a single blow.
Ismene
0aughter of +edipus and ?ocasta. 1he asked to share her sister/s ()ntigone fate.
I%ion$rainbow
;ing of the 5apithes. He murdered his bride/s father to a!oid paying him the bride price. (hen no one on earth would
purify him, 7eus took I%ion to +lympus and purified him. I%ion attempted to seduce Hera, but 7eus created a phantom
of her and by it I%ion fathered the centaurs. In punishment he was chained for eternity to a fiery wheel in Tartarus.
?ason
The husband of Medea and leader of the )rgonauts who went in 6uest of the Golden :leece.
?ocasta
(ife of 5aius, king of Thebes. Mother and wife of +edipus
;akia
Goddess of !ice. 1he attempted to seduce Heracles with promises of ease and wealth.
;er
Goddess of !iolent death. 0aughter of *y%. 1he is pictured as a black bird ho!ering o!er a corpse.
;lotes
Goddess of spinning.
;olias
Goddess of foothills.
;omodia
Goddess of happiness and amusement.
;ore (Core
Her name means #maiden#. 1he is a goddess of springtime.
;oros
Goddess of e%tra!agant &oy.
;ratesis
) goddess of !ictory.
5achesis
+ne of the :ates. The one who measures the thread of life.
5actura
) corn goddess.
5aertes
:oster$father of +dysseus. His wife )nticlea had been seduced by )utolycus (son of Hermes and gotten pregnant with
+dysseus, but 5aertes forga!e her and brought up +dysseus as he would ha!e a son of his own.
5amia$lecherous
) monster serpent with the head and breasts of a woman. It preyed on human beings and sucked the blood of children.
5ampetia
0aughter of the sun. 1ister to <hathusa. They guarded the sacred cattle of the sun- the myth' +dysseus 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 +dysseus was sa!ed.
5ampus$torch
5aocoWn
) Tro&an priest of )pollo who was killed along with his two sons by two sea serpents for ha!ing warned his people of
the Tro&an horse.
5aodamia
(ife of <rotesilaus, the first Greek slain (by Hector when the Greek fleet reached Troy in the Tro&an (ar. (hen the
news of her husband/s death reached 5aodamia, she prayed to the gods to let her see him once again. Her pleas were
answered, and Hermes brought her husband back from the underworld for a B$hour !isit. (hen it came time for him
to return, howe!er, 5aodamia could not bear to gi!e him up. 1he killed herself and returned with her husband to the
underworld.
5arissa
To sa!e herself from rape by her father, she sho!ed him away so hard he fell into a wine barrel and drowned.
5eda$lady
(ife of Tyndareus, king of 1parta. In some myths 5eda was seduced by 7eus, who appeared as a swan. 1he bore two
eggs' from one issued Castor and Clytemnestra, from the other <ollu% and Helen of Troy. )nother !ersion has 7eus
pursuing *emesis who changes into a goose- whereupon he changes into a swan and couples with her. 1he then laid
an egg (or two, the stories !ary which she ga!e to 5eda to protect, and from which the abo!e four are born.
5eiriope
Mother of *arcissus by Cephissus, a ri!er god.
5ethe
0aughter of "ris. 1he is the goddess of obli!ion.
5eto
5eto is the mother of )pollo and )rtemis and is mostly worshipped in con&unction with her children. 1he was a
Titaness and considered the goddess of fruitfulness.
5eucippe
1he insulted 0ionysus and was stricken mad- while in this state she ripped her sons to pieces.
5eucothea
) sea goddess who protects her worshippers from being shipwrecked.
5ina
Goddess of wea!ing, especially of fla%.
5ipse
) wind goddess.
5otis
) nymph, who when pursued by <riapus intent on rape, prayed to be sa!ed. 1he was transformed into the first lotus
tree.
5yco
) seer. 1ister to Carya and +rphe. 5yco and +rphe were changed into rocks- Carya was changed into a walnut tree.
5ycos (5ycaon$wolf
:ather of Callisto. He was changed into a wolf by the gods for ha!ing dared ser!e human flesh to them at a ban6uet.
5ynceus
+ne of ?ason/s )rgonauts, of whom it was said that he could see through the earth, and distinguish ob&ects that were
miles away.
5yssa
)n underworld goddess.
Machaon
+ne of the sons of )sclepius- the other was <odilarius. They inherited their father/s skill at healing. Machaon became
a master surgeon who performed heroically at Troy, sa!ing many li!es. He was killed by the )ma.on <enthesilea,
whose arrow was said to ha!e killed a thousand and one men, Machaon and the thousand wounded men he would
ha!e sa!ed.
Macris
+ne of the nurses of 0ionysus.
Maia
0aughter of the Titan )tlas- Mother of Hermes by 7eus. +ne of the <leiades.
Malophoros
*ame means either #apple$bearer# or #sheep$bearer#. )lternate name for 0emeter as goddess of the underworld.
Marpessa
1he chose a mortal (Idas o!er )pollo as a husband.
Marsyas
In some tales he is identified as a <hrygian, in others as one of the Greek satyrs. He found the flute that )thena, the
goddess of wisdom, had in!ented and later discarded because playing on it puffed out her cheeks and distorted her
features. Marsyas became so accomplished a musician that he challenged )pollo, god of music, to a contest, the
winner of which would ha!e the right to punish the loser. The Muses awarded the !ictory to )pollo, who played the
lyre. The god thereupon flayed Marsyas, from whose blood the ri!er Marsyas sprang.
Medea
) princess and sorceress. 1he fell in lo!e with ?ason and helped him obtain the Golden :leece. 1he married ?ason and
bore him two children. 4ears later, when ?ason wished to marry Creusa, the !engeful Medea sent her an enchanted
gown, which burned Creusa to death. Then Medea killed the children that she bore by ?ason.
Medusa$cunning
+ne of the three Gorgons, who were three monstrous daughters of the sea god <horcys and his wife, Ceto. Her e6ually
hideous sisters were 1theno and "uryale. Medusa was the only mortal one (1he was killed by <erseus, who brought
back her head, with the help of the deities Hermes and )thena. :rom her blood sprang the winged horse <egasus, her
son by the god <oseidon.. The Gorgons were terrifying, dragonlike creatures, co!ered with golden scales and ha!ing
snakes for hair. They turned all who looked at them to stone.
Megaera
:irst wife of Heracles. 1he bore him three sons, before Hera dro!e him mad by warping his !ision so that he mistook
Megaera and his sons for a raiding party of enemies and killed them all. :or his punishment, 7eus sentenced him to
ser!e "urystheus for any ten (which became twel!e labors that "urystheus could de!ise.
Meiboia
The bee goddess.
Meilichia
)n underworld goddess.
Melampus
1eer9Healer. He raised a group of baby snakes whose parents had been killed. They taught him the language of the
animals, and from listening to the animals he learned to read the future, learned the medicinal !alue of !arious herbs,
and learned how to cure many diseases.
Melanius$black
) skilled archer, and thus called a son of )pollo. Married to +echalia.
Meleager
1on of +eneus and )lthea (king and 6ueen of Calydon. Meleager led the hunt for a boar that the goddess )rtemis
sent to de!astate Calydon. The hero finally killed the animal, but ga!e the head and skin to the huntress )talanta, who
had been the first to wound the beast and with whom Meleager was in lo!e. (hen his maternal uncles, angered at this
award, took the trophies from )talanta, Meleager killed them.
Melinoe
)n underworld goddess. 0aughter of 7eus and <ersephone.
Melissa
) nurse of the infant 7eus when he was being hidden from Cronus- she fed him honey as well as milk from the goat
)malthea, and he de!eloped such a liking for honey that, when he ruled +lympus, 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 7eus, and changed her into an earthworm. 7eus, in turn, changed the worm into a 6ueen bee.
Melissa means honey, in Greek.
Melobosis
Goddess of beneficence.
Melpomene
+ne of the Muses. 1he was the muse of Tragedy.
Memnon
;ing of "thiopia, the son of the Tro&an prince Tithonus and of "os, goddess of the dawn. In the tenth year of the
Tro&an (ar, Memnon brought his army to the assistance of Troy. He fought bra!ely but was e!entually killed by the
Greek hero )chilles. To comfort Memnon/s mother, howe!er, the god 7eus made him immortal.
Menalippe
1atyr daughter of Cheiron. 1he was raped by )eolus, and her father decided that such brutality warranted her lea!ing
the world of men, so he changed her so that she lost her human half and became wholly horse.
Menelaus$might of the people
;ing of 1parta, husband of Helen, and brother of )gamemnon. (hen <aris abducted Helen to Troy, Menelaus asked
the Greek kings to &oin him in the Tro&an (ar. )t its end he returned to 1parta with Helen.
Mentor
+dysseus/s (@lysses trusted counselor. He was placed in charge of raising Telemachus when +dysseus went off to the
Tro&an (ar. He did an e%ceptional &ob as Telemachus grew up to be an almost perfect son. He is often credited with
thinking up the ploy <enelope used to thwart marriage to one of the suitors (the unra!eling of the tapestry each night.
Merope
+ne of the <leiades. 1he married 1isyphus, a mortal, and bore him a son, Glaucus, who was torn to pieces by his
horses because he would not allow them to breed.
Metis
The Titaness mother of )thena. The daughter of +ceanos and Tethys and 7eus/s first wife, whom he de!oured when
she became pregnant ()thena was born from his skull, clad in armor and carrying a spear. 1he represented counsel.
Metra
1ee "rysicthon.
Mida
Goddess of oaths.
Midas
Midas was king of <hrygia. 3ecause he befriended 1ilenus, 0ionysus granted him the power to turn e!erything he
touched into gold. (hen e!en his food became gold, he washed away his power in the <actolus 8i!er.
Minos
) king of Crete, the son of 7eus and "uropa, who was made one of the three &udges in the underworld after his death.
Mnemosyne$memory
1he was the Titan goddess of memory. 7eus spent nine consecuti!e nights with her, after which, later, she ga!e birth to
the nine Muses, one each day.
Moirae
1ee the :ates.
Molpadia
) goddess of childbirth.
Momus
The Greek god of censure and mockery, son of *o% (*ight. He was dri!en from +lympus for ridiculing the other
gods. He e!en found fault with )phrodite for the noise made by her feet, although he could find no fault with her body.
Mormo
Ghost deity used to frighten children into beha!ing.
Moros
The son of "rebus and *y%. 3rother of Thanatos. Moros was the god of doom.
Morpheus
The god of dreams and the son of 1omnus (god of sleep. Morpheus formed the dreams that came to those asleep.
Moira (:ate
1upreme e!en o!er the gods of +lympus.
Mount +lympus
(here the gods li!ed and held court. (In some myths it is located at the center of the earth, in others it is in the
hea!ens, and in some it is belie!ed to be in Greece.
The Muses$mountain goddesses
The nine goddesses' Clio(history,Calliope(epic poetry, "rato(lo!e poetry, "uterpe(lyric poetry,
Melpomene(tragedy, <olyhymnia(song, rhetoric, and geometry, Thalia(comedy, Terpsichore(dancing, and
@rania(astronomy and astrology.
Myrmidons
) people of )egina. (hen the city was depopulated by a plague, )eacus, its king, prayed to the gods that the ants
infesting an oak tree be turned into people to repopulate his kingdom. The prayer was granted. These men followed
)chilles to the siege of Troy, and pro!ed to be fierce and diligent warriors.
Myrrha
The mother of )donis.
Mystis
Teacher of 0ionysus.
*aiads (*aiades
:resh$water nymphs who li!ed in and presided o!er brooks, springs, and fountains- or lakes, ri!ers, and streams.
Classified according to the type of water they inhabit' Crinaea (fountains, "leionomae (marshes, 5imnatides (lakes,
<egaeae (springs, <otameides (ri!ers. 1ome indi!iduals were' )barbarea, )igle, 3ateia, Cleochareia, "chenais,
Harmonia, Melite, and <oly%o
*apaea, The
:orest nymphs that accompanied )rtemis.
*arcissus$narcotic
)n e%ceptionally handsome youth. His mother was told he would li!e a long life if he did not look upon his own
features. He chanced to see his reflection in the waters of a spring, fell in lo!e with that reflection and pined away till
he died by the side of the spring. In another !ersion, he thought the reflection was that of the nymph who dwelt there,
and &umped in to catch her, and drowned. The narcissus flower supposedly grew at that spot.
*ausicaa
The Greek heroine who brought the ship$wrecked +dysseus to her father, the king of the <haeacians.
*ausithoe
+ne of the *ereides.
*eaera
There were three'
,. ) nymph, mother of 5ampetia and <haethusa by Helios.
L. (ife of a ri!er god and mother of "uadne.
B. *ymph mother of )igle by 7eus.
*eda
*ymph nurse to the infant 7eus.
*emea
Goddess of the *emean Games (one of the four great national festi!als- the other three being' +lympian Games,
<ythian Games, Isthmian Games. 1he was the daughter of 7eus and 1elene.
*emesis$di!ine !engeance
*emesis is the personification of di!ine !engeance. Happiness and unhappiness are measured out by her, determining
that happiness was not too fre6uent or e%cessi!e. If so, she brings about losses and suffering. 1he is one of the
assistants of 7eus, and is the daughter of *o% (*ight.
*ereids
The sea (salt$water nymphs- the DC daughters of *ereus and /grey$eyed/ 0oris. The best known are' )mphitrite,
Thetis, <anope, and Galatea. +thers include' )ga!e, )rethusa, Cale, Cranto, Cymo, 0ero, 0oto, 0rimo, "uarne,
"udia, Galene, Glauke, Halia, Helice, Ione, 5ilaea, Memphis, *eso, +pis, <loto, <roto, 1ao, 1peio, and Themisto.
*ereus
The father of the *ereids, usually depicted as a !ery old man.
*icothoe
+ne of the Harpies.
*ike
The winged goddess of !ictory. 1he was the daughter of <allas and 1ty%.
*ikta
) goddess of the night.
*iobe$snowy
Her husband, ;ing )mphion, was a son of the god 7eus and a great musician. *iobe bore him si% handsome sons and
si% beautiful daughters. )lthough she was happy, *iobe e%hibited the same arrogance toward the gods that her father,
)treus, had shown. (1ee story below. *iobe commanded the people of Thebes to worship her instead of the goddess
5eto, who had only two children. The gods heard her words and resol!ed to punish her. 5eto/s children, )pollo and
)rtemis fired their arrows with deadly aim, killing all of *iobe/s children. The grief$stricken *iobe was turned into a
stone that was fore!er wet with her tears.
()T8"@1' king of Mycenae. )treus/s brother Thyestes, a ri!al for the throne, seduced )erope, wife of )treus and
mother of )gamemnon and Menelaus. In re!enge, )treus murdered two of Thyestes/ sons and ser!ed them boiled in a
cauldron to their father at a ban6uet. (hen Thyestes had eaten the disgusting meal, )treus ordered a dish holding the
bloody heads of the children brought in. Thyestes laid a curse on his brother. The oracle at 0elphi then ad!ised
Thyestes to ra!ish his own daughter, <elopia. :rom the incestuous union was born )egisthus. )treus later married
<elopia, daughter of Thyestes, not knowing her true identity. Her son )egisthus killed )treus at the command of his
true father Thyestes
*issa
) nymph, sometimes cited as the mother of the sun.
*otus (*otos
God of the 1outh (ind. 1on of "os and )straeos.
*ymphs
QClassified as' 0ryads (trees, Hamadryads (trees, *aiads (fresh$water, *ereids (salt$water, Haliae (water,
+ceanides (water, 5imoniades (plants9flowers and +reads (mountainsT They were all in beauteous female form.
They were not immortal but their life span was se!eral thousand years.
*yseides, The
The nymphs who nursed 0ionysus. They include' 3rome, Cisseis, "rato, "ripha, *ysa, and <olyhymno.
*y% (*o%
1he was the goddess of night. 1he was the daughter of Chaos and the mother of 0eath and 1leep. 1he was one of the
most feared of the gods.
+ceanides, The
Collecti!e name for the water nymphs who were the daughters of Tethys and +ceanus. 1ome (there were thousandsN
were' )caste, )ethra, )mphiro, )sterope, 3eroe, Caliadne, Calypso, Clymene, Clytia, 0ione, 0oris, "lectra, "udora,
"uropa, "urynome, Hippo, 5eucippe, Melia, Merope, Metis, <asithoe, <erse, <leione, <olydora, 8hodope, Telesto,
Theia, Tyche, @rania, 7eu%ippe, and 7eu%o.
+ceanus$of the swift 6ueen
+ne 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. )s a sea god he is depicted as an old man with a long beard and with bull/s horns. (ith his wife,
Tethys, he produced the ri!ers and three thousand ocean nymphs.
+cypete
Goddess of storm winds who later became one of the Harpies.
+cyrrho]
Three of them'
,. Mother of <hasis by Helios.
L. 0aughter, of Cheiron and Chariclo, who spoke prophecies.
B. *ymph mother of Caicus by Hermes.
+dysseus$angry
(Called by the 8omans $ @lysses. ;ing of Ithaca and husband of <enelope. ) Greek leader in the Tro&an (ar, Homer
depicted him as wise and cunning. In later legends he is wily, lying, and e!il.
1ee The +dyssey under #"pics# on Home page.
+dyne
Goddess of pain.
+eno$of wine
+ne of a triad called The +enotropae, who could change water into wine. The other two were "lais and 1permo.
+enone$6ueen of wine
1he was the wife of <aris who &ilted her for Helen of Troy. (hen he was wounded in the Tro&an (ar she was the only
one who could cure him, but because she was bitter about being &ilted, she refused. (hen his condition worsened and
he was near death, she relented but did not get to Troy in time to sa!e him. +!ercome with grief at his death, she
committed suicide.
The +lympians
The gods who supplanted the Titans. They were' 7eus, Hera, <oseidon, )pollo, )rtemis, )phrodite, )thena, Hestia,
)res, Hephaestus, Hermes, and Hades.
+mphale$na!el
Hueen of 5ydia. 1he was !ery masculine, and when Heracles (Hercules was her sla!e for three years, she wore the
lion/s skin while he wore a female garment and spent his time spinning wool.
+ncaea
*ymph from 5esbos who birthed )rion by <oseidon.
+neroi
Collecti!e name for the sons of Hypnos. They were Icelus (dreams of humans, Morpheus (shaping dreams, <hobetor
(frightening dreams of beasts, and <hantasos (apparitions.
+phiuchus
(There is a constellation called +phiuchus which lies on top of the constellation 1erpens and many cultures saw a man
wrestling with a snake. He was the son of )pollo 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 7eus and 7eus struck him down with a
thunderbolt. +phiuchus and 1erpens were then placed in the sky with 1erpens wrapped around +phiuchus/ stick (the
medical profession/s symbol. 1ee also )sclepius for another !ersion.
+restes$mountaineer
1on of )gamemnon and Clytemnestra, brother of "lectra and Iphigenia. +restes was e%iled after the slaying of
)gamemnon by Clytemnestra and )egisthus. 5ater he returned and, helped by "lectra, killed his mother and her
lo!er.
+rion$dweller on the mountain
) handsome giant and mighty hunter, the son of <oseidon, the god of the sea, and "uryale, the Gorgon. +rion fell in
lo!e with Merope, the daughter of +enopion, king of Chios, and sought her in marriage. +enopion, howe!er,
constantly deferred his consent to the marriage. +rion, while drunk, raped Merope. Incensed at his beha!ior, her
father, with the aid of the god 0ionysus, threw him into a deep sleep and blinded him. +rion 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 li!ed on Crete as the huntsman of the goddess )rtemis. The goddess e!entually killed him, howe!er,
because she was &ealous of his affection for )urora, goddess of the dawn. )fter +rion/s death, )rtemis placed him in
the hea!ens as a constellation.
+rnis$bird
+rpheus
) legendary poet and musician, son of the Muse Calliope by )pollo or by +eagrus, a king of Thrace. He was gi!en the
lyre by )pollo and became such an e%cellent musician that he had no ri!al among mortals. He is said to ha!e played
the lyre so beautifully that he charmed e!erything animate and inanimate. His music enchanted the trees and rocks
and tamed wild beasts, and e!en the ri!ers turned in their course to follow him. He married the lo!ely nymph
"urydice. 1oon after the wedding the bride was stung by a !iper and died. +rpheus determined to go to the underworld
and try to bring her back, something no mortal had e!er done. Hades, the ruler of the underworld, was so mo!ed by
his playing that he ga!e "urydice back to +rpheus on the one condition that he not look back until they reached the
upperworld, but +rpheus could not control his eagerness and as he gained the light of day he looked back a moment
too soon, and "urydice !anished. Grief$stricken, +rpheus forsook human company and wandered in the wilds, playing
for the rocks and trees and ri!ers. :inally a fierce band of Thracian women, who were followers of the god 0ionysus,
came upon the gentle musician and killed him. (hen they threw his se!ered head in the ri!er Hebrus, it continued to
call for "urydice, and was finally carried to the shore of 5esbos, where the Muses buried it. )fter +rpheus/s death his
lyre became the constellation 5yra.
+phthalmitis
<atron goddess of eyesight.
+rseis
The nymph who by Hellen (the ancestor founder of the Hellenes or Greeks, as we call them and mother of )eolus
(founder of the )eolan branch, 0orus (founder of the 0orian branch, and Euthus (founder of the Ionian branch.
+ssa
Goddess of rumor- e6ui!alent to the 8oman goddess :ama.
<aen (<aeon
The god of healing, e!en for the other gods.
<alamedes
1on of *auplius and Clymene, he fought with the Greeks at Troy. He supposedly in!ented lighthouses, scales, the
discus, and dice.
<allas$maiden or youth
<allas )thena or )thena, was one of the most important +lympian deities, born full$grown from the forehead of 7eus.
1he 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 <arthenon. ) !irgin goddess, )thena is depicted as a stately figure, armored, and
wielding her breastplate, the aegis. The 8omans identified her with Miner!a.
<amphile
) sorceress who could control the moon.
<an$pasture
He was the son of Hermes, and the god of flocks. He had the head and torso of a man, but the hind6uarters and horns
of a goat. He was a great musician with the pipes. He was considered a symbol of fecundity because of his lustful
nature.
<anacea
Goddess of healing. 0aughter of "pione and )sclepius and sister of )igle, Hygeia, and Iaso.
<anatis
Goddess of wea!ing.
<andia
Goddess of bright light and daughter of 7eus and "os.
<andora all$gi!ing
There are two !ersions of the story of <andora/s 3o%. In one, the bo% is a &ar containing all kinds of misery and e!il.
(hen <andora opens it all the miseries and e!ils escape and fly all o!er the earth. In the other, the bo% contains all
kinds of blessings which were subse6uently lost to humans when she opened the bo%.
<androsos
+ne of the )ugralids. <androsos is credited with the introduction of spinning. 1he is also worshipped as a goddess of
agriculture.
<anope
+ne of the *ereides. Mother of )igle.
<aregoros
Goddess of persuasion and consolation. 0aughter of Tethys and +ceanus but not a water deity.
<areia
) nymph.
<aris
The son of <riam and Hecuba. 3ecause of a prophecy that he would destroy Troy, he was abandoned on Mt. Ida by his
parents, but shepherds rescued him. 5ater he was chosen as &udge in a dispute among Hera, )thena, and )phrodite.
1purning Hera, who offered him greatness, and )thena, who promised success in war, he awarded the golden apple of
discord to )phrodite, who offered the most beautiful woman in the world. His abduction of that woman, Helen, caused
the Tro&an (ar.
<arnassides, The
)nother name for the Muses, as they were from Mt. <arnassus.
<asiphae
(ife of Minos, Cretan king. 1he was the mother by him of )riadne, and also, by consorting with a white bull, the
mother of the Minotaur.
<atroclus$glory of the father
) good friend of )chilles who, while taking )chilles/ place when he refused to fight (at Troy, was slain by Hector.
<eitho
1he represented persuasion. The daughter of )phrodite and Hermes.
<enelope
Means with a web o!er her face. (ife of +dysseus, mother of Telemachus and a model of fidelity. <ursued by suitors
during +dysseus/ absence, at the Tro&an (ar (,C years for the war plus another ,C years in ad!entures and capti!ity
while returning home, she agreed to marry after she finished wea!ing her father$in$law/s (5aertes shroud, but
unra!eled her work each night. "ach night, for three years, she undid what she had wo!en during the day, but one of
her maids disco!ered this secret and told the suitors. 1he finally promised to marry the man who could bend +dysseus/
bow, but none could. +dysseus returned at this time disguised as a beggar, bent the bow, and slew the suitors.
<enia
Goddess of po!erty and wife of <orus.
<enthus
God of grief.
<ersephone$bringer of destruction
1he was the goddess of springtime and, after her abduction by Hades, the 6ueen of the underworld for si% months of
each year. The mint and pomegranate is sacred to her. <ersephone raised )phrodite/s child )donis.
<erseus$destroyer
1on of 7eus and 0ana], a mortal woman. Told by an oracle that <erseus would kill him, his grandfather )crisius set
him and his mother 0ana] afloat in a chest. They were rescued by ;ing <olydectes, who fell in lo!e with 0ana].
1eeing <erseus as an obstacle to his lo!e for 0ana], the king sent his step$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 gi!en a mirrored shield by )thena, the goddess of wisdom, and a pair of winged sandals by Hermes, the
messenger of the gods. <erseus flew using the sandals to find Medusa. (hen 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. )s she died, the
white, winged horse <egasus sprang from her neck. +n his way back from his !ictory against Medusa, <erseus came
across a woman chained to a rock, waiting to be sacrificed to a sea monster, called either Cetus or 0raco, depending
on which !ersion of the myth you belie!e. This woman was )ndromeda. Her mother, Cassiopeia boasted that she and
her daughter were more beautiful than the *ereids, the daughters of <oseidon, the god of the sea. )ngered by the
insult to his daughters, <oseidon sent floods to the lands ruled by Cassiopeia and her husband, ;ing Cepheus. Cepheus
consulted an oracle who told him that the only way to 6uell <oseidon/s anger was to sacrifice his daughter. <erseus
came on the scene &ust in the nick of time and killed the sea monster and sa!ed )ndromeda, and then married her.
5ater, while competing in a discus contest, <erseus accidentally killed )crisius, thus fulfilling the prophecy.
<haea
) monster in the form of a giant sow.
<haedra$bright one
0aughter of Minos and <asipha], wife of Theseus. (hen her stepson, Hippolytus, re&ected her lo!e, she accused him
of rape, then hanged herself.
<ha]thon$shining
The son of Helios (god of the sun and Clymene (a nymph. Helios had granted <ha]thon anything he wished, and
could not back out when <ha]thon asked to dri!e the sun$chariot across the sky. He lost control of the chariot and
nearly set the earth afire before 7eus slew him with a thunderbolt.
<hantasos
1on of 1omnus and god of dreams. In dreams he was able to turn himself into rock, water, tree, and all other natural
ob&ects.<harmaceia
*ymph who could change the waters of her fountain into poisonous water.
<heme
<ersonification of rumors.
<hemonoe
) goddess of poetry and daughter of )pollo. 1he in!ented he%ameter !erse.
<hiloctetes
) famous archer in the Tro&an (ar. (hen Hercules died he be6ueath his arrows to <hiloctetes. In the last year of the
Tro&an (ar an oracle declared that Troy could not be taken without the arrows of Hercules. +dysseus sent for
<hiloctetes, who using the arrows left him by Hercules, killed <aris, thereby ending the war.
<hilotes
0aughter of *y% and goddess of affection.
<hobetus (<hobetor
)nother son of 1omnus and a god of dreams. In dreams he could assume the form of all animals.
<hobus (<hobos$fear
) son of )res and brother of 0eimos, he personified fear.
<hoebe$bright moon
1he was a Titan, the daughter of @ranus and Gaea. 1he is identified with the moon like her 8oman counterpart 0iana.
3y her brother Coeus she is the mother of )steria and 5eto. Through 5eto, she is the grandmother of )pollo and
)rtemis.
<hoeni% blood$red
<hoeni% and his father, ;ing )myntor, had a !iolent 6uarrel which led )myntor to curse him with childlessness.
<hoeni% ended up being responsible for the upbringing of )chilles, and was with him at the Tro&an (ar.
<horcys
<horcys is a son of Gaia and <ontus. He married the sea$monster Ceto, his sister, and had many children with her
including the Graeae and the Gorgons.
<hospherus
The god of the morning star.
<hthonus
He represented en!y.
<hysis
) goddess of nature.
<hytalus
Mortal woman raised to demi$goddess status by 0emeter.
<hytia
Goddess who changed the se% of a female baby to male when its father planned to kill the unwanted female child.
<ipleia
*ymph lo!er of 0aphnis.
<ithys
Two short myths'
,. <an, aroused at the sight of such a beautiful nymph, tried to seduce her. 1he fled his ad!ances, but in doing so fell
hard onto a rock and died. 1he was turned into a pine tree.
L. 3oth <an and 3oreas (the north wind saw this beautiful nymph and desired her. 1he chose <an, whereupon 3oreas
blew her off a cliff, killing her. Gaea changed her into a pine tree (which weeps when the north wind blows.
<leiades$flock of do!es
These were se!en sisters born from the union of the Titan, )tlas, and <leione. They were Maia, "lectra, )lcyone,
Merope, 1terope, Taygete and Celaeno. They were pursued by +rion, a famous hunter, and begged relief from 7eus. He
changed them into a constellation and placed them in the sky. Then, as was his wont, he turned +rion into a
constellation and placed him in the sky in a position where he still could chase the sisters.
<loto
Goddess of sailing.
<lutus
The god of riches (hence the term plutocrat.
<oene
Goddess of retaliation.
<olyhymnia (<olymnia
The muse of lyric poetry, and the in!entor of the lyre.
<olynices
) son of +edipus. It was for him (so that he could gain the throne his younger brother had usurped that the #1e!en
against Thebes# fought that ill$fated war.
<olyphemus$famous
He was the most famous Cyclop. He was the son of <oseidon and a sea nymph. It was <olyphemus who captured
+dysseus and his crew when they were shipwrecked on his island. )fter about half his men were eaten by the Cyclop,
+dysseus managed to get him drunk and blinded him by plunging a burning stake into his eye. +dysseus and the rest
of his men escaped when they clung to the bellies of the sheep being let out to pasture.
<oly%ena
)nother daughter of ;ing <riam and Hecuba. 1he was claimed as booty by the ghost of )chilles and put to death at
his tomb.
<oseidon
God of the sea, protector of all waters. <owerful, !iolent, and !engeful, he carried the trident, with which he caused
earth6uakes. The son of the Titans Cronus and 8hea, and the brother of 7eus and Hades, <oseidon was the husband of
)mphitrite, one of the *ereids, by whom he had a son, Triton. <oseidon had numerous other lo!e affairs, howe!er,
especially with nymphs of springs and fountains, and was the father of se!eral children famed for their wildness and
cruelty, among them the giant +rion and the Cyclops <olyphemus. <oseidon and the Gorgon Medusa were the parents
of <egasus, the famous winged horse. The 8omans identified <oseidon with their god of the sea, *eptune.
<othos
) son of )phrodite, he was the personification of desire.
<ra%idice
Goddess of oaths.
<riam$redeemed
He was the king of Troy during the Tro&an (ar. <riam was married to Hecuba with whom he had many children,
amongst whom was Hector and <aris. In the tenth year, alone, of the Tro&an (ar he lost ,B sons. (hen Troy finally
fell, *eoptolemus, )chilles/ son, killed <riam on an altar to the gods.
<riapus$pruner
His father was 0ionysus. His mother unknown. He was grotes6uely formed and was always represented with a huge
phallus. (1ee priapism in your dictionary. He was adopted as the god of gardens, probably because he was considered
fertile.
<rocrustes
) notorious robber and murderer. He placed his !ictims on an iron bed and, if they were longer than the bed, he cut off
the parts that were o!erhanging. If they were shorter than the bed, he stretched them till they fit it. He was killed by
Theseus.
<rometheus$forethought
The wisest Titan, and the creator of mankind. +riginally a good friend and ally to 7eus, he later fell from fa!or (he
supposedly tricked 7eus out of his share of a sacrificed o%, and was chained in the Caucasus Mountains, where an
eagle fed upon his #e!er$regrowing# li!er each day. He is credited with stealing fire from Hephaestus and gi!ing it to
the human race.
<rosymna
*ame for the new moon. *urse of Hera with her sisters )craea and "uboea.
<roteus$first man
) son of <oseidon, god of the sea, his attendant and the keeper of his seals. <roteus knew all things past, present, and
future but was able to change his shape at will to a!oid prophesying. "ach day at noon <roteus would rise from the sea
and sleep in the shade of the rocks on the island of Carpathus with his seals. )nyone 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 pro!ed una!ailing, <roteus resumed his usual form and told the truth.
<rotogenia
"arth goddess associated with success in business.
<rotogonus
) god representing the origins.
<samathe
(ife of <roteus.
<udicitia
Goddess of modesty.
<ygmalion
He was king of Cyprus, and sculptor of a beautiful statue of a woman. (hen he prayed to )phrodite for a wife like it,
she brought the statue (Galatea to life, and <ygmalion married her.
<yrene
)s a result of being raped by Heracles, she ga!e birth to a snake. 1he #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 <yrenees today.
<yrrha
<yrrha, and her husband 0eucalion, built an ark and floated in it to sur!i!e the flood sent by 7eus. 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 0eucalion became men, and those thrown by <yrrha became women. These men and women
repopulated the earth.
8hacius$ragged
;ing of Caria, husband of Manto, and father of Mopsus,the famous soothsayer.
8hadamanthys
+ne of the three sons of 7eus and "uropa (along with Minos and 1arpedon. He was famous for his wisdom and
&ustice. )fter his death he became one of the &udges of the dead in the @nderworld.
8haecus
) centaur, who with another centaur (Hylaeus, attempted to rape )talanta but was killed (both of them by her.
8hea$earth
1he was a daughter of @ranus (Hea!en and Gaea ("arth. 1he married her brother, Cronus. ) prophecy told Cronus
that one of his children would o!erthrow him. 1o to forestall that happening Cronus swallowed his children as they
were born. Those children were Hestia, 0emeter, Hera, Hades and <oseidon. 8hea, finally, decided to fool Cronus and
at the birth of her ne%t child, 7eus, she presented Cronus with a large stone wrapped in blankets, which he, thinking it
was 7eus, promptly swallowed. )s foretold 7eus e!entually o!erthrew Cronus, who was made to regurgitate the
children he had swallowed. 8hea is also known as )gdistis.
8hene$ewe
) nymph, mother of Medon.
8hesus$breaker
+ne of the Greek kings at Troy, the son of 1trymon and one of the Muses. He was renowned for his horses which were
snow$white and swift as the wind. )fter one day of battle (in the tenth year of the war, in which he wrought ha!oc
among the Greeks, he was killed by +dysseus and 0iomedes.
8hode
0aughter of )mphitrite by <oseidon.
8hodope
0aughter of the 1trymon ri!er god, wife of Haemus, and companion to <ersephone.
8hodopis
"ither a beautiful "gyptian girl or a beautiful Greek girl, depending on the myth !ersion. +ne day an eagle flew off
with one of her sandals and dropped it in front of the king, <sammetichus. He was astonished at the workmanship of
the shoe, and had his courtiers search the land for the owner. (hen she was found, he married her. (1ound familiarA
8hodos (8hodus
) nymph, daughter of Halia by <oseidon. (ife of Helios and mother of se!en sons by him (the Heliades.
8hoecus
The tale about 8hoecus tells of a time he saw an oak tree about to topple and propped it up so it was once again steady.
The dryad who li!ed within it, and who would ha!e perished had it fallen, told him to ask anything he desired and she
would grant it. He said he wanted only her lo!e, and she consented. 1he told him to be alert, and when she was ready
to make lo!e with him she would send a messenger bee to summon him. 8hoecus got in!ol!ed with some companions,
and in the gi!e$and$take that followed, forgot about the bee. (hen a bee came by and started bu..ing near him he
swat it and in&ured it. (hen he returned to the tree at a later date, the dryad blinded him in her anger of his treatment
of her messenger. (He didn/t get her eitherN
8hoetus
,. +ne of the Titans, killed (by 0ionysus in the war against the gods.
L. +ne of the re!elers with <hineus at the marriage of <erseus and )ndromeda. He was killed by <erseus.
8ipheus
) centaur of enormous si.e, with a !icious temper. He attended, unin!ited, the wedding of <eirithous, a friend of
Theseus. In a fit of lust, he grabbed the bride$to$be and galloped off with her. Theseus pursued him, caught up with
him, and killed him. He returned the bride to the feast and the wedding ceremony continued.
8umor
) feathered and swift$footed goddess$demon who deli!ers messages, not always truthfully
1aba.ius
) <hrygian god, possibly the forerunner of 0ionysus. The idea of taming o%en and yoking them to the plough is
attributed to him. 1upposedly the issue of 7eus, in the form of a serpent, and <ersephone. He was pictured with horns
on his forehead.
1alamis
) daughter of )sopus. <oseidon abducted her, and she bore him a son, Cychreus.
1almacis
,. The nymph who saw Hermaphroditus sitting ne%t to her spring and fell in lo!e with him. 1he prayed to be united
with him. The gods merged her with him and they became the first bise%ual being (a hermaphrodite.
L. The spring named after 1almacis, the nymph. It was said that whoe!er drank from this spring, male or female, from
then on preferred lo!ers of their own se%.
1almaone
) mother goddess.
1almoneus
) son of )eolus and )enarete, married to )lcidice, by whom he fathered a daughter, Tyro. He was an e%treme egotist-
tried to emulate 7eus by building a bron.e road on which he dro!e a chariot with iron wheels, dragging chains behind,
and throwing burning torches all about him- trying to imitate the thunder and thunderbolts of 7eus. 7eus struck him
with a real thunderbolt, killing him and wiping out his kingdom.
1amon
1on of Hermes and a nymph, 8hene.
1anape
)n )ma.on with an unhealthy lo!e of wine. Her name means #drunkard#.
1angarius
) ri!er god. His daughter told him he was about to become a grandfather- he demanded to know the name of her lo!er.
1he 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 e%plained that )phrodite 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 li!e. Her offspring was
Hecuba, who became the mother of Hector.
1ao
) goddess of sailing.
1appho
Greek poetess, whose poetry was so renowned that <lato referred to her two centuries after her death as /the Tenth
muse/. 1he was born on the island of 5esbos. )ccording to tradition, )lcaeus was her lo!er. )nother legend holds that
because of unre6uited lo!e for the young boatman <haon she leaped to her death from a steep rock into the sea. 1he
had a daughter named Cleis. 1he taught the art of poetry to a group of maidens, to whom she was de!otedly attached
and whose bridal odes she composed when they left her to be married. 5ater writers, commenting upon the group,
accused 1appho of immorality and !ice, from which arose the modern terms for female homose%uality, #lesbianism#
and #sapphism.#
1arpedon
The third son of 7eus and "uropa. He was a belligerent man and not as wise as his brothers Minos and
8hadamanthys. He fought bra!ely in the Tro&an (ar, but was e!entually killed by <atroclus.
1atyr
) forest and mountain creature. <art human, with a horse/s tail and ears, and a goat/s horns and legs, satyrs were
merry, drunken, lustful de!otees of 0ionysus. 1ee satyriasis in your dictionary.
1aurus $li.ard
) bandit who was killed by Heracles.
1camander
) ri!er god. He was in!ol!ed in an epic struggle with )chilles during the Tro&an (ar. The night before )chilles was to
do battle with Hector, )ndromache (Hector/s wife bathed in the ri!er and implored 1camander to inter!ene on her
husband/s behalf. 1he persuaded Hector to lead )chilles to the ri!er during their battle, whereupon 1camander (with
help from another ri!er$god, 1imois tried heroically to drown )chilles. 1camander was unsuccessful because )chilles,
the son of a sea goddess, was undrownable. )chilles then killed Hector.
1camandrius
) Tro&an who was killed by Menelaus in the Tro&an (ar.
1chedius
+ne of Helen/s suitors. He was killed by Hector in the Tro&an (ar.
1choeneus
:ather of )talanta.
1ciapodes
)n )frican 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 abo!e them to shade them from the sun.
1ciron
) robber9highwayman who forced his !ictims to wash his feet and then threw them o!er the rocks into the sea, where
they were de!oured 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 &aws instead.
1cotia
) sea goddess.
1cylla
,. The daughter of ;ing *isus, who promised her lo!er, Minos, that she would deli!er 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 re&ected her lo!e. 1he threw herself into the sea in despair.
L. 1cylla was a beautiful nymph and lo!er of Glaucus- she applied to Circe for a lo!e potion. 3ut Circe decided she
wanted Glaucus for herself, and changed 1cylla into a sea monster with si% heads, twel!e feet, and a lower body made
up of hideous monsters. 1cylla (and Charybdis were two immortal monsters who li!ed on opposite shores of a narrow
strait. 1cylla ate anything, and anybody that came within reach. (hen the Greek hero +dysseus passed between them,
he was able to a!oid Charybdis, but 1cylla sei.ed si% men from his ship and de!oured them. 1cylla probably was a tale
to e%plain a partially submerged rock that ships floundered on and Charybdis was probably the e%planation for a
whirlpool.
1cythes
1on of Heracles (or 7eus and "chidna, and brother of )gathyrsus and Gelonus. +ne tale 6uotes Heracles as telling
"chidna that when the three sons grew up whoe!er could draw the bow and use the baldric he was lea!ing should rule
the country, while the other two should be e%iled. 1cythes was the winner.
1elene $moon
The Greek goddess of the moon and daughter of Hyperion and Theia. Her twin brother is the sun$god Helios and her
sister is "os (dawn. )t night, she rose from the ocean and with her chariot, drawn by white horses (or o%en she rode
through the sky. 1he had DC daughters by "ndymion and three by 7eus. 1elene, also called Mene, wasn/t worshipped
much, unlike her 8oman counterpart, 5una, who was far more popular.
1elinus
1on of <oseidon, and ruler of )chaea. His only daughter, Helice, married Ion, who succeeded 1elinus as king.
1emele
1he was the mother of 0ionysus through union with 7eus. Hera, wife of 7eus !owed re!enge for 1emele/s pregnancy.
0isguised as an old woman, she sweet$talked 1emele into in!iting 7eus, in all his splendor, for a !isit. 7eus, who had
promised 1emele to grant her e!ery wish, felt honor bound to agree, although he knew that the sight of him adorned
with his firebolts would kill her. 7eus did manage to sa!e her unborn child, 0ionysus, though.
1emiramis
0aughter of 0erceto (goddess with woman/s face and body of a fish and Caystrus. 0erceto killed Caystrus and
abandoned the baby in the fields. The baby was brought up by do!es, who fed her on food stolen from nearby
shepherds. (Her name means #the one who comes from the do!es#. 1he was e!entually married to one of the king/s
ad!isers, +nnes. 1emiramis gained a reputation as being !ery wise- she ad!ised her husband in all matters, and he
became !ery successful. (hen the king, *inus, went to war, +nnes remained with him as ad!iser. +nnes took
1emiramis along with him, and when the attack stalled, 1emiramis ga!e +nnes a battle plan that worked, and brought
!ictory to their forces. The king reali.ed what a pri.e 1emiramis was (and a beauty, too and offered +nnes his own
daughter to wife if he would #trade# 1emiramis. +nnes refused, whereupon the king threatened him with blindness-
+nnes committed suicide. *inus then married 1emiramis. 1he continued gi!ing sage ad!ice, and is credited with
many great works- some attribute the #Hanging Gardens# to her. It is said that when she died she changed into a do!e
and flew to hea!en.
1enecta
Goddess of old age. 0aughter of "rebus and *y%.
1erestus
) companion to )eneas.
1ergestus
)nother companion of )eneas.
1ibyls
Ten mortal women who had the gift of prophecy. "!en though they sometimes shared these prophecies, they were not
always belie!ed. 1ome traditions ha!e Cassandra as one of them.
1iden
) wife of +rion, who was hurled into the @nderworld by Hera for daring to ri!al her in beauty.
1idero
) wife of 1almoneus, who mistreated her step$son Tyro !ery badly. 1he was e!entually killed by <elias, one of Tyro/s
sons.
1ilenus
The oldest satyr, the son of Hermes or <an, and the companion, ad!iser, or tutor of 0ionysus.
1inis
) noted robber, also known as the <inebender because he tied his !ictims 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, <erigune, was attracted by Theseus/ good looks, and con!inced him to stay with her in the
forest for a few days. 1he later ga!e birth to Melanippus, who became a runner of legendary speed.
1inon
The Greek who talked the Tro&ans into accepting the (ooden Horse. 1on of 1isyphus and half$brother to +dysseus.
1inope
) daughter of )res and )egina. 7eus tried to make her his lo!er, but she persuaded him to grant her a wish first. He
promised. 1he asked for eternal !irginity, which, ha!ing promised, he granted. 1he later got )pollo and Halys (a ri!er$
god to grant her the same promise.
1irens$those who bind
The mythical monsters that were half beautiful woman and half bird, and sang such sweet songs that listeners forgot
e!erything 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. )glaope (beautiful face,
)glaophonos (beautiful !oice, 5eucosia (white being, 5igeia (shrill, Molpe (music, <arthenope (maiden face,
<eisino] (persuading mind, 8aidne (impro!ement, Teles (perfect, Thel%epeia (soothing words, Thel%iope
(persuasi!e face are their names. The three most famous were <arthenope, 5igea, and 5eucosia. @lysses escaped from
them by filling his crew/s ears with wa% while he tied himself to the ship/s mast. The )rgonauts were sa!ed by
+rpheus/ music.
1isyphus $!ery wise
5egend has it that when 0eath came to take him he turned the tables and captured 0eath whom he put in chains. *o
one died while 0eath was in chains and it stayed that way until )res arri!ed and freed 0eath. In the meantime
1isyphus had his wife, Merope, promise to lea!e him unburied when he died, a practice clearly against the orders of
the gods. (hen 0eath was released he claimed 1isyphus and brought him to the underworld where 1isyphus pointed
out the fact that his body was unburied. The gods allowed him to return to life so that he could punish his wife. +nce
back home he li!ed to a ripe old age before he died for a second time. His punishment then was to roll a huge boulder
up a hill to the top, but each time he neared the top the boulder would roll back down the hill, so his task is ne!er$
ending.
1ithon
) king of Thrace, said to be the son of )res, or of <oseidon and the nymph +ssa. He was killed by 0ionysus with a
stroke of his thyrus. +!id suggests he became a woman.
1myrna (Myrrh
) princess who #wanted# her father. 1he got him drunk and had her way. (hen he found out she was pregnant by him
he pursued her, caught up to her in a forest, and a%ed her to death. 1he became a myrrh tree at her death, and from
this tree )donis was born.
1olois
Companion of Theseus in his campaign against the )ma.ons.
1opatrus
1upposedly the first man to offer a blood sacrifice to the gods. It was an accident that became formality.
1opha%
)fter Heracles had murdered )ntaeus, he slept with )ntaeus/ wife Tinge. 1he ga!e birth to 1opha% as a result.
1ophrosyne
Goddess of temperance and moderation.
1oteira
Goddess of safety.
1parta
0aughter of the ri!er$god "urotas and Cletas. 1he became wife to 5acedaemon and bore )myclas and "urydice.
1peio
Goddess of ca!es.
1percheius
) ri!er$god, son of +ceanus and Thethys.
1permo$of the seed
+ne of the +enotropae. 1he changes grass into wheat.
1taphylus
The shepherd credited with the disco!ery of grapes. His king, +eneus, is credited with the idea of pressing the grapes,
thereby making wine. This li6uid was named after the king, from which we get #oeno#, our prefi% meaning wine.
1tentor
) Greek herald in the Tro&an (ar. His !oice was supposedly as loud as the combined !oices of DC men. Hence our
word stentorian.
1terope
Three of them'
,. +ne of the <leiades- daughter of )tlas and <leione.
L. 0aughter of <orthaon and "uryte.
B. 0aughter of Helios.
1theneboea
(ife of ;ing <roetus. 1he fell in lo!e with 3ellerophon when he !isited and made ad!ances toward him. (hen he
refused to be seduced, she denounced him to <roetus, claiming attempted rape. The upshot- she tried to flee, using
3ellerophon/s <egasus, but was unseated when o!er the sea and drowned.
1thenelus
(:our of them'
,. Companion of Heracles in the battle against the )ma.ons.
L. ) grandson of Minos.
B. +ne of Helen/s suitors.
Y. ) son of <erseus and )ndromeda.
1theno
+ne of the Gorgons.
1tilbe
There were two of them'
,. 0aughter of the <eneius ri!er god and Creusa, and sister of 0aphne.
L. 0aughter of "osphorus, and said by some to be the mother of )utolycus by Hermes.
1trymo
Mother of )styoche, Cilla, and Hesione (and maybe <riam. 0aughter of 1camander. (ife of 5aomedon.
1trymon
) ri!er$god, father of 8hesus by one of the Muses.
1ty%$hated
The goddess of the 8i!er 1ty% who pre!ented the li!ing from crossing into the realm of Hades without first undergoing
death/s torments. The ri!er that wound beneath the earth in the land of the dead is also called 1ty%.
1yleus
(ine maker with an e!il heart. He forced passers$by to work in his !inyards until near$death- then he killed them. +f
course he went to the well once too often, as one of the passers$by turned out to be Heracles, who instead of tilling the
!ines, tore them from the ground. (hen 1yleus rushed toward him in anger, Heracles killed him with the hoe. )s
usual in these myths, Heracles completed things by bedding 1yleus/ daughter.
1yllis
*ymph lo!er of 7eu%ippus.
1yme
3ore a son, Chthonius, by <oseidon.
1yrin%
) nymph who, to a!oid the attentions of <an, took refuge in a ri!er and asked the gods to change her into a reed,
which they did. Ironically, <an plucked the reed from the ri!er and from it made the pipes upon which he plays his
magical music.
1yrus
1upposedly the in!entor of arithmetic, and the one who introduced the concept of reincarnation (metempsychosis.
Tabliope
) goddess of gambling.
Talaus
1on of 3ias and <ero, father of )drastus, and an )rgonaut.
Talos
,. ) bron.e giant9robot 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 !ein, that ran the length of
his body- Medea pierced the !ein and he bled to death.
L. ) nephew of 0aedalus, who killed him out of &ealousy because he was a better in!entor.
Talthybius
Herald for )gamemnon in the Tro&an war.
Tanagra
0aughter of )eolus and "narete.
Tanais
) ri!er god, son of +ceanus and Tethys.
Tantalus$most wretched
He was an intimate friend of the gods, often in!ited to their feasts and ban6uets. 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 pre!alent is one
where he stole nectar and ambrosia from one of the feasts and ga!e them to men. His punishment in the underworld
was to stand neck deep in swirling water with fruits hanging o!er his head. (hen he would attempt to eat the fruit, a
wind would arise and blow them out of his reach. (hen he would attempt to drink, the water would swirl away from
him. Tantali.e is a word deri!ed from this tale.
Taphius
1on of <oseidon and Hippothoe.
Tartarus
The land beneath the earth, where the Titans were confined- a !ast realm of darkness.
Taygete
+ne of the <leiades.
Techne
Goddess of art.
Tecmessa
Tro&an concubine of )&a% the Great.
Telamon
The father of )&a%, and a member of the )rgonauts as well as a participant in the Calydonian 3oar hunt.
Telamos
) Cyclops who foretold that <olyphemus would lose his eye in confrontation with +dysseus.
Telchines
The dwarflike creatures that worked for Hephaestus.
Telecleia
(ife of Cisseus. 1ometimes cited as mother of Hecuba.
Teledamos
Twin son, with <elops, of )gamemnon and Cassandra- they were murdered as children by )egisthus.
Teledice
) nymph.
Telegonus
) son of +dysseus and Circe, who unknowingly killed his father while stealing cattle from his kingdom. He later
married <enelope, +dysseus/ widow, and in some accounts fathered Italus with her.
Telemachus
The only son of +dysseus and <enelope. He helped his father kill <enelope/s suitors. 5ater, according to some, he
married CirceN
Telephassa
)n early goddess of light. 1ometimes cited as the mother of "uropa.
Telephus
1on of Heracles and )uge- he guided the Greeks to Troy (for the Tro&an (ar, but did not engage in the battle.
Teles
+ne of the 1irens.
Telesphorus
God of con!alescence- he was companion to )sclepius.
Telesto
+ne of the +ceanides.
Telete
+ne of the Horae.
Telphusa
) fountain nymph.
Telphusia
+ne of the "rinyes.
Tereus
)nother Greek tragedyN 1on of )res, and husband of <rocne. He hungered for his wife/s sister, <hilomena- raped her,
and cut out her tongue so she couldn/t tell what happened. <hilomena wo!e the story in a tapestry and sent it to her
sister. <rocne a!enged the wrong by killing their son Itylus, and ser!ing him to Tereus for dinner. (hen Tereus found
out he pursued the sisters to kill them. The gods inter!ened and changed all three into birds.
Terpsichore$re&oicing in the dance
The Muse of dancing and choral singing.
Tethys$disposer
1he was a Titan, and the wife of +ceanus and ga!e birth to around B,CCC ri!er$gods and the +ceanides. Hera was
raised by Tethys until she was ready to marry 7eus.
Teucer
) son of Telamon, and half$brother to )&a%. He was e%iled by his father for not a!enging the death of his brother by
+dysseus.
Thalassa
0aughter of )ether (sky and Hemera (day.
Thalia (Thaleia
There were three of them'
,. +ne of the nine Muses. 1he presided o!er comedy and pastoral poetry.
L. +ne of the Three Graces (Charites.
B.+ne of the *ereides.
Thallo
+ne of the Horae. 0aughter of 7eus and Themis. <ersonification of the spring season.
Thamyris
) Greek bard who challenged the Muses to a contest to see who was better. He lost. The Muses depri!ed him of his
sight and the powers of song. He is depicted with a broken lyre.
Thanatos
The Greek personification of death, twin brother of 1leep (Hypnos.
Thaumas
)ccording to some, husband of "lectra and father of Iris, and the Harpies.
Thebe
There were two'
,. ) nymph, daughter of <rometheus and Iodane.
L. ) nymph, daughter of )sopus and Metope.
Theia$di!ine
The wife of her brother Hyperion, Theia ga!e birth to Helios (sun, "os (dawn, and 1elene (moon. 1he is the goddess
from whom light emanates and considered especially beautiful.
Theisoa
+ne of the three nymphs who helped raised 7eus when he was an infant being hidden from his father. The other two
were Hagno and *eda.
Thelchtereia
+ne of the 1irens.
Thel%iepeia
)nother 1iren- sister of )glaopheme and <eisinoe.
Themis$order
Themis is the goddess of the order of things established by law, custom and ethics. 3y 7eus/ command, she con!enes
the assembly of the gods, and she is in!oked when mortals assemble. )nother Titan, she is the mother of the Horae
(seasons, the :ates, the Hesperides and <rometheus.
Themisto
+ne of the *ereides, daughter of *ereus and 0oris.
Theophane
) mortal beauty who was abducted by <oseidon and subse6uently ga!e birth to the ram with the golden fleece of the
)rgonaut myth.
Therimachos
1on of Heracles and Megara who with his brother, Creontiades, was killed by his father in the rage$induced madness
brought on by Hera.
Thersites
1upposedly the ugliest man at the Tro&an (ar. It was he who mocked )chilles when he #lo!ed# the dead <enthesilea,
and who was killed by )chilles for his comments.
Theseus$he who lays down
1on of ;ing )egeus. His most famous ad!enture was the slaying of the Minotaur, which he accomplished with the
help of )riadne, daughter of ;ing Minos of Crete. In the land of the )ma.ons he abducted )ntiope, who bore him
Hippolytus. )ntiope was later killed, and Theseus then married <haedra. (hen he and his friend <irithoGs attempted
to take <ersephone from Hades, they were imprisoned there until Hercules rescued Theseus. He was murdered by ;ing
5ycomedes.
Thespius
The king who sheltered Heracles, and pro!ided him, as bed$partners, each of his fifty daughters. 1ome myths ha!e
Heracles spending fifty nights at this task- others say it was se!en nights- still others say it was one nightN
Thessalos
1on of Heracles and Chalciope.
Thetis$disposer
1he was lo!ed by both 7eus and <oseidon. (hen a prophecy was made that indicated she would bear a son that would
become greater than his father, both gods hastened to marry her off to ;ing <eleus. 1he resisted his ad!ances by
changing into !arious shapes but he finally got to her. The child, when born, was )chilles.
Thoon
) giant killed in the Gigantomachy.
Thoosa
) nymph, daughter of <horcys, sometimes considered to be the mother of <olyphemus by <oseidon.
Thrasymedes
) son of *estor. +ne of the warriors within the wooden horse at Troy.
Thriae
Three sisters of prophecy- daughters of 7eus with !arious nymphs. Their prophecies were paid for with honey, their
fa!orite food.
Thyestes
1on of <elops and brother of )treus. Thyestes was the ri!al of his brother for the throne of Mycenae. He seduced
)treus/s wife, )erope, and persuaded her to steal the fleece of a golden lamb that )treus treasured. The people of
Mycenae decided that the possessor of the fleece should be their king, and Thyestes was chosen. The god 7eus
inter!ened, howe!er, and, by causing the sun to re!erse its course and set in the east, gained Thyestes/ abdication.
)treus succeeded as king and banished his brother. 5ater he disco!ered the infidelity of his wife and in re!enge called
Thyestes back from e%ile. )t a welcoming ban6uet, )treus ser!ed his brother the flesh of Thyestes/ two murdered sons.
(hen this was re!ealed to him, Thyestes laid a curse on )treus and his descendants. The oracle at 0elphi then ad!ised
Thyestes to ra!ish his own daughter, <elopia. :rom the incestuous union was born )egisthus, who later helped fulfill
the curse that Thyestes had placed on the house of )treus.
Thyia
) nymph, daughter of the ri!er$god Cephissus. 1he consorted with )pollo, and bore his son 0elphus.
Tiphys
Helmsman of the )rgo.
Tiresias
) Theban seer. He was said to ha!e been struck blind by the goddess )thena (because he had accidently seen her
bathing by her splashing water in his face, but to ha!e 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. )ccording to another !ersion, he was for a time transformed into a woman (for se!en years. 5ater, ha!ing
become a man again, he was asked by 7eus and Hera, king and 6ueen of the gods, to tell which se% had more pleasure
in lo!e. (hen he replied that woman had nine times as much pleasure as man, Hera, in anger, blinded him, but 7eus
granted him long life. Tiresias played a prominent part in Theban legends, deli!ering prophecies to +edipus, king of
Thebes. He died while fleeing the wrath of the "pigoni (by drinking from the well of Tilphosa, bellicose descendants
of the )rgi!e heroes who were killed in the war of the 1e!en )gainst Thebes.
Tisiphone
+ne of the "rinyes.
Titanides, The
0aughters of @ranus and Gaea. They are Mnemosyne, <hoebe, 8hea, Tethys, Theia, and Themis.
Titanis
+ne of the Horae.
Titans
(3y most accounts they numbered twel!e. They were children of @ranus and Gaea. +ften called the "lder Gods, they
were for many ages the supreme rulers of the uni!erse and were of enormous si.e and incredibly strong. They were'
(si% brothers +ceanus (the ri!er that flowed around the earth, Coeus, Crius, Hyperion (the father of the sun, the
moon, and the dawn, Iapetus (the father of <rometheus, who created mortals, and Cronus (;ronos- he was the most
important of the Titans and ruled the uni!erse until he was dethroned by his son 7eus, who sei.ed power for himself.
and (si% sisters Theia, 8hea, Themis (the goddess of di!ine &ustice, Mnemosyne (the goddess of memory, <hoebe,
and Tethys (wife of +ceanus. +f all the Titans only <rometheus and +ceanus sided with 7eus against Cronus. )s a
result, they were honored and the others were bound in Tartarus. "!entually, howe!er, 7eus was reconciled with the
Titans, and Cronus was made ruler of the Golden )ge.
Tithonus
) handsome Tro&an who was belo!ed by "os (who bore him a son, the hero Memnon, king of "thiopia, to whom he
prayed for immortality, which she granted. He neglected to ask for eternal youth as well, and so grew older and older.
)t last he prayed to "os again, asking for death, but this she could not grant him, so she changed him into a
grasshopper.
Tityus
) son of 7eus and Gaea who was so huge his body co!ered nine acres of land. He tried to defile 5atona, but )pollo
cast him into Tartarus, where a !ulture feeds on his li!er which grows as fast as it is eaten.
Torone
+ne of the +ceanides.
Triton
Triton was the son of the sea god <oseidon and )mphitrite. He had the power to calm or agitate the wa!es by blowing
on a twisted seashell.
Tritopatores
) goddess of the winds.
Trochilus
) son of Io. 1upposedly in!ented the chariot. )fter his death he was placed among the stars as the constellation of the
Charioteer.
Tyche
Goddess symboli.ing fortune and prosperity.
Tyndareus
:ather of the 0ioscuri, Helen, Clytemnestra, Timandra, and <hylonoe.
Typhon (Typhoeus$hot wind
The youngest son of Tartarus of the underworld and Gaea. He was described as a grisly monster with a hundred
dragon/s heads. He was imprisoned under Mount "tna (a !olcano and thus was considered the personification of
!olcanic forces. He was married to "chidna, and had as children, +rthos, Cerberus (the three headed dog that guarded
the entrance to Hades, the multi$headed 5ernean Hydra, Chimaera, the Theban 1phin%, and the *emean 5ion. 7eus
killed him with a thunderbolt.
@calegon
,. :ather of the 1phin%. L. ) Tro&an warrior, friend to <riam and )eneas.
@daios
+ne of the sur!i!ors of the battle between the warriors who sprang up from the sown dragon/s teeth.
@ranus$king of the mountains
Gaea ("arth with Chaos, produced @ranus, the Mountains and the 1ea. :rom her union with @ranus was born the
Titans and the Cyclopes. @ranus hated his children and hid them within Gaea/s body. Gaea pleaded with them to
a!enge her. +nly the Titan Cronus obeyed her. (hen @ranus approached Gaea, Cronus sprung upon him and cut off
his testicles. 1ome of the blood spattered on Gaea and from the blood was born the :uries and the Giants. The genitals
were tossed into the sea producing a white foam from which was born )phrodite.
@rania
,. Muse of astronomy and astrology (+ne of the nine Muses. Mother of a son 5inus, by )pollo, and a daughter
Hymnaeus, by 0ionysus. 3oth children were master musicians. 5inus tutored Heracles, who killed him in a fit of
anger. @rania is often pictured carrying a globe in one hand and a pair of compasses in the other.
L. )lso the name of one of the +ceanides.
Folupta
0aughter of <syche and "ros. Her name means #<leasure#.
Eanthippe
0aughter of 0oris and wife of <leuron.
Eantho
+ne of the *ereides.
Eenia
The nymph who lo!ed 0aphnis.
Eenodamos
1on of the nymph ;nossia.
Eenodike
0aughter of Minos and <asiphae- sister to )riadne and <haedra.
Euthus
The second son of Hellen (or in some accounts, brother of Hellen and 0orus, and the grandson of 0eucalion. He
married Creusa, a daughter of "rechtheus. 1he had pre!iously borne a son Ion to )pollo, but the child was taken from
her at its birth. 1he and Euthus were childless and consulted the oracle at 0elphi, which told them to adopt as their
son the first young man they met. 1o, who did they meet lea!ing the templeA 8ight. They met Ion, who had been
raised in the temple.
7acynthus
1on of 0ardanus, and minor Greek hero.
7agreus$restored to life
He was a son of 7eus. 7eus, disguised as a snake, seduced his daughter <ersephone. 7agreus, who resulted from this
union, was 7eus/ fa!orite child and due to inherit all of 7eus/ power. Hera was &ealous (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. )thena managed to sa!e the boy/s heart and brought it to 7eus, who swallowed
it. 7eus then blew the Titans into dust with his thunderbolts. :rom this dust mankind arose. 7eus (according to one
!ersion of this myth then got 1emele pregnant and instilled the heart of 7agreus into the fetus. The baby, when born,
was 0ionysus.
7almo%is
He sometimes symboli.ed immortality.
7elus (7elos
1on of the Titan <allas and the ri!er 1ty%. His name means #.eal#. He personified enthusiasm and .eal.
7ephyrus
The god of the west wind. He was the son of the Titan )straeus and of "os, the goddess of the dawn. 7ephyrus 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 8oman :lora. His brothers were 3oreas and *otus, the gods of the north and south winds,
respecti!ely. He was the father of Carpus, Eanthus and 3alius. In some !ersions he fathered Eanthus and 3alius
()chilles/ horses by the Harpy <odarge, another of his sisters.
7etes and Calais
Twin brothers (with wings, noteworthy mainly because they were slain by Heracles.
7ethus and )mphion
)lso twin brothers. They hated their king, 5ycus, for he had badly mistreated and abandoned their mother. They killed
5ycus, and tied his new wife 0irce to a bull, and whipped the bull so that it stampeded o!er rough ground, dragging
0irce to her death. They then became co$rulers of the city, which they named Thebes, after the nymph Thebe whom
7ethus married. 7ethus, a man of e%traordinary strength, carried huge boulders and placed them around the city as
fortification. Those boulders he could not carry #danced# their by themsel!es under the influence of )mphion, a
master musician, and his lyre.
7eus$bright sky
7eus was the god of the sky and ruler of the +lympian 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 +lympian 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. 7eus was the youngest son of the Titans, Cronus and 8hea, and the
brother of the <oseidon, Hades, Hestia, 0emeter, and Hera. )ccording to one of the ancient myths of the birth of 7eus,
Cronus, ha!ing heard the prophecy that he might be dethroned by one of his children, swallowed them as they were
born. @pon the birth of 7eus, 8hea 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 )malthaea and reared by nymphs. (hen 7eus grew to
maturity, he forced Cronus to disgorge the other children, who were eager to take !engeance on their father. In the war
that followed, the Titans fought on the side of Cronus, but 7eus and the other gods were successful, and the Titans
were banished to Tartarus. 7eus henceforth ruled o!er the sky, and his brothers <oseidon and Hades were gi!en power
o!er the sea and the underworld, respecti!ely. The earth was to be ruled in common by all three. He is represented as
the god of &ustice and mercy, the protector of the weak, and the punisher of the wicked. )s husband to his sister Hera,
he is the father of )res, the god of war- Hebe, the goddess of youth- Hephaestus, the god of fire- and "ileithyia, the
goddess of childbirth. )t the same time, 7eus is noted for falling in lo!e with one woman after another and resorting
to all kinds of tricks to hide his infidelity from his wife. 1tories of his escapades were numerous in ancient mythology,
and many of his offspring were a result of his lo!e affairs with both goddesses and mortal women. 7eus/ image was
represented in sculptural works as a kingly, bearded figure. 7eus corresponds to the 8oman god ?upiter.
7eu%ippe
+ne of the +ceanides- daughter of Tethys and +ceanus.
7eu%o
)nother one of the +ceanides- also a daughter of Tethys and +ceanus.
Mythological Characters of the Mid$"ast
The 1umerians had four leading deities, known as creating gods. These gods were )n, the god of hea!en- ;i (;iki,
the goddess of earth- "nlil, the god of air- and "nki (who later became "a, the god of water. *e%t in importance to the
creating deities were the three sky deities, *anna, the god of the moon- @tu, the sun god- and Inanna (who later
became Ishtar, the 6ueen of hea!en and the goddess of lo!e, procreation, and war. )nother god of great importance
was *inurta, the deity in charge of the !iolent and destructi!e south wind. +ne of the most belo!ed deities was the
shepherd god 0umu.i (the biblical Tammu..
)
(3abylonia ) Chaldean moon goddess. Her emblem is a disk with eight rays, a number that is associated with the
goddess of light in many cultures.
)dad
(3abylonian9Mesopotamian 3abylonian' The god of wind, storm, and flood. Mesopotamian' "mbodiment of !iolent
thundering rainstorms. <ortrayed both as a bull and a lion. His symbol is a forked lightning bolt.
)dapa
(3abylonian9Mesopotamian +ne of the 1e!en 1ages and the hero of )kkadian myth which features him as a priest of
"a, who is tricked into refusing the food and drink of immortality.
)drammelech
God to whom infants were burnt in sacrifice.
)eon
(<hoenicia 0isco!erer of edible fruits.
)gasaya
1emitic war goddess who was merged into Ishtar in her identity as fearless warrior of the sky.
)hriman
(<ersia )lso known as )ngra Mainyu. The son of 7ur!an.
)hura Ma.da
(<ersia The supreme god, and another son of 7ur!an.
)hurani
(<ersia Goddess of rain and water.
)i$ada
(Turk The moon god.
)&a
The 3abylonian dawn goddess and consort of the sun god.
)ka
The mother goddess in ancient Turkey.
)l$5at
) mythic figure of great anti6uity she is one (she represented the earth and its fruits of the trinity of desert goddesses
named in the ;oran- )l$@..a (goddess of the morning star and Menat (goddess of fate and time being the others.
)n
(1umeria God of the @nderworld and chief deity.
)nahita
<ersian goddess, both protecti!e mother and warrior defender of her people, she was also the goddess of ri!ers and
waters.
)nath ()nat
(<hoenician Chief (est 1emitic goddess of lo!e and war, the sister and helpmate of the god 3aal (3el. ) goddess
with four differing aspects' mother, !irgin, warrior, and wanton. Though a #mother# she was e!er a #!irgin#. Her lust
for blood, and or se%, was legendary.
)natu
Mesopotamian goddess, ruler of the earth and 6ueen of the sky.
)nu
(3abylonian The head of the gods, he had an army of stars to destroy e!ildoers.
)nunitu
)n early 3abylonian goddess of the moon who was symboli.ed by a disk with eight rays. 1he was later merged with
Ishtar.
)n$7u
)ssyrian goddess of chaos, who like Tiamat, was killed in order to form the uni!erse.
)psu
In the 3abylonian creation story "numa elish, the world parents, )psu and Tiamat, bear off$spring who later find
themsel!es opposed to the parents. The off$spring defeat the parents in a battle, and from the immolated body of
Tiamat the world is created.
)rarat
The ancient )natolian (Turkey creator goddess.
)rinna
(Hittite Goddess of the sun.
)sherali
(Canaan Moon goddess of fertility.
)shnan
1umerian goddess of grain.
)shtoreth ()starte or )shtart
The supreme female di!inity of the <hoenician nations, the goddess of lo!e and fruitfulness. 1he symboli.ed the
female principle, as 3aal symboli.ed maleness. The 3abylonian and )ssyrian counterpart of )shtoreth was Ishtar.
)shur
()ssyria Chief deity- god of war and fertility.
)starte
The supreme female di!inity of the <hoenician nations. The goddess of lo!e and fruitfulness. 1he symboli.ed the
female principle. )starte has been identified with !arious Greek goddesses' the goddess of the moon, 1elene- the
goddess of wild nature, )rtemis- and the goddess of lo!e and beauty, )phrodite. The 3abylonian and )ssyrian
counterpart of )starte was Ishtar.
)tar
(Iran God of fire.
)thirat
(Canaan Goddess of the sea.
)thtart
(Canaan Goddess of fertility and se%. )nother name for )starte.
)ya
(Mesopotamia Goddess of dawn.
3aal (3el
(<hoenicia 3aal has the titles #)lmighty# and #5ord of the "arth.# He is the god of the thunderstorm, war, good
har!ests, and fertilty- the most !igorous and aggressi!e of their gods. 3aal is usually depicted holding a thunderbolt.
There is a myth that tells of a challenge to him from 4amm, the 1ea God. )rmed with magical weapons made by the
craftsman god, ;othar, 3aal manages to o!ercome 4amm. )nother myth concerns 3aal/s relations with Mot, god of
0eath, whom he initially defies, but to whom he e!entually succumbs. )nath disposes of Mot, and then dreams that
3aal is ali!e again, and so it is. Mot also returns to life and they renew their war. This occurs year after year,
synboli.ing the return of the seasons.
3aalat (3a/)lat
(<hoenicia 3aalat is 6ueen of the gods. 1he is associated with books, libraries, and writers. 1he was worshipped
primarily in the city of 3yblos (which is the original source of papyrus and 3yblos is what the Greeks called papyrus
and, e!entually, books.
3aau
(<hoenicia Creator goddess.
3eelsamin
(<hoenicia 1un god and lord of the sky.
3elit$1eri
3abylonian scribe of the underworld who kept the records of human acti!ities so she could ad!ise the 6ueen of the
dead on their final &udgement.
3eruth
"arth mother goddess of the <hoenicians. Today/s 3eirut is her city.
3ro%a
In ?ewish folklore the name of a bird belie!ed to suck the milk of goats during the night.
Caelestis
(Carthage ) moon goddess.
Cassios, 5ebanon, )ntilebanon, and 3rathy
(<hoenicia Giants who li!ed on the mountains that bear their names.
Chaos
(3abylonia Mother of the gods.
Chemosh
(Moab The national god of the Moabites- human sacrifices were made to him.
Cotys
(<hrygian "arth goddess who presided o!er debauchery.
Cybele
(<hrygian ) goddess of forests, mountains, and fertility.
0aena
(<ersia The goddess who meets the souls of the dead (on the fourth day after death and leads them to hea!en or hell.
1he has a dog who sniffs at the soul and tells her if it is good or bad.
0ae!as
(<ersia 7oroastrianism religion referred to demons as dae!as, hence the word de!il.
0agon
(Mesopotamia God of !egetation. He was half$man and half$fish.
0amkina
(1umeria The earth mother goddess.
0a.imus
(1umer Goddess of healing.
0erketo
(Chaldea ) moon goddess associated with fertility. 1he is sometimes depicted as a mermaid.
0hat$3adan
The primary goddess of the )rabs of 4emen. 1he was a goddess of the natural forces of the wilderness, worshiped
especially in tree$circled oases.
0ilmun
(1umeria God of fresh water.
0umu.i (0u/u.u$shepherd god
(1umerian (The biblical Tammu. 0umu.i was originally a mortal ruler whose marriage to Inanna ensured the
fertility of the land and the fecundity of the womb. This marriage, howe!er, according to a myth whose denouement
has only recently come to light, ended in stark tragedy when the goddess, offended by her husband/s unfeeling
beha!ior toward her, decreed that he be carried off to the netherworld for si% months of each year$hence the barren,
sterile months of the hot summer. )t the autumnal e6uino%, which marked the beginning of the 1umerian new year,
0umu.i returned to the earth. His reunion with his wife caused all animal and plant life to be re!itali.ed and made
fertile once again.
0uttur
(1umer Mother of 0umu.i, and goddess of ewes.
"a
(3abylonian The god of wisdom, spells, incantations, and the seas.
"l
(<hoenicia 5eader of the gods.
"ndukugga
(1umeria God of the @nderworld.
"nki
(1umerian ) creator god in Mesopotamia, later called "a. The 1umerian god of water.
"nlil
(1umerian The god of air and weather.
"nnugi
(Mesopotamia God of canals.
"riskegal, "reshkigal ()llatu
(3abylonia 1he is one of the di!inities who ruled the netherworld. The goddess that ruled o!er the dead. (ife of
*ergal.
"shara
(Chaldean Goddess of war, and of producti!e fields.
"shmun
(Canaan God of healing.
:iranak
(<ersia 1he was the mother of the hero :eridun, whom she sa!ed from a threatened massacre by hiding him in a
garden where a miraculous cow named <ruma&eh suckled him.
:ra!ashi
(<ersia Her name means #1he$who$is$many#. 1he is made up of the souls of all li!ing creatures, including those *ot$
4et$3orn.
Gatamdug
(3abylonia ) mother goddess along the Tigris 8i!er. 1he was an interpreter of dreams, who was later assimilated into
the goddess Gula.
Genea
(<hoenicia 0aughter of ;olpia and 3aau, and, with Genos, the first inhabitants of <hoenicia.
Genos
(<hoenicia 1on of ;olpia and 3aau, and, with Genea, the first inhabitants of <hoenicia.
Gestinanna
(1umerian 1ister of 0umu.i. The dying 0umu.i, tortured by nightmares, brought the dreams to his sister for
interpretation. Gestinanna reali.ed her brother was under attack by demons. 1he tells him this and ad!ises him to flee.
0umu.i flees, swearing Gestinanna to secrecy as to where he is going into hiding. The demons attacked Gestinanna to
force her to re!eal her brother/s whereabouts, but she remained silent. The demons, howe!er, soon found 0umu.i,
hiding in the form of a ga.elle in his sister/s sheepfold. He was carried off to the underworld by them- Gestinanna then
set out to rescue him. They were e!entually reunited after many ad!entures. The goddess then persuaded the
underworld di!inities to grant 0umu.i half her own life- thus each was allowed to li!e on earth si% months of each
year.
Gula
(3abylonia 1ometimes called Gula$3au. ) mother goddess, with the power to inflict disease, or to cure disease. 1he
li!ed in a garden at the center of the world, and watered the tree that forms its a%is.
Hadad
(Canaan God of lightning and thunder.
Hannahanna
(Hittite God of agriculture.
Hatti
(Hittite The throne goddess, protector of the king.
Hea
(Mesopotamia Goddess of wisdom.
Hiribi
(Canaan Goddess of summer.
Houri, The
(<ersia The nymphs who accompany the faithful in paradise.
Humban
(Mesopotamia The supreme deity.
Innana
1umerian goddess that later became known as Ishtar. 1he was the 6ueen of hea!en. also the goddess of lo!e,
procreation, and war.
Ishkur
(Mesopotamia God of rain.
Ishtar
(3abylonian The daughter of 1in, she was the goddess of se%uality, and the ambitious, dynamic goddess of lo!e and
war. The 3abylonian goddess Ishtar was a later, more comple% form of the 1umerian goddess Inanna and their myths
were similar. 3oth lo!ed a !egetation god who died yearly and was reborn yearly. 3oth were responsible for the death
as well as the rebirth of the belo!ed. 5ike Inanna (her lo!er was 0umu.i, Ishtar descended to the underworld in
search of Tammu., the lo!er whose death she had caused. 3ut e!en a di!ine !isitor to the hell 6ueen, "riskegal, must
go naked, so Ishtar was forced to gi!e up her &ewels and clothes (some article at each of the se!en gates as she
descended. 1o Ishtar was stripped' her crown taken from her at the first gate, then her earrings, her necklace, her
diadem, her belt, her bracelets, and finally$at the se!enth gate$ her !ery garment. )ll these were courting presents
from Tammu., and Ishtar was loath to part with them. 3ut to gain her desire$the resurrection of the !egetation god
Tammu. for whom earth/s women were wailing$Ishtar allowed herself to be stripped and stood naked before "riskegal.
"riskegal ("reshkigal had Ishtar imprisoned and assaulted her with illness after illness, si%ty in all. (That/s winter$
time. :inally "a, the god of wisdom, inter!ened and through his magic Ishtar was released. (That/s spring$time.
Ithm
(Canaan God of herds.
?amshid or ?amshyd
Q<ersia Myth (IranT )n early legendary king of <ersia who reigned for ICC years, and had demons (0e!s as his
sla!es.
;abta
(1umeria God of bricks.
;adi
()ssyria Goddess of &ustice.
;amrusepas
(Hittite God of healing and magic.
;i (;iki
(1umerianThe goddess of earth.
;ingu
The dragon of chaos.
;olpia
(<hoenicia Male creator god- husband to 3aau, and father of )eon and <rotogonis.
;othar$u$;hasis
(Canaan God of crafts.
5ahar
(3abylonian Goddess of herds, especially sheep.
Marduk
The fertility god and the lord of all the gods. In 3abylonian religion, the supreme god. +riginally, he was a god of
thunderstorms. )ccording to "numa elish, an ancient epic poem of creation, Marduk defeated Tiamat and ;ingu, the
dragons of chaos, and thereby gained supreme power. )cknowledged as the creator of the uni!erse and of humankind,
the god of light and life, and the ruler of destinies, he rose to such eminence that he claimed DC titles. "!entually, he
was called simply 3el, meaning #5ord.#
Mari
(Middle "ast #Mother 1ea#. 3asic name of the goddess known as Marian, Mariamne, Myrrhine, Myrrha, Marratu,
Maria, Maerin, Mariana and Marina. )lso the basic name for the merry$maid, or mermaid (also mare$mynd,
mareminde, marraminde, maraeman or mereminne. 1he was often seen dressed in a blue robe and pearl necklace,
edged with pearly foam.
Meni
(<hoenicia God of luck, both good and bad.
Merodach
(3abylonia ) sun god.
Misor
(<hoenicia He, with 1ydyk, disco!ered salt and its uses.
Moloch
(Canaan 1un god.
Mot
)ncient <hoenician god of the dead and of all the powers that opposed life and fertility- he was the fa!orite son of the
god "l, and the most prominent enemy of the god 3aal. Mot was the god of sterility and the master of all barren
places. Traditionally, Mot and 3aal (a god of springs, sky, and fertility were perpetually engaged in a seasonal
struggle in which 3aal, like many similar har!est deities, was annually !an6uished and slain. Mot, howe!er, was also
annually killed by 3aal/s sister )nath, who thus aided 3aal/s resurrection.
Mushdama
(Mesopotamia God of architecture.
Mylitta
(3abylonian Goddess of fertility.
*aamah
(Canaan Goddess of se%uality.
*abu (*ebo
1on of Marduk, and the scribe and herald of the gods.
*airyosangha
(Iran God of fire.
*ammu
(1umerian "arly goddess of the formless waters of creation.
*amtaru
()ssyria God of plagues.
*anna
(1umerian The god of the moon, and the father of @tu and Inanna.
*ebo
()ssyria The god of teaching and writing.
*ergal
+ne of the di!inities who ruled the netherworld in )ssyro$3abylonian mythology.
*idaba
(1umeria Goddess of writing.
*inhursag or *intu
1umerian goddess of the earth and creator of humans. 1he became enraged at her husband/s ("nki incestuous
ad!entures with his daughters and other goddesses forcing him to retreat to the underworld, lea!ing the earth parched,
accounting for the seasonal cycle.
*inlil
(1umeria God of air and grain.
*insar
(1umeria Goddess of plants.
*intur
(3abylonian Goddess of the womb.
*inurta
(1umerian The deity in charge of the !iolent and destructi!e south wind.
<a
(Canaan Goddess of droughts.
Hadshu
(1yria Goddess of fertility.
8apithwin
(<ersia God of the noon$day heat.
8esheph (Mikal or Mekal
)ncient <hoenician god of the plague and of the underworld, the companion of )nath, and the e6ui!alent of the
3abylonian god *ergal. He was also a war god and was thus represented as a bearded man, brandishing an a%, holding
a shield, and wearing a tall, pointed headdress with a goat/s or ga.elle/s head on his forehead. 8esheph was usually
belie!ed to be related to Mot, the god of sterility and death, but he also seems to ha!e been a god of well$being, plenty,
and fertility, and in that respect he may ha!e been a form of the god 3aal.
8immon
(3abylonia )nother sun god.
1adarnuna
(1umeria Goddess of the new moon.
1hahar
(Canaan God of the dawn.
1halim
(Canaan God of the dusk.
1hamish
(3abylonian The son of 1in, he was the sun god and the god of &ustice.
1hapshu
(Canaan Goddess of the sun.
1heger
(Canaan God of cattle.
1in
The 3abylonian moon god (counterpart of the 1umerian *anna.
1iris (1irah
(3abylonia Goddess of 3an6uets.
Taautos
(<hoenicia 0escendant of Misor- de!ol!ed into the "gyptian Thoth.
Tammu.
The har!est god and husband of Ishtar, whose !iolent lo!e sessions sent him comatose to the underworld, where she
would go yearly to re!i!e him, thus accounting for the seasons.
Tanit
(Canaan Goddess of the moon.
Taru
(Hittite The weather god.
Tasimmet
(Hittite Goddess of weather.
Telipinu
(Hittite God of agriculture.
Tiamat
The sa!age and defiant goddess of chaos in the Mesopotamian creation myth. :rom her corpse, (she was a dragonlike
personification of the oceans, whose destruction was prere6uisite to an orderly uni!erse the world is created.
Tishtrya
(Iran God of clouds, sea, and water.
Tsehub
(Hittite The weather god.
@tnapishtim
(3abylonian This man and his family are the sur!i!ors of the flood in the Gilgamesh epic.
@tu
(1umerian The sun god.
(urusemu
(Hittite The sun goddess, also called )rinna. Her consort was the weather god.
4am
(Canaan God of the sea.
4arih (4arikh
(Canaan Moon god.
4ima
(<ersia God of light. He is responsible for the fact that the earth is three times larger than originally intended. Mortal
humans and mortal animals ha!e o!erpopulated the planet three times and each time 4ima has enlarged it for them.
7aba
The Hurrite god of war.
7ababa
(;ish Chief of the gods.
7am
) <ersian earth$spirit.
7anahary (7anaharibe
(Madagascar He was 7anahary the #creator god# and he was also 8ailanitra the #father of hea!en#. He was a
terrifying god that spoke in thunder and lightning. He was careless, howe!er, and was decei!ed by his double from
down below. In the beginning there were two 7anaharys' one abo!e called )ndriamanitra and one below. The one
below amused himself by making clay figures representing men, women and animals. 3ut he could not bring them to
life. The 7anahary abo!e asked him for some of these figures in e%change for sunlight. The one below offered him fish
but the one abo!e wanted women. They then agreed and the 7anahary abo!e ga!e them life but the one below refused
to be separated from the women. The two gods became enemies, and that is how the worlds abo!e and below came to
be separated.
7arpandit
()ssyro$3abylonian )n early pregnancy goddess who was worshiped each night as the moon rose.
7arathustra
(<ersia ) priest$magician who spoke with the gods, fought against the demons and performed miracles.
7ata!u
(Madagascar ) great magician, he asked for the hand of a sky goddess in marriage. His marriage re6uest was denied
by the gods because a marriage between a mortal and a goddess was deemed improper. Howe!er, 7ata!u was able to
pro!e that he created himself, and was not therefore to be considered as other mortals. 1o logical was his argument
that the marriage was appro!ed.
7a.a!a!indrano
(Madagascar (ater spirits of whom mortal males make the claim that there is nothing a 7a.a!a!indrano wants more
than to marry a mortal male.
7iusudra
(1umerian The sur!i!or in the 1umerian flood myth, which was probably the source of the later 3abylonian flood
myth (he becomes @tnapishtim in Gilgamesh, which was undoubtedly the source of the biblical flood myth (where he
is now *oah.
7u (Imdugud
()ssyria The god of thunder and storms.
7ur!an
(<ersia :ather of )hriman and )hurama.da. The god of infinite time.
+ceania Mythological Characters
*+T"' +ceania is a name used to designate all the islands in the 1outh <acific +cean. The subdi!isions of +ceania
are Melanesia, Micronesia, and <olynesia, which are grouped together in accordance with the physical and cultural
characteristics of the inhabitants, and the Malay )rchipelago. ()s defined by the @nited *ations, (but not in these
pages, the term also includes )ustralia and *ew 7ealand. (e are including Hawaii in this grouping, although
geographically it is *+T in the 1outh <acific.
)beguwo
(Melanesia9*ew Guinea 8ain goddess whose urine turns to moisture.
)bere
(Melanesia )n e!il demoness who attacks males.
)daro
(<olynesia and Melanesian ) sea god.
)fekan
(Melanesia9*ew Guinea The creator goddess.
)i Tupua/i
(<olynesia Goddess of healing and of war.
/)iaru
(<olynesia +ne of the se!en guardians of the world. Her function is to predict death. The others are :a/a/ipu,
:irifiri/)ufau, *ihoniho teitei, /+rerorero, Tahu/a, and Tamaumau/orero.
)la Muki
(<olynesia ) ri!er goddess who takes the form of a dragon.
)lalahe
(<olynesia Goddess of lo!e.
)lii Menehune
(Hawaii Chief of the 5ittle <eople. The aboriginal little people of long, long ago were called menehune- )lii means
highest' thus )lii Menehune.
)luluei
(Micronesia God of knowledge.
)tanea
) dawn goddess in some 1outh <acific islands, who created the seas when she miscarried and filled the hollows of the
earth with amniotic fluid.
)ud&al
(Caroline Islands The earth goddess.
)umakua
(Hawaii Means #Ghost of 4our )ncestors#. Huna, the religion of early Hawaii, taught that each person had two souls.
(hen one died the earthly soul (unihi$pili remained earth$bound and descended to the the underworld. The aumakua
(higher soul ascended to the hea!ens to re&oin the deceased ancestors.
3abamik
(*ew Guinea ) cannibalistic ogress. (hen she died she became the crocodile ancestor.
3uring une
)n agricultural goddess who li!es benath the earth.
0arago
(<hilippines ) !olcano goddess who #demanded# a human sacrifice once a year to keep her from erupting.
0ayang$8aca
(3orneo The sole sur!i!or of a flood that killed off the rest of the human race. 1he mated with the flames of her
campfire, became pregnant, and repopulated the earth.
0e ai
(Micronesia Mother of the sun, moon, and sea.
0ogai
(Melanesian ) malignant spirit who tried constantly to frustrate human enterprise by making crops fail, scaring fish
away from nets, etc. 1ome places he was a male god, in other places she was a female goddess.
"nda semangko
(Melanesia 3oth a war goddess and a fertility goddess.
:aumea
(<olynesia Goddess of fertility.
Giriputri
(3ali The sacred mountain of Gunung )gaung is ruled by the bene!olent goddess Giriputri. "ach year sacred water is
drawn from a mountain stream and used to bless the har!est.
Goga
In Melanesia$<apua *ew 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. 1he 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 6uench the stolen fire,
the snake/s tail continued to smolder, and humans used it to light the first earthly bla.e.
Haumea
(Hawaii Goddess of childbirth.
Hiiaka/
,. (<olynesian 1ister to <ele and her helper in keeping the fires of ;ilauea burning.
L. (Hawaii <atroness of hula dancing.
Hina
(Hawaii Goddess of the moon.
Hine
(<olynesia Goddess of darkness.
Hoa$Tapu
(Tahiti God of war.
/Imoa
(<olynesia The first woman.
Io
<olynesian myth tells how their supreme god, Io, created the world. In the beginning there were only waters and
darkness. 3y his word and thought Io separated the waters and created "arth and sky. He said' #5et the waters be
separated, let the hea!ens be formed, let the "arth be.#
;analoa
(Hawaii God of the sea.
;ane
(Hawaii God of fertility, fresh water, and the woodlands.
;apo
(Hawaii Goddess of abortions, childbirth, and fertility.
;a!a
(Hawaii The god of good and e!il.
;onori
(*ew Guinea Creator of the world.
;u
(Hawaii The god of power and war.
;uklikimoku
(<olynesia God of war.
5aka
(Hawaii Goddess of fertile land.
5aulaati
(5oyalty Islands Creator of the world.
5ono
(Hawaii God of the sky, rain, and agriculture.
Mahiuki
(<olynesia 8uler of the underworld, and as Mahuika is goddess of fire and earth6uakes.
MakeMake
("aster Island Half human, half bird, he was the protector of birds.
Marruni
(Melanesia God of earth6uakes.
Maui
The most famous folktale character of <olynesia is Maui, the trickster hero who steals fire for man (The legend
describes the descent of Maui to the underworld, where he learns the art of making fire by rubbing two sticks
together, fishes up the islands of the 1outh <acific, traps the sun to lengthen the day, and helps raise the sky. Maui is
also known in Micronesian and some Melanesian folklore.
Melu
The creation god of the 3agobo (3agopo people of the <hilippines.
Menehune
The #little people# of <olynesian folklore are also called #menehune#.
Moeuhane
(Hawaii God of dreams.
*dauthina
(:i&i God of adultery, fire, and fishing.
*e Te$reere
(Micronesia Goddess of trees.
*e!inbimbaau
(Melanesia Initiation goddess.
*gendei
(:i&i The creator, and head god of all the original :i&i gods. 1upporter of the world- e!ery time he mo!es we ha!e an
earth6uake. He is also the god of good har!est and the king of the land of the dead. He is half snake and half rock.
*obu
(*ew Hebrides In part of *ew Hebrides he is considered the creator of the world.
+ro
(<olynesia The war god.
+!e
(:i&i Creator of the world.
<aka/a
(Hawaii ) son of a guardian of the king, who ser!es the king so well himself that he becomes the greatest chief of all.
<apa
(Hawaii Goddess of the @nderworld.
<ele
(<olynesian Goddess in charge of keeping the !olcano ;ilauea burning.
Huat
Melanesian sun god.
8ati
(3ali Goddess of fertility.
8ati$mbati$ndua
(:i&i The god of hell is a man with only one tooth with which he de!ours the dead.
8atu$Mai$Mbula
(:i&i God of fertility.
8ua
(Tahiti God of crafts.
8uahatu
(Tahiti ) sea god.
1aning 1ri
(?a!a Goddess of rice.
Ta/aroa
(Tahiti 1upreme deity.
Tamakaia
(*ew Hebrides Creator of the world.
Tane
(+ceania *ature god, son of 8angi (the sky and <a<a (the earth.
Tanemahuta
(<olynesian The Maori peoples/ lord of the forest.
Tangaroa
(<olynesian The Maori peoples/ lord of the ocean, and the supreme god who created all the other gods and mankind.
Tawhaki
(*ew 7ealand God of clouds and thunder.
Tiki
(<olynesian He is sometimes identified as the first man.
Tinirau
(<olynesia God of the sea.
Tu
(<olynesia The war god.
Tuli
(1amoa Creator goddess of the world.
Turi$a$faumea
(<olynesia God of fish and reptiles.
@kupanipo
(Hawaii God of sharks.
(ahini$Hal
(<olynesian The demonic mother figure of <olynesia looked like a seducti!e woman (e%cept for her protruding eyes
and her tongue hanging to her toesN. 1he sneaked through the world at night stealing and eating small children.
(alutahanga
(Melanesia The eight$fold snake goddess was born to a human mother- the woman was afraid of her husband and hid
the serpent girl. 3ut he disco!ered the deception and was so shocked he cut (alutahanga into eight pieces. )fter eight
days of rain, the girl/s body re&oined into a whole. (alutahanga tra!eled through the islands, tormenting humans in
retaliation for her murder. Captured, she was again chopped into eight pieces- e!eryone, e%cept 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 themsel!es into the goddess. To punish humanity, (alutahanga co!ered the islands with eight huge
flooding wa!es, which killed e!eryone but the woman and her child, the only ones who had not eaten the goddess/
flesh. The goddess ga!e these two many gifts, including the coconut and clearwater streams, before again retreating to
the ocean.
(ari$Ma$Te$Takere
(<olynesia This goddess was a coconut$shell di!inity who parthenogenetically produced the other gods from her right
and left sides. (ari symboli.es the fertile slime of primordial times and literally means #mud#.
(haitiri
(<olynesia 1he was a powerful figure who owned the thunder and ate human flesh. +nce she descended to earth to
marry a warrior chief, misunderstanding his title, #mankiller.# (hen (haitiri had taken up residence with her
husband, she found that he did not, after all, share her affection for eating humans. *ot only that, but he complained
about the smell of their children/s e%crement. 1he in!ented the toilet, showed humans how to use it, and returned to
the sky, where she still li!es.
(igan
(<hilippines The first woman- she wanted to populate the world beneath her sky, but her daughter, also named (igan,
and her son 3igan were resistant to lea!ing home. 1o she sent them into the forest to pick tubers, and then unleashed a
huge flood on the world. :loating upon the raging waters, (igan and 3igan found houses, pigs, cats, chickens, dogs
and &ars 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 ha!ing se%. 3ut one night 3igan
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.
8oman Mythological Characters
*ote')s a rule the 8omans were not myth$makers, and the myths they had were usually imported. The 8oman gods
were utilitarian, like the practical 8omans themsel!es. These gods were e%pected to ser!e and protect men, and when
they failed to do so their worship was curtailed. Most of the contents of 8oman myths were copied from the Greeks
(and changed to suit their needs. )s their empire grew, they incorporated aspects borrowed from the "gyptians and
from the religions of )sia Minor and the Middle "ast. They made minor changes again to suit their religion and
lifestyle and 5atini.ed the names.
)beona
1he is the goddess guardian of children lea!ing home to go on their own.
)bundantia ()bundita
Goddess of agriculture and abundance.
)ca!iser
)n "truscan goddess, one of the 5asas (:ates.
)cca
Goddess associated with Hercules.
)cca 5arentia
)n earth goddess. The foster$mother, as a she$wolf, that nursed 8omulus and 8emus. 1he is also said to be an early
"truscan goddess who passed into 8oman myth as a semi$de!ine prostitute.
)cidusa
Called #Mother of Maidens#. (ife of 1camander.
)deona
Goddess of schoolchildren- similar to )beona abo!e.
)deos
Goddess of modesty.
)dmeta
) priestess of ?uno.
)egeria
) goddess of prophecy. 1he is in!oked by pregnant women. +ne of the Camenae.
)eneas
+ne of the heroes of the Iliad, and the sub&ect of Firgil/s )eneid. 1on of Fenus.
)estas
Goddess of summer- usually portrayed nude and adorned with garlands of corn.
)etna
)etna is the 8oman mountain goddess after whom the Italian !olcano Mount "tna is named. In some legends she is
the wife of the smith god Fulcan.
)lbina
"truscan dawn goddess- protector of ill$fated lo!ers. ) white sow goddess similar to the celtic Cerridwen.
)lbunea
) prophetic priestess.
)lemona
Goddess of fetuses.
)lpan
("truscan )n attendant to Turan, goddess of lo!e.
)ltria
("truscan )n ancient earth goddess.
)mor
God of lo!e.
)nagtia
) goddess of healing.
)nceta
Goddess of healing along with )ngita and )nagtia.
)ngerona
The goddess of the winter solstice, and goddess of fear and anguish (producing or relie!ing.
)ngina
)nother goddess of health, specifically of sore throats.
)ngitia
"arly 8oman goddess of healing and witchcraft.
)nieros
) !ery early earth goddess, who with her daughter )%iocersa, personified the earth in spring ()%iocersa and in
autumn ()nieros.
)nima Mundi
<ersonification of immortality- means #1oul of the (orld#.
)nna <erenna
)n "truscan goddess who ruled human and !egetati!e reproduction.
)nteros
"truscan god of passion.
)nte!orta
Goddess of prophecy and childbirth.
)ppiades, The
Two groups'
,. The nymphs of the )ppian 1pring in 8ome.
L. The fi!e goddesses' Concordia, Miner!a, <a%, Fenus, and Festa.
)ppias
) fountain nymph.
)ricia
) goddess of prophetic !isions.
)rria
) heroic 8oman whose husband was ordered by the emperor to commit suicide. The husband could not force himself
to do so until )rria grabbed his dagger, stabbed herself, then handed the dagger to her husband saying, #It does not
hurt.#
)scanius
The son of )eneas. He is the founder of the city of )lba 5onga in Italy.
)straea
Goddess of &ustice.
)ttis
) !egetation god.
)urita
Goddess that heals earaches.
)urora
The personification of the dawn. Her Greek counterpart was "os.
)!erna
The 6ueen of the dead
)!ernales
*ymphs of the ri!ers of the underworld.
)!erruncus
Goddess of childbirth- specifically of the deli!ery.
)!ersa
("truscan ) goddess pictured carrying an a%. :unction unknown.
3acchus
In Greek and 8oman mythology, the god of wine and ecstasy, identified with 0ionysus, the Greek god of wine, and
5iber, the 8oman god of wine. His followers were mostly women who celebrated in a rite that ga!e us the modern term
3acchanalia. His feasts were drunken euphoria$filled re!elries that sometimes led to bloodshed. The name 3acchus
came into use in ancient Greece during the Dth century bc. It refers to the loud cries with which he was worshiped at
the 3acchanalia, frenetic celebrations in his honor. These e!ents, which supposedly originated in spring nature
festi!als, became occasions for licentiousness and into%ication, at which the celebrants danced, drank, and generally
debauched themsel!es. The 3acchanalia became more and more e%treme and were prohibited by the 8oman 1enate in
,KJ bc.
3efana
(Italy 1he is represented as an old woman who, although ugly, is also !ery kind. +n ?anuary Dth of each year she
distributes candy to the good children and lumps of coal to the bad.
3egoe
Goddess of lightning and thunder.
3ellona
The goddess of war, popular among the 8oman soldiers. 1he accompanied Mars in battle. 1he was either the wife,
daughter, or sister of Mars, and was sometimes portrayed as his charioteer or muse. This serpent$haired goddess is
often described as the feminine side of the god Mars. 1he is identified with the Greek war goddess "nyo. In front of
3ellona/s temple, the fetialis (priestly officials performed the declaration of war ceremony, the casting of a spear
against the distant enemy. 3ellona/s attribute is a sword and she is depicted wearing a helmet. 1he could be of
"truscan origin. Human sacrifices were made to her.
3ona
Goddess of female characteristics.
3ona 0ea
5atin for #Good Goddess#. The deity of fruitfulness, both in earth and in women. 1he was worshipped by the Festals as
the goddess of chastity and fertility.
3ormonia
) goddess of healing.
3ubona
Goddess protector of animals.
3yblis
) water nymph who suffered from unre6uited lo!e.
Caca
Goddess of fire or !ice.
Cacus
:ire deity, brother of Caca. Cacus, three$headed and !omiting flames, was a son of Fulcan. He was noted as a robber,
and was strangled to death by Hercules when he stole some of Hercules/ cattle.
Calybe
) water nymph.
Camenae, The
These water spirits dwell in freshwater springs and ri!ers. Their name means #foretellers#. Their festi!al, the
:ontinalia, was celebrated on +ctober ,B by tossing good luck wreaths into wells. )mong them are )egiria, )nte!orta,
Carmentis (the leader, <orrima, <rorsa, <ro!ersa, <ost!orta, Tiburtis, and Timandra.
Camilla
) !irgin 6ueen. 1he was so swift, it is said, that she could run o!er the sea without getting her feet wet. 1he was a
warrior dedicated to the ser!ice of the !irgin goddess 0iana. In one myth Camilla led an army against )eneas and his
in!ading Tro&ans. +n foot, and with breasts bare, she fought at the head of the army, but was killed by )eneas. In
another she is killed in battle by the "truscan )rruns.
Camise
) water nymph- mother of Tibernius by ?anus.
Candelifera
Goddess who assists at birth, in charge of pro!iding enough light during deli!ery.
Canente
+cean nymph who grie!ed so much o!er the loss of her husband she dissol!ed in tears.
Cardea
Goddess who possessed power o!er doorways. Cardea was a minor goddess who personified the hinges of the front
door, and therefore the comings and goings of family life. 1he was particularly in!oked to protect sleeping children
against night$spirits who might harm or kill them. 1he is similar to the Greek goddess )rtemis also.
Carmenta (Carmentis
) goddess of prophecy and midwifery- she also brought the art of writing to her land. 1he was said to assist a woman
in labor and to tell the future of the newborn.
Carmina
"truscan goddess of spells.
Carna
) pesonification of the physical processes of sur!i!al. #Carnal# is a deri!ati!e.
Ceres
0aughter of 1aturn and +ps. Goddess of the growth of food plants. 1he and her daughter <roserpine were the
counterparts of the Greek goddesses 0emeter and <ersephone. Her worship in!ol!ed fertility rites and rites for the
dead, and her chief festi!al was the Cerealia. (+ur word cereal is deri!ed from Ceres.
Cloacina
Goddess who watched o!er the construction and preser!ation of sewers (think Cloaca Ma%ima, that famous sewer in
ancient 8ome. 1he was also the protector of se%ual intercourse in marriage.
Cloelia
Heroine whose bra!ery was responsible for the peace talks between her countrymen, the 8omans, and her "truscan
captors.
Coin6uenda
Goddess of trees.
Collatina
Goddess of hills.
Comitia
) goddess of childbirth.
Comus
1on of 3acchus and Circe(A. The god of sensual pleasure.
Conciliatri%
Goddess of marital harmony.
Concordia
Concordia is the goddess of peace and is pictured as a hea!yset matron holding a cornucopia in one hand and an oli!e
branch in the other.
Consentes 0ii
The ,L chief gods (a la the ,L Greek +lympian gods' ?upiter, )pollo, *eptune, Mars, Mercury, Fulcan, ?uno, 0iana,
Miner!a, Fenus, Ceres, and Festa.
Consus
) god of agriculture and counseling.
Copia
Goddess of plenty a la #cornucopia# and #copious#.
Cor!us
The messenger of the gods.
Cuba
Goddess of infants. 1he brings sleep to them- her cohorts are "dulica who blesses their food and <ortina who blesses
their drinking. 1he is sister to Cunina and 8umina.
Culsa
) goddess of the underworld.
Cunina
Goddess who protected infants asleep in their cradles.
Cupid
Means desire (5at. cupido. The son of Fenus, goddess of lo!e. His Greek mythology counterpart was "ros, god of
lo!e. The most famous myth about Cupid is the one that documents his romance with <syche'
<syche was a beautiful princess. Fenus, &ealous of <syche/s beauty, ordered her son Cupid, god of lo!e, to make <syche
fall in lo!e with the ugliest man in the world. Instead, he fell in lo!e with her, and spirited her away to a secluded
palace where he !isited her only at night, unseen and unrecogni.ed by her. He forbade her to e!er 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. :inally Cupid repented and had ?upiter make her immortal so they
could be together fore!er.
Cupra
<ersonification of the day (or light.
Cura
Goddess who first fashioned humans from clay.
Cyane
1icilian nymph, companion of <roserpina. 1he was so de!astated o!er the loss of <roserpina that she cried until she
became a well.
Cybele
Her Greek mythology counterpart was 8hea, mother of the +lympian gods. Cybele was the goddess of nature and
fertility. 3ecause Cybele presided o!er 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 fren.ied music of flutes, drums, and cymbals. Her annual spring festi!al celebrated the death and
resurrection of her belo!ed )ttis, a !egetation god.
0ea 0ia
)ncient goddess of corn and agriculture.
0ea Marica
Goddess of the marshes.
0ecuma
+ne of the <arcae.
0e!erra
+ne of the three goddesses who protect young mothers. The other two are Intercidona and <ilumnus.
0ia
Her name shows that she was one of Italy/s original goddesses, but there is little information about her today.
0iana
Goddess of the hunt. In 8oman art 0iana usually appears as a huntress with bow and arrow, along with a hunting dog
or a stag. 1he is also goddess of the moon, forests, animals, and women in childbirth. 3oth a !irgin goddess and an
earth goddess, she was identified with the Greek )rtemis. 1he is praised for her strength, athletic grace, beauty and
her hunting skills. (ith two other deities she made up a trinity' "geria the water nymph (her ser!ant and assistant
midwife, and Firbius (the woodland god.
0ido
The Carthaginian Hueen who was in!ol!ed in an ill$fated affair with )eneas (in the )eneid.
0isciplina
Goddess of discipline.
0iscordia
1he was the personification of strife. 1he was sister to Mars and belonged to the retinue of Mars and 3ellona. 1he is
identified with the Greek "ris (The goddess of discord.
0is <ater
God of death and the @nderworld. )lso called 0ispater or 0is.
"dusa
Goddess of infants who are weaning.
"geria
) water nymph who was religious ad!iser to *uma, ;ing of 8ome (ICC 3C".
"mpanda ("mpanada
This goddess of asylum personified the idea of openness and generosity.
"6uestris
<rotector of domesticated animals.
"richthonius
1on of Fulcan. He was deformed (had dragon feet. )thena put him in a bo% and ga!e it to the care of the daughters of
Cecrops, with strict orders not to open the bo%. *aturally they opened it and what they saw so frightened them they
&umped off )cropolis to their deaths. He later became the constellation )uriga, which is 5atin for charioteer, as he is
said to be the in!entor of the chariot.
"thaus!a
Goddess of childbirth.
:ama
Goddess of fame or rumor. 1he is said to ha!e many eyes and mouths. 1he tra!els about the world, first whispering her
rumors to only a few, then becoming louder and louder till the whole world knows the news. 1he li!ed in a palace with
a thousand windows, all of which were always kept open so she could hear e!erything that was said by anyone on
earth. Her friends were Credulitas (error, 5aetitia (&oy, Timores (terror, and 1usuri (rumor. 1he was known as +ssa
to the Greeks.
:ate
Goddess of fate.
The :ates
The 8oman :ates were the #<arcae#- the *orse :ates were the #*orns# (They were usually three' @rth ((yrd, past-
Ferthandi, present- and 1kuld, future- the Greek fates were called the #Moerae# or #Moirai# (Clotho, who spun the
web of life- 5achesis, who measured its length- and )tropos, who cut it. The <arcae were three !ery old women who
spin the fate of mortal destiny. They were *ona, 0ecuma, and Morta. *ona spun the thread of life, 0ecuma assigned it
to a person and Morta cut it, ending that person/s life.
:auna
Goddess who personified fertility. 1he was the wife of :aunus.
:aunus
1on of <icus. ) woodland deity, protector of herds and crops- identified with the Greek <an. The grandson of the god
1aturn, he was worshiped as the god of the fields and of shepherds. He was belie!ed to speak to people through the
sounds of the forest and in nightmares. He was attended by the fauns, creatures that resemble humans somewhat
e%cept for the fact that they ha!e short horns, pointed ears, tails and goat/s feet, the counterparts of the Greek satyrs.
:austulus
The shepherd who, with his wife )cca, found and raised the twins 8omulus and 8emus.
:ebris
Goddess of fe!ers.
:ebrua
Goddess of purification. 1ometimes called :ebruus, and considered male.
:ebrulis
)nother goddess of purification.
:ebruus
"truscan god of purification who dwells in the underworld.
:ecunditas
Goddess of fertility.
:elicitas
The goddess of good luck. 1he was a fa!orite of the 8oman emperors and their generals.
:eronia
The deity who protects freedmen. This goddess made her home in woodlands or at the foot of mountains. 1ome belie!e
she is an "truscan goddess dating back before 8ome, powerful enough to maintain her own identity after the 8oman
con6uest.
:ides
Goddess of good faith and honesty. :ides was the guardian of integrity and honesty in all dealings between indi!iduals
and groups. 1he was depicted as an old woman wearing an oli!e wreath and carrying a basket of fruit.
:lora
Goddess of flowers and springtime. Her festi!al, the :loralia, was licentious in spirit (she was re!ered especially by
courtesans since flowers are the se% organs of plants and she represented flowers and featured dramatic spectacles, the
passing of obscene medallions and lo!e$making by friends and9or strangers. The women paraded about unclothed, at
least until the Brd century C", when that was banned by the authorities. :lora was depicted as a beautiful maiden,
wearing a crown of flowers.
:luonia
Goddess who stops the menstrual flow.
:ons
Goddess of fountains.
:orna%
Goddess of bread.
:ortuna
1he controls the destiny of e!ery human being by permitting the fertili.ation of humans, animals and plants. 1he was
shown as a blind woman holding a rudder (for steering a course for each of us and a cornucopia (for the wealth that
she could bring.
:raud (:raus
Goddess of betrayal. 1he has a human face, the body of a serpent, and a scorpion stinger at the end of her tail.
:ulgora
Goddess of lightning.
:urrina
)n ancient Italian goddess who is all but forgotten in myth now. 1ome mythographers belie!e she was one of the
:uries.
:urina
"truscan goddess of darkness and robbers.
Galiana
("truscan 1he sa!ed her city from a 8oman in!asion by appearing naked on the battlefield. Her appearance so
affected the 8omans that they fell back in confusion.
Geneta Mana
) goddess who presided o!er life and death.
Giane
(1ardinia ) woodland spinning spirit, an a!erage$si.ed woman with steel fingernails, long dishe!eled hair, and long,
pendant breasts that she threw o!er her shoulders as she was working her magic loom. )s she worked she would sing
plainti!e lo!e songs. If a human man should respond she would ha!e 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 Firgil.
Hercules
The 8omans borrowed this hero from the Greeks (Herakles and changed his name into the familiar 5atin one of
Hercules (see under Heracles.
Hippona
Goddess who presides o!er horses.
Hora
Goddess who presides o!er time and9or beauty.
Horta
Goddess of gardens.
Hostilina
Goddess who presides o!er corn in growth.
Hybla
)ncient 1icilian earth goddess, and ancestor of humanity.
Hygieia
Goddess of health.
Hymen (Hymenaeus
God of marriage, in!oked the wedding night.
Iaso
Goddess of healing.
Ilia
The Festal !irgin who became, by Mars, the mother of the twins 8omulus and 8emus. 1he is the daughter of king
*umitor of )lba 5onga, who was dethroned by his brother )mulius. Her uncle ga!e her to the goddess Festa so she
would remain a !irgin for the rest of her life. )mulius had learned from an oracle that her children would become a
threat to his power. Howe!er, because she had !iolated her sacred !ow (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 <roserpina.
Intercidona
<rotectress of children and goddess of the a%e that separated the newborn from danger. 1he guards new mothers from
e!il spirits.
Interduca
*ame gi!en to ?uno when related to the marriage ceremony.
?ana
Moon goddess, wife of ?anus.
?anus
?anus, custodian of the uni!erse, 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 &ust ended and to face the year &ust beginning.
?uga (?ugalis
Goddess of marriage.
?uno
Hueen of the gods, the wife and sister of the god ?upiter. 1he was the protector of women and was worshiped under
se!eral names. )s ?uno <ronuba she presided o!er marriage- as ?uno 5ucina she aided women in childbirth- and as
?uno 8egina she was the special counselor and protector of the 8oman state. 1he is considered to be the female
counterpart to ?upiter, king of the gods. "!ery year, on the first of March, women held a festi!al in honor of ?uno
called the Matronalia. To this day, many people consider the month of ?une, which is named after the goddess to be the
most fa!orable time to marry. The peacock is sacred to ?uno. Her Greek mythology counterpart was Hera.
?upiter
;ing of the 8oman gods, son of 1aturn (whom he o!erthrew and +ps, brother and husband of ?uno. He was
particularly concerned with oaths, treaties, confederations and with the most ancient and sacred form of marriage.
?upiter, the name, is deri!ed from the same root word as 7eus (bright. He was improperly called ?o!e also. +riginally
the god of the sky, ?upiter was worshiped as god of rain, thunder, and lightning. He de!eloped into the prime protector
of the state, and as the protector of 8ome he was called ?upiter +ptimus Ma%imus. )s ?upiter :idius he was guardian
of law, defender of truth, and protector of &ustice and !irtue. The 8omans identified ?upiter with 7eus, the supreme god
of the Greeks, and assigned to the 8oman god the attributes and myths of the Greek di!inity- the ?upiter of 5atin
literature, therefore, has many Greek characteristics, but the ?upiter of 8oman religious worship remained
substantially untouched by the Greek influence. (ith the goddeses ?uno and Miner!a, ?upiter formed the triad whose
worship was the central cult of the 8oman state.
?ustitia
Goddess of &ustice. 1he is depicted as blindfolded holding two balanced scales and a sword.
?uturna
Goddess of fountains. In some myths she is the mother of :ons.
?u!entas
Goddess of youth.
;erres
)ncient mother goddess. <robably an early form of Ceres.
;ulsu
)ncient underworld goddess.
5alal
"truscan moon goddess.
5ara
) goddess of the underworld.
5ares
Gods of the household. They were spirits of dead ancestors who protected the family.
5arunda
House goddess.
5asa
Goddess of fate- usually depicted with wings and with hammer and nail.
5asa$8akuneta
"truscan winged goddess.
5atinus
)n early king of Italy, supposedly the son of :aunus and the nymph Marcia.
5a!erna
<atron goddess of thie!es.
5a!inia
Goddess of the earth/s fertility.
5ibentina
Goddess of se%ual pleasure.
5iber
God of fertility and grape!ines.
5ibera
Goddess of the culti!ation of grapes.
5iberalitas
Goddess of generosity.
5ibertas
Goddess of liberty.
5ibitina
Goddess of death and funerals.
5ignaco 0e%
:orest goddess.
5imentina (5ima
Goddess of thresholds.
5osna
"truscan moon goddess.
5ua
Goddess of plagues. )lso goddess of religious purification.
5ucifera
*ame used for 0iana as a moon goddess.
5ucina
Goddess of childbirth.
5una
Moon goddess that regulates the seasons and the months.
5upa
The goddess she$wolf who suckled 8omulus and 8emus.
5uperca
Goddess of herds and fruitfulness.
5upercus
God of herds and fruitfulness.
5utinus
) god of fertility.
5ympha
Goddess of healing.
Magna Mater or Mater Magna
) mother goddess. 1he is depicted as a do!e and do!es are her messengers.
Maia
Goddess of spring warmth (and se%ual heat. (ife of Fulcan.
Ma&estas
Goddess of honor and re!erence.
Mana
Goddess who presides o!er infants that die at birth.
Mania
8epresentations of her were hung in household doorways to ward off e!il. 1he was a goddess of the underworld.
Marica
) water nymph.
Mars
The son of ?upiter and ?uno, he was the god of war. Mars was regarded as the father of the 8oman people because he
was the father of 8omulus, the legendary founder of 8ome, and husband to 3ellona. He was the most prominent of the
military gods that were worshipped by the 8oman legions. The martial 8omans considered him second in importance
only to ?upiter. His festi!als were held in March (named for him and +ctober. Mars was identified with the Greek
)res.
Matrona
*ame used for ?uno when worshipped as a protector of women from birth to death.
Matuta
Goddess of sea tra!el.
Meditrina
) goddess of healing.
Mellona
Honey goddess. 3ee goddess.
Mens
) mother9guardian goddess. The word menstruation comes from her name.
Mephitis
Goddess of no%ious !apors. 1he protects her followers from poisonous gasses.
Mercury
Mercury was the son of ?upiter and of Maia, the daughter of the Titan )tlas. 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 symboli.e his business functions.
Messia
Goddess of agriculture.
Miner!a
Miner!a is the goddess of wisdom, commerce, crafts, and the in!entor of music. +!id called her the #goddess of a
thousand works.# Her Greek mythology counterpart was )thena, and Miner!a too sprung fully grown, and fully
armored, from the head of ?upiter.
Miseria
Goddess of po!erty.
Mlakukh
"truscan lo!e goddess.
Molae, The
Goddesses who presided o!er mills.
Moneta
Guardian of finances.
Mors
) god of death.
Morta
+ne of the <arcae- she/s the one who cuts the thread of life.
Muliebris
<rotector of chastity and womanhood.
Munthukh
"truscan goddess of health.
Muta
Goddess of silence.
*aenia
Goddess of funerals. )ll her places of worship were placed outside the city/s walls.
*ascio
Goddess of childbirth- protector of infants.
*ecessitas
Goddess of destiny. )kin to the Greek )nake.
*eptune
1on of 1aturn, and brother to ?upiter and <luto. God of the sea. @sually shown carrying a trident and rising from the
sea.His Greek mythology counterpart was <oseidon.
*erine
1abine woman supposedly married to Mars.
*erio
) minor 8oman goddess, and the consort of Mars.
*i%i, The
0eities who assist women during childbirth by easing the pain.
*ona
Goddess of fetal formation.
*ortia
"truscan goddess of healing.
*o%
Goddess of night.
*umeria
Goddess of childbirth.
*undina
The goddess who presides o!er a child/s naming day (ninth day after birth.
+pigena
Goddess of childbirth.
+ps
"arth goddess. <rotector of e!erything connected to agriculture.
+rbona
Goddess of children, especially orphans.
<alato
0aughter of the north wind and wife of the god of agriculture.
<ales
Goddess who watched o!er pastures. Goddess of flocks and shepherds.
<allor
Goddess of fear.
<anacea
Goddess of health.
<arca (<artula
Goddess of childbirth.
<arcae, The
*ame for the :ates. They are 0ecuma. Morta, and *ona.
<arthenope
+ne of the 8oman 1irens. 1he was the mother of "uropa.
<atella
)n agriculture goddess.
<a%
Goddess of peace.
<ecunia
Goddess who presides o!er money.
<elonia
Goddess who is in!oked to ward off enemies.
<enates
Gods who presided o!er the welfare of the family.
<ertunda (<rema
Goddess who presides o!er the newlyweds/ first se%ual intercourse.
<hilemon and 3aucis
) peasant couple remarkable for their mutual lo!e. (hen ?upiter and Mercury wandered about on earth in human
form seeking food and shelter, they were turned away by all, e%cept <hilemon and 3aucis, an old couple, who offered
them both, although they had little food to share. )s a reward for their kindness, ?upiter offered to grant them a wish.
They decided that when their time was near they wished to die together. Their wish was granted and ?upiter turned
each into a tree when they died
<ietas
Goddess of &ustice.
<icus
) god of agriculture and forests.
<ietas
Goddess of duty.
<luto (0is or 0is <ater, +rcus
God of the dead, the abductor, and later, the husband of <roserpine. <luto assisted his two brothers, ?upiter and
*eptune, in o!erthrowing their father, 1aturn. They then di!ided the world among themsel!es, with ?upiter choosing
the earth and the hea!ens as his realm, *eptune becoming the ruler of the sea, and <luto recei!ing the lower world as
his kingdom. He was originally considered a fierce and unyielding god, deaf to prayers and unappeased by sacrifices.
5ater the belief arose in which the milder and more beneficent aspects of the god were stressed. He was belie!ed to be
the bestower of the blessings hidden in the earth, such as mineral wealth and crops. He was the 5atin counterpart of
the Greek god Hades.
<oena
Goddess of punishment.
<omona
The goddess of fruit and fertility.
<ortunus
God of harbors.
<orus
God of prosperity.
<ost!orta
Goddess of the past.
<otina
Goddess of children/s drinks and of wea!ing.
<ra%idike (<ra%idice
Goddess of !engeance. Goddess of oaths.
<riapus
God of fertility.
<roserpina
<roserpina, daughter of Ceres, is the counterpart of the Greek goddess, <ersephone. 1he was kidnapped by <luto, who
married her, and took her to his underworld and made her 6ueen of the dead.
<syche
) beautiful princess lo!ed by Cupid. Fenus, &ealous of <syche/s beauty, ordered her son Cupid, god of lo!e, to make
<syche fall in lo!e with the ugliest man in the world. Instead, he fell in lo!e with her, and spirited her away to a
secluded palace where he !isited her only at night, unseen and unrecogni.ed by her. He forbade her to e!er 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. :inally Cupid repented and had ?upiter make her immortal so
they could be together fore!er.
<udicitia
Goddess of modesty.
<uta
Goddess of tree$pruning.
Huies
Goddess of tran6uility.
Huirinus
God of war.
Huiritis
1abine goddess of motherhood.
8hea 1il!ia
) Festal Firgin until she was deflowered by the god Mars. 1he bore him the twins 8omulus and 8emus.
8obigo
Goddess of grain, especially corn.
8obigus
God of grain, especially corn.
8oma
<ersonification of 8ome.
8omulus ` 8emus
The brothers who founded the city of 8ome.
8umia 0ea
<rotector of infants.
8umina
+ne of the three goddesses who protected sleeping infants. The other two are her sisters Cuba and Cunina.
8uncina
Goddess of agriculture who presides o!er weeding.
8usina
Goddess of fields and open country.
1alacia
) sea goddess. (How do we get to #salacious# from hereA
1alus
Goddess of health. )ssimilated into the 8oman pantheon from an earlier 1abine goddess.
1apientia
Goddess of wisdom. (:rom whence comes the term #Homo 1apiens#.
1aturn
The god of farmers. The biggest feast in his honor was the 1aturnalia which became the biggest influence in the
inception of today/s Christmas$*ew 4ear holidays. 1aturday was named for 1aturn.
1cabies
Goddess in!oked to cure skin diseases.
1ecia
Goddess of stored seeds.
1egetia
Goddess of planted seeds. 1he controls sprouting and is part of a threesome- the other two being 1eia and Tutilina.
1entia
1entia is the 8oman goddess who heightens feelings.
1il!anus
God of nature and the woods.
1ol
1un god.
1omnus
God of sleep and dreams.
1trenia
Goddess of health and protector of the young.
1trenua
Goddess of !igor who gi!es energy to the weak and tired.
1uada
Goddess of persuasion.
1ummanus
) god of thunder.
Tages
"arly "truscan god of prophecy. 3orn in the morning as a clod of earth rising from recently plowed fields, he
predicted the future to the !illagers who saw him, taught them the rites of prophecy, then died. His words became the
foundation of "truscan 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
<ossibly a Festal Firgin- she betrayed 8ome to the 1abines in the war that followed the rape of the 1abine women. 1he
fell in lo!e with Tatius, commander of the 1abine army, and said she would allow his army passage into 8ome if he
would marry her, or gi!e 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 8ome defeated, he fulfilled his promise by ha!ing all his army pile
their hea!y shields, which they carried on their left arms, piled upon her. 1he was crushed to death.
Tar6uinius <riscus
:ifth legendary king of 8ome, who some say was responsible for the building of the Cloaca Ma%ima.
Tar6uinius 1uperbus
1e!enth, and last, of the legendary kings of 8ome. He, or his son 1e%tus, raped 5ucretia who, in shame, committed
suicide. He was o!erthrown by 3rutus, thus ending the 8oman monarchy.
Telesphorus
God of strength.
Tellus Mater (Terra
The 8oman #Mother "arth# is the constant companion of Ceres, and the two of them are patrons of !egetati!e 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 8oman goddess of wind and storm.
Terminus
God of boundaries (or boundary stones.
Tesana
Goddess of the dawn (a la )urora.
Thalna
Goddess of beauty.
Thermia
Goddess who presides o!er healing springs.
Tiberinus
The 8oman god of the ri!er Tiber.
Tinia
"truscan god of storms.
Tri!ia
*ame for 0iana when she presides o!er crossroads.
Tuchulcha
"truscan death demon. 1he is part human, part bird, and part animal, with snakes in her hair and around her arms.
Tullus Hostilius
Third legendary king of 8ome. 1uccessful in battle against the 1abines, he was struck dead by a lightning bolt from
?upiter.
Turan
"truscan goddess of se%ual lo!e.
Tursa
Goddess of terror.
@mbria
Goddess of shadows and secrecy.
@ni
"truscan protector of cities and the women therein, and a goddess of witchcraft.
@n%ia
<rotector of the newly married.
Facuna
) war goddess that e!ol!ed from the 1abine goddess of !ictory.
Faleria
) !irgin chosen to be sacrificed during an epidemic. ?ust 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. Faleria interpreted this to mean she was to sacrifice the heifer instead of herself. 1he did that. (1mart
girlN
Faletudo
Goddess of health.
Fanth
"truscan goddess of death. 1he is depicted with wings, a cap on her head, and a key to open tombs in her hand.
Faticanus
The spirit that opens the mouths of newborn infants so they can issue their first cry.
Fenilia
Goddess of the wind and the sea.
Fenus
)s the goddess of lo!e, Fenus is the #6ueen of pleasure# and mother of the 8oman people. <ossibly the daughter of
?upiter, she was the daughter of 0ione. Fenus was the wife of Fulcan, god of metalwork, but she was often unfaithful
to him. )mong her many lo!ers were Mars, the god of war- and the handsome shepherd )donis. Fenus was also the
mother (by Mercury of Cupid, god of lo!e. 1he was the goddess of chastity in women, despite the fact that she had
many affairs with both gods and mortals. )s Fenus Genetri%, she was worshiped as the mother (by )nchises of the
hero )eneas, the founder of the 8oman people- as Fenus :eli%, the bringer of good fortune- as Fenus Fictri%, the
bringer of !ictory- and as Fenus Ferticordia, the protector of feminine chastity. Fenus is also a nature goddess,
associated with the arri!al of spring. 1he is the bringer of &oy to gods and humans. Fenus really had no myths of her
own but was so closely identified with the Greek )phrodite that she #took o!er# )phrodite/s myths.
Fergiliae, The
Goddesses representing the constellation <leiades.
Feritas
Goddess of truth and &ustice.
Ferplaca
Goddess of family harmony.
Ferticordia
Goddess of lo!e and se%uality.
Fertumnus
The )ncient 8oman god of the seasons. He was the husband of <omona.
Festa
Goddess of the hearth and home. Households kept a fire burning on the hearth for Festa ()bo!e the hearth stood a
statue of 5ares, guard of the fields, and <enates protector of the house. 8ome kept an #eternal# fire burning in the
main temple dedicated to Festa. This fire was attended to by the Festal Firgins, and was only allowed to be
e%tinguished and rekindled but once a year at the beginning of the new year. Her Greek counterpart was Hestia, one of
the ,L great +lympians.
Festal Firgins
<riestesses of Festa. :our to si% spotless !irgins, who were selected by lot from maidens between the ages of si% and
ten from prominent 8oman families, who were sworn to chastity, ser!ed 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 !irginity before their ser!ice ended, they could be buried ali!e.
Fictoria
Goddess of !ictory, similar to the Greek *ike.
Firbius
Companion of 0iana in her sacred gro!e.
Firginia
Goddess of politics.
Firgo (Firginensis
Goddess presiding o!er !irginity.
Firilis
Goddess in!oked by women praying to continue to be e%citing to their husbands.
Firtus
<ersonification of bra!ery in war.
Folumna
Goddess of the nursery.
Foluptas
Goddess of sensual pleasure.
Fulcan
) son of ?upiter and ?uno. He was also called Mulciber. He was the craftsman that forged the armor of the gods, their
drinking !essels, and many of their ob&ects of ornamentation. He also forged the thunderbolts of ?upiter.The Cyclops
assisted him in his work. It is said he built metal robots that carried out his e!ery order. Fenus was his wife, and
because he trapped her in a comprimising position with her lo!er Mars, Fulcan was considered the patron of cuckolds.
Fulcan was also the god of fire, usually in destructi!e form like forest fires, !olcano eruptions, etc. 3ecause of this his
temples were always built outside of the town. +riginally an old Italian deity, Fulcan was identified with the Greek
god Hephaestus in classical times.
7ana
<re$8oman goddess of the 3alkans adopted by the 8omans and re!ered for her beauty and courage.
7irna
The "truscan moon goddess was the companion of the lo!e goddess Turan- she was represented with a half$moon
hanging from her neck.
:oreign gods adopted by the 8omans'
)s the 8oman "mpire spread to embrace territories outside of Italy, the 8omans came into increasing contact with
foreign ideas, philosophies and, especially, religions. 5ater 8oman mythology includes the following deities'
)ttis' Human consort of Cybele (originally from <hrygia.
Cybele' The #great mother# goddess (originally from <hrygia.
Isis' Goddess whose cult became popular in the 8oman "mpire (originally from "gypt.
Mithras' God of soldiers and armies (originally from <ersia.
1erapis' God associated with the cult of Isis (originally from "gypt.
1ol In!ictus' )n eastern god introduced to 8ome by the emperor "lagabalus.
3alto$1la!ic
*ote' Included here are (from the <roto$Indo$"uropean language group'
(3altic' 5ithuania and 5at!ia
(1la!ic' 8ussia, 1erbo$Croatia, 3ulgaria, 1lo!akia, <oland, @kraine, etc.
and
()ltaic' Mongolia, etc.
and
(:inno$@gric' Hungary, 1iberia, etc.
(These latter two groups are not related to the 3alto$1la!ic groups by language heritage but are listed here because of
geographical connections.
)ba$khatun
3aikal91iberian sea goddess.
)igiarm
)n ancient Mongolian princess who is said to ha!e challenged all suitors, her !irginity against their horses, to the one
who could wrestle her to the ground. There is no record of her e!er marrying, and it is told that she won ,C,CCC
horses.
)&ysyt
The birth goddess of the 4akuts of 1iberia.
)lkonost
(8ussia Goddess of the land of the dead. 1he is pictured as half$woman, half$bird.
)lmoshi
(1iberia Goddess of animals.
)ltan$Telgey
"arth goddess of the Mongol people.
)ma
(3aikal91iberia Goddess of the dark and of the underworld.
)napel
(;oryak91iberia 1he presides o!er birth and reincarnation. It is said that when a child is born, the father ties a stone
on a string and attaches it to a stick. Then, holding the stick hori.ontal to the ground, he recites all the names of his
and his wife/s dead relati!es. (hen )napel makes the stone swing at one of the names, they know that the child is the
reincarnation of that relati!e.
)s$a!a
(8ussia Goddess of fresh water.
)usaitis
(5ithuania God of health.
)uste&a
(5ithuania 3ee goddess.
)yt/ar
(1la!ic God of procreation.
3aba 4aga (?e.i 3aba
(1la!ic98ussian The grandmother of the de!il, and a cannibal- a hideous man$eating female demon. Her mouth is said
to stretch from earth to the gates of hell.
3elobog (3elun
(1la!ic God of happiness, luck, and order.
3oldogass.ony
(Hungary Firgin goddess who protected mothers and children.
3reksta
In 5ithuanian mythology, goddess of the darkness and one of the three goddesses that ruled the passing hours, along
with )ustrine, goddess of the dawn, and 7le&a, goddess of the midday or high day.
3ugady Musun
"!enki91iberian goddess, mother of all animals.
Chernobog
(1la!ic God of chaos and the night.
Cinei$new
(Chukchi91iberia ) sea goddess and wife of <eruten, god of the sea.
Colleda (;oliada
1erbian goddess of the winter solstice.
Cu!to$a!a
(8ussia ) tree goddess. (hen one cuts down a tree, or trims it, one must ask forgi!eness of her.
0ali
(8ussian Georgia ) goddess of the hunt- she ruled o!er all wild horned animals.
0ar.u$mate
(5at!ia Goddess of !egetation- her name means #Mother of the Garden#. 1he is one of the se!enty sisters of 7eme.
0a.hbog
(1la!ic )lso known as 0abog (1erbs and 0a.bog (<oles. The sun god. 1on of 1!arog (god of the sky, and brother
of 1!ara.ic (god of fire. He rides through the sky on his diamond chariot, starting out in the morning as a new$born
and ending the day as an old man. 1ometimes said to be married to Myesyats (the moon goddess and to be the father
of 7!e.da 0ennitsa, the Morning 1tar. (In some stories Myesyats is a male moon god and is married to 7!e.da
0ennitsa.
0ebena
(C.echoslo!akia Goddess of the forests and the hunting therein.
0e!ana
(C.echoslo!akia Goddess of the hunt.
0iiwica (0ilwica
(1erbia )nother goddess of the hunt.
0oda (0odola
(1erbia Goddess of rain.
0olya
(1erbia This goddess of fate was said to li!e behind the sto!e. (hen she was in a fine mood, she was called 0olya, the
little old lady who brought good luck- when annoyed, she was *edolya, the shabbily dressed old hag of bad fortune.
+ccasionally she appeared as a young woman rather than the usual gray$haired granny- in either shape she presided
o!er birth.
0ragoni
()lbania God of thunder and lightning.
0ugnai
(5ithuania Goddess of the bakery.
0unne "nin
)n important goddess in Tungus91iberia- she ruled o!er the clan territory.
"d&i
(1la!ic The first woman- she had a fur$co!ered body.
"lena
Heroine that is featured in a 8ussian folktale about a firebird.
"rce
(1la!ic The earth mother who was honored each spring by the pouring of milk, flour, and water into the newly$turned
furrows of the tilled farm.
"tugen
(Mongol ) !irgin earth goddess.
:ates, The
(1la!ic Called The *arucnici in 3ulgaria, The 1udice in <oland, The 1ud&enice in 1erbia, The 1udicy in 3ohemia,
The 1o&enice in 1lo!enia.
:atit, The
()lbania The three goddesses of fate. Three days after the birth of a child, they appear at crib$side and determine its
fate.
Gabi&a
(5ithuania Goddess of the hearth fire. To honor her one throws salt on the fire.
Ganiklis
(5ithuania God of shepherds.
Giltine
(5ithuania Goddess of death.
Hotogo! Mailgan
(3uriat91iberia Goddess of hea!en at night.
Ho!$a!a
(8ussia The moon goddess.
Iarila
(8ussia ) fertility goddess.
Isten
(Hungarian Chief deity.
?a$neb/a
(1amoyed91iberia ) bene!olent earth goddess.
?ed.a
(<oland <olish e6ui!alent of 3aba 4aga.
?oda$mate
(5at!ia Mother of the de!il.
;aldas
(8ussia Goddess of cattle.
;altes
(Fogul91iberia Goddess of birth.
;eretkun
(1iberia God of the sea.
;hadau
(1iberia Creator god, who with his wife Mamaldi, created )sia.
;ostrubonko
(8ussia God of spring.
;o!as
(5ithuania God of war.
;rumine
(5ithuania Corn god.
;upala
(1la!ic Goddess of herbs, sorcery, and se%.
;upalo
(8ussia Mid$summer goddess.
5aima
(5at!ia Goddess of fate and good fortune, and of birth.
5eshy
(1la!onic )lso known as 5esiye or 5eso!ik. 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
(1la!ic Goddess of the moon.
Mar.ana
(<oland Goddess of winter.
Matergabiae
(5ithuania Household goddess.
Mat 1yra 7emlya
(1la!onic The earth goddess.
Medeine
(5ithuania God of the forests.
Menu (Menulis
(3altic The moon god. Husband9consort of 1aule (the sun- their children were the stars- e%cept for the Morning 1tar
which was 1aule/s by the thunder god <erkuno. That/s why Menulis, in shame, a!oided 1aule by only appearing at
night.
Mir$1usne$;hum
(1iberia The sun god.
Myesyats
(1la!onic The moon deity. In some myths H" is the cold, bald$headed uncle of the sun$god 0a.hbog. In other myths
1H" is a beautiful woman, the consort of 0a.hbog and mother by him of the stars.
*astasi&a
(8ussia Goddess of sleep.
*elaima
(5at!ia Goddess of destiny. Her name means #misfortune#, the opposite of 5aima, the goddess of good fortune.
*oro!
(8ussia Corn god.
*umi$Tarem
(1iberia The sky god.
+ra
()lbania Guardian #angel# who accompanies each person from birth to death.
+t
(Mongol Goddess of fire.
<atollo
(3altic The chief god and war god. He was depicted as an old man with a green beard and death$like pallor, wearing a
turban. He bestowed good fortune (and took it away.
<atrimpas
(5ithuania God of agriculture and spring.
<erkuno
(3altic ;nown as <erkunas in 5ithuania, <erkons or <erkonis in 5at!ia. The thunder god. He was shown as an angry
middle$aged man with a ruddy face and a curly balck beard.
<erun
(8ussia The thunder god. He was the chief god and a creator god.
<ikuolis
(5ithuania God of death and the @nderworld.
<ilnytis
(5ithuania God of wealth.
<iluitus
(5at!ia :ertility god.
<otrimpo
(3altic God of fertility. He was pictured as a happy young man without a beard and sporting ears of grain.
<uskaitis
(5ithuania God of fruit.
8od
(1la!ic God of fertility.
8ultennin
(1iberia <ersonification of the constellation +rion.
8usalki
The 8usalki were water nymphs and can be found in both 1la!onic and 8ussian mythology. They were thought to be
the spirits of drowned girls. In south$eastern "urope, 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 "urope,
they were considered to be male!olent, unkempt and unattracti!e creatures, who would grab tra!ellers from the ri!er
banks and drag them down into the ri!er and drown them.
1akhadai$*oin
(1iberia God of fire.
1aule
The 3altic sun goddess and, according to some myths, the mistress of the thunder god <erkuno. 1he was worshipped
by 5ithuanians, <russians and 5etts. Her worship took the form of looking after a harmless green snake. "!ery house
kept one. )part from ensuring a household/s wealth and fertility, the kindness shown to the snake was regarded as a
guarantee of 1aule/s generosity. To kill a snake was an act of sacrilege. 1aule was usually depicted as pouring light
from a &ug. The golden li6uid which she ga!e to the world was the basis of life itself- the warmth so necessary after the
cold north$eastern "uropean winter.
1emargl
(1la!ic God of the family.
1tribog
(1la!ic God of the winds.
1!anto!it (1!ante!it
(1la!ic He was the war god. Human sacrifices were offered in his worship. 1ome belie!e he was the supreme deity
and father of the other gods.
1!ara.ic (1!aro.ic, 1!arogich
(1la!ic The fire god. He was the son of 1!arog and brother to 0a.hbog. 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
(8ussia God of forests.
Tengri
(Mongolia 1ky god.
Taairgin
(1iberia God of the dawn.
Trigla!
) three$headed god of the 1la!s in <oland, associated with war.
@lgen (@lgan, blgWn
(1iberia 1upreme god of hea!en. He created the body of :irst (oman but could not gi!e her life. The de!il appeared
and ga!e her life. THI1 I1 *+T ) C+MM"*T )3+@T (+M)* 34 M"- I didn/t write the mythN
Feles (Folos
(8ussia God of flocks and herds, death and the @nderworld.
Fesna
(1la!ic Goddess of spring.
Eatel$"kwa
(Hungarian The goddess of the sun, who rode through the sky mounted simultaneously on three horses.
Eoli$;altes
(Hungarian The goddess of the dawn, a hot$blooded young woman who baked men who came to court her.
4amm
(@garit ) god of the sea.
4arilo
(1la!ic God of fertility.
4aro!it
(1la!ic God of !ictory.
4nakhsyt
(4akut91iberia Goddess of cattle.
7aria
(1la!ic Goddess of beauty.
7eme mate
(5at!ia Creator of earth. )ccording to late tradition she had from forty to se!enty sisters, all of whom were related in
some way to fertility. )ll their names ended with the suffi% $mate, which means #mother#. 1ome of her sisters' 3rie.u,
0.iparu, ?oda, ;apu, 5aimas, 5auka, 5auku, 5a.da, 5inu, Mera, Me.a, *a!es, +gu, <iegulas, <irts, 1aules, 1ene,
1milsu, Fe&a, and Felu.
7emyna
(5ithuanian 3ecause all life came from her, this 5ithuanian earth goddess was honored at the birth of e!ery child,
when the soil was tenderly kissed both morning and e!ening- food offerings were laid in front of piled stones, tied to
tree boughs, or cast into flowing water to thank 7emyna for the new life. Her special area of concern was all plant life.
<lant and human life were belie!ed to flow together, with souls taking up residence after death in trees. (omen li!ed
on in lindens and spruce- men, in oaks, maples and birches. Firginal young girls sur!i!ed as lilies- !illage ancestors
resided in fruit trees.
7i!a (1i!a
(1la!ic Goddess of life.
7i.ilia
(<oland Goddess of lo!e and se%uality.
7onget
(;hanty91iberia The ancient goddess of hunting among the Mansi and ;hanty peoples of 1iberia. 1he ruled all bird
and animal life, as well as those who hunted them. )t her command, birds and animals would either come to the snare
or lea!e it empty. To mortals she had the appearance of a greyhen (an arctic bird.
7orya
(1la! They were three 1la!ic dawn goddesses. There was @trennyaya, the morning star- Fechernyaya, the e!ening
star- and the midnight 7orya. )ll ha!e the same &ob' to guard a chained dog who tries to eat the constellation @rsa
Minor, the little bear. If the chain should e!er break and the dog should e!er get loose, the uni!erse will end. Thus the
7oryas are guardian goddesses.
7!oruna
(5ithuania Goddess of the hunt. Goddess of animals.
7!e.da 0ennitsa
(1la!ic The morning star goddess. The wife of the man in the moon.
7ywie
(<oland Goddess of health and healing.
*orth Germanic Mythological Characters
*ote' Included here are (from the <roto$Indo$"uropean language'
(*orth Germanic' *orway, 1weden, 0enmark, 1candina!ia, Iceland, etc.
and
(:inno$@gric' :inland, 5apland, etc.
(This latter group is not related by language heritage to the *orth Germanic group but is listed here because of
geographical connections.
)egir ("agor
Germanic god of the ocean, and husband of 8an. His nine daughters, known as the #billow maidens#, directed the
swirling wa!es under his orders. He was sometimes depicted as a !ery old man with white hair and claw$like fingers.
(hene!er he left his glistening underwater palace it was with the single$minded purpose of destroying ships and their
crews. To placate him the Fikings often sacrificed some prisoners before setting sail.
)esir
The collecti!e name for the the principal race of *orse gods- the other was the Fanir. The )esir gods under the
leadership of +din, included 3alder (god of beauty, 3ragi (god of elo6uence, :orseti (god of mediation, :reyr (god
of fertility, who originally was from the Fanir, Heimdall guardian of the bridge, Hodr (the blind god, 5oki (god of
fire and ally of the frost giants, *&ord (the sea god, and another e%$Fanir, Thor (god of thunder, Tyr (god of war,
Fili (brother to +din, Fe (brother to +din, and Fidar (+din/s son. The goddesses included :rey&a (the fertility
goddess, :rigg (+din/s wife, 1if (Thor/s wife, and Idun (keeper of the apples of youth. They li!ed in )sgard, and
are primarily !iewed as ruling o!er go!ernment, social order, and war.
)lberich ()nd!ari
(1candina!ian ;ing of the 0warfs who steals the magic gold ring, )nd!arinaut, (and the rest of the treasure guarded
by the 8hine Maidens, but is forced to gi!e up all he has for his freedom after he has been captured. His curse upon
the ring led to the deaths of all who tried to possess it.
)lfhild
) maiden goddess of 1candina!ia who dressed as a warrior to a!oid being taken in marriage by ;ing )lf. +nly when
they engaged in a fight to the death (almost, and he pro!ed to be as strong as she, did she agree to mate with him.
)lfs
(Germanic 1pirits of the ancestral fathers. There are different kinds of alfs'
,. The 5&ossalfs (5ight )lfs li!e in 5&ossalfsheim and are seldom seen by humans. Their ruler is :rey, and they are
helpful spirits.
L. 1wartalfs, (3lack )lfs li!e in 1wartalfsfheim, which reaches from Midgard to Helheim. The 1wartalfs are skilled
craftsmen and make many of the great treasures of the gods. They are known as 3lack )lfs because their skin turns
black from the soot from their coal fires, which they use in their forges. ) sub$group of the 0ark )lfs, known as
#mound$alfs#, li!e in Midgard, and can be helpful or not, depending on their mood. They are the spirits of dead men
and fre6uently linger near burial mounds.
)l!is
(Germanic His name means all$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 de!ised a test of
knowledge to stop the marriage. He told )l!is that he had to pro!e 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 dwar!es turned to stone
if touched by the sun/s rays. "nd of story.
)mma
) great mother in the *orse creation story, )mma (#grandmother# ga!e birth to the race of Churls, who conducted
business and learned trades.
)ngerboda
(*orse ) frost giantess who was mate (or mistress to the trickster god 5oki. 1he bore three children- ?ormungand
(the Midgard 1erpent, who grew so large he surrounded the earth- :enrir or :enris (the (olf of 8agnarok and Hel or
Hella (the death 6ueen.
)rnamentia
(Germanic93ritain Goddess of springs.
)sgard
The home of the *orse gods. To reach this land one had to cross the bridge 3ifrost (rainbow. )sgard was di!ided into
a number of separate kingdoms, each ruled o!er by a different god. Falhalla was ruled by +din, Thrudheim by Thor,
etc. The walls surrounding )sgard were built by Hrimthurs, who asked in payment the hand of :rey&a plus the sun and
the moon. +din agreed pro!iding the walls be complete in si% months. Hrimthurs had a magic horse, named 1!adifari,
who helped him in his work. To +din (and the other gods, especially :rey&a/s horror, with but a few days left,
Hrimthurs was almost finished. 5oki, the trickster, turned himself into a mare and beguiled the stallion 1!adifari
away. The &ob was not completed in time and no payment was gi!en.
)skr and "mbla
(*orse The first man and first woman and the progenitors of the human race. They were created out of tree trunks by
+din his two brothers.
3alder (3aldur
(*orse 3alder was the second son of +din, chief of the gods, and :rigg. His mother took oaths from all plants,
creatures, elements and metals that they would not harm him, all e%cept 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. 5oki, the god of mischief, decei!ed Hod (Hoder, a blind god and 3alder/s brother, into
throwing a spear made from mistletoe at 3alder, thereby killing him. He is taken to Hel, and :rigg searches out Hella
to find out what can be done to bring him back. Hella says that if e!ery li!ing thing will weep for 3aldur, she will
release him. :rigg is able to secure pledges from all li!ing creatures e%cept for an old woman named Thokk, who is
actually 5oki in disguise. 3aldur, therefore, still waits in Hel with his wife, and will come out again only after
8agnarok to help rule the new world.
3eiwe
) 5appland goddess who heralded the arri!al of spring.
3erserk, 3erserker
(*orse Grandson of the eight$handed 1tarkadder and )lfhilde. He always fought ferociously and recklessly, without
armor. That/s the origin of berserk for a sa!age fighter, or one with the #fighting fe!er#.
3ertha
(*orse The goddess of spinning.
3eowulf
(Germanic 0enmark hero, killer of two mythical water monsters- Grendel, the sea monster and Grendel/s mother, a
monstrous merwoman. In his old age he slew another monster, a fire$breathing dragon, but lost his own life in the
battle.
3ergelmir
(Germanic The frost giant who, with his wife, were the only frost giants to sur!i!e drowning in the blood when +din
and his brothers killed 4mir.
3estla
(1candina!ia The mother of +din and his brothers Fili and Fe, by her husband 3or.
3illing
(Germanic :ather of the beautiful 8ind, who despite an initial repugnance toward +din e!entually capitulated to his
wooing and bore him a son, Fali. Fali later killed Hoder, thereby a!enging 3alder/s death.
3or
(*orse 1on of 3uri, husband of the giant 3estla, and father of +din, Fili and Fe.
3ragi
(*orse The god of poetry and elo6uence, and considered the greatest of all the bards. He is the son of +din and
Gunnlod, a female giant. He was married to Idun (Iduna guardian of the #apples of immortality#.
3rono
(*orse 3rono was the son of 3alder. He was the god of daylight.
3runhild, 3rGnnehilde or 3rynhild
(Germanic ) mighty female warrior, one of the Falkyrie. 1he defied +din and in punishment he imprisoned her
within a ring of fire on earth, decreeing that there she would remain until a bra!e hero rescued her. "nter 1iegfied
(1igurd. He bra!ed the fire, broke her charmed sleep, and fell in lo!e with her. He ga!e her the ring, )nd!arinaut,
unaware of its curse. "!entually she kills herself when she learns that 1igurd had betrayed her with another woman
(Gudrun, not knowing he had been bewitched into doing so by Grimhild.
3uri
(*orse The first god, was the father of 3or and the grandfather of +din. His #birth# was by being released from the
prime!al ice when )udhumla (the cow licked the ice.
3ylg&a
(*orse ) daughter of )egir and 8an.
0ag
(1candina!ian Goddess of the day- daughter of *at, goddess of the night. 0ag rides across the hea!ens on her horse,
1kenfa%i, whose mane shines so brightly that it lights hea!en and earth.
0onar
(Germanic The god of sky and thunder.
"dda
("dda means great grandmother, and the term eddas, #tales of great grandmother# is the word used to describe the
great stories in 1candina!ian mythology. The dwarfish "dda was the first to create offspring with her husband )i. 1he
ga!e birth to the Thralls, the ones #enthralled# to ser!ice as food producers.
"ir
) companion of :rigg, "ir is the goddess of healing. 1he taught her art and the secret powers of herbs only to women,
the only physicians in ancient 1candina!ia.
"lle ("lli
(*orse <ersonification of +ld )ge- in the form of an old hag she wrestled Thor to defeat, much to his shame.
"mbla
(*orse The name of the first woman.
"rda
(Germanic )ncient earth goddess.
:arbanti (:arbauti
(*orse He was a giant who ferried the dead o!er the waters to the underworld. He was the father of 5oki by 5aufey,
who ga!e birth to 5oki when :arbanti struck her with a lightning bolt.
:engi
(1candina!ia The answer to the 6uestion, #(hy is the sea so saltyA#' +nce upon a time, in the days of ;ing :rodi,
there were two female giants who worked a mill called Grotti. :engi and Mengi were the only beings strong enough to
turn the giant millstone that magically produced food and plenty for :rodi/s land. The king kept them working
constantly, letting them rest only as long as it took them to sing a song. +ne night, angry and e%hausted, they sang a
magical charm that caused :rodi/s death. 3ut 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.
:enris (:enrir
(*orse :enris is the monstrous wolf, son of the god 5oki who will swallow +din at 8agnarok but will be slain by
+din/s son, Fidar.
:&alar
(*orse The e!il dwarf who, with his brother Galar, killed the wise man ;!asir in order to gain ;!asir/s magic
powers. They mi%ed his blood with honey in a cauldron and ended up with a mead that bestowed wisdom to the
drinker. 3ut the mead was taken by 1uttung, a frost giant, who boasted of his ac6uisition to all. (hen the boasts
reached +din, he decided to go to ?otunheim (land of the frost giants to get the mead for himself. He disguised
himself as the e!il frost giant 3ol!erk, and persuaded 3augi (another frost giant to dig a tunnel through the mountain
to where 1uttung kept the mead under the guard of his daughter Gunnlod. Then +din turned himself into a snake and
slithered through the tunnel to the treasure. (hen he reached the ca!ern he turned himself into a handsome giant and
for three days and nights was Gunnlod/s passionate lo!er. 1he allowed him to drink all of the mead whereupon he
changed himself into an eagle, flew home to )sgard and spit up the mead into some empty &ars.
:&orgyn
(*orse The mother of the *orse god Thor, she appears in few myths.
:orseti or :orsetti (:orsite
(*orse God of &ustice and meditation. 1on of 3alder and *anna.
:rey (:reyr
(*orse ) god of the Fanir race. Twin brother of :rey&a. He was the god of peace, fertility and weather. He is married
to Gerd (Gerda, a giantess he fell in lo!e with after spying her from +din/s high seat. He ga!e his sword to his
manser!ant as payment for him to go and bring Gerd to him. )s a result, he will be without his weapon at 8agnarok
and will ha!e to battle 1urt with only an antler. :rey also has a boat, 1kidbladnir, which can be folded up and carried.
:rey&a (:reya
(*orse 1he was originally from the Fanir. Goddess of lo!e, se%, magic and witchcraft, fertility, and beauty, sometimes
identified as the goddess of battle and death. 1he was also 6uite accommodating in se%ual matters. 1he is said to ha!e
traded se%ual fa!ors (by sleeping with the four dwar!es who had fashioned the necklace to possess the necklace of the
3risings. (hen it was taken from her by 5oki, she started a war of retaliation. Her father was *&ord, a fertility god.
3lond, blue$eyed, and beautiful, :rey&a tra!eled in a chariot drawn by cats. 1he is the leader of the Falkyries and the
Idises $ one of her titles is Fanadis. 1he resided in the celestial realm of :olk!ang, where it was her pri!ilege to recei!e
half of all the warriors slain in battle and take their souls to her hall, 1essrumnir, in :olk!ang- the god +din recei!ed
the other half at Falhalla. 1he lo!es music, spring and flowers, and spends much time with the fey. 1he is seen
wearing a cloak of bird feathers, which allows the wearer to change into a falcon and the beautiful necklace of the
3risings gi!en to her by dwar!es, which the *orse still refer to as the Milky (ay. In Germany, :rey&a was sometimes
identified with :rigg, the wife of +din. 1he was also the twin sister of the god :rey.
:rigg (:rigga, :ri&a, :ricka
(*orse Goddess of the sky. 0aughter of :&orgyn, goddess of the earth. 1he was +din/s wife and mother of 3alder and
Hoth. :riday is named after her. :rigg is the patroness of marriage and motherhood. 1he assists women in labor and is
associated with the naming of children. :rigg has the reputation of knowing e!eryone/s destiny, but ne!er re!eals it.
3eing the wife of the god +din, she was known as the Hueen of the Hea!ens. 1he is the central diety in )sgard where
her hall, :ensalir (#water halls# is located. Her tools are the spindle and the distaff.
:ulla
(*orse :rom her name we get our word for abundance. :ulla is :rigg/s handmaiden and messenger. 1he carries
:rigg/s casket of treasures and her support makes it possible for :rigg to do her work. <rayers are addressed to her for
intercession with :rigg, and for guidance in ser!ice. 1he was pictured as a young woman with long, full hair, bound at
the temple with a golden band.
:ylg&a(sing., :ylgakona(plural
(Iceland ) family/s guardian spirit (sometimes called Haminga. 1ome legends consider them to be ominous as well
as protecti!e spirits.
Top
Garm
(*orse The hound which stands in front of Hel/s home and snarls with &aws dripping blood at the pilgrims from the
upper world. He will kill, and be killed by, Tyr at 8agnarok.
Gefion (Gefinn, Gef&on
There are two 1candina!ian females with this name (or can it be one with two !ery different set of character traitsA.
+ne Gef&on was a trickster giantess- she was promised as much land as four o%en could plow in a day. 1o she
concei!ed four o%$shaped sons by a another giant- when her sons had grown, Gef&on brought them back to 1weden,
where they plowed off a part of that country and dragged it to a new location, where it became the island of 7ealand.
The other Gef&on, a goddess, sold her hymen for a &ewel but miraculously retained her !irginity. 1he was an attendant
of :rigg. )ll women who die as maidens were said to pass into this Gef&on/s possession. 1he is also the bringer of good
luck and prosperity.
Geirrod
(*orse ) frost giant and father of two daughters, G&alp and Greip. He was a bitter enemy of Thor, and ha!ing
captured 5oki (when 5oki was flying around as a hawk recei!ed from him a promise that he, 5oki, would bring Thor
to Geirrod/s castle without Thor ha!ing his magic belt and magic hammer. 5oki did as promised and led Thor into the
trap. +n the way there, though, they stopped to rest at the home of a giantess named Grid. 1he told Thor what was up
when 5oki left the room, and ga!e him her magic belt, iron glo!es and magic staff. *eedless to say Thor used each
with supreme efficiency and slew Geirrod, his daughters and all other frost giants in the !icinity.
Gerd (Gerda
) 1candina!ian deity of light. 1he was the most beautiful of creatures, the daughter of a female giant and a mortal
man. :rey became infatuated with Gerd and sent his ser!ant to fetch her. Gerd refused, but :rey kept sending gifts
and, finally, threats. ) spell in runes e!entually won Gerd, and she tra!eled to )sgard, the home of the gods, to li!e
with :rey.
Ginnunggap
(*orse Ginnunggap was the #4awning Foid# that e%isted before the creation of gods.
Gioll
(*orse The ri!er which surrounded the underworld, Hel.
Gleipnir
(*orse The chain which binds :enris. It is made from the footfalls of cats, the beards of women, the roots of
mountains and the breath of fish.
Gna
(*orse The messenger of hea!en and of hea!en/s 6ueen, :rigg. 1he was a wind deity.
Godar
(1candina!ian The 1candina!ian gods were ser!ed by a class of priest$chieftains called Godar. (orship was originally
conducted outdoors, under guardian trees, near sacred wells, or within sacred arrangements of stones. 5ater, wooden
temples were used, with altars and with car!ed representations of the gods. Here animals and e!en human beings were
sacrificed.
Goil!eig
(1candina!ian 1he is a mighty witch who, according to legend, was killed three times but still li!ed. (1he comes to
)sgard and irritates the )esir. They burn her three times, and twice she rises from the dead. Her death leads to the war
between the Fanir and the )esir. To end the war, the )esir and Fanir agree to e%change hostages. The )esir send
;!asir and Mimnir to the Fanir and the Fanir send :rey, :re&ya and *&ord to the )esir. "!entually, the two races of
Gods semi$merge, though not entirely. 1ome belie!e she is an a!atar for the mightiest of the Fanir, :reya.
Gold$comb
(*orse The cock who shall crow when 8agnarok comes.
Gondul
(*orse +ne of the most famous Falkyries, Gondul was sent to earth to bring back the spirits of famous kings who fell
in battle.
Gonlod
(1candina!ian The mother of poetry. 1he was the giant who owned the cauldron of inspiration that the god +din took
by trickery. 1he was also said to be the mother of 3ragi, god of poets.
Gotterdammerung
(*orse The end of the world.
Groa
(1candina!ian ) wise old woman who, in the eddas, is credited with being a sorcerer, a healer and a caster of spells.
Gulltopr
(*orse Heimdall/s horse.
Gungnir
(*orse +din/s spear, obtained from the dwar!es by 5oki for +din.
Halls of the Gods
(Germanic
3ilskinir $ Thor/s Hall
3reiablikk $ 3aldur/s Hall
:ensilar $ :rigga/s Hall
:olks!ang $ :reya/s Hall
Gladsheim $ +din/s Hall (Falhalla is within Gladsheim
Glitnir $ :orsetti/s Hall
Hel $ Hel/s (Hella Hall
Himminb&org $ Heimdal/s Hall
5and!idi $ Fidar/s Hall
1okk!abekk $ 1aga/s Hall
Thrymheim $ 1kadi/s Hall
Falask&alf $ Fali/s Hall
Fingol $ Hall of the Goddesses
4dalir $ @ller/s Hall
Heimdall (Heimdalr
(*orse He is said to be the son of nine mothers. He li!ed at the foot of 3ifrost, the rainbow bridge, and guarded it. He
was known as the watchman of the gods. Heimdall was the keeper of the G&allahorn, the #ringing# horn, which he was
to sound when 8agnarWk, the end of the world, was near. His hearing is so sensiti!e he can hear the grass growing and
the wool on sheep growing. In an Irish myth he is called 8Pgr, 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(&arl.
Hel (Hella
(*orse The goddess of the dead. 1he dwelt beneath one of the three roots of the sacred ash tree 4ggdrasil and resides
in her hall, "l!idnir (misery in the underworld (Helheim of *iflheim, the (orld of 0arkness. 1he was the daughter
of 5oki, the spirit of mischief or e!il, and the giantess )ngerbotha ()ngerboda. +din, the )ll$:ather, hurled Hel into
*iflheim, the realm of cold and darkness, itself also known as Hel, o!er which he ga!e her so!ereign authority. Here
the dead suffered unimaginable tortures, e%cept for those who died heroically in battle (who ended up in Falhalla, the
Hall of the Heroes. Hel is described as being half white and half black or half$li!ing and half$dead. 1he is responsible
for plagues, sickness and catastrophes.
Hermod
(*orse 1on of +din and :rigg, and brother of 3alder. He was di!ine messenger of the gods (same as Hermes and
Mercury.
Hlin
(1candina!ian Goddess of consolation. <rotector of those whose li!es are in danger.
Hnoss
(1candina!ian Goddess of infatuation. 0aughter of :rey&a.
Hod (Hodr, Hodur
(*orse The blind brother of 3alder, tricked by 5oki, throws a mistletoe dart at his brother and kills him.
Hogni
(*orse He and his brother Gunner, persuaded by 3rynhild to a!enge her honor, arranged 1igurd/s death. They
inherited his fortune, including the cursed ring )nd!arinaut, and were in turn doomed at the hands of )tli.
Holer (Holler
(*orse The god of death and destruction and the one who brings diseases and disasters. He takes people to his
dungeon where he tortures them to death.
Holda
(*orse 1he cares for children who ha!e died, and, with +din, leads the (ild Hunt during the 4ule season. 1he is
considered a patron of (itches, and is described as kind with a helpful disposition, e%cept when she notices disorder
in the household affairs. 1he helps to make sure spinners finish their spinning before the end of 4ule. 1he also ga!e
fla% to mankind, allowing them to wea!e, and she taught them how to hunt.
Honir (Hoenir
(*orse The long$legged god of the )esir, and brother of +din. He and the wise god Mimir were sent to li!e with the
Fanir to seal their truce. The Fanir gladly accepted them and made Honir one of their leaders. Honir, howe!er, was not
as smart as the )esir had claimed (was !ery indecisi!e, actually and relied hea!ily on Mimir. He ga!e noncommittal
answers whene!er Mimir was not around. The Fanir, feeling cheated, cut off Mimir/s head and sent it back to +din.
Honir is one of the gods that will sur!i!e 8agnarok.
Hreidmar
(*orse The father of 8egin, :afnir and +tter. 1ee :afnir.
Hres!elgr
(*orse The giant who li!es in the e%treme north- the motion of his wings causes wind and tempest.
Hrungnir
(*orse The strongest of the frost giants, killed by Thor in a personal duel.
Hugi
(*orse The young frost giant who defeated Thialfi (Thor/s human ser!ant in a foot race- one of the many ad!entures
undergone by Thor and 5oki in their &ourney to @tgard, land of the frost giants.
Huginn
(*orse Huginn (thought was one of the two ra!ens which sat upon +din/s shoulder and which brought him news
each day of what was happening in the world. The other was Muninn (memory.
Hymir
(*orse Hymir is a sea giant, the husband of Hrod, who li!es at edge of the hea!en. He possessed an enormous
cauldron which the )esir co!eted 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 *aglfar, which is made entirely from the
nails of the dead. The flood that precedes 8agnarok will free the ship after which the giants will board it and, with
Hymir as commander, sail towards the battlefield of Figrond.
Idises
(Germanic 1pirits of the ancestral mothers. :reya is their leader under the name Fanadis. The people kept statues or
icons representing these mother$spirits of their family and burned incense and left offerings before them. The Idises
helped during childbirth and times of death. They took an acti!e role in protecting their li!ing kin, sometimes e!en
gi!ing messages through dreams.
Idun (Iduna, Idunnor
(*orse 1he was the goddess of spring and eternal youth. (ife of 3ragi, and guardian of the golden apples of
immortality which the gods ate whene!er they wanted to renew their youth. Married to 3ragi.
Ilmarinen
(:innish The prime!al smith in ;ale!ala.
?abme$akka
(5apland The goddess of the dead who presides o!er ?abme$aimo (?abmeanimo, the realm of the dead.
?arnsa%a
(1candina!ia (ife of Thor and mother of Mangi and Modi(A.
?Wrd
(*orseMother of Thor and mistress to +din.
?ormungandr
(*orse ?ormungandr is the great dragon$serpent, son of 5oki and the frost giantess )ngrboda, which li!es in the
stream that circles earth. He is known as the Midgard 1erpent.
?otunheim
(*orse The abode of the giants (?otuns. It is on the edge of the ocean, far to the northeast. It is one of the nine worlds
sheltered by the cosmic tree, 4ggdrasil. ?otunheim, )sgard and *iflheim each ha!e a well within them where a root of
4ggdrasil can be found- they are, in order, Mimir/s well, H!ergelmir/s spring, and @rd/s well. 3ifrost, the #8ainbow
3ridge#, links )sgard and Midgard (hea!en and earth.
The others are'
)lfheim or 5&ossalfsheim, home of the #light# el!es
)sgard, the home of the )esir gods
Midgard, home of humankind
Muspelheim, the land of fire
*ida!ellir, home of the dwarfs
*iflheim, the region of e!erlasting cold and endless night, and home of the unworthy dead
1!artalfsheim, home of the #dark# el!es
Fanaheim, home of the Fanir gods
?otuns
(*orse The race of Giants who are forces of destruction and are generally foes of the Gods. The ?otuns li!e in
?otunheim, which is where one of the three roots of 4ggdrasil grows. 1ome ?otuns, such as 1kadi, Gerd and 5oki ha!e
taken on di!ine status through marriage or blood$brotherhood to one of the Gods.
?udur
(1candina!ia +ne of the Falkyries.
?umala
(:inland The ancient creator god and supreme deity. His sacred tree was the oak.
;a&sa
(1weden Goddess of the wind.
;alma
(:inland Goddess of death- owner of a monstrous animal that de!ours humans.
;ara
(1candina!ia +ne of the Falkyries, and wife of the hero, Helgi (who accidentally killed her during a battle.
;ied ;ie ?ubmel
(5apland 5ord of the herds. 8eindeer were sacrificed to him before a hunt. He is called 1tor&unka in 1weden.
;olga
(*orse ;olga is a daughter of )egir and 8an.
;orn&unfer
(Germanic ) goddess of corn.
;!asir
(*orseHe was considered the wisest of all men. He was a teacher, ne!er at loss for an answer to a 6uestion. :&alar and
Galar killed him when they became tired of learning and poured his blood into a magic kettle. (hen mi%ed with
honey this concoction formed mead, which ga!e wisdom (or the gift of poetry in some myths to those who drank it.
5aga
(*orse 5aga is the goddess of wells and springs. 1he is a #friend# of +din.
5eib$+lmai
(5apland The god of bears- hunters had to offer up prayers to him before he would allow them to kill a bear.
5emminkcinen
(:innish )lso seeks a wife from <oh&ola in ;ale!ala. 1ee ;ale!ala ^epicsL.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.
5if and 5ifthrasir
(*orse The man and woman destined to be the only sur!i!ors of 8agnarok by hiding in the world tree 4ggdrasil.
They are to re$populate the new world.
5inda
(:inland The bird goddess- usually pictured as a swan. 1he is the wife of ;ale!.
5ofn (5ufn
(*orse Goddess of indulgence and forbidden lo!e, 5ofn encourages illicit unions..
5oki (5opt
(*orse God of fire and chaos. He was one of the )esir (the principal gods, but a cause of dissension among the gods.
5oki was a sometimes friend to the gods who admired his cle!er plans when he was helping them. 3ut he was
mischie!ous and e!il too. He was responsible for the death of 3alder, +din/s son. 5oki had the ability to change his
form and e!en to change his se%. He, through )ngrboda, produced Hel, goddess of death, ?Wrmungand, the e!il serpent
who was Thor/s mortal enemy, and :enrir, the wolf. (ith his second wife, 1igyn, he fathered Fali and *ar!i. )s a
woman he bore 1leipnir.
5orelei
) young maiden of Germany, who threw herself into the ri!er in despair o!er a faithless lo!er and was transformed
into a siren, a creature whose hypnotic music lured fishermen to destruction.
5uonnotar
(:inland The creator goddess. Mother of FcincmWinen.
Maan$emo
(:inland )n earth goddess. The wife of @kko, god of thunder. 1he prsides o!er the fertility of women.
Madder$)kka
(5apland Creator goddess, with her companion Madder$)tcha, of mankind. Their three daughters were' 1arakka
(supported women during childbirth, ?uksakka, (changed the se% from female to male of a proportionate number of
births, and @ksakka (protected the new$born child.
Magni
(*orse 1on of Thor and the frost giantess ?arnsa%a, and the brother of Modi. Magni and Modi are due to inherit
M&ollnir (Thor/s magic hammer after 8agnarok.
Mani
(1candina!ian means #moon#. The beautiful boy dri!er of the moon$car (a chariot pulled by horses, the son of
Mundilfoeri and brother of 1ol. He is followed by a wolf (Hati, which, when time is no more, will de!our Mani and
his sister 1ol (the 1un.
Mar&atta
(:inland ) !irgin goddess, who concei!es a son after swallowing a cranberry. 1he is a character in the ;ale!ala.
Metsarhati&a
(:inland ) forest goddess.
Midgard
(1candina!ian The abode of the first pair of human beings in *orse mythology, from whom came the human race. It
is midway between *iflheim and Muspelheim and &oined to )sgard by the rainbow bridge 3ifrost.
Mimir
(*orse 1uppose to ha!e been the wisest of the )esir tribe of gods, and thus a god of wisdom and knowledge. He was
sent to li!e with the Fanir after the war between the gods. There, unfortunate being, he had his head cut off and sent
back to the )esir. +din smeared the head with magic herbs so that it would ne!er rot, and recited a magic charm o!er
it that restored its power of speech- all this so he could ha!e Mimir/s wise counsel as needed. Mimir dwelt by the ash$
tree 4ggdrasil, guarding the #(ell of (isdom#. Here he allowed +din to drink for the price of one of his eyes- that is
why +din is usually depicted as ha!ing but one eye.
Modgud
(*orse The ser!ant of Hel, Modgud is the maiden that stands guard on a gold$pa!ed bridge on a path leading to the
underworld.
Mokkuralfi
(*orse The Mist Calf from the story of Thor/s battle with Hrungnir. (hen he appeared after Thor slew Hrungnir it is
said Thor wet himself. Thor/s man$ser!ant Thialfi wasn/t 6uite as afraid and attacked the giant with his a%e.
Mothir
) mother in the *orse creation myth, Mothir ga!e birth to the ?arls or leaders, the ones who hunted, fought, and
attended school.
MW=ll
(1candina!ia Goddess of snow and ice.
Muninn
(*orse Muninn (#memory# was the other one of the ra!ens which sat upon +din/s shoulder and brought +din news
each day of what was occurring in the world.
Muspelheim
(1candina!ian In *orse mythology a hot, glowing land of fire in the south, where the giant 3ergelmer and his wife
caught flying sparks and fastened them in the hea!ens as stars. The #Home of 3rightness# to the south of *iflheim,
where 1urt ruled with his flaming sword, and where li!ed the sons of Muspel the fire giant.
*anna
(*orse 3aldur/s wife. )t his funeral, she throws herself upon his pyre to &oin him in Hel, waiting for the end of
8agnarok, when they will both come out of Hel to rule the new Midgard.
*astrand
(*orse The worst area of hell. It/s roofs and doors were co!ered with hissing snakes, spitting poison, and it was
through this that murderers and per&urers were forced to wade as punishment.
*ehallenia (*ehalennia
(Holland Goddess of !egetation, dogs and the sea. 1he was in!oked by sailors before they tried crossing the sea.
*idhogg
(*orse The dragon which de!ours the corpses of e!il doers. He li!es in Hwergelmir, a secluded part of Hel.
*&Wrd
(*orse )lso *iord, *iordhr, or *&orthr. The god of the wind and the sea. He was the father of :rey and :rey&a by his
sister, *erthus. He was the protector of ships, who li!ed at *oatun by the sea$shore. His wife 1kadi li!es in the
mountains because the cries of the gulls disturbs her sleep.
*iflheim
(1candina!ian The realm of the dead in *orse mythology.
*orns
(*orse 0i!ine beings who shape the fate of each person and god, though they do not create it. They wea!e the web of
(yrd, and are sometimes known as the #(yrd 1isters#. The goddesses of these destinies are the three sisters called @rd
(the eldest, the goddess of the past (fate, Ferdandi (the middle sister, the goddess of the present (necessity and
1kuld (the youngest, the goddess of the future (being.
*ott
(*orse The goddess of night and the daughter of *ar!i. *ott was married three times and with each husband she had
one child. Her first husband was *aglfari, and their son was )udr (@dr. Her second husband was )nnar, father of
?ord. Her third husband was 0ellingr, the personification of twilight, father of 0agur (0ay. 1he and her son were
gi!en horse$drawn chariots by the gods and were placed in the sky to round the world e!ery two half$days. *otts
chariot is pulled by the horse Hrimfa%i (#frosty$maned# which co!ers the earth with dew (the drippings from his
foaming mouth early in the morning.
+din
)lso +dhinn, (oden, (odan, and (outan. He is the supreme god and oldest of all in *orse mythology, god of
wisdom, poetry, magic, runes, occult, and war. He belonged to the )esir race of gods. )mong his many names is )ll$
father, for he is the father of all the gods. Husband of :rigga, father (with her of 3aldur, Hodur and Hermod- consort
of 8ind, father (with her of Fali and Fidar- consort of ?ord, father (with her of Thor. +ne story about him relates how
he ac6uired great wisdom. 1upposedly 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. )nother
story about his ac6uiring wisdom is that he sacrificed an eye for the pri!ilege of drinking from Mimir/s, fountain of
wisdom. He had two black ra!ens, 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 wol!es, :reki and Geri. His greatest treasures were
1leipner (an eight$legged horse, Gunger (a spear that ne!er misses, and 0raupnir (a ring which drops eight new
rings, as clones, e!ery ninth night. His hall is Gladsheim (Falhalla is located within Gladsheim.
+utgard
(*orse The home of giants and monsters.
+ttar
(*orse The human lo!er of :rey&a. 1he transformed him into a boar so that she could keep him with her in )sgard.
<ekko
(:inland God of barley.
<osh&o$akka
(1candina!ia Goddess of the hunt.
8agnarok
(*orse 8agnarok is the ultimate battle between good and e!il from which a new order will come (The end of our
world.
8an
(*orse 8an is goddess of the sea and storms, and wife to the sea god )egir. 1he collects the drowned in her net and
takes them to her hall located at the bottom of the ocean.
8ana *edia
(5apland Goddess of spring.Her sacred ob&ect is the spinning wheel.
8auni
(:inland 1he had intercourse with the thunder god, @kko, and from this union came all the plants of earth.
8ig
(*orse 8ig was the name taken by Heimdall when he created the three types of mankind' the thrall (sla!e, the karl
(free peasant and the &arl (noble or chief.
8ind
(*orse 1he was the daughter of ;ing 3illing and the mistress of +din, who had pursued her in !arious disguises.
Their affair led to the birth of Fali, the child who was later to a!enge the death of 3aldr.
8osk!a
(*orse 1he was a farmer/s daughter who became a ser!ant 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 pro!ide meat, so Thor offered the
goats who pulled his chariot on the condition that no bones were broken. 3ut 8osk!a/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 ser!ice of 8osk!a and Thialfi, who tra!elled with him thereafter as his ser!ants.
8ota
(1candina!ia +ne of the Falkyries.
1aga
1aga, the all$knowing goddess, is an aspect of :rigg in some mythology tales. 1he li!es at 1inking 3each, a waterfall
of cool wa!es where she offers her guests drinks in golden cups. Her name, which means #omniscience,# is applied to
the epic heroic tales.
1essrumnir
(Germanic ) fertility goddess.
1iegfried or 1igurd
Hero of early Germanic mythology. His legend recounts his killing of the dragon :afnir and winning an accursed
hoard of gold, his marriage to Gudrun, his lo!e and betrayal of 3runhild (3rynhild, and his death through 3runhild/s
&ealous contri!ance. :or more see 1igurd below.
1if
(*orse 1if is the golden$haired wife of Thor, by whom she bore Thrud, and the goddess of crops and fertility. 1he was
the mother, by a pre!ious marriage, of @u (@ller, god of archery and skiing.
) myth about her'
5oki, one night cut off her beautiful golden hair. *e%t morning Thor was beside himself with rage at 1if/s distress.
(hen 5oki protested that it was only a &oke, Thor demanded to know how he was going to rectify the situation- the
fire god said he would get the dwar!es to wea!e a wig as a replacement. 1o 5oki asked the sons of I!aldi to make a
wig from spun gold. The wig when finished was 6uite remarkable, for it was so light and realistic that e!en a slight
bree.e was enough to ruffle it and so real that it grew on her head like magic. Thinking to get the gods e!en more into
their debt,the sons of I!aldi constructed a collapsible boat named 1kidbladnir for :reyr and a magic spear called
Gungnir for +din. +n his way back to )sgard 5oki met the dwarf brothers 3rokk and "iti. They were so &ealous of the
workmanship that had gone into the wig, the boat and the spear that 5oki easily persuaded them to make something
better- he e!en bet his own head on their inability to do so. )s a result, the dwarf brothers fashioned the magic
hammer known as M&ollnir. The gods were delighted with the treasures 5oki and 3rokk had brought back. Howe!er,
3rokk demanded 5oki/s head. The gods would not agree, but they had no ob&ection to 3rokk sewing up 5oki/s lips with
a thong when Thor dragged the god back home after he tried to flee, which caused 5oki to plan re!enge against Thor.
1igny
(*orse 1he was the daughter of Folsung, a descendant of +din. Married against her will to ;ing 1iggeir, 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. "ach night a wolf de!oured one of them in turn, until only her youngest brother 1igmund
was left ali!e. 1igny got a sla!e to smear 1igmund/s face with honey so that the wolf would lick him instead of biting
him. 1igmund was thus able to catch the wolf/s tongue in his teeth and o!ercome the beast. 1igny helped 1igmund to
plot re!enge. 1he e!en slept with him in disguise and bore a son named 1infiotli. (hen 1infiotli grew up she placed
him in 1igmund/s care, but they were both captured by 1iggeir. ) magic sword freed them and killed 1iggeir and his
sons. 1igny chose to die herself in the burning palace, but not before she had told 1igmund the truth about 1infiotli/s
parentage.
1igurd
(*orse 1igurd (1iegfried was a northern Germanic hero. He was the foster$son of 8egin, who sent him to reco!er a
fabulous hoard of gold. 8egin/s father Hreidmar had first ac6uired this treasure, which once belonged to the dwarf
)nd!ari. To get their hands on the gold 8egin and his brother :afnir had then killed Hreidmar, but :afnir wanted the
treasure for himself and turned into a dragon to guard it. 3y cunningly stabbing the monster from underneath, 1igurd
succeeded in slaying :afnir, thus gaining both wealth and wisdom (by licking the blood of the slain dragon, since
:afnir was said to ha!e understood the language of birds. (hen he reali.ed that 8egin intended to kill him for the
gold, 1igurd slew him before carrying it away himself.
1igyn
(Germanic 1igyn, also known as 1igunn or 1igryn, was the faithful wife of 5oki and mother of his sons *ar!i and
Fali. +nce the gods reali.ed that in 5oki they had allowed the growth of e!il in their midst, they bound him in a ca!e.
:irst they took hold of three slabs of rock, stood them on end and bored a hole through each of them. Then the entrails
of 5oki/s son *ar!i, whom they slew, were employed as a rope which bound the fire god to the stones. (hen the gods
had tied the last knot, the entrails became as hard as iron. To ensure 5oki/s discomfort the frost giantess 1kadi, *&ord/s
wife, fastened a snake to a stalactite abo!e the god/s head and there 5oki was to remain until 8agnarok. 0espite all
that her husband had done, 1igyn remained true to him and did what she could to lessen his suffering hy catching the
!enom dripping from the snake in a wooden bowl. Howe!er, whene!er she went away to empty its poisonous contents,
the !enom fell on 5oki/s head and caused him to twitch !iolently from the pain. )ccording to the Fikings, it was these
compulsi!e mo!ements that accounted for earth6uakes.
1&ofn
(*orse 1&ofn is the goddess to inspire human passions. 1he was also a goddess concerned with causing men and
women to think of lo!e. It was her duty to stop fights between married couples.
1kadi (1kade
) giantess, called the #snow$shoe goddess#, and thus the embodiment of winter. (hen her father Thiassi was slain by
the gods for stealing some golden apples from Idun, 1kadi wanted to take re!enge 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. 1he was free to marry any god, but had to chose from
those eligible without being allowed to see anything but their feet. 1he noticed a !ery elegant pair and, con!inced that
their owner was the handsome 3alder, she choose them. @nfortunately for her, those feet belonged to the older god
*&ord. The belly full of laughter was pro!ided by 5oki, who tied his testicles to a goat. The marriage between *&ord
and 1kadi was not a happy one. 1he wanted to li!e where her father had li!ed, in the mountains, and *&ord wanted to
li!e in his palace by the sea. 1o 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 !ery well, and they separated. "!entually, 1kadi left *&ord for the god
@ll.
1kirnir
(*orse 1kirnir was a ser!ant of :reyr. (hen :reyr wished to marry the frost giantess Gerda, being a shy guy, he
promised 1kirnir his horse and his sword to make his pitch to Gerda for him, and sent him to ?otunheim. 1kirnir had
some difficulty in persuading Gerda to agree to the match, howe!er. "le!en apples of youth, the magic fruit that kept
the gods young, were no temptation to her. *or was one of +din/s arm$rings. Gerda showed no fear when 1kirnir
threatened to behead her, but she began to panic the moment he started to recite a powerful spell. It promised to deny
her any &oy or passion, for the beautiful frost giantess would be transformed into a lo!eless outcast, a companion of the
#unworthy dead#. )s a result of this threatened fate, Gerda at last consented to meet :reyr and so 1kirnir recei!ed his
promised rewards. +n another occasion, 1kirnir acted in his role as messenger by going to the dwarfs on +din/s behalf
to order a magical fetter so that +din could restrain the terrible wolf :enrir.
1kuld
(1candina!ian 4oungest of the *orns- she determines the length of all li!es and assigns your destiny.
1notra
(*orse Goddess of intelligence.
1unna
(*orse ) sun goddess.
1urtr (1urt
(*orse 1urtr (means #black# was a giant who li!ed in the e%treme south, and whose flaming sword guarded
Muspelheim. In 8agnarok, he is the one who sets the nine worlds on fire- all the gods, frost giants, the li!ing, the
dead, dwarfs, el!es, 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.
1yn
(*orse Goddess of #0enial#, and a powerful defender in legal matters in which one is the accused.
Thiassi
(*orse Thiassi was the father of 1kadi (see abo!e who is burned to death in his futile effort to catch 5oki. +din took
the eyes from the dead giant and flung them up into hea!en where they shone thereafter as stars.
Thokk
(*orse )fter 3aldr/s death, Hel, the 6ueen of the underworld, said that she would allow him to return to the land of
the li!ing if #e!erything in the nine worlds, dead or ali!e, weeps for him#. "!eryone did mourn e%cept for Thokk, a
giantess, who refused. 3aldr stayed dead. 1ome myths claim that Thokk was really 5oki in disguise.
Thor
(*orse The god of thunder and lightning, eldest son of +din, ruler of the gods, and ?ord, the earth goddess. Thor was
the strongest of the )esir, the chief gods, whom he helped protect from their enemies, the giants. Thor owed three
magical treasures. M&ollnir his hammer (thunderbolt which when thrown at an enemy returns to Thor. He is able to
handle M&ollnir with the second of his treasures, iron$clad glo!es. The third treasure is his magic girdle, a belt that
increases and replenishes his di!ine strength when he wears it. Thunder was supposed to be the sound of the rolling of
his goat$dri!en chariot. 1if was his wife. He also has a consort, ?arnsa%a, by whom he fathered Magni (might and
Modi (strength.Thursday is named for Thor.
Thrud
(Germanic Thrud was the daughter of Thor and his wife 1if. 1he was promised to the dwarf )l!is as a payment for
his work. 3ut Thor pre!ented the dwarf from claiming Thrud by keeping him talking until morning, when the sunlight
turned )l!is into stone.
Thrym
(Germanic Thrym was the frost giant who came to ac6uire Thor/s magic hammer. The gods were in a panic because
only this weapon could protect them from the frost giants. (hen Thrym said he would e%change the hammer for the
hand of :rey&a in marriage, 5oki persuaded Thor to go to the frost giant/s castle disguised as the bride in order to
reco!er the hammer. 5oki also went along in the form of a maidser!ant. )nd so they arri!ed at Thrym/s hall. "!en
though the frost giant was suspicious about his bride$to$be, 5oki cle!erly managed to talk him into producing the
hammer, which Thor then used to slay all the frost giants in sight.
Thunor
(Germanic ) god of lightning and thunder.
Tiwa.
(Germanic God of law.
Tuoni
(:inland Tuoni was the god of the dead, who li!ed in the dark land of Tuonela, from which few !isitors return. (ith
his wife Tuonetar he had se!eral children who were deities of suffering, including ;ipu$Tytto, goddess of illness. +ne
of the few heroes who managed to escape from Tuonela was Fainamoinen. )fter successfully crossing the ri!er that
marked the border of Tuonela, he was recei!ed there by Tuonetar, who ga!e him beer to drink. 3ut while he slept, her
son created a !ast iron mesh across the ri!er so that Fainamoinen could not return that way and would be trapped
fore!er. 3ut when he woke, the hero changed into an otter and swam easily through the net.
Tuulikki
(:inland Goddess of the woods, in!oked to assure an abundance of game.
Tyr (Tiu, Tiw, Ti!, Tiwa.
(*orse 1on of +din and :rigg, and younger brother of Thor. ) god of war and of &ustice. It was he who placed his
hand in the mouth of the giant wolf, :enris, to show good faith as the rest of the gods, pretending sport but intending a
trap, chained the wolf. (hen :enrir reali.ed he had been tricked he bit off Tyr/s hand. Tuesday is deri!ed from Tyr/s
name.
@kko
(:inland The god of sky and air who controlled the rain. He replaced ?umala as supreme deity. His wife was )kka.
@ll (@ller
(*orse @ll was the stepson of Thor, the thunder god. He was the god of hunting, and was in!ol!ed with snowshoes,
bow and weapons of war.
@rd
(1candina!ian The *orn goddess of fate- she rules the past.
FcincmWinen
(:inland 1on of the primal goddess 5uonnotar. He possessed the wisdom of the ages from birth, for he was in his
mother/s womb for thirty years. The /eternal sage/, who e%erts order o!er chaos and establishes the land of ;ale!a, that
so many of the e!ents in ;ale!ala re!ol!e around. His search for a wife brings the land of ;ale!a into friendly but
later hostile contact with its dark and threatening neighbour in the north, <oh&ola.
Falhalla
(*orse The hall of dead heroes. Heroic warriors, killed in battle, were #stored# here for the ad!ent of 8agnarWk, or
0oomsday. +din kept them #ali!e# in this pleasure palace for that day so they could be at his side.
Fali
(*orse God of !engeance.
Falkyries
The Falkyries are beautiful maidens that help +din choose which bra!e warrirors of those slain on the battlefield may
then ser!e +din in Falhalla. They are also +dins messengers, and when they ride forth on their winged horses, their
armor shines and flickers causing the )urora 3orealis (*orthern 5ights.
They are ' 3rynhild,GeirahWd,Geirolul,Geirskogul,Gol,Goli,GWndul,Gudr,Gunnr,Guth,Herf&Wtur
,Her!or,Hildr,Hiorthrimul,Hlathguth,HlWkk,Hrist,?udur,;ara,Mist,+lrun,8andgrPdr,8athgrith,
8eginleif,8Vta,1angridr,1igrdrifa,1igrXn,1igrlinn, 1igrun,1kegg&Wld,1kWgul,1kuld,1!afa,1!M!a,
1!ipul, and Thrud
Fanir
(*orse They were the other race of gods, who become united with the )esir. :rey and *&Wrd were Fanir gods.
Far
(*orse 1pirit of awareness- nothing can be hidden from her insight.
Ferdandi
(1candina!ian *orn goddess that rules the present.
Fidar (Fithar
(*orse ) son of +din noted for his taciturnity, and his fearless destruction of :enrir (:enris.
For
(*orse 1he witnesses oaths that are made and punishes those who break their oaths, including marriage !ows.
(aldmichen
(Germanic This wood nymph was a form of the goddess :reya. Her ser!ants were rabbits- two of them held the train
of her cloak while two others lit her way with candles. 1he li!ed in a grotto, where a !isitor could see the souls of
unborn babies ca!orting- she owned a mill where she ground old men and women young again.
(a!e Maidens
(1candina!ia These nine giantesses ()tla, )ugeia, )urgiafa, "gia, Gialp, Greip, Iarnsa%a, 1indur and @lfrun were
daughters of the sea goddess 8an. (hen they fa!ored a sailor, they played in the wa!es around his ship, pushing him
forward to his destination.
(odan ((otan, (oden
(Germanic )lternate names for +din.
4abme$)kka
(1candina!ian 0eath goddess who appeared as an old woman.
4gg
(*orse +din/s name when considered as the god of storm and war.
4mir
(*orse The #e!il# source of creation in *orse myths. The prime!al father of all the Giants. He was fed by the Y milky
streams that flowed from )udhumla, the cow. He fathered the race of frost giants who were enemies of the gods. 4mir
grew so large and so e!il that +din and his brothers (Fili and Fe could no longer li!e with him. They killed him, and
the blood gushed from his body in such torrents () flood myth that all the giants e%cept 3ergelmer and his wife were
killed. These two took refuge on a chest and came to the shores of ?otunheim. :rom them another race of frost giants
was born.
7empat
(<russia God of the earth. God of cattle.
7isa
(German ) har!est goddess.
Creatures,and )rtifacts of Mythology
Creatures of Mythology
)bra%as (8oman'
+ne of )urora/s horses.
)lG (3abylonian'
) demon who crushed men with his enormous bulk.
)malthea (Greek'
The she$goat whose milk nourished the infant 7eus as he was being hid from his father. )fter her death he used her
hide to co!er 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 hea!ens as the constellation Capricorn.
)pis ("gypt'
The sacred bull of the ancient "gyptians. It was known to them as Hapi and was regarded as the incarnation of +siris
or of <tah. It was belie!ed that when )pis died, a new )pis appeared and had to be searched out- he would be
recogni.able by certain sacred marks upon his body, such as his color (mainly black and a knot under his tongue.
)pis is sometimes represented as a man with the head of a bull.
)rgus (Greek'
) ,CC$eyed giant (also called <anoptes who was assigned by the goddess Hera, wife of 7eus, to guard Io, of whom she
was &ealous. 7eus, who fa!ored his mistress Io, changed her into a heifer to protect her from Hera. The god Hermes,
dispatched by 7eus to rescue Io, slew )rgus by lulling his eyes to sleep with music and then se!ering his head. In one
!ersion of the story, )rgus subse6uently became a peacock- in another, Hera transplanted his eyes onto the peacock/s
tail.
)lso known by the name )rgus was the old dog of +dysseus, Greek leader during the Tro&an (ar. (hen his master
returned after ,Z years, )rgus recogni.ed him and promptly died.
)suras()sian'
0emons who are sworn enemies of the Fedic gods.
3alios or 3alius (Greek'
)chilles/ horse, and brother of )chilles/ other horse, Eanthus (Eanthos. 3alios spoke Greek, and could uncouple itself
from )chilles/ chariot to fight at his master/s side.
3anshee (TH" 3)* 1I0H (Gaelic'
5iterally means a fairy woman, but is usually used to mean the spirit of a dead ancestress. In the Highlands she was
known as the Glaistig @aine (Green 5ady.
) female spirit whose wailing warns a family that one of them will soon die.
3arghest ("ngland'
In northern "ngland this monstrous dog with huge teeth and claws appeared only at night. It was belie!ed that anyone
who saw such a dog clearly would die soon after.
In (ales, the dog was the red$eyed Gwyllgi, the 0og of 0arkness.
+n the Isle of Man it was called Mauthe 0oog.
(This fearsome apparition may well ha!e pro!ided the inspiration for the 1herlock Holmes detecti!e story #The Hound
of the 3asker!illes,# by 1ir )rthur Conan 0oyle.
3asilisk ()ncient'
1ee cockatrice below.
3rownie (1cotland'
) good$natured, in!isible household goblin. 0uring the night, the brownie performs household tasks- howe!er, if
offered payment for his ser!ices, he disappears and ne!er returns.
Centaur (Greek'
) creature half$man, half$horse, descended from I%ion, and li!ing mostly in ancient Thessaly. These centaurs were
in!ited to a marriage feast, where one of them tried to abduct the bride which resulted in a war that dro!e them out of
Thessaly. Most were sa!age followers of 0ionysus, but some, like Chiron, taught humans.
Cerberus (Greek'
) three$headed, dragon$tailed dog guarding the entrance to Hades. He permitted all spirits to enter Hades, but none to
lea!e. +nly a few heroes e!er escaped- the great musician +rpheus charmed it with his lyre, and the Greek hero
Hercules captured it bare$handed and brought it for a short time to the regions abo!e. In 8oman mythology the
beautiful maiden <syche (or 1ybil and the Tro&an prince )eneas were able to pacify Cerberus with a drugged honey
cake and thus to continue their &ourney through the underworld.
Cerynean Hind (Greek'
3rother stag to the four who drew )rtemis/ chariot. They had golden horns and hoo!es of brass. It was the fastest of
the group and was able to escape )rtemis 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. (hen )rtemis reproached him, Heracles promised to
bring the stag back to her when his labor was finished. He did so and )rtemis used it as the fifth stag for her moon$
chariot.
Chiche!ache (German'
) monster that only fed on #good women# and was therefore mostly skin and bones because its food was e%tremely
scarceN
Chimaera (Greek'
) monster that had a lion/s head, a goat/s body, and a dragon/s tail. It was killed by 3ellerophon.
Cockatrice or 3asilisk ()ncient'
) 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$less egg laid by a se!en$year$old rooster and hatched by a toad. )ccording to legend there were two
main types'
,. The golden basilisk poisoned e!erything with a stare from his e!il eye.
L. The blood$red basilisk whose sting made the flesh fall off the bones of his !ictim.
3oth species were so dreadful that their breath wilted !egetation 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.
0emons ((orldwide'
) term generally applied to those spirits capable of interaction with humans. They may be human or non$human, or
friendly or hostile. They include the demons who cause nightmares- 1la!ic !ampires, or witch$ghosts, who suck the
blood of li!ing !ictims- succubi, who consort with men, and incubi, who consort with women and may impregnate
them- the 8oman genius, a guardian spirit that stays with a person for life- the *orse troll, a one$eyed monster- the
Hindu rakshasa, a malignant ogre who can assume any shape- the Celtic and Teutonic giants, who destroy humans and
eat them- the lamias of Greece, who take the form of beautiful women and suck the blood of children or eat them- and
the fiery flying #snakes# of 8ussia (which I/!e been told by ?ade ^http'99www.%lnt$arts.com9maria9_ are really
#0rakons, creatures similar to dragons, three$headed reptiles who could fly, breathe fire, and in many instances e!en
talk#. 3abylonian demons were the children of Hea!en and "arth. They were surrounded by a halo that made them
in!isible to humans. They were dirty, with a !irulent odor, fed on blood, and emitted a terrible poison. In Christian
mythology there is 5ucifer, and other fallen angels, and witches who swear loyalty to 1atan. There is the ?apanese oni,
who brings on the winds and li!es in the center of the storm, and the Chinese air dragons, whose battles cause
waterspouts. 5ilith (?ewish and 3abylonian,)dam/s (of )dam and "!e first wife, who left him after a ma&or 6uarrel.
In ?ewish folklore she is a demon that is the enemy of newborn children. There is a whole branch of learning de!oted
to the sub&ect called demonology.
0ragon ()ncient'
) legendary reptilian monster similar in form to a crocodile but with wings, huge claws, and fiery breath. In the
Mesopotamian creation myth ("numa "lish, dating from about LCCC 3C, a dragon was considered a symbol for
destruction and e!il. 1o it was also considered in the writings of the ancient Hebrews. The 3ible (8e!elation also so
considers it. 0ragons became more benign in later mythologies. The Greeks and 8omans belie!ed that they had the
ability to understand and to teach mortals the secrets of the earth. 3ecause of this duality, destruction and positi!e
influence, it was often adopted as a military emblem- the 8oman legions used it thusly as early as the first century )0.
The folklore of northern "urope contains a similar interpretation of the dragon. *orsemen car!ed the prows of their
ships with likenesses of the dragon. The ancient Celtic considered the dragon a symbol of so!ereignty. The Teutonic
in!aders of 3ritain had dragons depicted on their shields. The dragon also figures in the folklore of ?apan.
In China it is traditionally considered as a symbol of good fortune, and was the national emblem of the Chinese
"mpire. @nlike Middle "astern or (estern dragons, the 5ungs (Chinese appelation for #dragons# were bene!olent
and brought rain, guarded sacred dwellings and such tasks.
There were four types'
,.The T/ien 5ung, or Celestial 0ragon
L.The :u Tsang 5ung or Treasure 0ragon
B.The Ti 5ung, or "arth 0ragon
Y.The 1hen 5ung, or 8ain 0ragon (also called ;ung ;ung
The latter two 5ungs are together known as the (ang 5ung, and are propitiated as water deities, dwelling in the 1eas.
"chidna (Greek'
) monster, and a mother of monsters. 1he bore Cerberus, the Chimera, and 1cylla, all by the dragon Typhon. In some
accounts she was also the mother of the Hydra and the 1phin%. 1he was half woman and half serpent. 1he was killed
by )rgus.
"rymanthian 3oar (Greek'
) huge, sa!age beast, whose capture (ali!e was Heracles/ fourth labor. Heracles trapped the animal in a deep snow$
drift, wrestled him to the ground, and carried him back to "urystheus. The cowardly "urystheus hid in a &ar until
Heracles imprisoned the beast in a bron.e cage.
The "!il "ye (Gaelic'
This is a Highland belief, which has its origins in the Celtic legend of the :omorian God #3alor of the "!il "ye#.
:aery (:airy ((orldwide'
+ne of a !ariety of supernatural beings ha!ing magical powers. 3elief in fairies has e%isted from earliest times, but the
concept and description of the creatures !aries widely, from the tiny old men, or leprechauns, of Irish legend, to
beautiful enchantresses like the Germanic 5orelei, to human$eating giants, or ogres. <articular kinds of fairies include
the )rabic &inni, the 1candina!ian troll, the Germanic elf, and the "nglish pi%ie. )lthough usually represented as
mischie!ous and capricious, they could also be lo!ing and bountiful. In Gaelic folklore the belief in fairies was !ery
widespread until recently. There are se!eral schools of thought as to the origin of the belief in Celtic fairies' ,. 1ome
say the fairies are a folk memory of a former race of people, who li!ed underground in mound$like dwellings. L. Many
people see the fairies as a non$human race of nature spirits. B. 1ome see them as the spirits of the dead, because so
many #fairy hills# seem to be located on, or near, ancient burial places. In )rabic and Islamic folklore, the &inni (Genie
is the "nglish form. is a spirit or demon lower in the hierachy than an angel. They could be good, and beautiful, or
bad, and ugly. They are mischie!ous spirits who en&oy punishing humans for wrongs done them, e!en unintentionally,
and so accidents and diseases are considered their work. They are popular in the folklore of "gypt, 1yria, Iran, Turkey,
and *orth )frica. The troll is the 1candina!ian e6ui!alent and is !ariously portrayed as a friendly or mischie!ous
dwarf or as a giant, that li!es in ca!es, in the hills, or under bridges. The "nglish pi%ie is a fairylike or elfin creature,
especially one that is mischie!ous- a playful sprite.
:afnir (*orse'
:afnir was the son of Hreidmar (the farmer$magician who had recei!ed the cursed ring )nd!arinaut from 5oki. (ith
his brother 8egin, :afnir 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 e!entually slain by 1igurd (1iegfried, who took the ring with
disastrous results to himself.
:auns (Greek'
Mischie!ous creatures, half man, half goat.
GallG (3abylonian'
) demon who slew all men he encountered.
Geryon (Greek'
) monster with three heads and three bodies, whose o%en ate human flesh, and who were guarded by +rthrus, a two$
headed dog. Hercules slew both Geryon and +rthrus in his tenth labor.
Gnome (Greek'
) misshapen elemental spirit, dwelling in the bowels of the earth, and guarding mines and 6uarries. The word may
ha!e been in!ented by <aracelsus.
Goblin ((orldwide'
) grotes6ue, elfin creature of folklore, thought to work mischief or e!il.
Grendel
) water monster in!ulnerable to weapons. He was killed by 3eowulf. The monster/s mother, another water monster,
was later killed by 3eowulf when she tried to a!enge Grendel/s death.
Gryphon (or Griffin or Griffon (Mid$"ast'
) fabulous beast with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion.+riginating in Middle "astern legend, it is
often found in <ersian art.It is thought to ha!e symboli.ed strength and !igilance.
Harpy (Greek'
:oul creatures with the heads of old women and the bodies, wings, beaks, and claws of birds. They could fly with the
speed of the wind, and their feathers, which could not be pierced, ser!ed as armor. They snatched up mortals and
carried them to the underworld, lea!ing behind a sickening odor.
Hippocampus (8oman'
The hippocampus is a creature that is half$horse and half$fish, with the head and fore6uarters of a horse and the tail
and hind6uarters of a dolphin. It had forelegs with webbed paws, and may ha!e a fin on the back of its neck.
*eptune/s chariot was pulled through the ancient seas by se!eral of these creatures, and *eptune was occasionally seen
riding one.
Hydra (Greek'
+ne of the most hideous creatures of Greek mythology is the nine$headed hydra. :or each head that was cut off, the
monster grew two new ones. The sub&ect of Heracles/ second labor.
Ibis ("gypt'
) sacred bird. It had a white body and black head and tail. It was associated with Thoth, who was pictured as ibis$
headed, as was the moon god )ah, sometimes. The bird was sacred to Isis.
Ichneumon ("gypt'
) type of mongoose !enerated by ancient "gyptians (called #<haraoh/s rat# because it fed on !ermin, crocodile eggs,
snakes, etc..
Incubus (Medie!al'
) male demon that sought se%ual intercourse with sleeping women. 1upposedly a fallen angel.
;elpie (1cotland'
) water sprite that is instrumental in bringing about the drowning of sailors and swimmers.
;obold (Germany'
) similar household spirit to the brownie and, also, a gnome that inhabits underground places.
;ouei (China'
) class of demons. They were repulsi!e creatures with black or green faces co!ered with long hair, and with long,
sharp teeth.
5adon (Greek'
The serpent who guarded the golden apples in the Garden of Hesperides. This giant serpent was said to be a half$mile
long, with a mouth that started at his head and ended at his tailN His teeth were longer than an elephant/s tusk and as
sharp as a sword. Heracles faced him in his ele!enth labor, and e!en he was too fearsome to get close to the beast. He
came up with an ingenious plan- He looked for and found dead trees loaded with bee$hi!es, took the hi!es and flung
them, angry bees and all, into 5adon/s gaping mouth. The bees did the rest, stinging 5adon in the only part of him that
was !ulnerable, his tongue and throat. The thousands of bee stings killed the monster.
5aelaps (Greek'
The hunting dog gi!en to <rocris by )rtemis. <rocris ga!e the dog to her lo!er Cephalus, and was accidentally killed
by him while he was out hunting with 5aelaps.
5aestrygones (Greek'
Giants who feasted on human flesh. They li!ed on an island where the sun chased the moon across the sky with such
speed that day followed night e!ery few minutes. +dysseus and his men landed there- two of his three ships were
smashed by the giants, and their crews were eaten ali!e. +dysseus and some of his men escaped in the third ship.
5amastu (3abylonian'
) demon that attacked babies at their mother/s breast.
5ymnades (Greek'
(ater demons. They had the gift of mimicry, and when a tra!eller neared one of their streams, they would call out for
help in the !oice of one of the tra!eller/s lo!ed ones. (hen the tra!eller approached the stream to help, he was pulled
underwater and drowned.
Manticore (<ersia'
) legendary animal with the head of a man, the body of a lion, a porcupine/s 6uills, and the tail of a dragon or
scorpion. :irst mentioned by Ctesias, a Greek writer in the late Dth or early Yth centuries 3.C. when he wrote a history
of <ersia.
Mermaid ()ncient'
In folklore, a supernatural, sea$dwelling creature- from the waist up, a mermaid is a beautiful, alluring woman and
from the waist down she has the body and tail of a fish, complete with scales. The mermaid is fre6uently described as
appearing abo!e the surface of the water and combing her long hair with one hand while holding a mirror in the other.
(hile grooming herself she is likely to sing with a !oice so enchanting that men cannot resist it. Mermaids, in the
numerous tales told of them, often foretell the future, sometimes under compulsion- gi!e supernatural powers to
human beings- or fall in lo!e with human beings and entice their mortal lo!ers to follow them beneath the sea. Most
mermaids are kind and gentle but some are cruel (there are tales that depict some mermaids as drinkers of blood. )
similarity e%ists between many mermaid stories and those told about the 1irens.
In Irish folktales, one is named Merrow, a mermaid who warns fishermen of coming storms.
Minotaur (Greek' ) man$eating monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man. It was the offspring of
<asiphae, 6ueen of Crete, and a snow$white bull the god <oseidon had sent to <asiphae/s husband, ;ing Minos. (hen
Minos refused to sacrifice the beast, <oseidon made <asiphae fall in lo!e with it. )fterwards she ga!e birth to the
Minotaur. Minos ordered the architect and in!entor 0aedalus to build a labyrinth so intricate that escape from it
without assistance would be impossible. Here the Minotaur was confined and fed with young human !ictims Minos
forced )thens to send him as tribute. The Greek hero Theseus was determined to end the useless sacrifice and offered
himself as one of the !ictims. (hen Theseus reached Crete, Minos/s daughter )riadne fell in lo!e with him. 1he
helped him escape by gi!ing him a ball of thread, which he fastened to the door of the ma.e and unwound as he made
his way through it. (hen he came upon the sleeping Minotaur, he beat the monster to death and then led the other
sacrificial youths and maidens to safety by following the thread back to the entrance.*amtar (3abylonian'
) demon that grabbed men by the hair and dragged them to the underworld. ) plague demon.
*emean 5ion (Greek'
The sub&ect of Heracles/ first labor. ) lion as large as an elephant, with teeth like i!ory daggers, claws like baling
hooks, and a hide that could not be pierced by any weapon. Heracles succeeded in strangling the animal, skinned it
and wore the hide as his armor.
*idhogg(*orse'
The e!il serpent that eternally attacks 4ggdrasil, the world tree.
+phion (Greek'
The gigantic serpent who arose from Chaos and, with "urynome, the moon goddess that appeared later, sired sun,
earth, stars, and all life.
<a.u.u (3abylonian'
) demon whose roar made mountains tremble.
<egasus (Greek'$of the wells
) winged horse, son of <oseidon, god of the sea, and the Gorgon Medusa. <egasus sprang from Medusa/s neck when
she was killed by the hero <erseus. 1hortly 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 belie!ed to be a source for poetic inspiration, began to
flow. )ll longed in !ain to catch and tame the creature, and this became the obsession of 3ellerophon, prince of
Corinth. +n the ad!ice of a seer, 3ellerophon spent a night in the temple of the goddess )thena. )s he slept, the
goddess appeared to him with a golden bridle and told him that it would enable him to capture <egasus. (hen
3ellerophon awoke, he found the golden bridle beside him, and with it he easily captured and tamed the winged horse.
<eri (<ersia'
) supernatural being descended from fallen angels.
<hoeni% ()rabia'
In both ancient Greek and "gyptian mythology, the phoeni% is a fabulously beautiful bird thought to be the ser!ant of
God. )ncient Chinese, 1umerian, )ssyrian, "gyptian, Incan, and ).tec mythology all tell of this uni6uely immortal
bird. It li!ed close to a cool well. It had brilliant gold and reddish$purple feathers, and was as large or larger than an
eagle. "ach morning at dawn, it would bathe in the water and sing such a beautiful song that the sun god would stop
his chariot to listen. There only e%isted one phoeni% at a time, and it was always male. 1ome writers belie!ed its life
cycle was as long as ,L,ZDY years. (hen it felt it/s death approaching, it would build a nest and set it on fire, and &ump
in to be consumed by flames. (hen it was burned, a new phoeni% sprang forth from the pyre. The long life of the
phoeni%, and its dramatic rebirth from its own ashes, made it a symbol of immortality and spiritual rebirth.
"arly Christian tradition adopted the phoeni% as a symbol of both immortality and resurrection.
In ?apan it appears as Ho$ho and announces the coming of a new era.
) legendary bird that li!ed in )rabia. )ccording to tradition, the phoeni% consumed itself by fire e!ery DCC years, and
a new, young phoeni% sprang from its ashes.
In the mythology of ancient "gypt,the phoeni% represented the sun,which dies at night and is reborn in the morning. It
is e6uated with 3ennu, the 1un 3ird, emblem of 8a.
The phoeni% of Chinese legend is called :ung$hwang or :um$hwang and is one of the :our 1piritually "ndowed
presiding o!er the destinies of China. It originated from fire (was born in the #Hill of the 1un/s Halo# and has its body
inscribed with the :i!e Cardinal Firtues.
<ygmies (Greek'
) race of dwarfs, each of whom measured about LL inches tall. They figure in a myth about Heracles' Heracles,
!isiting "gypt for a rest, fell asleep on the banks of the *ile. The pygmies attacked him as he slept, placing ladders
against him, scaling them, and attacking him with their needle$si.ed swords. Heracles awoke, gathered them up in his
lion$skin, and brought them home to "urystheus. "urystheus did not cower in fear as he usually did for they were to
small for him to fear. (0oesn/t this story sound familiarA
<ython (Greek'
The giant serpent sent by Hera against 5eto, to pre!ent the birth of any children she might bear as a result of her
encounter with 7eus. "!entually 5eto did get to gi!e birth $ to )pollo and )rtemis. (hen )pollo grew up he tracked
down <ython and slew him with a barrage of golden arrows.
Top
8aksa!a (India'
0emons representing all hostile forces. Their leader was 8a!ana, the enemy of 8ama.
8umor (Greek'
) malicious demon. 1he spent her time telling tales to anyone who would listen- harmful tales, whether true or not.
1atyr (Greek'
) forest and mountain creature. <art human, with a horse/s tail and ears, and a goat/s horns and legs, satyrs were
merry, drunken, lustful de!otees of 0ionysus.
1ilenus (Greek'
<art bestial, part human creature of forests and mountains, and follower of 0ionysus.
1leipnir (*orse'
1leipnir was the swift eight$legged horse ridden by +din. It was the offspring of 1!adilfari (the horse that helped build
the walls of )sgard and 5oki (disguised as a mare in that e!ent- and was gi!en to +din as a gift. 1leipnir could
tra!el through the air and o!er the sea, and was swift enough to beat any other horse in a race.
1phin% ("gypt9Greek'
,.In "gyptian mythology, a creature ha!ing the body of a lion and the head of a man, ram, or hawk.
L.In Greek Mythology, a winged creature ha!ing the head of a woman and the body of a lion, noted for killing those
who could not answer its riddle.
1tymphalian 3irds (Greek'
Monstrous winged creatures, pictured as giant crane$like birds with long iron beaks. They were the sub&ect of Heracles/
si%th labor.
1uccubus (Medie!al'
) female demon, also a fallen angel, who sought intercourse with sleeping men.
Talus (Greek'
The tree$tall li!ing statue made by Hephaestus, at the re6uest of 7eus, to guard the island of Crete where dwelt "uropa
and her three sons (by 7eus. Talus had a single !ein that ran from his throat to his ankle, through which the blood
flowed that ga!e him life. The !ein was closed with a bron.e pin at the ankle to pre!ent the loss of the blood. Talus
kept all ships away from the island by pelting them with giant rocks if they attempted to land. 3ut then ?ason on the
)rgo decided to land to take on food and water, and when Talus started his rock$throwing, Medea came on deck and
played her famous lyre. The music put Talus to sleep, first time e!er that he slept. Medea drew out the bron.e pin, the
blood drained out, and Talus was no longer ali!e to do guard duty.
Tch/e$yeou (China'
) demon- he had the body of a man, the feet of a bull, four eyes, and si% hands. His head was copper, with a forehead
of iron. He is supposed to ha!e in!ented weapons.
Tengu (?apan'
) class of demons- they had magic powers, could become in!isible, and kidnapped children. They were usually
depicted as birds with powerful claws.
Thunderbird ()merindian'
Mythological creature usually depicted as eagle$like, representing the great forces of nature (the Great 1pirit. It
sometimes was a creator, and at other times was associated with the destructi!e powers of war. It appears in almost all
*orth )merindian myths, and was also considered a rain$bringer. The <acific Indians pictured it with a lake on its
back (It can eat whalesN.
The 1iberian Giant "agle has similar properties, its flashing eyes are lightning and its flapping wings the thunder.
?apan also has a thunderbird. It flies about during storms and is connected with the destructi!e powers of nature such
as thunder and lightning. It also guards the entrance to the 1ky$hea!en.
Troll (Icelandic91candina!ian'
(Icelandic Malignant one$eyed giants.
(1candina!ian 0warfs, some cunning and treacherous, some fair and good to men. They were skilled in working
metals.
@nicorn ((orldwide'
) fabled beast ha!ing the head and legs of a horse and a long, twisted horn set in the middle of its forehead. <ure
white, it has been used as a symbol of !irginity, holiness and chastity. It has also been described as a white horse, with
the legs of an antelope, and a spirally groo!ed horn pro&ecting forward from the center of its forehead, with the horn
being white at the base, black in the middle, and red at the tip. The earliest reference to the unicorn is found in the
writings of the Greek, Ctesias. Ctesias returned from <ersia about the year BZK 3C and wrote a book on the mar!els of
the :ar "ast. He told of a certain wild ass in India with a white body and a horn on the forehead. The dust filed from
this horn, he said, was a protection against deadly drugs. )ncient mythology contains stories of unicorns where the
horn was supposed to contain a li6uid that would cure disease, but the animal was !ery swift and hard to catch. It was
once considered nati!e to India, though it was reportedly seen throughout the world.
The Ch/i$lin is the Chinese /@nicorn/. )n odd$looking creature, it was regarded as a sign of good fortune and &ustice. It
was said to be able to see the e!il in men/s hearts and slay the wicked with its single horn. It/s body and head were
similar to a deer/s- it had hoo!es like a horse- a tail like an o%- and a single backward$cur!ing, fleshy horn. )ccounts
!ary as to whether it was a shiny, scaly$skinned creature whose scales refracted the many colors around it or whether it
&ust had multi$coloured hair. 1ome 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 se!eral stories point to their ability to
sense the guilty. The ?apanese ;i$rin is strongly based on the Ch/i$lin.
Flkodlak (1la!ic'
) wolf$man in 1la!ic folklore. The wolf was the most feared creature in northern and eastern "urope and Flkodlak
was the personification of the wolf.
Eanthus (Eanthos(Greek'
,. )chilles/ horse, and brother of )chilles/ other horse, 3alios. They were the offspring of 7ephyrus and <odarge
(<odarge, one of the Harpies or <odarge, one of Hector/s horses. This superb matched pair of horses are immortal and
endowed with human speech. Eanthus prophesied )chilles/ death and )chilles answered, in effect, #4es, I know, I
know- you don/t ha!e to tell meN#
L. The name of the god of the ri!er 1camander, which flowed past Troy.
B. ) ri!er in 5ycia, sacred to )pollo.
)rtifacts of Mythology
)egis (Greek'
) garment of 7eus, the king of the gods, and of )thena, his daughter. ) short cloak with golden tassels, generally
worn o!er the shoulders. The aegis ser!ed as the symbol of 7eus/s power- it not only protected him but terrified his
enemies. +riginally made for 7eus by Hephaestus, the god of artisans, it became the ordinary dress of )thena in later
mythology. In art, )thena/s aegis was fre6uently depicted as a breastplate or as a shield fringed with serpents. The
garment was also occasionally used by other gods.
)mbrosia'
The food of the Greek and 8oman gods or, in some stories, the ointment or perfume of the gods.
)ngus/ Harp (Celtic'
5ike his father, 0agda, )ngus 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.
3ifrost (*orse
The rainbow bridge between )sgard (1candina!ian hea!en and Midgard (earth, that is guarded by Heimdall.
3one of @ll (*orse
The god @ll had a bone upon which all his spells were car!ed .The spells were acti!ated by reading them aloud.
3one <rison (Celtic'
The 3one <rison of +eth and )noeth was built by Manawyddan, ruler of the @nderworld to house those trespassingin
his realm. It was made entirely of human bones in the shape of a beehi!e, and had innumerable cells that formed a
labyrinth.
3ran/s Cauldron of 8eno!ation (Celtic
It brought the dead back to life.
Caduceus (Greek'
) 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 in!iolability, because it was the symbol of Hermes, the
messenger of the gods. )pollo ga!e the staff to Hermes in return for the lyre. In 8oman mythology the symbol is
associated with the god Mercury. The staff of )sclepius, 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 @.1. )rmy and *a!y.
Chariot (Greek'
)ccording to Greek myth, the chariot was in!ented by "richthonius to conceal his feet , which were those of a dragon.
0agda/s Cauldron (Celtic
The Cauldron, @ndry, had the ability to feed all who came to it and from which none left unsatisfied.
0agda/s Harp (Celtic
The harp is an ob&ect 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.
0raupnir (*orse
)lso called the #8ing of the *eibulungen#. It had the power to draw wealth to the one who wears it, but did not
guarantee en&oyment of the wealth.
:ylfot ((orldwide'
) mystic emblem also known as the swastika. It has been found on ancient "truscan tombs,Celtic monuments,
3uddhist inscriptions, Greek coins, etc. It was used among )merindians as an ornament of religious import. It is
belie!ed to represent the power of the sun (with the four winds, lightning.
Girdle of Thor (*orse'
It doubles the strength of the one who wears it.
G&allahorn (*orse'
The G&allahorn is used by Heimdall to summon the forces of light to fight in the 8agnarok. 1ince the heroes who are
to fight this battle are mainly from Falhalla this means it has the power to summon the dead.
Gleipnir (*orse'
The e!il wolf :enrir was prophesied to be the creature that would kill +din, so +din ordered :rey to chain the beast.
:rey tricked :enrir into capti!ity but lost his hand in the process. The fetter (chain was e%tremely light and made out
of the noise of a cat mo!ing, 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 :enrir struggled against them the tighter they
became. In 8agnarok, :enrir breaks the chains and de!ours +din (the first god to die before itself being slain.
Ichor'
)n ethereal fluid taking the place of blood in the !eins of the ancient Greek gods.
Mider/s Cauldron (Gaelic'
1tolen by Cuchulainn in his foray into the @nderworld, it is said that in it #was always found an ine%haustible supply
of meat, with treasure of sil!er and gold to boot#. (Celtic Myths and 5egends $ C. 16uire
Mimir (1candina!ian'
The well of wisdom that lies beneath a root of 4ggdrasil, the world tree. This is the fountain from which +din,
sacrificing an eye to do so, drank to gain wisdom. It is also the name of the guardian of the well.
Mimir/s Head (1candina!ian'
(hen Mimir (the guardian of the (ell of (isdom was killed, +din refused to do without his wise council and had the
head re$animated. It had a limited precogniti!e ability, though.
*ectar'
The drink of the Greek and 8oman gods.
*et of 8an (*orse
8an (The 8a!isher was a handmaiden (or the consort to the 1ea God. 1he had an insatiable desire for young male
seafarers. 8an cast her net toward passing ships, thereby netting some men, and dragged them o!erboard and into her
waiting arms.
+gyr!ran/s Cauldron (Celtic'
The cauldron from which the Celtic Muses arose. (1ee chapter L, $ #The Mythological /Coming of )rthur/#.
<ryderi9Manawyddan Cauldron (Celtic'
<ryderi and Manawyddan as co$rulers of the @nderworld shared ownership of a magic cauldron of inspiration.
1upposedly it was the artifact that later became known as the Holy Grail.
1kidbladnir (*orse
It was also called The 1hip of The Gods. It was big enough to hold all the )esir and the Fanir.
1oma
(India 1oma is an into%icating plant &uice of the milkweed family used in ancient India as an offering to the gods and
as a drink of immortality by worshipers in Fedic ritual and worshiped as a Fedic god of inspiration.
Thirteen Treasures of 3ritain'
These treasures are enumerated in some myths as' a sword (owned by Gwrnach the Giant, a basket (holds enough
food for all the men in the world- is owned by Gwyddneu Garanhir, a cauldron (cooks meat to perfection- is owned by
0iwrnach, a chariot, a chess$board, a drinking$horn (magically refills- is owned by Gwlgawd Gododin, a garment, a
harp (plays music by itself- is owned by Teirtu, a knife, a mantle, a platter, a pot (holds the sweetest honey of the
world- is owned by 5lwyr, and a whetstone.
Thunderbolt'
)nother symbol utili.ed in many mythologies.
8oman$ ?upiter was depicted by the ancient 8omans seated on a throne, holding a sceptre in his left hand and
thunderbolts in his right hand.
Greek$ 7eus was armed with thunderbolts.
*orse$ Thor/s magical hammer (M&ollnir was a thunderbolt.
0or&e of Tibetan 3uddhism is a thunderbolt.
?u$i is the Chinese !ersion of the thunderbolt.
*yoi is the ?apanese !ersion.
Thyrsus (Greek'
The staff carried by 0ionysus and his attendants. It was topped by a pine cone and decorated with !ine and i!y lea!es.
@tgard(*orse'
The home of the giants, where 5oki had his castle.
(a!e$1weeper (Celtic'
The boat owned by Manannan, which went unaided to whate!er destination its owner wished.
4ggdrasil (1candina!ian'
)n ash (and e!ergreen tree which drops honey, and in which sits an eagle, a trouble$making s6uirrel (8atatWsk, and
four stags. It is the tree of life and knowledge, and of time and space- it connects all parts of the uni!erse, as well as
the past, the present and the future, but it is perpetually under attack from *idhogg, the e!il serpent, who nibbles at its
roots and by the deer which eat its lea!es. It has three main roots. +ne root is in )sgard and e%tends deep into @rd/s
well, the fountain of youth. +ne root is in *ifiheim, where it enters Hrergelmir/s fountain, which is the source of the
great ri!ers of the world. The third root is in ?otunheim/s :ountain of Mirmir, the fountain of wisdom. Magic runes lie
beneath these roots. This huge tree o!erspreads the world and binds earth, hell, and hea!en together.

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