African mythology
Arab mythology
Aztec mythology
Baltic mythology
Celtic mythology
Chinese mythology
Egyptian mythology
English mythology
Etruscan mythology
Finnish mythology
Georgian mythology
Germanic mythology
Greek mythology
Hinduism
Hittite mythology
Inca mythology
Japanese mythology
Korean mythology
Mari
Māori mythology
Mayan mythology
Mesopotamian mythology
Micronesian mythology
Native American mythology
Nordic folklore
Norse mythology
Persian mythology
Philippine mythology
Roman mythology
Slavic mythology
TorajaEdit
Turco-Mongol
VodouEdit
Source: Wikipedia
- Oko, Yoruba orisha, patron of new harvest of the white African yam and of hunting.
- Aja, Yoruba orisha, patron of the forest, the animals within it and herbal healers
- Oshosi, Yoruba orisha, patron of the forest and of hunting.
- Osanyin, Yoruba orisha, patron of the forest, herbs and healing.
Arab mythology
- Dhat-Badan, Ethiopian and Yemeni goddess of the oasis
Aztec mythology
- Xochipilli, god of art, games, beauty, dance, flowers, maize, and song
- Xochiquetzal, goddess of fertility, beauty, female sexual power, protection of young mothers, of pregnancy, childbirth, vegetation, flowers, and the crafts of women
- Tonantzin, mother goddess
Baltic mythology
- Medeina, Lithuanian goddess of forests, trees, and animals
- Zeme, goddess of the earth
Celtic mythology
- Abnoba, Gaulish goddess associated with forests and rivers
- Artio, Gaulish bear goddess of the wilderness
- Arduinna, goddess of the Ardennes forest region, represented as a huntress
- Cernunnos, horned god associated with horned male animals, produce, and fertility
- Druantia, hypothetical Gallic tree goddess proposed by Robert Graves in his 1948 study The White Goddess; popular with Neopagans.
- Nantosuelta, Gaulish goddess of nature, the earth, fire, and fertility
- Sucellus, god of agriculture, forests, and alcoholic drinks
- Viridios, god of vegetation, rebirth, and agriculture, possibly cognate with the Green Man
Chinese mythology
- Tu Di Gong, god of a specific locality and nearby human communities
Egyptian mythology
- Ash, god of the oasis and the vineyards of the western Nile Delta
- Geb, Egyptian god of earth with sister/wife Nut, the sky goddess as his consort. He is regarded as the father of Osiris, Isis, Set, Nephthys, and in some cases, Horus.
English mythology
- Apple Tree Man, the spirit of the oldest apple tree in an orchard, from the cider-producing region of Somerset.[1]
- Churnmilk Peg, female guardian spirit of unripe nut thickets. She prevents them from being gathered by naughty children before they can be harvested. Melsh Dick is her male counterpart and performs the same function. Respectively, they derive from the traditions of West Yorkshire and Northern England.[2]
Etruscan mythology
- Selvans, god of the woodlands
Finnish mythology
- Lempo, god of wilderness and archery
- Tapio, god and ruler of forests
- Mielikki, goddess of forests and the hunt. Wife of Tapio.
Georgian mythology
- Dali, goddess of mountain animals such as ibex and deer
Germanic mythology
- Ēostre or Ostara, the goddess of spring
- Nerthus, goddess of the earth, called by the Romans Terra Mater.
Greek mythology
- Actaeon, god of the wilderness, wild animals, the hunt, and male animals
- Anthousai, flower nymphs
- Apollo, god of the sun, light, healing, poetry and music, and archery
- Aristaeus, god of shepherds, cheesemaking, beekeeping, honey, honey-mead, olive growing, oil milling, medicinal herbs, hunting, and the Etesian winds
- Artemis, goddess of the hunt, the dark, the light, the moon, wild animals, nature, wilderness, childbirth, virginity, fertility, young girls, and health and plague in women and childhood
- Aurae, nymphs of the breezes
- Chloris, goddess of flowers
- Cronus, titan of time and harvest
- Cybele, Phrygian goddess of the fertile earth and wild animals
- Demeter, goddess of the harvest, crops, the fertility of the earth, grains, and the seasons
- Dionysus, god of wine, vegetation, pleasure, and festivity. The Roman equivalent is Bacchus.[3]
- Dryads, tree and forest nymphs
- Epimeliades, nymphs of highland pastures and protectors of sheep flocks
- Gaea, the goddess of the earth and its personification. She is also the primal mother goddess.
- Hamadryades, oak tree dryades
- Hegemone, goddess of plants, specifically making them bloom and bear fruit as they were supposed to
- Horae, goddesses of the seasons and the natural portions of time
- Meliae, nymphs of honey and the ash tree
- Nymphs, nature spirits
- Naiades, fresh water nymphs
- Nereids, salt-water nymphs
- Oceanides, fresh water nymphs
- Oreades, mountain nymphs
- Oxylus, god of forests & mountains
- Pan, god of shepherds, flocks, mountain wilds, and rustic music
- Persephone (Kore), goddess of spring growth
- Physis, primeval goddess of nature
- Rhea, goddess of fertility, motherhood, and the mountain wilds
- Satyrs, rustic nature spirits
Hinduism
- Trimurti
- Brahma, creator god. Creator of Vedas, wisdom, and Moksha.
- Vishnu, the "Preserver." God of Protection, the Preservation of Good, Karma restoration, and Moksha.
- Shiva, the "Destroyer." Lord of Divine Energy, meditation, arts, Yoga, time, destruction, and Dance; Supreme Destroyer of Evil; Lord of the Devas (gods).
- Prithvi, goddess regarded as Mother Earth. The Sanskrit name for 'Earth.'
- Agni, god of fire
- Varuna, god of water
- Vayu, god of wind
- Indra, King of Devas and Heaven
- Yamaraja, god of death, King of hell
- Durga, a mother and warrior goddess
- Prithvi, regarded as Mother Earth. The Sanskrit name for 'Earth.'
- Lakshmi, goddess of Fortune and Wealth, and wife of Lord Vishnu
- Saraswati, goddess of Education and Vedas, and wife of Lord Brahma
- Parvati, goddess of power, and wife of Lord Shiva
- Kali, goddess of time, creation, destruction, violence, and power
- Surya, god of sun and light
- Chandra, god of moon and night
- Mangala, god of Mars
- Budha, god of Mercury
- Brihaspati, god of Jupiter and teacher of gods (gyan),
- Shukra, god of Venus and worship (bhakti),
- Shani, god of Saturn and deeds (karma),
- Rahu, a "shadow entity" that causes eclipses, king of meteors. Usually paired with Ketu.
- Ketu, responsible for causing the Eclipse of the Moon. Usually paired with Rahu.
- Matsya, the fish
- Kurma, the tortoise, or half man-half tortoise
- Varaha, the boar
- Narasimha, half lion-half human known primarily as the 'Great Protector.'
- Parashurama, born as a Brahmin, but also a warrior
- Mohini, the only female avatar
- Rama, the King of Ayodya. Sometimes considered the 'Supreme Being.' Hanuman was a devotee.
- Krishna, god of compassion, tenderness and love. He has many names and representations.
- Buddha, a teacher, especially of compassion for all living beings
- Kalki, the manifestation of Lord Vishnu which will appear at the end of the Kali Yuga (third, and current, epoch) and usher in the Satya Yuga ("Age of Truth")
- Ganesha, widely revered as a remover of obstacles, a patron of arts and sciences, the god of beginnings (he is honored at the start of rites and ceremonies), and a provider of wisdom.
- Kartikeya, god of war and victory; Commander of the Gods
- Ayyappan, god of growth; son of Mohini and Shiva
- Hanuman, god of strength, knowledge, and Bhakti; Lord of celibacy and victory; Supreme destroyer of evil. A devotee of Rama.
- Ashokasundari, goddess of imagination. Parvati, her mother, asked the wish-fulfilling tree, Kalpavriksha, to console her loneliness, and her wish was fulfilled in the creation of her daughter, Ashokasundari.
Hittite mythology
- Irpitiga, lord of the earth
- Sarruma, god of the mountains
Inca mythology
- Pachamama, fertility goddess who presides over planting, harvesting and earthquakes
Japanese mythology
- Amaterasu, goddess of the Sun
- Izanagi, forefather of the gods, god of creation and life and first male
- Izanami, Izanagi's wife and sister, goddess of creation and death, first female
- Konohanasakuya-hime, the blossom-princess and symbol of delicate earthly life
- Shinigami,God of Death
- Suijin,God of Water
- Fūjin,God of wind
- Kagu-tsuchi,God of Fire
Korean mythology
- Dangun, god-king of Gojoseon, god of the mountain
- Dokkaebi, nature spirits
- Lady Saso, goddess of the mountain
- Jacheongbi, goddness of the grain, agriculture, harvest, growth, and nourishment
- Jeonggyun Moju, mother of Suro of Geumgwan Gaya and Ijinashi of Daegaya, goddess of the mountain
- Jik, god of grains
- Sa, god of the earth
- Sansin, local mountain gods
Mari
- Mlande, god of the earth
- Mlande-Ava, goddess of the earth
Māori mythology
- Papatuanuku, the earth mother
- Ranginui, the sky father
- Ruaumoko, god of volcanoes and seasons
- Tāne, god of forests and of birds
Mayan mythology
- Yum Caax, god of agriculture, wild plants and animals
Mesopotamian mythology
- Abu, minor Sumerian god of plants
- Damu, Sumerian god of vegetation and rebirth
- Emesh, Sumerian god of vegetation
- Kishar, Akkadian goddess representing the earth
- Ningal, Sumerian goddess of reeds
- Ninhursag, Sumerian mother goddess associated with the earth and fertility
- Ningikuga, Sumerian goddess of reeds and marshes
- Ninsar, Sumerian goddess of plants
- Ua-Ildak, Babylonian and Akkadian goddess responsible for pastures and poplar trees
Micronesian mythology
- Nei Tituaabine, Kiribati goddess of trees
Native American mythology
- Asintmah, Athabaskan earth and nature goddess, and the first woman to walk the earth
- Ngen, Mapuche spirits of nature
Nordic folklore
- Rå, Skogsrå, Huldra, female forest spirit, lures men to their death by making them fall in love and marrying them
- Nøkken, male water spirit, lures foolish children into the lakes at the deepest, darkest parts of the lakes
Norse mythology
- Jörð, personification of the earth. She is the Icelandic version of Fjörgyn, and the mother of Thor
- Iðunn the goddess of spring who guarded the apples that kept the gods eternally young; wife of the god Bragi[4]
- Fjörgyn, the female personification of the earth. She is also the mother of the goddess Frigg and, very rarely, mother of Thor
- Freyja, goddess of fertility, gold, death, love, beauty, war and magic
- Freyr, god of fertility, rain, sunlight, life and summer
- Skadi, goddess of mountains, skiing, winter, archery and hunting
- Sif, goddess of earth, fertility, and the harvest
- Thor, god of thunder, lightning, weather, and fertility
- Ullr, god of hunting, archery, skiing, and mountains
Persian mythology
Philippine mythology
- Amihan, Tagalog god of the monsoon
- Apúng Sinukuan (Maria Sinukuan), Kapampangan mountain goddess associated with Mount Arayat
- Dayang Masalanta (Maria Makiling), Tagalog mountain goddess associated with Mount Makiling
- Mayari (Bulan), goddess of the moon
- Kan-Laon, Visayan god of time associated with the volcano Kanlaon
- Tala, Tagalog goddess of the morning and evening star
Roman mythology
- Bacchus - god of wine, nature, pleasure and festivity; equivalent to the Greek god Dionysus
- Ceres, goddess of growing plants and motherly relationships; equivalent to the Greek goddess Demeter
- Diana, goddess of the hunt, wild animals, wilderness and the moon; equivalent to the Greek goddess Artemis
- Faunus, horned god of the forest, plains and fields
- Feronia, goddess associated with wildlife, fertility, health and abundance
- Flora, goddess of flowers and the spring; equivalent to the Greek goddess Chloris
- Fufluns, god of plant life, happiness and health and growth in all things
- Liber, cognate for Bacchus/Dionysus
- Nemestrinus, god of the forests and woods
- Ops, goddess of fertility and the earth
- Pilumnus, nature god who ensured children grew properly and stayed healthy
- Pomona, goddess of fruit trees, gardens and orchards
- Silvanus, tutelary spirit or deity of woods and fields and protector of forests
- Terra, primeval goddess personifying the earth; equivalent to the Greek goddess Gaea
Slavic mythology
- Berstuk, evil Wendish god of the forest
- Jarilo, god of vegetation, fertility, spring, war and harvest
- Leshy, a tutelary deity of the forests.
- Porewit, god of the woods, who protected lost voyagers and punished those who mistreated the forest
- Porvata, Polish god of the woods
- Siliniez, Polish god of the woods for whom moss was sacred
- Tawals, Polish blessing-bringing god of the meadows and fields
- Veles, god of earth, waters and the underworld
- Mokosh, East-Slavic female god of nature
TorajaEdit
- Indo' Ongon-Ongon, goddess of earthquakes
- Pong Banggai di Rante, earth goddess
Turco-Mongol
- Yer Tanrı, is the goddess of earth in Turkic mythology. Also known as Yer Ana.
VodouEdit
- Baron Samedi, loa of the dead
- Grand Bois, loa associated with trees, plants and herbs
- L'inglesou, loa who lives in the wild areas of Haiti and kills anyone who offends him
- Loco, loa associated with healers and plants, especially trees
Source: Wikipedia
Nirrti is Hindu (Vedic and Puranic) destructive Goddess of darkness, whose name means destruction. She is associated with pain, misfortune and death, and is much feared by many Hindus. Nirrti (also: Nirriti) also features in the group of Ashta Dikpalakas.
Contemporary texts tend to portray Nirriti as demonic or destructive and she is often linked to Kaali, Alakshmi or Dhumavati. David Kinsley, in his book on the Mahavidyas, contends that there is little evidence to suggest that Kaali is related to Nirrti, but opines that Dhumvati is an “amalgamation” of the qualities of Nirrti, Jyestha and Alakshmi. Arthur Avalon, writing in Shakti and Shakta does stress that Nirrti is both “goddess of misfortune” and also the “remover” of misfortunes like Vighnesvara.
Generally, Nirrti is associated with calamity & misfortune; death (particularly untimely death); poverty and infertility. There are also some indications that she is associated with stealing children. The Rakshasas – with whom she is associated – are related to disrupting the sacrificial rituals. Nirriti is mentioned as demon at many places in Valmiki Ramayana that refers to many aliens in God’s creation.
In the Rig Veda Nirriti is the personification of destruction, calamity, corruption and death. She is also however, the abode or place of dissolution or decay. A verse in the RV (RV 7.104.1,9-11) describes the ‘realm’ of Nirriti as an endless pit without light or warmth – a place reserved for those who act against the basic ideals of Vedic society. Those who are condemned to the realm of Nirriti neither receive nourishment from the offerings of their descendants nor from their own accumulated merit. The following mantra from Srisukta is worth mentioning here:
“Here is the story of Nirrti. Brahma’s creative energy was showing on his body and mind. Narada popped out from the lap, Daksa trotted out of his thumb, Vasistha spiraled out of his breath, Bhrigu crawled out of his skin, Kratu muscled his way out of his hand, Pulaha sprouted out of his navel, Pulastya wriggled out of his ear, Angira gushed out of his mouth, Atri brimmed over the eyelid, Marichi dawned out of his mind, Dharma burst out of his right breast, Adharma scratched his way out of his back, the god of love (Kāma) blossomed out of his heart, Anger bounced off his brow, Greed gyrated on his upper lip, the goddess of Speech (Vak) vaulted out his of mouth with the aid of a pole of nimble wit, the oceans rained down from his phallus, Nirrti plunked out of his anus, and the sage Kardama stepped out of his shadow. Dharma was Lord Narāyana Himself. Thus, Brahma’s creations came out of his body and mind.”
According to the Agni Purana the spirit of the “doer of bad deeds” leaves the body through the anus. The implication is that if the Jiva leaves the body through the lower orifices (rather than, for example, the head) then the future of the Jiva is bound to the lower worlds.
In a section of the Taittiriya Samhita which lists the various animals to be sacrificed to the gods, the pigeon, owl and the hare are listed as being sacrifices to Nirrti. Both pigeons and owls were considered to be inauspicious birds and there are is charm in the Atharva Veda which refers to the pigeon as the “messenger of Nirrti”. There are folk stories in North India in which Bhutas – believed to be the spirits of those who have suffered untimely deaths – take on the form of owls (ulluka). In the Dharmasastras, the cry of an owl is considered an inauspicious sign – a student of the Vedas who hears the owl is enjoined not to continue his studies until he has slept.
The association of owls and Nirrti is quite interesting, as later, the owl becomes the vehicle of Lakshmi. This might be an instance of the goddess “conquering” an animal associated with misfortune or delusion and taking it as her vehicle – as with Ganesha and the rat/mouse.
In later texts Nirriti seems to change sex – for example the Mahanirvana Tantra describes Nirriti as a god of dark green hue, seated upon a horse and bearing a sword.
In Vedic astrology Mula is ruled by Nirriti, the Goddess of destruction. It has the power to ruin or destroy. Its basis above is breaking things apart (Barhana shakti). Its basis below is crushing things. Through these three one gains the power to destroy destruction.
“In bringing afflictions Mula Nakshatra allows us to destroy their root, as long as they don’t overcome us. It shows the necessary destruction to proceed a new creation. Nirriti is Alakshmi or the denial of Lakshmi (abundance and prosperity). She is Kaali or the negative effect of time that we must protect ourselves from or use to our advantage” says David Frawley.
Contemporary texts tend to portray Nirriti as demonic or destructive and she is often linked to Kaali, Alakshmi or Dhumavati. David Kinsley, in his book on the Mahavidyas, contends that there is little evidence to suggest that Kaali is related to Nirrti, but opines that Dhumvati is an “amalgamation” of the qualities of Nirrti, Jyestha and Alakshmi. Arthur Avalon, writing in Shakti and Shakta does stress that Nirrti is both “goddess of misfortune” and also the “remover” of misfortunes like Vighnesvara.
Generally, Nirrti is associated with calamity & misfortune; death (particularly untimely death); poverty and infertility. There are also some indications that she is associated with stealing children. The Rakshasas – with whom she is associated – are related to disrupting the sacrificial rituals. Nirriti is mentioned as demon at many places in Valmiki Ramayana that refers to many aliens in God’s creation.
In the Rig Veda Nirriti is the personification of destruction, calamity, corruption and death. She is also however, the abode or place of dissolution or decay. A verse in the RV (RV 7.104.1,9-11) describes the ‘realm’ of Nirriti as an endless pit without light or warmth – a place reserved for those who act against the basic ideals of Vedic society. Those who are condemned to the realm of Nirriti neither receive nourishment from the offerings of their descendants nor from their own accumulated merit. The following mantra from Srisukta is worth mentioning here:
“Here is the story of Nirrti. Brahma’s creative energy was showing on his body and mind. Narada popped out from the lap, Daksa trotted out of his thumb, Vasistha spiraled out of his breath, Bhrigu crawled out of his skin, Kratu muscled his way out of his hand, Pulaha sprouted out of his navel, Pulastya wriggled out of his ear, Angira gushed out of his mouth, Atri brimmed over the eyelid, Marichi dawned out of his mind, Dharma burst out of his right breast, Adharma scratched his way out of his back, the god of love (Kāma) blossomed out of his heart, Anger bounced off his brow, Greed gyrated on his upper lip, the goddess of Speech (Vak) vaulted out his of mouth with the aid of a pole of nimble wit, the oceans rained down from his phallus, Nirrti plunked out of his anus, and the sage Kardama stepped out of his shadow. Dharma was Lord Narāyana Himself. Thus, Brahma’s creations came out of his body and mind.”
According to the Agni Purana the spirit of the “doer of bad deeds” leaves the body through the anus. The implication is that if the Jiva leaves the body through the lower orifices (rather than, for example, the head) then the future of the Jiva is bound to the lower worlds.
In a section of the Taittiriya Samhita which lists the various animals to be sacrificed to the gods, the pigeon, owl and the hare are listed as being sacrifices to Nirrti. Both pigeons and owls were considered to be inauspicious birds and there are is charm in the Atharva Veda which refers to the pigeon as the “messenger of Nirrti”. There are folk stories in North India in which Bhutas – believed to be the spirits of those who have suffered untimely deaths – take on the form of owls (ulluka). In the Dharmasastras, the cry of an owl is considered an inauspicious sign – a student of the Vedas who hears the owl is enjoined not to continue his studies until he has slept.
The association of owls and Nirrti is quite interesting, as later, the owl becomes the vehicle of Lakshmi. This might be an instance of the goddess “conquering” an animal associated with misfortune or delusion and taking it as her vehicle – as with Ganesha and the rat/mouse.
In later texts Nirriti seems to change sex – for example the Mahanirvana Tantra describes Nirriti as a god of dark green hue, seated upon a horse and bearing a sword.
In Vedic astrology Mula is ruled by Nirriti, the Goddess of destruction. It has the power to ruin or destroy. Its basis above is breaking things apart (Barhana shakti). Its basis below is crushing things. Through these three one gains the power to destroy destruction.
“In bringing afflictions Mula Nakshatra allows us to destroy their root, as long as they don’t overcome us. It shows the necessary destruction to proceed a new creation. Nirriti is Alakshmi or the denial of Lakshmi (abundance and prosperity). She is Kaali or the negative effect of time that we must protect ourselves from or use to our advantage” says David Frawley.