Ancient Religion
(4500 BC-AD 1240)
- Ancient Mesopotamian Religion (?4500 BC-AD 392)
- Deities
- Nammu: the primeval sea (chaos).
- An: god of heaven.
- Antu (Ki): goddess of the earth.
- Enlil: god of air.
- Ninlil: goddess of air.
- Enki (Ea): god of the sea, wisdom, and magic.
- Nanna (Sin): god of the moon and vegetation.
- Utu (Shamash): god of the sun and justice.
- Inanna (Ishtar): goddess of love, war, and fertility (queen of heaven).
- Dumuzi (Tammuz): god of animals.
- Marduk: god of thunder (king of heaven).
- Ninurta: god of war.
- Ninhursag (Ninmah): goddess of motherhood.
- Nabu: god of scribes (messenger).
- Nergal: god of the dead.
- Ereshkigal: goddess of the dead.
- Worship, Rituals, and Beliefs
- each group of people possessed its own story of creation and its own deities in which a temple was built in their honor and comprised of priests, musicians, and soothsayers; sacrifices of animals and vegetables were common as well as annual festivals.
- when the Babylonians conquered the Sumerians their gods became identified with each other and fused together (such as Inanna of Sumer and Ishtar of Babylon); the Babylonians also gave their chief deity Marduk preeminence over the Sumerian deities.
- the primeval sea (chaos) gave birth to heaven and earth, who bore air; air bore the moon, who bore the sun; air and earth bore the sea who ordered the universe; heaven and air transferred their powers to Marduk, who reigned over the universe.
- Ancient Egyptian Religion (?3100 BC-AD 392)
- Deities
- Amon-Ra: god of the sun.
- Shu: god of air.
- Tefnut: goddess of air.
- Geb: god of the earth.
- Nut: goddess of heaven.
- Osiris: god of the dead (king of heaven).
- Isis: goddess of fertility and motherhood (queen of heaven).
- Horus: god of day, light, and goodness.
- Hathor: goddess of the dead, love, and beauty.
- Set: god of night, darkness, and evil.
- Anubis: god of mummification
- Khonsu: god of the moon.
- Sebek: god of the sea.
- Nun: goddess of the sea.
- Worship, Rituals, and Beliefs
- each city possessed its own story of creation and its own deities in which a temple was built in their honor and comprised of priests, musicians, and soothsayers; sacrifices of animals and vegetables were common as well as annual festivals.
- when a dynasty from a different city ruled over Egypt their gods became identified with each other and fused together (such as Amon of Thebes and Ra of Heliopolis who became Amon-Ra); they also usually gave their chief deity preeminence over the others.
- when someone died their body was mummified and placed in a tomb in order to preserve and protect it so that its ka ("spirit"), which couldn't exist without the body, could depart to the underworld and could one day return to the body.
- the primeval sea (chaos) gave birth to the sun, who bore air; air bore heaven and earth, who bore Set, Osiris, Isis, and Nepthys; Osiris and Isis defeated Ra and reigned over the universe, but Set killed Osiris; Isis and Anubis mummified and resurrected Osiris who became ruler of the dead and his son, Horus, became ruler of earth.
- Ancient Greek Religion (?3000 BC-AD 392)
- Deities
- Gaea: goddess of the earth.
- Uranus: god of heaven.
- Zeus: god of heaven and thunder (king of heaven).
- Hera: goddess of fertility and motherhood (queen of heaven).
- Poseidon: god of the sea.
- Hades: god of the dead.
- Demeter: goddess of fruitfulness and grain.
- Athena: goddess of wisdom, war, and arts and crafts.
- Apollo: god of the sun, music, prophecy, medicine, and archery.
- Artemis: goddess of the moon and hunting.
- Ares: god of war.
- Aphrodite: goddess of love and beauty.
- Hephaestus: god of fire (blacksmith).
- Hermes: god of trade and science (messenger).
- Eros: god of love.
- Hestia: goddess of the hearth.
- Dionysus: god of wine and vegetation.
- Worship, Rituals, and Beliefs
- each deity was worshipped as a patron and protector of a certain city or cities in which a temple was built in their honor and comprised of priests, musicians, and soothsayers; sacrifices of animals and vegetables were common as well as annual festivals.
- chaos gave birth to earth, who bore heaven; heaven and earth bore Cronus and Rhea; Cronus and Rhea defeated heaven and reigned over the universe, they then bore Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon; Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon defeated Cronus and reigned over heaven, the dead, and the sea, respectively.
- Ancient Baltic Religion (?2500 BC-AD 1240)
- Deities
- Dievs: god of heaven and thunder (king of heaven).
- Saule: goddess of the sun and fertility (queen of heaven).
- Meness: goddess of the moon.
- Auseklis: god of the stars.
- Juras mate: goddess of the sea.
- Lauka mate: goddess of fertility.
- Jumis: god of fertility.
- Velu mate: goddess of the dead.
- Zemes mate: goddess of soil and the dead.
- Velns: god of evil.
- Veja mate: goddess of wind, forests, and birds.
- Meza mate: goddess of protecting forests and animals.
- Perkons: god of storms and mountains.
- Meza Virs: goddess of forests
- Cerklicing: god of crops.
- Darzamate: goddess of gardens.
- Usins: god of light and horses.
- Deving Isching: god of horses.
- Lopu mate: goddess of cattle.
- Moschel: god of cattle.
- Mara: goddess of cattle.
- Janis: god of fortune.
- Dekla: goddess of fortune.
- Karta: goddess of destiny.
- Laima: goddess of destiny.
- Worship, Rituals, and Beliefs
- deities were worshipped under a sacred tree, an arrangement of stones, or a wooden temple built in their honor and comprised of priests, musicians, and soothsayers; sacrifices of animals and sometimes humans were common as well as fire worship.
- chaos gave birth to the gods, who became led by heaven and the sun.
- Ancient Slavic Religion (?2500 BC-AD 988)
- Deities
- Byelobog: god of the sun, wind, and fortune (king of heaven).
- Iarilo: god of the sun and strength.
- Radogast: god of the sun.
- Raj: god of the earth.
- Mokos: goddess of the earth.
- Myesyats: god of the moon.
- Svatog: god of the atmosphere.
- Nyia: god of the dead.
- Belogob: god of life.
- Troian: god of night.
- Lada: goddess of beauty.
- Vesna: goddess of spring.
- Pereplut: goddess of drink and destiny.
- Dola: goddess of destiny.
- Herovit: god of the army.
- Yarovit: god of victory.
- Worship, Rituals, and Beliefs
- deities were worshipped under a sacred tree, an arrangement of stones, or a wooden temple built in their honor and comprised of priests, musicians, and soothsayers; sacrifices of animals and sometimes humans were common as well as fire worship.
- chaos gave birth to the gods, who became led by the sun.
- Ancient German Religion (?2300 BC-AD 700)
- Deities
- Odin: god of war, wisdom, and magic (king of heaven).
- Frigga: goddess of love, marriage, and fertility (queen of heaven).
- Thor: god of thunder and strength.
- Loki: god of mischief and fire.
- Frey: god of the sun, rain, and fertility.
- Freya: goddess of magic and fertility.
- Nanna: goddess of the earth and the moon.
- Balder: god of light and joy.
- Hoder: god of darkness.
- Hermod: god of scribes (messenger).
- Tyr: god of war.
- Bragi: god of poetry.
- Forseti: god of justice.
- Idun: goddess of spring and youth.
- Skadi: goddess of winter and justice.
- Sif: goddess of summer.
- Aegir: god of the sea and storms.
- Ran: goddess of the sea.
- Hel: goddess of the dead.
- Syn: goddess of love.
- Ull: god of the hunt.
- Worship, Rituals, and Beliefs
- deities were worshipped under a sacred tree, an arrangement of stones, or a wooden temple built in their honor and comprised of priests, musicians, and soothsayers; sacrifices of animals and sometimes humans were common as well as annual festivals.
- chaos gave birth to gods, led by Odin, and giants, led by Ymir; Odin defeated Ymir and his skull became heaven, his body became earth, and his blood became the seas.
- Ancient Celtic Religion (?1800 BC-AD 392)
- Deities
- Danu: goddess of the earth, comfort, fertility, and prosperity.
- Beli (Gwydion): god of heaven and magic.
- Nudd (Nuada): god of the sea (king of heaven).
- Morgan (Morrigan): goddess of war, revenge, and magic (queen of heaven).
- Brigit: goddess of fire, fertility, love, and the hearth.
- Gofannon (Goibhniu): god of fire (blacksmith).
- Lugh (Oghma): god of journeys, skills, and sorcerers (messenger).
- Caillech: goddess of the earth, sky, moon, and sun.
- Blodwin: goddess of the earth.
- Benedigeidfran (Dagda): god of the sun, war, and music.
- Arianrhod (Aine): goddess of the moon, beauty, and fertility.
- Balor: god of evil.
- Carmen: goddess of evil, darkness, and violence.
- Lear: god of the sea.
- Manannan Mac Lir: god of the sea and storms.
- Nechtan: goddess of the sea.
- Arawn: god of the dead and revenge.
- Macdatho: god of the dead.
- Don: god of the dead.
- Pwyll: god of the dead.
- Adsagsona: goddess of the dead and magic.
- Rhiannon (Bebinn): goddess of the dead, animals, and fertility.
- Merlin: god of magic.
- Taliesin: god of poetry, music, and magic.
- Angus: god of love, youth, and beauty.
- Branwen: goddess of love and beauty.
- Ardwinna: goddess of forests.
- Artio: goddess of animals.
- Flidais: goddess of forests and animals.
- Worship, Rituals, and Beliefs
- deities were worshipped under a sacred tree, an arrangement of stones, or a wooden temple built in their honor and comprised of priests, musicians, and soothsayers; sacrifices of animals and sometimes humans were common as well as fire worship.
- when the Celts migrated their gods often changed name but retained their traits (such as Nudd of Wales and Nuada of Ireland); when the Celtic people of Gaul were conquered by the Romans the Celtic gods became influenced by the Roman gods.
- chaos gave birth to heaven and earth, who bore the gods; the gods became led by the sea and the Triple Goddess, Morgan.
- Ancient Roman Religion (?753 BC-AD 392)
- Deities
- Terra: goddess of the earth.
- Uranus: god of heaven.
- Saturn: god of heaven and agriculture.
- Ops: goddess of plenty.
- Jupiter: god of heaven and thunder (king of heaven).
- Juno: goddess of fertility and motherhood (queen of heaven).
- Janus: god of beginings and endings.
- Neptune: god of the sea.
- Pluto: god of the dead.
- Ceres: goddess of fruitfulness and grain.
- Minerva: goddess of wisdom, arts and crafts, and war.
- Apollo: god of the sun, prophecy, medicine, and archery.
- Diana: goddess of the moon and hunting.
- Mars: god of war.
- Venus: goddess of love and beauty.
- Vulcan: god of fire (blacksmith).
- Mercury: god of trade (messenger).
- Cupid: god of love.
- Vesta: goddess of the hearth.
- Bacchus: god of wine and vegetation.
- Worship
- each deity was worshipped as a patron and protector of a certain city or cities in which a temple was built in their honor and comprised of priests, musicians, and soothsayers; sacrifices of animals and vegetables were common as well as annual festivals.
- when the Romans conquered a group of people their gods were added to those of the Romans and often became identified with each other and fused together (such as Jupiter of Rome and Zeus of Greece).
- chaos gave birth to earth, who bore heaven; heaven and earth bore Saturn and Ops; Saturn and Ops defeated heaven and reigned over the universe, they then bore Jupiter, Pluto, and Neptune; Jupiter, Pluto, and Neptune defeated Saturn and reigned over heaven, the dead, and the sea, respectively.
