Here is a short summary of the symbolism associated with the gods, goddesses and heroes featured on the Mythology Magic CD. For further research we recommend the Encyclopedia Mythica website at http://www.pantheon.org/mythica.html
AGE OF MYTHOLOGY ADONIS A beautiful young shepherd that the Goddess Venus frequently descended to meet; but Mars, envying his rival, assumed the shape of a wild boar, attacked Adonis when hunting, struck him in the groin with his tusks, and killed him. Venus hearing his groans, and hastening to his assistance, pricked her foot with a thorn, and the blood, which issued from the wound falling on a rose, turned it from a lily to a carnation colour. The goddess laying his body on soft lettuces, bewailed his death, and changed his blood, which was shed on the ground, into the flower called Anemone. AESCULAPIUS Aesculapius was god of Medicine and Healing; the son of Apollo. He is the inventor of the probe, and the method of binding up wounds, and the Greeks considered him the inventor of medicine. AMAZONS Fearsome warlike tribe of women said to be descended from the god of war, Ares. Symbol of the feminine and worshippers of the Moon goddess Artemis, and as such represented light within the darkness. AMPHION In Greek mythology, Amphion was a son of Zeus and Antiope, and the husband of Niobe. Amphion had great skill in music that he learned from Hermes; he helped build the walls of Thebes, the stones said to have moved themselves into position at the sound of his lyre. ANGERONA Angerone was the silent goddess of Rome. She is depicted holding her finger to her mouth as if to suggest silence, and she wears a fruit of the sacred Persea tree (avocado) in her hair; the Persea tree was the tree that loved no water but the water of the Nile. It is said that Angerona was also the goddess of the winter solstice, and it was only she who knew the secret name of Rome. She has been used as a symbol of confidentiality, ethics and secrecy.
ANUBIS Anubis was an Egyptian god represented under the form of a man with a dog’s head, holding a palm branch. This god the poets generally call the “Barker”, a god, half dog, and a dog, half man. He is also called Hermanubis, because his sagacity is so great, that some take him to be the same with Mercury. Diodorus Siculus tell us, that Anubis, following his father Osiris to war, bore the figure of a dog on his shield, for which reason he was worshipped after his death under the resemblance of that animal. Anubis was revered as a symbol of wisdom. A second image of Anubis is also provided, representative of a more traditional engraving found on ancient stones and tombs. APELIOTES A Greek demi-god of the South West wind which carried fruits of many kind symbolic of the harvest and its mild and kindly nature. APOLLO Greek god of Eloquence, Music and Dance, Poetry and Reason, Light and Prophesy, said by some scholars to have been an Egyptian divinity prior to being adopted by the Greeks and the Romans. ARGOS (See Io) ARIADNE A Fertility goddess revered as a symbol of ingenuity. She fell deeply in love with Theseus, gave him a clue (the famous ball of thread) by which he escaped out of the labyrinth, after killing the Minotaur. Theseus, having emancipated the Athenian prisoners, carried them off with Ariadne. Theseus however, perfidiously left his fair deliverer on the isle of Naxos, when near the time of parturition, Bacchus found her, fell passionately in love with her and made her his wife. As a testimony of his affection, he gave her a crown that Vulcan had wrought for Venus, adorned with many stars. ARTEMIS (see Diana)
ASAR (HAP) see Serapis
ATHENA (see Minerva) ATLAS Atlas was a Titan (Greek race of Giants), thought to be the King of Atlantis; a symbol of Strength and Fortitude, and Astronomy. He was the son of Iapetus and the division of his father’s dominions, Mauritanica fell to his share; and he gave
his name to the mountain of that Country. As he was greatly skilled in astronomy, he became the first inventor of the sphere, which occasioned the fable of his being turned into a mountain, and supporting the heavens on his shoulders. ATROPOS Atropos was one of three Greek goddesses of Fate. The cutting of the thread is when a man had to die. Atropos concludes our existence by cutting short, with scissors, the thread of life. She is called Atropos because she is unalterable, unchangeable. AT(T)YS Attys was a beautiful Phrygian shepherd, and priest of the goddess Cybele: after his death, he was deified, and worshipped as the Sun. Julian call him the great god Attis; and Lucian mentions a golden statue of Attys; placed among those of Bendis, Anubis, and Mithrus, who were all adored as the Sun. According to Ovid, Attys was appointed by Cybele to preside in her rites, she having enjoined him inviolable chastity; but the youth, forgetting his vow, the goddess, in resentment, deprived him of his senses. The Phrygians say, that Cybele fell in love with Attys, and being with child by him, Moeones, her father, king of Phrygia, caused him to be slain, and his body thrown to wild beasts.
AURORA (Eos) Roman goddess of the Dawn equivalent to the Greek goddess Eos; said to fly across the sky announcing the arrival of the sun. Aurora is Symbol of Life, Vitality, and Glory. She is called mother of the winds, because after a calm in the night, the winds rise in the morning, as attendant upon the Sun, by whose heat and light they are begotten.
-BBACCHUS (Dionysus) Bacchus was the god of wine, song and theatre. Diodorus tells us that Bacchus was the son of Semele and that he invented farces, and theatres, and who first established a school for music, exempting from military avocations all such as excelled in the art. The Athenians regarded Bacchus, not only as the god of wine, but of song. Many of the most splendid exhibitions upon the stage, for the entertainment of the people at Athens and Rome, being performed upon the festivals of Bacchus, gave occasion to call all those employed in them, whether in singing, dancing, or recital, servants of Bacchus. We are providing you, as well, with the Indian Version of Dionysus to show how this god was perceived in India. BAST Bast is the Egyptian Goddess of pleasure, music.
BELLEROPHON His original name was Hipponous, because he first taught the art of managing horses with a bridle. Happening accidentally, in hunting, to kill his brother, he fled to Praetus, king of Argos, who gave him hospitable reception; but Sthenoboaca, or, according to others, Antia, his queen, falling in love with the beautiful stranger, and finding that nothing could induce him to injure his benefactor, she accused him to her husband of an attempt on her honour. Praetus, not willing to violate the laws of hospitality, sent Bellerophon to Iobates, king of Lycia, with letters desiring he would put the bearer to death: whence the proverb Bellerophon’s letters. Iobates employed him to destroy Chimaera, a monster, whose fore-part resembled a lion’s, and its middle a goat’s, whilst its tail was like a serpent’s; but Minerva, or, according to others, Neptune, in consideration of his innocence, furnished him with the horse Pegasus, by whose assistance he killed the Chimaera. Iobates, on his return, convinced of his truth and integrity, and charmed with his heroic vitues, received him with esteem, gave him in marriage Philonoe, his daughter, associated him on his throne, and declared him his successor; which, when Sthenoboaca heard, she killed herself through grief.
-CCARPO (Hora) Karpo was the Hora of Autumn and goddess of Ripening Fruit. The Horae were worshipped as “Hours” as well as Seasons; they were said to be the wardens of the sky and of Olympus. CASTOR AND POLLUX It is said that Leda, in the form of swan, brought forth two eggs, each containing twins; from that impregnated by Jupiter, proceeded Pollux and Helena, who were both immortal; the other Castor and Clytemnestra, who were both mortal. The brothers, Castor and Pollux, entered into an inviolable friendship, and when they grew up, cleared the Archipelago of pirates, on which account they were esteemed deities of the sea, and accordingly were invoked by mariners in tempests. Individually, Pollus became the patron of wrestlers and his brother Castor revered for his management of horses. The pair are also know as “the Dioscuri”. CENTAUR CHIRON A Greek Myth, half horse and half man that generally were savage beasts known for their lustfulness. The exception was “Chiron” who was said to be very wise and reputed for his goodness, and was the only immortal Centaur. CHIMAERA It is said in Hesiod, Theogony 319, that the “Chimaera or Chimera, who breathed raging fire, was a creature fearful, great, swift footed and strong, and who had three heads, one of a grim-eyed lion, another of a goat, and another of a serpent. In her forepart she was a lion; in her hinder-part a serpent; and in her middle
part, a goat, breathing forth a fearful blast of blazing fire. Her did Pegasus and noble Bellerophon slay”. Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library 1.151, 2nd century, A.D. states: “…. and it devastated the country and harried the cattle; for it was a single creature with the power of three beasts. It is also said that Chimaera was bred by Amisodarus, as Homer affirms, or that it was begotten by Typhon on Echidna, as Hesiod relates; so Bellerophon mounted his winged steed Pegasus, offspring of Medusa and Poseidon, and soaring on high shot down the Chimera from above.” The middle ages saw the chimera as a symbolic representation of evil. CLIO (a Muse) Muses were Greek goddesses who presided over the Arts and Sciences. Clio was the Muse of Historical and Heroic Poetry.
CRONOS (Kronos) The youngest of the Titan giants, Cronos was a god of the Harvest and Agriculture, of Time and of Justice, and Eternity, and was said to be equivalent to “Saturn” the Roman god of agriculture and similar attributes. It is said he married his sister Rhea/Vesta and together fostered Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Hera, and Demeter. As a covenant to an agreement with his father to take over the throne of the universe, he could not father any male descendant, as this was his father’s assurance that the world would continue to be ruled by Titans. Fearing his father’s prophesy that a Son might de-throne him, Cronos ate every male child that his wife bore him. Rhea saddened with this practice, and when Zeus was born, placed a stone wrapped in a child’s blanket and presented it to Cronos, who ate it. Zeus grew up to defeat the Titans and to de-throne his father as the ruler of the world. It is worth noting that the modern day word “chronometer” is derived from “cronos” and the mythology of the god of Time. CYBELE A Phrygian goddess, Cybele makes a magnificent appearance, being seated in a lofty chariot drawn by lions, crowned with towers, and bearing in her hand a key. Cybele being goddess, not of cities only, but of all things that the earth sustains, was crowned with turrets, whilst the key implies not only her custody of cities, but also, that in winter the earth locks those treasures up, which she brings forth and dispenses in summer. Her being drawn by lions may imply, that nothing is so fierce and intractable, but a motherly piety and tenderness, can tame and subdue. Cybele is called the mother of the gods.
-DDEMETER (Ceres) Demeter was the Greek Earth goddess who brought forth the fruits of the earth. She was equated with the Roman god “Ceres”.; a symbol of fertility, harvest, wealth and progress. Sicily, Crete, Attica and Egypt, claim the honour of her birth. Demeter/Ceres was not undeserving the highest titles bestowed upon her,
considered as the deity who has blessed man with the art of cultivating the earth, having not only taught them to plough and to sow, but also to reap, harvest, and thresh out their grain; to make flower and bread; and fix limits or boundaries to ascertain their possessions. Pelasgian Demeter (as shown): the Greeks often called the first inhabitants of Greece Pelasgians. The Greek writers claimed that Pelasgus, the great ancestor of the Pelasgians was the first man. The Pelasgians were a combination of diverse Black tribes and it is this version of Demeter that was revered by the Pelasgians. DIANA (Artemis) Was the Roman Goddess of nature and the forests, the hunt and also fertility, chastity. She was the protector of wild animals and is identified with the Greek Olympian Goddess Artemis. Her father, Jupiter, granted her perpetual virginity, bestowed on her a bow and arrows, and appointed her queen of the woods and forests. Diana also presided over fisherman, and all in general who used nets for taking game. Also know as Artemis Soleia to the Greeks. DIANA LUCIFERA The Roman Diana. Her grace, strength and power reflect the most consistent attributes of all Diana images. This is the Diana that was known in British Isles. DIONYSUS (See Bacchus) DIOSCURI See Castor and Pollux
-EENDYMION Endymion, known as the sleeping moon god, was the grandson of Jupiter, who took him up into heaven, where he had the insolence to solicit Juno, for which he was cast into a profound sleep. Luna seeing him naked, as he lay on Mount Latmos, was so stricken with his beauty, that she descended from the skies to enjoy him; and is said to have born him in a cave of the mountain no less than fifty daughters, and, Aetolus, a son; after which Endymion was restored to the heavens. Bulfinch says that Endymion’s story suggests aspiring and poetic love, a life spent more in dreams than in reality, and an early and welcome death. ENTERPE (a Muse) Muses were Greek goddesses who presided over the Arts and Sciences. Enterpe “the giver of pleasure” was the Muse of Music. ERATO (a Muse) Muses were Greek goddesses who presided over the Arts and Sciences. Erato was the Muse of Love Poetry and Mimicry.
ERINYS The Erinys or Furiae were known as the “revered goddesses”, as it was their function to punish the departed who had sinned on earth without receiving the forgiveness of the gods. They are symbols of justice, punishment and atonement. EROS (Cupid) Cupid was the son of Venus and Mars and was the god of Love and Desire, and is identified with the Greek “Eros”. With his arrows, he wounds both gods and men with his irresistible arrows of desire and virtue. It is said that he had golden darts (arrows) for love, joy and affection, and leaden arrows that raised a fleeting passion, ending in satiety and disgust. In antiques he is seen leaping, dancing, playing, and climbing trees; he is pictures in the air, on the earth, on the sea, and sometimes in the fire; he rides on animals, drives chariots, plays on musical instruments; he mounts panthers and lions, and uses their manes for a bridle, to denote that love tames the most savage. Eros/Cupid is depicted in many forms; as a young winged boy playing his lyre, as a young and very handsome man, (who falls in love with Psyche, the goddess of the soul), a young winged warrior, and others. EUROPA Europa was the daughter of Agenor, king of Phoenicia. She was of such exquisite beauty as to inflame the heart of Jupiter (Zeus), who, to attract her notice assume the shape of a white bull, and associated with the cows of Agenor, whilst the princess frequented the meads. Pleased with his gentle demeanour, she at first caressed him, and at length ascended his back. No sooner, however, was she mounted, than the god, after gradually approaching the shore, rushed at once into the sea, and swam with Europa to Crete. There, upon his arrival, having resumed his own person, he prevailed over her, and the offspring of their union were Minos, Sarpedon, and Rhadamanthus. She is said to have lived above fifteen centuries before the Christian era, and to have given name to Europe. EURUS Eurus was a Wind god who brought warmth and rain from the East. It is represented with a vase inverted, as if pouring rain from it. Symbol of Life and of Power.
-FFAUNUS Faunus was the husband of Fauna or Fatua, was son of Picus, king of the Latins, who reigned in Italy about the time when Orpheus introduced the rites of Bacchus into Greece. Faunus is said to have kept to himself almost always concealed, on which account he was confounded with Pan; the common opinion was, that Faunus was that wild god whose voice was heard by night in the forests, to the great terror of the people. Faunus deified his father Picus, and
conferred the gift of prophecy upon his wife and sister Fauna. Horace makes Faunus the guardian and protector of men of wit, and Virgil, a god of oracles and predictions. One of the oldest Italian deities, it was not until much later when Faunus was identified with the Greek god Pan, was he depcited with goat's ears, horns, tail, and hind legs. In the image provided he is shown with an animal tail and the forearm portion of his sword arm missing. FIDES Fides was the Roman goddess of good faith, honesty, and oaths; she was the guardian of integrity and mutual trust in all dealings between individuals and groups. She was usually depicted as an older woman wearing an olive wreath in her hair and carrying a basket of ripened fruit. FLORA Flora was the Roman goddess of Flowers and everything that blooms. The ancients made her the wife of Zephyrus, to intimate that Flora, or the natural heat of the plant, must concur with the influence of the warmest wind for the production of flowers. It is said that Flora was among the ancient deities of the Sabines, which were received into Rome on the union of the Sabines with the Romans. Ovid says that her Greek name was Chloris. FORTUNA Fortuna was Roman goddess of fortune and destiny. She was thought to have so great a share in human affairs, that it was no wonder Fortuna was deified by the ancients. Fortuna was called “Tyche” by the Greeks and represented both very good and very bad luck.
-GGANYMEDES He was the Prince of Troy who was abducted by Zeus for his beauty and made the immortal cupbearer of the gods. He later took his place among the stars as the constellation Aquarius, a symbol of eternal youth and extraordinary beauty. GENIUS Genius was a protecting spirit, corresponding to a guardian angel. Both the Greeks and Romans believed in them, and the former called them Daemons. They were believed to be the agents of Zeus (Jupiter), dwelling on earth to fulfill his will and enforce justice. The Greek philosophers taught, and the Romans believed, that such a being was appointed for each mortal at birth, and the Romans worshipped them as gods most holy, especially on their birthdays, when they offered them libations of wine, garlands, and incense. Two good examples are as shown: “the Wine genius” and “the genius of Death”. THE GRACES (or Charities)
Amongst the multitude of ancient divinities, none were more amiable than the Graces, nor were they any whose votaries were more numerous. To their influence was ascribed all that could please in nature and art; and to them every rank and profession concurred in offering their vows. It is said they were descended from Bacchus and Venus and were esteemed the dispensers of liberality, eloquence, and wisdom; and from them were derived simplicity of manners, a graceful deportment, and gaiety of disposition.
-HHARPOCRATES Harpocrates was the Egyptian god of Silence. He was said to have been the son of Osiris and Isis. He was exhibited under the form of a young man, half naked, crowned with an Egyptian mitre, holding in his left hand a cornucopia, and a finger of the other, placed on his lips, as if to enjoin silence. It is also said by some, that Harpocrates denoted the peace or repose of winter; that the cornucopia among the Egyptians signified plenty, and the finger placed on the lips denoted moderation and temperance, both necessary to a proper enjoyment of the bounties of Providence. HARPY Harpies were mythical beasts with the faces and breasts of a virgin, the body, wings and talons of a vulture. In this mythology they are known as 'snatchers'. In Greek mythology the Harpy was an implement of vengeance and also symbolized justice. Originally created to signify the horror and fury of the storm, the Harpy has been delivered to us always as a symbol of sudden death and is to some, a symbol of the feminine principle. According to Greek legend there was actually three Harpies, Aello, Ocypete, and Celaeno. They were the children of the sea god Thaumas and the gods used them as their tools of justice to keep their faithful obedient. Should one go against the will of the gods, the Harpies would be dispatched, fly over the offender, attack and violate them, tear them apart and then eat them. HATHOR Hathor, daughter of the Sun god Re, was goddess of the sky and of love, mirth, and beauty, and is one of the oldest known deities of Egypt. She was, in fact, the great mother of the world, and the old, cosmic Hathor was the personification of the great power of nature which was perpetually conceiving, and creating, and bringing forth, and rearing, and maintaining all things, both great and small. As the protectress and chieftain of the city of the dead at Thebes, she became Goddess of the Dead, and was represented in the form of a woman who wears upon her head a pair of horns within rests the solar disk. HAT (Mehit) Egyptian Fish Goddess.
HEBE (Juventas) Daughter of Zeus and Juno (Hera) and the goddess of Youth whom it is said could make the old young again. She was a cupbearer of the gods and bathed Ares, the god of war after battle. Hebes is said to have married Heracles (Hercules) after he obtained immortality and to whom she bore two sons, Alexiares and Anicetus; the latter became minor gods and were symbols of the unconquerable, and the warding off of war (respectfully). HECATE A revered Moon goddess, Hecate gave people riches, victory and wisdom and watched over the prosperity of flocks and navigation. Hecate also had the three aspects of Maiden, Mother and Crone an as such was also a goddess of crossroads and decisions; known to some as the goddess of Witches. HELIOS (Sol) Helios married to Rhode the daughter of Poseidon and was the Greek god of the Sun and of Sight. It is said that Helios saw everything and knew everything and that no one could hide anything from him; symbol of time, harvest, and sight. His sacred bird was the rooster who heralded the sun's rising. The time goddesses (the horae) attended his throne and accordingly Helios was associated with time and the seasons; shown here with two of the four golden horses that guided his chariot across the skies. HERA (Juno) Hera was the Queen of the Olympian gods, and goddess of Marriage, Women and the Home. The worship of Hera was solemn and universal; also a symbol of conjugal love and fruitfulness. She was the daughter of Saturn and Rhea and was sister and wife of Jupiter. The particulars of her marriage to Jupiter are variously reported. According to tradition, they entertained and indulged, unknown to their parents, a mutual passion. It is said that she resisted the solicitations of Jupiter, and to free herself from them, fled to a cavern, where meeting a person whose persuasions overcoming her objections, she consented to crown her brother’s wishes. HERCULES (Heracles) He was the Roman form of the deified Greek hero Heracles; revered due to his legendary exploits called the “twelve labours” and his ability to ward off evil. He was the personification of strength and goodness. The ancients deemed Hercules as their great exemplar of virtue; and indeed as their idea of virtue consisted chiefly in searching out and enduring the most arduous enterprises, they could scarcely have chosen a fitter. It appears that the whole of his life was devoted to the good of mankind, and did not consist of aught but a series of adventures undertaken for the benefit of others. The most notorious exploit must of course be when he strangled two serpents sent to destroy him in his cradle, for this he seems to have performed, according to some accounts, when he was less then one half hour old. Note: Ceberus (as shown) was the three-headed dog
that guards the gates of the Underworld to keep the dead from leaving. Hercules defeated Ceberus on one of his many exploits. HESTIA (see Vesta)
HORUS Horus was the god of the Sun among the Egyptians, son of Isis and Osiris, and the brother of Seth. As the god of light, he personified the life-giving power of the Sun. He is represented here as a falcon-headed man. It is said he avenged his father's murder by killing Seth, in a series of battles. Horus had his left eye, which signified the moon, wounded in a battle with Seth, thus giving rise to one explanation for the moon's various phases. His eye was reassembled by magic by Thoth, the god of writing, the moon, and magic, and the restored eye, known as the udjat, became a powerful amulet (the eye of Horus). A second image of Horus is also provided representative of a more traditional engraving found on ancient stones and tombs.
HYGIEA (Salus) Hygiea was the goddess of Health and Pharmacy. It is said the word “Hygiene” comes from her name. The ancients personified and deified health, or rather erected a goddess to whom they supposed the care of health to belong. The Greeks worshipped her under the name Hygiea, making her daughter of Aesculapius, the Latins under that of Salus. The Romans bore a high respect for Hygiea, looked upon as the saviour of the empire, and gave her that title on their medals. IO (Guarded by Argos) In Greek mythology, Io was the daughter of Inachus and beloved of Zeus, who changed her into a white heifer to protect her from the jealousy of Hera. Argos was said to be a hundred-eyed giant sent by Hera to guard Io. Zeus sent Hermes to kill the Giant and liberate his lover from her captivity. IRIS Iris was the Greek Winged goddess of the Rainbow and Messenger of the goddess Juno. It is said the Ancients believed that Iris charged the clouds with water from lakes and rivers to fertilize the soil. The ancient poets described that appearance in the Heavens that we call the rainbow under the name Iris, and being at a loss how to account for the phenomenon, styled it the daughter of Thaumas, a name derived from the Greek “to wonder” or “to admire”.
ISIS Isis was the celebrated goddess of the Egyptians. The two principal deities of the Egyptians, Isis and Osiris, upon which the whole superstition of that people is
rested, were, if we collect the sentiments of several writers, all the gods of the Pagans; she is denominated the goddess of a thousand names. Isis was deemed to be the parent and nature of all things; growth, fertility, the rule of law, medicine and marriage, and she was also known as the goddess of magic and revered as the inventor of corn. Apuleius introduces Isis giving this account of herself: “I am Nature, the mother of all things, mistress of the elements, the beginning of ages, the sovereign of gods, the queen of the Manes, the first of the heavenly natures, the uniform face of the gods and goddesses. It is I who govern the luminous firmament of heaven, the salutary breezes of the sea, and the horrid silence of hell, with a nod. My divinity alone, though multiform, is honoured with different ceremonies….”I am Isis, Queen of Egypt.” Isis, as depicted, carries a sistrum, a sacred percussion instrument used in the cult of Hathor. The sistrum consisted of a wooden or metal frame fitted with loose strips of metal and disks that jingled when moved. This noise was thought to attract the attention of the gods. A second image of Isis is also provided representative of a more traditional engraving found on ancient stones and tombs.
-JJANUS Janus was the Roman god of Gates and Beginnings. He had the honour of having the first month of the year named after him. Shown with two heads to represent the opening and closing of the Gates and to some, war and peace; Ovid writes that he had the power of opening and shutting everything in the universe; he was the arbiter of peace and war, and keeper of the door of heaven. He was the god who presided over the beginning of all undertakings; the first libations of wine and wheat were offered to him, and the preface of all prayers directed to him. JUPITER (Zeus) In Roman mythology, Jupiter was the supreme god of the Pagans reigning on Mount Olympus, and equivalent to the Greek God Zeus. Historians describe him as the wisest of princes, but his worshippers describe him as infamous for his vices. He was the thrower of lightning, the maker of thunder, the protector in battle, and the conferrer of victory. It is said a goat named Amalthaea nursed him, and whose horn he presented to those princesses, with this privilege annexed, that whoever possessed it should have whatever they desired; whence it came to be called the Horn of Plenty. The distinguishing character of Jupiter, say historians, is majesty, and every thing about him carries dignity and authority with it: his look is meant to strike sometimes with terror, and sometimes with gratitude, but always with respect. KHEPER The scarab beetle was the manifestation of the creator god Khepri. Its name means 'he who comes to being' (1). Kheper was deified from as early as the Old Kingdom (2700-2190 BC), and played a primary role in the Heliopolitan
cosmogony of the Pyramid Texts (2). As a solar deity, Kheper was associated with Atum and Re, the primal Sun gods (3). Plutarch, the ancient Greek writer who lived in the Roman period, gave a plausible interpretation of the origin and role of Kheper: as for the scarab beetle, it is held that there are no females of this species; they are all males. They place their seed in a round pellet of material which they roll up into a sphere and roll along, pushing it with their legs, imitating by their action the course of the Sun from east to west. (Source: B. Watterson, The Gods of Ancient Egypt, p. 51, Sutton Publishing,1996.) KHNEMU (KHNUM) Egyptian ‘old god’ of creation, popular from the third dynasty.
-LLARE The Lares were a kind of domestic Genii, or divinities, worshipped in houses, and esteemed as the guardians and protectors of families, and the patrons and protectors of travellers. It is said by some that Lares were the souls of the departed, who had lived well, and discharged the duties of their station. In most houses the Romans had a particular place, called Lararium, where were deposited the images of their domestic gods, Lares, and statutes of their ancestors. LEDA AND THE SWAN Leda was the daughter of Thestius, by Eurythemis, and wife of Tyndarus, king of Sparta, was beloved by Jupiter, who gained access to her in the form of a swan, as she bathed in the river Eurotas; some say that Jupiter, in the form of a swan, sung so charmingly, that Leda, who conceived an egg by him, containing Pollux and Helena, whom she afterwards brought forth at Amycla. The swan therefore came to symbolize love and the gods. It also stands for solitude, music and poetry and its whiteness represents sincerity. LETO (LATONA) This goddess was the daughter of Caeus the Titan and Phoebe, or, according to Homer, of Saturn. Latona grew up extremely beautiful, and Jupiter fell in love with her; but Juno, discovering their intercourse, not only expelled her from heaven, but she commanded the serpent Python to follow and destroy both her and her children. Latona being pregnant, the Earth also was caused by the jealous goddess to swear that she would afford her no place in which to bring forth. It happened however, at this period, that the Island Delos, which had been broken from Sicily, lay under water, and not having taken the oath, was commanded by Neptune to rise in the Aegean Sea, and afford her an asylum. Latona, being changed by Jupiter to a quail, fled thither, and from this circumstance occasioned it to be called Ortygia, from the name in Greek of that bird. It was on Delos that Latona, having recovered her shape, was delivered of
Diana and Apollo. It may be observed that as Jupiter is taken for the maker of things, so Latona is physically understood to be the matter out of which all things were made. Latona was one of the deities who presided over women in labour and was revered as a protector of children. LEUCOTHEA (INO) Ino was the daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia, and was the second wife of Athamas, king of Thebes, to whom she bore Learchus and Melicertes. Ino fell deeply in love with Phryxus, son of Athamas, by Nephele his first wife, but being repulsed, she, in revenge, persuaded her husband to sacrifice Phryxus and his sister Helle, who, however, escaped. Athamas having killed his son Learchus, Ino took Melicartes in her arms, and sprung with him from the rock Molyris, into the Sea; where being received by Neptune, she was made a sea deity, as is related in the article of Palaemom. LIPS (Wind God) A Greek wind goddess, who from the South East, wafted home the ships as they neared the harbour. She was depicted holding the ornament from a ship’s stern in her hands; she was the protectress of all mariners. LUNUS (Luna) Luna was derived from the Greek goddess Selene. The Romans also worshipped the Moon goddess Diana, who was based on the Greek mother goddess Artemis. Her temple, on the Aventine Hill, was erected in the 6th century BC but was destroyed by the great fire under Nero's regime. With reflected light, the Moon goddess Luna represents light within the darkness, and is associated with the female divine energy.
-MMARS (Ares) Mars was the Roman god of war. The month of March is named after him, and he was identified with the Greek “Ares”. Mars was also a god of Agriculture and was said to be the protector of Cattle and the patriarch of Rome. This god, being of a fierce and impetuous temper, could not long continue in any fixed station, but roving in his fury from region to region. Mars was held in high veneration among the Romans, both on account of his being the father of Romulus, their founder, and because of their own genius, which always inclined them to war. MAAT Egyptian goddess of Truth. MEDUSA The only mortal of the “Gorgons”, Medusa with her hair of snakes became symbolic as the protectress from evil. When slain by Perseus, it was from her blood, the winged horse Pegasus was born. Neptune, falling in love with Medusa
on account of the beauty of her hair carried her off to the temple of Minerva, and there debauched her. Minerva enraged at the profanation, transformed the hair of Medusa into snakes, and caused all those who beheld her to be turned into stone. MERCURY (Hermes) This divine messenger of the gods was a god of trade and the wealth associated with it, protector of travellers; god of interpreting and was revered by thieves. He was said to be the tutelary god of all arts and crafts. Born in the morning, he fabricated a lyre, and played on it by noon; and, before night, filched from Apollo his cattle. When gown up, he became the most vigilant of all the gods, the municipality of his occupations precluding him from rest. The Greeks and Romans considered him as presiding over roads and crossways, in which they often erected busts of him. Mercury esteemed also the god of orators and eloquence, the author of letters and oratory; from hence preceded his address in negotiating treaties of alliance, and ratifying the terms of truces and peace; even amongst the gods, he was the umpire whenever any disagreements took place. It is said that Mercury was the first to observe the course of the stars and planets, and who reduced the days and years to a certain order. MINERVA (Athena) Minerva originated as an Etruscan goddess whom the early Romans identified with the Greek Athena. She was a goddess of commerce, schools and industry, and later became a warrior goddess. Minerva represents Wisdom, that is, skilful knowledge joined with discreet practice, and comprehends the understanding of the noblest arts, the best accomplishments of the mind, together with all the virtues, but more especially that of Chastity. It is said she was born of Jupiter’s brain, because the ingenuity of man did not invent the useful arts and sciences, which, on the contrary, were derived from the fountain of all wisdom. She was born armed, because the human soul, fortified with wisdom and virtue, is invincible; in danger, intrepid; under crosses, unbroken; in calamities, impregnable. She is a virgin, and accordingly, the sight of the deity is promised only to the pure. MINOTAUR Minos, the famous lawgiver of Crete, was married to Pasiphae, daughter of Apollo; and she being instigated by Venus, who hated the offspring of Apollo, conceived a brutal passion (Taurus) a bull. To satiate this rage, the artificer Daedalus, who was then in Crete, contrived an artificial cow, in which Pasiphae was placed. The fruit of this bestial frenzy was the Minotaur, a monster half man and half bull, which was shut up in the Cretan Labyrinth, made by the same Daedalus, and there fed with human flesh. This monster was defeated by Theseus, who escaped out of the Labyrinth by the help of Ariadne, daughter of Minos.
MOMUS Son of Somnus and Nox, was the god of pleasantry and wit, or rather the jester of celestial assembly; for, like other monarchs, it was but reasonable that Jupiter too should have a fool. We have an instance of Momus’s fantastic humour in the contest between Neptune, Minerva and Vulcan, for skill. The first had made a bull, the second a house, and the third a man. Momus found fault with them all. He disliked the bull, because his horns were not placed before his eyes, that he might give a surer blow; he condemned Minerva’s house because it was immovable, and so could not be taken away if place in a bad neighbourhood; and in regard to Vulcan’s man, he said he ought to have made a window in his breast, by which his heart might be seen, and his secrets discovered. MUT Mut was the divine mother, the queen of all gods.
-NNEHEBKAU Nehebkau was a serpent god who participated in the creation of the world when he swam around the solar bark of Re in the watery chaos. All Egyptians (dead and alive) were protected by him, especially from sickness through snake bites. NEITH The goddess of war and weaving, Neith was one of the oldest Egyptian gods. NEMESIS The goddess who had the care of revenging the crimes which human justice left unpunished. Nemesis is plainly divine vengeance, or the eternal justice of god, which severely punishes the wicked actions of men. She is represented with wings, to denote the celebrity with that she followed men to observe their actions, and to further emphasize speed and agility of action she was also given the feet of a griffon. The Romans worshipped the goddess, and placed her statute in the Capitol. When they went to war they sacrificed to her, and when they returned victorious, they rendered her thanks for the revenge she had taken on their enemies. NEPHTHYS Egyptian funerary goddess. Her name means 'Lady of the House' it's thought to be referring to Osiris' Palace. Nephthys conceived no children with her husband Seth. Her son, Anubis was conceived from a union with Osiris. NIKE (Victoria, Victory) She was an imaginary being whom the Greeks and the Romans made a divinity. She was represented with wings, flying through the aerial regions, and holding a palm and a laurel crown. This winged deity, with her robe carried back by the
wind, is the goddess of Victory: she holds the laurel crown in her hand, the peculiar reward of successful generals and great conquerors of old. We learn from the poets that her wings were white, and her robe of the same colour. They sometimes describe her as hovering between two armies engaged in battle, as doubtful which side she shall choose; and sometimes standing fixed by one she is resolved to favour, as you often see on medals of the emperors. NIOBE Niobe was the Queen of Thebes, and a symbol of arrogance and excessive pride. She slighted the gods and was punished with the slaying of all her children. Overcome by grief, she turned to stone with her tears of sorrow forever to fall. NUT (NUIT) Nut was the Egyptian goddess of the sky and of the heavens, daughter of the air god Shu and Tefnut, and the goddess of moisture; she protects the world from the darkness outside it and all the demonic creatures that dwell in that darkness; she carries on her head, a vase of water. She was also both sister and wife to the God of the Earth, Geb, and the mother of Osiris, Isis, Set and Nephthys. The image depicted, is a later representation of this famous member of the Heliopolitan Ennead.
-OODEN Oden was the Norse god of war, wisdom, and poetry, and the leader of the Aesir. The Aesir gods under the leadership of Odin, included Balder (god of beauty), Bragi (god of eloquence), Forseti (god of mediation), Freyr (god of fertility, who originally was from the Vanir), Heimdall (guardian of the bridge), Hod (the blind god), Loki (god of fire and ally of the frost giants), Njord (the sea god, and another ex-Vanir), Thor (god of thunder), Tyr (god of war), Vili (brother to Odin), Ve (brother to Odin), and Vidar (Odin's son). The goddesses included Freya (the fertility goddess), Frigg (Odin's wife), Sif (Thor's wife), and Idun (keeper of the apples of youth). It is said that Odin had a spear named Grungir, which never missed its mark, and also a bow that unleashed ten arrows with every pull. OSIRIS Osiris was the Egyptian god of goodness, the sun, agriculture, and health. Osiris, having conferred the greatest benefits on his subjects, by civilizing their manners, and instructing them in husbandry and other useful arts, made the necessary disposition of his affairs, committing the regency to Isis, and set out with a body of forces in order to civilise the rest of mankind. This he performed more by the power of persuasion, and soothing arts of music and poetry, than the terror of his arms. He has the head of a hawk, a bird chosen from his strength of vision, which, it is said, enables him to look steadily on the meridian sun.
-PPAN Pan was an Olympic god born with goat legs and feet, horns, and a furry human upper body. He was the god of shepherds and hunters, leader of the Nymphs, president of the mountains, patron of a country life, and guardian of flocks and herds, was likewise adored by fishermen, especially those who lived about the promontories washed by the sea. Pan, though devoted to the pleasures of a rural life, distinguished himself by his valour. When the Gauls invaded Greece, and were just going to pillage Delphi, Pan struck them with such a sudden consternation by night, that they fled without being pursued: hence the expression of a “Panic fear”, for a sudden terror. PAX (Eirene) Pax was the Roman goddess of peace and was identified with the Greek goddess Eirene, daughter of Zeus and Themis. Eirene was a member of the group of goddesses who were referred to collectively as the Horae (Hours) or Seasons. There was a representation of War or Discord in the temple of Janus, at Rome of old, and a statue of Pax in the same temple; and the meaning of shutting the gates of that temple in time of peace seems to have been as much to keep this goddess from flying away, as it was to hinder the God of War from breaking loose, and flinging the world into confusion. PERSEPHONE (Proserpine) Daughter of Demeter (Ceres) and Zeus (Jupiter) and wife of Hades (Pluto); she was the beautiful Queen of the Underworld, and a symbol of mercifulness. As decreed by Zeus, Persephone was required to stay six months with her mother on earth and six month with her husband in Hell, and because of this she became the emblem of seed corn, which lies in the earth during the winter, but in spring sprouts forth, and in summer bears fruit. A beautiful but sad Monarch, who were it not for her rape by her father Zeus and her kidnapping by Pluto, would have remained on earth as a contented virgin, joyfully assisting her mother Demeter (Ceres) in the growth of plants and crops. PLUTO (Hades) Pluto was the god of the dead (the underworld) and of the earth’s fertility and abundance. It is said he had the ability to render himself invisible. Pluto’s domains being supposed to lie underground; and as he was the first who taught men to bury their dead, it was thence inferred, that he was king of the infernal regions, whence sprung a belief, that as all souls descended to him, so when they were in his possession, he bound them with inevitable chains, and delivered them to be tried by judges, after which he dispensed rewards and punishments according to their several deserts. Pluto was extremely revered both by the Greeks and Romans. POLYHYMNIA (a Muse)
Muses were Greek goddesses who presided over the Arts and Sciences. Polyhymnia was the muse of Sacred Poetry. She has also been called the Muse of geometry, mime, meditation and agriculture. POSEIDON (Neptune) Poseidon was the Greek god of the Sea and master of wells and rivers, and was equated to the Roman God Neptune. Poseidon was also the horse god, as the ancients would sacrifice horses to him and, as well, the Greeks made him the creator of the horse, which he produced from out of the earth with a blow of his trident, when disputing with Minerva who should give the name Cecropia, which was afterwards called Athens When arrived at maturity, Poseidon assisted his brother Jupiter/Zeus in his expeditions, for which that god, on attaining to Supreme power, assigned him the sea and the islands of his empire. It is said that Poseidon had brought the management of the horse, as likewise the art of building ships, to very great perfection; insomuch that Pamphus, who was the most ancient writer of hymns to the gods, calls him benefactor of mankind, in bestowing upon them horses and ships which had stems and decks that resembled towers. PROSERPINE See Persephone PSYCHE Psyche, goddess of the soul, was beloved by Cupid (Eros), whose marriage with her has been celebrated by the poets. Her name, in Greek, signifies the Soul. Psyche was represented with the wings of a butterfly fixed to her shoulders, for the butterfly was esteemed the emblem of the soul; and therefore, when the Greeks painted a dead body, they represented a butterfly, which seemed to have escaped from its mouth into the air.
-RRA (Re) Re is the first of the Egyptian gods. Re or Ra became the sun god; father of the first divine couple, Shu and Tefnut, grandfather of Geb and Nut, whose children were Osiris and Isis, Seth and Nephthys. RHEA Rhea was a Titan, the mother of the Gods of Olympus and along with her husband (and brother) Cronos (Saturn) ruled the world. She was the great symbol of the earth’s fertility. Cronus made it a practice to swallow their children (Cronos was prophetically warned by his father Uranus, that he would be dethroned by his own son; this is why he started to ingest his offspring at birth); to avoid this, Rhea tricked her husband into swallowing a rock, preserving her son Zeus, who later in his life, did, depose his father. It is said that when Rhea brought the stone to Cronos, he, convinced the stone to be his child, charged
Rhea to nourish the baby. Rhea then pressed her breast, and the flowing milk created the famous star constellation known as the Milky Way.
-SSACRED LION The Egyptians, Greeks and Romans considered the Lion as Sacred; throughout mythological tales there are many that feature it. It is an emblem of majesty, strength, and justice, and symbolic of the great mother to many cultures, and was the guardian of the gates to the underworld; the great protector. SATYRS Ministers and attendants of the god of the vine Dionysus (Bacchus), gods of laughter, and are great lovers of festivals, the drinking of wine, dancing and singing; symbols of happiness, seduction (the Nymphs) and the enjoyment of life to its fullest. Satyrs were deities who, with the Fauns and the Sylvans, presided over groves and forests under the direction of Pan. Satyrs made part of the Dramatis Personae in the ancient Greek tragedies, which gave rise, some say, to the species of poetry called Satirical. The Satyrs appear, in the art of the best times, being never figured, like the Panes and the Panisci, as half man, half animal, but at most exhibit only such signs of an animal form as small goat’s horn or ears, and a small goats tail, to show that their nature was only a little inferior in nobility to that within the divine or pure human form. The Satyr depicted here is that of a Satyr of the highest order. He is represented as a slender youth leaning carelessly on the trunk of a tree, resting from playing on a flute. His hair is shaggy and he bares small goat’s ears. His countenance has a touch of animal expression in it and he wears a “nebris” or panther’s skin thrown over his shoulder. SEB (GEB) In Egyptian mythology, Seb (or Geb) was the Earth god, son of Ra, and father of Osiris. As the God of the Earth, Geb was one of the most important of the Egyptian gods. After Atum, the four deities (Shu, Tefnut, Geb, and Nut) established the Cosmos, whereas the second set of deities (Osiris, Isis, Seth and Nephthys) mediated between humans and the cosmos. SEBEK (SOBEK) Sebek was the Egyptian water-god and personified death and evil. It is said that in times of need, Sebek gives the pharaoh strength and fortitude so that he may overcome all obstacles, and, as well, protects him from the evils of magic. SELKET (SELK, SERQET) Selket was the Egyptian Scorpion goddess, helper of women in childbirth. Here’s an interesting take from A Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, by George Hart: “Egypt was a land of snakes and scorpions, so it is only natural that
the worship of this goddess spread through Egypt. The people worshiped her for her protection against these dangerous creatures, and revered her for her power and protective qualities. She guarded all of the people, including the pharaoh, mothers and children. Her followers were priestly doctors, healing the people affected by venom. She extended her protection from life into the land of the dead, not only helping to revive the dead, but to introduce them with the afterlife. She even protected the other gods from the water serpent-demon, Apep. Although having no temples, she was worshiped throughout the land of Egypt.” SESHAT Seshat was the Egyptian goddess for the current of time and recording in general. At the kings' coronations she wrote down all their titles on her measuring stick of Persea wood. At the end were a frog and a circle meaning: thousands of years. The branch was the symbol for "one year" or time in general. She was also called "mistress of books" and recorded days, taxes etc. and this had a long tradition in Egypt where the annual flood of the Nile had to be foreseen with great accuracy. Her dress was made of a leopard's skin and sometimes she has plumes and a star in company. On her head she had an upstanding sacred Persea tree with two hanging horns SERAPIS An Egyptian god of the Ptolemaic period, whose name was created from OsirisApis and became came Serapis. Apis was a sacred bull, an embodiment of Ptah. In Greek mythology, Serapis was represented as a god of fertility and medicine and the ruler of the dead in Tararus. The Egyptians worshipped Serapis as a god of the underworld. It is said that Osiris was replaced with Serapis to harmonize Greek and Egyptian cultures. SHU Shu was the Egyptian god of the space, which exists between the earth and the sky, and the god of sunlight. Shu is represented in the form of a man who wears upon his head an ostrich feather headdress, holding a sceptre and the ankh sign of life; it is said the name “shu” is from the Egyptian for “feather”. He was a god of light, or light personified, who made himself manifest in the beams of the sun by day, and in the light of the moon by night. Shu was the husband of his twin, the goddess Tefnut, son of the sun god Atem-Ra and father to the earth god Geb and the sky goddess Nut. SILENUS The oldest Satyr, represented as a jovial old man, with a balding head, pug nose, and rubicund visage, and generally as intoxicated. It is said it was he who instructed Dionysus. Silenus was fond of music and was an inspired prophet noted for his wisdom. SIREN (Seirenes)
The Sirens were sea nymphs who were half woman and half bird, and lured sailors to shipwreck along rocky coasts, with their irresistible singing, before devouring them. The Sirens inhabited the cliffs of the islands lying between Sicily and Italy, and that the sweetness of their voices bewitched passing mariners. Skeletons lay thickly strewn around their dwelling; for they had obtained the right to exercise this cruel power of theirs on men so long as no crew succeeded in defying their charms. The Argonauts were the first to accomplish this feat, by keeping their attention fixed on the unsurpassed sweet music of their companion, Orpheus. And so the Sirens came to an end, and in despair they cast themselves into the sea, and were changed into cliffs. Mariners often used the symbol of a Siren as reminder that they should always be mindful of hidden dangers. SPES (Hope) Had Hope escaped when the imprudent Epimetheus opened Pandora’s box, which let loose all the evils into our world, no resource had been left to man against the calamities of life; but as she alone remained in that fatal box, there is no wonder they made a divinity of her; this celestial gift or grace was accordingly deified by the Greeks and Romans. She is depicted holding up her train in her left hand, that it may not encumber her in her progress, for she is always drawn in a walking posture, it being as natural for Hope (Spes) to press forward to her proper objects, as for Fear to fly from them: she has a flower or blossom on her right hand, which is a proper ornament for Hope.
-TTEFNUT Tefnut was the Egyptian god of moisture (rain and dew) and clouds. She is usually depicted as a lioness or a woman with the head of a lioness with the solar disk and “uraeus” (the uraeus appears as a symbol worn on the crown or headdress of royalty; it was used as a protective symbol). Tefnut was responsible for order and justice; from her came Nut the mother of the gods. TERPSICHORE (a Muse) Muses were Greek goddesses who presided over the Arts and Sciences. Terpsichore the "Whirler" is the muse of dancing and is often seen dancing with her lyre and a plectrum, an instrument used for plucking stringed instruments. Some say Terpsichore was the mother of the Sirens with the river-god Achelous. It is said that ancient schools worshipped shrines to the Muses, called ‘mouseion’, commonly accepted as the source of the modern word 'museum'. Before poets or storytellers recited their work, it was customary for them to invoke the inspiration and protection of the Muses. THEMIS Themis was the goddess of Justice and mistress of Oracles, Laws and Sacred Ceremonies. Said to be the founder of Divination, Sacrifices, the Laws of Religion, and whatever serves to maintain order and peace. Her first oracles
were from Earth, to Jupiter, but Themis gave him counsel in his wars with the giants to take the skin of the goat Amalthea for a shield. She likewise foretold Atlas that a son of Jupiter should deprive him of his kingdom. Themis, had for her lot a part of Thessaly, where she governed with so much integrity and judgment, she was ever afterwards looked upon as the divinity of rectitude. Themis is represented here holding a balance or scales, and blindfolded, to evince her impartial attachment to right. THESEUS Theseus was the son of Aegeus, king of Athens, and when arrived at manhood was to proceed to Athens and present himself to his father. Aegeus, on parting from Aethra, before the birth of his son, placed his sword and shoes under a large stone and directed her to send his son to him when he became strong enough to roll away the stone, and take them from under it. When she thought the time had come, his mother led Theseus to the stone, and he removed it with ease and took the sword and shoes. As the roads were infested with robbers, his grandfather pressed him earnestly to take the shorter and safer way to his father's country- by sea; but the youth, feeling in himself the spirit and the soul of a hero, and eager to signalize himself like Hercules, with whose fame all Greece then rang, by destroying the evil-doers and monsters that oppressed the country, determined on the more perilous and adventurous journey by land. His first day's journey brought him to Epedaurus, where dwelt a man named Periphetes, a son of Vulcan. This ferocious savage always went armed with a club of iron, and all travellers stood in terror of his violence. When he saw Theseus approach he assailed him, but speedily fell beneath the blows of the young hero, who took possession of his club and bore it ever afterwards as a memorial of his first victory (as told by Thomas Bulfinch 1796-1867). Theseus had many exploits and became Rome’s greatest hero. The image shown is of Theseus slaying the bull of Marathon, which was causing a lot of damage in Attica; he carried the bull around the streets triumphantly and sacrificed him to the Delphinio Apollo. THOR Thor was an idol of the ancient Saxons, the son of Odin, and the Norse god of strength, thunder and war. He is identified with Donar, the thunder god of Teutonic mythology. Thor carried a large hammer, he called Mjollnir, which served as the instrument with which he punished the impious race of man; Mjollnir would return to Thor's hand after being thrown and was symbolic of lightning. He wore an enchanted belt that was said to double his strength. Thor rode around middle-earth in his chariot, drawn by two goats, and said to live at Thruthheim in his hall, Bilskinir. He was foremost of the gods to the common man, who would call on him to ensure fertility; hammer shaped amulets were worn about the neck for hundreds of years after his death. The weekday “Thursday� is named after this god of the common man.
THOTH The Egyptian god of wisdom and leaning, Thoth was the creator and “orderer� of the universe and the inventor of writing, arithmetic, and astronomy; and the god of magical works. Thoth was depicted as a man with the head of an ibis bird. He was shown as attendant in almost all major scenes involving the gods, but especially at the judgement of the deceased TRIPTOLEMUS Concerning the descent of this personage there are various opinions. Some make him son of Eleusis, some of Disaules, and some of Oceanus and Tethys; and others, of Celeus, which last is the more general opinion. For, whilst Ceres sought her daughter Proserpine, being kindly used in her journey by Celeus at Athens, she taught him to sow corn, and fostered his son Triptolemus, feeding him by day with celestial milk, and by night covering him with fire; that so she might render him immortal. The child in a few days became a beautiful young man, by the extraordinary mode of education. The father was desirous to know by what means the change was effected. To gratify therefore his curiosity he looked through a small chink and saw the goddess placing the boy beneath the burning coals: this terrifying Celeus, he exclaimed that Ceres was murdering his child, whom to save, he burst into the room. Ceres after having punished this imprudent curiosity, with death, put Triptolemus into her chariot drawn by winged dragons, and sent him over the world to instruct mankind in the culture and the use of corn.
-UURANIA (a Muse) Muses were Greek goddesses who presided over the Arts and Sciences. Urania was the muse who extended her care to all divine or celestial subjects, such as the hymns in praise of the gods, the motions of the heavenly bodies, and whatever regarded philosophy or astronomy. UNUT Unut was an old prehistoric deity that originally had the form of a snake and called "The swift one". She came from province 15 in Upper Egypt and was worshipped with Thot at the capital Hermopolis. Later she got a woman's body and a hare's head. She was taken into the cult of Horus and later by Re.
-VVESTA (HESTIA) Vesta was the Roman goddess of the Hearth and Fire and is identified with the Greek Hestia; symbol of Chastity, Peace and Personal Security. As Vesta was the goddess of fire, the Romans has no images of her in her temple; the reason for which, assigned by Ovid, is that fire has no representative, as no bodies are
produced from it: yet as Vesta was the guardian of house or hearths, her image was usually place in the porch or entry, and daily sacrifices were offered up to her. It is certain nothing could be a stronger nor more lively a symbol of the “supreme being�, than fire; accordingly we find this emblem in early use throughout the East. The Romans looked upon Vesta as one of the tutelary deities of their empire; and they so far made the safety and fate of Rome to depend on the preservation of the sacred fire in the temple of Vesta, that they thought the extinction of it foreboded the most terrible misfortune. VENUS (Aphrodite) The goddess of Beauty, Love and Pleasure who is fabled to have sprung from the froth raised by the genitals of Saturn, when cut off by his son Jupiter, and thrown into the ocean. VULCAN The god of artisans and tradesmen, Vulcan was the son of Jupiter (Zeus) and it said that he was so remarkably deformed at birth, that his father threw him down from heaven to the isle of Lemnos. There he set up his forges, and taught men the malleability and polishing of metals. Thence he removed to the Liparean islands, near Sicily, where with the assistance of Cyclops he made Jupiter fresh thunderbolts as the old ones decayed. He also wrought a helmet for Pluto, which rendered him invisible; a trident for Neptune, which shook both land and sea; a chariot for the Sun, and another for Mars. However disagreeable the person of Vulcan might have been, he was susceptible notwithstanding of love. His first passion was for Minerva but his courtship in this instance failed of success, not only on account of his person, but also because the goddess had vowed perpetual virginity. He did however enjoy success with Venus, because following the advice of Jupiter he put poppies in her nectar, and thus gained possession of the first beauty in heaven. ZEPHYRUS (a Wind god) This wind god is represented as presiding over the growth of fruits and flowers. He is described as giving a refreshing coolness to the air by his soft and agreeable breath, and as moderating the heat of summer by the fanning of his wings. ZEUS In Greek mythology, Zeus was the chief of the Olympian gods, and as the supreme god, he dispensed both good and evil. He was the father and ruler of all gods and men, lord of the sky, and the fountain of kingly power, justice and order. See also Jupiter.