Deities

The Muses:

Posted by Zea (Jan 01, 2011) :

The Muses and What They Inspired

In Greek mythology there were 9 goddesses, daughters of Zeus they each had specialties that brought inspiration to many great poets, musicians, artists, and more.
These were goddesses of entertainment, these were the Muses.
Here's a simple introduction to the 9 Muses.

Calliope
Here name translates into ''beautiful of voice'', she inspired eloquence and epic poetry.

Erato
Meaning ''amorous'', Erate inspired love poetry, lyrics, and wedding songs.

Clio
As she inspired history, her names means ''glorious''.

Euterpe
This goddess's name implies ''charming''. Euterpe inspired music, and lyrical poetry.

Melpomene
Melpomene alludes to ''the chanting one'', and she inspired tragedy.

Polyhymnia
Translated her name is ''the singer of many hymns'', and of course she inspired sacred music.

Terpsichore
Or ''delighted with dance'', she inspired choral song, and dance.

Thalia
Also known as ''the blossoming one'', she inspired comedy, and pastoral poetry.

Urania
As ''the celestial one'', inspired astronomy.

The Tenth Muse
The term, ''10th Muse'' is often used to refer to a significant woman poet/writer from history.

Sumerian Gods and Goddesses:

Posted by ginseng (Feb 28, 2010) :

Sumerian Gods and Goddesses

The Sumerians thought that a great domed roof contained the sky, the stars, the moon, and the sun which lighted the cities beneath it; they also believed that below the earth swirled the dim netherworld, a fearsome abode of demons and the kingdom of the dead. Enlil and Enki are credited with creating the cattle, sheep, plants, the yoke and the plow to provide sustenance for themselves and less important deities, but these minor gods lacked the resolution to make use of this bounty so man was fashioned from clay and given breath so he might tend the sheep and cultivate the fields for the gods. The gods of Sumer, much like mortal men, suffered the vicissitudes of fate and many legends tell of their often ineffective exploits.

Nammu, Goddess of the Primeval Sea, ''the mother who gave birth to heaven and earth.''

An, God of the Heavens, leading Sumerian deity from Fourth Millennium B.C. until the city of Erech began to lose its power (c. 2500 B.C.).

Ki, Goddess of the Earth

Enlil, God of Air and Storms, son of An and Ki: Enlil is credited with separating the heavens from earth and, therefore, described as the ''father of the gods,'' ''king of the universe,'' ''king of all lands.'' For about a thousand years after 2500 B.C., Enlil is supreme ruler of Sumerian pantheon of gods and guardian of the city of Nippur; he is credited with raising up the ''seed of the land'' and with bringing ''whatever is needful'' into existence. Enlil is said to have been responsible for the me, a set of universal laws governing all existence.

Utu, sun god who lights the world with rays issuing from his shoulders: Utu was also the god of justice and carved out justice with the many-toothed saw he carried with him.

Ninhursag, Mother Earth, the source of all life: from Ninhursag came the birth of the planets; she is usually seen wearing a leafy crown and holding a branch to indicate fertility.

Enki, Lord of Water and Wisdom: Enki emits streams from his shoulders; he is the god who gave rulers their intelligence and who provided craftsmen with their skills.

Inanna, Goddess of Love and War: Inanna stands beside her insignia, gateposts hung with streamers, and is present whenever life is conceived through love or ended in battle.

Ereshkigal, Goddess of Darkness, Gloom, and Death, sister of Inanna

This was taken from:
http://history-world.org/sumerian_gods_and_goddesses.htm

Posted by ginseng (Mar 03, 2010) :

KI(Ninhursag)

In Sumerian mythology, Ninhursag (or Ki) was the earth and mother-goddess she usually appears as the sister of Enlil. Ninhursag means 'Lady of the Foothills'. She had many other names: Nintur 'Lady Birth', Ninmah 'Lady August', Dingirmah, Aruru, and as wife of Enki was usually called Damgalnunna.

In Akkadian she was Belit-ili 'Lady of the Gods' and Mama and as wife to Ea, Enki's Akkadian counterpart, she was called Damkina. Her prestige decreased as Ishtar's increased, but her aspect as Damkina mother of Marduk, the supreme god of Babylonia, still held a secure place in the pantheon.

In union with Enki she also bore Ninsar, goddess of the pasture. She was the chief nurse, the one in charge of medical facilities. In that role that the Goddess was called NINTI (lady-life). She was considered the Mother Goddess. She was nicknamed 'Mammu' - now called 'mother' 'mom'.

Ninhursag bore a male child to Enlil. His name was NIN.UR.TA (lord who completes the fountain). He was the son who to do battle for his father using bolts of lightening.

In Egypt she played the roles of several creational goddesses - Isis, Maat and Hathor.
http://www.crystalinks.com/sumergods.html

Deities:

Posted by Willow13 (Mar 17, 2010) :

This is a post on Teutonic,Hindu, African, and Chinese deities.

Teutonic deities are made up of alot german, and norse deites.

Chinese deities are closely related to Buddism and Confucianism(spelled wrong i think lol).

African deites are some of my favs; most of them orginating from Nigeria.


Teutonic Deities :

Njord:god of sea, wind, and storms.

Frey:closely linked to Mjord. God of marriage, earth and peace.

Freya: Goddess of fetility, sex, and love.Daughter and wife of Njord and Frey.

Loki:
Trickster god.Known to rescue and steal from other gods.

Thor: god of thunder, and sky.( god with hammer in some cultures lol)

Odin: God of war, victory and wisdom.

There is many more, but thats all i remember off the top of my head. lol


Chinese deities :
(only checked spelling online)

Kuan yin: goddess of ercy, peace, and women.

Tsao Chun: hearth and kitchen god( honored in houses)

The Jade: supreme god in buddism and taoism.Ruler of earth.

Hsi Wang Mu: goddess of underworld, immortality and plagues.


African Deities :

Obatala: god of fetility, purity and patience.

Ogun: God of Iron and war.

Oshun: Goddess of rivers,beauty, and sensuality.

Chango: god of thunder and rain.

In africa, Chango is worshipped in time of drought. The rain dances in Nigeria are passed down from Chango and his followers( i just learned that lol)

Posted by darkermaster (Mar 20, 2010) :

I would likie to elaborate on these

Njord is one of the Vanir gods, his first marrage was with his sister Nerthus with whom he had 2 children Frey and Freya. His second wife was the giantess Skadi. He is the Norse god of the wind, sea and the trade at sea. He was invoked before journeys at sea, hunting and fishing

Freya is considered to be the goddess of love and beauty, but is also a warrior goddess and one of great wisdom and magick. she also belongs to the Vanir race

Frey was the Norse god of rain and sunshine. His annual sacred joining with freya brought rebirth to the land.

Loki the god of mischief assists the gods and sometimes causes problems for them. He is a shape shifter and in a few instances has appeared as a salmon and a mare, he also engineired the death of the god Baldr. During the events of Ragnorok he is foretold to fight against the gods and encounter the god Heimdallr and the two will slay each other

Thor ( one of my favorites ) Is the god of thunder. well known for his hammer which became a defiant symbol of norse Paganism during the Christianization of Scandinavia. He travels in a chariot drawn by goats

Odin is the god of war and death, but is also the god of poetry and wisdom. He can make the dead speak to question the wisest amongst them. He is the chief divinity of the Norse pantheon, the foremost of the Aesir

Kuan Yin, her name means ''Regarding sounds'' which means she hears the cries and prayres of the world. She is considered a folk goddess as she is so revered by the simple people of china

Tsao Chun the cinese kitchen god and Taoist deity of remote antiquity. He is portrayed as a kindly gentleman surrounded by children.

The Jade Emperor is the Taoist ruler of heaven and the realms of man and hell. He is one of the most important gods of the chinese traditional religion pantheon, but he ranks below the ''three pure ones''

Hsi wang mu is the goddess of imortality. she is the personification of the concept of yin , while her husband Mu Kung is the embodyment of yang.

Obatala represents coolness of thought, wisdom and clarity. He is also the gaurdian of those who suffer from mental illness, birth defects, drug addiction and alcoholism.

Ogoun presides over fire, iron, hunting, politics and war. He is one the the husbands of Erzulie and is a husband of Oshun and Oya, he is also a friend to Eshu in Yoruba mythology

Oshun the Yoruba goddess of the river named for her. She mated with Chango with whom she had human children. She is honored with brass objects, as well as jeweles and yellow copper.

Chango also known as shango and xango is the god of thunder, drums and dance, having been elevated from being a famous warrior and the fourth king of the Yoruba

Introducing Dark Deities:

Posted by Willow13 (Feb 26, 2010) :

There is the god assoicated with murder,illusion,lies,etc.His name is Cyric.

Aera Cera is a roman god assoicated with fire and hell(underworld).

Orcus is another roman god who known as the punisher of hell.

Mania and manes, known as the god and goddess of souls and dead being.

Hades a greek god of the underworld.

Most of these deites are very powerful and ccan be dangerous. If you choose to call or invoke them please use caution and look into them before use. If you want more info, or would like me to add more just ask:)--Willow


Posted by darkermaster (Feb 28, 2010) :

Thanks for posting this, But i would like to clarify a few things.

Hades is obviously the most populer of these, and refers to the greek underworld. In Greek mythology Hades is the oldest male child of Cronus and Rhea. According to myth he and his brothers Zeus and Poseidon defeated the Titans and claimed rulership over the universe (Im sure Themis can elaborate on this)

Mania was the personification of insanity in Greek mythology, And in Etruscan and Roman mythology she was the goddess of the dead and ruled the underworld along with Mantus.

The Maines relates to souls of deceased loved ones in the roman religion ( Minor spirits ), They used to be offered blood sacrifices and the gladitorial games were in honour of them.

Orcus is a god of the underworld and the punisher of broken oaths. The name Orcus was given to his evil and punishing side as he tormented evil doers in the afterlife.

Ive never heard of Aera Cera you say it is a Roman god assoicated with fire and hell(underworld). From what i am aware Pluto is the roman god of the underworld, And Vulcan is the Roman god of fire.

Now Ciric is one i have never heard of, i have researched it and it does concern me. I believe he is a fictional deity from a branch of Dungeons and Dragons, and it is in this he is assosciated with Murder, Strife, Lies, intrigue and illusions. And only became a devine being from earlier events in a earlier series of dungeons and dragons called (Time of troubels) from the Avatar series.


Posted by Rikka (Jan 10, 2011) :

I looked up Aera Cera, apparently she is a goddess who is associated with the infernal regions, who was originally celtic and was moved around alot. Another name for her was Erecura which could be why some confusion occurred.

As for Cyric, it does seem to be from D&D however that being said some of the god/goddess characters of D&D have actual mythological background, so I wouldn't knock it just because it is D&D. That being said, it is also possible that Cyric, for ___ number of years spent as a mere character of a god, could have formed into a thoughtform. That being said I highly doubt he would be a god as he seems to be extremely minor in the game to me (I have yet to have heard of him and an ex of mine was quite the avid player of D&D).

Just stating this all as an idea rather than fact. >.O


Posted by Zea (Jan 10, 2011) :

Every deity has their own dark attribute(s), and every deity has their own light attribute(s).

It's really a matter of perception who has most attributes under which ''category'' (for lack of a better word).

Who's to say that death is of darkness? People often describe coming death as a bright light at the end of a tunnel.
Who's to say that fire is not of light? People for centuries have used fire to bring light within darkness.

An example is with Hades, he was born in the Underworld, before the Titanomarchy he was living in the heavens, Mt. Olympus. The duties of the Underworld were not of his choosing, the sky was called by Zeus, Poseidon just so happened to have a thing for water so he took the ocean.

And then there's the argument of the mentioning of Hell for Orcus. If by the use of the word Hell, one means lower planes set aside for the less fortunate souls. Again, we can not exactly associate impurity with darkness, nor punishment.

I must agree with deities being of both "light" and "dark" aspects. Every deity has both good and bad qualities to them, just as we humans do. I do not put forth this statement idly, humanity is based on the gods some say and others say the gods are based on humanity. If you think of this both humanity and the gods are flawed because the other is (unless you throw in a snake and an apple tree or some other type of fall for humanity). The gods created man in their images, meaning that because we are flawed images they are as well. And it goes without saying that perfection (even the idea of perfection) is impossible to achieve without some flaw somewhere in a being. That is why that every god and goddess has a slip up somewhere in their mythology which shows they are not perfect.