Hecate Ancient Greek goddess of magic and crossroads Hecate was one of the main deities worshiped in Athenian households as a protective goddess and one who bestowed prosperity and daily blessings on the family.[5] In the post-Christian writings of the Chaldean Oracles (2nd–3rd century CE) she was regarded with (some) rulership over earth, sea, and sky, as well as a more universal role as Savior (Soteira), Mother of Angels and the Cosmic World Soul.[6][7] Regarding the nature of her cult, it has been remarked, "she is more at home on the fringes than in the center of Greek polytheism. Intrinsically ambivalent and polymorphous, she straddles conventional boundaries and eludes definition."[8] Name and origin[edit] The origin of the name Hecate (Ἑκάτη, Hekátē) and the original country of her worship are both unknown, though several theories have been proposed. Greek origin[edit] R. Egyptian origin[edit] Anatolian origin[edit] Later development[edit] Iconography[edit] Sacred animals[edit] Functions[edit]
Kuk Kuk (also spelled as Kek and Keku) is the deification of the primordial concept of darkness in Egyptian mythology. In the Ogdoad cosmogony, his name meant darkness. As a concept, Kuk was viewed as androgynous, his female form being known as Kauket (also spelled as Keket), which is simply the female form of the word Kuk.[1] Erebus In Greek literature the name Erebus is also used of a region of the Greek underworld where the dead pass immediately after dying, and is sometimes used interchangeably with Tartarus.[3][4][5][6][7] The perceived meaning of Erebus is "darkness"; the first recorded instance of it was "place of darkness between earth and Hades". Hebrew עֶרֶב (ˤerev) 'sunset, evening' is sometimes cited as a source.[3][8] However, an Indo-European origin, at least for the name Ἔρεβος itself, is more likely. The Roman writer Hyginus, in his Fabulae, described Erebus as the father of Geras, the god of old age.[10] References[edit] Notes Jump up ^ Ἔρεβος. Sources External links[edit] The Theoi Project, "Erebos"
Apep Development[edit] Ra was the solar deity, bringer of light, and thus the upholder of Ma'at. Apep was viewed as the greatest enemy of Ra, and thus was given the title Enemy of Ra. Also, comparable hostile snakes as enemies of the sun god existed under other names (in the Pyramid Texts and Coffin Texts) already before the name Apep occurred. Battles with Ra[edit] Set speared Apep The sun god Ra, in the form of Great Cat, slays the snake Apep[5] Tales of Apep's battles against Ra were elaborated during the New Kingdom.[6] Since everyone can see that the sun is not attacked by a giant snake during the day, every day, storytellers said that Apep must lie just below the horizon. In a bid to explain certain natural phenomena it was said that occasionally Apep got the upper hand. However, in other myths, it was the cat goddess Bastet, daughter of Ra, who slew Apep in her cat form one night, hunting him down with her all seeing eye. Worship[edit] Ra was worshipped, and Apep worshipped against.
Rahu For the ascending lunar node Rahu, see Lunar node. In Hindu tradition, Rahu ( Astronomically, Rahu and Ketu denote the points of intersection of the paths of the Sun and the Moon as they move on the celestial sphere. Mythology[edit] Hinduism[edit] According to legend, during the Samudra manthan, the asura Rahu drank some of the amrita (divine nectar). Various names are assigned to Rahu in Vedic texts including: the chief, the advisor of the demons, the minister of the demons, ever-angry, the tormentor, bitter enemy of the luminaries, lord of illusions, one who frightens the Sun, the one who makes the Moon lustreless, the peacemaker, the immortal (having drunk the divine nectar), bestower of prosperity and wealth and ultimate knowledge. In ancient Tamil astrological scripts, Rahu was considered as incarnation of Shakti in beastly form. Hanuman and Rahu[edit] Hanuman, in his childhood, flew towards the sun, as it appeared to be a big fruit. Buddhism[edit] Astrology[edit] Rahu with consort Karali
Asteria In Greek mythology, Asteria (/əˈstɪəriə/; Ancient Greek: Ἀστερία, "of the stars, starry one") was a name attributed to the following eleven individuals: the daughter of Coeus, an Amazon woman, Heliad, Danaid, Alkyonides, the Consort of Phocus, the consort of Bellerophon, the daughter of Coronus, the daughter of Teucer, an Athenian maiden, and a character in the opera "Telemaco". Each of these is detailed below. Daughter of Coeus[edit] The Titan goddess of nocturnal oracles and falling stars, Asteria flung herself into the Aegean Sea in the form of a quail in order to escape the advances of Zeus. She became the "quail island" of Ortygia.[3] which became identified with Delos, which was the only piece of earth to give refuge to the fugitive Leto when, pregnant with Zeus's children, she was pursued by vengeful Hera.[4] Amazon[edit] Asteria was the ninth Amazon killed by Heracles when he came for Hippolyte's girdle.[5] Heliad[edit] Danaid[edit] Alkyonides[edit] Asteria was one of the Alkyonides.
Chandra In Hinduism, Chandra (Sanskrit चन्द्र lit, Telugu చంద్ర Tamil சந்திரன். "shining")[1] is a lunar deity and a Graha. Chandra is also identified with the Vedic Lunar deity Soma (lit. "juice").[2] The Soma name refers particularly to the juice of sap in the plants and thus makes the Moon the lord of plants and vegetation.[1] Chandra is described as young, beautiful, fair; two-armed and having in his hands a club and a lotus.[3] He rides his chariot across the sky every night, pulled by ten white horses or an antelope. In astrology[edit] Chandra with Rohini Chandra (pronounced "CHUHN-drah") is a Sanskrit name meaning "illustrious." According to Hindu mythology Chandra has not been very fortunate in life. Chandra is known for having a series of disastrous love affairs. Dark spot on the moon[edit] One popular story to account for the dark spot on the moon is that Ganesha, once filled with food, fell from his mouse and broke his stomach. Other uses[edit] Chandra Vansh of Kshatriyas[edit]
Nyx Nyx (Greek: Νύξ, "Night")[1] – Roman (in Latin): Nox – is the Greek goddess (or personification) of the night. A shadowy figure, Nyx stood at or near the beginning of creation, and was the mother of other personified deities such as Hypnos (Sleep) and Thanatos (Death). Her appearances are sparse in surviving mythology, but reveal her as a figure of exceptional power and beauty. She is found in the shadows of the world and only ever seen in glimpses. Mythology and literature[edit] Headline text[edit] Hesiod[edit] In his description of Tartarus, Hesiod locates there the home of Nyx,[5] and the homes of her children Hypnos and Thanatos.[6] Hesiod says further that Hemera (Day), who is Nyx's daughter, left Tartarus just as Nyx entered it; continuing cyclicly, when Hemera returned, Nyx left.[7] This mirrors the portrayal of Ratri (night) in the Rigveda, where she works in close cooperation but also tension with her sister Ushas (dawn). Homer[edit] Others[edit] Nyx in society[edit] Cults[edit]
Varuna In the Vedas[edit] Varuna and Mitra are the gods of the societal affairs including the oath, and are often twinned Mitra-Varuna (a dvandva compound). Varuna is also twinned with Indra in the Rigveda, as Indra-Varuna (when both cooperate at New Year in re-establishing order [1]). The Rigveda and Atharvaveda[2] portrays Varuna as omniscient, catching liars in his snares. The stars are his thousand-eyed spies, watching every movement of men. Similarities with other gods[edit] In the Ramayana[edit] Faced with the dilemma of how to cross the ocean to Lanka, where his abducted wife Sita is held captive by the demon king Ravana, Rama (an Avatar of Vishnu) performs a penance (tapasya) to Varuna, the Lord of Oceans, fasting and meditating in perfect dhyana for three days and three nights. In Contemporary Hinduism[edit] Worship of Varuna is an integral part of the evening ritual of the Sandhyavandanam, of a dvija Hindu. In Zoroastrianism[edit] Varuna is not attested in the texts of the Avesta.
Achlys Hesiod's Account[edit] Hesiod, Shield of Heracles 264 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic 8th or 7th century BC): And beside them [the Keres (Deaths) and the Moirai (Fates) on the battlefield] was standing Akhlys (Achlys), dismal and dejected, green and pale, dirty-dry, fallen in on herself with hunger, knee-swollen, and the nails were grown long on her hands, and from her nostrils the drip kept running, and off her cheeks the blood dribbled to the ground, and she stood there, grinning forever, and the dust that had gathered and lay in heaps on her shoulders was muddy with tears. Nonnus' Account[edit] Nonnus, Dionysiaca 14. 143 ff (trans. [Hera spies the nurses of the infant god Dionysos:] Hera, who turns her all-seeing eye to every place, saw from on high the everchanging shape of Lyaios [Dionysos], and knew all. See also[edit] List of Greek mythological figures References[edit] Sources[edit] External links[edit] Theoi Project - Akhlys
Triple Goddess (Neopaganism) The Triple Goddess is the subject of much of the writing of Robert Graves, and has been adopted by many neopagans as one of their primary deities. The term triple goddess is infrequently used outside of Neopaganism to instead refer to historical goddess triads and single goddesses of three forms or aspects. In common Neopagan usage the three female figures are frequently described as the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone, each of which symbolizes both a separate stage in the female life cycle and a phase of the moon, and often rules one of the realms of earth, underworld, and the heavens. These may or may not be perceived as aspects of a greater single divinity. Many neopagan belief systems follow Graves in his use of the figure of the Triple Goddess, and it continues to be an influence on feminism, literature, Jungian psychology and literary criticism. Ronald Hutton writes: John Michael Greer writes: The triple goddess sign is identified with Greek moon goddesses:
Ratri Ratri, often also called Ratridevi, is the goddess of night in the Vedas and the mythology of India and Hinduism. She is sister to Ushas, the Vedic goddess of Dawn. Her name is the common/ordinary word for nighttime in Indian languages like Kannada, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam. Fiction[edit] The goddess Ratri is a minor character in Roger Zelazny's science fiction novel Lord of Light, who encounters and aids the protagonist in his battle against the other gods. Further reading[edit]