The following list of art deities is arranged by continent with names of mythological figures and deities associated with

the arts The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both ...

. Art deities are a form of religious iconography incorporated into artistic compositions by many

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, ...

s as a dedication to their respective gods and goddesses. The various artworks are used throughout history as a means to gain a deeper connection to a particular deity or as a sign of respect and devotion to the divine being.

Africa and the Middle East

Afroasiatic Middle East

Canaanite

* Kotar or

Kothar-wa-Khasis Kothar-wa-Khasis ( uga, 𐎋𐎘𐎗𐎆𐎃𐎒𐎒, Kothar-wa-Khasis) is an Ugaritic god whose name means "Skillful-and-Wise" or "Adroit-and-Perceptive" or "Deft-and-Clever". Another of his names, ''Hayyan hrs yd'' means "Deft-with-both-hands" ...

Egyptian

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 (2 ...

Bes BES or Bes may refer to: * Bes, Egyptian deity * Bes (coin), Roman coin denomination * Bes (Marvel Comics), fictional character loosely based on the Egyptian deity Abbreviations * Bachelor of Environmental Studies, a degree * Banco Espírito ...

Hathor Hathor ( egy, ḥwt-ḥr, lit=House of Horus, grc, Ἁθώρ , cop, ϩⲁⲑⲱⲣ, Meroitic: ) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion who played a wide variety of roles. As a sky deity, she was the mother or consort of the sk ...

Isis Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kin ...

Meret In Egyptian mythology, Meret (also spelled Mert) was a goddess who was strongly associated with rejoicing, such as singing and dancing. In myth Meret was a token wife occasionally given to Hapy, the god of the Nile. Her name being a reference t ...

Ptah Ptah ( egy, ptḥ, reconstructed ; grc, Φθά; cop, ⲡⲧⲁϩ; Phoenician: 𐤐𐤕𐤇, romanized: ptḥ) is an ancient Egyptian deity, a creator god and patron deity of craftsmen and architects. In the triad of Memphis, he is the hu ...

Seker Seker (; also spelled Sokar, and in Greek, Sokaris or Socharis) is a falcon god of the Memphite necropolis in the Ancient Egyptian religion. Name Although the meaning of his name remains uncertain, the Egyptians in the Pyramid Texts linked his ...

Mesopotamian

Ishtar Inanna, also sux, 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒀭𒈾, nin-an-na, label=none is an ancient Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility. She is also associated with beauty, sex, divine justice, and political power. She was originally worshiped in Su ...

Nuska Nuska or Nusku, possibly also known as Našuḫ, was a Mesopotamian god best attested as the sukkal (divine vizier) of Enlil. He was also associated with fire and light, and could be invoked as a protective deity against various demons, such as ...

Western Eurasia

Celtic

Abhean In Irish mythology, Abhean (), son of Bec-Felmas, was a poet of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and in particular of Lugh. He was killed by Óengus in front of Midir, according to a poem by Fland Mainistreach in ''Lebor Gabála Érenn''. Etymology The ...

Brigid Brigid ( , ; meaning 'exalted one' from Old Irish),Campbell, MikBehind the Name.See also Xavier Delamarre, ''brigantion / brigant-'', in ''Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise'' (Éditions Errance, 2003) pp. 87–88: "Le nom de la sainte irlandais ...

Gwydion Gwydion fab Dôn () is a magician, hero and trickster of Welsh mythology, appearing most prominently in the Fourth Branch of the ''Mabinogi'', which focuses largely on his relationship with his young nephew, Lleu Llaw Gyffes. He also appears ...

Norse-Germanic

Bragi Bragi (; Old Norse: ) is the skaldic god of poetry in Norse mythology. Etymology The theonym Bragi probably stems from the masculine noun ''bragr'', which can be translated in Old Norse as 'poetry' (cf. Icelandic ''bragur'' 'poem, melody, wise ...

* Odin

Greco-Roman

Etruscan

Menrva Menrva (also spelled Menerva) was an Etruscan goddess of war, art, wisdom, and medicine. She contributed much of her character to the Roman Minerva. She was the child of Uni and Tinia. Although Menrva was seen by Hellenized Etruscans as their ...

Greek / Hellenic

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 medicine, music, poetry, song and dance *

Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretism, syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded ...

, goddess of crafts and handicraft *

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 Roma ...

, god of theatre *

Hephaestus Hephaestus (; eight spellings; grc-gre, Ἥφαιστος, Hḗphaistos) is the Greek god of blacksmiths, metalworking, carpenters, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metallurgy, fire (compare, however, with Hestia), and volcanoes.Walter B ...

, god of forge and sculpture * Muses **

Calliope In Greek mythology, Calliope ( ; grc, Καλλιόπη, Kalliópē, beautiful-voiced) is the Muse who presides over eloquence and epic poetry; so called from the ecstatic harmony of her voice. Hesiod and Ovid called her the "Chief of all Muse ...

, goddess of

epic poetry An epic poem, or simply an epic, is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. ...

Clio In Greek mythology, Clio ( , ; el, Κλειώ), also spelled Kleio, is the muse of history, or in a few mythological accounts, the muse of lyre playing. Etymology Clio's name is etymologically derived from the Greek root κλέω/κλεί ...

, goddess of history ** Erato, goddess of erotic poetry ** Euterpe, goddess of

lyric poetry Modern lyric poetry is a formal type of poetry which expresses personal emotions or feelings, typically spoken in the first person. It is not equivalent to song lyrics, though song lyrics are often in the lyric mode, and it is also ''not'' equi ...

** Melpomene, goddess of

tragedy Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy ...

** Polyhymnia, goddess of

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hy ...

s **

Terpsichore In Greek mythology, Terpsichore (; grc-gre, Τερψιχόρη, "delight in dancing") is one of the nine Muses and goddess of dance and chorus. She lends her name to the word "terpsichorean" which means "of or relating to dance". Appearance ...

, goddess of dance ** Thalia, goddess of

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

Urania Urania ( ; grc, , Ouranía; modern Greek shortened name ''Ránia''; meaning "heavenly" or "of heaven") was, in Greek mythology, the muse of astronomy, and in later times, of Christian poetry. Urania is the goddess of astronomy and stars, he ...

, goddess of

astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, g ...

Roman

Minerva Minerva (; ett, Menrva) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. Minerva is not a patron of violence such as Mars, but of strategic war. From the second century BC onward, the Rom ...

Western Asia

Anatolian - Urarte

* Arubani

Hindu-Vedic

Saraswati Saraswati ( sa, सरस्वती, ) is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning. She is one of the Tridevi, along with the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati. The earliest known mention of Saraswati as a g ...

Hayagriva Hayagriva, also spelled Hayagreeva ( sa, हयग्रीव IAST , ), is a Hindu deity, the horse-headed avatar of Vishnu. The purpose of this incarnation was to slay a danava also named Hayagriva (A descendant of Kashyapa and Danu), wh ...

Uralic

Väinämöinen Väinämöinen () is a demigod, hero and the central character in Finnish folklore and the main character in the national epic ''Kalevala'' by Elias Lönnrot. Väinämöinen was described as an old and wise man, and he possessed a potent, m ...

Asia-Pacific / Oceania

Meitei

Khamlangba ) , deity_of = God of iron, mining, metallurgy, steel manufacturing, hunting and war , member_of = Lainingthous and Lam Lais , image = KHAMLANGPA.jpg , alt = , caption = "Khamlangpa", the Ancient Meitei ( Old ...

, associated with smiths *

Khamnung Kikoi Louonbi ) , deity_of = Enchantress goddess of death who carries off the souls of people to the underworld , member_of = Lairembis , image = KHAMNUNG KIKOI LOUONPI.jpg , alt = , caption = "Khamnung Kikoi Louonpi", the ...

, associated with enchantment *

Lainaotabi ) , deity_of = Goddess of charm, magic, sorcery, spell, weaving and witchcraft , member_of = Lairembis , image = LAINAOTAPI.jpg , alt = , caption = "Lainaotapi", the Ancient Meitei (Old Manipuri) name of the g ...

, associated with charm, magic, pottery, sorcery, spell, weaving and witchcraft *

Nongpok Ningthou ) , deity_of = Sovereign of the East Guardian God of the Eastern Direction , member_of = Maikei Ngaakpa Lais and Umang Lais , image = NONGPOK NINGTHOU.jpg , alt = , caption = "Nongpok Ningthou", the name of t ...

, associated with dance, music and festival * Nongthang Leima, associated with enchantment and seduction *

Panthoibi ) , deity_of = Goddess of civilization, courage, fertility, handicraft, love, victory, warfare and wisdom , member_of = Lairembis and Umang Lais , image = PANTHOIPI.jpg , alt = , caption = Goddess Panthoipi char ...

, associated with dance, festival, handicrafts, pottery, spinning and weaving *

Phouoibi Phouoibi (Fouoibi) or Phouoipi (Fouoipi) or Phouleima (Fouleima) or Phoureima (Foureima) is the goddess and the female personification of the agriculture, crops, fertility, grains, harvest, paddy, rice and wealth in Meitei mythology and religi ...

, associated with trickery to men *

Pisatao Lainingthou Pishatao ( mni, ꯂꯥꯢꯅꯤꯡꯊꯧ ꯄꯤꯁꯥꯇꯥꯎ, lāi-nīng-thou pī-sā-tāo, ''"Maker of All"''), mononymously known as Pisatao ( omp, ꯄꯤꯁꯥꯇꯥꯎ), is a primordial deity in Meitei mythology and religio ...

, associated with smiths *

Thangching Thangching or Thangjing is a primordial deity in Meitei mythology and religion of Ancient Kangleipak (Antique Manipur). He is the ruling deity of the Moirang dynasty of Ancient Moirang. He rules supreme on the banks of the landlocked sea, ...

, associated with divine plays

Far East Asia

Chinese

Cao Guojiu Cao Guojiu, literally Imperial Brother-in-law Cao, is a Chinese mythology, Chinese mythological figure and one of the Eight Immortals in the Taoism, Taoist pantheon. His real name was Cao Yi while his courtesy name was Jingxiu, and he was better k ...

, patron god of the theater *

Han Xiangzi Han Xiangzi, courtesy name Qingfu or Beizhu, is a Chinese mythological figure and one of the Eight Immortals in the Taoist pantheon. He studied Taoist magical arts under the tutelage of Lü Dongbin, another of the Eight Immortals. Han Xiangzi is ...

Nüwa Nüwa, also read Nügua, is the mother goddess of Chinese mythology. She is credited with creating humanity and repairing the Pillar of Heaven. As creator of mankind, she molded humans individually by hand with yellow clay. In the Huainanzi ...

Zhang Guolao Zhang Guo, better known as Zhang Guolao, is a Chinese mythological figure and one of the Eight Immortals in the Taoist pantheon. Among the Eight Immortals, Zhang Guolao, Zhongli Quan and Lü Yan were real historical figures. His existence is ...

, who carries a fish-drum

Japanese

* Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto * Benzaiten

Vietnamese

Phạm Thị Trân Phạm Thị Trân (926–976), was a Vietnamese artist, opera singer and Mandarin.Vị tổ hát chè ...

, the founder of

Chèo ''Chèo'' (, Chữ Nôm: 掉) is a form of generally satirical musical theatre, often encompassing dance, traditionally performed by Vietnamese peasants in northern Vietnam. It is usually performed outdoors by semi-amateur touring groups, stere ...

* Từ Đạo Hạnh, the founder of the art of

water puppetry Water puppetry ( vi, Múa rối nước) is a tradition that dates back as far as the 11th century when it originated in the villages of the Red River Delta area of northern Vietnam. Today's Vietnamese water puppetry is a unique variation on the a ...

* Tổ nghề Sân khấu, the three are said to be the founders of theatrical forms of Vietnam

Austronesia

Filipino

Bait Pandi Bait may refer to: General * Bait (luring substance), bait as a luring substance ** Fishing bait, bait used for fishing Film * ''Bait'' (1950 film), a British crime film by Frank Richardson * ''Bait'' (1954 film), an American noir film by Hugo ...

: the Bagobo goddess of weavers who taught women weaving *

Fu Dalu Fu or FU may refer to: In arts and entertainment *Fool Us, Penn & Teller's magic-competition television show *Fǔ, a type of ancient Chinese vessel *Fu (poetry) (赋), a Chinese genre of rhymed prose *'' FU: Friendship Unlimited'', a 2017 Marath ...

: the

T'boli The Tboli people () are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Philippines, indigenous peoples of South Cotabato in southern Mindanao. In the body of ethnographic and linguistic literature on Mindanao, their name is variously spelt Tboli, T'boli, ...

goddess of the abaca; speak and guide weavers on how to create patterns and designs, which are remembered in dreams * Mamiyo: the

Ifugao Ifugao, officially the Province of Ifugao ( ilo, Probinsia ti Ifugao; tl, Lalawigan ng Ifugao), is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Lagawe and it borders Benguet to the ...

stretcher of skeins, one of the twenty-three deities presiding over the art of weaving * Monlolot: the Ifugao winder of thread on the spindle, one of the twenty-three deities presiding over the art of weaving * Rirryaw Añitu: place spirit Añitus who played music and sang inside a cave in Sabtang, while lighting up fire; believed to have change residences after they were disturbed by a man * Tumungkuyan: leaders of the Salakap from Batak beliefs who paint tree trunks that support the sky using the blood of the epidemic-deadFox, R. B. (1982). Religion and Society Among the Tagbanuas of Palawan Island, Philippines. Manila: National Museum.

Polynesian

Hawaiian

Lono In Hawaiian religion, the god Lono is associated with fertility, agriculture, rainfall, music and peace. In one of the many Hawaiian stories of Lono, he is a fertility and music god who descended to Earth on a rainbow to marry Laka. In agricultu ...

* Pele

Native Americas

North America

* Kokopelli (shared among various Southwestern Native American mythologies)

Mexico

Aztec

* Huehuecóyotl * Xochipilli

Haitian Vodou

Erzulie Erzulie (sometimes spelled Erzili or Èzili) is a family of loa, or spirits, in Vodou. Overview The Erzulie is a family of loa that are often associated with water (fluidity), femininity, and feminine bodies. They are one of the only group o ...

* Maîtresse Délai

References

{{List of mythological figures by region Art deities

Art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...