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A water deity is a deity in
mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of Narrative, narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or Origin myth, origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not Objectivity (philosophy), ...
associated with
water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as ...
or various
bodies of water A body of water or waterbody (often spelled water body) is any significant accumulation of water on the surface of Earth or another planet. The term most often refers to oceans, seas, and lakes, but it includes smaller pools of water such as ...
. Water deities are common in mythology and were usually more important among civilizations in which the sea or ocean, or a great river was more important. Another important focus of worship of water deities has been springs or holy wells. As a form of animal worship,
whale Whales are a widely distributed and diverse group of fully aquatic placental marine mammals. As an informal and colloquial grouping, they correspond to large members of the infraorder Cetacea, i.e. all cetaceans apart from dolphins and ...
s and
snake Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more j ...
s (hence dragons) have been regarded as godly deities throughout the world (as are other animals such as
turtle Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked ...
s, fish, crabs, and
shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachi ...
s). In Asian lore, whales and dragons sometimes have connections. Serpents are also common as a symbol or as serpentine deities, sharing many similarities with dragons.


Africa and the Mediterranean


Sub-Sahara Africa


Western Niger-Congo

Benin *
Ezili 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 of ...
, goddess of sweet water, beauty, and love. Dogon * Nommos, amphibious spirits that are worshiped as ancestors. Serer * Mindiss (or Mindis) is not a deity in
Serer religion The Serer religion, or ''a ƭat Roog'' ("the way of the Divine"), is the original religious beliefs, practices, and teachings of the Serer people of Senegal in West Africa. The Serer religion believes in a universal supreme deity called Roog ( ...
, but a
pangool Pangool (in Serer and Cangin) singular: Fangool (var : ''Pangol'' and ''Fangol''), are the ancient saints and ancestral spirits of the Serer people of Senegal, the Gambia and Mauritania. The Pangool play a crucial role in Serer religion and h ...
with goddess–like attributes. She is a female protector of the
Fatick Region Fatick is the southwest region of the northern outcrop of Senegal. Its alternative name is Jinnak Bolon. The region is named for its capital city, Fatick.
. Offerings are made in her name at the River Sine. She appears to humans in the form of a
manatee Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus ''Trichechus'') are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing three of the four living speci ...
, She is one of the best known ''fangool'' (singular of ''pangool''). She possess the attributes of a typical ''water fangool'', yet at the same time, she is a ''blood fangool''. The Senegalese Ministry of Culture added the ''Mbind Ngo Mindiss'' site to its list of monuments and historic sites in
Fatick Fatick ( wo, Fatik, srr, Fatik) is a town in Senegal, located between M'bour and Kaolack and inhabited by the Serer people. Its 2005 population was estimated at 24,243. It is the capital of the Fatick Region and the Fatick Department. Topo ...
. It is the site where offerings are made, situated on the arms of the sea which bears her name, in the
Sine In mathematics, sine and cosine are trigonometric functions of an angle. The sine and cosine of an acute angle are defined in the context of a right triangle: for the specified angle, its sine is the ratio of the length of the side that is opp ...
. Yoruba *
Oshun Ọṣun, is an orisha, a spirit, a deity, or a goddess that reflects one of the manifestations of the Yorùbá Supreme Being in the Ifá oral tradition and Yoruba-based religions of West Africa. She is one of the most popular and venerated ...
, a orisha of fresh “sweet” waters and the Osun River. *
Olokun Olokun (Yoruba: Olókun) is an orisha spirit in Yoruba religion. Olokun is believed to be the parent of Aje, the orisha of great wealth and of the bottom of the ocean. Olokun is revered as the ruler of all bodies of water and for the authority ...
, an ocean orisha and is the owner of all waters. * Yemoja, originally only the orisha of the Ogun River but became orisha over the sea waves by way of the Trans-Atlantic Slabe Trade. * Olosa, wife of Olokun, orisha over lagoons. * Oya, orisha of storms and the Niger River. * Oba, orisha of the Oba River. * Yewa, orisha of the Yewa River. *
Otín Otín can refer to: * Otín (Jihlava District), Czech Republic * Otín (Žďár nad Sázavou District), Czech Republic See also * Otin, female Islamic teachers in Central Asia * Otin River The Otin River is a river in Osun State, Nigeria. It i ...
, orisha if the Otín River. *Yemoo, original wife of Obatala and orisha over waters and maternity. Said to be the original form of most female water orishas Lugandan * Sezibwa, goddess of the
Sezibwa River The Sezibwa River is a river in Central Uganda, in East Africa. The name is derived from the Luganda phrase "sizibwa kkubo", which translates into "my path cannot be blocked". Location River Sezibwa is located in the southern central part of Ugan ...
. Batonga * Nyami Nyami, a river spirit of the Batonga of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Kongo * Bunzi, goddess of rain, rainbow and waters. * Chicamassichinuinji, king of oceans. * Funza, goddess of waters, twin phenomenon and malformations in children. Wife of Mbumba. *
Kalunga The Kalungas are Brazilians that descend from people who freed themselves from slavery, and lived in remote settlements in Goiás state, Brazil. The Kalungas are one group of Quilombola, or people of African origin who live in hinterland s ...
, god of death and border between world of Alives and world of dead. * Kimbazi, goddess of sea storms. * Kuitikuiti, serpent god of Congo river. * Lusunzi, god of spring and waters. * Mamba Muntu, goddesses of waters and sexuality. * Makanga. * Mbantilanda. * Mbumba, rainbow serpent of terrestrial waters and warriors. * Mboze. * Mpulu Bunzi, god of rain and waters. * Mundele, albino gods of the sea. * Simbi dia Maza, nymphs or goddesses of waters, lakes and rivers.


Mediterranean

''Hamito-Semitic regions of North Africa, Arabia, and the Levant.''


Canaanite

* Yam (god), god of the sea.


Egyptian

* Anuket, goddess of the Nile and nourisher of the fields. *Bairthy, goddess of water, was depicted with a small pitcher on her head, holding a long spear-like sceptre. * Hapi, god of the annual flooding of the Nile. * Khnum, god of the source of the Nile. *
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 ...
, goddess of rivers, death, mourning, the dead, and night. * Nu, uncreated god, personification of the primordial waters. *
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 ...
, god of the dead and afterlife; originally a god of water and vegetation. * Satet, goddess of the Nile River's floods. *
Sobek Sobek (also called Sebek or Sobki, cop, Ⲥⲟⲩⲕ, Souk) was an ancient Egyptian deities, ancient Egyptian deity with a complex and elastic history and nature. He is associated with the Nile crocodile or the West African crocodile and is re ...
, god of the Nile river, is depicted as a crocodile or a man with the head of a crocodile. *
Tefnut Tefnut ( egy, ; cop, ⲧϥⲏⲛⲉ ) is a deity of moisture, moist air, dew and rain in Ancient Egyptian religion.The Routledge Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, George Hart She is the sister and consort of the air god Shu and the ...
, goddess of water, moisture, and fertility. *
Wadj-wer Wadj-wer, also spelled Uatch-ur is an Egyptian god of fertility whose name means the "great green". It was commonly believed that Wadj-wer was a personification of the Mediterranean Sea; however, it is apparently more likely that he rather repr ...
, personification of the Mediterranean Sea or represented the lagoons and lakes in the northernmost Nile Delta.


Hebrew

*
Leviathan Leviathan (; he, לִוְיָתָן, ) is a sea serpent noted in theology and mythology. It is referenced in several books of the Hebrew Bible, including Psalms, the Book of Job, the Book of Isaiah, the Book of Amos, and, according to so ...
, sea serpent.


Mesopotamian

*
Abzu The Abzu or Apsu (Sumerian: ; Akkadian: ), also called (Cuneiform:, ; Sumerian: ; Akkadian: — ='water' ='deep', recorded in Greek as ), is the name for fresh water from underground aquifers which was given a religious fertilising quality ...
, god of fresh water, father of all other gods. * Enbilulu, god of rivers and canals. *
Enki , image = Enki(Ea).jpg , caption = Detail of Enki from the Adda Seal, an ancient Akkadian cylinder seal dating to circa 2300 BC , deity_of = God of creation, intelligence, crafts, water, seawater, lakewater, fertility, semen, magic, mischief ...
, god of water and of the river
Tigris The Tigris () is the easternmost of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through the Syrian and Arabian Deserts, and empties into the ...
. *
Marduk Marduk (Cuneiform: dAMAR.UTU; Sumerian: ''amar utu.k'' "calf of the sun; solar calf"; ) was a god from ancient Mesopotamia and patron deity of the city of Babylon. When Babylon became the political center of the Euphrates valley in the time o ...
, god associated with water, vegetation, judgment, and magic. *
Nammu Nammu ( dENGUR = dLAGAB×ḪAL; also read Namma) was a Mesopotamian goddess regarded as a creator deity in the local theology of Eridu. It is assumed that she was associated with water. She is also well attested in connection with incantations ...
, goddess of the primeval sea. * Nanshe, goddess of the
Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bo ...
, justice, prophecy, fertility and fishing. *
Tiamat In Mesopotamian religion, Tiamat ( akk, or , grc, Θαλάττη, Thaláttē) is a primordial goddess of the sea, mating with Abzû, the god of the groundwater, to produce younger gods. She is the symbol of the chaos of primordial cre ...
, goddess of salt water and chaos, also mother of all gods. * Sirsir, god of mariners.


Greek / Hellenic

*
Achelous In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Achelous (also Acheloos or Acheloios) (; Ancient Greek: Ἀχελώϊος, and later , ''Akhelôios'') was the god associated with the Achelous River, the largest river in Greece. According to Hesiod, h ...
, Greek river god. * Aegaeon, god of violent sea storms and ally of the Titans. * Alpheus, river god in Arcadia. * Amphitrite, sea goddess and consort of Poseidon and thus queen of the sea. * Anapos, water god of eastern Sicily. *
Asopus Asopus (; grc, Ἀ̄σωπός ''Āsōpos'') is the name of four different rivers in Greece and one in Turkey. In Greek mythology, it was also the name of the gods of those rivers. Zeus carried off Aegina, Asopus' daughter, and Sisyphus, who h ...
, river god in Greece * Asterion, river-god of Argos * Brito-Martis, the goddess Brito-Martis is always depicted in arms. * Brizo, goddess of sailors. * Carcinus, a giant crab who allied itself with the Hydra against Heracles. When it died, Hera placed it in the sky as the constellation
Cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal bl ...
. *
Ceto Ceto (; grc, Κητώ, Kētṓ, sea monster) is a primordial sea goddess in Greek mythology, the daughter of Pontus and his mother, Gaia. As a mythological figure, she is considered to be one of the most ancient deities, and bore a host o ...
, goddess of the dangers of the ocean and of sea monsters. *
Charybdis Charybdis (; grc, Χάρυβδις, Khárybdis, ; la, Charybdis, ) is a sea monster in Greek mythology. She, with the sea monster Scylla, appears as a challenge to epic characters such as Odysseus, Jason, and Aeneas. Scholarship locates her in ...
, a sea monster and spirit of whirlpools and the tide. *
Cymopoleia In Greek mythology, Cymopoleia or Cymopolia (; Ancient Greek: Κυμοπόλεια ''Kymopoleia'') was a daughter of sea god Poseidon and the wife of Briareus, one of the three Hundred-Handers. Her only known mention occurs in the Hesiodic ''Th ...
, a daughter of Poseidon and goddess of giant storm waves. * Doris, goddess of the sea's bounty and wife of Nereus. *
Eidothea ''Eidothea'' is a genus of two species of rainforest trees in New South Wales and Queensland, in eastern Australia, constituting part of the plant family Proteaceae. The plant family Proteaceae was named after the shape-shifting god Proteus of ...
, prophetic sea nymph and daughter of Proteus. * Electra, an Oceanid, consort of Thaumas. * Enipeus, a river god * Eurybia, goddess of the mastery of the seas. * Galene (Γαλήνη), goddess of calm seas. * Glaucus, the fisherman's sea god. * Gorgons, three monstrous sea spirits. **
Euryale In Greek mythology, Euryale ( ; grc, Εὐρυάλη, lit=far-roaming") was the name of the following characters: * Euryale, one of the Gorgons. * Euryale, daughter of Minos, possible mother of the great hunter Orion. * Euryale, one of the Ama ...
**
Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; Ancient Greek: Μέδουσα "guardian, protectress"), also called Gorgo, was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Those ...
** Stheno * The
Graeae In Greek mythology the Graeae ( grc, Γραῖαι; ; English translation: "old women", "grey ones", or "grey witches"; alternatively spelled Graiai and Graiae) were three sisters who had gray hair from their birth and shared one eye and one t ...
, three ancient sea spirits who personified the white foam of the sea; they shared one eye and one tooth between them. * Hippocampi, the horses of the sea. * The Ichthyocentaurs, a pair of centaurine sea-gods with the upper bodies of men, the lower fore-parts of horses, ending in the serpentine tails of fish. *Kymopoleia, daughter of Poseidon and goddess of violent sea storms. * Leucothea, a sea goddess who aided sailors in distress. * Nerites, watery consort of Aphrodite and/or beloved of Poseidon. *
Nereus In Greek mythology, Nereus ( ; ) was the eldest son of Pontus (the Sea) and Gaia ( the Earth), with Pontus himself being a son of Gaia. Nereus and Doris became the parents of 50 daughters (the Nereids) and a son ( Nerites), with whom Nereus ...
, the old man of the sea, and the god of the sea's rich bounty of fish. *
Nymph A nymph ( grc, νύμφη, nýmphē, el, script=Latn, nímfi, label=Modern Greek; , ) in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are ty ...
s **
Naiad In Greek mythology, the naiads (; grc-gre, ναϊάδες, naïádes) are a type of female spirit, or nymph, presiding over fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of fresh water. They are distinct from river gods, who ...
es, freshwater nymphs. **
Nereid In Greek mythology, the Nereids or Nereides ( ; grc, Νηρηΐδες, Nērēḯdes; , also Νημερτές) are sea nymphs (female spirits of sea waters), the 50 daughters of the ' Old Man of the Sea' Nereus and the Oceanid Doris, siste ...
es, sea nymphs. **
Oceanid In Greek mythology, the Oceanids or Oceanides (; grc, Ὠκεανίδες, Ōkeanídes, pl. of grc, Ὠκεανίς, Ōkeanís, label=none) are the nymphs who were the three thousand (a number interpreted as meaning "innumerable") daughters o ...
es, nymphs of freshwater sources. *
Oceanus In Greek mythology, Oceanus (; grc-gre, , Ancient Greek pronunciation: , also Ὠγενός , Ὤγενος , or Ὠγήν ) was a Titans (mythology), Titan son of Uranus (mythology), Uranus and Gaia, the husband of his sister the Titan Tethy ...
, Titan god of the Earth-encircling river Okeanos, the font of all the Earth's fresh water. * Palaemon, a young sea god who aided sailors in distress. *
Phorcys In Greek mythology, Phorcys or Phorcus (; grc, Φόρκυς) is a primordial sea god, generally cited (first in Hesiod) as the son of Pontus and Gaia (Earth). Classical scholar Karl Kerenyi conflated Phorcys with the similar sea gods Nereu ...
, god of the hidden dangers of the deep. * Pontus, primeval god of the sea, father of the fish and other sea creatures. *
Poseidon Poseidon (; grc-gre, Ποσειδῶν) was one of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and myth, god of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 In pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece, he was venerated as a ch ...
, Olympian god of the sea and king of the sea gods; also god of flood, drought, earthquakes, and horses. His Roman equivalent is
Neptune Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun and the farthest known planet in the Solar System. It is the fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 time ...
. *
Potamoi The Potamoi ( grc-gre, Ποταμοί, "Rivers") are the gods of rivers and streams of the earth in Greek mythology. Mythology The river gods were the 3000 sons of the great earth-encircling river Oceanus and his wife Tethys and the brothers of ...
, deities of rivers, fathers of Naiads, brothers of the Oceanids, and as such, the sons of Oceanus and Tethys. *
Proteus In Greek mythology, Proteus (; Ancient Greek: Πρωτεύς, ''Prōteus'') is an early prophetic sea-god or god of rivers and oceanic bodies of water, one of several deities whom Homer calls the " Old Man of the Sea" ''(hálios gérôn)''. ...
, a shape-shifting, prophetic old sea god, and the herdsman of Poseidon's seals. * Psamathe, goddess of sand beaches. *
Scylla In Greek mythology, Scylla), is obsolete. ( ; grc-gre, Σκύλλα, Skúlla, ) is a legendary monster who lives on one side of a narrow channel of water, opposite her counterpart Charybdis. The two sides of the strait are within an arrow's ra ...
, a sea monster, later authors made up a backstory of her being a Nereid transformed into a monster due to Circe's jealousy. * The Telchines, sea spirits native to the island of Rhodes; the gods killed them when they turned to evil magic. * Tethys, Titan goddess of the sources fresh-water, and the mother of the rivers (
Potamoi The Potamoi ( grc-gre, Ποταμοί, "Rivers") are the gods of rivers and streams of the earth in Greek mythology. Mythology The river gods were the 3000 sons of the great earth-encircling river Oceanus and his wife Tethys and the brothers of ...
), springs, streams, fountains and clouds. *
Thalassa Thalassa (; grc-gre, Θάλασσα, Thálassa, sea; Attic Greek: , ''Thálatta'') was the general word for 'sea' and for its divine female personification in Greek mythology. The word may have been of Pre-Greek origin. Mythology According to ...
, primordial goddess of the sea. * Thaumas, god of the wonders of the sea and father of the
Harpies In Greek mythology and Roman mythology, a harpy (plural harpies, , ; lat, harpȳia) is a half-human and half-bird personification of storm winds. They feature in Homeric poems. Descriptions They were generally depicted as birds with the head ...
and the rainbow goddess Iris. *
Thetis Thetis (; grc-gre, Θέτις ), is a figure from Greek mythology with varying mythological roles. She mainly appears as a sea nymph, a goddess of water, or one of the 50 Nereids, daughters of the ancient sea god Nereus. When described as ...
, leader of the Nereids who presided over the spawning of marine life in the sea, mother of Achilles. * Triteia, daughter of Triton and companion of Ares. * Triton, fish-tailed son and herald of Poseidon. * Tritones, fish-tailed spirits in Poseidon's retinue. * Aspidochelone, colossal sea monster from the medieval bestiary ''
Physiologus The ''Physiologus'' () is a didactic Christian text written or compiled in Greek by an unknown author, in Alexandria; its composition has been traditionally dated to the 2nd century AD by readers who saw parallels with writings of Clement of Ale ...
''.


Roman

* Coventina, Romano-British goddess of a sacred spring at
Carrawburgh Carrawburgh is a settlement in Northumberland. In Roman times, it was the site of a -acre (1.5 ha) auxiliary fort on Hadrian's Wall called Brocolitia, Procolita, or ''Brocolita''. This name is probably based on the Celtic name for the pla ...
on Hadrian's Wall. * Fontus, god of wells and springs. * Juturna, goddess of fountains, wells, and springs. *
Neptune Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun and the farthest known planet in the Solar System. It is the fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 time ...
, god-king of the sea. His Greek counterpart was
Poseidon Poseidon (; grc-gre, Ποσειδῶν) was one of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and myth, god of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 In pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece, he was venerated as a ch ...
. * Salacia, goddess of saltwater. Neptune's consort. * Tiberinus, the genius of the river
Tiber The Tiber ( ; it, Tevere ; la, Tiberis) is the third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the Ri ...
. * Volturnus, a god of the
Tiber The Tiber ( ; it, Tevere ; la, Tiberis) is the third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the Ri ...
who may originally have been a god of all rivers.


Anatolian - Hittite

* Aruna, god of the sea.


Armenian

* Astłik, goddess of water sources. * Tsovinar, goddess of seas and storms.


Persian Zorostarian

*
Ahurani Ahurani is the Avestan language name of a Zoroastrian (class of) divinity associated with "the waters" ( ''āpō''). In scripture, the expression ''ahurani'' appears both in the singular and in the plural, and may - subject to context - either den ...
, Ahurani is a water goddess from ancient Persian mythology who watches over rainfall as well as standing water. *
Anahita Anahita is the Old Persian form of the name of an Iranian goddess and appears in complete and earlier form as ('), the Avestan name of an Indo-Iranian cosmological figure venerated as the divinity of "the Waters" ( Aban) and hence associ ...
, the divinity of "the Waters" ( Aban) and associated with fertility, healing, and wisdom. * Apam Napat, the divinity of rain and the maintainer of order. * Haurvatat, the Amesha Spenta associated with water, prosperity, and health in post-Gathic Zoroastrianism. *
Tishtrya Tishtrya ( ave, 𐬙𐬌𐬱𐬙𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀, Tištrya, fa, تیر, Tir) or Roozahang is the Avestan language name of a Zoroastrian benevolent divinity associated with life-bringing rainfall and fertility. Tishtrya is Tir in Middle- and Moder ...
,
Zoroastrian Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religion and one of the world's oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. It has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil within the framework of a monotheistic ...
benevolent divinity associated with life-bringing rainfall and fertility.


Northwest Eurasia


Balto-Slavic


Lithuanian

* Bangpūtys, god of sea and storm. * Laumė, goddess of wild spaces, including waters.


Slavic

*
Kostroma Kostroma ( rus, Кострома́, p=kəstrɐˈma) is a historic city and the administrative center of Kostroma Oblast, Russia. A part of the Golden Ring of Russian cities, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Volga and Kostroma. Popul ...
, goddess of fertility. After discovering that her husband, Kupala, is her brother, she jumped into the forest lake (in other legends into the river Ra). After her death, she became a
mavka ''Mavka'' ( uk, Мавка) is a type of female spirit in Ukrainian folklore and mythology. She is a long-haired figure, sometimes naked, who may be dangerous to young men. Terminology There is variation in the names and spelling, including u ...
(or rusalka). * Mati-syra-zemla, moist mother, also the Earth goddess. *
Mokosh Mokosh ( orv, Мóкошь) is a Slavic goddess mentioned in the Primary Chronicle, protector of women's work and women's destiny. She watches over spinning and weaving, shearing of sheep, and protects women in childbirth. Mokosh is the Mother ...
, moistness, lady of waters, goddess of moisture. * Dodola, goddess of rain. * Morskoy Tsar, the god and king of the sea. * Moryana, a giant female sea spirit. *
Rusalki In Slavic folklore, the rusalka (plural: rusalky/rusalki; ; pl, rusałka}) is a typically feminine entity, often malicious toward mankind and frequently associated with water, with counterparts in other parts of Europe, such as the French Melus ...
, female ghosts, water nymphs, succubi or mermaid-like demons that dwell in waterways. * Veles, god of Earth, waters, and the underworld. *
Vodyanoi In Slavic mythology, vodyanoy or vodyanoi ( rus, водяно́й, p=vədʲɪˈnoj; lit. ' efrom the water' or 'watery') is a water spirit. In Czech and Slovak fairy tales, it is called ''vodník'' (or in Germanized form: ), and it is consider ...
, water demon who lived in lakes and rivers.


Celtic

*
Belisama Belisama (Gaulish ''Belesama''; epigraphically ) is a Celtic goddess. She was identified by Roman commentators with Minerva by ''interpretatio romana''. Name The Gaulish theonym ''Belesama'' has been traditionally interpreted as meaning 'the ...
, goddess of lakes and rivers, fire, crafts, and light. * Grannus, a god associated with spas, the sun, fires and healing thermal and mineral springs. * Nantosuelta, river goddess of fire, the earth, healing, and fertility. * Nodens, god associated with healing, the sea, hunting and dogs. *
Damona In Gallo-Roman religion, Damona was a goddess worshipped in Gaul as the consort of Apollo Borvo and of Apollo Moritasgus. Name The theonym ''Damona'' is a derivative of the Proto-Celtic stem ''*damo-'', meaning 'bull' or 'deer' (cf. Old Irish ...
, water goddess associated with healing and rivers * Selkie * Llŷr


English Folklore

*Father Thames, human manifestation and/or guardian of the
River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the ...
that flows through Southern England, while his ancient worship is obscure, he has become a popular symbol of the river in modern times, it being the subject of the song "Old Father Thames" and the model of several statues and reliefs scattered around
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
. * Davy Jones, the
Devil A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conceptions of ...
of the seas in Western piratical lore.


Gaulish

*
Acionna Acionna was a Gallo-Roman water goddess, attested in the Orléanais region. In 1822, Jean-Baptiste Jollois, one of the founding fathers of archaeology in the region, carried out excavations on the so-called "fontaine de l'Étuvée", an ancient wa ...
, a water goddess/ genius loci of the Orleanais region and the
Essonne Essonne () is a department of France in the southern Île-de-France region. It is named after the river Essonne. In 2019, it had a population of 1,301,659 across 194 communes.Condatis, god of the
River Wear The River Wear (, ) in North East England rises in the Pennines and flows eastwards, mostly through County Durham to the North Sea in the City of Sunderland. At long, it is one of the region's longest rivers, wends in a steep valley through ...
and healing. * Segeta, goddess of the
Loire The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhôn ...
. * Sequana, goddess of the
River Seine The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern France. Its drainage basin is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine, northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plat ...
. * Souconna, goddess of the
Saône The Saône ( , ; frp, Sona; lat, Arar) is a river in eastern France. It is a right tributary of the Rhône, rising at Vioménil in the Vosges department and joining the Rhône in Lyon, at the southern end of the Presqu'île. The name der ...
. * Sirona, a goddess associated with healing springs.


Irish

*
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 ...
, a goddess sometimes associated with water and where three streams join together (relating to her being a
Triple Goddess A triple deity is a deity with three apparent forms that function as a singular whole. Such deities may sometimes be referred to as threefold, tripled, triplicate, tripartite, triune, triadic, or as a trinity. The number three has a long history ...
). *
Boann Boann or Boand (modern Irish spelling: Bónn) is the Irish goddess of the River Boyne (the river-name now always in the nominalised dative/prepositional case, Bóinn), a river in Ireland's historical fifth province, Meath (from Middle Irish '' ...
, goddess of the
River Boyne The River Boyne ( ga, An Bhóinn or ''Abhainn na Bóinne'') is a river in Leinster, Ireland, the course of which is about long. It rises at Trinity Well, Newberry Hall, near Carbury, County Kildare, and flows towards the Northeast through C ...
. * Danu (Dana), Continental Celtic river goddess. Her Irish variation was an ancestor/mother goddess. *
Manannán mac Lir Manannán or Manann, also known as Manannán mac Lir ("son of the sea"), is a warrior and king of the Otherworld in Irish mythology who is associated with the sea and often interpreted as a sea god, usually as a member of the Tuatha Dé Dana ...
, god of the sea. * Lí Ban, water goddess. * Lir, god of the sea. *
Sinann The River Shannon ( ga, Abhainn na Sionainne, ', '), at in length, is the longest river in the British Isles. It drains the Shannon River Basin, which has an area of , – approximately one fifth of the area of the island of Ireland. The Shan ...
, goddess of the
River Shannon The River Shannon ( ga, Abhainn na Sionainne, ', '), at in length, is the longest river in the British Isles. It drains the Shannon River Basin, which has an area of , – approximately one fifth of the area of the island of Ireland. The Sha ...
.


Welsh

* Dylan Eil Ton, god of the sea * Llŷr, god of the sea.


Lusitanian

* Bandua, theonym associated with fountains. * Duberdicus, god of the sea and rivers. * Durius, personification of the
Douro The Douro (, , ; es, Duero ; la, Durius) is the highest-flow river of the Iberian Peninsula. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province, central Spain, meanders south briefly then flows generally west through the north-west part o ...
river.


Norse-Germanic

* Ægir, personification of the sea. * Freyr, god of rain, sunlight, fertility, life, and summer. * Nehalennia, goddess of the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
. * Nerthus, mostly an earth goddess, but is also associated with lakes, springs, and holy waters. *
Nine Daughters of Ægir 9 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 9 or nine may also refer to: Dates * AD 9, the ninth year of the AD era * 9 BC, the ninth year before the AD era * 9, numerical symbol for the month of September Places * Nine, Portugal, a parish in the ...
, who personify the characteristics of waves. *
Nix Nix or NIX may refer to: Places * Nix, Alabama, an unincorporated community, United States * Nix, Texas, a ghost town in southwestern Lampasas County, Texas, United States * Nix (moon), a moon of Pluto People * Nix (surname), listing people ...
, water spirits who usually appear in human form. * Njord, god of the sea, particularly of seafaring. * Rán, sea goddess of death who collects the drowned in a net, wife of Ægir. * Rhenus Pater, god of the
Rhine The Rhine ; french: Rhin ; nl, Rijn ; wa, Rén ; li, Rien; rm, label=Sursilvan, Rein, rm, label=Sutsilvan and Surmiran, Ragn, rm, label=Rumantsch Grischun, Vallader and Puter, Rain; it, Reno ; gsw, Rhi(n), including in Alsatian dialect, Al ...
river *Rura, goddess of the Rur river * Sága, wisdom goddess who lives near water and pours Odin a drink when he visits. * Tiddy Mun, a bog deity once worshiped in Lincolnshire, England who had the ability to control floods.


Hindu-Vedic

* Ap, group of water goddesses. * Apam Napat, god of fresh water, such as in rivers and lakes. * Danu, goddess of primordial waters, mother of Vritra and the
Danavas In Hindu mythology, the danavas are a race descending from Kashyapa and his wife Danu, a daughter of the progenitor god, Daksha. It is mentioned that there are one hundred danavas. Origin The danavas are a mythological race of demigods, ...
. * Ganga, goddess of the Ganges river and purity. * Yami, goddess of Yamuna river. * Sarasvati, goddess of knowledge, music and the
Sarasvati river The Sarasvati River () is a deified river first mentioned in the Rigveda and later in Vedic and post-Vedic texts. It played an important role in the Vedic religion, appearing in all but the fourth book of the Rigveda. As a physical river, i ...
. * Kaveri, celestial nymph, avatar of Parvati, goddess of the Kaveri rive

* Tapati, goddess of
Tapti river The Tapti River (or Tapi) is a river in central India located to the south of the Narmada River, Narmada river that flows westwards before draining into the Arabian Sea. The river has a length of around and flows through the states of Maharas ...
. *
Varuna Varuna (; sa, वरुण, , Malay: ''Baruna'') is a Vedic deity associated initially with the sky, later also with the seas as well as Ṛta (justice) and Satya (truth). He is found in the oldest layer of Vedic literature of Hinduism, suc ...
, god of the water and the celestial ocean. * Mariamman, goddess of the rains, medicine, and disease * Makara, mystical creature of waters. Ossetia * Donbettyr, master of all waters.


Uralic

Finnish * Ahti, god of the depths and fish. * Iku-Turso, a malevolent sea monster. * Vedenemo, a goddess of water. * Vellamo, the wife of Ahti, goddess of the sea, lakes, and storms.


Asia-Pacific / Oceania


Far East Asia


Taoism and Chinese folk religion

* Emperor the Water Official (shuǐguān) * Ehuang & Nuying, goddesses of the Xiang River. * Gonggong, red-haired dragon with the head of a man and water god who, together with his associate Xiang Yao, is responsible for the great floods. * Hebo, god of the
Yellow River The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is the second-longest river in China, after the Yangtze River, and the sixth-longest river system in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan ...
. * Longmu, goddess of the Xijiang River in the Lingnan area. * Mazu, goddess of the sea and protector of seafarers. * Shuimu, goddess of the water. * Shui Wei Niang, goddess of the water. * Shuidexianjun (水德星君) * Tam Kung, sea deity worshiped in Hong Kong and Macau with the ability to forecast weather. *
Honorable Kings of the Water Immortals The Shuixian Zunwang are five Chinese Deities worshipped as water and sea deities. They have various names in English including the Honorable Water Immortal Kings and the Lords of the Water. All five deities were formerly famous heros and ar ...
(''Shuixian Zunwang''). **Han Ao or Lu Ban, the inventors. **
Qu Yuan Qu Yuan ( – 278 BCE) was a Chinese poet and politician in the State of Chu during the Warring States period. He is known for his patriotism and contributions to classical poetry and verses, especially through the poems of the ' ...
, Wu Zixu, and
Xiang Yu Xiang Yu (, –202 BC), born Xiang Ji (), was the Hegemon-King (Chinese: 霸王, ''Bà Wáng'') of Western Chu during the Chu–Han Contention period (206–202 BC) of China. A noble of the Chu state, Xiang Yu rebelled against the Qin dyna ...
, famous suicides lost in rivers. **
Yu the Great Yu the Great (大禹) was a legendary king in ancient China who was famed for his introduction of flood control, his establishment of the Xia dynasty which inaugurated dynastic rule in China, and his upright moral character. He figures promine ...
, tamer of China's Great Flood. *
Dragon King The Dragon King, also known as the Dragon God, is a Chinese water and weather god. He is regarded as the dispenser of rain, commanding over all bodies of water. He is the collective personification of the ancient concept of the ''lóng'' in Ch ...
s of the Four Seas. **
Ao Kuang Ao Guang (; or ) is the Dragon King of the East Sea in Chinese folklore. He featured prominently in different works including ''Fengshen Yanyi'' and ''Journey to the West''. ''Fengshen Yanyi'' According to the ''Fengshen Yanyi'', after the passa ...
, Dragon King of the Eastern Sea. ** Ao Qin, Dragon King of the Southern Sea. ** Ao Run, Dragon King of the Western Sea. ** Ao Shun, Dragon King of the Northern Sea.


Japanese

* Ebisu, god of fortunes and fishery, often being referred to marine megafaunas such as whales and
whale shark The whale shark (''Rhincodon typus'') is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of .McClain CR, Balk MA, Benfield MC, Branch TA, Chen C, Cosgrove J, ...
s (hence being also called "Ebisu-shark"). *Hanzaki Daimyojin, gigantic Japanese giant salamander and master of the water. *
Kuraokami Okami (淤加美神, Okami-no-kami) in the Kojiki, or in the Nihon Shoki: or , is a legendary Japanese dragon and Shinto deity of ice, rain, snow and winter . In Japanese mythology, the sibling progenitors Izanagi and Izanami gave birth to the ...
, one of Suijin. * Mizuchi, Japanese dragon and sea god. * Ōyamatsumi, god of mountains, sea and war. * Ryūjin or Watatsumi, Japanese dragon and tutelary deity of the sea. *
Suijin is the Shinto god of water in Japanese mythology. The term Suijin (literally: ''water people'' or ''water deity'') refers to the heavenly and earthly manifestations of the benevolent Shinto divinity of water. It also refers to a wide variety of my ...
,
Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintoist ...
god of water. * Sumiyoshi sanjin, god of ocean and sailing. *
Susanoo __FORCETOC__ Susanoo (; historical orthography: , ) is a in Japanese mythology. The younger brother of Amaterasu, goddess of the sun and mythical ancestress of the Japanese imperial line, he is a multifaceted deity with contradictory charac ...
, Shinto god of storms and the sea. * Watatsumi, dragon king and ocean god. *
Yamata no Orochi , or simply , is a legendary eight-headed and eight-tailed Japanese dragon/ serpent. Mythology Yamata no Orochi legends are originally recorded in two ancient texts about Japanese mythology and history. The 712 AD transcribes this dragon nam ...
, serpentine monster but also regarded as an incarnation of violent river. Ainu *
Amemasu or is a giant whale- or fish-like creature from Ainu folklore. Some of the largest ''amemasu'' are said to live in Lake Mashū and Lake Shikotsu in Hokkaidō, with smaller ones inhabiting lakes throughout northern areas of Honshu. The ''amemasu ...
, monster in the lakes. * Rep-un-kamui, god of the sea, often referring to
orca The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only extant species in the genus '' Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black-and-white ...
.


Korean

*
Imoogi Korean dragons are legendary creatures in Korean mythology and folklore. The appearance of the dragon reflects its relation to its East Asian counterparts, including the Chinese dragons. Korean dragons Whereas most European dragon, dragons in Eur ...
or Imugi, giant serpents of Korean folklore which later become true dragons. *
King Munmu Munmu of Silla (626–681; reigned 661–681) was the 30th king of the Korean kingdom of Silla. He is usually considered to have been the first ruler of the Unified Silla period. Munmu was the son of King Muyeol and Munmyeong, who was the ...
, a king who wished to become a dragon before his death to protect Korea from the
Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it h ...
(East Sea). * Yongwang, an undersea deity believed to determine the fortunes of fishermen and sailors.


South Asia


Hindu

In Hindu culture, each water body is worshipped as a form of God. Hence, the rivers are worshipped as goddesses and the ocean is worshipped as a god. *
Varuna Varuna (; sa, वरुण, , Malay: ''Baruna'') is a Vedic deity associated initially with the sky, later also with the seas as well as Ṛta (justice) and Satya (truth). He is found in the oldest layer of Vedic literature of Hinduism, suc ...
, the God of the ocean and rains and water. * Indra, King of the Gods, God of weather, and bringer of rain, thunderstorms and clouds. *
Saptasindhu Rivers play a prominent part in the hymns of the ''Rigveda'', and consequently in early Vedic religion. Vedic texts have a wide geographical horizon, speaking of oceans, rivers, mountains and deserts. The Vedic land is described as a land of ...
, the seven holy rivers of India, namely: * Ganga, the Goddess of the Ganges River. * Yamuna, the Goddess of the Yamuna River. *
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 ...
, the divine Goddess of knowledge and wisdom who was personified as a river that dried up in ancient times. *
Indus The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in Western Tibet, flows northwest through the disputed region of Kash ...
, also called Sindhu. The river is considered the eldest daughter of the Himalaya mountains. * Narmada, the river Goddess often worshipped as a deity and daughter of Lord
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 Hin ...
. *
Godavari The Godavari (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''Godāvarī'' Help:IPA/Sanskrit, �od̪aːʋəɾiː is India's second longest river after the Ganges river, Ganga river and drains into the third largest basin in Indi ...
, the longest river of South India. The river is also considered as Dakshina Ganga. * Kaveri, a river of South India, worshipped by people as a goddess who was previously incarnated as Lopamudra, the wife of Sage
Agastya Agastya ( kn, ಅಗಸ್ತ್ಯ, ta, அகத்தியர், sa, अगस्त्य, te, అగస్త్యుడు, ml, അഗസ്ത്യൻ, hi, अगस्त्य) was a revered Indian sage of Hinduism. In the I ...
. *Rivers such as Tapi, also known as Tapati, is worshipped as a daughter of the sun god,
Surya Surya (; sa, सूर्य, ) is the sun as well as the solar deity in Hinduism. He is traditionally one of the major five deities in the Smarta tradition, all of whom are considered as equivalent deities in the Panchayatana puja and a ...
. *The river
Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is on ...
, worshipped as Krishnaveni Devi/Krishna Mai, is considered to be Lord
Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within ...
born as a river. * Tungabhadra, a tributary of Krishna, is worshipped as a goddess. The river is also known as Pampa. * Pamba River and Suvarnamukhi
River A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the ...
flowing past the holy temple towns of Sabarimala in Kerala and Tirupati and Srikalahasti in Andhra Pradesh, respectively. *The river
Brahmaputra The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Tibet, northeast India, and Bangladesh. It is also known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibetan, the Siang/Dihang River in Arunachali, Luit in Assamese, and Jamuna River in Bangla. I ...
is the only river to have a male personification, whose name means "son of Brahma", the creator. Mariamman, regional goddess of the rain and medicine


Manipuri

* Wangbren, the Sea God who holds storm, rain and disaster . *
Poubi Lai Poubi Lai (also, Paubi Loi) was an ancient dragon python, who dwelled in the Loktak Lake of Manipur, in Meitei mythology and folklore. It is also referred to as ''"Loch Ness Monster of Manipur"''. Mythology In the Loktak lake, the spirit of ...
, the giant dragon who ruled its tyranny in the Loktak lake. * Irai Leima, the Goddess of water and aquatic life.


Meitei

* Irai Leima, goddess of water, sent down to Earth to teach humanity to build a civilisation * Ngāreima, goddess of fish * Wangbren, god of the underwater world * Thongjarok Lairembi of Thongjaorok River * Iril Lairembi of Iril River * Imphal Turel Lairembi of Imphal River * Kongba Turel Lairembi of Kongba River * Loktak Lairembi of Loktak Lake * Pumlenpat Lairembi of Pumlenpat Lake


Southeast Asia


Filipino

*Sirinan: the Isnag spirit of the river *Limat: the Gaddang god of the sea *Oden: the Bugkalot deity of the rain, worshiped for its life-giving waters *Ocean Deity: the Ilocano goddess of the ocean whose waters slammed the ediface of salt being built by Ang-ngalo and Asin, causing the sea's water to become salty *Gods of the Pistay Dayat: Pangasinense gods who are pacified through the Pistay Dayat ritual, where offerings are given to the spirits of the waters who pacify the gods *Anitun Tauo: the Sambal goddess of win and rain who was reduced in rank by Malayari for her conceit *Sedsed: the Aeta god of the sea *Apûng Malyari: the Kapampangan moon god who lives in Mt. Pinatubo and ruler of the eight rivers *Lakandanum: variant of the Kapampangan Naga, known to rule the waters *
Bathala In the indigenous religion of the ancient Tagalogs, Bathala Maykapal was the transcendent Supreme Being, the originator and ruler of the universe. He is commonly known and referred to in the modern era as Bathala, a term or title which, in ea ...
: the Tagalog supreme god and creator deity, also known as Bathala Maykapal, Lumilikha, and Abba; an enormous being with control over thunder, lightning, flood, fire, thunder, and earthquakes; presides over lesser deities and uses spirits to intercede between divinities and mortals *Anitun Tabu: the Tagalog goddess of wind and rain and daughter of Idianale and Dumangan *Lakapati: the Tagalog hermaphrodite deity and protector of sown fields, sufficient field waters, and abundant fish catch *Amanikable: the Tagalog god of the sea who was spurned by the first mortal woman; also a god of hunters *Amansinaya: the Tagalog goddess of fishermen *Haik: the Tagalog god of the sea who protects travelers from tempests and storms *Bulan-hari: one of the Tagalog deities sent by Bathala to aid the people of Pinak; can command rain to fall; married to Bitu-in *Makapulaw: the Tagalog god of sailors *Great Serpent of Pasig: a giant Tagalog serpent who created the Pasig river after merchants wished to the deity; in exchange for the Pasig's creation, the souls of the merchants would be owned by the serpent *Quadruple Deities: the four childless naked Tau-buid Mangyan deities, composed of two gods who come from the sun and two goddesses who come from the upper part of the river; summoned using the paragayan or diolang plates *Afo Sapa: the Buhid Mangyan owner of rivers *Apu Dandum: the Hanunoo Mangyan spirit living in the water *Tubigan: the Bicolano god of the water *Dagat: the Bicolano goddess of the sea *Bulan: the Bicolano moon god whose arm became the earth, and whose tears became the rivers and seas *Magindang: the Bicolano god of fishing who leads fishermen in getting a good fish catch through sounds and signs *Onos: the Bicolano deity who freed the great flood that changed the land's features *Hamorawan Lady: the Waray deity of the Hamorawan spring in Borongan, who blesses the waters with healing properties *Maka-andog: an epic Waray giant-hero who was friends with the sea spirits and controlled wildlife and fish; first inhabitant and ruler of Samar who lived for five centuries; later immortalized as a deity of fishing *Maguayan: the Bisaya god who rules over the waters as his kingdom; father of Lidagat; brother of Kaptan *Maguyaen: the Bisaya goddess of the winds of the sea *Magauayan: the Bisaya sea deity who fought against Kaptan for eons until Manaul intervened *Lidagat: the Bisaya sea deity married to the wind; daughter of Maguayan *Bakunawa: the Bisaya serpent deity who can coil around the world; sought to swallow the seven "Queen" moons, successfully eating the six, where the last is guarded by bamboos *Makilum-sa-tubig: the Bisaya god of the sea *Kasaray-sarayan-sa-silgan: the Bisaya god of streams *Magdan-durunoon: the Bisaya god of hidden lakes *Santonilyo: a Bisaya deity who brings rain when its image is immersed at sea *Magyawan: the Hiligaynon god of the sea *Manunubo: the Hiligaynon and Aklanon good spirit of the sea *Launsina: the Capiznon goddess of the sun, moon, stars, and seas, and the most beloved because people seek forgiveness from her *Kapapu-an: the Karay-a pantheon of ancestral spirits from whom the supernatural powers of shamans originated from; their aid enables specific types of shamans to gush water from rocks, leap far distances, create oil shields, become invisible, or pass through solid matter *Neguno: the Cuyonon and Agutaynen god of the sea that cursed a selfish man by turning him into the first shark *Polo: the benevolent Tagbanwa god of the sea whose help is invoked during times of illness *Diwata Kat Sidpan: a deity who lives in the western region called Sidpan; controls the rains *Diwata Kat Libatan: a deity who lives in the eastern region called Babatan; controls the rain *Tagma-sa-Dagat: the Subanon god of the sea *Tagma-sa-uba: the Subanon god of the rivers *Diwata na Magbabaya: simply referred as Magbabaya; the good Bukidnon supreme deity and supreme planner who looks like a man; created the earth and the first eight elements, namely bronze, gold, coins, rock, clouds, rain, iron, and water; using the elements, he also created the sea, sky, moon, and stars; also known as the pure god who wills all things; one of three deities living in the realm called Banting *Dadanhayan ha Sugay: the evil Bukidnon lord from whom permission is asked; depicted as the evil deity with a human body and ten heads that continuously drools sticky saliva, which is the source of all waters; one of the three deities living in the realm called Banting *Bulalakaw: the Bukidnon guardian of the water and all the creatures living in it *Python of Pusod Hu Dagat: the gigantic Bukidnon python living at the center of the sea; caused a massive flood when it coiled its body at sea *Bulalakaw: the Talaandig deity who safeguards the creatures in the rivers; the lalayon ritual is offered to the deity *Tagbanua: the Manobo god of rain *Yumud: the god of water *Pamulak Manobo: the Bagobo supreme deity and creator of the world, including the land, sea, and the first humans; throws water from the sky, causing rain, while his spit are the showers *Eels of Mount Apo: two giant Bagobo eels, where one went east and arrived at sea, begetting all the eels of the world; the other went west, and remained on land until it died and became the western foothills of Mount Apo *Fon Eel: the Blaan spirit of water *Fu El: the T;boli spirit of water *Fu El Melel: the T'boli spirit of the river *Segoyong: the Teduray guardians of the classes of natural phenomena; punishes humans to do not show respect and steal their wards; many of them specialize in a class, which can be water, trees, grasses, caves behind waterfalls, land caves, snakes, fire, nunuk trees, deers, and pigs *Tunung: the Maguindanao spirits who live in the sky, water, mountain, or trees; listens to prayers and can converse with humans by borrowing the voice of a medium; protects humans from sickness and crops from pests *Tonong: divine Maranao spirits who often aid heroes; often lives in nonok trees, seas, lakes, and the sky realm *Umboh Tuhan: also called Umboh Dilaut, the Sama-Bajau god of the sea and one of the two supreme deities; married to Dayang Dayang Mangilai *Umboh Kamun: the Sama-Bajau totem of mantis shrimp *Sumangâ: the Sama-Bajau spirit of sea vessels; the guardian who deflects attacksStacey, N. (2007). Boats to Burn: Bajo fishing activity in the Australian fishing zone. Canberra, Australia: ANU E Press.


Indonesian

* Dewi Danu, Balinese Hindu water goddess. * Dewi Lanjar, Javanese Queen of the North Sea. * Nyai Roro Kidul, Javanese Queen of the South Sea (Indian Ocean).


Vietnam

* Động Đình Quân, Kinh Dương Vương's father-in-law, grandfather of Lạc Long Quân, he was a Long Vương who lived in
Dongting Lake Dongting Lake () is a large, shallow lake in northeastern Hunan Province, China. It is a flood basin of the Yangtze River, so its volume depends on the season. The provinces of Hubei and Hunan are named after their location relative to the l ...
. * Lạc Long Quân, he is the ancestor of the Vietnamese people and is also one of the top Long Vươngs under the Water Palace. * Bát Hải Long Vương or Vua Cha Bát Hải Động Đình, he is a Long Vương and also the father of
Mẫu Thoải Mẫu Thoải ( Chữ Hán: 母水, or Thủy Cung Thánh Mẫu ( Chữ Hán: ) is a goddess in Vietnamese non-Buddhist traditional religion. The goddess features in Chầu văn religious ceremonies and music. She presides over the heavenly water ...
. He is the son of Lạc Long Quân and one of the heads of the Water Palace. * Đông Hải Long Vương, was the 25th son of Lạc Long Quân and Âu Cơ who ruled the whole Bồ Sào region, ruled the Red River, gathered people scattered because of floods to re-explore the hamlets, and kept quiet villages throughout the delta form Ngã ba Hạc to the sea estuary. *
Mẫu Thoải Mẫu Thoải ( Chữ Hán: 母水, or Thủy Cung Thánh Mẫu ( Chữ Hán: ) is a goddess in Vietnamese non-Buddhist traditional religion. The goddess features in Chầu văn religious ceremonies and music. She presides over the heavenly water ...
, the head goddess of all rivers, lakes and seas. She governs water and all things related to water. * Long Vương, the Long Vương is a common name for the gods who rule over the sea and ocean. *
Tô Lịch Giang Thần Tô or To is a Vietnamese surname. It was formerly written in chữ Nôm as . It derived from the Chinese surname Su, which is written identically to the chữ Nôm in traditional characters but as in modern simplified characters. List of person ...
, god of
Tô Lịch River Tô Lịch River ( vi, Sông Tô Lịch, links=no) is a small river, flowing in the territory of the Hanoi capital. Mainstream Tô Lịch river flows through the districts Cầu Giấy, Thanh Xuân, Hoàng Mai and Thanh Trì. It is also known a ...
. *
Hà Bá Hà is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as He (surname), He in Chinese language, Chinese and Ha (Korean name), Ha in Korean language, Korean. Ha is the anglicized variation of the surname Hà. It is also the anglicized variation o ...
, the god who manages the rivers (note that each river has its own governing god, and each person's power may be less or more powerful than Hà Bá). * Bà Thủy, goddess with a job similar to Hà Bá * Cá Ông, this god often appears in the form of large fish (such as whales, dolphins, sperm whales,...) to help ships that have accidents due to weather at sea. * Độc Cước, god of protection for the people of the sea. * Thuồng Luồng or Giao Long, They can be water monsters, they can also be water gods.


Turkic

* Talay, god of ocean.


Polynesian


Fijian

* Dakuwaqa, a shark god. * Daucina, god of seafaring.


Hawaiian

* Kamohoalii, shark god. *
Kanaloa In the traditions of ancient Hawaii, Kanaloa is a god symbolized by the squid or by the octopus, and is typically associated with Kāne. It is also an alternative name for the island of Kahoolawe. In legends and chants, Kāne and Kanaloa are p ...
or
Tangaroa Tangaroa (Takaroa in the South Island) is the great of the sea, lakes, rivers, and creatures that live within them, especially fish, in Māori mythology. As Tangaroa-whakamau-tai he exercises control over the tides. He is sometimes depicted a ...
, god of the ocean and magics and underworld with forms of
cephalopod A cephalopod is any member of the molluscan class Cephalopoda ( Greek plural , ; "head-feet") such as a squid, octopus, cuttlefish, or nautilus. These exclusively marine animals are characterized by bilateral body symmetry, a prominent head, ...
. * Nāmaka, sea goddess. *
Ukupanipo In Hawaiian mythology, Ukupanipo is a shark god who controls the amount of fish close enough for the fisherman to catch. He occasionally adopts a human child who gains the power to transform Transform may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Trans ...
, shark god who controls the amount of fish close enough for the fisherman to catch.


Māori

* Ikatere, a fish god, the father of all the sea creatures including mermaids. * Kiwa, a guardian of the sea. * Rongomai, a whale god. * Ruahine, an eel god. *
Taniwha In Māori mythology, taniwha () are large supernatural beings that live in deep pools in rivers, dark caves, or in the sea, especially in places with dangerous currents or deceptive breakers (giant waves). They may be considered highly respected ...
, deities or
monster A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...
s (often take forms resembling dragons). *
Tangaroa Tangaroa (Takaroa in the South Island) is the great of the sea, lakes, rivers, and creatures that live within them, especially fish, in Māori mythology. As Tangaroa-whakamau-tai he exercises control over the tides. He is sometimes depicted a ...
, god of the sea. * Tawhirimātea, god of the weather, rain, storms and wind * Tinirau, a guardian of the sea. * Tohora ( Maori name for
southern right whale The southern right whale (''Eubalaena australis'') is a baleen whale, one of three species classified as right whales belonging to the genus ''Eubalaena''. Southern right whales inhabit oceans south of the Equator, between the latitudes of 20 ...
s), the great whale who saved legendary hero Paikea, famously known as the Whale Rider, (also the Maori name for
humpback whale The humpback whale (''Megaptera novaeangliae'') is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the only species in the genus ''Megaptera''. Adults range in length from and weigh up to . The hum ...
s) from drowning and carried him to land. This led to the creation of New Zealand.


Samoan


''other island nations''

* Agunua, serpentine god of the sea of
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its ca ...
. * Ayida-Weddo, serpentine spirit among several island nations.
Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , langu ...
*Tangaroa, God of the Ocean and Seas *Momoke, fair maidens, said to be water spirits with skin as pale as milk. These 'white ones' approach those on land during the night, emerging from deep pools of water to collect food or to seduce men before returning to the water depths. It is said that the Momoke come from an underwater nation, though some have said that this watery kingdom is also 'Avaiki'; paradise, heaven and the source of all of creation.


Australia

* Eingana, mother of all. * Rainbow Serpents, creators of
dreamtime The Dreaming, also referred to as Dreamtime, is a term devised by early anthropologists to refer to a religio-cultural worldview attributed to Australian Aboriginal beliefs. It was originally used by Francis Gillen, quickly adopted by his col ...
. *
Ungud In the mythology of the Wunambal people of northwestern Australia, Ungud is a snake god who is sometimes male and sometimes female. He is associated with rainbows and the fertility and erections of the tribe's shamans. In the beginning, when only ...
, serpent god bring fortunes. * Wirnpa, creator of rain. * Yurlungur, the copper serpent.


Native Americas


North America


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- ...
, an evil sea god associated with death and destruction. *
Alignak In Inuit mythology, Alignak is a lunar deity and god of weather, water, tides, eclipses, and earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden relea ...
, a lunar deity and god of weather, water, tides, eclipses, and earthquakes. * Arnapkapfaaluk, a fearsome sea goddess. * Idliragijenget, god of the ocean. *Kanajuk, the scorpionfish god and husband of the goddesses Nuliajuk and Isarraitaitsoq. *
Nootaikok In Inuit mythology, Nootaikok was a god who presided over icebergs and glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its Ablati ...
, god who presided over icebergs and glaciers. * Nuliajuk and Isarraitaitsoq, goddesses of the sea's depths and its creatures among the Netsilik Inuit. * Sedna, goddess of the sea and its creatures.


Central America and the Caribbean


Mexica

*
Atlaua In Aztec mythology, Atlahua, Ahtlahua, Atlahoa, Atlavâ or Atlaua was a water God (the blue version of Tlaloc, the Tlaloc from the South), fisherman and archer. There were said to be at least four ancient Aztec temples at which he was worshipe ...
, god of water, archers, and fishermen. * Chalchiuhtlicue, goddess of water, lakes, rivers, seas, streams, horizontal waters, storms, and baptism. *
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 and birdcatchers. * Tlāloc, god of water, fertility, and rain. * Tlaloque, a group of rain, water, and mountain gods.


Ewe / Fon

*
Agwé Agwé (also spelt Goue, Agoueh, or Agive), is a lwa who rules over the sea, fish, and aquatic plants, as well as the patron lwa of fishermen and sailors in Vodou, especially in Haiti. He is considered to be married to Erzulie Freda and La Sirene ...
, a sea loa. * Clermeil, a river loa. * Mami Wata, a water loa. * Pie, a lake and river loa.


Mayan

* Chaac, god of rain. * Kukulcan, god of the seas, oceans, and storms


Taíno

* Atabey (goddess), Mother goddess of fresh water and fertility. Female counterpart of the god Yúcahu.


South America


Tupi-Guarani (Brazilian Myth)

* Amanasy, Goddess of the rain and frogs *
Iara Iara or IARA may refer to: *Iara (mythology), a figure from Brazilian mythology *Iara, Cluj, a commune in Cluj County, Romania *Iara (Arieș), a tributary of the Arieș in Cluj County, Romania *Iara, a tributary of the Petrilaca in Mureș County, R ...
, Guardian of the water and of the Amazon River *
Ipupiara Ipupiara is a municipality in the state of Bahia in the North-East region of Brazil. See also *List of municipalities in Bahia This is a list of the municipalities in the state of Bahia (BA), located in the Northeast Region of Brazil. Bahia ...
, Guardian of the sea * Luruaçu, Goddess of the storms * Tupã, God of the thunder, weather, storms and clouds


Incan

* Pariacaca, god of water and rainstorms. *
Paricia Inca mythology or religion includes many stories and legends that attempt to explain or symbolize Inca beliefs. Basic beliefs Scholarly research demonstrates that Runa (Quechua speakers) belief systems were integrated with their view of the c ...
, god who sent a flood to kill humans who did not respect him adequately.


Panche The following purported languages of South America are listed as unclassified in Campbell (2012), Loukotka (1968), ''Ethnologue'', and ''Glottolog''. Nearly all are extinct. It is likely that many of them were not actually distinct languages, only ...
/ Muisca

* Mohan, a mischievous entity associated with rivers, lakes and water in general.


See also

*
Holy wells A holy well or sacred spring is a well, spring or small pool of water revered either in a Christian or pagan context, sometimes both. The water of holy wells is often thought to have healing qualities, through the numinous presence of its guard ...
*
Nadi (yoga) ( sa, नाडी, lit=tube, pipe, nerve, blood vessel, pulse) is a term for the channels through which, in traditional Indian medicine and spiritual theory, the energies such as prana of the physical body, the subtle body and the causal bod ...
* Nature worship * Sea monster * Water chakra *
Water spirit A water spirit is a kind of supernatural being found in the folklore of many cultures: African Some water spirits in traditional African religion include: * Mami Wata is a transcultural pantheon of water spirits and deities of the African dias ...


References

{{Authority control * Water deities