Definition: Poseidon is the Greek god of the sea, earthquakes and horses. He is the son of Cronos and Rhea and his Roman counterpart is Neptune.

Background: His Roman counterpart is Neptune. He is one of the main 12 Olympian gods and has the sea as his domain. At one point Poseidon had a fight with Athena over who would become the patron god of Athens; Poseidon struck the acropolis with his trident which caused a spring of salt water to emerge. Athena however, planted an olive tree which the people of Athens found more useful so they chose Athena over Poseidon.

When King Minos of Crete called on Poseidon for a bull he promised to sacrifice to him, he ended up liking the bull to much and decided not to sacrifice it. When Poseidon found out he asked Aphrodite (goddess of love) to make Queen Pasiphae fall in love with the bull; the result of this was the half-man half-bull Minotaur.

Since Poseidon is the god of horses he would often times take the form of a steed, this was also the form he took on when he seduced the gorgon Medusa. Later on when Perseus killed Medusa, Pegasus sprang from her severed neck.

Definition: Hades is the Greek god of the dead and kind of the underworld. He is the oldest son of Kronos and Rhea. His Roman counterpart is Pluto.

Background: When he and his brothers Zeus and Poseidon defeated Kronos, they agreed to split their powers with Zeus getting the skies, Poseidon the sea, and Hades the underworld. He is married to Persephone (daughter of the goddess Demeter) by kidnapping her, taking her to the underworld and giving her the forbidden fruit pomegranate which forced her to remain in the underworld with Hades for one third of each year.

Facts:

• Hades has a cap that allows the wearer to become invisible.

• He is also known as the god of wealth because of all of the precious metals that are within the earth.

• He is not the god of death, the god of death is actually Thanatos.

• Cerberus is the three headed dog that guards the gates of the underworld.

• He rarely ever leaves the underworld, and even though he is one of the most powerful Olympians he is considered an outcast to the other gods.

Definition: Zeus is the Greek god of the skies and ruler of Mt. Olympus. He is the son of Cronos and Rhea and his Roman counterpart is Jupiter.

Background: When Zeus and his brothers Poseidon and Hades defeated Kronos, they agreed to split their powers with Zeus getting the skies, Poseidon the sea, and Hades the Underworld. His preferred weapon is a thunderbolt and the shield Aegis. He is married to his sister Hera (queen of the heavens) but has had many affairs. When Zeus was born and Kronos was devouring all of her children, his mother Rhea hid him away and instead fed Kronos a rock wrapped in a blanket. Zeus was hidden away on a mountain on the island of Crete until he was of age to return home and free the other gods. He got help from the goddess Metis who served Kronos a drink which caused him to throw up all of the other gods he had swallowed.

Facts:

• When Prometheus made man, he stole fire from the heavens to give to them. When Zeus found out, as a punishment he sent down Pandora with a box filled with troubles that would plague mankind. Then Prometheus was tied to a mountain with an eagle that would torment him for eternity.

• Zeus’s favorite mortal son is Heracles and eventually turned him into an Olympian god.

• Zeus’s sacred animals are the eagle and bull.

• Hera and Zeus had three children: Ares, Hebe and Eileithyia.

• When Zeus had an affair with Mnemosyne, he coupled with her for 9 months; during that time Mnemosyne have birth to 9 daughters who became known as Muses.

Definition: Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation. Her Roman counterpart is Venus.

Background: Aphrodite actually means “out of sea-foam and she was named that because she was born out of the sea-foam from the severed genitals of Ouranos (The sky). As well as being worshipped as the goddess of love she was also worshipped as a goddess of the sea, and in places like Sparta and Thebes she was worshipped as a goddess of war. Prostitutes often considered her their patron goddess.

Facts:

• Another story of her birth says that she was born from Zeus and Dione.

• Aphrodite fought on the side of Paris during the Trojan War.

• Her symbols include: dolphin, rose, dove, mirror and swan.

• The dove is her sacred animal.

• Zeus married her to Hephaestus out fear that a war would start over her but had many affairs while married to him.

Definition: This is the Norse god of the sky, thunder, and fertility. He is the son of Odin and Fyorgyn. He is considered to be the strongest of the gods.

Background: Thor lives in Asgard and is married to Sif and they have 2 sons named Trud and Modi and an adoptive son named Ullr. He has a hammer named Mjollnir which he can use to summon up thunder and lightning; he also has a powerbelt named Megingjörð (pronounced meg-ing-yord) and iron gloves named Járngreipr. He has a day of the week named after him (Thursday).

Thor has two goats that pulls his chariot that he rides into battle with. One of the goat's name is Tanngnoist which mean “teeth barrer”. The other goat is named Tanngrisnir which means “teeth grinder”. If Thor is gone for more than a day then he will kill and eat the goats and then use Mjollnir to bring them back to life again the next day.

Thor’s hammer Mjollnir was forged by two dwarfs named Brokkr and Eitri. It is a very powerful weapon that can shoot out lightning bolts and tear down mountains. It can also hit any target, after it hits its target it will immediately return to Thor. Even though it is a destructive force it can also revive people and animals from the dead. 

Definition: Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom and military victory as well as arts and crafts. She is the daughter of Zeus and Metis. Her Roman counterpart is Minerva.

Background: Zeus was foretold of a prophecy that Minerva’s child would become the lord of the heavens. So, in order to prevent this prophecy from coming true, Zeus swallowed Metis whole while she was still pregnant with Athena. When it was time for Athena to be born, Hephaestus cut open Zeus’ head and Athena came out wearing full body armor.

Athena’s patron animal is an owl. She is the patron goddess of the city Athens, Greece after battling with the god of the seas Poseidon. She gave the Athenian people an olive tree while Poseidon struck the ground causing a spring of water to come forth, but being the god of the seas the water was salt water and so the Athenians decided that Athena’s gift was of more use so she became the Patron goddess of Athens. After the demigod Perseus killed Medusa and gave her head to Athena, she put it onto the center of her shield Aegis.

Athena is the half sister of the demigod Heracles and she has even helped him during 3 of his 12 labors. During his 6th labor, Heracles had to scare off a large flock of birds that were at a lake near the town of Stymphalos, in order to help him, Athena have him noise making clappers called Krotala. During his 11th labor, Hercules had to hold the sky while Ares went to go get the apples of Hesperides and the goddess helped him bear the weight. Finally, during his 12th and final labor, Heracles had to go to the underworld and kidnap the three headed dog called Cerberus. On his way out of the underworld, Athena escorted him and helped him after he went mad by preventing him from killing more people. As he was about to kill his mortal father Amphitryon, she knocked him out. 

Definition: Ra is the Egyptian god of the sun, warmth, and growth and is the king of the gods.

Characteristics: He is depicted with the body of a human, the head of a falcon and a sun disk crown. Another depiction of him is with the body of a man and the head of a beetle.

Ra created himself from the primordial chaos. He has 2 children: a son named Shu, the god of air and a daughter named Tefnut, goddess of moisture and wetness.

Facts:

• Ra either means sun or creator.

• Temples built to honor Ra were built without roofs in order to let sunlight in and didn't have statues of him in it because he represented sunlight.

• Ra was an important god to the Egyptians because they depended on the sun to help grow their crops and for warmth.

• The pyramids are likely a depiction of sun rays shining down on earth.

• Ra was depicted as animals like: ram, beetle, serpent, bull, and lion.

Definition: Odin is the Norse God of war, death, wisdom and poetry. He is the son of Yemin.

Characteristics: old, tall, a long beard, one eye (he gave his other eye up for wisdom), and he is depicted wearing a cloak and wide-brimmed hat.

Background: Odin lives in Asgard and is the chief of the Aesir tribe. (The Aesir tribe consists of gods and goddesses of war and the Vanir tribe consists of gods and goddesses of fertility). Warriors that fell on the battlefield would join him in Valhalla (am enormous hall in Asgard ruled by Odin). He has a magical horse named Sleipnir that has 8 legs, rune inscribed teeth and can fly. He is the patron of rulers and outcasts.

Odin’s quest for wisdom: On one occasion on his quest for wisdom of the runes, Odin hung himself from Yggdrasil for 9 days and nights and stabbed himself with a spear and stared down directly into the Well of Urd from which Yggdrasil grows. He did this because the runes only reveal themselves to those worthy of the abilities that they provide. At the end of the 9 days and nights the runes finally saw him to be worthy and revealed themselves to him. 

In another one of his quests for wisdom, Odin went to Mimir’s well at the bottom of Yggdrasil. Mimir (Mimir means The Rememberer) had knowledge that was unparalleled, and he got this knowledge from the Well. When Odin asked to drink from the Well Mimir asked for Odin’s eye in return. So Odin gouged out his eye and dropped it into the Well. After doing so, Mimir offered him a drink.

In Egyptian mythology, Anubis is the god of the dead and embalming. He weighed the hearts of the Dead in the Hall of Judgment. He is the son of Set and Osiris. Anubis is the patron of lost souls and funeral rights. He is married to Anput and they have a daughter named Kebechet (goddess of purification).

Osiris is the god the afterlife and judge of the dead in Egyptian mythology. He is the first son of Geb and Nut.

They then let the chest go down the river Nile. When Isis found out what had happened she went in search of her husband and she learned that the chest had flung into a bush that then turned into a tree. When she found this tree she took it and hid it so she could later come back and perform proper burial rites for him. However,  Set discovered where she hid the chest and in his anger cut Osiris’ body into 14 pieces and scattered them all over Egypt. Isis and Nephthys went in search of his pieces and after finding all but one, the phallus, he was given new life  just long enough so that his wife (Isis could have a child with him. He then returned to the underworld as a judge of the dead and ruler of the domain. The child that Isis had was named was Horus.

Definition: In Norse mythology, Hel is the goddess/ruler of the underworld also named Hel in the realm of Niflheim. She is the daughter of Loki and Angrboða.

Characteristics: On one side she was a beautiful woman, on the other side, her flesh was rotted like that of a corpse. Other sources say that the top half of her was a beautiful woman while the bottom half was rotten like a corpse.

Background: Hel has a dog named Garm who watches over the gate to Hel. Hel is the ruler of the underworld and stays there most of the time, she will, however, occasionally roam the earth on her three-legged white horse and bring famine and disease wherever she went. In her realm, she had a dish which she named hunger, a knife named famine and her bed named sickbed.

Definition: Norse mythology, Freya is the goddess of love, beauty, fertility, war and magic. She is the daughter of Njord and Nerthus.

This is going to be less of an official post on the Fates and more of a rant on them. Originally, in Greek mythology, the Fates were three goddesses that determined the destinies of humans and was even interchangeable with the gods. For this reason, I believe that the Fates are in fact the most powerful beings in Greek mythology. Yes I know there is Thanatos, the god of death, but he doesn't decide when they die he is just the one that kills them when they are supposed to die and takes them to the underworld. It is said in Greek mythology that if someone is to die before they were destined to that they would wander the earth as a spirit until the day they were actually supposed to die on. As I said the Fates were the ones that chose when someone is going to die, think about it, if they truly wanted to they could end a life whenever they felt like doing so to anyone they wanted. More precisely, it would be Atropos who would have this power because out of the three Fates, she is the one that cuts the string that will end a life. The other two have their own roles, Clotho is the one who spins the string of life and Lachesis is the one who dispenses it. After the 8th century B.C. however, (the time of Hesiod and onward) they were depicted as three old women who spun the string of human destiny only.

Definition: In Greek mythology, Hephaestus is the god of fire, forges, metalworking and a blacksmith for the gods. He is the son of Zeus and Hera. His Roman counterpart is Vulcan.

Background: When Hera gave birth to Hephaestus she threw him off the side of Mt. Olympus because he was born a cripple, he fell into the ocean where he was found and raised by Thetis and Eurynome. While he lived with them he did smith work, making necklaces, cups and other things for 9 years. Hephaestus made a chair with invisible fetters (chains) and sent it to Olympus as a gift to Hera. When she sat in it trapped her in the chair, the other gods asked if Hephaestus would free her, but he declined. The only god that Hephaestus trusted was Dionysus, but he only agreed to talk to Hephaestus if the gods agreed to let him back in Olympus; the gods agreed so Dionysus went and brought him back to Olympus and got him drunk. Hephaestus was then presented before Zeus and Zeus would allow him to have whatever he wanted in return for releasing Hera, Hephaestus decided that he wanted to Marry Aphrodite, and it was done.

Aphrodite was not at all loyal to Hephaestus and often slept with the god of war Ares on Olympus while Hephaestus was away; Helios (Titan god of the sun) caught them in the act one time and went and told Hephaestus. In order to get revenge for cheating on him, Hephaestus made an invisible net and placed it over the bed to catch the 2 of them the next time it happened. When Aphrodite and Ares laid on the bed, the net fell over them both trapping them. When he arrived he brought with him the rest of the gods to see.

Definition: In Greek mythology, Dionysus is the god of wine, festivity, and wild frenzy. He is the son of Zeus and Semele (queen of Thebes). He is also the only god to be born from a human. His roman counterpart is Bacchus.

Background: When Hera found out about the affair between Zeus and Semele, she tricked her into asking Zeus to show her his full form. Zeus, who was bound by an oath to the river Styx, was forced to show Semele his full form and the heat from his form turned her into nothing more than a pile of ash. Zeus took the fetus (Dionysus) that she was carrying and sewed it into his thigh until it was old enough. By being inside Zeus he was gifted immortality.

Zeus then entrusted Ino (Semele’s sister) and her husband Athamas to look after and raise Dionysus. However, Hera found out about them and drove them mad causing them to kill their children and then themselves. Dionysus, despite never having met his mother, longed to see her so much that he went to the underworld, defied Thanatos, and brought his mother back to Olympus with him.

The followers of Dionysus, called maenads, were women who were in an almost constant state of frenzy through intoxication. They would also carry with them a thyrsus (symbol of Dionysus) which was a staff with a pinecone on top of it.

“They strike rocks with the thyrsus, and water gushes forth. They lower the thyrsus to the earth, and a spring of wine bubbles up. If they want milk, they scratch up the ground with their fingers and draw up the milky fluid. Honey trickles down from the thyrsus made of the wood of the ivy, they gird themselves with snakes and give suck to fawns and wolf cubs as if they were infants at the breast. Fire does not burn them. No weapon of iron can wound them, and the snakes harmlessly lick up the sweat from their heated cheeks. Fierce bulls fall to the ground, victims to numberless, tearing female hands, and sturdy trees are torn up by the roots with their combined efforts.”

- Ion by Plato

In Norse mythology, Loki is the god of mischief. He is the son of Farbauti and Laufey.

Loki has two brothers named Helblinde and Býleistr. He is not originally from Asgard, he was actually born on Jotunheim and later became “blood brothers” with Odin by oath.

“Bragi spake:
8. "A place and a seat | will the gods prepare
No more in their midst for thee;
For the gods know well | what men they wish
To find at their mighty feasts."
Loki spake:
9. "Remember, Othin, | in olden days
That we both our blood have mixed;
Then didst thou promise | no ale to pour,
Unless it were brought for us both."
Othin spake:
10. "Stand forth then, Vithar, | and let the wolf's father
Find a seat at our feast;
Lest evil should Loki | speak aloud
Here within Ægir's hall."

- Poetic Edda/Lokasenna

He once cut off Sif’s (wife of Thor) hair while she was asleep. When Thor found out he threatened to break every bone in his body, but Loki promised to get a new head of hair for Sif that would be even better than the original. Thor agreed and so Loki went down to Svartalfheim, the realm of the dwarves, and got a new wig for Sif as well as two other items from the sons of Ivaldi: a ship named Skidbladnir which can be folded up and put into someone's pocket, and Gungnir, the deadliest spear. He then went to two brothers named Brokkr and Sindri and told them that he was sure they could never forge creations better than what the sons of Ivaldi had created and even bet his own head on their inability to do so. So Brokkr and Sindri accepted the wager and Loki left, while they were working a fly (Loki in disguise) bit Sindri’s hand and when  he pulled his first creation out of the fire it was a boar with golden hair that was named Gullinbursti (golden bristled) and could run across water and air. Sindri then set a piece of gold into the fire while Brokkr worked the bellows, Loki then came back as a fly and bit him on the neck again trying to distract them from their work, and Sindri pulled out a ring named Draupnir (Dripper) which would produce 8 exact copies of itself every ninth night. Lastly, Sindri put iron into the fire and warned Brokkr that they needed to be extra careful with it. Loki then stung Brokkr in the eyelid which caused blood to drip over his eye which made it hard for him to properly see what he was doing. As a result of this, when Sindri pulled out the final creation which was a hammer of great quality and would always return to its owner's hand and never miss its target; it only had one flaw:the handle was too short. The hammer was named Mjollnir (lightning). After all three of their creations were completed the two brothers made their way to Asgard to give them to the gods. Sif was given her new hair, Thor was given Mjollnir, Odin was given the ring and the spear, and Frey was given the boar and the ship. In the end the gods said that Loki was to hold his and give his head to Sindri and Brokkr, however Loki argued that he only agreed to give them his head and not his neck, because they could not decide where the neck ends and the head starts Loki got to keep his head. Instead, they sewed his mouth shut and returned to their forge in Svartalfheim.

While Loki, Thor and Hoenir were in Jotunheim they became hungry and had a hard time coming across food. They finally came across a herd of cattle, killed one of the ox, cut it up and set it into a fire to cook. Later on when they checked on the meat it was still bloody and uncooked. So they put it back into the fire until they heard someone in the distance; on top of a tree nearby sat a large eagle. The eagle told them that it was his use of magic that prevented the meat from cooking, and if they agreed to share with him some of the meat he would undo the spell on the fire. The three gods, who seemed to have no other choice agreed and so the eagle came down and took for himself the best parts of the ox meat. Loki, angered at this, took a spear and charged at the eagle, and the eagle gripped the spear in its talons and flew high into the air with Loki still hanging on. Loki could not let go for the magic of this eagle was too strong and Loki pleaded with the eagle to let him go and that he would do anything he wanted. The eagle told Loki that he would let him go, but in return, he was to bring him Idun and her apples. 

When the three gods returned to Asgard, Loki found Idun alone and told her that he had found apples that were far better tasting than the ones she had. He told her that he would show her where these better apples are and that she should bring her apples with her for comparison. Idun agreed, grabbed her apples and followed him out of Asgard. After getting far enough away, the eagle, introduced himself as the giant Thjazi and swooped down, snatched Idun and her apples into his talons and carried her off to Thrymheim while Loki returned to Asgard. The gods were starting to age and wrinkle, they gathered together to talk of where Idun might have gone and found out that Loki was the last one to be seen with Idun before she disappeared. The gods then seized Loki and planned to torture him for if he did not tell of what happened to Idun. So Loki told the gods what happened and Odin told Loki that if he didn't bring her back he would be put to death.

Loki went to Freyja and told her that he needed her hawk feathers (which could be used to transform into a hawk) so that he could fly to Thrymheim and retrieve Idun, Freyja agreed, and he took them and left. When he arrived at Thrymheim, he came just as Thjazi had left out at sea which gave him the perfect chance to save Idun. He turned her into a hazelnut, picked her up in his claws and flew back to Asgard. When Thjazi returned home and saw Idun missing he knew at once what had happened and transformed into an eagle and flew off so fast that the air boomed at the flap of his wings. Just as he was about to catch Loki before the gates of Asgard, the gods built a pile of kindling around their fortress and lighted it as soon as Loki went through and the flames engulfed Thjazi, killing him.

Definition: In Hinduism, Ganesha is the god of wisdom, beginnings and remover of obstacles as well as the patron of art and science. He is the son of Shiva and Parvati.

Characteristics: He has the body of a human, head of an elephant, four arms, and carries with him an axe and a lasso, and he is sometimes depicted riding a rat.

Background: Ganesha rides a large rat (his vehicle) which symbolizes his ability to conquer obstacles, also, rodents had been a big obstacle in prosperity; because Ganesha has a mouse as his vehicle, it shows that he symbolically overcame this pest. Also, the rat may symbolize his ability to “go into nooks and corners of the world and do his job as the Destroyer of Obstacles”. Some places in India claim that Ganesha is Celibate, while others claim that he has up to three wives: Buddhi (Intelligence), Siddhi (Success) and Riddhi (Prosperity). He was born when his mother Parvati molded him out of a piece of cloth and his father Shiva, brought him to life. Another story says that Ganesha was born with a normal human head and is actually the child of Parvati alone, and she had him guard the door while she bathed so no one would enter. When Shiva returned home he demanded to be let in to see his wife but Ganesha refused so Shiva sent his army to attack him but Ganesha took them all out. Then Shiva overpowered Ganesha and destroyed his head, killing him. When Parvati found out what happened, she became angered and threatened to end creation, but Brahma convinced her not to. Parvati agreed but had two conditions needed to forgive what had been done: first, Ganesha was to be brought back to life, and second, he will be identified as one of the most important gods and be worshiped first in all ceremonies.

Shiva agreed and told Brahma to go and get him the head of the first animal he finds that is facing North. Brahma left and came across an elephant, cut off its head and brought it back to Shiva. Shiva took the head, attached it to Ganesha’s body and brought him back to life. Shiva then recognized him as his son and granted him status as the leader of all Ganas and that he would be worshiped above all other gods.

Definition: In Japanese mythology, Inari is the god of rice, agriculture, foxes, and the patron god of swordsmiths. He is the son of Susanoo (storm god).

Characteristics: Inari has been depicted as both a male with a beard and a female with long hair.

Name Origin: Inari means “rice load” and the name Inari is thought to come from ine-nari, which means growing rice.

Background: He is one of the most worshipped gods in Japan and has over 40,000 shrines dedicated to him across the country. Inari worship dates back to the 8^th century A.D. after a man was practicing archery using rice cakes as his targets. When the man hit one of these rice cakes it transformed into a dove and started to fly away. The man followed the dove until it stopped at the peak of Mt. Inari where he discovered rice growing; after that, he started worshiping Inari as a Kami (god). Foxes (mostly commonly depicted as white foxes) are said to be messengers and servants of Inari and are not, as some people think, Inari himself; also foxes in Japan are seen as sinister tricksters. There are quite a few different names that Inari has gone by, including: Hettsui-no-Kami, Miketsu Okami, Toyouke no Kami, Ukanomitama no Kami, Uke-mochi, Ogetsu Hime no Kami, and a few others.

Definition: In Chinese mythology, Chang’E (Chang’O) is the goddess of the moon. 

Background: Chang’E’s husband Yi was a great archer and had been been given the task of taking down the 10 suns that had rebelled against their mother who chose only one a day to go with her in the journey across the sky. Instead of one of them being chosen to go across the sky, they all left and crossed the sky together; this caused crops to die, rivers to dry up and burned many people. The gods Xihe and Dijun (who was the father of the suns) were horrified at what they were doing but were powerless to stop them; so in a last hope they called upon Yi and Dijun told him to stop them but don't hurt them anymore than needed. Yi was given a special bow with special arrows that would help him take them down, in the end he killed 9 of the 10 suns because he had become enraged at the suns for all the damage they had done. When Yi returned to Dijun, he was shunned upon by the god because he killed 9 of his suns so he and his wife Chang'E were stripped of their godly statuses, banished from heaven,  and sent to live on earth.

Chang’E was furious that she was being punished for the actions of her husband and told him that he must go to the Mountain of Kunlun where it was rumored that had an elixir of immortality; if he got that for them, she would stay with him. So Yi went off to retrieve the elixir for them, he faced trials along the way that he was able to overcome because he still had some of the god-like powers. The goddess there gave him two bottles of elixir, one for him and his wife. When he returned home he told her of the elixirs and she said that they should prepare a feast in celebration and sent him out to the woods to look for food. While he was away, she couldn't help herself and took both the elixirs for herself. After she did, she felt her body getting lighter and lighter until she started lifting up off the ground but realized as she left the earth that she might not be welcome in the heavens. So she decided that she should stay on the Moon until the other gods forgot what she had done. When she got to the Moon, there was nothing there but a rabbit that lay under a cassia tree. Chang’E then changed her mind and decided that being with angry gods was better than being alone on the Moon, however, when she tried to leave she realized that she was not able to and suddenly she was transformed into a toad and trapped on the Moon till the end of time.

Originating from Egyptian mythology, Huh (also spelled Heh, Hah, or Huah) is the sky god of infinity, eternity and endlessness. His name means “flood” because the Egyptians believed a watery chaos existed before the universe was created. His female counterpart is Hauhet. Huh is sometimes depicted as either a frog or a human with a frog’s head holding a palm stem in each hand.

In mythology, there are beings that usually come in groups of three and they are the deciders of fate. They are usually portrayed as having a thread or string of life which holds all the lives of gods and mortals alike (not all cultures but some).

In different cultures: 

Name: Moirai

Origin: Greece

Background: The Moirai are three sisters who decided the fate of both gods and mortals alike but that changed sometime around the 8th century B.C. they were then said to only decide the fate of humans. The three sisters are Clotho, who selects and spins the string, Lachesis, who measures the string, and Atropos, who cuts the string of life, ending it.

Name: Parcae

Origin: Rome

Background: Basically the same as the Greek Moirai because that's where they drew their inspiration from; the Parcae are three sisters from Roman mythology who control the fate of gods and mortals. Their names are Nona, who spins the thread, Decima, who measures thread, and Morta, who cuts the thread.

Name: Norns

Origin: Norway

Background: The Norns are three sister Jötuns who control the fate of gods and mortals. They live at the bottom of the World Tree (Yggdrasil) and stand at the Well of Fate. They control the fate of beings by carving runes into Yggdrasil’s trunk, or in other versions are said to weave fate on a string. Their names are Urd (What Once Was), Verdandi (Coming Into Being), and Skuld (What Shall Be). Unlike the other Fate deciders, however, a being’s fate can be altered or changed.

Name: Narechnice

Origin: Slavic

Background: The Narechnice are three witch sisters who appear at a child’s birth and decide it’s fate. The first sister predicts the child’s death, the second decides the child’s sickness and trouble, and the third sister decides the child’s happy moments in life. The Narechnice can also only be seen by the child or mother. Also, the fate of the child would be better if the fire in the room is well kept or if the Narechnice are bribed with coins being kept under the pillow.

Poseidon - God of the seas, horses, and earthquakes.

Amphitrite - Goddess of the sea and wife of Poseidon.

Oceanus - Titan god of the river by the same name was later reimagined as the god of oceans.

Tethys - Titan goddess of fresh water and wife of Oceanus.

Oceanids - three thousand nymphs that are the children of Oceanus and Tethys. The rule of sources of fresh water and other areas.

Potomoi - Gods of rivers and streams and sons of Oceanus.

Nereus - The old man of the sea, god of the sea's rich bounty of fish. He can also a shapeshifter and has the voice of and aided Heracles in finding Hesperides.

Nereids - Fifty sea-nymphs of the god Nereus and his wife Doris. They were protectors of sailors and fishermen.

Proteus - As a son of Poseidon, he is also a god of the seas and a herder of Poseidon's seals. He also has the voice of prophecy but will only tell it if he gets captured.

Triton - Another sea god and son of Poseidon, Triton is Poseidon's messenger.

Naiads - Nymphs of rivers, streams, springs, marshes, and fountains.

Thalassa - Primordial goddess of the sea, with her husband Pontus she produced fish and other creatures of the sea.

Pontus - Primordial god of the sea and the sea itself.

Scylla - Originally a beautiful nymph who was transformed by Circe into a terrible monster who lives by a narrow channel of water across from Charybdis.

Charybdis - A sea-monster that swallows and spits out water three times a day and sits opposite of Scylla. She was chained to her current location by Zeus after she laid siege to land with giant waves.

Kymopoleia - goddess of violent sea storms, daughter of Poseidon and Amphitrite.

Definition: Cernunnos is the god of fertility, animals, wealth, life, the hunt, and the underworld in Celtic mythology. His Greek counterpart is Pan.

Pronunciation: Ker-noo-nos

Characteristics: Depicted as a man with the horns of a stag.

Background: It is said that during the winter time as all the vegetation dies so does Cernunnos and he comes back in the springtime. Due to the god being portrayed as having horns, Christians called the followers of Cernunnos devil worshippers because depictions of Satan showed him with horns similar to the Celtic god. As a god of death, he sings to the souls of the dead as they travel to the underworld.

Symbols: bull, stag, and the spotted serpent.

A prayer to Cernunnos:

God of the green,

Lord of the forest,

I offer you my sacrifice.

I ask you for your blessing.

You are the man in the trees,

the green man of the woods,

who brings life to the dawning spring.

You are the deer in rut,

mighty Horned One,

who roams the autumn woods,

the hunter circling round the oak,

the antlers of the wild stag,

and the lifeblood that spills upon

the ground each season.

God of the green,

Lord of the forest,

I offer you my sacrifice.

I ask you for your blessing.

Definition: The Rainbow Serpent (Wagyl) is a creator god that controls water among the Aboriginals of Australia.

Characteristics: Mostly depicted as a giant snake, sometimes with hair around its face, it can also be depicted as other animals such as scorpions, bats, dings, birds, or even the Bunyip which is a monster that lives in water.

Background: It is said that if you see a rainbow in the sky, it is the rainbow serpent going from one waterhole to another. When the earth was being formed, the Rainbow Serpent came up through the ground, creating mountains, gorges, and ridges as it went. It is thought that if the Rainbow Serpent weren’t here, all the water on earth would dry up. If the Rainbow Serpent is angry it can cause lightning and thunder as it moves. Some tribes believe that this serpent accompanied the great mother who traveled across Australia giving birth to different tribes, along the way the serpent brought wet seasons of rain and floods.

In the early days of Asgard, not very long after the war between the Aesir and Vanir, Asgard had very little protection other than Thor. The gods realized that that they could not rely solely on Thor for protection because he wouldn't always be on Asgard. So Odin suggested that they should build a wall so that it could keep out any enemy. Soon after, a stranger came to Asgard, he was a very large man with a large gray stallion following behind him. He knew that the gods needed a wall to be built and said that he could get it done in only three seasons. Before he would agree to build the wall, there was only three things that he wanted in return for its completion: the sun, the moon, and the goddess Freyja as his wife. The gods asked the stranger to go away while they would decide whether or not they would agree to his terms. After he left, Loki, trickster of the gods, pointed out that it would be impossible for this stranger to do what he said he could. Loki then said that they should agree but instead of three seasons to complete the wall they would only give him one and if it isn't completed he gets nothing in return. The gods agreed with Loki and congratulated him for being so clever and then called the stranger back in. They told them of their new condition and said that he may not receive any outside help during the building of the wall. The stranger said that he would like to have his horse Svadilfari to help him with bringing stones to build the wall with.

The next morning, the stranger set to work on digging the trench where the stones would be placed. He dug all day and as the sun started to set he mounted his horse, which was pulling a stone-boat behind it and left for the mountains to collect  stones for the wall. In the morning the stranger returned and they gathered to watch him as he started to stack the stones into place.

Months had passed, it was now the last day of winter since the builder started the wall and he had made much better progress than the gods had wanted. The builder was in fact only one more trip away from completing the wall and collecting his reward. Freyja said that since Loki was the one who came up with the idea that he should be ordered to death once the wall was completed and the other gods agreed with her. Loki then left the gods and told them to leave it all to him to fix what he had wronged. Svadilfari was out in the meadow grazing near the edge of the forest when the builder called for him so they could go and collect the last of the blocks to complete the wall. However, the horse wouldn't come to him when he was called. Then he saw a mare that was out in the meadow and Svadilfari was completely mesmerized by it and kept trying to get her attention but she seemed to want nothing to do with him. As soon as Svadilfari came close, the mare took off into the woods and he chased after her. The builder,  angry, picked up the ropes of the stone-boat and walked off to the mountains to collect what stones he could. He did not return until later the next day hauling only 10 stones with him which would not be enough for him to complete the wall. When the gods laughed at him he became angry, shouting at them that they had cheated and he grew in size to a staggering fifty feet, revealing his true form, a mountain giant. Odin told him that no oath had been broken but no oath would protect him now. Then, from behind them Thor stepped out and swung his hammer Mjollnir towards the giant, killing him.

About a year had passed and the gods had finished the wall themselves after a few weeks. Loki, who had been gone that whole time, walked out of the woods accompanied by a gray foal. It was called Sleipnir and had eight legs instead of the normal four. Sleipnir grew up to become the fastest and strongest horse alive and Loki gave him to Odin as a gift.

Definition: Nemesis is the goddess of justice, retribution, and indignation against evil deeds in Greek mythology. She is the daughter of Nyx (Night) and Erebos (Darkness). Her Roman counterpart is Invidia.

Characteristics: sometimes depicted as having wings and carrying either a sword or scale.

Background: She is also sometimes called the “goddess of Rhamnous”, Rhamnous is an isolated place in Attica where they believed she was the daughter of Oceanus. In Greek her name means “to give what is due”. She is the measurer of happiness and unhappiness, if someone is deemed as too happy then Nemesis would bring about loss or suffering.

Nemesis and Narcissus: Narcissus was a very arrogant person and disdained people close to him. So Nemesis led him to a pool where he saw his reflection, he became so in love with his reflection that he stayed there and stared at it until he died.

Nemesis and Zeus: In some myths it is said that Nemesis once tried escaping Zeus by turning into a goose but Zeus turned into a swan and consorted with her. As a result, she laid an egg that would later hatch Helen of Troy.

Definition: In Irish mythology, The Morrígan is the triple goddess of war, fertility, lakes, and the patron goddess of magic, prophecy, priestesses, witches, and druids. She is the daughter of Ernmas.

Background: Morrígan has two sisters named Badb and Macha and they are sometimes referred to as “the three Morrígna”. These three sisters were also considered by some to be the same deity. Morrígan is a member of the Tuatha De Danann (people of the goddess Danu). Her name can be translated to Phantom Queen or even Great Queen. She can change her form and will oftentimes change into a crow or raven and appear on the battlefield eating corpses. Other forms she can transform into along with the raven or crow is the wolf. Being the goddess of prophecy, she is known to foretell of certain warriors deaths before battle and has sometimes been linked with the Banshee - "In certain areas of Ireland this supernatural being is, in addition to the name banshee, also called the badhb" - Patricia Lysaght. Sometimes she will also appear in the dreams of those who are destined to die in battle by washing their bloody armor.

Shortly after the kidnapping of Idun (which I talked about in Loki: Part 2), the gods were celebrating the the defeat of the giant Thjazi when Skadi stormed Asgard seeking revenge for the death of her father. Thankfully, the gods were able to keep her calm and give her reparation for killing him. The first of these reparations came from Odin, who took Thjazi’s eyes and turned them into two stars. The second reparation was to make her laugh. None of the gods succeeded until last came Loki, god of mischief, came and tied one end of a rope around a goat and the other end around his testicles and proceeded to play tug of war with it. Both the goat and Loki screamed and tugged until Loki finally gave in and fell into Skadi’s lap, and successfully making her laugh. The third and final reparation was to be given a god of her choice to marry. However, she could only choose based on the sight of his legs and feet. She chose what she thought to be the nicest pair of legs in hoping it was the god Baldr, when it was actually Njord (god of the sea). 

Balder was the son of Odin and Frigg, who was loved by everyone. When Balder had a dream one night of his own misfortune, Odin set out to discover the meaning behind them. He mounted on the eight-legged horse Sleipnir and went to the underworld disguised as Wanderer to confront a seeress and she told him that the underworld was preparing for a very special guest, Balder. She then stopped talking when she realized Odin’s true identity. Odin then returned to Asgard to share the sad news. When Frigg heard this she went to every being living and non-living in the cosmos and made it swear an oath not to hurt Balder; all except for the mistletoe which she deemed to small and innocent to hurt Balder. To prove that nothing could hurt Balder, Frigg threw a stone at him and it did nothing, so all the other gods joined in by throwing whatever they could at Balder except for Loki and Hod, Hod stood off to the side wishing he could join in the fun whild Loki disappeared off into the woods. He came back later with a mistletoe in hand that he had crafted into a dart; he then approached Hodr, Balder’s blind brother who hadn't joined in at throwing things at Balder. Loki placed the dart into Hodr’s hand and pointed it in the direction of Balder and told him to throw it as hard as he could so he could be a part of all the fun. So Hodr did and the mistletoe dart pierced right through Balder’s chest, killing him. After the shock had settled briefly, Frigg asked if there was anyone who would go to Hel and try to ransom for Balder’s release, Hermod, the fastest and most nimble of the gods offered to go. He was mounted on Sleipnir and rode for nine days and nights without rest to reach the realm of Hel. When he got to Helheim he found Balder sitting at the table with Hel, eating food and drinking Mead and on the other side of the table was Nanna, Balder’s wife who had died of heartbreak. Hermod pleaded with her and asked that Balder be returned to the realm of the living for all things missed him. Hel in response told Hermod that if this were true then Balder can return to the living if Hermod got every living and non-living thing in the cosmos to say that they wept for him, if so then he can come back to life  and if even one thing says they do not weep for Balder then he must remain dead. He was given Draupnir to give back to Odin as proof that he had been there and made his way back to Asgard immediately. When he returned, he told them of what needed to be done and soon after messengers were sent out all across the cosmos to ask everything if they wept for Balder; all did, all except for one. Thokk, a giantess, said that she was glad that Balder was gone and that he should stay in Hel, and so Balder was to remain in Hel and when the gods heard this news they knew immediately that it had been Loki in disguise and went off in search for him.

In Taino mythology, Yaya (Yocahu) is the supreme god/Great Spirit. He killed his son Yayael after he tried to kill him. He then put his bones into a gourd where they later transformed into fish. Later on, the four quadruplets of Itiba Cahubaba (earth mother) found the gourd and ate the fish inside but then the gourd fell and the water inside spilled out creating the oceans. 

Definition: In Egyptian mythology, Sekhmet is the goddess of war and healing. She is the daughter of Ra.

Characteristics: Sekhmet is usually depicted as a woman with the head of a lioness and a solar disk.

Background: In The Book of the Heavenly Cow there's a story about how overtime humanity started to conspire against Ra, so Ra sent down Hathor who transformed into Sekhmet to punish mankind. She went on a rampage and almost wiped out all of humanity so Ra took pity on the humans and told them to brew beer and dye it red to make it look like blood. It is said that 7,000 jars were made of it. Ra then took it and poured it out over the fields where it was found the next day by Sekhmet and she thought it was human blood so she drank all of it and became so intoxicated that she passed out, in turn saving mankind from extinction. From this came the Festival of Drunkenness, in this festival people just drank a lot and passed out but was still seen as a sacred event and after waking up they would go and worship Hathor. 

Definition: In Egyptian mythology, Thoth is the god of magic, wisdom, writing, science, philosophy, the moon. He was born through self creation. Hermes is his Greek counterpart.

Pronunciation: either as th-o-th, tote, or tehuti. His name comes from the Egyptian word Djehuty which means “He Who Is Like The Ibis".

Characteristics: Body of a man, head of a Ibis or baboon.

Background: In one story, Thoth is the reason behind 365 days being in a year. It used to be 360 days and the sky goddess Nut had been Impregnated by Geb (earth) and Ra (Nut’s father) was so enraged that he declared that Nut would not be allowed to give birth on any day of the year. So Thoth decided to gamble with the moon for 5 days of its light and won. He turned the moonlight into sunlight and during those 5 days, Nut gave birth to Isis, Osiris, Set (Seth), Nephthys, and Auset.

Thoth is credited with the creation of the Egyptian hieroglyphs and is a scribe of the gods. He also stands with Ma’at alongside Ra’s boat through his nightly voyage across the sky. A possible reason behind Thoth’s head being an Ibis is because their curved beak closely resembles the crescent moon. He was depicted sometimes with the head of the baboon because they are nocturnal and thought to be intelligent.

Thoth serves as a mediator between good and evil making sure one doesn't have a victory over the other. He also has an important role in the underworld. He is at the side of Anubis and Osiris in the Hall of Truth and records the outcome of the weighing of a person’s heart against the feather of truth. 

Definition: Hyperion is the Titan god heavenly light in Greek mythology. He is the son of Ouranos (Sky) and Gaea (Earth).

Background: Hyperion's name means "watcher from above". He was there to help his siblings in castrating their father Ouranos. Hyperion, Krios, Koios, and Iapetus each held on to one of the limbs of Ouranos at each corner of the world while Kronos castrated him with a sickle. Each brother at each of the four corners then became the pillars of each of those four points (with Hyperion being the East). Hyperion is the father of Helios (Sun), Selene (Moon), and Eos (Dawn); their mother is Theia (Sight). 

Definition: In Greek mythology, Persephone (A.K.A. Core) is the goddess of spring growth and the queen of the underworld. She is the daughter of Demeter and Zeus.

Pronunciation: per-sef-uh-nee

The Abduction of Persephone:

One day, Persephone was out in a field (some sources say alone and others say with some Nymphs) when Hades burst out of the ground, and took her to the underworld. When Demeter finds out Persephone is missing she searches the whole earth looking for her. Eventually, Helios (Sun) tells Demeter what happened and she turns to Zeus demanding that Persephone be returned to her at once and refuses to allow crops to grow until then; Zeus agrees to make Hades release her so long as she had not eaten during her time there (the reason for this is because anyone who eats food in the underworld is required to stay there by order of the Fates). However, Persephone had eaten four pomegranate seeds and so she was forced to live in the underworld for four months out of the year. During the time while Persephone is away in the Underworld, Demeter refuses to allow crops to grow. This story is used as the origins behind winter and helped form the agricultural cycle in Greece. It is also thought that she stopped being a hostage and became a guest when she accepted the seeds from Hades because it was a sign of hospitality. Another theory is that when Persephone accepted the pomegranate seeds it was a metaphor for her submitting to Hades sexually.

After Loki caused the death of Balder, he fled from Asgard to escape being captured by the other gods. He went to the peak of a mountain top and built a house with four doors so that he could keep an eye out for his pursuers from all directions. During the day he would take the form of a salmon and and hide under a waterfall; by night he would sit by the fire and weave a net that he could use for fishing. The All-Father Odin perceived where Loki was hiding and went after him with the other gods. When Loki saw them coming he threw the net into the fire to get rid of the evidence that he was there and then hid in the stream in his salmon form. However, the net hadn't been completely burned away by the time they got there and so they saw it and realized that he must be hiding in the stream. They took the net out of the fire and crafted a new one and cast it into the stream several times to try and catch him. Finally, Loki tried to get away by leaping downstream to try and get to the sea but Thor caught mid air and held him tight by the tail fin so he couldn't escape. This is also the reason why salmon have a slender tail. 

The gods then took Loki in his human form to a cave, and they had with them Narfi and Vali, Loki and Sigyn’s 2 sons. They turned Narfi into a wolf and Narfi then turned on his brother Vali, killing him and then running away. They then took Loki, and bound him to a rock with the entrails of Vali holding him down. They then turned the entrails into iron chains. The goddess Skadi placed a poisonous snake over Loki’s head so that it would drip poison on his face and then the gods left him there until Ragnarok when he would break free. However, he was not left there alone, his wife Sigyn stayed by his side holding a bowl over his head to catch the poison as it dripped. Every time the bowl got full she would have to pour it out and the poison would hit his face and Loki would shake so violently the he caused earthquakes in Midgard. 

Definition: In Akan mythology, Ngame is the triple goddess of the soul, sun, and moon.

Background: Ngame gives birth to the sun everyday to give us light. She animated humans and animals by shooting arrows into their hearts which gave them souls and life. The Akan believe that the soul given to them by Ngame will not die as the human body does but will later be reincarnated. The Akan also have a saying about the human soul (A.K.A. kra) "a human dies, but he/she is not dead".

Helios & Apollo - Greek

Sól - Norse

Ra - Egyptian

Unelanuhi - Cherokee

Huitzilopochtli - Aztec

Malakbel - Arabian

Magec - Tenerife (Canary Islands)

Ah Kin - Mayan

Amaterasu - Japanese

Malina - Inuit

Aryaman - Hindu

Étaín - Irish

Ekhi - Basque

Shapash - Canaanite

In Greek mythology, Kratos (Cratus) is the god of Sovereign rule, power, and strength. He is the son of Pallas and Styx and has three siblings - Zelos (Rivalry), Nike (Victory) and Bia (Force). Kratos and his siblings are the enforcers for Zeus and stand at his throne.

Definition: In Chinese mythology, Gongong (or Kanghui) was a water god.

Characteristics: Sometimes he is depicted as having red hair with a human face and the body of a snake, others depict him as a black dragon.

Background: One day Gonggong was fed up Zhurong (god of fire) and wanted to battle him to decide who was more powerful. After many days of battling Gonggong was defeated, he became so ashamed of himself that he sought to commit suicide by running into Mount Buzho which was holding up they sky. This caused a hole to be torn in the sky and the heavens tilted towards the northwest while the earth tilted towards the southeast which caused all the rivers to flood. The flooding of the rivers caused crops to be destroyed and people lost their lives. Then Nugua (mother goddess) took pity on the people because she had given them life. She killed a giant tortoise and cut off its legs and put them at four different points to support the heavens.

Also known as the world serpent, Jormungandr is the child of Loki and Angrboda and is thrown into the ocean in Midgard by Odin and grows so large that it wraps around all of Midgard and has to have its tail in its mouth. During Ragnarök Thor and Jormungandr kill eachother.

Hel (Hela) is the daughter of Loki and Angrboda. She was given the role of ruling over the underworld (Helheim). One half of her body is that of a beautiful woman and the other half is a rotting corpse. Hel has no part in Ragnarök.

Fenrir (Fenris) is a giant wolf that is also a child of Loki and Angrboda. Similar to Jormungandr, Fenrir was growing larger and stronger at an alarming rate so Odin and the other gods had to come up with a way to restrain him for they feared what he might do if they did not. They got him into a chain called Gleipnir that he was not able to break out of. On Ragnarök, Fenrir will kill Odin.

Loki gave birth to Sleipnir (yes, he is the mother) who is an eight legged horse. His father is Svadilfari (who assisted the giant that built the wall of Asgard). Sleipnir later became Odin’s shamanic horse.

These two are both the sons of Loki and Sigyn. When Loki is bound Narfi is turned into a wolf and kills Vali. The gods then use Vali's entrails to tie Loki down.

In Aztec Mythology, Centzon Tōtōchin is a group of 400 divine rabbits who have frequent drinking parties. They are the children of Patecatl (God of healing) and Mayahuel (goddess of the Maguey plant and fertility). Some of the rabbits included in this festivity are Tepoztēcatl (God of drunkenness), Macuiltochtli (gods of over-indulgence), Ometochtli (two rabbits), And Colhuatzincatl (The Winged One). They would all get together and drink what is known as Pulque or maguey which is fermented agave.

The Aztecs considered 400 to mean almost infinite so when someone says they're as drunk as 400 rabbits they're saying that they're completely drunk.

- Helped the other Olympians escape from Kronos then killed him.

- Defended the throne of the cosmos when the Giants tried to overthrow them. Zeus defeated them with the help of Heracles. 

- Fought and defeated Typhon (Father of all monsters) for right to rule the cosmos.

- Tantalos killed and butchered his son Pelos, he served him to the gods to test their fallibility. When Zeus realised what happened he killed Tantalos and ordered the Moirai (Fates) to bring Pelos back to life.

- Zeus one day decided to visit King Lycaon in disguise. When dinner was being prepared, Laycaon realised who Zeus was. Lycaon decided to try and make Zeus reveal himself by killing his (depending on the source) servant or son and put him into the soup. Zeus immediately knew what the king had done and turned him into a wolf (also where we get the word Lycanthropy from).

Metis - The first wife of Zeus. When she became pregnant, Zeus swallowed her whole and himself gave birth to Athena from his head.

Themis - Another wife of Zeus who gave birth to the Horae (hours) and Moerae (Fate).

Hera - Main wife of Zeus and queen of the heavens. She (with Zeus) gave birth to both Ares (god of war), Hebe (goddess of youth), and Eleithyia (goddess of childbirth).

Demeter - Gave birth to Persephone who Zeus later gave to Hades as a wife without telling Demeter.

Mnemosyme - goddess of memory. Gave birth to the nine muses (Mousai).

Leto - Goddess of motherhood. Gave birth to Apollo and Artemis.

Eurynome - A daughter of Oceanus. Gave birth to the Charities (goddesses of grace).

Leda - Seduced by Zeus in the form of a swan. Gave birth to Kastor and Polydeukes.

Danae - Seduced by Zeus in the form of a golden shower. Gave birth to Perseus.

Alcmene - Seduced by Zeus in the form of her husband. Gave birth to Heracles.

Semele - Mother of Dionysus. Was burned to ash while still pregnant with Dionysus so Zeus saved him.

Europa - Seduced by Zeus in the form of a bull. Gave birth to Minos.

Callisto - Seduced by Zeus in the form of Artemis. Gave birth to Arkas.

Io - A naiad who was turned into a cow before Hera caught Zeus cheating. Io was later put under the protection of Argus. Gave birth to Epaphos.

Loki, as many of you may know is Norse trickster god. The exact meaning of his name is unknown but there have been a few guesses as to what it might be. The most reasonable one came from a man named Eldar Heide who found that his name was used in Iceland as a noun for "tangled" or "knot". Loki is also used as a name for spiders due to their webs being compared to fish nets (Loki made one in the Norse myths). Daniel McCoy says that it could indicate Loki being the "knot" in the thread of the gods, the bringer of their demise. In Scandinavia, there are sayings that say Loki is a knot in a thread.

His mother, whose name is Laufey, is also sometimes called Nál which means "needle". Since Loki comes after Nál it could be interpreted as a thread following a needle. 

In Korean mythology, Dokkaebi, A.K.A. Nature Goblins, are nature gods that like to interact with and play tricks on humans.

In one story there is a man who lived alone on a mountain and was visited by a Dokkaebi. The old man gave the Dokkaebi alcohol and befriended him. The Dokkaebi would frequently visit the old man and they would have long conversations together. Then one day while the old man was out on a walk he saw his reflection in the river and realized that he was turning into one of them. He then planned to prevent himself from turning into one; when the Dokkaebi came over again he asked him what his fear was and the Dokkaebi replied blood and asked the old man of his fear and the old man said money. The next day the old man killed a cow and poured the blood all over his house, when the Dokkaebi saw it he became angry and said he'd return with the old man's greatest fear. Dokkaebi returned the next day with bags of money and threw it at the old man and then left to never come back. The old man became the richest person in the town.

Definition: In Efik mythology (southeast Nigerian tribe), Abassi is the supreme creator god. He is married to Atai who is the mediator between him and humans.

Background: When Abassi first created humans (1 man and woman) he at first refused to allow them to live on Earth (they stayed with them originally on the sun where Abassi and Atai live) but Atai convinced him to let them live on Earth. He agreed but forbade them from working or producing and always return to him for dinner. These rules he made were put in place to make sure that humans would not surpass him in wisdom and strength. However, the two humans started to disobey him so he killed them both. To make humans suffer more he gave them chaos and death. 

Definition: In Greek mythology, Atlas is the Titan personification of Endurance. He is the son of Iapetus and Clymene.

Background: Atlas was the leader of the Titans during the Titanomachy (Titans vs Olympians). After they lost to Zeus, Atlas was condemned hold up the sky/heavens. In some versions it is said that he is the guardian of the pillars of the sky.

Atlas and Heracles - One of Heracles' 12 labors he was ordered to retrieve the golden apples from the garden of Hesperides. He made a deal with Atlas that he would hold the heavens on his shoulders if he would get the apples for him. When he got the apples  Heracles tricked him into holding the weight of the heavens again.

Atlas and Perseus - Perseus used the head of the Gorgon Medusa to turn Atlas into a stone Mountain called Atlas Mountain located in North Africa.

Definition: In Aztec mythology, Mictlantecuhtli or "Lord of Mictlan" is the god of the dead and ruler of Mictlan which is the lowest level of the Aztec underworld.

Characteristics: He is said to be 6 feet tall and wears a toothy skull on his face. He has a headdress that is decorated with owl feathers, a necklace made of human eyeballs, and earspools made out of human bones. Mictlantecuhtli is sometimes depicted with his jaw open to receive the stars as they go to him during the daytime.

Background: When a person dies they are buried with goods that they take with them during their journey through the underworld. When the person arrives in Mictlan, they offer the goods to Mictlantecuhtli and his wife Mictecacihuatl. Mictlantecuhtli lives with his wife in a windowless house. He is often associated with owls, spiders, and bats. He also governs over the three types of souls:

- Normal deaths (disease, old age).

- Heroic deaths (childbirth, in battle, or by sacrifice). 

- Non-Heroic deaths.

Mictlan: In order to get to the ninth and lowest level of the Aztec underworld takes 4 years to complete and the person who goes through it is accompanied by Xolotl (Psychopomp and god of fire and lightning). Some of the challenges they face during the journey include mountains that crash into eachother and a river of blood with jaguars. 

This is a list of Norse goddesses which we know very little about, most of these goddesses are featured in the Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson.

Eir - Doctor of the gods, sometimes said to be a Valkyrie.

Lofn - goddess of marriages, her name means "comforter" or "loving".

Sjofn - goddess of love. Some think it is just Frigg under another name.

Vor - goddess of wisdom, her name might mean "the careful one".

Njörun - she is an unknown goddess but is thought to represent the earth.

Var - goddess of oaths between men and women and punishes those who break them.

Ragnarök: This will be the final battle of the gods, most will die and few will live. It will begin with what is known as Fimbulwinter, a winter that lasts for the length of three winter with no summer inbetween. The wolves Skoll and Hati will finally devour the sun and moon, sending the realms into darkness. The world tree known as Yggdrasil will shake violently causing mountains to fall and even the most powerful chains to break.

Loki, who has been locked up in chains for an unknowable amount of time will be free of his chains as will all other things that are locked up after the earthquake that follows the Fimbulwinter. When he is released he will be the helmsman of a ship called Naglfar, which is the biggest ship there has ever been and is made from the fingernails of the dead. The captain of this ship however is Hrym, leader of the frost giants. Loki's troops are the legions of Hel, they are ones who died shameful deaths. The final battle of Ragnarök will happen in a field called Vigrid which is said to be three hundred miles across. Loki and Heimdall (watchman of the gods) will meet in the end to have one final standoff. They will die next to eachother having taken each others lives. After this, those few who remain will come together and the world will start anew, as it always has and always will.

Definition: In Welsh mythology, Ceridwen is a sorceress/enchantress and lives on a lake with her husband Tegid Foel and her two children.

Pronunciation: Ker-rid-wen

Background: Ceridwen had a beautiful daughter named Creirwy (light) and an ugly son named Afaggdu (dark). Ceridwen planned to make Afaggdu a seer to make up for his ugliness so she gathered the proper ingredients and put them in a cauldron for a year and a day. Since Ceridwen could not always be there to stir it as it needed to be constantly, she had her servant Gwion stir it for her but warned him never to taste it. But at one point the brew boiled and splashed out three drops onto his hand and so he put it in his mouth and was suddenly filled with power and wisdom. He then foresaw how Ceridwen would react to what he had done so fled and she chased after him. Gwion turned into a fish so she turned to an otter; he turned to a hare and she turned to a greyhound. He turned then into a bird and she turned into a hawk. Finally he turned into a grain of wheat and she became a hen and ate him. When she turned back to her normal self she was pregnant with a boy; when he was born she set him adrift at sea where he was rescued by a nobleman and grew up to be a great poet named Taliesin.

In Hawaiian mythology, Lono is the god of rain, agriculture, music, peace, and fertility. Lono is one of the four gods who existed before the creation of earth along with Kū, Kāne, and Kanaloa. Because Lono provides rain which helps with fertility he was also called Lono-Makua (Lono the Provider). The Hawaiians even have a festival in his honor called Makahiki and it lasts 4 months (October-February). During this time Hawaiians would rest and feast and labor was prohibited.

Definition: In Norse mythology, Odin (Woden, Woten, All-Father) is the ruler of the Æsir and the God of wisdom, war and poetry. He is the son of Borr and Bestla.

Etymology: The name Óðinn consists of two parts: the first part, Óðr, means ecstasy, fury, or inspiration. The second part, -inn is a masculine definitive article that means something like "the master of" or "the perfect example of". So his name can mean something like "Master of Ecstacy". This means that Odin is a war God in terms of the ecstasy and chaotic battle-frenzy that comes with it (such as berserkers). 

Pronunciation: Oh-din

Characteristics: Odin is often depicted as an old man with one eye wearing a cloak/robe and hat. 

Familiars:

Sleipnir - Eight-legged horse that is the offspring of Loki and a horse named Svadilfari. Odin rides him on his journey through the nine realms often.

Huginn and Muninn - Two ravens that sit on the shoulders of Odin and recite to him all the news that they see and hear.

Geri and Freki - Two wolves of Odin. Almost nothing is known about them aside from the fact that they sit at the table with Odin and he feeds them his food. 

Valkyries - The Valkyries assist Odin by bringing him half of the fallen warriors to his hall of the slain (Valhalla) and the other hall of the slain ruled over by Freyja (Folkvang).

Background: As mentioned above, Odin the ruler of the Æsir that dwell in Asgard. He is married to the goddess Frigg and with her has fathered Baldur and Hodur. He often goes on long journeys in search of knowledge and will from time to time visit mortals. He mostly goes on journey alone but will on occasion be accompanied by other gods.

Odin sacrifices himself - Odin, being the God of wisdom, is always searching for new ways to gain it. On one occasion on his search for the knowledge of the runes, he sacrificed himself to himself. In order to do this, he hung himself from Yggdrasil (The World Tree) for nine days and nine nights with a spear impaled in his side. During this time he was not helped by anyone and had nothing to eat or drink.

At the end of the ninth night, the runes revealed themselves to him and he gained the knowledge they had to offer:

Then I was fertilized and grew wise;
From a word to a word I was led to a word,
From a work to a work I was led to a work.

Odin sacrifices his eye - In another search for wisdom, Odin went to Mimir and his Well of Urd which is located at the roots of Yggdrasil. The reason for this is because Mimir's knowledge is practically unparalleled to anyone. The knowledge that Mimir possesses was gained from drinking from the well he watches over. Odin asked Mimir for a drink from the well and Mimir said he could only if he gave him his eye in return. Odin then proceeded to gauge out his eye and drop it into the well. Mimir then dipped his horn into the well and offered Odin a drink.

In German mythology, Ēostre (Easter) is said to be the goddess of spring, fertility and the dawn. Also, her animal symbol is the rabbit or hare. Well, according to some sources that claim to know what they're talking about when in all reality there is nothing linking this goddess to rabbits or fertility. The only thing Ēostre is associated with is a month of the year called Eosturmonath which is the month we call April today. The only source ancient source we have that mentions Ēostre is from a book called De Temporum Ratione or "The Reckoning of Time" written by a monk named Bede. In this book, he talks about calculating the date of Easter, and in regards to Ēostre he says:

The first month, which the Latins call January, is Giuli; February is called Solmonath; March Hrethmonath; April, Eosturmonath [...]

Eosturmonath has a name which is now translated 'Paschal month' and which was once called after a goddess of theirs named Eostre, in whose honour feasts were celebrated in that month. Now they designate that Paschal season by her name, calling the joys of the new rite by the time-honoured name of the old observance.

And that's it, that's all he mentions of the goddess Ēostre. No mention of what type of goddess she is or anything that can link her to rabbits or hares or eggs. Just simply that she is the name of a month and that she has a festival in her honor during the month of Eosturmonath. The only thing that ties Ēostre to Easter is her name and the month it is celebrated in.

Definition: In Akkadian mythology, Ishtar is the goddess of war, sex, and love. She is married to Tammuz and her Sumerian counterpart is Inanna. 

Pronunciation: Ish-tar of Eesh-tar. And here is Ishtar's name in Akkadian:

Background: In one story, Ishtar goes down to the underworld which is ruled by her sister Ereshkigal. But Ishtar was going to the underworld in an attempt to take it over and rule it herself. Before she left, however, she put on makeup, jewelry, and beautiful clothing. Then, she told her handmaiden, Ninshubur, that if she were to become trapped in the underworld she should dress in mourning attire and create a disheveled appearance. Then, she should go to the temples of the gods and ask for help to rescue Ishtar from the underworld. 

Once Ishtar got to Ereshkigal's home, she had to go through all seven gates of the underworld and at each one remove a piece of clothing. By the time Ishar had reached her sister -who at this point knew of her sister's plan to overthrow her- killed her on the spot. Ishtar's death led to the cease of sex and fertility back on earth. So, Ea (God of wisdom) helped bring her back to life. There is a problem with this, however, which is the fact that once space is made in the underworld it cannot stay empty so Ishtar is sent to earth with a band of demons to find someone to fill her space. Once she gets back to earth she sees Tammuz, her husband, relaxing and apparently unaffected by her death so she has the demons take him away to the underworld.

Ishtar and Easter: There is no real connection between the Akkadian goddess and the Christian holiday Easter, all sources that may mention a connection between the two and how her symbols are the egg and bunny or something along those lines has no factual evidence to support those kinds of statements. Same goes for people who claim that Ishtar is pronounced the same as Easter. Ishtar's symbols are the eight-pointed star, lions, and the planet Venus.

In Greek mythology, Tartaros (Tartarus) is the primordial god of the stormy pit that is beneath the earth (Gaea). It lay beneath the earth and with Ouranos (sky) they enclosed the entire cosmos. Tartaros is said to be as far below Hades as heaven is above earth.

Lineage: Tartaros was born at the dawn of creation.

Offspring: Typhoeus (Typhon), Ekhidna (Echidna), Gigantes, Telkhines (Telchines). 

Definition: In Egyptian mythology, Apophis (Apep) is the God of chaos, darkness, and destruction.

Characteristics: Apophis is described as being a giant serpent.

Origin: Apophis isn't mentioned by name in Egyptian texts until sometime during the Middle Kingdom but is believed to have been around much longer before this period.

Background: Apophis is the enemy of Ra (Sun God) and is always trying to kill him and bring an end to order everytime Ra goes to the underworld after the sun sets. Ra is protected by a host of other gods in his journey through the underworld such as Set (another God of Chaos) and by the dead to make sure that the world isn't plunged into permanent darkness. Ra would turn into a cat and cut of Apophis' head after Set would spear him. Priests of Ra would perform a ritual known as "banishing Apep" where they made an effigy of the God, beat it, crushed it, smeared it with mud then burned it. There is also a book containing spells that were made to repell Apophis called The Book of Overthrowing Apophis that was made during the New Kingdom.

Definition: In Japanese mythology, Raijin (Raiden-Sama) is the God of thunder, lightning, and storms. He is also a warrior and protector figure in temples and shrines.

Characteristics: aggressive facial expression, stands on a cloud, holds drums with the tomoe symbol on them.

Background: Raijin is the son of Izanagi and Izanami and was born just after creation along with his siblings Fujin (God of wind), Susanoo (God of the sea), Kagutsuchi (God of fire), and Amaterasu (goddess of sun). Raijin is often seen with Raiju (thunder beast). People would pray to Raijin to help with their crops because they believed that rice that was struck by lightning would be the best for harvest.

Definition: In Aztec mythology, Tlaloc is the God of thunder, lightning, rain, and fertility.

Characteristics: Tlaloc is usually depicted with blue skin and jaguar fangs and carries a rattler that makes thunder.

Pronunciation: Tlah-lohk

Background: Tlaloc was once married to Xochiquetzal but she was kidnapped by Tezcatlipoca so he later got married to Chalchihuitlicue. They had a child together named Tecciztecal.

Tlaloc is the ruler of the fourth heaven which is called Tlalocan. Tlalocan is the heaven of eternal spring. It is the location for souls that died by water such as drowning, being struck by lightning or water-borne diseases. Tlaloc is also the eighth lord of day and the ninth lord of light. He also used to be the God of the third sun which was destroyed by fire.

Tlaloc also represents the four corners of the universe that hold up the sky and represent passing of time.

Definition: In Greek mythology, Circe (Kirke) is the goddess of Pharmakeia (sorcery). She is the daughter of Helios (Sun God) and Perseis (Oceanid).

Pronunciation: Sir-see

Offspring: 

Telegonos, son of Odysseus.

Agrios, son of Odysseus.

Latinos, son of Odysseus.

Phaunos, son of Poseidon.

Background: She has two siblings named Pasiphae and Aeetes. She lives on the island of Aiaia with nymphs and animals such as lions and wolves as her companions. Aiaia is said to be located in the far west near the river Oceanus (Okeanos).

Circe and Odysseus: Odysseus and his men found themselves on the island of Aiaia while they were making their way back home after the battle of Troy. She turned his men into pigs but he forced her to turn them back. Odyssues and his men ended up staying there for a year before returning on his journey home. He even had children with Circe in his time there (how many can vary by source).

Definition - In Japanese mythology, Amaterasu is the goddess of the sun and is the most sacred deity. She is the daughter of Izanagi.

Etymology - Amaterasu means "that which illuminates heaven".

Background - She was born when Izanagi washed his face, along with Susano'o and Tsukuyomi. When Izanagi washed his left eye, Amaterasu was born. When Izanagi washed his right eye, Tsukuyomi was born. When Izanagi washed his nose, Susano'o was born. Amaterasu is also the ruler of The High Celestial Plain which is the realm of the Kami as well as the ancestor for all of Japans Emperors.

Amaterasu vs Susano'o - One day Izanagi ordered Susano'o to leave heaven forever, so he went to say goodbye to his sister Amaterasu. She was suspicious so she proposed to him a challenge: they were to create people out of the other person's object. Amaterasu made 3 women from Susano'o's sword while he made 5 men out of her necklace. Amaterasu then said that the men were hers because they were made of her necklace. Susano'o, who apparently was not pleased with this proposition, decided to destroy her rice fields, throw a dead horse into her loom, and kill one of her assistants. After this, Amaterasu ran away scared and hid in the Heavenly Rock Cave which plunged the world into darkness. The other gods tried to get her back out without success.

Eventually, the goddess Ama-no-Uzume took a big bucket and set it upside down outside the cave and danced on top of it. She also tore off her clothes while doing it which made all the other gods laugh. Amaterasu peeked out to see why they were all laughing and saw her reflection in a mirror that was on a tree. When she slowly came out, Ameno-Tajikarawo closed the cave behind her and another god tied a magic rope over the entrance. Amaterasu was then asked to come back and she agreed. Susano'o was then punished by being banned from heaven.

In Mayan mythology, Awilix is the goddess of the moon and the night. She is sometimes said to be a male God. She also has a temple of worship in the capital city Q'umarkaj. 

Definition: In Greek mythology, Britomartis is the goddess of hunting and fishing-nets. She is the daughter of Zeus and Karme (Demi-goddess of the harvest).

Etymology: Her name means " Sweet Maiden". She is also known as Diktynna which means "Lady of the nets".

Background: Britomartis was a huntress on the island of Krete. King Minos had fallen for her and pursued her for nine months. She ended up fleeing and jumping into the sea and landing in fishermen's nets. The goddess Artemis had been watching her and took pitty on her by making her a goddess.

Definition:  In Egyptian mythology, Nut is the goddess of the sky, stars, cosmos, and astronomy. She is the daughter of Shu and Tefnut. 

Characteristics: She is usually depicted as nude, on her head is a water-pot which is also a part of her hieroglyphic name.

Background: She is married to Geb (Earth) and with him she had four children: Osiris, Set, Isis, and Nephthys. Every day she gives birth to the sun and moon and every night she swallows them. Nut was originally only the goddess of the nighttime sky but was later associated with the sky in general.

Nut is also a protector of the dead, she was sometimes painted on the insides of Sarcophagi; and tombs were painted dark blue with many stars to represent her. There is also a book called The Fundamentals of the Course of the Stars that is a collection of Egyptian astronomical texts that dates back to around 2,000 B.C. Nut plays a large role in this book but it also mentions things such as the cycle of the planets, and time keeping.

Definition: In Japanese mythology, Susanoo (Susanoo-no-Mikoto) is the God of the sea and storms. He is the son of Izanagi.

Pronunciation: Sue-san-oh

Background: Susanoo was born when Izanagi washed his nose and has two siblings named Amaterasu (Sun goddess) and Tsukuyomi (Moon God) who were born in a similar way. He gifted mankind with agriculture and founded the ruling dynasty in Izumo. He has fought against his sister Amaterasu and as a result was kicked out of heaven. He also fought and killed a serpent called Yamata-No-Orochi that was taking the daughters of a family.

Definition: In Roman mythology, Janus is the two-faced God of doorways, beginnings, gates, passages, time, and endings. One of his faces looks into the future while the other looks into the past.

Symbols: porter staff and a set of keys.

Background: As the God of doorways, during times of war and famine gates of buildings are left open and during times of peace they are closed. As a God of time, Janus is worshipped at the beginning of harvests, weddings, deaths, and religious ceremonies. When a person wanted to worship a God they first had to invoke Janus.

Background: In Ainu religion (a tribe in Japan), Kamuy (literally means god) is usually a bear god. The Ainu see the bear as the head of the gods. When on earth Kamuy will (obviously) take on the form of a bear but while he is in the land of the gods he will take on a human form.

Omante: The Ainu people perform a ritual called Omante in which they take the god (adult bear) and return it back to the land of the gods by ending its life and eating it (this is the only way they can go back).

Kumamatsuri / Iomante: Kumamatsuri means "bear festival" and Iomante means "sending off". Kumamatsuri is a festival that starts when the Ainu capture a bear cub. The cub is then fed human food from a wooden bowl and normally treated better than regular children because the cub is seen as a god. When the cub becomes 2-3 years old it is then taken to an altar and sacrificed. This is usually done around winter time because the bear meat will be fatter. They shoot the bear with normal and ceremonial arrows, pour wine over the corpse, dance, and make offerings. They then say words of sending off for the bear. This ritual goes for 3 days and 3 nights in order to return the god home properly.

It is believed that the word Kamuy (Kamui) later evolved into the Shinto (Japanese religion) word Kami which refers to nature gods.

Definition: In Slavic mythology, Veles (Volos, Lord of the Forest) is the god of the earth, water, and the underworld. He is also associated with things like harvest, cattle, wealth, music, and magic.

Characteristics: Veles is said to take on the form of a bear or a dragon/serpent. He is sometimes depicted as a man with either a bull hide w/horns or a bear hide.

Symbols: Bear, snake, wolf, dragon.

Background: He is the enemy of the thunder god Perun. In some stories, he and Perun have a fight to the death. Perun lives at the top of the Slavic world tree while Veles lives at the bottom of it. Veles is often accused by Perun of stealing something of his such as his wife, cattle, or his son. Veles climbs the tree in the form a serpent toward the top, Perun then hurls down lightning bolts in retaliation. Perun eventually kills Veles and whatever he stole will be released from him in the form of rain.

The Slavic people use this story as a way to explain the change of the seasons. Dry seasons represented Veles when he stole from Perun. Rainy storms represented when Perun and Veles fought. Rain represented the defeat of Veles and his death. Velez death wasn't permanent and was seen as a cycle with Veles being reborn to fight again. Despite this, Veles was never seen as an evil God, this duality between Perun and Veles is more of an act of earth vs sky or water (Veles) vs fire (Perun).

Festival of Veles: The Festival of Veles takes place during the first or second week of February. During this festival, they pass around a puppet of Turón (a black, horned animal that has a flopping jaw) that represents Veles' power over the world during the winter. People will pray to Veles for wealth, futility and abundance. They can strengthen their request by warming their crops by hand.

Definition: In Greek mythology, Pan is the God of the forests, hunters, shepherds, and meadows. He is the son of Hermes and Penelopeia (Epimelid-nymph(Meadow nymph)).

Characteristics: Pan is depicted as a top half of a man with horns on his head and the legs and tail of a goat.

Background: Anyone who entered his realm was overcome with a sense of panic. Pan lived in the countryside of Arcadia where he would chase nymphs and play his pipes.

Pan and Pitys - Pitys was an Oread (mountain nymph) and was being chased after by Pan, she was transformed into a mountain-pine (sometimes a fir tree) which became Pan's sacred tree.

Pan and Syrinx - Syrinx was a Naiad (water nymph) who was also pursued by Pan. As she was escoaing she was turned into a clump of reeds which pan used to craft into his pipes.

Definition: In Greek mythology, Apollo (Apollon) is the god of music, medicine, poetry, prophecy, oracles, archery and more. He is the son of Zeus and Leto. Apollo was later identified with Helios (Personification of the sun) during the 5th century.

Offspring: 

-Asclepius, god of medicine and patron god of the Asclepiades. He is the son of Koronis (Princess of Phlegyantis).

-Aristaeus, god of shepherds, beekeeping, honey, cheesemaking, medicinal herbs, hunting and more. He is the son of Kyrene.

Background: Hera chased Leto around from island to island to make sure that she could not give birth but finally was able to stop on Delos where she gave birth to Apollo and Artemis. As soon as Apollo was born and was given Nectar and Ambrosia (food of the gods) he demanded a lyre and a bow and said that he would declare to men the will of Zeus.

Apollo vs Python: Python was a giant serpent ordered by Gaea (Earth) to guard the Oracle of Delphi. Apollo wanted to claim Delphi as his so he fought with it and ended up killing it with one hundred arrows.

Apollo vs Marsyas: Marsyas was a Satyr who had invented the music of the flute. He found the original flute that Athena had cast away because she didn't like how it bloated the cheeks. Marsyas challenged Apollo to a music contest and in the second round, Apollo said they should play it upside down. Which doesn't work very well with flutes and so Marsyas ended up losing. Apollo then tied him to a tree and flayed him alive.

Apollo and Daphne: Daphne was a Naiad of the Ladon river in Thessalia. Apollo pursued her until Daphne grew tired and called to Gaea for help. She was then transformed into a Laurel tree which Apollo made into his sacred plant.

Apollo and Coronis: Koronis (Coronis) was loved by Apollo and while she was pregnant with his child she committed adultery. Apollo learned about what happened because he sent his raven down to see what she was up to. Out of anger he demanded that Artemis kill her and so she did along with other people using her plague arrows. Then Apollo turned on his raven and scorched his white feathers black.

Definition: In Greek mythology, Hera is the goddess of marriage  women, and the queen of the gods. She is the daughter of Kronos and Rhea. Her Roman counterpart is Juno.

Characteristics: Wears a crown and has a scepter with a lotus tip.

Offspring:

- Ares, god of war. Son of Zeus.

- Hephaestus, god of the forge and metalworking. Son of Hera only (sometimes with Zeus).

- Eileithyia, goddess of childbirth. Daughter Hera only.

- Hebe, goddess of youth and cupbearer of the gods. Daughter of Zeus.

- The Charities, three goddesses of grace, beauty, joy, dance, song, and more. Daughters of Hera or sometimes Zeus and Eurynome (Oceanid).

Background: Hera is married to Zeus (King of the gods) who is also her brother. Zeus seduced Hera in the form of a cuckoo bird (suprise suprise Zeus has to transform into an animal to seduce a woman).

Hera and Hephaestus: Hephaestus is said to only be the son of Hera who gave birth to him because she was mad at Zeus for having a headache and giving birth to Athena from his head after he vored Metis (because eating family memebers is a tradition). After Hera gave birth to Hephaestus and saw how ugly he was she threw him off Mount Olympus where he fell into the ocean and would later get his revenge.

Hera and Heracles: When Zeus went off and had some godly sex with a mortal women as he always does, Hera got mad as usual and when the child (Heracles) was born she sent 2 snakes to kill him but he ended up strangling them to death instead. And then because Hera was still mad that Heracles was alive, when he had a wife and kids, Hera drove him absolutely mad to the point where he killed them by throwing them into a fire (BBQ anyone?).

Also his name literally means Glory of Hera.

Hera and Ixion: Ixion was a poor dude that fell for Hera and tried to make love with her but surprisingly enough Hera rejected him. Zeus then wanted to test if it was true so he took a cloud and formed it into the shape of Hera and laid it by him. When Ixion proceeded to seduce said cloud and later bragged about it thinking it was Hera, Zeus tied him to a burning wheel that flys across the heavens.

Definition: In Greek mythology, Ares is the god of war, courage and battlelust. He is the son of Zeus and Hera. His Roman counterpart is Mars.

Ares and Hephaestus: After Hephaestus married Aphrodite she was obviously not going to be loyal to an ugly crippled god so she would still hook up with Ares. Before Hephaestus left one day he set up an invisible net above his bed to capture Aphrodite and Ares in the act. So when he "left" they took to the bed and when they laid down in it the net fell on them where they were naked and trapped. Then because Hephaestus wanted to rub it in their face he brought the other gods over to his house to prove that he was being cucked.

Ares and Adonis: Adonis was a prince of Kypros who was loved by Aphrodite. Ares, because he doesn't mind cheating but doesn't like to be cheated on, became jealous of Adonis and turned himself into a boar and killed him.

Ares and the Aloadai: The Aloadai were two giants named Otos and Ephialtes that tried to storm Mount Olympus. Ares tried to stop then but they overpowered him and trapped him inside a bronze urn for 13 months until Hermes was sent to free him.

Ares and Heracles: Heracles was fighting in the war of Pylos when the god approached him to battle. Heracles, being the absolute beast that he is, managed to knock Ares onto the ground 3 times. Then on his 4th attack he cut the god in the thigh causing him to retreat back to Olympus like a little bitch. 

Definition: In Greek mythology, Hermes is the god of language, writing, travellers, heralds, astronomy, messenger of the gods and much more. He is the son of Zeus and Maia (Eldest Pleiades Nymph). His Roman counterpart is Mercury.

Characteristics: Hermes is often depicted wearing winged shoes and a winged hat and carrying a Herald's wand.

Offspring: 

- Pan, god of the forests. Son of Penelopeia.

- Priapus, protector of flocks and vineyards, has the biggest of biggest big dick energy (watch out Zeus).

- Angelia, daimona (personified spirit) of messages and proclamations.

Background: Hermes is also a Psychopomp, which means he guides the souls of the dead to Hades (the underworld). He is one of the only gods that goes down to Hades on request of the gods or other occasions. He has been sent to Hades to retrieve the goddess Persephone and bring her back to Olympus. When Hermes was born, he snuck away and stole Apollo's cattle. Also, he took the shell of a tortoise and made it into the first lyre.

Hermes and Battos: Battos was a herdsman who saw that Apollo's cattle were being stolen, Hermes stopped and made him promise that he wouldn't tell anyone of what he saw. Battos agreed so Hermes left, hid his cattle, changed his form and returned to the Herder to ask if he saw the stolen cattle go by and offered him a robe as a reward. Battos took the robe and told Hermes that he saw the cattle. Hermes then changed back into his normal form and Medusa'd his snitching ass by turning him into a rock.

Hermes and Argos: Io was one of Zeus' many lovers and to hide her from Hera he turned her into a cow (Got Milk?). Hera found out and made Zeus give Io to her, she then made Argos (guy with a fuckton of eyes) watch over her. Then, Zeus made Hermes go and retrieve Io for him, Hermes couldn't sneak her out so he had to kill Argos with a stone and take Io away.

Definition: In Aztec mythology, Xolotl is the god of lightning, fire, death, twins, sickness and misfortune. He is the son of Coatlicue and twin brother of Quetzalcoatl. 

Pronunciation: Zo-lot

Characteristics: Xolotl is sometimes depicted as a dog, as a human form he is depicted as eyeless and wearing jewels and ear ornaments of Quetzalcoatl and carries a wind jewel.

Background: Xolotl is the god who guides the soul through the first 9 levels of Mictlan (underworld). He would also protect the sun as it traveled through the underworld every night (similar to the Egyptian myths). The reason that Xolotl doesn't have eyes is because when the gods were creating the new sun, Xolotl withdrew from the sacrifice and ended up crying so much that his eyes fell out. Because Xolotl acts as a guide through the underworld in dog form, dogs were sacrificed so that they could guide their owners through the underworld where they would help them cross a deep river.

The reason that Xolotl is associated with twins is because Mesoamericans saw twins as an unnatural monstrosity and would normally kill one of the them at birth (brutal as fuck, guess we know where China took inspiration from lol). Also, Xolotl represents the suns death every night while Quetzalcoatl represents the suns birth every morning. 

Definition: In Egyptian mythology, Bast (Bastet) is the goddess of cats and protection. She is the daughter of Ra (Sun God). 

Characteristics: Bast is often depicted as a woman with the head of a cat or lioness. She is seen holding an Ankh or a papyrus wand (representing lower Egypt) and is with the company of a litter of kittens. 

Etymology: Her name means "Devouring Lady" and her phonetic element, which is an oil jar, associates her with perfume as her son (Nefertum) is the God of perfume.

Background: Originally, Bast had the head of a lioness or sand-cat up until the New Kingdom when it was changed to that of a house cat. Cats were, obviously sacred to Bast and her priests kept sacred cats in their temple and were seen as a reincarnation of her. They also cared for cats because they killed vermin which slowed the spread of diseases. When a cat died, it was mummified and made as an offering to the goddess; to kill a cat was seen as bad luck and a crime against Bast. Cats back then were also used to retrieve prey when hunting and were kept as house pets.

Jack Frost is the personification of winter, freezing cold, ice, snow, frost and sleet. He is the cause of frosty winter and nipping of fingers and toes as well as the frost that appears on windows and the coloring of leaves in the autumn. He has sometimes been depicted carrying a paintbrush and bucket going around coloring the autumn leaves different colors such as red, yellow and orange. Some sources say he is the king of winter spirits and is kind towards children and wants to help them.

In Other Cultures:

Father Frost - Russian

Frau Holle - German

Khione - Greek

Beira - Gaelic

Skadi - Norse

In Hopi and Zuri mythology (Native American tribes), Kokopelli is the god of fertility, rain, agriculture, childbirth, and more. Being the god of fertility, Kokopelli carries unborn children on his back and gives them to women. As an agriculture god, Kokopelli plays a flute that chases away the winter and brings in spring; he is sometimes said to also carry seeds on his back and can be associated with rain. He has been depicted in maize grinding ceremonies alongside another flute playing god named Paiyatamu.

Definition: In Sami mythology, Horagalles (Hora Galles, Thora Galles) is a god of thunder, the sky, lightning, rainbows, oceans, lakes and more.

Characteristics: There are idols made of Horagalles using wood and they put either a nail, spike or fint in his head. He also wields two hammers, one in each hand and is also depicted on Sami shaman drums.

Background: Horagalles has two hammers, one he uses to make lightning and thunder and with the other one he calls it back. One of his hammers (not sure which) is called Wetschera which means "grandfather's hammer". He also uses the rainbow as his bow, to punish or destroy evil spirits, which is called "Aijeke dauge".

There is also another Sami thunder god called Tiermes and names can vary between Sami people in the northern and southern regions. The Northern Sami tend to call him Tiermes while the Southern Sami call him Horagalles.

Etymology: Some people believed that Horagalles is inspired by the Norse god Thor because some Sami people called Horagalles Thoron or even simply Thor. It is believed that Horagalles is a loanword from "Þórr Karl" which means something like "the old man Thor".

Definition: In Hawaiian mythology, Pele (Madam Pele or Tūtū Pele) is the goddess of volcanoes, fire and creator of the Hawaiian islands. She is the daughter of Haumea.

Pronunciation: Peh-leh

Background: ʻōhelo berries are sacred to the goddess, before a person eats them, they must offer some to Pele. Pele is said to live in the Halema'uma'u crater of Mount Kilauea. Lava rocks made from her volcanoe are sacred to her and must never be taken away from her. If you take a lava rock from her it will cause very back luck for you (this was apparently started cause it is illegal to remove anything such as minerals from state parks).

Pele came to Hawaii from Tahiti on a canoe. She kept trying to make fire on different islands but was chased off constantly by her sister Nāmaka. They eventually fought eachother and Pele died because of it. Even though she died her spirit still lived on in Kilauea.

There have been quite a few reported sightings of the goddess. She will usually appear as either an old or young woman and is sometimes accompanied by a white dog. She has been known to appear before people and ask them for help such as getting food/water or a ride somewhere.

Senuna (Senua) is a Celtic goddess that was worshipped in Roman Britain. She had been completely forgotten until 2002 when there was a cache of 26 offerings found in Hertfordshire by a metal detecorist. The offerings included things like Celtic coins, silver plaques, food offerings of pigs and more. It is thought that her name is related to the proto-Celtic Seno which means "old".

Definition: In Inuit mythology, Sedna (Arnakuagsak, Mistress of the Sea) is the goddess of the sea and marine animals.

Background: In one version of her origin story, Sedna was originally a giant and is the daughter of Anguta (Creator God). Sedna was overcome with a great urge of hunger which caused her to attack her parents. Angry at her, Anguta took her out to sea on a kayak and threw her out of it. As Sedna clung to the side of it, Anguta chopped her fingers off. As she sunk to the bottom, she became the goddess of the sea and her fingers that got chopped off turned into seals  walruses and whales. There are other versions depending on the group of inuit that tell it that have different reasons for her being taken out to sea but they all end the same.

Sedna is also the goddess of Adlivun which is the underworld at the bottom of the ocean. 

In Kitanemuk mythology (Native American tribe), Canniqpa (Tsannixpa) is a creator God who created the universe and the gods. However, this god is incorporeal and is not personified within the myths.

Definition: In Roman mythology, Summanus is the god of nocturnal thunder. He is also considered to be a Chthonic deity and the counter opposite of Jupiter.

Etymology: The meaning of Summanus is unclear but is thought to mean something like "The Greatest of the Manes" (Manes are Roman chthonic deities). It is also thought to be another name for Pluto. The poet Camões also claimed him to be a Chthonic deity and wrote: "If in Summanus' gloomy realm / Severest punishment you now endure".

Background: On June 20th every year, the day before the Summer Solstice, people would make offerings to Summanus with little cakes called Summanalia which were made of flour, milk and honey in the shape of a wheel. He could also receive offerings of black oxen or wethers.

Some people, such as Saint Augustine, believe that Summanus was seen as more important than Jupiter at one point. That was until a temple for Jupiter was built that was far better than the one for Summanus.

Summanus had his own temple at one point that was on the west of Circus Maximus in 278 B.C. that was built during the war of Pyrrhus. It may have been built because of a statue that was on the roof of the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus was struck by lightning. There is also a mountain called Mount Summano near Veneto, Italy whose mountain top is constantly hit by lightning.

Origins: One supposed origin for Summanus, proposed by Pliny, a Roman author, is that he was originally an Etruscan god. In Etruscan myths, there is a Council of 9 thunder gods who could wield thunderbolts. Varro, a Roman scholar, thought that Summanus was of Sabine origin that king Titus Tatius dedicated an alter to.

Definition: In Greek mythology, Demeter is the goddess of grain, bread and agriculture. She is the daughter of Kronos and Rhea and her Roman counterpart is Ceres.

Demeter and Persephone: Persephone was kidnapped by Hades and taken to the underworld. Demeter searched all over the earth to try and find her. Helios told her of what happened to her daughter, in anger she stopped providing good crops for mankind causing them to starve until she was able to see her daughter again. Zeus, not wanting humanity to end completely, sent Hermes to the underworld to retrieve Persephone. However, while she was down there she ate a pomegranate seed, and as the Fates decree, any food eaten in the underworld means you can never leave permanently. Persephone had eaten one so she was to remain in the underworld for 1/3 of the year, and the other 2/3 she could stay on earth with her mother. This is also how the seasons came to be, when she is away, all the crops die (winter) and when she is back, crops are allowed to grow again (spring/summer). 

Demeter and Poseidon: While Demeter was searching for her daughter Persephone, she was being pursued by Poseidon. In order to get away, she turned into a horse, but he did the same and "mated" with her. She later gave birth to Despoina (goddess of the Arkadian Mystery Cult) and Arion (an immortal horse, who was later owned by Heracles). 

In Penobscot mythology, Pamola (Pomola) is the God of thunder, cold weather, and protector of the mountain. Pamola is described as having the body of a man, the head of a moose, and the wings and feet of an eagle. He lives on top of Mt. Katahdin and the Penobscot people would avoid climbing it so as not to disturb him.

Definition: In Greek mythology, Asclepius (Asklepios) is the God of of medicine. He is the son of Apollo and Coronis. His Roman counterpart is Vejovis.

Background: Asclepius' mother died giving birth to him and so Apollo had to cut him out of her, from that he got his name which means "to cut open". He was raised under the care of Chiron who taught him in the ways of medicine. He became so good at this craft that he was eventually able to bring people back from the dead; but because this goes against the natural order, Zeus destroyed him using a thunderbolt. He was placed among the stars as the constellation Ophiochus (The Serpent Holder).

Definition: In Irish mythology Áine is the goddess of love, summer, sovereignty and wealth. She is the daughter of Eoghabal, who is a god among the Tuatha Dé Danann.

Background: Áine was once attacked by King Ailill Aulom of Munster. He had a great desire for her and forced himself on her sexually. In her anger and to exact revenge, Áine bit off his ear, which marked him for life. Now, in the Celtic tradition, only an unblemished person is allowed to be a King/ruler, so by Áine taking off his ear, she revoked his status as king. That is why he is named Aulom which means "one-eared". This was how she became associated with sovereignty, being able to give and take power.

Kuraokami is the God of rain and snow in Japanese mythology. Kuraokami was born from the blood of Kagutsuchi who was slain by his father Izanagi. Kagutsuchi was slain because when Izanami gave birth to him, she died from the burns (Kagutsuchi is the fire God). The blood of Kagutsuchi birthed Kuraokami as well as seven other Gods.

Definition: In Syrian mythology, Atargatis is the Goddess of fertility and protector of the people, as well as the head of the Gods.

Pronunciation: uh-TAHR-guh-tis

Symbols: Her main symbols are fish representing fertility, and doves representing love.

Characteristics: Atargatis has been depicted as both a woman, and a women on her top half, with the bottom half of a fish.

Priesthood: Atargatis had what are known as Eunuch Priests, which are males who have been castrated for a specific purpose. The purpose in this case was to appear more feminine, as the men would wear heavy makeup and turbans. There was a shrine dedicated to the goddess in Hieropolis which was founded by Semiramis. Near the shrine was a lake with sacred fish that no one was allowed to eat. The priests would travel around with an image of the goddess dressed in a silk robe and carried on the back of a donkey. When they would get to where they needed, they would then perform an ecstatic rite to attract a crowd and collect contributions. They would shout and dance to flute music with their necks bent, they would also bite their flesh and cut themselves.

In Chinese mythology, Meng Po (Old Lady Meng) is the Goddess of forgetfulness. She feeds the soup of forgetfulness to souls who are moving on to their next life.  She feeds them this soup on the Bridge of Forgetfulness (Nai He Bridge). She lives in the ninth realm of hell called Diyu.

As soon as the person drinks the soup, they will permanently lose all memory of their past life as well as their time spent in the afterlife. There have been times where people have avoided drinking the soup before reincarnation which can cause memories from their last life to come back when they are children.

It is said that Meng Po was originally a woman named Lady Meng Jiang. After her husband died, she could not reincarnate because of her grief. So she went and created a soup that allowed souls to forget their past.

Definition: In Greek mythology, Thriai (Thriae) were three prophetic nymphs (also minor goddesses) that lived under the ridge of Mount Parnassos.

Characteristics: The Thriai are described as having the head of a woman and the body of a bee. They also have white meal (I think like a grain) on their head.

Background: The Thriai raised Apollo and were the creators of prophecy by the use of little stones and by birds of omen. They would take the pebbles and throw them into an urn. They fly around feeding on honeycombs and when they feed on the honey they speak the truth. But if they are deprived of their honey then they will speak lies. These nymphs were gifted to Hermes by the God Apollo. The Thriai are believed to be related to Melisseus, demi-god of honey and beekeeping.

In Norse mythology, Rán is the goddess of the sinister part of the sea and takes those who have drowned at sea using her net. She has a hall of her own at the bottom of the sea where those she captured go (think Valhalla but like, wet). Her name is thought to mean either theft or robbery. She once gave her net to Loki so he could use it to capture Andvari when he turned into a pike (fish). She has nine daughters with Ægir, all of whose names are different words for waves.

Rán has other names that are used to describe the sea:

Ráns mouth - the sea's grasp

Rán-beðr - the bed of Rán or bed of the sea

Ránar-land - Rán's land

In Greek mythology, Psyche was a mortal woman who was esteemed for her beauty. So much so to the point where she had caught the attention of Aphrodite because she noticed that men had started to worship Psyche instead of her. Aphrodite then commanded Eros to make her fall in love with the ugliest of men. But upon seeing her beauty, Eros kidnapped her and took her to his hidden palace. He would only visit her at night to hide his identity from her. Psyche was tricked by her sisters into going against what he told her and one night, approached him with a candle to see his face. She was amazed at his beauty but a bit of wax dripped from the candle onto his shoulder. He awoke and upon realizing what she had done, he abandoned her.

She eventually found her way to Aphrodite who said she would allow them to marry if she completed a series of seemingly impossible tasks. The first task was to organize a pile of seeds into different kinds in just one night. Psyche was working on it and beginning to lose hope when an ant colony came along and finished organizing them for her.

Her next task was to collect wool from a violent sheep. Psyche is intent on just drowning herself instead of going about the task. But is advised by a divine reed to collect the wool that is caught on the bushes as it runs by them. She completes this task too and is given her final task. 

She is to go to the underworld with a box and talk to Persephone and try to get her to put a drop of her beauty in it for Aphrodite. She succeeded in this as well and decided to open the box when she got out of the underworld to see if she could have some for herself. But in the box was sleep instead of beauty. Eros, who has recovered from his wound found her and drew the sleep back into the box. He then gave her ambrosia, a drink of the Gods, making her into a goddess of the soul. They then get married in Olympus.

Definition: In Greek mythology, The Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux) are the twin Gods of horsemanship and St. Elmo's Fire (electrical discharge created by thunderstorms that you can see around ships at sea).

Parentage: Castor and Pollux are the children of Leda but (depending on the source) have either the same dad Zeus, or Pollux the son of Zeus and Castor the son of Tyndareus.

Background: Because of their kindness during their life they were turned into deities upon their death. However, because Pollux was the son of Zeus he was originally the only one given that status. Pollux begged Zeus to allow his brother to be a deity with him. Zeus eventually agreed but in order to please the Fates they had to spend alternate days in heaven and in Hades. The Dioscuri were also placed in the sky as the constellation Gemini.

Zeus is the Greek god of thunder, law, order, fate, and destiny. He sometimes goes by the name Zeus Moiragetes which means "leader of the Fates". An inscription of this name was found on an altar in Olympia by Pausanias in the 2nd Century A.D. Also, according to Hesiod's Theogony, Zeus and Themis (goddess of divine law and order) are the parents of the Moirai. Themis, along with the Moirai and Horai (three goddesses of seasons) are all seated beside the throne of Zeus and act as the orderly functioning of the cosmos.

The Moirai are said to be in control of the fates of all the gods and the gods cannot change what the Fates decide (although to what degree the god's lives were affected by this isn't clarified). But Zeus does work alongside them, in a battle Zeus uses a weighing scale to decide whether a warrior will live or die. He did this with Hector and Achilles, Hector's lot was heavier so he died.

Another example of Zeus working with the Fates comes from the story of Tantalus. Tantalus, king of Lydia had invited the gods over for a feast. But he killed his son Pelops, put him into a stew, and tried to trick the gods into eating him. Zeus recognized the deceit immediately and cast Tantalus into Hades for eternal punishment. Zeus then had the Moirai collect all of Pelops' parts into a boiling cauldron. He was restored except for his shoulder which was unknowingly eaten by Demeter. A new one was made for him out of ivory.

Aristaeus or Aristaios is a Greek Rustic god (a Rustic god being one of the countryside, pastures, and forests like Pan and Dionysus) of many different things such as beekeeping, hunting, medicinal herbs, Etesian winds, and more. He is sometimes said to be the offspring of Apollo and Cyrene. Aristaeus was born on Mount Pelion and when he grew up he was taught the arts of healing and prophecy by the Muses and the centaur Chiron. Aristaeus was a beekeeper himself and on one unfortunate day his bees all started to sicken and die. He was crying when his mother Cyrene consoled him and told him to seek out the prophetic god Proteus about how to get them back. Aristaeus went off to where Proteus lived and chained his hands together while he slept so that he could not change form and escape. When Proteus awoke he told Aristaeus to make a sacrifice of a bull. He does this and when the bull is sacrificed, bees begin flying out of it, and they are repopulated again.

In Navajo beliefs, Black God is a creator and trickster deity. He is the son of Fire and Comet. Black God is described as having a crescent moon on his forehead, and his mouth is a full moon. The Pleiades constellation is on his temple, and he wears a buckskin mask with charcoal and white paint. He is tasked with creating the constellations in the sky. To do this, he pulls each star out of a pouch he has around his waist, sets it on fire, and places it in the sky. Coyote, getting bored of how slow Black God is going, snatched the pouch out of his hands and emptied it, creating the milky way. Some stars are dimmer than others since Black God didn't get to ignite them all.