He was unforgiving and took pleasure in the act of vengeance. Roscher collated the standard modern list of indigitamenta,[29] though other scholars may differ with him on some points. Thats when Loki, still in mare form, became pregnant. Chinese folkloric beliefs, therefore, stipulate that all, especially children, should worship Tian Hua Niang Niang when afflicted with pox diseases. This agreement is why the angels names were engraved on the amulets. According to legend, Loviatar was the evilest daughter of her parents and had the blackest of hearts. The four brothers held down Uranus, the sky God, each holding down one corner. Hades Roman name: Pluto. The giant didnt complete his work in the allotted time and Loki returned to Odin and Thor having successfully negotiated the building of a city and given birth to an eight-legged stallion named Sleipnir to boot. He had 5 brothers and 6 sisters, one of who, Rhea, he married. Saturn, for instance, can be said to have another origin here, and so too Diana. Hell yeah! Brigantia - Brittonic goddess of the Brigantes Carpundia - a river goddess [1] Carvonia - a goddess in Noricum [6] Cathubodua - Gallic war goddess Caticatona - a Gallic water goddess in Rauranum [7] Cissonia - a Gallic goddess of trade, companion of Cissonius [4] Clota - hypothetical Brittonic goddess of the River Clyde [1] One of the most famous myths with Apate involves Zeus, Hera and Semele. He was rarely seen without the instrument after that moment. No man could resist Aphrodite when she wore her magic girdle. Even in invocations, which generally required precise naming, the Romans sometimes spoke of gods as groups or collectives rather than naming them as individuals. When Paris chose Aphrodite instead of Hera as the fairest goddess, Hera dedicated all her energy to the fall of his city, Troy. , a nineteenth-century work of poetry recognized as the national epic of Finland, references Loviatar: , from the translation byJohn Martin Crawford. The big three The three most important gods were Jupiter (protector of the state), Juno (protector of women) and Minerva (goddess of craft and wisdom). It wasnt due to Hades kidnapping Persephone that caused winter, it was due to Persephones mother, Demeter, being irrational and throwing a hissy fit because mother daughter time got cut short and she has issues If youre still following, and think back on all those stories about the Greek gods and their interactions with each other and with mere mortals such as yourself, then Im sure you just realised that these gods seem pretty human, I mean, they actually have personalities, theyre flawed at times, but great at other times Theyre fleshed out far beyond just being a name with a place in a story. Also, upon hearing a prophecy that he was going to overthrown by one of his own children, he took to eating his children every time his wife gave birth. Just the facts. Greek mythology origin story (article) | Khan Academy Bronze statuette of the Assyrian demon Pazuzu, , 1st millennium BC, bronze statuette, Muse du Louvre, Paris, Despite her dark supremacy, Lamashtu had a weaknessthe plague bringer, Pazuzu. When Heracles was attempting to complete the 12 labours she went out of her way to cause him so many problems. The sky is cloudy, (but) the earth is dried. He was possibly born out of the chaos and uncertainty that erupted with the end of the Old Kingdom. W.H. I would think that Kronos is 1 on the list but it is matter of opinion.Why is Zeus on the list because he was powerful but not dangerous but he sort of cruel in a way banishing hades to the underworld.Hera I think should not be on the list like some of you have said. I will also point out their Greek counterpart. These ancient beings spend their time hearing the complaints of others and punishing the people being complained about harshly. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. i completely disagree with this list especially with the placement of Hades and Hera in the top three as i believe Heras reaction to Zeus sleeping with other women was perfectly rational given the circumstances, and hades is not shown to have done anything to deserve the title of being the evilest greek god and i feel that the reason this was done was because that he could be associated with the christian devil as he is in charge of hell just as hades is in charge of the underworld, but the similarities stop there, Hades was a good guy in greek mythology, you also have to consider the time period when majority of greek mythology was written. Historically, the Aztec population was also decimated by disease outbreaks following the Spanish colonization of Aztec lands. And Athena is not evil, But Gaia, who you did NOT mention, is the worst of all, other than maybe Tartarus or Chaos. For example, the second-century Greek Bishop Irenaeus viewed the horseman as none other than Christ himself, with the white wings of the horseman symbolizing the widespread acceptance of the Gospel. He is no friend of humanity, but he doesnt tolerate compatriots or competition too. Tartarus himself was the pit . Whiro went on to rule the underworld and was responsible for all the wicked things that humans did. The evil god Whiro is often confused with a hero of the same name: Whiro the voyager. They included Re, creator sun god; Isis, goddess of magic; Osiris, lord of the afterlife; Thoth, god of wisdom and the moon; and Horus, god of the sun. Antaeus goaded people who were traveling in the country to wrestle him. A fragment from Ennius, within whose lifetime the lectisternium occurred, lists the same twelve deities by name, though in a different order from that of Livy: Juno, Vesta, Minerva, Ceres, Diana, Venus, Mars, Mercurius, Jove, Neptunus, Vulcanus, Apollo.[15]. In this article, the author has taken the former stance! Pagan Gods from Different Cultures Thunder Gods of the Sky in Celtic, Roman, and Greek Mythology Zeus (Greek) and Jupiter (Roman) as well as their lesser-known Celtic counterpart Taranis, were all ancient gods of thunder, that awesome manifestation of nature's power. Apolo (Apollo) Apolo was a son of Zeus and represented the sun in Greek mythology. Worst of all the Death-land women, Amulets like the one pictured above, depicting the lion-headed, bird-clawed Lamashtu, were worn by an expectant mother to defend herself against the demoness. Eileithyia. He had a number of children including Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Heracles, and Dionysus. In the case of Hades, yes he did kidnap Persephone, but he didnt force himself on her. By Lara ColrainBA Archaeology, BA Art HistoryLara is a published author, editor, poet, and archaeologist based in Hobart, Tasmania. Probably the most deadly war in Greek mythology. During the Republic, the epithet may be most prominent with Bona Dea, "the Good Goddess" whose rites were celebrated by women. Skillfully done with even-handed descriptions lacking any judgmental quality in depicting these beings. . Others call him the Devil, Satan. This prompted the need for spells to be buried with the deceased, which would protect them against Apophis and his demons. Cronus castrated his father and threw the severed genitals into the sea, from which arose Aphrodite, goddess of love, beauty and sexuality. 9 deadly plague gods and demons from world mythology. In Aztec art, he was frequently depicted with black/white eyes, i.e., a symbol of evil. For a familial goddess, she had no patience with zeuss affairs. These women very often ended up wronged in some fashion by the God or sometimes they even died, by his hand or by that of his wife. READ MORE: Celtic Gods and Goddesses. The gods tried all manner of ways to persuade the peeved goddess to leave the cave. I think, however mythical he is, he needs to be allowed to not be looked upon as an evil death god. Wherever Enyo went she left a path of destruction behind her, destroying cities and causing general terror throughout the land. Fun Fact: Considered parallel to the ancient Mesopotamian goddess, Tiamat. For minor deities known for a single function or by a single name, see: A number of figures from Greek mythology who were not part of Roman religious practice appear in Latin mythological narratives and as poetic allusions; for these names, see: "Roman pantheon" redirects here. Coming in at number #5 of all evil gods is the Maori demon-god, Whiro. On coins, calendars, and other inscriptions, Mercury, Saturn, Silvanus, Fons, Serapis, Sabazius, Apollo, and the Genius are also found as Invictus. These were also placed in six male-female pairs. Yea Hera being #1 is something I would not object to, and neither would others, Im sure. Yeah, Hades isnt evil Poor guy, no one give him a break. https://www.japanese-wiki-corpus.org/person/SUGAWARA%20no%20Michizane.html. The Roman Pantheon of Gods. Despite his popularity, Poseidon, olympic god of the sea was generally bad tempered and known to be pretty vengeful. Since she followed no mortal scale of morality these deaths could be seen as senseless and cruel at times. Juno - celestial Roman Goddess of love and marriage Born from Saturn and Opus, sister and wife to Jupiter, Juno is an important Roman Goddess embodying feminine powers. The Goddess of Dawn Bacchus The God of Wine Bellona The goddess of war Caelus The primal god of the sky and theology, iconography, and literature Ceres The Goddess of Agriculture Cupid The God of Love Cybele The goddess of the Earth, nature, mountains, and wild animals Diana The Goddess of Hunting Faunus The god of the forest, fields, and plains Many have incorporated a god of death into their mythology or religion.As death, along with birth, is among the major parts of human life, these deities may often be one of the most important deities of a religion.In some religions in which a single powerful deity is the object of worship, the death deity is an antagonist against whom the primary deity struggles. To distract the stallion, he transformed himself into a beautiful mare and led Svailfari off into a distant forest. 10 Gods of Death, Destruction, and the Underworld - Toptenz.net The angels threatened to drown her in the sea, but she bargained with them, consenting to allow some of her demonic children to die day after day. Zeus 5. Due to her bitterness and a subsequent inability to bear children, Lilith was also known to threaten women in childbirth. When Zeus took the heavens as his domain Poseidon thought it was unfair. Everyone agreed except for Whiro, who wanted to remain in darkness. He was tasked with creating the first men and behind the back of Zeus he gifted them fire to help them survive. 18 Evil Greek Gods and Goddesses: Who Are They? - Myth Nerd On the rare occasions tat he left Tartarus he would ride a chariot led by 4 black horses. Hades kingdom is actually called the Underworld. Phobeter 17. Everyone says that what Hera did was right just because her husband cheated on her. he isnt evil, he asked for her hand in marriage and Zeus agreed and he only got her back because he didnt want demeter to starve the humans. . Much like in Greece, Roman Gods and Goddesses were also arranged in couples: Jupiter-Juno, Neptune-Minerva, Mars-Venus, Apollo-Diana, Vulcan-Vesta and Mercury-Ceres. When Zeus fought the titan Typhon, she refused to pick a side so that she could watch the battle play out. In fact, he's one of the few that doesn't get involved in intrigues or has many paramours. Sugawara no Michizane - Japanese Wiki Corpus. It is highly debatable too whether he is evil or merely a representation of the Christian Gods final judgment. [6], Mater ("Mother") was an honorific that respected a goddess's maternal authority and functions, and not necessarily "motherhood" per se. In contrast, others regard them as mere intangible manifestations of human fears. She is the celestial feminine principle, just like Jupiter is the celestial masculine one. Adam and was created on par with him. Please recheck your facts. Death and Destruction: 5 Evil Gods of the Underworld - TheCollector The hope being that the opponents would flee the battlefield in fear. Cronus, along with his 4 brothers overthrew their father Uranus. They live in Erebus and predate the olympic gods. However, whether this was to garner her protection or invoke her for sinister means remains a mystery. Zeus, Poseidon, Dionysius, Apollo all have atleast one. He was unlucky, and had to suffer. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Lucifer is the quintessential evil mythological character, appearing in multiple cultures. The two brothers were said to often accompany Ares into battle. to the . He was a bloody minded character obsessed with killing, murder and slaughter. A catastrophe in which many will perish too. Meet five notorious gods who took pleasure in torturing mortals. I agree with the Hades part. Some of the gods that find themselves on this list arent always viewed as evil, but they all have their own nasty qualities that land them here. Wrestling Antaeus was an unfair match to any regular person. However, there are so many tales of Hera committing some jealous act of revenge. 4. Hades isnt evil, in fact, Persephones abduction is nothing more than an arranged marriage and she didnt mind it as much as her mother did. i do too ive been studying it for a couple of years. A lectisternium is a banquet for the gods, at which they appear as images seated on couches, as if present and participating. As revenge Hera told Apate to convince Semele to ask Zeus to show her his true form. Cicero considers it a normal epithet for Jupiter, in regard to whom it is probably a synonym for Omnipotens. The Kalevala, a nineteenth-century work of poetry recognized as the national epic of Finland, references Loviatar: The blind daughter of Tuoni, These angels were those, supposedly, sent by God after Lilith refused to submit to Adam. This was to make them somewhat relatable to the normal Greek person who themselves was fallible. He was also often unfaithful to his wife Hera and had a number of children by these mistresses. Today, altars and shrines to the heavenly maiden continue to exist in various Chinese temples. Underworld Gods & Goddesses | Theoi Greek Mythology He was the god and demon of darkness, destruction, chaos, and evil. The Roman Empire was a primarily polytheistic civilization, which meant that people recognized and worshiped multiple gods and goddesses.Despite the presence of monotheistic religions within the empire, such as Judaism and early Christianity, Romans honored multiple deities.They believed that these deities served a role in founding the Roman . He lets his ego get the best of him and struggles with uncontrollable anger. Read on to learn about five evil gods with spine-chilling backstories that might just keep you up at night. Ancient Egypt: 16 Little Known Facts About The Worlds Longest Continuous Civilization. Evil Egyptian Gods and Goddesses #1 - Set (Seth), God of Evil, Chaos, and Darkness #2 - Apophis (Apep), Serpent God of the Underworld #3 - Ammut, The Devourer of the Dead #4 - Shesmu, God of the Wine Press #5 - Sobek, The Crocodile God #6 - Sekhmet, The Powerful One (The Lion-Headed Goddess) #7 - The Demons of Duat Final Thoughts Ancient Egypt had more than 40 false gods, although none are mentioned by name in the Bible. 7) Liber The origin of Liber is mostly unknown he was definitely worshipped in Italy for quite some time, and was joined. Hera being there is up for debate though, you see she actually is justified in the fact that her actions are caused by a spouse who just isnt loyal, but she isnt taking it out on said spouse This doesnt mean that shes evil though, it just makes her irrational. Not really. The gods thought this seemed like a little much for a simple construction job, but Loki assured them that the giant would never complete the work on time, especially on his own, and then the deal would be off and Freya would be safe. Generally, it is described as the absence of good. However, evil also signifies the immoral nature of the human condition, where conflict and torment are the, Some people believe that evil deities indeed existedand perhaps still do. That is so wrong. According to mythology, he was the brother of the light god, T, ne, and born from Papa (Earth) and Rangi (Sky). Hades is not wrong. All the other gods on the list were simply reacting to bad behaviour of the other gods or the poor decisions of Mankind.but Hera killed indefensible innocent people out of pure jealousy, thats pretty evil. [citation needed], Varro uses the name Dii Consentes for twelve deities whose gilded images stood in the forum. The four brothers represented North, South, East and West. As revenge for the betrayal, Zeus had Prometheus tied to a mountain and each day a great eagle would peck out his liver. Hera 7. Apophis was an impressive evil god of ancient Egypt. A renowned example of which is the Mazu Temple of Tianjin city. These angels were those, supposedly, sent by God after Lilith refused to submit to Adam. Following his death, Japan was besieged by epidemics and disasters. She is actually now peaceful. She didnt really do anything wrong. Ugliest of Manas children, Apate along with many of her siblings were also said to be the evil spirits that escaped from Pandoras box, she is one of the more obvious choices for this list. Nightmares were his specialty and he would often find himself in dreams as animals or monsters. When Zeus took Hera as his wife, Poseidon started problems claiming he had a right to her as well. Then, God made an obedient wife, Eve. Poseidon 16. They didnt decide to be born to Zeus. Greek Goddess Of Childbirth And Pregnancy. The Titan God Prometheus had sided with Zeus in the Titanomachy and was seen as one of Zeus closest advisers. If you look back at Greek mythology, Hades never did anything bad,and he only messed up one person,Pirithous,but thats because they tried to kidnap his wife. No, I just wanted to point out a small inconsistency. Many polytheistic religions have one or more wind gods. When Poseidon lost a contest for the city of Athens against Athena he spent the rest of its existence working with armies that tried to take the city. Fun fact: Orcus is the origin of the name of J.R.R. She could influence both god and human to make rash decisions and actions that would cause harm. In her rage, she had flown to the Red Sea, a place of ill repute, full of lascivious demons. The great cat of Heliopolis killing the enemy of the sun, Apophis, Despite his alleged existence since primeval times, Apophis is not mentioned until the, . Hecate gathered a cult like following all the way into Roman era mythology as well which did not bode well for her. He imprisoned both the giants again and later he even imprisoned his co-conspirator brothers. In other words, the instruments of gods. [2], From the middle Imperial period, the title Caelestis, "Heavenly" or "Celestial" is attached to several goddesses embodying aspects of a single, supreme Heavenly Goddess. One of the deadliest diseases in Chinese history, smallpox was responsible for the death of innumerable Chinese throughout history; responsible too for the abrupt passing of Emperors Shunzhi and Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty. With pestilence still a major social concern in the modern century, could these ancient personifications of diseases still be at work? He grabbed At by the hair and threw her down to earth, forbidding her from ever returning to Mount Olympus. This dissension, and the separation of Earth and Sky, was perceived as the moment in which evil first entered the world. Hades Hades was the ruler of the underworld, or Tartarus as it was called. If he felt insulted by someone or something, the consequences were dire. Hecate 10. She was despised by many of the other gods and they often wouldnt choose to interact much with her. Tartarus is only for the worst monsters and Kronos was thrown in there. Her epithet was the beautiful maiden, but she was believed to have been a harlot and a vampire who, once she chose a lover, would never let him go, without ever giving him real satisfaction. Norse: Trickster god 9 Important Slavic Gods and Goddesses | History Cooperative His opponents often found their untimely demise when coming across him in their travels. A night deity is a goddess or god in mythology associated with night, the night sky, or darkness. Gods of Chaos: 7 Different Chaos Gods from Around the World Hermes is credited as Pans father. Jove is the Sky God. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. If Hera punished Zeus for his actions I would agree, but instead she punished the innocent offspring and the women that Zeus mainly tricked or rapedShe made Heracles kill his own familyso disfiguring or killing innocents doesnt make you a good godIMHO I would say she was #1. And yet, probably the greatest stories are those of her vendetta against Heracles, the son of Zeus and Alcmene. Tolkien's evil Orcs. He spent his time driving humans to their untimely, and usually unpleasant, demise. Coming in at number #1 above all other evil gods is the Mesopotamian goddess-demoness Lamashtu, the most terrible of all the female demons. Very few made it into the underworld and returned, the only real success story is that of Heracles and the rescue of Theseus. The apple legit shows how vain the Olympians were, so why is Eris near the top and not Hera? (Also not a hate comment or anything, just that one part that slightly bothered me. To some Christian theologians, however, the White Rider conversely represents successful evangelization. The evil god Whiro is often confused with a hero of the same name: Whiro the voyager. He loved Persephone, and Persephone is starting to return that love for him now(or so many people believe). Tartarus is ruled by Tartarus, a primordial god. Ced Yong (author) from Asia on April 20, 2020: Thank you very much for your encouraging comment! (This isnt a hate comment and I know that it said shouldnt take this seriously and Im not Im just blowing off steam). She doesnt really. This meant he was good at fighting and it meant that he had most of all the soldiers at heart. Many fables surround this next evil god and her fantastical vocations. Lastly, the belief of Ruohtta spreading illness from horseback could be a metaphorical reference to the Norsemen. There, they would receive a new body but would also be confined within the dark land forever. Wars, natural disasters, diseases, all of the evil in the world is done, supposedly, by him. Juno Caelestis was the Romanised form of the Carthaginian Tanit. According to the most common traditions, Hekate was originally a Thracian deity whoas both a Titan and the daughter of Zeushad power over the heavens and Earth. Hecate was a goddess that ruled mainly over spells and magic, essentially, witchcraft. Despite her dark supremacy, Lamashtu had a weaknessthe plague bringer, Pazuzu. Gods were called Pater ("Father") to signify their preeminence and paternal care, and the filial respect owed to them. Not the best of combinations. Or, to justify/proof the existence of God. Also known as the "Jeweled Fowl" or the "Jade Turkey," Chalchiuhtotolin was an Aztec god of diseases and plague, as well as a symbol of sorcery. Some are evil gods of the underworld, and some exist to torment humanity. Shocking, I know, I thought Dionysis was the only cool one. Varro grouped the gods broadly into three divisions of heaven, earth, and underworld: More common is a dualistic contrast between superi and inferi. Roman Goddesses A-Z List of Roman Deities ADDucation's list of Roman goddesses includes the parents, consorts, siblings, groups and titles of Roman godesses. She was often involved in all types of conflict, family arguments, blood feuds and wars over territory. Some texts claim that Lilith was the first wife of the Bibles Adam and was created on par with him. . Ask any Japanese and the person would likely tell you that Sugawara is instead, the Shinto god of scholarly pursuits. He was depicted as a strong warrior and also terrifying for his love of bloodshed. However, it is believed he was. He had a disloyal personality, often betraying those who had once helped him. There, she bore a demonic brood of more than one hundred a day. The Roman gods and goddesses were divided into two groups; Di Consentes, the top twelve deities, and the Dii Inferi, the gods of the underworld. The most extensive lists are provided by the Church Fathers who sought systematically to debunk Roman religion while drawing on the theological works of Varro, also surviving only in quoted or referenced fragments. Conversely, some modern and pre-modern Christian leaders regard the White Rider as the fiendish Antichrist. Within Hebrew traditions, Resheph was also a personal name, as well as previously misinterpreted as representing pestilence and burning coals. Juno overlooks over weather events, especially the lunar phases. Tartarus was a primordial god who ruled the pits of Tartarus. , and some exist to torment humanity. Paragraph in the Book of Revelations foretelling the arrival of the White Rider. Of note, modern Japanese worshippers today pray to Sugawara no Michizane for scholastic success. . I believe hecate should be on the list and not hera because she is the godess of magic and is often trying to overthrow the gods. Dark Goddesses: Our 11 FAVORITES From Around the World The meaning of Consentes is subject to interpretation, but is usually taken to mean that they form a council or consensus of deities. In others, he tries to cause as many problems as possible. The. This is the funniest comment ive read yet! The final son was considered the most dreadful, which is why his name does not appear in any reliable text. This is particularly true of those gods belonging to the archaic religion of the Romans dating back to the era of kings, the so-called "religion of Numa", which was perpetuated or revived over the centuries. When he shows up in dreams as an animal it is to try to make the person relax or calm down, but when he appears as a monster its meant to terrorized to victim. Despite her wicked reputation, some ancient Semitic cultures considered Lamashtu their guardian. She was a goddess of boundaries and widely worshiped, with her myths showing her as quite benevolent as she took pity on Hecuba (trojan queen) and Galinthias (midwife to Hercules mother) after they had been cursed by the other gods.