Hunting god
Encyclopedia
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
in mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
associated with the hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
of animals and the skills and equipment involved. They are a common feature of polytheistic
Polytheism
Polytheism is the belief of multiple deities also usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses, along with their own mythologies and rituals....
religions.
African mythology
- KhonvoumKhonvoumKhonvoum is the supreme god and creator of the Bambuti Pygmy people in central Africa. He is the 'great hunter', god of the hunt, and carries a bow made of two snake which appears to mortals as a rainbow. He rules the heavens and when the sun sets, he gathers pieces of the stars and throws it at...
, supreme god of the MbutiMbutiMbuti or Bambuti are one of several indigenous pygmy groups in the Congo region of Africa. Their languages belong to the Central Sudanic and also to Bantu languages.-Overview:...
PygmyPygmyPygmy is a term used for various ethnic groups worldwide whose average height is unusually short; anthropologists define pygmy as any group whose adult men grow to less than 150 cm in average height. A member of a slightly taller group is termed "pygmoid." The best known pygmies are the Aka,...
people in central AfricaCentral AfricaCentral Africa is a core region of the African continent which includes Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda....
; the "great hunter"
Aztec mythology
- AtlauaAtlauaIn Aztec mythology, Atlaua was a water goddess, protector of fishermen and archers.There were said to be at least 4 ancient Aztec temples at which she was worshiped, the tallest supposedly being over 200 feet tall...
, water god and patron of fishers and archers - MixcoatlMixcoatlMixcoatl , or Camaxtli, was the god of the hunt and identified with the Milky Way, the stars, and the heavens in several Mesoamerican cultures. He was the patron deity of the Otomi, the Chichimecs, and several groups that claimed descent from the Chichimecs...
, god of the hunt - OpochtliOpochtliIn Aztec mythology, Opochtli was a god of hunting and fishing....
, god of hunting and fishing
Celtic mythology
- CernunnosCernunnosCernunnos is the conventional name given in Celtic studies to depictions of the horned god of Celtic polytheism. The name itself is only attested once, on the 1st-century Pillar of the Boatmen, but depictions of a horned or antlered figure, often seated in a "lotus position" and often associated...
, a horned god associated with fertility and hunting - NodensNodensNodents is a Celtic deity associated with healing, the sea, hunting and dogs. He was worshipped in ancient Britain, most notably in a temple complex at Lydney Park in Gloucestershire, and possibly also in Gaul...
, god associated with healing, the sea, hunting and dogs
Egyptian mythology
- NeithNeithIn Egyptian mythology, Neith was an early goddess in the Egyptian pantheon. She was the patron deity of Sais, where her cult was centered in the Western Nile Delta of Egypt and attested as early as the First Dynasty...
, goddess of war and the hunt - PakhetPakhetIn Egyptian mythology, Pakhet, Egyptian Pḫ.t , meaning she who scratches is considered a synthesis of Bast and Sekhmet, ancient deities in the two Egypts who were similar lioness war deities, one for Upper Egypt and the other for Lower Egypt...
, a lioness huntress deity, whom the Greeks associated with Artemis
Finnish mythology
- MielikkiMielikkiMielikki is the Finnish goddess of forests and the hunt. She is referred to in various tales as either the wife or the daughter-in-law of Tapio. She is said to have played a central role in the creation of the bear....
, goddess of forests and the hunt - NyyrikkiNyyrikkiNyyrikki is the Finnish god of the hunt, and son of Tapio. He has been tenuously associated with Nimrod....
, god of the hunt - TapioTapio (spirit)Tapio is an East Finnish forest spirit or god, who figured prominently in the Kalevala. Hunters prayed to him before a hunt. His wife is the goddess of the forest, Mielikki. He was the father of Annikki, Tellervo, Nyyrikki , and Tuulikki...
, East Finnish forest spirit to whom men prayed before a hunt
Greek mythology
- AristaeusAristaeusA minor god in Greek mythology, which we read largely through Athenian writers, Aristaeus or Aristaios , "ever close follower of the flocks", was the culture hero credited with the discovery of many useful arts, including bee-keeping; he was the son of Apollo and the huntress Cyrene...
, god of bee-keeping, cheese-making, herding, olive-growing and hunting - ArtemisArtemisArtemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
, goddess of the hunt, wild animals and the wilderness - BritomartisBritomartisBritomartis , was the Minoan goddess of mountains and hunting. She is among the Minoan goddess figures that passed through the Mycenaeans' culture into classical Greek mythology, with transformations that are unclear in both transferrals...
, CretanCreteCrete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
goddess of hunting and nets used for fishing, fowling and the hunting of small game - Heracles KynagidasHeracles KynagidasHeracles Kynagidas was the patron god of hunting in the Macedonian Kingdom, to whom hunting trophies were dedicated. The epithet was also attributed to "Artemis Kynago" , in its female form.-Inscriptional attestations:...
, MacedonMacedonMacedonia or Macedon was an ancient kingdom, centered in the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, bordered by Epirus to the west, Paeonia to the north, the region of Thrace to the east and Thessaly to the south....
ian god of hunting - LelantosLelantosLelantos, or Lelantus, was the Titan father of Aura by Periboa. He was the son of Coeus and Phoebe and brother to Leto and Asteria.-References:* Davidson, James, The Greeks and Greek Love, Random House, Inc., 2009. ISBN 9780375505164....
, god of air and the hunter's skill of stalking prey - OrionOrion (mythology)Orion was a giant huntsman in Greek mythology whom Zeus placed among the stars as the constellation of Orion....
, a giant huntsman whom ZeusZeusIn the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
placed among the stars as the constellation of OrionOrion (constellation)Orion, often referred to as The Hunter, is a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world. It is one of the most conspicuous, and most recognizable constellations in the night sky...
Hindu mythology
- Banka-MundiBanka-MundiIn Hinduism, Banka-Mundi is a goddess of the hunt and fertility....
, goddess of the hunt and fertility - RudraRudra' is a Rigvedic God, associated with wind or storm, and the hunt. The name has been translated as "The Roarer", or "The Howler"....
, RigavedicRigvedaThe Rigveda is an ancient Indian sacred collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns...
god associated with wind or storm, and the hunt
Inuit mythology
- ArnakuagsakArnakuagsakIn Inuit mythology, Arnakuagsak was an Inuit goddess, one of the primary deities of the religion, who was responsible for ensuring the hunters were able to catch enough food and that the people remained healthy and strong...
, goddess responsible for ensuring the hunters were able to catch enough food and that the people remained healthy and strong - ArnapkapfaalukArnapkapfaalukArnapkapfaaluk was the sea goddess of the Inuit people of Canada's Coronation Gulf area. Although occupying the equivalent position to Sedna within Inuit mythology, in that she had control of the animals of the seas, she was noticeably different as can be seen by the English translation of her...
, sea goddess who inspired fear in hunters - NerrivikNerrivikIn Inuit mythology, Nerrivik was the sea-mother and provider of food for the Inuit people. She was the patron of fisherman and hunters. In Canada, she was known as either Sedna or Arnapkapfaaluk and in Greenland, she was Arnakuagsak.- Myth :...
, the sea mother and patron of fishermen and hunters - NujalikNujalikIn Inuit mythology, Nujalik is the goddess of hunting on land.For reference, Sedna is the goddess of sea hunting ....
, goddess of hunting on land - PingaPingaIn Inuit mythology, Pinga was a goddess of the hunt, fertility and medicine. She was also the psychopomp, bringing souls of the newly-dead to Adlivun, the underworld....
, goddess of the hunt, fertility, and medicine - SednaSedna (mythology)In Inuit mythology, Sedna is the goddess of the sea and marine animals such as seals. A creation myth, the story of Sedna shows how she came to rule over Adlivun, the Inuit underworld...
, goddess of the sea, marine animals, and sea hunting - TekkeitsertokTekkeitsertokIn Inuit mythology, Tekkeitsertok is a god of hunting and the master of caribou, one of the most important hunting gods in the pantheon. Tekkeitsertok is also the protector of any creatures that enter any parts of the northern sky. He has the power to bring aid to the creature who enters his...
, god of hunting and master of caribou
Norse mythology
- OdinOdinOdin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....
, chief god and ruler of AsgardAsgardIn Norse religion, Asgard is one of the Nine Worlds and is the country or capital city of the Norse Gods surrounded by an incomplete wall attributed to a Hrimthurs riding the stallion Svadilfari, according to Gylfaginning. Valhalla is located within Asgard...
, associated with wisdom, war, battle, and death, and also magic, poetry, prophecy, victory, and the hunt - SkaðiSkaðiIn Norse mythology, Skaði is a jötunn and goddess associated with bowhunting, skiing, winter, and mountains...
, a jötunn and goddess associated with bowhuntingBowhuntingBowhunting is the practice of killing game animals by archery. It has been a normal use of archery in every culture that had bows.- Technique :...
, skiSkiA ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
ing, winter, and mountains
Roman mythology
- DianaDiana (mythology)In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of the hunt and moon and birthing, being associated with wild animals and woodland, and having the power to talk to and control animals. She was equated with the Greek goddess Artemis, though she had an independent origin in Italy...
, goddess of the hunt, wild animals and the wilderness; the equivalent of the Greek goddess Artemis
Slavic mythology
- Devana, goddess of the hunt; the Slavic equivalent of the Roman goddess Diana
- IpabogIpabogIpabog was a demigod in Wendish mythology. He was a famous hunter and a hero.Ipabog Probably god of the hunt. Depicted as a small figure with a huge head, with a long, straight beard, prominent cheekbones. He wears a round helmet with two horns and a formless gown which reaches down to the knees...
, WendishWendish mythologyIn 1824 the Danish poet Bernhard Severin Ingemann published his thesis on North-Slavic and Wendish mythology in which he established the following pantheon:First line of gods :...
god of the hunt - PodagaPodagaIn Wendish mythology Podaga is the weather god and the god of fishing, hunting and farming....
, Wendish god of the weather, fishing, hunting, and farming
Thracian mythology
- BendisBendisBendis was a Thracian goddess of the moon and the hunt whom the Greeks identified with Artemis. She was a huntress, like Artemis, but was accompanied by dancing satyrs and maenads on a fifth century red-figure stemless cup ....
, goddess of the hunt and the moon, whom the Greeks associated with Artemis
Yoruba and Afro-American mythology
- OgounOgounIn the Yoruba and Haitian traditional belief system, Ogun is a orisha and loa who presides over iron, hunting, politics and war. He is the patron of smiths, and is usually displayed with a number of attributes: a machete or sabre, rum and tobacco...
, loaLoaThe Loa are the spirits of the voodoo religion practiced in Louisiana, Haiti, Benin, and other parts of the world. They are also referred to as Mystères and the Invisibles, in which are intermediaries between Bondye —the Creator, who is distant from the world—and humanity...
and orishaOrishaAn Orisha is a spirit or deity that reflects one of the manifestations of Olodumare in the Yoruba spiritual or religious system....
who presides over fire, iron, hunting, politics and war