I think Hera is also wrongly vilified. He was rarely seen without the instrument after that moment. Juno Caelestis was the Romanised form of the Carthaginian Tanit. He was the god and demon of darkness, destruction, chaos, and evil. He valued death, he loved the sound of mourning and he would drink the tears of the bereaved. She is also the goddess of witchcraft and sorcery; some say she was the first to use charms and spells. She was believed to have become pregnant by the East-wind and consequently birthed nine sons, all of whom carried the vilest diseases: (plague). Even in invocations, which generally required precise naming, the Romans sometimes spoke of gods as groups or collectives rather than naming them as individuals. Fittingly, her name is Akkadian for she who erases. However, as vile as eating children was, Lamashtu enacted various other evil deeds: she disturbed sleep and brought nightmares; she killed foliage and infested rivers and streams; she bound the muscles of men, caused pregnant women to miscarry, and brought disease and sickness. In Greek mythology, Eileithyia (or Ilithyia) was the goddess of childbirth who held the cow and the peacock as sacred animals. Hestia, Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter and Hera survived. On the rare occasions tat he left Tartarus he would ride a chariot led by 4 black horses. Dazaifu Tenmangu, the most famous Shinto shrine venerating Sugawara no Michizane. Venti, (Latin, "winds") deities equivalent to the Greek Anemoi. Syrinxs sisters turned her into a reed by a river to help protect her. This meant he was good at fighting and it meant that he had most of all the soldiers at heart. Hades kingdom is actually called the Underworld. winter is the best season ever! Also, Zeus didnt negotiate for her release. The perception of him is honestly quite wrong in modern society. Ced Yong (author) from Asia on April 08, 2020: Thanks for commenting, manatita44. This is just a brief example. At knew this and encouraged Ampelus to ride a bull in order to impress Dionysus. In many of the myths he is portrayed as being benevolent, wise and just however he also had a vengeful, vindictive side to him. Hecate is not really bad. According to legend, Loviatar was the evilest daughter of her parents and had the blackest of hearts. He was also a jealous God, and when Aphrodite took the character Adonis as her lover, Ares transformed into a wild boar and gored him to death. Enyo loves war more than Ares arguably. The following is a list of night deities in various mythologies. Source of all the host of evils, Their evil attempts to wreak havoc were usually petty and always extreme. Wikimedia CommonsLoki consumes a roasted heart (1911), Six Of The Craziest And Most Terrifying Gods Ever Described. Some archaic deities have Italic or Etruscan counterparts, as identified both by ancient sources and by modern scholars. He was also often unfaithful to his wife Hera and had a number of children by these mistresses. The Fallen Angel. It also became a near ubiquitous title or honour for various minor local deities, including the Lares Augusti of local communities, and obscure provincial deities such as the North African Marazgu Augustus. The Most Evil and Dangerous Gods and Goddesses in Greek Mythology 1. He was known as the father of diseasesdue to spawning the nine sonsand was related to the Scandinavian giants, who could shoot arrows into people, causing them to contract illnesses. Did her reputation precede her? Regardless, many Christians worldwide regard the horseman as the personification of pestilence. Since antiquity, Man has interpreted diseases and epidemics as being the work of powerful plague gods and demons. These ancient beings spend their time hearing the complaints of others and punishing the people being complained about harshly. Zeus is actually evil as he stripped Poseidon and Hades off their powers for a pretty stupid reason. At his fingers was a myriad of destructive powers, foremost of which being war and diseases. Vesta, a goddess of chastity usually conceived of as a virgin, was honored as Mater. Cronus Heres How Covid-19 Ranks Among the Worst Plagues in History The worst plagues in known history. In others, he tries to cause as many problems as possible. She had the audacity to scorn all men and Pan was not about to let that happen on his watch. , with dark origins in Sumerian culture and Babylonian demonology. He was the ruler of the underworld and king of the dead. The Olympians, being the egotists that they were, all thought the apple was for them. Worst of all the Death-land women, During the fall of Troy she was alongside Ares, Eris, Phobos, and Deimos inflicting terror and causing bloodshed. Uranus had imprisoned some other brothers of Cronus, the 100-handed giants and the 1-eyed giants. Some accounts say that Moros had the power to let humans see when (sort of) and how they would meet their end. One faces the past, and the other faces the future. After much disagreement, the Prince of Troy, Paris was given the task of deciding on who was the fairest. The Kalevala, a nineteenth-century work of poetry recognized as the national epic of Finland, references Loviatar: The blind daughter of Tuoni, Death and Destruction: 5 Evil Gods of the Underworld, 10 Brutal Ways to Die by Torture in the Ancient World, 5 Mayan Inventions That Will Surprise You, Who Were the Anglo-Saxons? Being a dark and gloomy job, he was keen to cheer things up a little and to do this he had his eye on Persephone, the daughter of the god Demeter. On the advice of Omohi-Kane, cocks were set outside the cave in the hope their crows would make the goddess think that dawn had come." Quiritis, goddess of motherhood. Pan is said to have been conceived in an orgy between Odysseuss wife, Penelope, Hermes, and all of her suitors. Probably the most famous myth involving Eris is that of the Judgement of Paris. Antaeus goaded people who were traveling in the country to wrestle him. Ced Yong (author) from Asia on April 20, 2020: Thank you very much for your encouraging comment! The Gods who "came to Earth". And yet, probably the greatest stories are those of her vendetta against Heracles, the son of Zeus and Alcmene. He is also revered throughout Japan in numerous Tenjin shrines. They didnt decide to be born to Zeus. Hecate was a goddess that ruled mainly over spells and magic, essentially, witchcraft. Oldest-Known Homo Sapiens Fossils Found in Morocco, Up To 100 Girls Cut By Michigan Doctors, Says Attorney In First U.S. [1] For the cult pertaining to deified Roman emperors (divi), see Imperial cult. The evil god was not worshipped; he was feared. An ancient Mesopotamia deity, Nergal was an underworld god associated with death, war, and pestilence. As a consequence of Amaterasu's disappearance the world was cast in total darkness and evil spirits ran riot over the earth. I have always been interested in mythology. Touching the earth made him invincible. He was the King of the Titans in the era prior to the reign of the Olympians and ruled with an iron fist. Wherever Enyo went she left a path of destruction behind her, destroying cities and causing general terror throughout the land. This side to their personality can be evil, dangerous and incredibly destructive and goes well beyond normal behaviour. I know right. Hera was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea and the wife of Zeus. Together they decided to overthrow Uranus. She represented the unknown, something inherently scary and evil to mankind with the amount of bad possibilities that could come out of it. Wars, natural disasters, diseases, all of the evil in the world is done, supposedly, by him. Angered by T. nes actions, Whiro became the embodiment of darkness and evil. When Metis became pregnant he decided he didnt want to wait to find out if the prophecy was true, so he just ate her. Hers was just being fair, a husband just cant cheat on her!And Hades, well.he doesnt do all the things they said and also, he created winter. Chalchiuhtotolin. A lectisternium is a banquet for the gods, at which they appear as images seated on couches, as if present and participating. Juno overlooks over weather events, especially the lunar phases. I do not believe that i am right or wrong in any sense these are only my opinions on the list. Resheph was an ancient Egyptian god of plague and war. So, he cut a bunch of the reeds into all different pieces and tied them together creating the pan flute. This extension of an Imperial honorific to major and minor deities of Rome and her provinces is considered a ground-level feature of Imperial cult. Amulets like the one pictured above, depicting the lion-headed, bird-clawed Lamashtu, were worn by an expectant mother to defend herself against the demoness. The meaning of Consentes is subject to interpretation, but is usually taken to mean that they form a council or consensus of deities. Zeus, much like his father Cronus, had received a prophecy that if his wife, Metis, had a son then this son would kill Zeus. Deimos and Phobos 6. They were also very often joined by Ares sister Eris. He spent his time driving humans to their untimely, and usually unpleasant, demise. The evil god was not worshipped; he was feared. Hecate is also the goddess of the crossroads and is said to grant travelers protection. Asteria and Phoebe on the Pergamon Altar. Ares 8. For most modern folks, though, Christian and Non-Christian alike, the White Rider is a dreaded symbol of the End of Times. Some sources claim that the demonic offspring Lilith boreafter she left Adamwere the incubi and succubi, and sired by an archangel named Samael. Old and wicked witch, Lowyatar, The two brothers were said to often accompany Ares into battle. Made her couch along the wayside, These women very often ended up wronged in some fashion by the God or sometimes they even died, by his hand or by that of his wife. Yu, A. C. (n.d.). Another telling tale, when the first generation of men on the earth turned out to be too wicked for Zeus, he decided to have them all killed. Feared as a bringer of illness, he was associated with other destructive Aztec gods such as Tezcatlipoca. In addition the table includes the equivalent Greek gods on which the Roman pantheon of gods and Roman mythology is based. Though she was capable of both good and evil, her lasting impact has been a negative one. Today, altars and shrines to the heavenly maiden continue to exist in various Chinese temples. In the case of Hades, yes he did kidnap Persephone, but he didnt force himself on her. While some of their gods are adaptations of the Greek gods, some are original too such as the two-faced god of doorways . The Erinyes come from the blood that fell onto land after Uranus was castrated by his son, Cronus. Apate 3. When Zeus fought the titan Typhon, she refused to pick a side so that she could watch the battle play out. The names of both Deimos and Phobos were feared and respected by soldiers across the battlefields of Greece. No ancient source, however, poses this dichotomy, which is not generally accepted among scholars of the 21st century. Hades had feelings for Persephone but never knew how to handle a situation like that, Zeus being Zeus said he should bring her to Hades (the Underworld, Hades is also the name of Greek Hell as well as the God, Hades is Hell, its complicated) so Zeus was mainly responsible for Persephones kidnapping. In other words, the instruments of gods. She also cheated on him. When Hera heard that Zeus had had a son, she sent two snakes to strangle him in his bed. Antaeus was one of the giants that Poseidon fathered. you didnt even mention Gaia, Tartarus or even Ouranous!!! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. To the chilling winds of morning. On the fields of sin and sorrow; Many of the Romans' own gods remain obscure, known only by name and sometimes function, through inscriptions and texts that are often fragmentary. The Goddess of Dawn Bacchus The God of Wine Bellona The goddess of war Caelus The primal god of the sky and theology, iconography, and literature Ceres The Goddess of Agriculture Cupid The God of Love Cybele The goddess of the Earth, nature, mountains, and wild animals Diana The Goddess of Hunting Faunus The god of the forest, fields, and plains [26] But the importance of the Sabines in the early cultural formation of Rome is evidenced, for instance, by the bride abduction of the Sabine women by Romulus's men, and in the Sabine ethnicity of Numa Pompilius, second king of Rome, to whom are attributed many of Rome's religious and legal institutions. She is alternatively called Douzhen Niang Niang. But they are not necessarily evil. Regardless of who is who, Nergal was one of the most powerful and feared gods of pestilence in Mesopotamian faiths. It really wasnt his fault. The Iliad refers to them as the Erinyes, that under earth take vengeance on men, whosoever hath sworn a false oath.. A fragment from Ennius, within whose lifetime the lectisternium occurred, lists the same twelve deities by name, though in a different order from that of Livy: Juno, Vesta, Minerva, Ceres, Diana, Venus, Mars, Mercurius, Jove, Neptunus, Vulcanus, Apollo.[15]. However, the brothers and their siblings were unhappyas there was not enough space for them allso T, ne wished to separate their parents by forcing Rangi upward. She could influence both god and human to make rash decisions and actions that would cause harm. Usually just called Athena, this goddess emerges from Zeus's head fully-grown and armed. Hecate, while magic and witchcraft are associated to her, its not inherently evil. Some groups, such as the Camenae and Parcae, were thought of as a limited number of individual deities, even though the number of these might not be given consistently in all periods and all texts. Cronus was the son of Uranus, God of the Sky, and Gaia, Goddess of the Earth. Like all cultures, they also had a rich and vibrant mythological background. For everything imaginable they had a god or goddess in charge. "The Great Mother" was a title given to Cybele in her Roman cult. According to mythology, he was the brother of the light god, Tne, and born from Papa (Earth) and Rangi (Sky). The other Titans became his court. With pestilence still a major social concern in the modern century, could these ancient personifications of diseases still be at work? This agreement is why the angels names were engraved on the amulets. In Greek mythology, many of the Gods have both positive and negative traits. Others say it was because he was most responsible. There was the famed beauty Lo who Zeus was fond of, Hera turned her into a cow. STYX The goddess of the underworld river of hate, whose streams encircled the entire realm of the dead. In contrast, others regard them as mere intangible manifestations of human fears. 9 Gods of Healing From World Mythologies and Religions, Heres How Covid-19 Ranks Among the Worst Plagues in History. She turned up anyway and was refused entrance. The gods tried all manner of ways to persuade the peeved goddess to leave the cave. Quite a terrible character. However, like Poseidon, shes vain, gets jealous easy, and goes to extremes with her punishments. Historically, the Aztec population was also decimated by disease outbreaks following the Spanish colonization of Aztec lands. Skillfully done with even-handed descriptions lacking any judgmental quality in depicting these beings. This agreement is why the angels names were engraved on the amulets. Tartarus is ruled by Tartarus, a primordial god. To prevent being consumed by Whiro, one should be cremated, as the god cannot gain strength from ashes. Davies, "The Training Grounds of the Roman Cavalry,", Tatius is said by Varro to have dedicated altars to ", Marko Marini, "Roman Archaeology in Vergil's Arcadia (Vergil, de Grummond, N. T., and Simon, E., (Editors), List of Roman birth and childhood deities, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Roman_deities&oldid=1151791613, Two other deities whose names are not known, This page was last edited on 26 April 2023, at 07:47. They had Mars, the god of war, Neptune, the god of the sea, Bacchus, the god of wine, and many more. One of the most famous myths with Apate involves Zeus, Hera and Semele. Wikimedia Foundation. Greek Goddess Of Childbirth And Pregnancy. Angered by Tnes actions, Whiro became the embodiment of darkness and evil. manatita44 from london on April 08, 2020: An interesting study. Some anthropologists have also likened Apollo to the Vedic deity Rudra, who was similarly able to induce sickness with his arrows, as well as purge illnesses. As for how Nergal came to be associated with plagues, some anthropologists believe this to be the result of syncretism with Erra, a Babylonian plague god. He grabbed At by the hair and threw her down to earth, forbidding her from ever returning to Mount Olympus. Phobeter was part of the Oneiroi as the personification of dreaming. In all accounts of the living going to the underworld and interacting with Hades, he never attacked, cursed or maimed someone who didnt deserve it. This is a bit brief and lacks a fair bit of depth. Some accounts claim that the wind who impregnated Loviatar was the sea monster, Iku-Turso. Yes! Her three aspects are Macha, Badb, and Nemain (or sometimes Anu). Zeus, Poseidon, Dionysius, Apollo all have atleast one. He was the Titan God of time, and in particular destructive time. Juno - celestial Roman Goddess of love and marriage Born from Saturn and Opus, sister and wife to Jupiter, Juno is an important Roman Goddess embodying feminine powers. Pan knew that she had been transformed but didnt know which reed she was. [23][24] Of those listed, he writes, "several names have their roots in both languages, as trees that grow on a property line creep into both fields. 8 Tu Er ShenChinese Mythology. To the source of stormy weather, He is no friend of humanity, but he doesnt tolerate compatriots or competition too. Such veneration, however, was not because Pazuzu could heal, but because of his aggressive and deadly nature. The relationship between the two tribes is hotly debated, but they could have been bitter rivals at some point in history. Hades 9. The indigitamenta are deities known only or primarily as a name; they may be minor entities, or epithets of major gods. People tend to think about Hades as the devil due to him presiding over the dead, and also due to terribly inaccurate Disney movies, but in all honesty hes doing his job, not only tending to the dead, but guarding Kronos who is imprisoned in Tartarus. The angels threatened to drown her in the sea, but she bargained with them, consenting to allow some of her demonic children to die day after day. This comes as no surprise with her father being Eris, one of the most evil gods. Decades later, Sugawara was even deified as the Shinto god of learning. Probably the most deadly war in Greek mythology. He had a disloyal personality, often betraying those who had once helped him. These were also placed in six male-female pairs. As revenge Hera told Apate to convince Semele to ask Zeus to show her his true form. To protect themselves from this dreaded plague demon, the Sami would either pray to the sky deity Radien or sacrifice a horse, the latter act believed to be capable of transferring ones illness to the dead horse. Throughout the Empire, the deities of peoples in the provinces were given new theological interpretations in light of functions or attributes they shared with Roman deities. The underworld was feared by all of mankind and Hades was seen as one of the more evil and dangerous Gods to encounter. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. As author Rick Riordan repeatedly highlights in his The Trials of Apollo series, the handsome Olympian could effortlessly dispense diseases with his divine arrows. 2. He was unlucky, and had to suffer. Whether the portrayal is favorable or not, Loki is always identified as a trickster and shape-shifter. The gods swore their most solemn oaths by her pitch-black waters. The Asgardians had run out of money to continue building Asgard, so Loki suggested hiring a giant to build it for them. They live in Erebus and predate the olympic gods. Then, I read a comment here somewhere about Hades giving us winter, to which I have to say Wrong. Gaia went to Zeus for help, he told Hades what was going on and Persephone loved Hades so she decided she would stay in Hades for 6 months of the year and be with her mother for the other 6. If you find such beliefs confusing, remember that ancient mankind often regards sicknesses as divine punishments. He was tasked with creating the first men and behind the back of Zeus he gifted them fire to help them survive. Athena has appeared in many myths throughout the religion where she curses one or more people as a punishment for their wrong doing. When Lilith sees the names, she remembers her oath and leaves the child alone, by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, 1896, in the Turku Art Museum, has certainly earned her status as a top evil god. Apolo (Apollo) Apolo was a son of Zeus and represented the sun in Greek mythology. Hades ruled in the underworld; Elysium, Asphodel and the fields of punishment. Coming in at number #1 above all other evil gods is the Mesopotamian goddess-demoness Lamashtu, the most terrible of all the female demons. Hera suspected Zeus was unfaithful with a nymph called Echo, she cursed Echo to only be able to speak the last words that were spoken to her. She literally disowned Hephaestus because he came out crippled. Athena would not hesitate to sacrifice someone in order for her mission to be furthered. In others, he tries to cause as many problems as possible. Coming in at number #5 of all evil gods is the Maori demon-god, Whiro. 7) Liber The origin of Liber is mostly unknown he was definitely worshipped in Italy for quite some time, and was joined. , a detail from The Last Judgment Byzantine Mosaic, in the Florence Baptistery, via CBS, Since the dawn of man, there has always been evil. However, whether this was to garner her protection or invoke her for sinister means remains a mystery. Apate along with many of her siblings were also said to be the evil spirits that escaped from Pandoras box, she is one of the more obvious choices for this list. Many polytheistic religions have one or more wind gods. Please recheck your facts. She doesnt really. 9 deadly plague gods and demons from world mythology. Within Hebrew traditions, Resheph was also a personal name, as well as previously misinterpreted as representing pestilence and burning coals. He was married to Persephone and commanded the Harpies, a troupe of flying monsters who punished mankind. Whiro went on to rule the underworld and was responsible for all the wicked things that humans did. The most famous myth is when he abducted Persephone to be his wife. I agree with you on the rest though. Hermes is credited as Pans father. No, I just wanted to point out a small inconsistency. His opponents often found their untimely demise when coming across him in their travels. The country being referred to is believed to be modern day Lybia. She could only be thwarted by an amulet inscribed with the names of three angelsSenoy, Sansenoy, and Semangelwhich was placed around a newborn babys neck. Apate was the daughter of Erebos, the God of Darkness, and Nyx, the Goddess of Night. I so happy that in some or most of them, you show that they had the capacity for Light as well as darkness. All her actions are completely unjustified. By Lara ColrainBA Archaeology, BA Art HistoryLara is a published author, editor, poet, and archaeologist based in Hobart, Tasmania. If you want good explanations for the Gods and their stories, check out OverlySarcasticProductions on YouTube. When a person died, it was believed that upon their descent into the underworld, they were eaten by Whiro.