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 narra ...

associated with the

hunting Hunting is the 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, bone/tusks, horn/antler, ...

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, 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 ...

, 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 somet ...

, 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 ...

, god associated with healing, the sea, hunting and dogs * Vosegus, 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 a ...

, the creator of fishery. * Jiang Ziya, a god of fishery.

Egyptian mythology

Neith Neith ( grc-koi, Νηΐθ, a borrowing of the Demotic form egy, nt, likely originally to have been nrt "she is the terrifying one"; Coptic: ⲛⲏⲓⲧ; also spelled Nit, Net, or Neit) was an early ancient Egyptian deity. She was said to b ...

, 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 ...

, 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 (2 ...

, 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

and her the name Ailuros.

Filipino mythology

*Abog: the Bagobo god of hunters *Alagaka: the Tagalog protector of hunters *Anlabban: the 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 creat ...

, goddess of forests and the hunt *

Nyyrikki Nyyrikki () is the Finnish god of the hunt and cattle, and son of Tapio and Mielikki. He has been tenuously associated with Nimrod Nimrod (; ; arc, ܢܡܪܘܕ; ar, نُمْرُود, Numrūd) is a biblical figure mentioned in the Book of Ge ...

, 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, 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-keepin ...

, god of bee-keeping, cheese-making, herding, olive-growing and hunting *

, 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' wife

Hindu mythology

* Banka-Mundi, 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'. Ru ...

, Rigvedic god associated with wind or storm, and the hunt

Hittite mythology

* Rundas, god of the hunt and good fortune

Inuit mythology

* Arnakuagsak, goddess responsible for ensuring the hunters were able to catch enough food and that the people remained healthy and strong * Arnapkapfaaluk, sea goddess who inspired fear in hunters * Nerrivik, the sea mother and patron of fishermen and hunters * Nujalik, goddess of hunting on land * Pinga, goddess of the hunt, fertility, and medicine * Sedna, goddess of the sea, marine animals, and sea hunting * Tekkeitsertok, god of hunting and master of caribou

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 old ...

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! *

, Aztec god of hunting * Sip, a hunting god often shown with deer ears and antlers * Yum Kaax, 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 cent ...

, 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 Vani ...

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 h ...

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 partia ...

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 ...

Norse god of hunting, mountains, archery, and skiing.

Roman mythology

* Diana, goddess of the hunt, wild animals and the wilderness; the counterpart of

, 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 religion, Leto (; grc-gre, Λητώ , ''Lētṓ'', or , ''Lātṓ'' in Doric Greek) is a goddess and the mother of Apollo, the god of music, and Artemis, the goddess of the hunt.Hesiod, ''Theogony'404–409/ref> ...

and

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the 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 slightly less than one-thousandth t ...

Siberian mythology

* Bugady Musun, Evenki mother goddess of animals * Hinkon, Tungusic lord of the hunt

Slavic mythology

* Devana, 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

. *

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 ...

or loa, the Two-Spirit orisha 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 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 constitut ...

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, M ...

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.

References

{{List of mythological figures by region Hunting deities Deities