A hunting deity is a god or goddess in
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 ...
associated with the
hunting
Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
of animals and the skills and equipment involved. They are a common feature of
polytheistic
Polytheism is the belief in multiple deities, which are usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses, along with their own religious sects and rituals. Polytheism is a type of theism. Within theism, it contrasts with monotheism, the ...
religions.
Anglo-Saxon mythology
*
Wōden
Odin (; from non, Óðinn, ) is a widely revered 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, victory, ...
, leader of the
Wild Hunt
The Wild Hunt is a folklore motif (Motif E501 in Stith Thompson's Motif-Index of Folk-Literature) that occurs in the folklore of various northern European cultures. Wild Hunts typically involve a chase led by a mythological figure escorted by ...
Aztec mythology
*
Mixcoatl
Mixcoatl ( nah, Mixcōhuātl}, from mixtli "cloud" and cōātl "serpent"), or Camaxtle or Camaxtli, was the god of the hunt and identified with the Milky Way, the stars, and the heavens in several Mesoamerican cultures. He was the patron deity ...
, god of hunting.
*
Opochtli
In Aztec mythology, Opochtli was a god of hunting and fishing.
He is said to have invented the atlatl, the net, the canoe pole, and the bird snare
SNARE proteins – " SNAP REceptor" – are a large protein family consisting of at least 2 ...
, god of fishing.
Celtic mythology
*
Arawn
In Welsh mythology, Arawn (; ) was the king of the otherworld realm of Annwn who appears prominently in the first branch of the Mabinogi, and alluded to in the fourth. In later tradition, the role of the king of Annwn was largely attributed to th ...
, king of Annwn in some Welsh legends and associated with hunting, dogs and stags
*
Cernunnos
In ancient Celtic and Gallo-Roman religion, Cernunnos or Carnonos was a god depicted with antlers, seated cross-legged, and is associated with stags, horned serpents, dogs and bulls. He is usually shown holding or wearing a torc and sometimes ...
, a horned god associated with fertility and hunting
*
Gwyn ap Nudd, another king of Annwn in Welsh Mythology, associated with the Wild Hunt
*
Nodens
*''Nodens'' or *''Nodons'' ( reconstructed from the dative ''Nodenti'' or ''Nodonti'') is a Celtic healing god worshipped in Ancient Britain. Although no physical depiction of him has survived, votive plaques found in a shrine at Lydney Park (G ...
, god associated with healing, the sea, hunting and dogs
*
Vosegus
Vosegus (; sometimes ''Vosagus'', ''Vosacius'', ''Vosagō'', ''Vosegō'', ''Vogesus'') was a name used in the Roman Empire for a Celtic god of hunting and forestation.
Description and history
On the rare representations that have come down to ...
, Gaulish god of hunting and forests; gives his name to the
Vosges
The Vosges ( , ; german: Vogesen ; Franconian and gsw, Vogese) are a range of low mountains in Eastern France, near its border with Germany. Together with the Palatine Forest to the north on the German side of the border, they form a single ...
region
Chinese mythology
*
Fu Xi
Fuxi or Fu Hsi (伏羲 ~ 伏犧 ~ 伏戲) is a culture hero in Chinese legend and mythology, credited along with his sister and wife Nüwa with creating humanity and the invention of music, hunting, fishing, domestication, and cooking as well ...
, the creator of fishery.
*
Jiang Ziya
Jiang Ziya ( century BC – century BC), also known by several other names, was a Chinese noble who helped kings Wen and Wu of Zhou overthrow the Shang in ancient China. Following their victory at Muye, he continued to serve ...
, a god of fishery.
Egyptian mythology
*
Neith
Neith ( grc-koi, Νηΐθ, a borrowing of the Demotic (Egyptian), Demotic form egy, nt, likely originally to have been nrt "she is the terrifying one"; Coptic language, Coptic: ⲛⲏⲓⲧ; also spelled Nit, Net, or Neit) was an early ancien ...
, goddess of war and the hunt
*
Pakhet
In Egyptian mythology, Pakhet, Egyptian ''Pḫ.t'', meaning ''she who scratches'' (also spelt Pachet, Pehkhet, Phastet, and Pasht) is a lioness goddess of war.
Origin and mythology
Pakhet is likely to be a regional lioness deity, ''Goddess of t ...
, a lioness huntress deity, whom the Greeks associated with
Artemis
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified wit ...
*
Wepwawet
In late Egyptian mythology, Wepwawet (hieroglyphic ''wp-w3w.t''; also rendered Upuaut, Wep-wawet, Wepawet, and Ophois) was originally a war deity, whose cult centre was Asyut in Upper Egypt (Lycopolis in the Greco-Roman period). His name means ' ...
, god of hunting and war, along with funerary practices
*
Bastet
Bastet or Bast ( egy, bꜣstjt, cop, Ⲟⲩⲃⲁⲥⲧⲉ, Oubaste , Phoenician: 𐤀𐤁𐤎𐤕, romanized: ’bst, or 𐤁𐤎𐤕, romanized: bst) was a goddess of ancient Egyptian religion, worshipped as early as the Second Dynasty (289 ...
, as a cat goddess she is a natural hunter of reptiles and rodents which cats use to prey on in Egyptian homes. Greeks often associated her with
Artemis
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified wit ...
and her the name Ailuros.
Filipino mythology
*Abog: the
Bagobo
The Lumad are a group of Austronesian indigenous people in the southern Philippines. It is a Cebuano term meaning "native" or "indigenous". The term is short for Katawhang Lumad (Literally: "indigenous people"), the autonym officially adopte ...
god of hunters
[
*Alagaka: the Tagalog protector of hunters]
*Anlabban: the Isnag
The Isnag people (also referred to as the Isneg and Apayao) are an Austronesian ethnic group native to Apayao Province in the Philippines' Cordillera Administrative Region. Their native language is Isneg language, Isneg (also called Isnag), ...
deity who looks after the general welfare of the people; special protector of hunters
*Amanikable: the Tagalog god of the sea who was spurned by the first mortal woman; also a god of hunters
*Bakero & Tawo-nga-talonon: Ati
Ati or ATI may refer to:
* Ati people, a Negrito ethnic group in the Philippines
**Ati language (Philippines), the language spoken by this people group
** Ati-Atihan festival, an annual celebration held in the Philippines
*Ati language (China), a ...
spirits of the forest; the first-fruits sacrifices of the hunt are offered to them through bits of meat, which would bring good luck to the people
*Cain: the Bugkalot
The Bugkalot (also Ilongot or Ibilao) are a tribe inhabiting the southern Sierra Madre and Caraballo Mountains, on the east side of Luzon in the Philippines, primarily in the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and Nueva Ecija and along the mountain bord ...
headhunter creator of mankind; gave customs to the people; lived together with Abel in the sky but separated due to a quarrel
*Esa’: a Batak
Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of closely related Austronesian ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia, who speak Batak languages. The term is used to include the Karo, Pakpak, Simalungun, Toba, ...
ancestor whose movements created the landscapes, which he named during a hunting journey with his dogs, who were after wild pigs
*Ga’ek Spirits: Bugkalot
The Bugkalot (also Ilongot or Ibilao) are a tribe inhabiting the southern Sierra Madre and Caraballo Mountains, on the east side of Luzon in the Philippines, primarily in the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and Nueva Ecija and along the mountain bord ...
spirits in the Ga’ek magic plant used in relation to hunting and fishing; the naw-naw prayer is given to them
*Kabigat: the Bontok goddess of the moon who cut off the head of Chal-chal's son; her action is the origin of headhunting
*Kalao: Bugkalot
The Bugkalot (also Ilongot or Ibilao) are a tribe inhabiting the southern Sierra Madre and Caraballo Mountains, on the east side of Luzon in the Philippines, primarily in the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and Nueva Ecija and along the mountain bord ...
spirit birds;[ depicted as red hornbills who guide and protect hunters and their soul]
*Kedes: the Aeta
The Aeta (Ayta ), Agta, or Dumagat, are collective terms for several Filipino indigenous peoples who live in various parts of the island of Luzon in the Philippines. They are considered to be part of the Negrito ethnic groups and share common ...
god of the hunt
*Okot: the Bicolano
Bikol or Bicol usually refers to:
*Bicol Region, the administrative region in the Philippines
Bikol or Bicol may also refer to:
Languages and people
*Bikol languages, the languages spoken in the Bicol region in the Philippines
**Albay Bikol lang ...
forest god whose whistle would lead hunters to their prey
*Paglingniyalan: the Tagalog god of hunters[
*Sugudun: also called Sugujun; the ]Manobo
The Lumad are a group of Austronesian indigenous people in the southern Philippines. It is a Cebuano term meaning "native" or "indigenous". The term is short for Katawhang Lumad (Literally: "indigenous people"), the autonym officially adopte ...
god of hunters and trappers[
*True: the Mamanwa deity of the forest and herder of hunting animals]
Finnish mythology
* Mielikki
Mielikki () is the Finnish goddess of forests and the hunt. She is referred to in various tales as either the wife or the daughter-in-law of Tapio, and the mother of Nyyrikki and Tuulikki. She is said to have played a central role in the creatio ...
, goddess of forests and the hunt
* Nyyrikki Nyyrikki () is the Finland, Finnish god of the hunt and cattle, and son of Tapio_(spirit), Tapio and Mielikki. He has been tenuously associated with Nimrod (king), Nimrod.
References
Finnish gods
Hunting gods
Characters in the Kalevala
Nimr ...
, god of the hunt
* Tapio, East Finnish forest spirit to whom men prayed before a hunt
Georgian mythology
* Apsat, god of the hunt, associated with fish and birds
* Dali
Dali or Dalí may refer to:
Chinese history
* Kingdom of Dali (937–1253 AD), centered in modern Yunnan
* Kingdom of Nanzhao or Dali, Kingdom of Dali's predecessor state
* Dali, Emperor Daizong of Tang's third and last regnal period (766–779)
...
, goddess of the hunt, associated with horned beasts of the mountain
Greek mythology
* Aristaeus
A minor god in Greek mythology, attested mainly by Athenian writers, Aristaeus (; ''Aristaios'' (Aristaîos); lit. “Most Excellent, Most Useful”), was the culture hero credited with the discovery of many useful arts, including bee-keeping; ...
, god of bee-keeping, cheese-making, herding, olive-growing and hunting
* Artemis
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified wit ...
, goddess of the hunt, wild animals and the moon
* Pan, in addition to being a god of the wild and shepherds, was also a hunting god.
* 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 ...
, the goddess of life and death, also known for being 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 ...
' wife
Hindu mythology
* Banka-Mundi
In Hinduism, Banka-Mundi is a goddess of the hunt and fertility
Fertility is the capability to produce offspring through reproduction following the onset of sexual maturity. The fertility rate is the average number of children born by a fema ...
, goddess of the hunt and fertility
* Bhadra
''Bhadra''Feminine: sa, भद्रा, Bhadrā is a Sanskrit word meaning 'good', 'fortune' or 'auspicious'. It is also the name of many men, women and objects in Hindu mythology.
Male Figures King of Chedi
Bhadra was a king of Chedi Kingdom ...
, god of hunting, one of 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 ...
's ganas
* Rudra
Rudra (; sa, रुद्र) is a Rigvedic deity associated with Shiva, the wind or storms, Vayu, medicine, and the hunt. One translation of the name is 'the roarer'. In the Rigveda, Rudra is praised as the 'mightiest of the mighty'. Rud ...
, Rigvedic
The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' ( ', from ' "praise" and ' "knowledge") is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts (''śruti'') known as the Vedas. Only one S ...
god associated with wind or storm, and the hunt
Hittite mythology
* Rundas, god of the hunt and good fortune
Inuit mythology
* Arnakuagsak
In Inuit mythology, Arnakuagsak ("old woman from the sea". Alternative: Arnarquagsag, Arnakua'gsak) was an Inuit goddess, one of the primary deities of the religion, who was responsible for ensuring the hunters were able to catch enough food and th ...
, goddess responsible for ensuring the hunters were able to catch enough food and that the people remained healthy and strong
* Arnapkapfaaluk
Arnapkapfaaluk ("big bad woman") was the sea goddess of the Inuit of Canada's Coronation Gulf area. Although occupying the equivalent position to Sedna (mythology), Sedna within Inuit religion, in that she had control of the animals of the seas, sh ...
, sea goddess who inspired fear in hunters
* Nerrivik
In Inuit religion, Nerrivik or Nerivik was the sea-mother and provider of food for Inuit. She was the patron of fisherman and hunters. In Canada, she was known as either Sedna or Arnapkapfaaluk and in Greenland, she was Arnakuagsak.
Myth
Nerriv ...
, the sea mother and patron of fishermen and hunters
* Nujalik, goddess of hunting on land
* Pinga
In Inuit religion, Pinga ("the one who is p onhigh") is a goddess of the hunt and medicine. She is heavily associated with the sky.
Caribou Inuit tradition
In Caribou Inuit communities, Pinga had some authority over caribou herds. She became a ...
, goddess of the hunt, fertility, and medicine
* Sedna, goddess of the sea, marine animals, and sea hunting
* Tekkeitsertok
In Inuit mythology, Tekkeitsertok is a god of hunting and the master of caribou, one of the most important hunting gods in the pantheon. Tekkeitsertok is also the protector of any creatures that enter any parts of the northern sky. He has the powe ...
, god of hunting and master of caribou
Reindeer (in North American English, known as caribou if wild and ''reindeer'' if domesticated) are deer in the genus ''Rangifer''. For the last few decades, reindeer were assigned to one species, ''Rangifer tarandus'', with about 10 subspe ...
Mbuti mythology
* Khonvoum
Khonvoum is the supreme god and creator in the mythology of the Bambuti Pygmy people of central Africa. He is the "great hunter", god of the hunt, and carries a bow made of two snakes which appears to mortals as a rainbow. He rules the heavens and ...
, supreme god of the Mbuti
The Mbuti people, or Bambuti, are one of several indigenous pygmy groups in the Congo region of Africa. Their languages are Central Sudanic languages and Bantu languages.
Subgroups
Bambuti are pygmy hunter-gatherers, and are one of the oldest ...
people in central Africa
Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to different definitions. Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, ...
; the "great hunter"
Mesoamerican mythology
* Ah Tabai, Maya god of the hunt and more!
* Mixcoatl
Mixcoatl ( nah, Mixcōhuātl}, from mixtli "cloud" and cōātl "serpent"), or Camaxtle or Camaxtli, was the god of the hunt and identified with the Milky Way, the stars, and the heavens in several Mesoamerican cultures. He was the patron deity ...
, Aztec god of hunting
* Sip, a hunting god often shown with deer ears and antlers
* Yum Kaax Yum Kaax (Mayan pronunciation: um kaːʃ "Lord of the forest") is a Yukatek Maya name for the god of the wild vegetation and guardian of its animals.
In the past, this god has wrongly been described as an agricultural deity or even as the Maya mai ...
, Maya god of the forest and the protector of game animals
Norse mythology
* Skaði
In Norse mythology, Skaði (; Old Norse: ; sometimes anglicized as Skadi, Skade, or Skathi) is a jötunn and goddess associated with bowhunting, skiing, winter, and mountains. Skaði is attested in the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 13th cen ...
, a jötunn
A (also jotun; in the normalised scholarly spelling of Old Norse, ; ; plural / ) or, in Old English, (plural ) is a type of supernatural being in Germanic mythology. In Norse mythology, they are often contrasted with gods (Æsir and Vanir) ...
and goddess associated with bowhunting
Bowhunting (or bow hunting) is the practice of hunting game animals by archery. Many indigenous peoples have employed the technique as their primary hunting method for thousands of years, and it has survived into contemporary use for sport and hu ...
, ski
A ski is a narrow strip of semi-rigid material worn underfoot to glide over snow. Substantially longer than wide and characteristically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boots with ski bindings, with either a free, lockable, or partial ...
ing, winter, and mountains
* Ullr
In Norse mythology, Ullr (Old Norse: ) is a god associated with archery. Although literary attestations of Ullr are sparse, evidence including relatively ancient place-name evidence from Scandinavia suggests that he was a major god in earlier G ...
Norse god of hunting, mountains, archery, and skiing.
Roman mythology
* Diana, goddess of the hunt, wild animals and the wilderness; the counterpart of Artemis
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified wit ...
, goddess of the hunt and wild; twin sister of 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= ...
, daughter of Leto
In ancient Greek mythology and Ancient Greek religion, religion, Leto (; grc-gre, Λητώ , ''Lētṓ'', or , ''Lātṓ'' in Ancient Greek dialects#Provenance, Doric Greek) is a goddess and the mother of Apollo, the god of music, and Artemis ...
and Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but ...
Siberian mythology
* Bugady Musun Bugady Musun was a Siberian goddess particularly revered by the Evenki people. She was the patron of wildlife and the guardian of animals. She usually took the form of a tough older woman or a huge female elk or reindeer.
See also
* Dali
* Deer ...
, Evenki mother goddess of animals
* Hinkon, Tungusic lord of the hunt
Slavic mythology
* Devana
Devana ( pl, Dziewanna , la, Dzewana), Zevana ( pl, Ziewanna), less often Zievonya ( pl, Ziewonja, Zewonia) is the goddess of wild nature, forests, hunting and the moon worshiped by the Western Slavs. In the sources, she was first mentioned in th ...
, goddess of the hunt; the Slavic equivalent of the Roman goddess Diana
Thracian mythology
* Bendis
Bendis ( grc, Βένδις) was a Thracian goddess associated with hunting and the moon. Goddess worship seems to have been introduced into Attica around 430 BC. Some writers identified Bendis in Attica with the goddess Artemis, but the temple ...
, goddess of the hunt and the moon, whom the Greeks associated with Artemis
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified wit ...
.
* Thracian horseman
The Thracian horseman (also "Thracian Rider" or "Thracian Heros") is a recurring motif depicted in reliefs of the Hellenistic and Roman periods in the Balkans—mainly Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly and Moesia—roughly from the 3rd century BC to ...
, a hunting god on horseback.
Yoruba mythology
* Ogoun
Ogun or Ogoun (Yoruba: Ògún, Portuguese: Ogum, Gu; also spelled Oggun or Ogou; known as Ogún or Ogum in Latin America) is a spirit that appears in several African religions. He attempted to seize the throne after the demise of Obatala, who re ...
or loa
( ), also called loa or loi, are spirits in the African diasporic religion of Haitian Vodou. They have also been incorporated into some revivalist forms of Louisiana Voodoo. Many of the lwa derive their identities in part from deities venerate ...
, the Two-Spirit orisha
Orishas (singular: orisha) are spirits that play a key role in the Yoruba religion of West Africa and several religions of the African diaspora that derive from it, such as Cuban, Dominican and Puerto Rican Santería and Brazilian Candomblé. T ...
who presides over fire, iron, hunting, politics and war
* Oshosi
Oshosi (Yoruba: Ọ̀ṣọ́ọ̀sì, Portuguese: Oxóssi) is an Orisha of the Yoruba religion in West Africa and subsequently in Brazil and Cuba.
Yoruba
Oshosi is the spirit associated with the hunt, forests, animals, and wealth. He is spirit ...
, the orisha
Orishas (singular: orisha) are spirits that play a key role in the Yoruba religion of West Africa and several religions of the African diaspora that derive from it, such as Cuban, Dominican and Puerto Rican Santería and Brazilian Candomblé. T ...
also known as the "hunter of a single arrow", also the deity of the forests.
* Yoruba mythology Etymology: from the Yoruba people
The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...
in West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...
to include the countries Nigeria and Benin, foreparents to practices or Santería, Lucumí, and other religions of the Caribbean, and the Americas.
Other
* Herne the Hunter
In English folklore, Herne the Hunter is a ghost associated with Windsor Forest and Great Park in the English county of Berkshire. He is said to have antlers growing from his head, ride a horse, torment cattle, and rattle chains. The earliest m ...
, leader of the Wild Hunt.
* The Horned God
The Horned God is one of the two primary deities found in Wicca and some related forms of Neopaganism.
The term ''Horned God'' itself predates Wicca, and is an early 20th-century syncretic term for a horned or antlered anthropomorphic god partl ...
, the Neopagan god of the sun, masculinity, nature, and hunting.
See also
*Lord of the animals
The Master of Animals, Lord of Animals, or Mistress of the Animals is a motif in ancient art showing a human between and grasping two confronted animals. The motif is very widespread in the art of the Ancient Near East and Egypt. The figure may ...
References
{{List of mythological figures by region
Hunting deities
Deities
A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greate ...