This List of deities aims at giving information about ancient and actual deities in the different religions, cultures and mythologies of the world. It is sorted alphabetically.
See also: deva (=demigod), God, Goddess, mythology, religion, scripture.
Abenaki
Deities in the Abrahamic religions
Jews, Christians, and Muslims believe in the same God, but Muslims, and to some degree Jews (see below), visualize God in strictly monotheistic terms, whereas most Christians believe that God exists as a Trinity.
Judaism
Yahweh is the Biblical name for God used by ancient Jews.
Adonai, Eloheynu and Hashem are some of the names of God used in modern day Judaism. The Hebrew word "elohim" is also used to refer to God in the Torah (and the Christian Old Testament), and this refers to a plural nature of God. However, Jews hold to a slightly more monotheistic view of God than Christians. They reject Jesus Christ as a false messiah, and do not assign any deity to him. However, the English word "God" (spelled "G-d" in deference to the taboo against pronouncing the Tetragrammaton) is commonly accepted among Jews to denote God (or G-d), as well.
Christianity
Historically, Christianity has professed belief in one deity, three divine persons (the Trinity), that make up one deity or Godhead, known as "God". (See Athanasian Creed.)
Thus, most Christians are trinitarian monotheists, although there have been dissenters; see the articles Arianism, Unitarianism (History), Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Jehovah's Witnesses for examples.
Most of these unitarian groups believe or believed that only God the Father is a deity; Latter-day Saints believe that the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit are three distinct deities.
Islam
Allah is the most traditional Muslim name for God. Islamic tradition also speaks of 99 Names of God.
Other
Two smaller faiths that don't neatly fit into any of the categories of Abrahamic religions. Rastafarianism worships Jah and the Baha'i Faith also worships the same God as Jews, Christians and Muslims.
Akamba mythology
Akan mythology
Ashanti mythology
Australian Aboriginal mythology
Aztec mythology
Bushongo mythology
Celtic mythology
a more complete list can be found here.
- Belenus
- Bran
- Brigit
- Ceridwen
- Cernunos
- Dagda
- Danu
- Epona
- Gwydion
- Lugh
- Lyr
- Manannan mac Lir
- Morrigan
- Nemain
- Nuadha
- Ogma
Chinese mythology
- Chang E
- Chi You
- Dragon Kings
- Eight Immortals
- Gong Gong
- Guanyin
- Guan Di
- Jade Emperor
- Three Pure Ones
- Nuwa
- Pangu
- Xi Wangmu
- Yi the Archer
- Zao Jun
Chippewa mythology
- Nanabozho
- Sint Holo
- Wemicus
Creek mythology
- Hisagita-imisi
Dacian mythology
Dahomey mythology
- Agé
- Ayaba
- Da
- Gbadu
- Gleti
- Gu
- Lisa
- Loko
- Mawu
- Sakpata
- Sogbo
- Xevioso
- Zinsi
- Zinsu
Dinka mythology
- Abuk
- Denka
- Juok
- Nyalitch
Efik mythology
- Abassi
- Atai
Egyptian mythology
Egyptian deities are often portrayed as having animal heads in art; as an example, Anubis is often portrayed in statuary as having the body of a human, but the head of a canine. Many gods were portrayed with different animal heads, depending upon the situation. The Egyptians did NOT actually believe that their gods had animal heads; rather, they portrayed them that way as artistic symbolism. This may have been for the benefit of the illiterate.
- Anubis, God of Embalming, Friend of the Dead
- The Aten, the embodiment of the Sun's rays
- Atum, a creator deity
- Bast, Goddess of Cats
- Bes, God-Demon of Protection, Childbirth and Entertainment
- Geb, God of the Earth
- Hapi God of the Nile and Fertility
- Hathor, Goddess of Love and Music
- Heget Goddess of Childbirth
- Horus the falcon-headed god
- Imhotep God of wisdom, medicine and magic
- Isis, Goddess of Magic, sister of Nephthys
- Khepry, the scarab beetle, the embodiment of the dawn
- Khnum, a creator deity
- Maahes
- Ma'at, Goddess of Truth, Balance and Order
- Menhit
- Mont, god of war
- Naunet, the primal waters
- Neith, the great mother goddess
- Nephthys, mother of Anubis
- Nut, goddess of heaven and the sky
- Osiris
- Ptah, a creator deity
- Ra, the sun, possible father of Anubis
- Sekhmnet, goddess of war and battles
- Sobek, Crocodile God
- Set, God of Storms, possible father of Anubis
- Tefnut, goddess of order, justice, time, Heaven and Hell and weather
- Thoth, god of the moon, drawing, writing, geometry, wisdom, medicine, music, astronomy, and magic
Etruscan mythology
Old Finnish deities
There are very few written documents about old Finnish religions; also the names of deities and practices of worship changed from place to place. The following is a summary of the most important and most widely worshipped deities.Ancient Greek mythology
See also Demigods, the Dryads, the Fates, the Erinyes, the Graces, the Horae, the Muses, the Nymphs, the Pleiades, the Titans
Guarani mythology
Haida mythology
Hinduism
Hopi mythology
See also kachina
Huron mythology
Ibo mythology
Incan mythology
Inuit mythology
Iroquois mythology
Isoko mythology
Japanese mythology
see also Kami
Khoikhoi mythology
Modern Western mythology ("Kitchen Gods")
In addition to the gods listed above, there are several minor mythological beings spoken of in current western culture and may be taken more or less seriously. These are commonly called Kitchen Gods.Kwakiutl mythology
Lakota mythology
Lotuko mythology
Latvian mythology
Lugbara mythology
Maya mythology
Mesopotamian mythology
Navaho mythology
Norse mythology
Pawnee mythology
Polynesian mythology
see also Menehune
Old Prussian / Baltic deities
Pygmy mythology
Roman mythology
Salish mythology
Sardinian deities
Sardinian deities, mainly referred to in the age of Nuragici people, are partly derived from Phoenician ones.
- Janas Goddesses of death
- Maymon God of Hades
- Panas Goddesses of reproduction (women dead in childbirth)
- Thanit Goddess of Earth and fertility
Seneca mythology
- Eagentci
- Hagones
- Hawenniyo
- Kaakwha
Slavic mythology
Sumerian mythology
See also Annuna
Tumbuka mythology
Ugarit mythology
Note: Ugarit had a profound influence on Canaanite religion and some influence on the Abrahamic religions, as well.
Winnebago mythology
Yoruba mythology
Zulu mythology
Zuni mythology