Deity

Bes

by

Tradition: Egyptian mythology
Alternative Names: Bisu, Bes, Beset (feminine counterpart)
Category: Dwarf, Deity

The Myth

Bes was a dwarf-like protective deity associated with the household, especially with mothers, children, and childbirth. Unlike most Egyptian gods, who were normally portrayed in profile, Bes was characteristically shown facing directly forward. He had a distinctive dwarf-like body and could appear with feline features, an ostrich-feathered crown, or wearing a soldier’s tunic, giving him the appearance of a fierce little guardian ready to attack anything that threatened the household. His frightening appearance was itself part of his power, allowing him to scare away demons and other harmful spirits.

Bes watched over the home and protected people from supernatural dangers. He was particularly associated with childbirth, where he fought away evil spirits threatening mothers and infants and was present alongside Taweret. He could also kill snakes and guard children. Because he drove away everything harmful, Bes gradually became associated not only with protection but with the pleasant and joyful aspects of life, including music, dancing, and sexual pleasure. His image was therefore kept inside ordinary homes rather than being restricted to temples, appearing on amulets, masks, infant feeding bottles, magical knives, and other objects. People also wore images of Bes as tattoos, particularly dancers, musicians, and servant girls.

Bes and his feminine counterpart Beset were worshipped across a wide area beyond Egypt. Their images eventually spread into Nubia, the eastern Mediterranean, the Aegean world, Phoenician and Cypriot lands, and the Achaemenid Empire, where Bes continued to appear as a protective figure while sometimes being represented in foreign clothing and headdresses. During the Ptolemaic period, chambers at Saqqara were decorated with images of Bes and Beset and were associated with fertility and healing rituals. His protective role remained remarkably persistent, with Bes continuing to appear in Egyptian religious imagery into the Christian period.

Sources

“Bes.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 4, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bes

Cabeiri

by

Tradition: Greek mythology
Alternative Names: Kabeiroi, Kabeiri, Kabiri
Category: Dwarf, Deity

The Myth

The Cabeiri were a mysterious group of chthonic beings associated with metalworking and the sacred fires of the earth. At Thebes they were depicted on pottery as fat, primitive-looking dwarfs, with prominent features and sometimes exaggerated bodies. They were closely associated with Hephaestus, the divine smith, and were regarded in Greek tradition as his sons or grandsons. Their number and appearance varied greatly: they could be represented as an old man and his son, as pairs of male and female figures, as twin youths, or even as an entire race of supernatural beings.

The Cabeiri were especially revered on Lemnos and Samothrace, where they were connected with secret mysteries. On Lemnos, their sanctuary was a place of initiation, although the rites were kept so secret that almost nothing survives about what actually happened within them. They were also associated with sailors, who could call upon the mysterious “great gods” for protection when facing danger at sea. On Samothrace, the gods of the mysteries were likewise kept secret, but ancient traditions named figures such as Axieros, Axiokersa, Axiokersos and their young servant Cadmilos. Their mysteries were believed to offer safety and prosperity to those who underwent initiation.

At Thebes, the Cabeiri were linked with Demeter Kabeiriia and with Prometheus and his son Aitnaios, reinforcing their connection with fire and the craft of the smith. Their worship involved drinking wine, ritual ceremonies and offerings, while small bronze bulls and other objects were dedicated to them. Ancient traditions also connected them with other strange races of supernatural craftsmen, including the Cyclopes, Telchines, Dactyls, Korybantes and Kuretes. One tradition even described the Cabeiri as the Idaian Dactyls, while another called them Karkinoi, beings with crab-like pincers instead of hands that could be used like the tongs of a metalworker. Through these traditions, the Cabeiri emerged as mysterious dwarf-like spirits of the forge, earth and sacred fire, whose hidden rites were guarded by their worshippers.

Sources

“Cabeiri.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 4, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabeiri

Zhulong

by

Tradition: Chinese mythology
Alternative Names: Zhuyin, Torch Dragon, Torch Shade, Chuolong, Zhuolong
Category: Dragon

The Myth

Zhulong, the Torch Dragon, is a gigantic scarlet dragon deity with a human face and a serpent-like body. His enormous body was said to stretch for a thousand leagues, and some traditions describe him with strange vertical eyes that appear as a straight seam when closed. He dwells in the far north, in remote mountains where the sun itself does not reach, and possesses a supernatural torch-like radiance capable of illuminating the darkness.

Zhulong’s most extraordinary power is his control over light and darkness. When he opens his eyes, daylight appears across the world; when he closes them, night falls. His very presence therefore becomes part of the rhythm of day and night. His breath has a similarly cosmic effect. When he blows, winter arrives, while his call brings summer. If he truly breathes, tremendous gales arise, and the wind and rain themselves are said to answer his command.

The ancient traditions place Zhulong in different remote mountains. At Mount Bell, the deity called Torch Shade lives upon the lower slopes, illuminating the surrounding darkness with his supernatural power. He neither eats nor drinks, and in the account he does not normally breathe or sleep. His immense body lies beyond the ordinary human world, associated with the distant regions where darkness dominates.

At Mount Brillianttail, Zhulong appears as a scarlet god-human with a human face and serpent’s body. His strange eyes stand vertically upon his face. When they close, darkness covers the world; when they open, light returns. He is described as shining his torch across the “ninefold darkness,” illuminating the regions untouched by ordinary sunlight. The wind and rain are also under his command, making the dragon not merely a source of light but a cosmic power governing the elements.

An old tradition preserved by Guo Pu explains why the Torch Dragon is necessary. The sky was believed to be incomplete in the northwest, leaving that region without the normal balance of yin and yang. A dragon therefore carried a torch in its mouth to illuminate the heavens. Zhulong’s light becomes a supernatural answer to the places where the sun cannot reach.

The Songs of Chu preserves the same mystery surrounding the Torch Dragon. Its Heavenly Questions asks where the sun does not shine and how the Torch Dragon illuminates that hidden region. Elsewhere, the Torch Dragon is associated with the frozen northern mountains, appearing as a blazing red presence in the darkness.

The Huainanzi places the Torch Dragon even farther beyond the reach of sunlight. He dwells north of Wild Goose Gate and hides within Abandoned Wings Mountain, a place where he never sees the sun. Here his body is described differently: he has a human face and a dragon’s body but no feet. Despite the variations in his physical form, his association with the remote northern darkness and supernatural illumination remains constant.

A later tradition preserves a related image of a gigantic dragon carrying a torch through the darkness of the far north. In this account, the dragon travels to a mountain that neither the sun nor moon illuminates and holds a torch in its jaws, lighting the mountain completely. Strange luminous plants grow there, their glowing stalks serving as torches in the darkness.

Zhulong is therefore far more than a conventional dragon. He is a cosmic being whose body and actions are woven into the structure of the world itself. His opening eyes bring daylight, his closing eyes bring night, his breath summons the seasons and winds, and his torch penetrates the darkness where the sun cannot reach.

Sources

“Zhulong (mythology).” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 3, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhulong_(mythology)

Sugaar

by

Tradition: Basque mythology, Spanish Mythology
Alternative Names: Sugar, Sugoi, Suarra, Maju
Category: Dragon, Deity

The Myth

Sugaar is a powerful male serpent or dragon deity of Basque mythology, associated with storms, thunder, rain, and lightning. He may appear as pure fire or lightning, but his usual form is that of a great serpent or dragon. He is the male counterpart of the goddess Mari and is considered an ancient pre-Christian figure, with traditions surrounding him predating those concerning Herensuge.

Sugaar lives among mountains and caves, with one of his homes said to lie in the Aralar mountain range. His most famous dwelling is the cave of Baltzola, where he appears in a tale concerning two brothers from Dima.

Sugaar is Mari’s consort and is said to visit her at Mount Anboto every Friday. Their meetings are understood in different ways: Sugaar may be imagined tending Mari’s hair, while other traditions describe the two joining together and producing the great thunderstorms that sweep across the land. Their union also carries a deeper natural meaning, with Sugaar representing the rain that fertilizes the earth associated with Mari.

Yet Sugaar is not always a divine and benevolent figure. In Betelu he is regarded as an evil spirit, while in Ataun he serves as a frightening bogeyman figure. His nature therefore moves between that of an ancient storm deity and a dangerous supernatural being feared by ordinary people.

One of the most striking stories about Sugaar begins when two young brothers from Dima discover him inside the cave of Baltzola. The younger brother attacks the strange creature, cutting its tail with a stone. His elder brother disapproves of the violence, and the two leave the cave.

Years pass before the elder brother encounters a mysterious man who leads him back to the same cave at Baltzola. There the stranger gives him a box filled with gold and a red belt, instructing him to take the belt to his younger brother.

When the brothers are reunited, the younger brother refuses to wear the belt. Instead, he ties it around a chestnut tree. The moment the belt touches the tree, the tree bursts violently into flames.

The brothers suddenly understand who the mysterious stranger must have been. The man who had given them the gold and the red belt was Sugaar himself, returning years after the brothers had wounded him in his cave.

Sources

“Sugaar.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 3, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugaar

Kasunga

by

Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Kasunga, Kasuga
Category: Deer, Deity

The Myth

Kasunga refers to the deity associated with Kasuga Grand Shrine in Nara, whose sacred deer were regarded as messengers of the gods. The deer were allowed to roam freely through the streets of Nara and were treated with great reverence.

In 1565, the Jesuit missionary Luis Frois wrote a letter to a colleague in Goa describing Nara as a place subordinate to a shrine of the “devil” named Kasunga. He reported that Nara contained many deer, which he interpreted as idols of the devil. According to his account, the deer wandered through the streets as freely as dogs in Spain, and nobody was permitted to touch them. Anyone who attempted to strike one would supposedly be severely punished, while killing a deer could result in execution and confiscation of all possessions.

Frois therefore understood the worship of Kasunga and the reverence shown toward the deer as a form of devil worship. His description reflects the perspective of a Christian missionary who interpreted Japanese religious practices through the framework of Christianity and regarded non-Christian gods as demonic beings.

Other missionaries who visited Nara during the same period gave different descriptions. In 1565, Almeida described the deity as Kakunga and wrote that the god was believed to grant worldly honor, wealth, longevity, and other things people desired, explaining that these promises made the deity greatly worshipped. He did not specifically characterize the god as a demon.

Gaspar Vilela similarly described the worship at Kasuga Shrine, comparing what he witnessed to the worship of Baal, his priests, and their temples among the ancient Phoenicians. Vilela also recorded a rumor from Miyajima that a demon took the form of a deer in order to be worshipped.

Thus, the accounts of Kasunga preserve an early European interpretation of the sacred deer and religious traditions of Nara. The deer themselves were not originally understood by the Japanese as demons, but as sacred messengers connected with the gods of Kasuga.

Sources

Takahashi, Toshihiro. “カスンガ (Kasunga).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). December 31, 2019. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1076296181.html

Sobek

by

Tradition: Egyptian mythology
Alternative Names: Suchus, Souk
Category: Crocodile, Deity

The Myth

Sobek is an ancient Egyptian deity associated with the Nile crocodile. He is usually represented either as a crocodile or as a human figure with the head of a crocodile. He was associated with pharaonic power, fertility, military prowess, and protection, particularly protection from the dangers of the Nile.

Sobek was worshipped from the Old Kingdom through the Roman period, but became especially prominent during the Middle Kingdom. He was strongly associated with the Faiyum, where crocodiles were worshipped as living manifestations of the god. Crocodiles were raised at temples dedicated to Sobek, and after their deaths they were mummified and presented as sacred manifestations of the deity.

Sobek possessed a fierce and aggressive nature reflecting that of the crocodile. Some of his epithets describe him as one who loves robbery, one who eats while he mates, and one who is sharp of teeth. Yet this dangerous character was accompanied by a protective nature. His fierceness could be directed against evil while defending the innocent, making him a powerful protective deity.

Sobek also became connected with Horus and, through this association, with Osiris and Isis. In this role he was associated with the healing of the dead Osiris after his murder by Set. Some interpretations of Sobek’s name connect it with the idea of impregnating, while another interpretation associates it with uniting or restoring the dismembered limbs of Osiris. His association with healing strengthened his role as a protective deity.

In the Old Kingdom, Sobek already appeared in the Pyramid Texts. One spell praises the pharaoh as an incarnation of the crocodile god, presenting him in the form and power of Sobek. The god later became associated with the sun through his connection with Horus, eventually producing the composite deity Sobek-Ra, who combined the crocodile god with the great Egyptian sun god Ra.

The Faiyum was the principal center of Sobek’s worship. His most prominent form there was Sobek Shedety, the patron deity of Shedet, the region’s capital. Other communities worshipped localized forms of the god, and temples maintained priests whose duties included caring for sacred crocodiles and their bodies.

Sobek’s cult continued into the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. During this time, crocodiles were frequently preserved as mummies and offered at his cult centers. Some crocodile mummies were found with young crocodiles in their mouths or on their backs, emphasizing the protective and nurturing aspect of the otherwise fierce god.

Sobek was therefore a deity of contrasts: an aggressive crocodile god associated with violence, fertility, kingship, and military power, but also a healer and protector. His frightening nature was itself part of his protective power, allowing him to ward off evil and defend those under his protection.

Sources

“ Sobek.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed September 5, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sobek

Uaiput

by

Tradition: Egyptian mythology
Alternative Names: Uaiput
Category: Deity, Cow

The Myth

Uaiput is the name given to a group of four cow-goddesses. The group is depicted together as four bovine female deities.

Sources

Budge, E. A. W. (1920). An Egyptian hieroglyphic dictionary : with an index of English words, king list and geological list with indexes, list of hieroglyphic characters, coptic and semitic alphabets, etc. (p. 146) J. Murray.

Namatonkanashi

by

Tradition: Japanese mythology
Alternative names: Namatonukanashi, Namatonganashi, Namatouga Nashi
Category: Cow, Deity

The Myth

Namatonkanashi is an agricultural god from Amami Oshima, recorded in Nagoshi Sagenta’s Nanto Zatsuwa. The name is thought to be a phonetic transcription, while Kanashi or Ganashi is an honorific title used in Amami and the Ryukyu Islands for gods and nobles.

The deity is described as a bizarre and enormous cow, larger than an ordinary cow, with eight horns, eight tails, and sixteen legs—eight at the front and eight at the back. White star-like spots are said to cover its belly and thighs.

Namatonkanashi is a living god worshipped by the islanders. Its cry is compared to the sound of a chaumera, while another account describes its voice as so loud that it could deafen those who heard it.

During festivals, Namatonkanashi is said to wander through areas illuminated by bonfires. In particular, it appears during ceremonies in the Nishi-Magiri and Higashi-Magiri districts. The deity is said to strongly dislike people from mainland Japan approaching it.

When Namatonkanashi appears, the islanders traditionally bow with their heads touching the ground, meaning that they cannot actually see the deity’s complete form. Nagoshi Sagenta, a Satsuma samurai who had been exiled to Amami, did not follow this custom. He observed the supposed visiting deity and concluded that its strange appearance was entirely fabricated.

According to this interpretation, Namatonkanashi was not an actual monstrous cow but part of a ritual performance representing the arrival of a god. The islanders’ hostility toward mainland Japanese observers was therefore connected to their resentment of outsiders reducing their religious ceremonies to their superficial physical details.

A later account in Tonari Nanpo’s Amami Shidan (1933) describes Namatonkanashi as a gigantic ox with eight horns, eight legs, and eight tails. It appears during the welcoming festival on the second day of the second month and the sending-off festival on the fourth day of the fourth month, ceremonies associated with welcoming and sending away the gods of the sea and mountains. Its form can only be seen when illuminated by the festival bonfires.

Sources

Takahashi, Toshihiro. “ナマトンカナシ (Namatonkanashi).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). July 25, 2021. Accessed August 29, 2026. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1078437910.html

Mnevis

by

Tradition: Egyptian mythology
Alternative names: Mer-wer, Nem-wer
Category: Deity, Cow

The Myth

Mnevis was a sacred bull god whose main centre of worship was at Heliopolis. Originally regarded as a separate deity, he was later associated with Atum-Ra and considered the physical manifestation of the god, as well as the ba of Ra.

Mnevis was usually represented as a black bull wearing a solar disk and uraeus. Like the Apis bull, his movements were believed to be guided by divine will, allowing him to function as an oracle. His priesthood even claimed that Mnevis was the father of the more famous Apis bull.

The Mnevis bull was associated with two sacred cows representing Hathor and Iusaaset. When a Mnevis bull died, it was embalmed and buried with great honours in a dedicated necropolis near the temple at Heliopolis. Another burial ground was reserved for the Mothers of Mnevis, who were considered manifestations of the cow-goddess Hesat.

Only one Mnevis bull was believed to exist at a time. After his death, a replacement was sought, usually a completely black bull.

The cult of Mnevis was one of the few religious cults tolerated during the reign of Akhenaten and the Amarna period, likely because of its strong connection with solar worship. Akhenaten even ordered a necropolis for Mnevis bulls to be constructed at Akhetaten, although the site has not been discovered.

Sources

“Mnevis.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed August 29, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mnevis

Māra

by

Tradition: Latvian Mythology
Alternative names: Māre, Mārīte, Mārša, Māršava
Category: Deity, Cow

The Myth

Māra is described as the highest-ranking goddess in Latvian mythology and an ancient Dawn-goddess, previously called Austra.

She is the patroness of feminine duties, including children and cattle, as well as economic activities such as bread-making, money, and markets. She is associated with the land itself, which is called Māras zeme, or “Māra’s land.”

Māra is also called the Mother of Cows (Govu māte). In this role, she is associated with the protection and care of cattle.

Māra is described as the alternate side of Dievs. At death, Māra takes a person’s body, while Dievs takes their soul.

A festival called Māras was held in her honor on August 15.

Sources

“Māra.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed August 29, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C4%81ra