The Gods and
Goddess of Finnish-Ugrian Places
Finnish religious leaders were usually
called shamans. The shamans did magick, conjuration, incantations and spells to control men, animals, divine or demonic
entities and inanimate beings. It was a privilege to be a shaman. Only the highest grade of sorcerer was allowed
to use a drum and raise spirits.
The Finno-Ugric races honored acestors,
worshpped a variety of spirits and believed firmly in magick and sorcery. They believed in personal and Nature gods.
Ilmatar was viewed as a Creator Goddess while Mielikki was called Mistress of the Forest. Ancient chants still used among the Finns call upon the spirits of Nature for help.
Wild forst animals were considered the herds and property of teh woodland God Tapio and his gorgeous wife. Because of
this, before any hunt, prayers and offerings had to be given. If a bear were killed, the hunter would ask for forgiveness
of the dead bear and ask its spirit to join in the feast and celebration.
The Gods and Goddesses
Atho
Other Names: Ahti.
Description: Chief god of waters and seas. Husband of Vellamo.
Rules Over: Water, sea.
Akka
Other Names: Maa-Emoinen,
Mader-Akka, Rauni.
Description: Earth Mother, Goddess of the harvest and feminine sexuality. Wife of Ukko.
Rules
Over: Harvest, fertility, earth magick.
Hiisi
Description: Group
of evil spirit that worked with Lempo and Paha.
Rules Over: Evil, skilled sorcerers, necromancers, spells, sacred
drums, trance, chanting.
Ilma
Description: God of
air. Father of Ilmatar.
Rules Over: Air.
Ilmatar
Other Names: Lounnotar.
Description: Virgin daughter of Air, Sky Mother, Water Mother, Creatress Goddess, Daughter of Nature, Mother of
the Waters.
Rules Over: Immense powers.
Ilmarinen
Description:
God smith who forged the mysterious, powerful talisman Sampo.
Rules Over: Smiths, magick, talismans, prosperity.
Jumala
Other Names: Mader-Atcha.
Description: Creator God, originally probably a sky god.
Rules Over: Sky, thunder, weather, twilight,
dusk.
Kalma
Description: Goddess of
Death. Daughter of Tuoni and Tuonetar.
Rules Over: Death.
Kipu-Tytto
Description:
Goddess of Illness. Daughter of Tuoni.
Rules Over: Illness.
Kuu
Description: Moon Goddess.
Leib-Olmai
Description:
Bear God.
Rules Over: Luck in hunting, protection from injuries.
Louhi
Description: Goddess
of sorcery, evil, dark magick.
Rules Over: Sorcery, evil, dark magick.
Loviator
Description: Daughter
Goddess of Tuoni and Tuonetar. Diseases came to be from her union with the Wind.
Rules Over: Plagues, all
evil.
Mielikki
Description: Goddess
of the Forest. Wife of Tapio and mother of Tuulikki and Nyyrikki. Protectress of woodland animals. Goddess
of the Hunt.
Rules Over: Bears, hunting, animals, archery, abundant grain.
Mother of Metsola
Description:
Forest Goddess.
Rules Over: Forest.
Num
Description: Samoyed
sky god.
Rules Over: Sky.
Numitorem
Description:
Vogul sky god who created all animals.
Rules Over: Animals.
Paiva
Description: Sun
God.
Rules Over: Sun.
Pellervoinen
Description:
God of fields, trees and plants.
Rules Over: Fields, trees, plants, harvest, fertility.
Rauni
Other Names: Maan-Eno,
Ravdna, Roonikka.
Descriptoin: Forest Mother, Thunder Goddess. One of the most powerful deities and wife of
thunder.
Rules Over: Childbirth, ease from pain.
Tapio
Description: God
of water and woods. Husband of Mielikki, father of Nyyrikki and Tuulikki. Wore a fir hat and moss cloak.
Rules
Over: Abundance of game.
Tuoni
Description: Lord
of Tuonela/Manala (underworld).
Rules Over: Death.
Ukko
Description: God of
the sky and air, Supreme God, highest of gods.
Rules Over: Clouds, rains, thunder, help with the impossible.
Yambe-Akka
Description:
"Old woman of the dead." Has charge of the underworld.
Rules Over: Underworld.
The Gods and
Goddesses of Africa
Most African cultures, if not all,
believe in a Supreme Creator in one form or another. A God behind the Gods, a Supreme God who created everything.
The Creator is thought to have once lived on Earth, but left it for His Kingdom in the Sky because of human infractions.
Because he was no longer in direct contact with the people, Lesser Gods were created directly from His power to do certain
jobs that were given to them. These Lesser Gods are the Gods of Earth, The Rains, Water, The Winds, Fire, etc.
The Deities are capable of answering human prayers by use of their own power and can intercede on man's behalf with the Creator
Himself. Although The Supreme Creator is usually referred to by him etc. it is beyond sex, being both male and female.
It has no form and is thought of in an abstract way. It is available to any human, regardless of their position.
A breath of Its Divine Being is within all animate and inanimate things.
It is known as Mulungu (East Africa),
Leza (Central Africa), Nyambe (West Tropics), Nyame (Ghana), the Molder, Giver of Breath and Souls, God of Destiny, One Who
Exists of Himself, God of Pity and Comfort, the Inexplicable, Ancient of Days, the One Who Bends Even Kings, the One You Meet
Everywhere, etc.
Among many tribes, the creation of
the Earth took four days. The fifth day was reserved for worshipping the Orisha Nla (Chief of the Deities), who actually
created the Earth with the instruction and aid of the Supreme Creator. The Orisha Nla was also given the task of creating
bodies out of clay. When this was complete the Supreme Creator secretly placed the spark of life within the forms.
These newly created humans were then placed on the Earth to live.
The Gods and Goddesses
Adroa
Other Names: "God in the
sky", God on Earth", Creator God, River God.
Location: The Lugbara of Zaire
and Uganda.
Description: He is pictured as tall
and white with only half of his body visible.
Rules Over: Social order, law, death.
Akuj
Location: The Turkana
of Kenya.
Rules Over: Divination.
Ala
Other Names: Ale, Ane.
Location: The Ibo of Nigeria.
Description: Extremely popular Goddess and Earth Mother. She is a Creator Goddess and Queen of the Dead.
Rules
Over: Community laws, morality, oaths, harvest.
Anayaroli
Location: The Temne.
Description: River demon.
Rules Over: Wealth.
Asa
Other Names: Father
God, "the strong lord."
Location: Akamba of Kenya.
Rules
Over: Mercy, help, surviving the impossible.
Asase
Other Names: Yaa, Aberewa,
Efua, "Old Woman Earth."
Location: The Ashanti of
West Africa.
Description: Goddess of creation of humans and receiver of them at death.
Rules
Over: Cultivation, harvest.
Behanzin
Location: West
Africa.
Description: Fish God.
Cagn
Location: South Central
Africa among the Bushman.
Description: Creator God.
Rules Over: Sorcery and Shape-Shifting.
Chiuta
Other Names: Mulengi,
Mwenco, Wamtatakuya Tumbuka.
Description: Creator God, Rain God. Is self-created and omniscient.
Rules
Over: Rain, help, plant growth, food.
Chuku
Other Names: Chineke.
Location: The Ibo of East Nigeria.
Description: "The first great cause", "Creator",
Father of Ale, The Earth Goddess. Offerings and sacrifices were done for him in groves.
Rules Over: Help,
goodness.
Danh
Location: Dahomey.
Description: Snake God. Rainbow Snake shown with tail in his mouth.
Rules Over: Wholeness, unity.
En-Kai
Other Names: Parsai,
Emayian.
Location: Masai.
Description: Sky God. Grass is used in rituals for him.
Rules Over:
Rain, vegetation, blessings.
Fa
Location: Dahomey.
Rules Over: Destiny.
Famian
Location: Guinea.
Rules Over: Protection, health, fertility.
Gauna
Other Names: Gawa,
Gawama.
Location: Among the Bushmen.
Description: Leads the spirits of the deceased.
Rules Over: Disruption,
harassment, death.
Ge
Location: Dahomey.
Description: Moon God.
Gu
Location: The Fon of
West Africa.
Rules Over: War, smiths.
Guruhi
Location: Gambia.
Description: Evil God. Meteors are his sign.
Rules Over: Power and death over enemies.
Heitsi-Eibib
Location:
The Hottentots.
Description: Sorcerer God.
Rules Over: Shape-shifting, magick.
Imana
Other Names: Hategekimana,
Hashakimana, Habyarimana, Ndagijimana, Bigirimana, "Almighty God."
Location: The Banyarwands.
Rules Over:
Power, goodness, children, planning.
Ison
Other Names: Eka Obasi,
Obasi Nsi, Ibibio, Ekoi.
Location: West Africa.
Description: Tortoise-shelled Goddess.
Rules Over: Fertility of the Earth.
Jok
Other Names: Jok Odudu,
Alur.
Location: Uganda and Zaire.
Description: Black goats were to be sacrificed to him when rain was needed.
Rules Over: Rain.
Juok
Other Names: Shilluk,
Supreme God.
Location: White Nile.
Description: Created all men on Earth.
Kaka-Guia
Other Names:
Nyami.
Location: The Volta areas.
Description: He brought souls to the Supreme
God.
Katonda
Other Names: Lissoddene,
Kagingo, Ssewannaku, Lugaba, Ssebintu, Nnyiniggulu, Namuginga, Ssewaunaku, Gguluddene, Namugereka.
Location: The
Ganda of East Africa.
Descriptiojn: Creator God.
Rules Over: Help, Judgment, aid
when the odds are against you, control over spirits, divination, oracles.
Kwoth
Location: The Nuer
of South Sudan.
Description: Great Spirit God.
Rules Over: Nature, help, compassion,
judgement.
Leza
Location: Dahomey.
Description:
Chameleon God/dess.
Rules Over: Protection, divination.
Mbaba Mwana Waresa
Location:
The Zulu of Natal.
Description: Goddess of what she rules over.
Rules
Over: Rainbows, rain, crops, cultivation, beer.
Mawu
Location: Dahomey.
Description: Supreme Goddess, creator of all things. Mawu is worshipped by The Fon of Benin in West Africa
as a Moon Goddess and creatrix of everything.
Mukuru
Location: Macouas
of Zambesi, Banayis.
Description: Supreme God, creator of everything.
Rules Over: Agriculture, architecture,
the harvest.
Mungo
Location: Giryama
of Kenya.
Description: Rain God.
Rules Over: Rain.
`Nenaunir
Other Names:
The Rainbow Snake.
Location: Masai of Kenya.
Description:
An Evil Storm God who was linked to the rainbow. Resided in the clouds and was a dreaded spirit.
Rules Over:
Storms.
`Ngai
Location: Masai.
Description: Creator God.
Rules Over: Life and Death.
Ngami
Description:
Moon Goddess.
Njambi
Location: Lele.
Description: Creator God.
Rules Over: Protection, justice, help, forests, fertility.
Nyambe
Location: Koko of
Nigeria.
Description: God.
Rules Over:
Restoring Life.
Nyambi
Other Names: Nyambe.
Location: The Barotse of Upper Zambesi.
Description: Gread God. Creator of everything.
Nyame
Location: The Twi
of West Africa.
Description: Great God who prepared the soul to be reborn on the physical
plane and gave out its fate.
Rules Over: Fate.
Nyamia Ama
Location: Senegal.
Description: God of storms, rain and lightning. A sky god.
Rules Over: Storms, rain, lightning.
Nzambi
Location: The Bankongo
of the Congo.
Description: Great Goddess who created
everything. She played the role of Justice and rewarded and punished according to the deeds of man.
Rules Over:
Justice.
Oba
Description: Santeria
river goddess.
Ochumare
Location: Yoruba.
Description: Santeria Goddess of the rainbow.
Oddudua
Location: Yoruba.
Description: Primary Mother Goddess.
Ogun
Other Names: Ogoun.
Location: The Nago and Yoruba of West Africa.
Description: God of iron and warfare.
Rules Over: Iron, warfare, removing difficulties, smoothing the path to a desired result, Justice, Smiths, Hunters,
Barbers, Goldsmiths, Steel.
Olorun
Other Names: Olofin-Orun,
Olodumare.
Location: Yoruba.
Description: Sky God.
Rules Over: Truth, control of the Elements,
Forsight, Victory when the odds are against you, Destiny.
Pan
Location: Agni.
Description:
Son of the Earth.
Rules Over: Cultivation.
Rock-Sens
Location: The
Serer of Gambia.
Description: Sky god, controlled
the weather.
Rules Over: Rain, Thunder, Lightning.
Rugaba
Other Names: Ruhanga,
Kazooba, Mukameiguru.
Location: Ankore of Uganda.
Description: Creator God, Sun God, Sky God.
Rules Over: Life, healing, death, sickness, judgement.
Ruhanga
Location: Banyoro.
Description: Great God.
Rules Over: Fertility, abundance, children, animals, harvest, health, sickness,
death, judgement, rebirth.
Sakarabru
Location: Agni
of Guinea.
Description: God who is strongest during
the main phases of the Moon. Swift to punish wrongful deeds.
Rules Over: Medicine, justice, retribution.
Shango
Other Names: Schango.
Location: Yoruba of Nigeria.
Description:
Carries a double-headed axe much like the nordic Thorr.
Rules Over: Thunder, Storm, War, Magick.
Soko
Location: Nupe of
north Nigeria.
Description: Creator God.
Rules
Over: Control of the Elements, Witchcraft, Communication with the Deceased.
Tilo
Location: Mozambique.
Description: Sky God.
Rules Over: Sky, Thunder, Rain.
Unkulunkulu
Other Names:
Nkulnkulu.
Location: The Amazulu and Ndebele of Zimbabwe.
Description: Great God, Earth God.
Rules
Over: Fertility, organization, order.
Utixo
Location: The Hottentots.
Description:
Sky God who speaks with a voice of thunder.
Rules Over: Rain, Storms, Thunder, Harvest, Rebirth.
Wele
Other Names: Khakaba,
Isaywa.
Location: Abaluyia, Bantu.
Description: "The High One". Sky God, Creator God.
Rules
Over: Rain, storms, lightning, creation, prosperity, harvest, celestial phenomena.
Were
Location: Luo of Kenya.
Description: Great God, Father God, Creator God.
Rules Over: Birth, Death, Nature, Judgement.
White Lady
Location: Tassali
of the Sahara.
Description: Agricultural Goddess.
Rules Over: Agriculture, fertility.
Xevioso
Location: West
Africa.
Description: He used a thunder axe.
Rules Over: Thunder, rain, fertility.
Ymoja
Location: Yoruba.
Description: River Goddess.
Rules Over: Women, children.
The Gods and
Goddesses of China
To the Chinese, creation was an act
of bringing order out of chaos. One myth tells of two beings, Hu (emperor of the northern sea) and Shu (emperor of the
southern sea) who met quite a lot on the territory of the emperor of the center, Hun-tun. Hun-tun was unusual because
he did not have any orifices for seeing, hearing, eating or breathing. Hu and Shu decided to fix Hu-tun at the rate
of one orifice a day, they created openings for Hun-tun. Hun-tun (Chaos) died on the seventh day. At his death,
the world came into existence. The combined names of Shu and Hu mean lightning. When lightning or an illumination
of Light falls upon Chaos, life is created. The 7 openings are also linked in Chinese thought with the mystical seven
openings of the heart, the mark of a righteous man.
A story of the creation of humanity
tells the myth of the Goddess Nu-kua. Even after Heaven and Earth were split, there were still no humans.
Nu-kua modeled some out of yellow earth, but soon got tired of this process. Then she dipped a rope into the mud and
dragged it around so drops fell off. Traditionally it is said that those beings she modeled became the noble and rich,
while the drops became the humble and the poor.
The Gods and Goddesses
Ao
Description: The 4 dragon
kings named Ao Ch'in, Ao Kuang, Ao Jun and Ao Shun. Each was responsible for a part of Earth and an area of sea.
During droughts, teh dragon kings were worshipped with noisy parades of music and dance which followed a cloth effigy of a
dragon. Every stream and river had its own Ao.
Ch'ang-o
Other Names: Heng-o.
Description: Goddess of the Moon and wife of I.
Ch'eng-Huang
Description:
God of walls and ditches. Each town/village had its own local Ch'eng-Huang.
Rules Over: Protection, justice.
Chih-Nii
Other Names: Chih
Nu
Description: Goddess of spinners, weavers and clouds.
Rules Over: Handcrafts, rain.
Ch'in-Shu-Pao
Description:
Guardian God. T'ang dynasty military hero elevated to the job of guarding doors.
Rules Over: Protection, privacy.
Chuang-Mu
Description:
Goddess of the bedroom and sexual delights.
Rules Over: Sex.
Chu-Jung
Description: God
of fire and executions.
Rules Over: Justice, revenge, death.
Erh-Lang
Description: God
who chases away evil spirits and shape-shifter who had up to 72 different bodily forms. Widely worshipped.
Rules
Over: Protection from evil.
Feng-Po-Po
Description:
Goddess of winds.
Rules Over: Storms, moisture.
Fu-Hsi
Other Names: Fu-Hsing.
Description: God of happiness, symbolized by the bat.
Rules Over: Destiny, love, success.
Hou-Chi
Description: Ancient
harvest God. Depicted as a kindly old man with millet stalks growing on his head.
Rules Over: Harvest, crops.
Hsi Wang Mu
Other Names:
Wang-Mu Niang-Niang, Weiwobo.
Description: Highest Goddess of ancient China.
Her palace iss in the Khun-lun mountain where she protects the herb of immortality.
Rules Over: Curing disease.
Hsuan-T'ien-Shang-Ti
Description:
Ruler of Water, God who removes evil spirits and demons.
Rules Over: Exorcism.
Hu-Tu
Other Names: Hou-T'u
Description: Female deity Earth. The Emperor offered sacrifices to her on a square marble altar in the Forbidden
City each summer solstice.
Rules Over: Earth magick, fertility.
I-Ti
Description: God of
wine who invented winemaking.
Rules Over: Wine.
Kuan Ti
Description: God
of war and fortunetelling. Shown dressed in green and had a red face.
Rules Over: Protection, valor, justice,
divination, revenge, death, dark magick, prophecy.
Kuan Yin
Other Names: Kwan
Yin, Kwannon.
Description: Great Mother, patroness of priestesses. Sometime depicted holding a child.
It is thought this Goddess sits on her paradise island of P'u T'o and answers every prayer to her.
Rules Over: Success,
mercy, purification, fertility, children, motherhood, childbirth, healing, enlightenment.
K'uei-Hsing
Other Names:
Chung-Kuei.
Description: Protector of travelers. God of tests and examinations, literature and students.
Rules
Over: Protection during travel, tests, literature, students.
Lan Ts'ai-Ho
Description:
One of the 8 Immortals of ancient China, this Goddess dressed as a woman but had a male voice. Carried a flute and basket
of fruit.
Rules Over: Music, fertility.
Lao-Tien-Yeh
Description:
The Jade Emperor. "Father Heaven."
Lei-King
Other Names: Lei-Kung.
Description: God of thunder and retribution, he had few shrines. Shown as an ugly man with blue skin, wings
and claws, clad in a loincloth. He punished the guilty that human law did not touch.
Rules Over: Justice,
punishment.
Lo Shen
Description: Goddess
of rivers.
Rules Over: Water magick.
Lu-Hsing
Description: God
of pay and employees. Symbol was a deer which he rode on.
Rules Over: Prosperity, success, law, employment.
Lu-Pan
Other Names: Lupan.
Description: God of carpenters and masons.
Rules Over: Artistic abilities, fame.
Ma-Ku
Description:
Goddess of springtime.
Rules Over: Spring rites.
Men Shen
Description: Two
deities who warded the door against evil spirits and hostile influences. One had a red or black face, the other a white
face. They both wore military dress, holding a long-handled mace.
Rules Over: Protection.
Meng-Po Niang
Niang
Description: Goddess who lived just inside the door to hell where those reincarnating would depart.
Her sacred potion, of which she gave a few drops to each departing person, made all humans forget previous lives.
Rules
Over: Passing over rites, past-lives.
Nu Kua
Description: Creator
Goddess who made humankind.
Rules Over: Creation.
Pa
Description: Goddess
of droughts.
Rules Over: Droughts.
P'an-Chin-Lien
Description:
Goddess of prostitutes.
Rules Over: Prostitution.
Pi-Hsia Yuan Chin
Description:
Goddess of childbirth and labor, she brings health and good fortune to the newborn and protection to the mother.
Rules
Over: Protection, good fortune, health, childbirth, labor.
Sao-Ts'ing Niang
Description:
Goddess of the clouds.
Rules Over: Ending droughts.
Shaka-Nyorai
Other Names:
Sakyamuni.
Description: Historical Buddha.
Rules Over: Virtue, enlightenment, self-realization.
Shang-Ti
Description: The
Supreme God.
Shen Nung
Description:
God of medicine, pharmacy, agriculture.
Rules Over: Medicine, pharmacy, agriculture.
Shou-Hsing
Other Names:
Shou, Lao.
Description: God of longevity and old people, keeper of the book of the life-span of men. Shown
with a prominent bald head with white eyebrows and whiskers. A stag beside him, he leaned on a staff and carried a peach,
symbol of immortality.
Rules Over: Life plan, date of death, reincarnation.
Shui-Khan
Description:
God who defends men against all evil and forgives sins.
Rules Over: Averting evil.
T'ai-Yueh-Ta-Ti
Other Names:
Tung-Yueh-Ta-Ti.
Description: God of the affairs of men, protector of men and animals.
Rules Over: Children,
fortune, honors, fate, animals, payment of good and bad karma, prosperity, success.
Tien-Hou
Other Names: Tien
Fei.
Description: Protectress of sailors and others in time of danger.
Rules Over: Protection.
T'ien-Khuan
Description:
God who bestows happiness.
Rules Over: Happiness.
Tien-Mu
Description: Goddess
of lightning.
Rules Over: Lightning.
Ti-Khuan
Description: God
who grants remission of sins.
Ti-Tsang-Wang-Pu-Sa
Description:
God of mercy, he visited those in Hell and tried to arrange for a good reincarnation. Depicted as a smiling robed monk
with a halo around his body and carried a pearl that gave off light.
Rules Over: Knowledge for reincarnation.
Tou-Mou
Description: Goddess
of the polestar and record-keeper; scribe of the Immortals. Judge of all peoples.
Rules Over: Stars, records,
writing, judgement.
Tsai Shen
Other Names:
Ts'ai-Shen
Description: God of wealth, most popular chinese god. Shown dressed in exquisite silks.
Rules Over:
Abundance, success.
Tsao-Wang
Other Names:
Tsao-Chun.
Description: Kitchen god, god of the hearth. Protector of families and recorder of the actions
and words of each family. His wife recorded the behavior of women in particular. He gave his report to the Jade
Emperor who then determined the family's coming fortunes.
Tsi-Ku
Other Names: Tsi
Ku Niang.
Description: Goddess of the outhouse. It is said that when a woman wanted to know the future, she
went to the outhouse and asked Tsi-Ku.
Rules Over: Outhouses, divination.
Twen-Ch'ang
Other Names:
Wen-Chang-Ta-Ti.
Description: God of literature and poetry.
Rules Over: Writing, publishing, artistic
fame.
Yao-Shih
Description: "Master
of healing."
Rules Over: Psychic abilities, healing powers.
Yeng-Wang-Yeh
Description:
FOremost of the ten Yama Kings of Lords of Death. Ruler of hell. He decided the fate of all new arrivals, determining
if they went to a special court for trial, were punished or sent straight back to the Wheel of Life.
Rules Over:
Judgment, punishment, karmic justice.
