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Wa’a The omnipresent supreme sky god whose eye is the sun. As the Black Wa’a he is the night or the cloud-covered sky; as the Red Wa’a, the day, the bright and sunny sky. The Hadya, Ethiopia Wa-cheaud ”The Indians describe a fiery substance above the sun, which is ruler of all things. Wa-cheaud, the maker, or creative spirit.” United States Wa cinaci ”Our Father,” the supreme being of the Arawak. Guiana Wah-con-tun-ga The creator of all things. The Assiniboin of the Upper Missouri Wahhahnah The supreme spirit of the Winnebago Indians. Wisconsin Wahkeeyan The Great Spirit of the Dakota Indians who makes the thunder. The northern Plains. Wah-kon-tah This spirit is the ”central force of the universe,” is the all-encompassing power of all things, animates and inanimate. Man’s consciousness and each individual are interrelated with all. He was praised and thanked for a bountiful harvest. The Quapaw, Arkansas and Oklahoma Wah-Kon-Tah The Great Mystery and creator is identified with the sun—”Grandfather the Sun.” He sent the Little Ones from the sky to live on earth; is god of the day and the symbol of life. He taught them to make straight ”arrow shafts from the dogwood and the ash tree” and about fire (firing the prairie grasses with lightning). He is also feared as he uses lightning, thunder, and tornadoes to express his anger. See also Wakanda. The Osage, Plains Indians Wah-pec-wah-mow The ruler of the heavens who created the earth, gave it features, forests, animals. Omnipotent and omnipresent. The Yurok, California Wailan wangko ”Grandfather.” the chief god and first one of the beginning who broke open the coconut tree out of which came man. Southern Minahassa, Celebes, Indonesia Wak, Waka Waq, Waqa The ”Father of the Universe,” the omniscient sky god who is associated with the rains and the thunder, He is invoked for the prosperity of the crops and the stock, for good health. He is the creator and lord over numerous lesser spirits. The Galla, Somali, Afar, Saho, and the Boni (pygmies), Ethiopia, Somaliland, and Uganda He is a god who dwelled in the clouds. He was supreme and a benefactor god. He kept the heavens at a distance from the earth and ornamented it with stars. When the earth was flat, Wak asked man to build himself a coffin. Man did so and Wak shut him up in it and buried it. For seven years he made fire rain down. This is how the mountains were formed. Wak then danced upon the place where the coffin was buried and man sprang forth, alive. He was sure he had slept for a brief moment only and was shocked to find it had been so long and earth had changed so much; this is why man is awake for most of the day. Eventually man grew tired of living alone. Knowing of man's loneliness, Wak took some of his blood and after four days, the blood turning into a woman whom the man married. Man and woman had thirty children, but man was so ashamed at having had so many that he hid fifteen of them away. Wak was angry with this, and as a result, the children man hid away were turned into animals and demons. Ethiopia Wakanda, Wakonda The Great Spirit and creator of all things. This term is also applied to the supernatural quality inherent in all things. The Sioux, Osage, Omaha, Ponca, Assiniboin, Plains Indians Wakantaka, Wakanatnka, Wahkon-tun-kah The omnipotent and all-pervasive Great Spirit, the Great Mystery. He is the creator of the earth and all things, and of the white stones used by the medicine men that are taught the art of curing by the thunders who are Wakantaka’s messengers. ”Although singular in form, Wakantanka is collective in meaning…is not personified, but aspects of it are—sun, moon, sky, winds, etc. There are sixteen aspects, good gods, but as each is kan they are ”all only the same one.” Wikan and Hanwikan; Taku Sknaskan and Tatekan and Tobkin and Yumnikan; Makakan and Wohpe; Inyankan and Wakinyan; Tatankakan; Humonpakan; Wanagi; Waniya; Nagila; and Wasicunpi. Tobtob Kin is the same name used for shamans. Among the Dakota of the Fort Snelling, Minnesota area he became remote and otiose, yet he was invoked when going to hunt or war, and sometimes in oath taking. He required no prayers or sacrifices. The Oglala, the Lakota, the Dakota of the northern Plains, United States and Canada Wakea, Atea The creator of the universe with Papa (Rock). Hawaii Wal The omnipresent and omniscient supreme being of the Madin, a group of the Koma. Ethiopia Wala The benevolent and malevolent creator god who is propitiated for good fortune and sacrificed to before the planting in the hopes of a good harvest. The Mano, Liberia Wamara Among the Haya ”the ruler of the universe, supreme spirit and sovereign of the souls of the dead.” Tanzania W’amurreti-kwonci A title of the supreme being and creator. The Arawaks, Guiana Wamutsini The original god ”from whom the other supernaturals sprang.” He and Atehle, the sun, were the chief creators. The Trumai, Brazil Wanadi The benevolent supreme god who created all living things on earth—vegetation, animals, mankind. Son of the sun. The Makiritare, Venezuela Wan-Aisa, Dawan The Father god, the thunder, who is sometimes confused with Alwani. Both are considered the creator of the world and of mankind. The Mosquito, Nicaragua and Honduras Wanin The supreme god. Korea Wantu Su The supreme god who sent his nephew, Wantu, to the earth with all living things. The Sara family of tribes, Chad Waptokwa The sun god and the creator who was concerned in human affairs. The Sherenti, the Shavante, Brazil Waqaio The supreme being of the Masongo, identified with the sky. Ethiopia War The supreme being, omnipresent and omniscient. The Ciita (the Koma), Ethiopia Warongoe The remote, yet omnipresent, deity of the Sandawe, Tanzania Watauinewa The supreme omnipresent and beneficent god, the dispenser of life and death and of justice. The Yahgan, Tierra del Fuego Waunthut Mennitoow The benevolent supreme being, ”author of all things, in heaven and earth; the governor of all events.” The Mahikan, New York Weland Norse (Scandinavian) god of smiths and metalworkers. His element is fire. Wele, Wele omuwanga The supreme being and the creator of the world and of mankind is the beneficent source of all good. He is the giver of life and death and is concerned with man’s welfare. Wele is also used as a noun, applied to numerous deities. The Abaluyia, the Vugusu, Gishu, Wanga, Kakalelwa, Kabras, Bantu Kavirondo, Kenya Wende, Ouende The omnipresent and omniscient supreme god who lives in the sun, and who punishes with lightning. He is the creator of the heavens and earth, and of all living things. The Mossi, Senegal and Upper Volta Weni The omnipotent supreme being and creator of life has predetermined all things, is a god of destiny, He is associated with the sky. The Builsa of the Gold Coast, West Africa Wennam, Winnam The benevolent supreme god is associated with the sun, is venerated but not feared. He is also called Winde or Naba Zidiwinde and has various manifestations: Tenga Wende, Tido Wende, Siguiri Wende, Ki Wende, and Saga Wende. The Mossi, Upper Volta Were African creator god, give of life and cause of death. Like Zeus in the mythology of Greece, he punishes evildoers with lightning bolts. Weri, Weri Kubumba The beneficent creator god of the Bagisu to whom offerings were made at the circumcision ceremonies. Uganda wesona-megetoL ”’world-maker.’ Fashioned the empyrean vault after the manner and pattern of a fish-net.” The Yurok, California Whanin, Chiso The creator god whose son was Whanung. Korea Wichaana A title of the supreme being as the ”the creator of men and fishes.” The Mizteca, the Zapoteca, Mexico Wigan A creator deity of the Kiangan. Philippines Wigan ad Angachal The chief god and creator of the earth and mankind, the giver of culture. The Mayawyaw, Luzon, Philippines Wisagatcak, Wisaketcak The creator of the world and of the Indians is also a trickster. The Cree, United States and Canada Wisakaa The creator of the earth and of all things, including man. He lives in the north. The Fox Indians, Wisconsin Wisakedjak, Wisekedjak The creator among the Nippissings. Among the Ojibwa he was a transformer who expanded the ”mud retrieved by Muskrat” into the earth in their cosmography. Wisoulus, Wis-so-wul-us The supreme being of the Twana. Washington Woden, Wotan, Odin The Germanic All-Father, the sovereign god who possessed all wisdom and was the master of magickal powers. He was a god of battle who determined the victory, a god of death who determined man’s destiny. Also England. Woi-shun With Chanum parents of ”all things in heaven and on earth.” The Kachin, Burma Wolaro The creator of heaven and earth and of all things ”who, however, is not in any sense to be spoken of as a god.” His creations were through demiurges, chiefly birds. Father of Bundulmiri and Dagubal. The Gwi: ni, Kimberley, Northwest Australia Wonajo Their chief god created the land and the stars. He lives on Mt. Rossel as a snake by day, a human by night, is armed with man-catchers, a form of weapon. Rossel Island, Melanesia Wonekau An omniscient and supreme celestial god whose means of punishment is usually the weather. He is also a god of animals who controls success or failure in hunting. New Guinea Wonomi The benevolent supreme being and creator of the world. Variant titles—Kodo-yapen, Kodo-yanpe, Kodo-yeponi. The Maidu, California Woot A god who initiated the creation which was carried out by his nine sons. The Bushong of Kasai District, Belgian Congo. Wulleb (male) ”the first living beings were two worms, Wulleb and Lejman, living together in a shell…. They … raised the top shell to make the sky; the lower shell became the earth.” The Marshall Islands, Micronesia Wuni African creator god and shaper of destiny. Wuotan The Teutonic god of ”the all-pervading creative and formative power”—the All-Father, the one-eyed god, a god of war and battles, of victory. He inflicts with diseases but also heals. Wura Rera The dual deity of Sky-Earth or Sun-Moon as a supreme being. The Molucca Islands (Middle Flores), Indonesia Wuro The high god whose name also means firmament, rain. He is the total creator. The Bobo-Fing, Upper Volta |