Guide to Mythologies

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. You are here
2. Greek Mythology
3. Roman Mythology
4. Norse Mythology
5. Egyptian Mythology
6. Native American Mythology
7. Japanese Mythology
8. Celtic Mythology
9. Chinese Mythology
10. Aztec Mythology

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GREEK MYTHOLOGY

Gods:

Apollo - The most complex and important gods, and is the god of many things, including: music, poetry, art, oracles, archery, plague, medicine, sun, light and knowledge.

Ares - The god of war.

Dionysus - The god of wine, wine-making, grape cultivation, fertility, ritual madness, theater, and religious ecstasy.

Hades - The god of the underworld and the name eventually came to also describe the home of the dead as well.

Hephaestus - The god of fire, metalworking, stone masonry, forges and the art of sculpture.

Hermes - The god of trade, thieves, travelers, sports, athletes, border crossings, and guide to the Underworld.

Poseidon - The god of the sea, earthquakes, storms, and horses.

Zeus - The god of the sky and king of the Gods.

Goddesses:

Aphrodite - The beautiful Goddess of love and fertility. No man could resist Aphrodite when she wore her magic girdle.  Her name means foam born or raised from foam as she was birthed from the churning sea.

Artemis - An independent spirit, she is Goddess is of the hunt, nature and birth. There are several different theories about the origin of her name, one school of thought says it comes from an ancient word for “safe” and another argues that it means “strong limbed.” Either way the suggestion is that this maiden Goddess has the strength and ability to protect herself from any unwanted attention.

Athena - Goddess of war and wisdom and domestic crafts. Plato believed her name meant "mind of God" whilst others suggest it comes an ancient word meaning “sharp.”  Both these words point to Athena's great intellectual ability to see the true nature of a situation and to develop successful strategies.

Demeter - Goddess of the harvest who possessed great knowledge of the best way to grow, preserve and harvest grain. She was also the devoted mother of Persephone. Her name reflects her nurturing personality as it means “earth mother."

Eirene - This Greek Goddess name means peace in her native language, expressing her diplomatic nature. Her name also often appears as Irene.

Eos - A sunny natured Goddess whose name means dawn.

Gaia - Goddess of the Earth and prophecy. She is the primordial mother and a personification of Mother Earth. She gave birth to the Titans. Her name is also spelled Gaeo.

Hebe - Hebe’s name literally means youth or in the prime of life. She was one of the daughters of Zeus and Hera. Her role was to serve the nectar and ambrosia to the Gods and Goddesses that prevented them from aging.

Hekate - Goddess of the wild places, childbirth and the crossroads. She is closely associated with magic and witchcraft. Her name is said to be derived from the Greek word hekas meaning "far off" describing her unworldly, shamanic nature.  Also known as Hecate.

Hera - Queen of the Olympians and Goddess of marriage and birth. The meaning of her Goddess name has been lost.  One historian claims her name could be connected to the Greek word for seasons “hora,” suggesting she is ripe for marriage.

Hestia - The domestic Goddess of the Greek Pantheon, she rules over the hearth and home. Her name comes from the Greek word estia meaning "she that dwells or tarries." This reflects the importance of the role that the ancient Greeks attributed to this Goddess in sacrificing her position as an Olympian to guard the fire and maintain a happy home.

Iris - Goddess of the rainbow and messenger to the Gods. Her name means rainbow in her native language.

Nike - This Greek Goddess name means victory, she represented success especially in the sporting arena which is why her name was chosen for a famous brand of sportswear.

Persephone - Daughter of Demeter and Queen of the Underworld.  She was also known as Kore reflecting the Maiden aspect of this Goddess. Other variations of her name include Persephoneia, Persephassa, Persephatta and Pherepapha.

Rhea - The ancient Titan Earth Goddess, responsible for the fertility of the soil and women. The name is most likely a form of the word era meaning "earth", although it has also been linked to 'rheos' the Greek term for “stream.”

Selene - Selene was the Titan personification of the moon, unsurprising then that her name means moon in Greek.

Themis - Goddess of divine justice, order and customs.  She also had the gift of prophecy. Her name simply means "law of nature" or "divine nature."

Creatures:

Arachne

Centaur

Cerberus

Chimera

Cyclops

Harpy

Medusa

Minotaur

Pegasus

Polyphemus

Scylla

Siren

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ROMAN MYTHOLOGY

Gods:

Jupiter - King of the gods; son of Saturn, brother to Neptune, Pluto and Juno (also her husband); god of sky and thunder; patron god of Rome.

Neptune - Brother of Jupiter, Pluto and Juno; god of freshwater and the sea, earthquakes, hurricanes and horses; often depicted with his trident.

Mars - Son of Juno (without Jupiter); god of war; guardian of agriculture; embodiment of virility and aggression; father of Romulus — founder of Rome.

Apollo - The Archer; son of Jupiter and Latona; twin of Diana; god of music, healing, light and truth. Apollo is one of only a few Roman gods who kept the same name as his Greek counterpart.

Vulcan - God of fire, volcanoes, metal work and the forge; maker of the weapons of the gods.

Mercury - Son of Maia and Jupiter; god of profit, trade, eloquence, communication, travel, trickery and thieves; guide of dead souls to the underworld.

Goddesses:

Juno - Queen of the gods; wife and sister of Jupiter, daughter of Saturn, sister of Neptune and Pluto, mother of Juventas, Mars and Vulcan; protector of Rome’s women; patron goddess of Rome.

Minerva - Born of the head of Jupiter after he impregnated his sister Metis, ripped their daughter from her womb and ate her; goddess of wisdom, arts, trade and strategy.

Venus - Mother of the Roman people; goddess of love, beauty, fertility, sex, desire and prosperity; patron of wine.

Diana - Daughter of Jupiter and Latona; twin of Apollo; goddess of the hunt, the moon and birth

Vesta - The sacred fire of the Vestal Virgins (all female and Rome’s only full-time priesthood); daughter of Saturn and Ops; goddess of hearth, home and family.

Ceres - The Eternal mother; daughter of Saturn and Ops; goddess of agriculture, grain, women, motherhood and marriage; the lawgiver.

Creatures:

Cacus - A fire breathing goat and the son of Vulcan.

Fauns - Half human, half goat.

Basilisk - a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king who can cause death with a single glance.

Ethiopian Pegasus - a two-horned, winged horse from Ethiopia.

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NORSE MYTHOLOGY

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EGYPTIAN MYTHOLOGY

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NATIVE AMERICAN MYTHOLOGY

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JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

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CELTIC MYTHOLOGY

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CHINESE MYTHOLOGY

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AZTEC MYTHOLOGY

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