Many have incorporated a god of

death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

into their

mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...

religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...

. As death, along with birth, is among the major parts of human life, these deities may often be one of the most important deities of a religion. In some religions in which a single powerful deity is the object of worship, the death deity is an antagonist against whom the primary deity struggles. The related term death worship has most often been used as a derogatory term to accuse certain groups of morally abhorrent practices which set no value on human life. In

monotheistic Monotheism is the belief that there is only one deity, an all-supreme being that is universally referred to as God. Cross, F.L.; Livingstone, E.A., eds. (1974). "Monotheism". The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 ed.). Oxford: Oxford ...

religions, death is commonly personified by an angel or demon instead of a deity.

Occurrence

In polytheistic religions which have a complex system of deities governing various natural phenomena and aspects of human life, it is common to have a deity who is assigned the function of presiding over death. This deity may actually take the life of humans or, more commonly, simply rule over the afterlife in that particular belief system (a single religion may have separate deities performing both tasks). The deity in question may be good, evil, or neutral and simply doing their job, in sharp contrast to a lot of modern portrayals of death deities as all being inherently evil just because death is feared. Hades from Greek mythology is an especially common target. The inclusion of such a "departmental" deity of death in a religion's pantheon is not necessarily the same thing as the glorification of death. A death deity has a good chance of being either male or female, unlike some functions that seem to steer towards one gender in particular, such as fertility and earth deities being female and storm deities being male. A single religion/mythology may have death gods of more than one gender existing at the same time and they may be envisioned as a married couple ruling over the afterlife together, as with the Aztecs, Greeks, and Romans. In

religions, the one god governs both life and death (as well as everything else). However, in practice this manifests in different rituals and traditions and varies according to a number of factors including geography, politics, traditions, and the influence of other religions.

Africa and the Middle East

Sub-Sahara Africa

Igbo

Ala Ala, ALA, Alaa or Alae may refer to: Places * Ala, Hiiu County, Estonia, a village * Ala, Valga County, Estonia, a village * Ala, Alappuzha, Kerala, India, a village * Ala, Iran, a village in Semnan Province * Ala, Gotland, Sweden * Alad, Seydu ...

( Igbo mythology) * Ogbunabali ( Igbo mythology)

Yoruba

Eshu Èṣù is an Òrìṣà/Irúnmọlẹ̀ in the ìṣẹ̀ṣe religion of the Yoruba people. Èṣù is a prominent primordial Divinity (a delegated Irúnmọlẹ̀ sent by the Olódùmarè) who descended from Ìkọ̀lé Ọ̀run, and the Chie ...

(

Yoruba religion The Yoruba religion (Yoruba: Ìṣẹ̀ṣe), or Isese, comprises the traditional religious and spiritual concepts and practice of the Yoruba people. Its homeland is in present-day Southwestern Nigeria, which comprises the majority of Oyo, Ogu ...

) * Iku (god) (

)

Akan

Owuo Owuo is the god of Death in the Asante and Akan mythology of West Ghana and the Krachi peoples of East Ghana and Togo. He is represented with the Adinkra symbol of a ladder. It is said that he was created by Odomankoma (could also be spelt Odom ...

, Akan God of Death and Destruction. Name literally means death in the Akan language * Asase Yaa, one half of an Akan Goddess of the barren places on Earth, Truth and is Mother of the Dead *

Amokye In the religious traditions of the Akan people and the Ashanti people of Ghana, Amokye is the woman who guards the entrance to the other world, which is called 'Asamando' (the Land of the Dead). She is the woman who welcome the souls of dead women ...

, Psychopomp in Akan religion who fishes the souls of the dead from the river leading to Asamando, the Akan underworld

Afroasiatic Middle East

Canaanite

Mot Mot or MOT may refer to: Media * Ministry of Truth, the propaganda ministry in George Orwell 1949 novel ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' * ''mot'' (magazine), former German car magazine * Mot (Star Trek), a minor character in ''Star Trek: The Next Gene ...

Egyptian

Aker Aker may refer to: Places * Aker, Norway, a geographic area in Oslo and a former municipality in Norway * Vestre Aker, a district of Oslo within former Aker municipality * Nordre Aker, a district of Oslo within former Aker municipality * Aker Br ...

(

Egyptian mythology Egyptian mythology is the collection of myths from ancient Egypt, which describe the actions of the Egyptian gods as a means of understanding the world around them. The beliefs that these myths express are an important part of ancient Egyptia ...

) * Andjety, an old Egyptian god * Anubis, guardian of the dead, mummification, and the afterlife in

ancient Egyptian religion Ancient Egyptian religion was a complex system of polytheistic beliefs and rituals that formed an integral part of ancient Egyptian culture. It centered on the Egyptians' interactions with many deities believed to be present in, and in control ...

* Aqen, a rarely mentioned deity in the Book of the Dead * Duamutef, one of the four sons of Horus * Hapi, one of the four sons of Horus * Imset, one of the four sons of Horus *

Kherty Kherty is an ancient Egyptian deity. Despite being archaeologically attested since the early 2nd Dynasty, his original mythological role during this era is unclear. Kherty was an Egyptian god of the Duat.Georg Meurer: ''Die Feinde des Königs i ...

Egyptian earth god *

Medjed In Ancient Egyptian religion, Medjed is a minor and obscure god mentioned in the '' Book of the Dead''. His ghost-like portrayal in illustrations on the Greenfield papyrus earned him popularity in modern Japanese culture, including as a chara ...

, an unusual looking god mentioned in the Book of the Dead *

Nephthys Nephthys or Nebet-Het in ancient Egyptian ( grc-gre, Νέφθυς) was a goddess in ancient Egyptian religion. A member of the Great Ennead of Heliopolis in Egyptian mythology, she was a daughter of Nut and Geb. Nephthys was typically paired wi ...

(NebetHuet), Anubis' mother; sister of Osiris and Isis (Aset); also a guardian of the dead. She was believed to also escort dead souls to Osiris. *

Osiris Osiris (, from Egyptian ''wsjr'', cop, ⲟⲩⲥⲓⲣⲉ , ; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎𐤓, romanized: ʾsr) is the god of fertility, agriculture, the afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He was ...

, lord of the Underworld * Qebehsenuef, one of the four sons of Horus * Seker, a falcon god of the Memphite necropolis who was known as a patron of the living, as well as a god of the dead. He is known to be closely tied to Osiris. * Serapis, Graeco-Egyptian syncretistic deity, combining elements of

, the

Apis Bull In ancient Egyptian religion, Apis or Hapis ( egy, ḥjpw, reconstructed as Old Egyptian with unknown final vowel > Medio-Late Egyptian , cop, ϩⲁⲡⲉ ''ḥapə''), alternatively spelled Hapi-ankh, was a sacred bull worshiped in the Mem ...

Hades Hades (; grc-gre, ᾍδης, Háidēs; ), in the ancient Greek religion and myth, is the god of the dead and the king of the underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea, although this also ...

Demeter In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Demeter (; Attic: ''Dēmḗtēr'' ; Doric: ''Dāmā́tēr'') is the Olympian goddess of the harvest and agriculture, presiding over crops, grains, food, and the fertility of the earth. Although s ...

, and

Dionysus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; grc, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity, and theatre. The Romans ...

. Also, patron of the Ptolemaic Kingdom and

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

Mesopotamian

Ereshkigal In Mesopotamian mythology, Ereshkigal ( sux, , lit. "Queen of the Great Earth") was the goddess of Kur, the land of the dead or underworld in Sumerian religion, Sumerian mythology. In later myths, she was said to rule Irkalla alongside her husb ...

(

Sumerian mythology Sumerian religion was the religion practiced by the people of Sumer, the first literate civilization of ancient Mesopotamia. The Sumerians regarded their divinities as responsible for all matters pertaining to the natural and social orders. Ov ...

Akkadian mythology Akkadian literature is the ancient literature written in the Akkadian language (Assyrian and Babylonian dialects) in Mesopotamia (Assyria and Babylonia) during the period spanning the Middle Bronze Age to the Iron Age (roughly the 23rd to 6th ce ...

Babylonian mythology Babylonian religion is the religious practice of Babylonia. Babylonian mythology was greatly influenced by their Sumerian counterparts and was written on clay tablets inscribed with the cuneiform script derived from Sumerian cuneiform. The myth ...

),"The counterpart to these deities of sky, air, water, and earth was the underworld, the realm of the dead, originally seen as ruled by the powerful Goddess Ereshkigal." Ruether, Rosemary Radford. ''Goddesses and the Divine Feminine: A Western Religious History''. Berkeley: University of California Press. "After consulting his mistress Ereshkigal, the queen of the Nether World, he admits Ishtar" Kramer, "Ishtar in the Nether World According to a New Sumerian Text" ''Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research''. 1940
Google scholar results
a
the JSTOR link
is unlikely to be universally available. first lady of the Underworld *

Namtar Namtar ( sux, , lit=fate) was a figure in ancient Mesopotamian religion who, depending on the context, could be regarded both as a minor god and as a demon of disease. He is best attested as the sukkal (attendant deity) of Ereshkigal, the goddess ...

(

), Ereshkigal's ''

sukkal Sukkal (conventionally translated from Sumerian as "vizier") was a term which could denote both a type of official and a class of deities in ancient Mesopotamia. The historical sukkals were responsible for overseeing the execution of various comm ...

''. *

Nergal Nergal ( Sumerian: d''KIŠ.UNU'' or ; ; Aramaic: ܢܸܪܓܲܠ; la, Nirgal) was a Mesopotamian god worshiped through all periods of Mesopotamian history, from Early Dynastic to Neo-Babylonian times, with a few attestations under indicating hi ...

(

), second lord of the Underworld *

Inshushinak Inshushinak (Linear Elamite: ''Inšušnak'', Cuneiform: , ''dinšušinakki''; possibly from Sumerian '' en-šušin-a ', "lord of Susa") was one of the major gods of the Elamites and the protector deity of Susa. He was called ''rišar napappa ...

(Elamite mythology; also present in the Mesopotamian An-Anum god list.) *

Nungal Nungal ( sux, d''Nun-gal'', "great princess"), also known as Manungal and possibly Bēlet-balāṭi, was the Mesopotamian goddess of prisons, sometimes also associated with the underworld. She was worshiped especially in the Ur III period in cit ...

(

), daughter of Ereshkigal *

Erra (god) Erra (sometimes called Irra) is an Akkadian plague god known from an 'epos' of the eighth century BCE. Erra is the god of mayhem and pestilence who is responsible for periods of political confusion. He was assimilated to Nergal at some point. E ...

* Ugur (

Hurrian religion The Hurrian religion was the polytheistic religion of the Hurrians, a Bronze Age people of the Near East who chiefly inhabited the north of the Fertile Crescent. While the oldest evidence goes back to the third millennium BCE, is best attested in ...

; also a ''

'' of Nergal) *

Ninazu Ninazu ( sux, ) was a Mesopotamian god of the underworld of Sumerian origin. He was also associated with snakes and vegetation, and with time acquired the character of a warrior god. He was frequently associated with Ereshkigal, either as a s ...

* Ningishzida *

Allani Allani, also known under the Akkadian name Allatu (or Allatum) was the Hurrian goddess of the underworld, incorporated into Hittite and Mesopotamian pantheons as well. Name and epithets The name Allani is derived from a Hurrian word meaning " ...

* Enmesharra, a primordial deity described as "lord of the underworld" *

Kanisurra Kanisurra (also Gansurra, Ganisurra) was a Mesopotamian goddess who belonged to the entourage of Nanaya. Much about her character remains poorly understood, though it is known she was associated with love. Her name might be derived from the word ' ...

, a goddess whose name is derived from the term "ganzer," referring to the underworld (Mesopotamian) *

Shuwala Shuwala (Šuwala) was a Hurrian goddess who was regarded as the tutelary deity of Mardaman, a Hurrian city in the north of modern Iraq. She was also worshiped in other Hurrian centers, such as Nuzi and Alalakh, as well as in Ur in Mesopotamia, Ha ...

, a goddess of Hurrian origin worshiped in Ur * Lagamal, minor underworld deity *

Birtum Birtum (, also spelled Birdu) was a Mesopotamian god who was the husband of Nungal. He was regarded as a deity associated with the underworld. Character Birtum's name means "fetter" or " shackle" in Akkadian, and he was likely a deification of ...

, husband of Manungal

Western Eurasia

European

Albanian

Djall Djall or Dreq is the personification of evil in Albanian mythology and folklore. The name is used also for a demon of fire. Etymology The name ''djall'' derives from the Latin ''diabolus'', "devil". Alternative forms are ''dreqi'' from the La ...

, symbolizes the devil. (Djaj(plural)) * Mortja, personification of death. An equivalent of Grim Reaper.(Female)(Mortjet, plural) * Vdekja, personification of death. (Female)

Balto-Finnic

Tuoni In Finnish mythology, Tuoni () was the god of Tuonela (the underworld), and darkness personified. He was the husband of Tuonetar. Their children included Kipu-Tyttö, Tuonenpoika, and Loviatar Loviatar (, alternative names Loveatar, Lovetar, Lov ...

(

Finnish mythology Finnish mythology is a commonly applied description of the folklore of Finnish paganism, of which a modern revival is practiced by a small percentage of the Finnish people. It has many features shared with Estonian and other Finnic mythologies, ...

, Estonian mythology)

Balto-Slavic

Giltinė The list of Lithuanian gods is reconstructed based on scarce written sources and late folklore. Lithuania converted to Christianity in 1387, but elements of Lithuanian mythology survived into the 19th century. The earliest written sources, author ...

( Lithuanian mythology) * Māra (

Latvian mythology Latvian mythology is the collection of myths that have emerged throughout the history of Latvia, sometimes being elaborated upon by successive generations, and at other times being rejected and replaced by other explanatory narratives. These myth ...

) * Morana (

Slavic mythology Slavic mythology or Slavic religion is the religious beliefs, myths, and ritual practices of the Slavs before Christianisation, which occurred at various stages between the 8th and the 13th century. The South Slavs, who likely settled in the B ...

) *

Peckols Peckols and Patollo (known under a multitude of different names) were gods in the pagan Prussian mythology who were worshiped by the Old Prussians. Most researchers believe that, despite varying names, Peckols and Patollo were probably the same ...

(

Prussian mythology The Prussian mythology was a polytheistic religion of the Old Prussians, indigenous peoples of Prussia before the Prussian Crusade waged by the Teutonic Knights. It was closely related to other Baltic faiths, the Lithuanian and Latvian mytholo ...

) *

Peklenc Slavic pseudo-deities (pseudo-gods, pseudo-goddesses) are Slavic deities that exist in popular or even scientific literature, but their historicity is not recognized by the vast majority of scholars, i.e., that the deity in question was not actua ...

* Veles *

Chernobog Chernobog ( "Black God") and Belobog ( "White God") are an alleged pair of Polabian deities. Chernobog appears in the Helmold's ''Chronicle'' as a god of misfortune worshipped by the Wagri and Obodrites, while Belobog is not mentioned – he was ...

(

)

Basque

*Erio ( Basque mythology)

Celtic

Ankou Ankou (Breton: ''an Ankoù'') is a servant of death in Breton, Cornish (''an Ankow'' in Cornish), Welsh (''yr Angau'' in Welsh) and Norman French folklore. Background Ankou appears as a man or skeleton wearing a black robe and a large hat w ...

(

Breton people The Bretons (; br, Bretoned or ''Vretoned,'' ) are a Celtic ethnic group native to Brittany. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brittonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain, particularly Cornwall and Devon, most ...

) * Arawn *

Cichol In Irish mythology, Cichol or Cíocal Gricenchos is the earliest-mentioned leader of the Fomorians. His epithet, ''Gricenchos'' or ''Grigenchosach'', is obscure. Macalister translates it as "clapperleg"; R. A. Stewart Macalister (ed. & trans.), ''L ...

* Crom Cruach * Donn * Mannanan * The Morrigan *

Scáthach Scáthach () or Sgàthach ( gd, Sgàthach an Eilean Sgitheanach) is a figure in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. She is a legendary Scotland, Scottish Women warriors in literature and culture, warrior woman and martial arts teacher who train ...

Goddess of the dead

Norse-Germanic

* Freyja, presides over Fólkvangr; chooses half of those who die in battle * Gefjon, a goddess who oversees those who die as virgins * Hel, goddess of the dead and queen of

Helheim Hel (Old Norse: ) is an afterlife location in Norse mythology and paganism. It is ruled over by a being of the same name, Hel. In late Icelandic sources, varying descriptions of Hel are given and various figures are described as being buried ...

, where people who didn't die in battle or drown go after death *

Odin Odin (; from non, Óðinn, ) is a widely revered Æsir, god in Germanic paganism. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates him with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, v ...

Kveldulf Gundarsson. (1993, 2005) ''Our Troth''. The dwelling one went to after death varied depending on where one died, at the battlefield or not. If not at the battlefield, one would go to Hel (not to be confused with the Christian

Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...

). Of the slain at the battlefield, some went to Folkvang, the dwelling of Freyja and some went to Valhalla, the dwelling of

(see Grímnismál). The ninth hall is Folkvang, where bright Freyja. Decides where the warriors shall sit. Some of the fallen belong to her. And some belong to Odin. presides over Valhalla and gets half of those who die in battle; there they train for Ragnarok *

Rán In Norse mythology, Rán (Old Norse: ) is a goddess and a personification of the sea. Rán and her husband Ægir, a jötunn who also personifies the sea, have nine daughters, who personify waves. The goddess is frequently associated with a net, w ...

, the sea goddess who collects the drowned in her net

Etruscan

* Aita, god of the underworld *Culga, a female underworld spirit * Februus, god of purification, death, the underworld, and riches *Mani, spirits of the dead *

Mania Mania, also known as manic syndrome, is a mental and behavioral disorder defined as a state of abnormally elevated arousal, affect, and energy level, or "a state of heightened overall activation with enhanced affective expression together wit ...

, goddess of the dead * Mantus, god of the underworld * Orcus, god of the underworld *

Tuchulcha In Etruscan mythology, Tuchulcha was a chthonic daemon (not to be confused with the Christian term "demon") with pointed ears (perhaps those of a donkey), and hair made of snakes and a beak (perhaps that of a vulture). Tuchulcha lived in the under ...

, an underworld spirit * Vanth, winged spirit of the underworld

Greek

Achlys Achlys ( grc, Ἀχλύς "mist"), in the Hesiodic ''Shield of Heracles'', is one of the figures depicted on Heracles' shield, perhaps representing the personification of sorrow. In Homer, ''achlys'' is the mist which fogs or blinds mortal eye ...

, goddess who symbolizes the mist of death. Goddess of poisons, personification of misery and sadness. * Agathodaemon, sometimes a psychopomp divine spirit *

Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...

, god of diseases *

Atropos Atropos (; grc, Ἄτροπος "without turn") or Aisa, in Greek mythology, was one of the three Moirai, goddesses of fate and destiny. Her Roman equivalent was Morta. Atropos was the oldest of the Three Fates, and was known as "the Inflex ...

, one of the moirai, who cut the thread of life. *

Charon In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon (; grc, Χάρων) is a psychopomp, the ferryman of Hades, the Greek underworld. He carries the souls of those who have been given funeral rites across the rivers Acheron and Styx, which separate the wo ...

, a daimon who acted as ferryman of the dead. * Erebus, the primordial god of darkness, his mists encircled the underworld and filled the hollows of the earth *

Erinyes The Erinyes ( ; sing. Erinys ; grc, Ἐρινύες, pl. of ), also known as the Furies, and the Eumenides, were female chthonic deities of vengeance in ancient Greek religion and mythology. A formulaic oath in the ''Iliad'' invokes ...

, chthonic deities of vengeance *

, king of the underworld *

Hecate Hecate or Hekate, , ; grc-dor, Ἑκάτᾱ, Hekátā, ; la, Hecatē or . is a goddess in ancient Greek religion and mythology, most often shown holding a pair of torches, a key, snakes, or accompanied by dogs, and in later periods depicte ...

, goddess of witchcraft, she helped Demeter in the search for Persephone and was allowed to live in the Underworld as her magic works best at night *

Hermes Hermes (; grc-gre, Ἑρμῆς) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Hermes is considered the herald of the gods. He is also considered the protector of human heralds, travellers, thieves, merchants, and orato ...

, the messenger god who acted as

psychopompos Psychopomps (from the Greek word , , literally meaning the 'guide of souls') are supernatural creatures, spirits, entities, angels, demons or deities in many religions whose responsibility is to escort newly deceased souls from Earth to the afte ...

* Hypnos, personification of sleep, twin of Thanatos, his Roman counterpart is Somnus * Keres, goddesses of violent death, sisters of Thanatos * Lampades, torch-bearing underworld nymphs * Limos was the goddess of starvation in ancient Greek religion. She was opposed by Demeter, goddess of grain and the harvest with whom Ovid wrote Limos could never meet, and Plutus, the god of wealth and the bounty of rich harvests. * Macaria, goddess of the blessed death (not to be confused with the daughter of Heracles) *

Persephone In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Persephone ( ; gr, Περσεφόνη, Persephónē), also called Kore or Cora ( ; gr, Κόρη, Kórē, the maiden), is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She became the queen of the underworld after ...

, queen of the underworld; wife of Hades and goddess of spring growth * Serapis, Graeco-Egyptian syncretistic deity, combining elements of

, the

, and

. Also, patron of the Ptolemaic Kingdom and

. * Tartarus, the darkest, deepest part of the underworld, often used for imprisoning enemies of the Olympians * Thanatos, personification of death, Roman counterpart is Mors * Gods of the seven rivers of the underworld: # Acheron, god of the river Acheron # Alpheus, god of the river Alpheus #

Cocytus Cocytus or Kokytos ( grc, Κωκυτός, literally "lamentation") is the river of wailing in the underworld in Greek mythology. Cocytus flows into the river Acheron, on the other side of which lies Hades, the underworld, the mythological abo ...

, god of the river Cocytus # Eridanos, god of the river Eridanos # Lethe, goddess of the river Lethe # Phlegethon, god of the river Phlegethon #

Styx In Greek mythology, Styx (; grc, Στύξ ) is a river that forms the boundary between Earth (Gaia) and the Underworld. The rivers Acheron, Cocytus, Lethe, Phlegethon, and Styx all converge at the centre of the underworld on a great marsh, whic ...

, goddess of the river Styx, a river that formed a boundary between the living and the dead

Roman

Dea Tacita In Roman mythology, Dea Tacita ("the silent goddess") was a goddess of the dead. Ovid's ''Fasti'' includes a passage describing a rite propitiating Dea Tacita in order to "seal up hostile mouths / and unfriendly tongue" at Feralia on 21 Februa ...

, goddess of the dead *

Di inferi The ''di inferi'' or ''dii inferi'' (Latin, "the gods below") were a shadowy collective of ancient Roman deities associated with death and the underworld. The epithet ''inferi'' is also given to the mysterious Manes, a collective of ancestral spir ...

, ancient Roman deities associated with death and the Underworld * Dis Pater, god of the underworld *

Laverna In Roman mythology, Laverna was a goddess of thieves, cheats and the underworld. She was propitiated by libations poured with the left hand. The poet Horace and the playwright Plautus call her a goddess of thieves. In Rome, her sanctuary was ne ...

, goddess of thieves, cheats, and the underworld *

Lemures The lemures were shades or spirits of the restless or malignant dead in Roman religion, and are probably cognate with an extended sense of larvae (from Latin ''larva'', "mask") as disturbing or frightening. ''Lemures'' is the more common litera ...

, the malevolent dead *

Libitina Libitina, also Libentina or Lubentina, is an ancient Roman goddess of funerals and burial. Her name was used as a metonymy for death, and undertakers were known as ''libitinarii''. Libitina was associated with Venus, and the name appears in some a ...

, goddess of funerals and burials *

Manes In ancient Roman religion, the ''Manes'' (, , ) or ''Di Manes'' are chthonic deities sometimes thought to represent souls of deceased loved ones. They were associated with the ''Lares'', ''Lemures,'' '' Genii'', and ''Di Penates'' as deities ('' ...

, spirits of the dead *

, goddess of death *

Mors Mors may refer to: *Mors (mythology), the personification of death in Roman mythology *Mors, Latin for death *Mors (automobile), a French car manufacturer from 1895 to 1925 :* American Mors, Mors vehicles produced under licence in America by the S ...

, personification of death, Greek equivalent is Thanatos *

Nenia Dea Nenia Dea (Engl.: Goddess Nenia; rarely ''Naenia'') was an ancient funeral deity of Rome, who had a sanctuary outside of the Porta Viminalis. The cult of the Nenia is doubtlessly a very old one, but according to Georg Wissowa the location of Neni ...

, goddess of funerals * Orcus, punisher of broken oaths; usually folded in with Pluto *

Pluto Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of trans-Neptunian object, bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the S ...

, ruler of the Underworld * Proserpina, queen of the underworld * Soranus, underworld Sabine god adopted by the Romans *

Viduus The Roman deities most widely known today are those the Romans identified with Greek counterparts (see ''interpretatio graeca''), integrating Greek myths, iconography, and sometimes religious practices into Roman culture, including Latin liter ...

, god who separated the soul and body after death

Western Asia

Elamite

Hindu-Vedic

* Chitragupta, god of justice after death *

Mara Mara or MARA may refer to: Animals * Mara (mammal), a species of the cavy family *Mara the Lioness, in the movie ''Born Free'' Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Mara (''Doctor Who''), an evil being in two ''Doctor Who'' serials *Mara, ...

Yama Yama (Devanagari: यम) or Yamarāja (यमराज), is a deity of death, dharma, the south direction, and the underworld who predominantly features in Hindu and Buddhist religion, belonging to an early stratum of Rigvedic Hindu deities ...

, god of death and ruler of the afterlife *

Dhumavati Dhumavati ( sa, धूमावती, , literally "the smoky one") is one of the Mahavidyas, a group of ten Hindu Tantric goddesses. Dhumavati represents the fearsome aspect of Mahadevi, the supreme goddess in Hindu traditions such as Shaktism. ...

, goddess of death, misfortune and temporality *

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

, god of destruction, time, and the arts

Persian-Zoroastrian

* Angra Mainyu or Ahriman, the destructive spirit ( Persian mythology) *Asto Vidatu or Astiwihad or Asto-widhatu, death deity ( Persian mythology) Ossetian *Aminon, gatekeeper of the underworld. *

Barastyr Ossetian mythology is the collective term for the beliefs and practices of the Ossetians, Ossetian people of the Caucasus region, which contains several gods and supernatural beings. The religion itself is believed to be of Scythian religion, Scyt ...

, ruler of the underworld. *Ishtar-Deela, lord of the underworld in

Nakh Nakh may refer to: * Nach (Bible acronym) (NaKh), an acronym for ''Nevi'im'' ''Ksuvim''/''Ktuvim'' (the Prophets and (Holy) Writings of ''Tanach'') * Nakh languages, a group of languages within Northeast Caucasian, spoken chiefly by the Chechens a ...

Uralic

*Azyren ( Mari people) * Kalma, Finnish goddess of death and decay, her name meaning "the stench of corpses" * Nga (Nenets) *

(

), with his wife and children.

Asia-Pacific / Oceania

Far East Asia

Chinese

Emperor(s) of

Youdu Youdu () in Chinese mythology is the capital of Hell, or Diyu. Among the various other geographic features believed of Diyu, the capital city has been thought to be named Youdu. It is generally conceived as being similar to a typical Chinese capit ...

(Capital City of the Underworld) * Di Guan Da Di * Dong Yue Da Di * Feng Du Da Di * Yanluo Wang ( King Yama) *

Meng Po Meng Po () is the goddess of forgetfulness in Chinese mythology, who serves Meng Po Soup on the Bridge of Forgetfulness or Naihe Bridge (). This soup wipes the memory of the person so they can reincarnate into the next life without the burdens of ...

Judges of the Ten Underworld Courts *

Jiang Ziwen Jiang Ziwen () was a '' wei'' of Moling (modern Nanjing) county in China during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Originally from Guangling, now a district of Yangzhou in Jiangsu Province, he became addicted to wine and women, but was nonetheless recogni ...

* Bao Zheng * Dong Ji * Huang Xile The rest only have surnames including Li, Yu, Lu, Bi, Lu and Xue. Four Kings of the Underworld * Bao Zheng * Han Qinhu * Fan Zhongyan * Kou Zhun Ghost Kings of the Five Regions * Cai Yulei * Zhao He * Zhang Heng * Duzi Ren * Zhou Qi Ghost Kings of the Five Regions (Ver.2) * Shen Cha * Yang Yun * Yan Di (Shenlong) * Ji Kang * Immortal Wang Governors of Fengdu * Deng Ai * Ji Ming Imperial Censor of Fengdu * Han Yi * Zeng Yuanshan * Jiao Zhongqing * Ma Zhong * Song Youqing * Guan Yu (note: different from the famous general of three kingdoms) * Wu Lun * Tu Cha Four Generals of the Direct Altar of Fengdu * Ma Sheng * Ma Chuanzhong * Chen Yuanbo * Guo Zhongyou Eight Generals of the Inner Altar of Fengdu * Wei Tin, Ghost Capturing General * Liu Chu, Ghost Restraining General * Wang Jian, Ghost Flailing General * Meng E, Ghost Interrogating General * Che Zi, Guardian of the East Gate * Xia Dali, Guardian of the West Gate * Lie Weizhi, Guardian of the South Gate * Sang Tongguai, Guardian of the North Gate Eight Generals of the Outer Altar of Fengdu * Zhang Yuanlian * Chen Yuanqing * Li Yuande * Fan YuanZhang * Du YuanZhen * Liu Yuanfu * Chang Yuan * Jia Taoyuan Ten Masters of the Underworld * A Bang, Bull Head * Luo Cha, Horse Face * Xie Bi'an, Wondering God of the Day * Fan Wujiu, Wondering God of the Night * Hei Wuchang (Black Impermanence) * Bai Wuchang (White Impermanence) * Huangfeng (responsible for insects) * Paowei (responsible for animals) * Yusai (responsible for fishes) * Guaiwang (responsible for Hungry Ghosts) (Note: in some versions, Xie Bi'an and Fanjiu are the Bai Wuchang and Hei Wuchang, respectively.) Four Strongmen of Fengdu * Zhang Yuanzhen, Taiyi Strongman * Hu Wenzhong, Tri-day Strongman * Sun Zhongwu, Demon-smiting Strongman * Tang Bocheng, Ghost-smiting Strongman Two Agents of Fengdu * Xun Gongda, Great God of the Black Sky * Liu Guangzhong, Great God of the Black Fog Wardens of the Nine Prison of Fengdu * Wang Yuanzhen * Zhen Yan * Yao Quan * Shi Tong * Zhou Sheng * Diao Xiao * Kong Sheng * Wu Yan * Wang Tong Administers of the Six Paths of Rebirth of Fengdu * Cao Qing, Administer of the Path of Heaven * Tien Yan, Administer of the Path of Ghosts * Cui Cong, Administer of the Path of Earth * Ji Bie, Administer of the Path of Gods * Chen De, Administer of the Path of Hungry Ghosts * Gao Ren, Administer of the Path of Beasts Judges of Fengdu * Cui (Chief Judge) * Wang Fu * Ban Jian * Zi He * Jia Yuan * Zhao Sheng * Zhang Qi * Yang Tong * Fu Po * Zhu Shun * Li Gong * Xue Zhong * Rong Zhen * Lu Zhongce * Chen Xun * Huang Shou * Zhou Bi * Bian Shen * Cheng De * Liu Bao * Dong Jie * Guo Yuan

Japanese

Izanami , formally known as , is the creator deity of both creation and death in Japanese mythology, as well as the Shinto mother goddess. She and her brother-husband Izanagi are the last of the seven generations of primordial deities that manifest ...

, when she died she became queen of the underworld, Yomi, and goddess of the dead. *

Enma In East Asian and Buddhist mythology, Yama () or King Yan-lo/Yan-lo Wang (), also known as King Yan/Yan Wang (), Grandfatherly King Yan (), Lord Yan (), and Yan-lo, Son of Heaven (), is the King of Hell and a dharmapala (wrathful god) sa ...

, god and ruler of the dead in Japanese Buddhism *

Shinigami () are kami (spirits) that invite humans toward death, according to Japanese religion and culture. have been described as monsters, helpers, and creatures of darkness. are used for tales and religions in Japanese culture. Japanese religion I ...

, god of death.

North and Central Asian mythology

Erlik Erlik, Erlig, Erlik Khan, Erleg or Yerleg (Hungarian mythology equivalent to '' Ördög'') is the god of death and the underworld, sometimes referred to as ''Tamag'' (hell) in Turkic mythology. ''Er'' (or ''yer'') means ''Earth'', in the dept ...

( Turkic mythology) * Xargi ( Siberian mythology)

Oceanian mythology

Wuluwaid In Australian Aboriginal mythology , Wuluwaid (see also Wuluwait) is a rain god. He is a god from northern Arnhem Land (northern Australia) and is known to work with Bunbulama as a rainmaker. He is also recorded by Charles Mountford and Ainslie ...

( Australian Aboriginal mythology) *

Degei In Fijian mythology, Degei (pronounced ''Ndengei''), enshrined as a serpent, is the supreme god of Fiji. He is the creator of the (Fijian) world, fruits, and of men and is specially connected to Rakiraki District, Fiji. He judges newly dead souls ...

(

Fijian mythology Fijian mythology refers to the set of beliefs practiced by the indigenous people of the island of Fiji. Its gods include Degei, a serpent who is the supreme god of Fiji. He is the creator of the (Fijian) world. He judges newly dead souls after the ...

) * Hine-nui-te-pō ( Maori mythology) *

Whiro Whiro-te-tipua (Whiro, or Hiro in the Tuamotus) is the lord of darkness and embodiment of all evil in Māori mythology. He inhabits the underworld and is responsible for the ills of all people, a contrast to his brother and enemy Tāne. Acco ...

(Maori mythology)

Southeast Asian mythology

Batara Kala Batara Kala is the god of the underworld in traditional Javanese and Balinese mythology, ruling over it in a cave along with Setesuyara. Batara Kala is also named the creator of light and the earth. He is also the god of time and destruction, w ...

( Balinese mythology), god of the underworld in traditional Javanese and Balinese mythology, ruling over it in a cave along with Setesuyara. Batara Kala is also named the creator of light and the earth. He is also the god of time and destruction, who devours unlucky people. He is related to Hindu concept of Kala, or time. In mythology, he causes eclipses by trying to eat the Sun or the Moon. *

Shingon (nat) Shingon ( my, ရှင်ကုန်း ; ) is one of 37 nats in the official Burmese pantheon of nats. She was a maid of King Thihathu of Ava and accompanied him to the battlefront. She died on her return to the capital, Ava (modern Inwa In ...

(

Burmese Burmese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Myanmar, a country in Southeast Asia * Burmese people * Burmese language * Burmese alphabet * Burmese cuisine * Burmese culture Animals * Burmese cat * Burmese chicken * Burmese (hor ...

) *

Thongalel ) , planet = , weapon = , battles = , artifacts = , animals = , symbol = , adherents = , height = , age = , ...

(

Manipuri mythology Meitei mythology or Manipuri mythology ( mni, Meitei Mi Lai Tingi Wari) is a collection of myths, belonging to the religious and cultural traditions of the Meitei people, the predominant ethnic group of Manipur. It is associated with tradi ...

) *Pong Lalondong ( Toraja), god of death

Philippines

*Tagbayan (Ifugao mythology): divinities associated with death that feast on human souls that are guarded by two headed monsters called kikilanJocano, F. L. (1969). Philippine Mythology. Quezon City: Capitol Publishing House Inc. *Fulor (Ifugao mythology): a wood carved into an image of a dead person seated on a death chair; an antique which a spirit in it, who bring sickness, death, and unsuccessful crops when sacrifices are not offered *Kabunyan (Kalanguya mythology): the almighty creator; also referred to as Agmattebew, the spirit who could not be seen; the mabaki ritual is held in the deity's honor during planting, harvesting, birth and death of the people, and other activities for livelihood *Binangewan (Aeta mythology): spirits who bring change, sickness, and death as punishment *Aring Sinukûan (Kapampangan mythology): sun god of war and death, taught the early inhabitants the industry of metallurgy, wood cutting, rice culture and even waging war *Lakandánup (Kapampangan mythology): serpent goddess who comes during total eclipses; followed by famine; eats a person's shadow, which will result in withering and death; daughter of Áring Sínukuan and Dápu *Sidapa (Bisaya mythology): the goddess of death; co-ruler of the middleworld called Kamaritaan, together with Makaptan *Sidapa (Hiligaynon mythology): god who lives in the sacred Mount Madia-as; determines the day of a person's death by marking every newborn's lifespan on a very tall tree on Madya-asLoarca, Miguel de. (1582) 1903. Relation of the Filipinas Islands. In Blair and Robertson, The Philippine Islands 5. *Hangin (Hiligaynon mythology): the spirits of the death wind; takes the life of the elderly *Patag'aes (Suludnon mythology): awaits until midnight then enters the house to have a conversation with the living infant; if he discovers someone is eavesdropping, he will choke the child to death; their conversation creates the fate of the child, on how long the child wants to live and how the child will eventually die, where the child will always get to choose the answers; once done, Patag'aes takes out his measuring stick, computes the child's life span, and then departs, sealing the child's fate *Pamulak Manobo (Bagobo mythology): supreme deity who controls good harvest, rain, wind, life, and death; in some myths, the chief deity is simply referred as the male deity, Diwata *Malakal Maut (Maranao mythology): the angel of death; takes the souls of someone after three to seven days from the falling of the person's leaf from the sacred Sadiarathul Montaha tree in the realm called Sorga; appears either a handsome prince or a grotesque monsters, depending if the soul he is getting comes from a sinner or a virtuous person; punishes the souls of sinners until final judgment, while lifting up the souls of the good onto heaven * Kumakatok - hooded and cloaked harbingers of death that would knock on doors of the dying in Tagalog mythology *Magwayen - the goddess of afterlife and the first ocean deity, according to Visayan mythology. Known for being the goddess who collects souls and takes them to Sulad with her boat. The souls are initially transferred to her via Pandaki, who gets the soul from Sidapa. *Sitan - god and caretaker of the underworld realm for evil souls known as Kasamaan in Tagalog mythology. Maca, the realm of the good dead, is jointly ruled by Sitan and Bathala. *Manduyapit - bring souls across a red river in Manobo mythology *Mama Guayen - ferries souls to the end of the world in Ilonggo mythology *Badadum - deity in Waray mythology that gathers family members at the mouth of a river to make a farewell to the deceased

American mythology

Aztec

Cihuateteo In Aztec mythology, the Cihuateteo (; nci, Cihuātēteoh, in singular ) or "Divine Women", were the malevolent spirits of women who died in childbirth. They were likened to the spirits of male warriors who died in violent conflict, because chi ...

(

Aztec mythology Aztec mythology is the body or collection of myths of the Aztec civilization of Central Mexico. The Aztecs were Nahuatl-speaking groups living in central Mexico and much of their mythology is similar to that of other Mesoamerican cultures. Accordi ...

), Divine women. Spirits of women who died during labor. * Coatlicue (

), minor goddess of death, as well as the goddess of life and rebirth *

Itztlacoliuhqui In Aztec mythology, Itztlacoliuhqui is the god of frost. He also represents matter in its lifeless state. The Nahuatl name ''Itztlacoliuhqui'' is usually translated into English as "curved obsidian blade". J. Richard Andrews contends that this i ...

(

), personification of winter-as-death * Mictecacihuatl (

), the chief death goddess; Queen of Mictlan (underworld) or Lady of the Dead * Mictlantecuhtli (

), the chief death god; lord of the Underworld * Tlaloc (

), water god and minor death god; ruler of Tlalocan, a separate underworld for those who died from drowning *

Xipe Totec In Aztec mythology and religion, Xipe Totec (; nci-IPA, Xīpe Totēc, ˈʃiːpe ˈtoteːk(ʷ)) or Xipetotec ("Our Lord the Flayed One") was a life-death-rebirth deity, god of agriculture, vegetation, the east, spring, goldsmiths, silversmiths, ...

(

), hero god, death god; inventor of warfare and master of plagues * Xolotl (

), god of sunset, fire, lightning, and death

Cahuilla

Muut Muut was the personification and messenger of death in the culture of the Native American Cahuilla people of southern California and northern Mexico, and was usually depicted as an owl or as the unseen hooting of owls. He was one of the most act ...

Guarani

* Luison,

Guarani mythology The Tupi-Guarani mythology is the set of narratives about the gods and spirits of the different Tupi-Guarani languages, Tupi-Guarani peoples, ancient and current. Together with the cosmogonies, anthropogonies and rituals, they form part of the re ...

Haida

Ta'xet Ta'xet is the Haida god of violent death. He is considered to be one half of a duality; his counterpart is Tia TIA or Tia may refer to: Aviation * Tampa International Airport, US, IATA code TPA * Texas International Airlines, US, ICAO code * ...

Haida mythology The Haida are one of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. Their national territories lie along the west coast of Canada and include parts of south east Alaska. Haida mythology is an indigenous religion that can ...

Tia (goddess) Tia is the goddess of peaceful death in the Haida mythology. She is considered to be part of a duality. Her counterpart is Ta'xet Ta'xet is the Haida god of violent death. He is considered to be one half of a duality; his counterpart is Tia, t ...

Inca

* Supay ( Inca mythology) * Vichama ( Inca mythology)

Inuit

Aipaloovik In Inuit mythology, Aipaloovik is an evil Water deity, sea god associated with death and destruction. He is considered the opposite of Anguta. He is a danger to all fishermen. References

Death gods Inuit gods Sea and river gods {{NorthAm- ...

Pana Pana or PANA may refer to: *Pana (mythology), a god in Inuit religion *PANA, in telecommunications, a Plain ANAlog loop Alarm circuit *Protocol for carrying Authentication for Network Access, a network access authentication protocol *Pana, used fo ...

Latin American Folk Catholicism

* El Tío, lord of the underworld, in

Cerro Rico Cerro Rico (Spanish for "Rich Mountain"), Cerro Potosí ("Potosí Mountain") or Sumaq Urqu (Quechuan languages, Quechua ''sumaq'' "beautiful, good, pleasant", ''urqu'' "mountain", "beautiful (good or pleasant) mountain"), is a mountain in the A ...

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

* Santa Muerte, folk saint and goddess of death in Mexico *

San La Muerte San La Muerte (Saint Death) folk saint and the personification of death, it is represented as a skeletal idol wearing a hooded cloak in South America. Paraguay, northeast Argentina (mainly in the province of Corrientes but also in Misiones, ...

, folk saint and god of death in Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil *

San Pascualito San Pascualito (also known as San Pascualito Muerte and El Rey San Pascual) is a folk saint associated with Saint Paschal Baylon and venerated in Guatemala and the Mexican state of Chiapas. He is called "King of the Graveyard." His venerati ...

, folk saint and god of death in Guatemala and Mexico

Maya

Camazotz In the Late Post-Classic Maya mythology of the Popol Vuh, Camazotz ( from Mayan ) (alternate spellings Cama-Zotz, Sotz, Zotz) is a bat spirit at the service of the lords of the underworld. Camazotz means "death bat" in the Kʼicheʼ language. In ...

, bat god who resides in the underworld * Cizin *

Ixtab At the time of the Spanish conquest of Yucatán (1527–1546), Ix Tab or Ixtab ( ʃˈtaɓ "Rope Woman", "Hangwoman") was the indigenous Maya goddess of suicide by hanging. Playing the role of a psychopomp, she would accompany such suicides to hea ...

Xtabay ''La Xtabay'' is a Yucatec Maya folklore about a demonic femme fatale who preys upon men in the Yucatán Peninsula. She is said to dwell in the forest to lure men to their deaths with her incomparable beauty. She is described as having beautiful ...

Maya death gods The Maya death gods, (also Ah Puch, Ah Cimih, Ah Cizin, Hun Ahau, Kimi, or Yum Kimil) known by a variety of names, are two basic types of death gods who are respectively represented by the 16th-century Yucatec deities Hunhau and Uacmitun Ahau ment ...

known under various names (Hunhau, Uacmitun Ahau, Ah Puch, Kisin, Yum Kimil)

Narragansett

* Chepi

Taíno The Taíno were a historic Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, indigenous people of the Caribbean whose culture has been continued today by Taíno descendant communities and Taíno revivalist communities. At the time of European contact in the ...

* Maquetauire Guayaba * Opiel Guabiron

Umbanda and Candomblé

*Exu caveira *Exu Tranca-rua das almas

Haitian Vodou

Gede lwa * Baron Samedi,

Baron La Croix Baron La Croix ( ht, Bawon Lakwa), is one of the Gede, a lwa of the dead and sexuality,Torres, Rafael Agustí. "Loas y Vèvès del Vudú", p. 15 (in Spanish) along with Baron Samedi and Baron Cimetière in Vodou. He is syncretized with Saint ...

Baron Cimetiere Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...

Baron Kriminel Baron Criminel (also spelled Baron Kriminel) is a much feared spirit or loa in the Haitian Vodou religion. He is envisioned as the first murderer who has been condemned to death, and is invoked to pronounce swift judgment. Baron Criminel is sync ...

Ghede Nibo Gede Nibo ( ht, Gede Nibo) is a lwa who is leader of the spirits of the dead in Haitian Vodou. Formerly human, Gede Nibo was a handsome young man who was killed violently. After death, he was adopted as a lwa by Baron Samedi and Maman Brigitte. He ...

* Maman Brigitte

In fiction

Death is the protagonist in the

science fantasy Science fantasy is a hybrid genre within speculative fiction that simultaneously draws upon or combines tropes and elements from both science fiction and fantasy. In a conventional science fiction story, the world is presented as being scientif ...

novel ''

On a Pale Horse ''On a Pale Horse'' is a fantasy novel by Piers Anthony, first published in 1983. It is the first of eight books in the '' Incarnations of Immortality'' series. The book focuses on Zane, a photographer about to commit suicide who instead kills ...

'', book one in a series of 8 books, the "

Incarnations of Immortality ''Incarnations of Immortality'' is the name of an eight-book fantasy series by Piers Anthony. The books each focus on one of eight supernatural "offices" (Death, Time, Fate, War, Nature, Evil, Good, and Night) in a fictional reality and history p ...

". In the novel '' The Book Thief'', Death is the narrator of the story.

Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

is the name of one of " The Endless" in the

DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Lant ...

. Death is a recurring character in the Discworld series written by Terry Pratchett. Books featuring Death include '' Mort'', ''

Reaper Man ''Reaper Man'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett. Published in 1991, it is the 11th ''Discworld'' novel and the second to focus on Death. The title is a reference to Alex Cox's movie '' Repo Man''. Plot The Auditors of Reali ...

'', ''

Soul Music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became po ...

'', '' Hogfather'' and '' Thief of Time''. He also makes a cameo appearance in '' Interesting Times''. In ''

A Song of Ice and Fire ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' is a series of epic fantasy novels by the American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. He began the first volume of the series, ''A Game of Thrones'', in 1991, and it was published in 1996. Martin, who init ...

'' by

George R.R. Martin George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948), also known as GRRM, is an American novelist, screenwriter, television producer and short story writer. He is the author of the series of epic fantasy novels ''A Song ...

, the guild of assassins known as the Faceless Men believe that all death deities are simply different incarnations of the same god, known to them as the Many-Faced God or Him of Many Faces, while the Faith of the Seven worships The Stranger as one of Seven Aspects of God representing Death and the Unknown. In the works of

J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philology, philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was ...

, especially ''

The Silmarillion ''The Silmarillion'' () is a collection of myths and stories in varying styles by the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien. It was edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, assisted by the fantasy author Guy Gavriel ...

'', Námo AKA Lord Mandos is the Doomsman of the Valar, Judge of the Dead and Lord of the Halls of Mandos (where Elves await reincarnation and humans retreat before making the Journey into the Beyond). In the CW TV show ''

Supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...

'',

makes a crucial appearance. He is portrayed as existing alongside God since the beginning of time and being so ancient he cannot remember when he came into existence; he may even be older than God. In the show he is the oldest and most powerful of the Four Horsemen (Death, Famine, War and Pestilence). He is not portrayed as a villain. In the

Sailor Moon is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. It was originally serialized in Kodansha's ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from 1991 to 1997; the 52 individual chapters were published in 18 volumes. The seri ...

franchise, the last Sailor Guardian (of the Sol System) introduced is Sailor Saturn. Her powers revolve around destruction, ruin, and death and she can be thought of as a "god" of sorts (all Sailor Guardians can). Her weapon is the Silence Glaive that is capable of utterly obliterating and destroying entire worlds/planets if used to its maximum potential. In the Marvel Comics Universe, the personification of death is Mistress Death. The

Transformers ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms, suc ...

mythos features the character of Mortilus, a Cybertronian deity who represents death and who later betrayed his brethren and was destroyed, leading to the longevity of the Transformer race. A similar character is The Fallen, a member of the Thirteen Primes who is identified as the guardian of

entropy Entropy is a scientific concept, as well as a measurable physical property, that is most commonly associated with a state of disorder, randomness, or uncertainty. The term and the concept are used in diverse fields, from classical thermodynam ...

. In the manga and anime,

Death Note ''Death Note'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. It was serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from December 2003 to May ...

, gods of death (shinigami) exist in their own realm and are owners of Death Notes, which are used to kill humans. When a note falls into the human world, the person who touches it first becomes the new owner of the note, can recognize the god of death to whom it belongs, and the god follows them for the rest of their life. However, shinigami are more like Grim Reapers with freakish appearances than deities who are worshiped. This is because

shinigami () are kami (spirits) that invite humans toward death, according to Japanese religion and culture. have been described as monsters, helpers, and creatures of darkness. are used for tales and religions in Japanese culture. Japanese religion I ...

are a fairly recent concept in Japanese folklore directly inspired by the European figure of the Grim Reaper, and thus, aren't "true" death gods. Despite their Western origin, many people will refer to both the

characters and the folklorical shinigami using the Japanese name instead of the English translation or even "Grim Reaper". For similar cases of shinigami being more akin to Grim Reapers in anime, see Bleach (anime) and

Soul Eater (anime) Soul Eater may refer to: * Soul eater (folklore), a folk belief of African and other traditional cultures * ''Soul Eater'' (manga), a Japanese manga series by Atsushi Okubo, which has been adapted into an anime television series ** Soul Eater Eva ...

. In the 2018 Nintendo published title

Kirby Star Allies ''Kirby Star Allies'' is a 2018 platform video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. The twelfth mainline installment in the ''Kirby'' series, the player controls Kirby in his quest to prevent a pri ...

a Butterfly is revealed to be the embodiment of death, ruling the underworld after atomizing and absorbing Galacta Knight to become Morpho Knight. Very little is known about it but it is awaiting something called the

Day of Judgement The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...

. In Nintendo's

Metroid is an action-adventure game franchise created by Nintendo. The player controls the bounty hunter Samus Aran, who protects the galaxy from Space Pirate (Metroid), Space Pirates and other malevolent forces and their attempts to harness the powe ...

franchise one of the bosses, Ridley, is also known as "the Cunning God of Death". In the series Malazan Book of the Fallen, Hood is the God of Death, and King of High House Death. In the Warhammer fantasy battle universe of Games Workshop, Morr is the god of death.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Death Deity Comparative mythology Lists of deities