Monday, December 5, 2011
Mesopotamian Deities
| Sumerian | Babylonian | Function |
| Abzu | Apsu | Sweet waters under earth, the abyss |
| An | Anu | Sky, Firmament, Father of gods |
| Dumuzi ("sacred son") | Tammuz | Shepherd, god of grain, beer, dying god (Inanna / Ishtar's husband) |
| Enki | Ea | Controller of sweet waters, god of wisdom (trickster) |
| Enlil | Enlil or Ellil | Lord of wind and air |
| Ereshkigal | Ereshkigal | Queen of Underworld |
| Geshtinanna ("Lady of the Vine") | Goddess of grapes, wine, "the leafy grapevine," sister of Dumuzi | |
| Gugalanna (Bull of Heaven) | Nergal | Ereshkigal's husband |
| Imdugud bird ("heavy rain") | Anzu or Zu bird | Thunderbird, later assimilated to Ninurta |
| Inanna | Ishtar | Goddess of love, fertility, storehouse, war |
| Namtar | Namtar | Fate, death messenger |
| Nammu | Tiamat | Primeval ocean-mother |
| Nanna | Sin | Moon |
| Ninhursag (Nintu) | Mami, Belet-ili, Aruru | Mother goddess (Ki?) |
| Ninurta (Ningirsu) | Ninurta | War, thunder god |
| Utu | Shamash | Sun, judge, law-giver |
| Ziusudra, Atrahasis, | Utnapishtim | names for Flood hero |
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Poseidon Pictures
Here are some pictures of Poseidon. Notice the common features of each picture. They all depict Poseidon with big abs, muscles, long hair and a trident. The trident is Poseidon's weapon of choice. In all these pictures he looks extremely powerful and strong.
Poseidon
This website discusses Poseidon who is Zeus's brother.
These are excerpts from the website. I thought these two paragraphs told the reader the most about Poseidon.
Poseidon was powerful, decisive, competitive, and dignified. It was very important to stay on his "good side", for he was also moody and irascible, quick to take offense, and made a hobby out of taking his revenge out on those who angered him.
After Poseidon and his brothers and sisters defeated the Titans and dethroned their father Cronus (Kronos), the Greek gods held a lottery to determine which of the realms each would rule. Hades drew the Underworld, Poseidon won the oceans, and Zeus got the heavens, making him the supreme ruler. They agree to all share the power over the earth, though the greatest responsibility for it went to Poseidon.
The trident is the symbol he is most known by.
| The Symbols of the Greek God Poseidon | |
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Gods/Goddesses Quiz
Here is a link to a game where there is a list of descriptions of the god or goddess and you have to enter the name. It is fun to test your knowledge and see what you have learned through reading this blog.
http://www.sporcle.com/games/Don_Key/gods_and_goddesses
Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses
| Anu was the god of ______. the sky/heavens. He was a chief god in earlier times, the father of Ea and Enlil. His main cult city was Uruk. Cult centers for the gods were like sports franchises. Every major city had one. |
| Nanna/Sin was the god of _______. the moon. He governed the passing of the months. His sacred city was Ur, and his symbol was the crescent moon. |
| Nammu/Namma was __________. the Mother of the gods. She gave birth to An (heaven) and Ki (earth) along with the first gods. She and her son Enki created mankind out of clay. Mankind's sole reason for being was to assist the gods. Quite different from what was going on with the Egyptian gods and the main ones today. |
| Enki/Ea was the god of ___________. fresh water and rain. He was the Lord Earth and also the god of wisdom and magic. He instructed mankind in arts and crafts. His main cult center was in Eridu. |
| Dagon was the god of _________. grain and agriculture. He was the head of Ebla's city pantheon of about 200 deities. He's mentioned in the Bible since he was a major god of the enemies of the Israelites. |
| Utu/Shamash was the god of _________. sun and justice. As the sun He could see all things. Two chief centers of His worship were Sippar and Larsa. He is seen seated on the Stele of Hammurabi giving him the Law Codes. |
| Ishkur/Adad was the god of __________. storms. He was symbolized by a bull. In human form he is sometimes shown holding lightning. His main cult centers were Karkara and Assur. |
| Innana/Ishtar was the goddess of ___________. love and war. She was called a harlot in several ancient texts. She was spurned by Gilgamesh because most of her lovers came to bad ends. Sacred beast was the Lion. Her main cult centers were Uruk, Kish and Agade. |
| Enlil was the god of ___________. air and wind. He separated earth and heaven. He was the father of Nanna/Sin who was born in the Underworld. That's why his son is so pale. He was the patron diety of Nippur. |
Roman Gods and Goddesses Family Tree
It may be hard to read, but this is the family tree of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. We focused a lot on the Greek and Egyptian Gods and Goddesses but we can't forget about the Roman. This family tree shows all the connections and generations of the Romans.
| GREEK NAME | ROMAN NAME | CHARACTERISTICS | SYMBOL(S) |
| Zeus (ZOOS) | Jupiter (JOO-pit-er) | King of the gods. He is sometimes angry at the behavior of gods and people, but he can also be a gentle and caring ruler. he is particularly fond of beautiful women, regardless of whether they are goddesses or mortals. | thunderbolt, shield, oak tree |
| Poseidon (poh-SIE-don) | Neptune (NEP-toon) | Zeus's brother, God of the ocean and the earthquakes. He is often distinguished in art by the fisherman's trident that he carries-a three pronged spear. | trident, horse, bull |
| Hera (HEE-ruh) | Juno (Joo-noh) | Zeus's wife. Queen of the gods, guardian of marriage. She is a great lady and diplomat. Though she is often jealous and nags her husband, she can also be a tender and loving wife. | peacock, cow |
| Athena (uh-THEEN-uh) | Minerva (min-ER-vuh) | Daughter of Zeus (born, it is said, from his brain, when he had a bad headache). She is the goddess of wisdom and war, patriotism, and good citizenship. She is the protector and namesake of the city of Athens. | owl, shield, olive tree |
| Apollo [uh-PAW-loh] | Apollo | Son of Zeus. God of poetry, music, medicine and light. He is associated with the sun. | crow, dolphin, laurel, lyre |
| Artemis [AR-tim-is] | Diana [die-AN-uh] | Apollo's twin sister. Goddess of hunting and of wild things. She is associated with the moon. She is sometimes called "Cynthia." | stag, crescent, moon, cypress |
| Hades [HAY-deez] | Pluto [PLU-toe] | God of the underworld. | helmet, metal jewels |
| Ares [Air-eez] | Mars [MARZ] | Son of Zeus. Terrible god of war. | vulture, dog |
| Hephaestus [hee-FES-tuhs] | Vulcan [VUL-kan] | Son of Zeus and Hera, the lame blacksmith god of fire. | fire, blacksmith's hammer |
| Aphrodite [af-roh-DIE-tee} | Venus [VEE-nus] | The wife of Hephaestus, she is the goddess of love and beauty. She is said to have been born of the sea foam. Her son, Eros [AIR-ohss] (the Roman Cupid [KU-pid]), shoots arrows which cause men and women to fall in love. Another son, Aeneas [ee NEE-uhs], is a mortal man, considered to be the ancestor of the Romans. | dove, goose, sparrow, myrtle |
| Hermes [HER-meez] | Mercury [MER-cure-ee] | Son of Zeus. Messenger of the gods, he is also the god of science and invention | wand, winged sandals, winged helmet |
| Hestia [HES-tee-uh] | Vesta [VES-tuh] | Zeus's sister. Goddess of home and hearth. | hearth |
| Demeter [dee-MEE-ter] | Ceres [SEER-eez] | Zeus's sister. She is the very important goddess of grain and agriculture. She is a kind of bond between heaven and earth. | wheat |
Ancient Egyptian Deities
Pharaohs would have deities etched into their tombs and statues, flanking them, to show that the God's accepted this Pharaoh as ruler
- Aken – ferryman to the underworld
- Aker - deification of the horizon
- Am-heh - minor underworld god
- Ammit – crocodile-headed devourer in Duat, not a true deity
- Amun or Amen – "the hidden one", a local creator deity later married to Mut after rising in importance
- Amunet – female aspect of the primordial concept of air in the Ogdoad cosmogony; depicted as a cobra snake or a snake-headed woman
- Andjety - god thought to be a precursor to Osiris
- Anhur - god of war
- Ankt - a minor war goddess
- Anput - female aspect of Anubis
- Anti - god of ferrymen
- Anubis or Yinepu – dog or jackal god of embalming and tomb-caretaker who watches over the dead
- Anuket - gazelle-headed goddess of the Nile River, the child of Satis and among the Elephantine triad of deities
- Apophis or Apep – evil serpent of the Underworld and enemy of Ra; formed from a length of Neith's spit during her creation of the world
- Apis – bull deity worshipped in the Memphis region
- Ash - god of oases and the vineyards of the western Nile Delta
- The Aten – sun god worshipped primarily during the period of Atenism in the eighteenth dynasty when Pharoah Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) introduced monotheistic worship
- Atum – a creator deity, and the setting sun
- Babi - baboon god associated with death and virility
- Banebdjedet - ram god of fertility
- Ba-Pef - minor underworld god
- Bastet or Bast – protector of the pharaoh and solar goddess, depicted as a lioness, house cat, cat-bodied or cat-headed woman
- Bat – cow goddess who gave authority to the king; her cult originated in Hu and persisted widely until absorbed as an aspect of Hathor after the eleventh dynasty
- Bata - bull god
- Bes – dwarfed demigod associated with protection of the household, particularly childbirth, and entertainment
- Chenti-cheti - crocodile god
- Geb – god of the Earth, first ruler of Egypt and husband of Nut
- Ha - god of the western deserts
- Hapi or Hapy – deification of the annual flooding of the Nile, associated with fertility
- Hathor or Hethert – cowor cow-goddess of the sky, fertility, love, beauty and music
- Hatmehit - fish goddess, originally a deification of the Nile River
- Hedetet - scorpion goddess, later incorporated into Isis
- Heka - deification of magic
- Hemen - falcon god
- Heqet – frog or a frog-headed goddess of childbirth and fertility
- Hemsut - goddess of fate and protection
- Heryshaf - ram god
- Horus or Heru – falcon-headed god of the sky, pharaohs, war and protection
- The four sons of Horus - personifications of the four canopic jars
- Hu - deification of the first word
- Huh - deification of eternity
- Iabet - goddess of the east, consort of Min and cleanser of Ra
- Iah - god of the moon
- Iat - minor goddess of milk and, by association, of nurturing and childbirth
- Imentet - goddess of the necropoleis west of the Nile
- Isis or Aset – goddess of magic, motherhood and fertility and consort of Osiris; represented as the throne
- Iusaaset – a primal goddess described as "the grandmother of all of the deities"
- Kebechet - deification of embalming liquid
- Khepri – the scarab beetle or scarab-headed god of rebirth and the sunrise
- Kneph - a creator deity
- Khnum – ram-headed creator god of the flooding of the Nile River
- Khonsu – god of youth and the moon
- Kuk –frog-headed personification of darkness, whose consort or female form was the snake-headed Kauket
- Maahes – lion-headed god of war, weather.
- Ma'at – goddess who personified concept of truth, balance, justice and order
- Mafdet – goddess who protected against snakes and scorpions
- Mehen - protective snake god which coils around the sun god Ra during his journey through the night
- Menhit – goddess of war, associated with Sekhmet
- Meret - goddess associated with rejoicing, singing and dancing
- Meretseger – cobra-goddess of tomb builders and protector of royal tombs
- Meskhenet – goddess of childbirth and the creator of each person's Ka, a part of their soul, which she breathed into them at the moment of birth
- Min – god of fertility and lettuce, often represented as a man with an erect penis
- Mnevis – the sacred bull of Heliopolis
- Monthu - falcon god of war
- Mut – mother goddess, associated with the waters from which everything was born
- Nefertem - god of healing and beauty
- Nehebkau - guardian of the entrance to the underworld
- Neith – goddess of creation, weaving, war and the dead
- Nekhbet – vulture goddess; patron of pharaohs and Upper Egypt
- Neper - androgynous deification of grain
- Nephthys or Nebthet – goddess of death, night and lamentation; the nursing mother of Horus and the pharaohs
- Nu – deification of the primordial watery abyss
- Nut – goddess of the sky and heavens
- Osiris or Wesir – merciful judge of the dead in the afterlife and consort of Isis
- Pakhet – a synthesis of Sekhmet and Bast
- Petbe - god of revenge
- Ptah – creator deity, also a god of craft
- Qebui – god of the north wind
- Ra – the sun; also a creator deity, whose chief cult centre was based in Heliopolis
- Rem - fish god who fertilises the land with his tears
- Renenutet - deification of the act of giving a true name during birth
- Saa or Sia - deification of perception
- Satet – goddess of war, hunting, fertility and the flooding of the Nile River
- Sekhmet – lioness goddess of destruction, pestilence and war; fierce protector of the pharaoh, and later as an aspect of Hathor
- Seker or Sokar - falcon god of the Memphite necropolis
- Serket – scorpion goddess of healing stings and bites
- Seshat – goddess of writing, astronomy, astrology, architecture, and mathematics; depicted as a scribe
- Set or Seth – god of the desert, storms and foreigners; later god of chaos
- Shai - deification of the concept of fate
- Shed - savior deity
- Shezmu - god of execution, slaughter, blood, oil and wine
- Shu - personification of air
- Sobek – crocodilegod of the Nile; patron of the military
- Sobkou - messenger god
- Sopdet - deification of the star Sothis (Sirius)
- Sopdu - personification of the scorching heat of the sun
- Ta-Bitjet - scorpion goddess identified as the consort of Horus
- Tatenen - god of the primordial mound
- Taweret – hippopotamus goddess of pregnant women and protector during childbirth
- Tefnut – goddess of moisture, moist air, dew and rain.
- Tenenet - goddess of beer
- Thoth or Djehuty – ibis-headed god of the moon, drawing, writing, geometry, wisdom, medicine, music, astronomy and magic
- Unut - snake goddess
- Wadjet – snake goddess and protector of Lower Egypt
- Wadj-wer – fertility god and personification of the Mediterranean Sea or lakes of the Nile Delta
- Weneg - plant god supporting the heavens
- Werethekau - personification of supernatural powers
- Wepwawet – jackal god of warfare and hunting
- Wosret – a localized guardian goddess, protector of the young god Horus; an early consort of Amun, later superseded by Mut
Greek Ideals Seen in the Greatest Warrior
Heracles (Known to everyone else as Hercules) is Greeks finest warrior. He had extraordinary strength, courage, ingenuity, and sexual prowess with both males and females were among his characteristic attributes. Although he was not seen as being as clever as Odysseus or Nestor, Heracles used his wits on several occasions when his strength did not suffice, such as when laboring for the king Augeas of Elis, wrestling the giant Antaeus, or tricking Atlas into taking the sky back onto his shoulders. Together with Hermes he was the patron and protector of gymnasia and palaestrae. His iconographic attributes are the lion skin and the club. These qualities did not prevent him from being regarded as a playful figure who used games to relax from his labors and played a great deal with children. By conquering dangerous archaic forces he is said to have "made the world safe for mankind" and to be its benefactor. Heracles was an extremely passionate and emotional individual, capable of doing both great deeds for his friends (such as wrestling with Thanatos on behalf of Prince Admetus, who had regaled Heracles with his hospitality, or restoring his friend Tyndareus to the throne of Sparta after he was overthrown) and being a terrible enemy who would wreak horrible vengeance on those who crossed him.
Queen of the Underworld AND Goddess of Spring?
Queen of the Underworld and a daughter of Demeter and Zeus. Hades kidnapped her after he became the God of the Underworld. Demeter was so upset over the disappearance of her daughter, and in her distraction, neglected the earth, creating its cycles. Demeter mourned her by not allowing crops to grow, so Zeus struck a deal with Hades allowing Persephone to leave the underworld and rejoin her mother for six months each year (spring/summer). Thus making Persephone the Queen of the Underworld and the Goddess of Spring.
APHRODITE
Roman names compared to Greek names
Almost every culture had different names for the gods and goddesses. This chart shows the difference in the names of the Roman and the Greek gods and goddesses.
Friday, December 2, 2011
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