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Sa ”Death” who ”created an immense sea od mud, by means of magick” but very dirty and uninhabitable, which Alatangana improved upon. Sa also provided the sun, moon, and stars for mankind. The Kono, Guinea Sabazius A Phrygian solar god who was ”venerated as the supreme god in the Thracian Hellespont,” and who was identified with Dionysus in Greece. Sadasiwa One of the manifestations of the supreme god, associated with the shrine of origin. Bali, Indonesia Saga Norse (Scandinavian) goddess of good memories and the past. She is the daughter of Odin and can be invoked for remembrance. Saghalie Tyee The supreme god of the Chinook Indians. Washington Sahale The creator. The Salishan Indians, Washington and British Columbia Sakka The chief god, identified with Indra. Also considered the King of the nats, but benevolent. Burma Sakra The ”King of the gods” in Buddhism and Jainism, the equivalent of Indra. India Sakyamuni Japanese name for Buddha. Salacia Roman goddess of spring water. Called Amphitrite by the Greeks. Salgong The ”chief deity, marries Apongma, a divine princess who descends to earth and gives birth to Kengra Barsa, father of fire and of all the heavenly bodies.” The Garos, Tibet/Burma Samantabhadra, Samanta-bhadra, kun-tu-bzang-po The primordial Buddha, ”the Source of all Truth.” “Universal Goodness,” the supreme buddha. See also Padma-sambhava. Tibet Samba The high god whose wife is Qumba and their son Yero. All are considered high deities. The Fulani, Nigeria Sambulu The supreme being of the Ovimbundu. Zaire Sam Hyam Vidi A ”kind of Fatum presiding over the universe.” Above both Siva and Buddha. Bali, Indonesia Sam-mor The supreme being of the Tembeh. He fought with and subdued Naing whom he imprisoned. He ”rolled the fire with which he had fought into a ball, and this, as the sun, still revolves round the mountain to watch Naing.” Malay Peninsula Samni The primeval god, the male element, and father of the gods. When he died he became the clouds. The Katchins, Burma Sanci Gai The creator, under Yere, who rules over life and is invoked during epidemics. The Mao and the Busasi, Ethiopia Sangyamg Tunggal The supreme deity of the Kelantan. Malaya Sankara The creator god of the Bali-Hindu. He is associated with the North-West. Indonesia Sanke The omniscient supreme being and sky god who bestows the power of shamanism. The Ostyaks, Siberia Sao-Ts'ing Niang Chinese goddess of the clouds and the end of drought. Sarasvati Hindu goddess of all knowledge. She created the alphabet, the arts, mathematics, music, and magic. Also a river goddess. Šara Xasar Tengeri A supreme being from whom some Buriats claim ancestry. The Sarat and Xangin clans. Siberia Sarpanitum Near Eastern (Babylonian-Assyrian) goddess of earth, the sweet waters, wisdom, and knowledge. Wife of Marduk, daughter of Ea. Sati Egyptian goddess of the elephantine. Symbolizes the element fire. Saturn Roman god of agriculture and ruler of the golden age. Also known as Kronos, Chronos [Greek]. Saulal The creator of the universe who is half-man, half-lawud (a sea creature) is also god of the underworld. Ifaluk, Micronesia Savitar All-powerful Hindu god of the sun. He had a golden tongue and golden eyes. He cut off his hand as a sacrifice, so the priests gave him a gold hand in place of it. Sdach Nung The supreme god. The Samre, Cambodia Sebahanga A remote, yet benevolent, high god and creator. Known also as Kazoba, Biheko. The Kiga, Uganda Sebek Egyptian crocodile god. Assists in the birth of Horus in the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Also known as Sobek. Sedi, Sedi-Melo The female principle, the earth goddess, forms a primeval brother/sister pair with Melo. The Adi, Northeastern India. Among the Minyong as a dual deity, Sedi-Melo, they are ”credited with the creation of the earth.” See also Shedi. Sedna The supreme being and mistress of Adlivun, a part of the underworld, where she is also known as Idliragijenget. Among most, but not all, of the Eskimo she is the goddess of the sea and its creatures. Seh The supreme god who is represented by the leopard. Dahomey Seker Egyptian god of light and protector of souls passing to the underworld. Usually depicted with the head of the hawk, and wrapped like a mummy. Sekhmet Egyptian goddess of sunset, destruction, death, and wisdom. Originally created by Ra from his fire to be a creature of vengeance that would punish humans for their wrongdoings. However, she became a loving goddess of peace and compassion, and a Protectress of the righteous. Symbols are the lion and the desert. She symbolizes health, rebirth, fire, and wisdom. O Lady, Mightier than the Gods, Adoration rises unto Thee! All beings hail Thee! O Lady, Mightier than the Gods! Preserved beyond Death That Secret Name, O Being Called Sekhmet. At the Throne of Silence even, shall no more be spoken than Encircling One! I lose myself in Thee! -"Hymn to Sekhmet" Selempata The god ”who created matter.” The Iban Dyaks of Sarawak, Borneo Selene "The Radiant", "The Well Dressed Queen". Greek moon goddess and teacher to the magicians and sorcerers or sorceresses. She was a beautiful woman with long wings and a halo of gold. Daughter of Hyperion and Theia, sister of Helios and Eos. She symbolizes the moon. Also known as Phoebe. Selket Egyptian scorpion-goddess and helper of women in labor, often shown as a beautiful woman with a scorpion on her head. Her scorpions would strike death to the wicked, but she saved the lives of the innocent people who were stung by scorpions. she was also viewed as a helper of women in childbirth. Semagid Iaxha The high god of the Tsimshian whose breath is the wind. He controls the weather that he uses to punish. The Tsimshian, British Columbia Senga The high god of the Bavili. South Africa Sengen-Sama Chinese goddess of the sacred mountain Fujiyama. Serapis Ptolemaic god of the afterlife and fertility, devised by the Greeks from Osiris and Apis. Physician and helper of worshippers in distress. Symbolizes health/healing and fertility. Sesom, Seso, Setebos Variant names of the supreme being of the Pampas, Patagonia Set Egyptian god of darkness and evil. Known for murdering his brother, but was also revered as a protector of Egypt. Set was one of the earliest Egyptian deities, a god of the night often identified with the northern stars. He was variously hailed as a source of strength, and a protector, especially from the serpent Apep. Within Egyptian theology, there are conflicting opinions regarding Set's strength and warlike resolution. At first, pictures of a god with two heads- that of Set, as the god of darkness, and that of his brother Horus, god of light, appeared. At first this was a symbol of harmony, the union of polarities. However, later, it was regarded as a symbol of the conflict between dark and light. Set is depicted as being untamed and wild looking with white skin and fiery red hair. Barren wastelands and deserts symbolize him. Also known as Seth, Seti. Savaki, Khovaki The creator of the earth and people. Younger brother of Avasy. The Chumikan Evenks (Okhotsk Sea), Siberia Shai Egyptian god of destiny and fate. Also known as Shait. Shaka-Nyorai The historical Japanese Buddha. Virtue, spiritual enlightenment, spiritual lessons, self-understanding. [Chinese.] Shang-ti (Tien) Believed to have been two separate gods combined very early into one. The supreme being, a god of moral order and of destiny, beneficent and just as a god of rewards and punishments. China Shanungetlagidas One of two supreme gods, the god who preferred light as against Hetgwaulana who preferred darkness. They created the lesser gods as their assistants and to protect the Haidas; are invoked when in deep trouble. Shanungetlagidas is the ”possessor of the sun and moon…creator of the stars.” He is worshipped and not feared though he punishes with pestilence. He and Hetgwaulana were once harmonious but then became antagonistic. British Columbia Shan Wang Among some of the Ch’iang the mountain god is also the supreme deity. Szechwan, China Shedi, Shedi-Melo Shedi, the female of the dual Shedi-Melo personality, sister of Melo, the creators of the earth and sky and parents of the human race. See Also Sedi-Melo. The Minyong Abors, Assam Sheft-Hat A form of Khnemu wherein he absorbed the attributes of Ra, Shu, Qeb or Seb, and Osiris, and appears ”with four rams’ heads upon a human body…symbolizing fire, air, earth, and water” and representing ”the great primeval creative force.” Egypt Sheli A mammoth god who created the earth for man to live on. The Evenks, Siberia Shen-nung Chinese god of agriculture, pharmacy, medicine, and health. Symbolizes the element of air. Shenya The high god of the Angan. Zaire Shi The sun, the proto-creator Shi (secret name Kumuñawana) ”crated Wanadi by blowing on some Wiriki” (small crystal quartz, shaman’s power stone). He is not the same as the visible sun. The Makiritare, Venezuela Shibegeni-Burkhan One of the three creator gods, with Madari-Burkhan and Esege-Burkhan, who created the earth and mankind. Through deceit he won the right to give life to mankind who as a result are also deceivers. The Buriats, Siberia Shilup Chito Osh The Great Spirit of the Choctaw Indians. Mississippi Shimayet Lakkah The supreme being and a sky god who is aware of men’s actions and punishes offenders. The Tsimshian, British Columbia Shinerikyu A god who, with the goddess Amamikyo, were the creators. Okinawa. Ryukyu Islands Shingrawa The beneficent creator of the earth ”Which he shaped with a hammer” is little worshipped. The Kachins, Burma Shippawn Ayawng a god of the Kachin of the stature of Zeus or Dyaus. Burma Shiva "The Cosmic Dancer", "The Great Lord". Represents the aspect of the Supreme Being, which continuously dissolves and recreated. Shiva is both a creator and a destroyer, he is associated with both the changes of the seasons and the balance and constant conflict of good and evil. This is the cycle of the universe; birth-death-rebirth. He is the third member of the Hindu Trinity, along with Brahma and Vishnu. He is also a god of mercy and compassion and protects man from evil. Elementally, he corresponds to air and fire. Shiwanni The god who created the heavens, and with Shiwanoka, his wife, created the Zuñi Indians. New Mexico Shieanoka, Shiwanokia A goddess who created Awitelintsita, the earth, and with Shiwanni, her husband, created the Zuñi Indians. New Mexico Shoroyezhon The creator who forms a trinity with Runji, the son, and Bamarumbi, the mother. The Vazezuru, Rhodesia Shou-Hsing Chinese god of long life and old age. He was the keeper of the book with the life spans of men. Symbolizes longevity. Shui-Khan Chinese god who defends men against evil and forgives their wrongdoings. Symbolizes forgiveness, aversion of evil, and the element of water. Shuksiab The supreme god of the Nisqually Indians. Washington Shuzanghu The pre-existent male whose wife was Jumiang-Nui. They were the parents of the earth and the sky. The Dhammai, Northeastern India Siang-tiei ”Some Koreans that the name designates the Supreme Being, the creator and preserver of the world; others maintain…simply…the sky, to which they attribute a providential power of producing, preserving, and ripening the crops, banishing sickness. Korea Sibu A beneficent omnipresent and omnipotent supreme deity and creator god. The Bribri, the Talamancan, Panama and Costa Rica Sichi The supreme creator and the earth mother. Same as Sedi. The Gallongs (Adi), Northeastern India Si Dayang The rice-goddess who is ”the maker of man, the creative and sustaining power of the universe, the All-life, the gracious mother of nature.” The Karo Battas, Sumatra Sif Norse (Scandinavian) goddess of corn, crops, summer, and fertility. Symbolizes fidelity, friends, peace, and domestic matters. Sihai The primordial being whose eyes are the sun and the moon. The father of the winds. Nias Islands, Indonesia Sikia The beneficent supreme being and creator of the world and of mankind. Known by various tribes as Pra, Rang, Kau, Hawa, Fra. The Tangsas, Indo/Burmese Silewa A sky god created the earth, laying ”at the foundations his mother’s ring and coco-nut leaves.” But she ”changed her ring into a snake which still lies under the earth. When it turns, the earth shakes.” Nias Island, Indonesia Silewe Nazarata A goddess credited with the creation of the world and of mankind, giver of ”wisdom and understanding” but also considered mischievous and the source of evil. Wife/sister of Lowalangi and also the goddess of the moon. She is associated with both the upper and the lower worlds. Nias Island, Indonesia Silver Fox Creator of the world, and with Coyote the creator of people and animals, birds, etc. Shasta-Achomawi, California Sing-bonga A self-created god who alone or with Oteborom, created the earth, animals, vegetation, and mankind and who among most was identified with the sun. Among some he is also the supreme god. The Mundas, Hos, Birhor, Santal, Barue, Asurs, Kols. India Sins-sganagwai The supreme deity of the Haida who is omniscient even to thoughts. British Columbia Sirao The high god of the north and central Nias Island. Indonesia Sirma Thakoor The sun, along with Oteboram, self-created. Together they created the earth and all things. The Kol, India Sitchichenako The creator of all things. The Pueblo Indians, Arizona and New Mexico Siûû ”Elder Brother.” With Tcuwut Makai lives in the east. They control the universe. The Pima, Arizona and Mexico Siva As ”the supreme Indian androgyne” Siva is both a Splitting Androgyne when he created ”from his female half, the Goddess as a separate being” (as such she created a counterpart to herself for procreational purposes) and a Fusing Androgyne when she reentered Siva’s body, he again became androgynous. ”As usual, the androgyne itself is barren; Siva becomes the androgyne when he does ‘not’ want to procreate sexually.” India Siva (Mahadeva, Pasupati, Mahesvara, and numerous variants) The supreme deity in Bali and Java. In Bali he is a god of the heavens, of light, the source of all life, the creative principle and is represented by the lingga as a fertility symbol. He has lost the destructive aspect of the Indian Siva. Of the cardinal points he occupies the center. Siwa ”the source of all life, the synthesis of the creative and generative powers in nature; consequently in him are the two sexes in one—the Divine Hermaphrodite (Windú), symbol of completion, the ultimate perfection.” Bali Siwash The great god of the Saboba. San Jacinto area, California Sjofna Norse (Scandinavian) goddess of love. Skadi Norse (Scandinavian) goddess of winter, darkness, black magic, and hunting. Skan The omnipotent, omnipresent Great Spirit, the sky, gave life and movement to all living things, the soul to man; established the time periods—day, night, moon, year, decreed that the four winds should establish the cardinal points; and is ”the final and supreme judge of all things.” He created Tate, the Wind, to be his companion; from his own essence he created Wohpe, his daughter, to be the Mediator; and ”mankind to be servants of the Gods.” His color is blue. The Lakota, Oglala, Teton, Plains Indians, United States Ski, Shki-Pas an omnipresent sky god and creator who is associated with the weather. The Erzans (Mordvins), Russia Sno-Nysoa The creator god. Liberia So The male principle, the personified sky, who controls the course of events. The Kalahari, Nigeria So, Sogbo An androgynous deity born of Mawu-Lisa and the parent of the gods of the thunder pantheon. Dahomey Soko The remote supreme sky god and creator of the world is approached only through ritual. The Nupe, Nigeria Sombov-Burkhan A pre-existent god who singly (or with a triad made up of Esseghe-Burkhan, Maidari-Burkhan, and Shibegebi-Burkhan) caused the creation of the earth, with the bird Anghir, and then humans. The Buriats, Siberia and Mongolia Sone-yah-tis-sa-ye The Great spirit and the creator of the Indians. Iroquois, Eastern United States Songinyu and Song perinyu A dual supreme deity ”vaguely thought of as a divine pair who created all things and can bring good or evil upon men, but it is not known which is the male and which the female.” The Rengma Nagas, Assam Sosi The supreme god of the Male. Ethiopia Sotuknang A god created by Taiowa to create the universe, and life. In turn he created Kokyangwuit, Spider Woman, to help him. Hopi Indians, Arizona Soulbiéche The supreme deity of the Alabama Indians. Soutan A variation of the creation myth makes ”Soutan (soul)” the pre-existent deity, like Rajah Gantallah unformed, but with sight, hearing, and speech. He also created two birds who subsequently carried out the balance of the creation. Borneo Soychu The benevolent supreme being among the Taluhets and Diuihets, Araucanians. Argentina and Patagonia Sri Sembu Mahadeo The supreme god of the Raj Gonds who provides the life substance for the embryo and when this leaves, death occurs. His shrine is essential to the ritual life of the village. India Sse The female principle (Yin). With Ndu looked ”upon…as the creators of heaven and earth.” The Nakhi, Yunnan Province, China Suku The beneficent supreme god is the creator of the features of the earth as well as of humans whose needs he supplies. The Mbundu, Angola Sunawavi The primordial god who created the earth and man. The Southern Ute, Colorado Surasundari ”The goddess is no longer a simple fertility symbol, but a Sakti, a manifestation of the divine itself as female energy.” Khajuraho, India Susanoo Japanese thunder and storm god, mischief-maker. Also associated with rain, bravery, trees, snakes, agriculture, and the seas. Sussistinako A spider, the first being, is given as male and/or female, but in either case is the creator in Sia cosmogony. She is Thinking Woman whose ”creative capacity for ‘thinking outward into space,’ brings everything into existence.” The Keres, the Sia, New Mexico Sx’nts The ”hermaphrodite,” guardian of the daughters of the supernaturals. He is supposedly responsible when a male or female assumes the role of the opposite sex. The Bella Coola Indians, British Columbia |