Water Gods – From Wikipedia

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_water_deities If the importance of water to ancient man is indicated by the worship or presence of “gods of water”, then from the list below it is obvious that water has always been a central feature of many, if not most, religions . A water deity is a deity in mythology associated with water or various bodies of water. 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 were springs or holy wells

Contents

Aztec mythology

o 1.2 Ainu mythology

o 1.3 Canaanite mythology

o 1.4 Celtic mythology

o 1.5 Chinese mythology

o 1.6 Egyptian mythology

o 1.7 Fijian mythology

o 1.8 Finnish mythology

o 1.9 Greek mythology

o 1.10 Haitian Vodou

o 1.11 Hawaiian mythology

o 1.12 Hindu/Vedic mythology

o 1.13 Incan mythology

o 1.14 Inuit mythology

o 1.15 Japanese mythology

o 1.16 Lithuanian mythology

o 1.17 Māori mythology

o 1.18 Mesopotamian mythology

o 1.19 Norse/Germanic mythology

o 1.20 Philippine mythology

o 1.21 Pirate lore

o 1.22 Roman mythology

o 1.23 Slavic mythology

o 1.24 Tonga (Zambezi Valley Zimbabwe)

o 1.25 Yoruba, Orisha worship, IFA

o 1.26 Igbo, African religion

Aztec mythology

Tlaloc, god of thunder, rain, and earthquakes.

Tlaloc (Classical Nahuatl: Tlālōc [ˈtɬaːloːk]) was an important deity in Aztec religion, a god of

rain, fertility, and water. He was a beneficent god who gave life and sustenance, but he was

also feared for his ability to send hail, thunder and lightning, and for being the lord of the

powerful element of water. In Aztec iconography he is usually depicted with goggle eyes and

fangs. He was associated with caves, springs and mountains. He is known for having

demanded child sacrifices.[1] In Aztec cosmology, the four corners of the universe are marked

by "the four Tlalocs" (Classical Nahuatl: Tlālōquê [tɬaːˈloːkeʔ]) which both hold up the sky and

functions as the frame for the passing of time. Tlaloc was the patron of the Calendar

day Mazatl and of the trecena of Ce Quiyahuitl (1 Rain). In Aztec mythology, Tlaloc was the

lord of the third sunwhich was destroyed by fire.In the Aztec Tenochtitlan, one of the two

shrines on top of the Great Temple was dedicated to Tlaloc. The High Priest who was in

charge of the Tlaloc shrine was called "Quetzalcoatl Tlaloc Tlamacazqui". However the most

important site of worship to Tlaloc was on the peak of Mount Tlaloc, a 4100 metres high

mountain on the eastern rim of the Valley of Mexico. Here the Aztec ruler came and

conducted important ceremonies once a year, and throughout the year pilgrims offered

precious stones and figures at the shrine.

In Coatlinchan a colossal statue weighing 168 tons was found that was thought to

represent Tlaloc. Some scholars believe that the statue may not have been Tlaloc at all

but his sister or some other female deity. This statue was relocated to the National

Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City in 1964.[2] Archaeological evidence indicates

Tlaloc was worshipped in Mesoamerica before the Aztecs even settled there in 13th

century AD. He was a prominent god in Teotihuacan at least 800 years before the

Aztecs.[8] This has led to mesoamerican goggle-eyed rain gods being referred to

generically as "Tlaloc" although in some cases it is unknown what they were called in

these cultures, and in other cases we know that he was called by a different name (e.g.

the Mayan version was known as Chaac and the Zapotec deity as Cocijo).

Chalchiuhtlicue, goddess of water, lakes, rivers, seas, streams, horizontal waters, storms,

and baptism.

Stone sculpture of Chalchiuhtlicue (Museum of the Americas, Madrid, Spain)

Chalchiuitlicue's name means literally means "Jade her skirt", but is usually translated as "she of

the jade shirt". She was also known as Matlalcueye "Owner of the green skirt". This goddess was

the wife (in some myths, sister) of the rain god,Tlaloc. Like other water deities, she was often

associated with serpents. She was the mother of Tecciztecatl, an Aztec moon god. He was called

"he who comes from the land of the sea-slug shell" because of the similarity between the moon

and the slug. Tecciztecatl was portrayed as an old man who carries a large white seashell on his

back. Most legends of Chalchiuhtlicue say that she was married to the god of rain, Tlaloc. In

some myths she was his sister. Chalchiuhtlicue helped Tlaloc rule the kingdom of Tlalocan. It is

believed that Tlaloc was one of the first 'abuser' gods and because of this Chalchiuhtlicue

retaliated by releasing 52 years of rain, causing a giant flood which caused the fourth world to be

destroyed. She built a bridge linking heaven and earth and those who were in Chalchiuhtlicue's

good graces were allowed to traverse it. The other residents of the earth were turned into fish so

they wouldn't drown. Chalchiuhtlicue used the flood as an act of purification of human kind.

Because of this flood we are believed to live in the Fifth World. Chalchiuhtlicue was also mother

of Tecciztecatl, the Aztec moon god. In some myths, Chalchiuhtlicue was wife of Xiuhtecuhtli,

senior deity of the Aztec pantheon. According to Aztec legend, Chalchiuhtlicue at one point

devoured the sun and moon.

In 2008, archaeologists led by Saburo Sugiyama found a tomb containing important evidence that

may help define and examine an active period in Teotihuacán history. It may also help define

some of the Aztec's defining moments. Teotihuacán was the largest city in Mesoamerica with

over 100,000 residents. It is here that the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon were built. The Pyramid

of the Sun was built for Tlaloc and, as stated earlier, the Pyramid of the Moon built for

Chalchiuhtlicue. The tomb that Saburo Sugiyama found was dedicated to Chalchiuhtlicue. It

housed a single human male sacrifice along with a wolf, jaguar, puma, serpent, bird, skeletons,

and over 400 other artifacts. Among some of these artifacts were large greenstone and obsidian

figurines, ceremonial knives, and spear points. The archaeologists also found frescos of former

religions painted in red and green, some referred to agricultural and natural rain cycles. When

looking underneath the Pyramid of the Moon, a Chalchiuhtlicue statue was found and has since

been moved to El Museo Nacional de Antropologia in Mexico City. Also found underneath the

pyramid were many tombs containing ornaments of birds and jaguars. For the Aztecs,

Chalchiuhtlicue was the water goddess who was a personification of youthful beauty and ardor.

She was represented as a river from which grew a prickly pear cactus laden with fruit,

symbolizing the human heart.[4]

Chalchiutlicue's association with both water and fertility is derived from the Aztecs' common

association of the womb with waters. This dual role gave her both life-giving and a life-ending role

in Aztec mythology[5] In the Aztec creation myth of the Five Suns, Chalchiuhtlicue presided over

the fourth sun, or creation, in her aspect as goddess of streams and standing water. This world—

in the mythology, the world preceding the current (fifth) one—was destroyed by a great flood and

its people transformed into fish.[6]

Huixtocihuatl, goddess of salt.

In Aztec mythology, Huixtocihuatl (or Uixtochihuatl, Uixtociuatl) was a fertility goddess

who presided over salt and salt water. Her younger brother was Tlaloc, and the rain gods,

the Tlaloques were her sisters, or, in some sources, the children of Tlaloc. One

interpretation of the myths surrounding Huixtochiuatl says she gained control over sea

water when she was having a fight with the Tlaloques and they threw all their salt water

at her in an attempt to drown her. Some sources place her as a wife of Tezcatlipoca. In

June, there was a ten day festival in her honor. During the festival, one woman was

considered to be the embodiment of Huixtochiuatl. That woman would be sacrificed by

the end of the festival.[3] Salt makers would honor her with dances.[4]

Opochtli, god of fishing.

In Aztec mythology, Opochtli was a god of hunting and fishing.[1]

Tlaloques, gods of drops.

Tlaloquetotontli, goddess of the rivers

tAinu mythology

Repun Kamui, god of the sea Repun Kamuy is sometimes depicted as an orca. In other

instances, he is a carefree, somewhat mischievous young man armed with a harpoon.[1]

Repun Kamuy is an important figure in Ainu mythology because the sea represents

opportunities for harvests that could not be found on land: fishing, the hunting of whales, and

maritime trading expeditions. One of his myths displays his carefree nature and his

generosity. In the story, he harpoons a whale and her young, and throws them ashore near a

human village. When he arrives at home, he is visited by a sea wren, who tells him that the

humans are cutting up the whales using sickles and axes — that is, not showing proper

respect to the animal or to Repun Kamuy as the gift-giver. Rather than growing angry, he

laughs, saying that the meat belongs to the humans and they can do with it as they like. A

short time later, he sets out again, and he happens to pass the same village, where he finds

that the sea wren has lied: the humans are dressed in ritual robes and cutting the flesh from

the whales with sacred swords, in the proper manner. Moved by this display of piety, Repun

Kamuy assures the humans that the bounty of the sea will keep them from famine.[1]

Canaanite mythology

Yam (god), god of rivers and the sea

Yam was the god of the sea, and became popular in the Ancient Egyptian times. Yam, from

the Canaanite word Yam, (Hebrew םי) meaning "Sea", also written "Yaw", is one name of

the Ugaritic god of Rivers and Sea. Also titled Judge Nahar ("Judge River"), he is also one of the

'ilhm (Elohim) or sons of El, the name given to the Levantine pantheon. Others dispute the

existence of the alternative names, claiming it is a mistranslation of a damaged tablet. Despite

linguistic overlap, theologically this god is not a part of the later subregional monotheistic

theology, but rather is part of a broader and archaic Levantine polytheism.

Yam is the deity of the primordial chaos and represents the power of the sea untamed and

raging; he is seen as ruling storms and the disasters they wreak. The gods cast out Yam from the

heavenly mountain Sappan (modern Jebel Aqra; "Sappan" is cognate to Tsephon. The seven-

headed dragon Lotan is associated closely with him and the serpent is frequently used to

describe him. He is the Canaanite equivalent of the SumerianTiamat, the primordial mother

goddess.

Of all the gods, despite being the champion of El, Yam holds special hostility against Baal Hadad,

son of Dagon. Yam is a deity of the sea and his palace is in the abyss associated with the depths,

or Biblical tehwom, of the oceans. (This is not to be confused with the abode of Mot, the ruler of

the netherworlds.) In Ugaritic texts, Yam's special enemy Hadad is also known as the "king of

heaven" and the "first born son" of El, whom ancient Greeks identified with their god Cronus, just

as Baal was identified with Zeus, Yam with Poseidon and Mot with Hades. Yam wished to

become the Lord god in his place. In turns the two beings kill each other, yet Hadad is

resurrected and Yam also returns. Some authors have suggested that these tales reflect the

experience of seasonal cycles in the Levant.

Celtic mythology

Acionna (Gaulish) - a water goddess/genius loci of the Orleanais region and the Essonne

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 water-source

which he artificially drained to rediscover if it could still supply the town's public water

fountains. In a former cesspit, he found a roughly square (0.6m by 0.55m) stone tablet

with a well-preserved votive inscription, datable by its style to the 2nd century. It reads:

AUG(ustae) ACIONNAE

SACRUM

CAPILLUS ILLIO

MARI F(ilius) PORTICUM

CUM SUIS ORNA

MENTIS V(otum) S(olvit) L(ibens) M(erito)

"To August Acionna, Capillus[1] son of Illiomarus [offered] this portico with these ornaments, in

willing and right fulfilment of his vow"[2]

Acionna is not attested in any other sources, but the ending -onna indisputably indicates a

Latinised Gallic name. The stela's findspot in an ancient source suggests that she is a water

goddess. Her name may be linked to that of the River Essonne - Axiona, Exona, in medieval

texts - whose source is in the slopes to the north of the forêt d'Orléans. (This river's upper

course is today called the Œuf and only takes up the name Essonne at its junction with the

Rimarde). Another river of the forêt d'Orléans, the "Esse" or "Ruisseau des Esses", flowing

south into the sea in the Bionne (a Celtic name), might also have borne this name. Acionna

probably had her sanctuary at the Fontaine de l'Etuvée in the commune of Orléans, and

remains of a Gallo-Roman temple and a section of an aqueduct were excavated in 2007.

Boann - goddess of the River Boyne (Irish)

Boann or Boand (modern spelling: Bóinn) is the Irish mythology goddess of the River

Boyne, a river in Leinster, Ireland. According to the Lebor Gabála Érenn she was the

daughter of Delbáeth, son of Elada, of the Tuatha Dé Danann.[1] Her husband is

variously Nechtan, Elcmar or Nuada. Her lover is the Dagda, by whom she had her

son, Aengus. In order to hide their affair, the Dagda made the sun stand still for nine

months; therefore, Aengus was conceived, gestated and born in one day.[2] As told in

the metrical Dindshenchas,[3] Boann created the River Boyne. Though forbidden to by her

husband, Nechtan, Boann approached the magical well of Segais (also known as the

Well of Wisdom), which was surrounded by hazel trees. Nuts from the hazels were

known to fall into the well, where they were eaten by the speckled salmon (who, along

with hazel nuts, also embody and represent wisdom in Irish myth). Boann challenged the

power of the well by walking around it counter-clockwise; this caused the waters to surge

up violently and rush down to the sea, creating the River Boyne. In this catastrophe, she

was swept along in the rushing waters, and lost an arm, leg and eye, and ultimately her

life, in the flood. The poem equates her with famous rivers in other countries, including

the Severn, Tiber, Jordan, Tigris and Euphrates. She also appears in Táin Bó Fraích as

the maternal aunt and protector of the mortal Fróech. Her name is interpreted as "white

cow" (Irish bó fhionn; Old Irish bó find) in the dinsenchas Ptolemy's 2nd

century Geographia shows that in antiquity the river's name was Bubindas, which may

derive from Proto-Celtic *Bou-vindā, "white cow". Modern-day commentators and

Neopagans sometimes identify Boann with the goddess Brigid, or believe Boann to be

Brigid's mother;[8] however there are no Celtic sources that describe her as such. It is also

speculated by some modern writers that, as the more well-known goddess, and later

saint, the legends of numerous "minor" goddesses with similar associations may have

over time been incorporated into the symbology, worship and tales of Brigid.

Dylan Eil Ton (Welsh)

Dylan ail Don (also seen in other translated languages as Dylan Eil Ton (in Middle

Welsh), Dylan O'Taine, Dylan ElTon, Dylan Aldon, and Dylan Ui Dan) is a character in

the Welsh mythic Mabinogion tales, particularly in the fourth tale, "Math fab Mathonwy". The

story of Dylan reflects ancient Celtic myths that were handed down orally for some

generations before being written down during the early Christian period by clerics. The story

as it has been preserved will therefore exhibit elements and archetypes characteristic of

both Celtic pagan and Christian mythologies. His name translates as "Dylan the Second

Wave", referring to him as being the second born (ail don meaning "second wave")

of Arianrhod.

Grannus, a god associated with spas, the sun, fires and healing thermal and mineral springs

In the Celtic polytheism of classical

antiquity, Grannus (also Granus Mogounus Amarcolitanus) was a deity associated

with spas, healing thermal andmineral springs, and the sun. He was regularly identified

with Apollo as Apollo Grannus. He was worshipped chiefly in northern Gaul, in what by the

1st century AD were the Roman province of Gallia Belgica, Germania

Superior and Germania Inferior, but also as far afield as Sarmizegetusa (Romania)

andFycklinge (Sweden). His worship was not infrequently in conjunction

with Sirona, Mars and other deities.

Lir (Irish), god of the sea

Ler or Lir (meaning "Sea" in Old Irish; Ler and Lir are the nominative and genitive forms,

respectively) is asea god in Irish mythology. His name suggests that he is a personification of

the sea, rather than a distinct deity. He is named Allód in early genealogies, and corresponds

to the Llŷr of Welsh mythology. Ler is chiefly an ancestor figure, and is best known as the

father of the god Manannán mac Lir, who appears frequently in medieval Irish literature. Ler

does have some prominence of his own; most famously as the titular king in the tale The

Children of Lir.

Llŷr (Welsh), god of the sea

Llŷr (Welsh: Llŷr Llediaith; ~Lleddiarth; "half-speech" (Skene, Bromwich[1]); "half-

language"(Mackillop)[2] )) is a figure in Welsh mythology, probably originally a deity. He

appears as the father of Brân, Brânwen and Manawydan by Penarddun in the Branwen,

Daughter of Llyr, the Second Branch of the Mabinogi. The Welsh Triads states that Llŷr

was imprisoned by Euroswydd, and presumbably, Penaddurn consequently married

Euroswydd, giving birth by Euroswydd to her two younger sons, Nisien and Efnisien, as

stated in the Second Branch. Other than his progeny and odd tidbits, his identity remains

obscure. Llŷr is thought to be cognate to Lir, father of the sea-god Manannán mac

Lir from Irish mythology, and through this association Llŷr himself is conjectured to be a

sea god.

Manannán mac Lir (Irish), god of the sea

Manannán mac Lir is a sea deity in Irish mythology. He is the son of the obscure Lir (in Irish

the name is "Lear", meaning "Sea"; "Lir" is the genitive form of the word). He is often seen as

a psychopomp, and has strong affiliations with the Otherworld, the weather and the mists

between the worlds. He is usually associated with theTuatha Dé Danann, although most

scholars consider him to be of an older race of deities. Manannán figures widely in Irish

literature, and appears also in Scottish and Manx legend. He is cognate with the Welsh

figureManawydan fab Llŷr.

Nodens, god associated with healing, the sea, hunting and dogs

Nodens (Nudens, Nodons) is a Celtic deity associated with healing, the sea, hunting and

dogs. He was worshipped in ancient Britain, most notably in a temple complex at Lydney

Park in Gloucestershire, and possibly also in Gaul. He is equated with the Roman

gods Mars, Mercury, Neptune and Silvanus, and his name is cognatewith that of the Irish

mythological figure Nuada and the Welsh Nudd.

Sinann (Irish), goddess of the River Shannon

Sequana (Gaulish), goddess of the River Seine

Chinese mythology

Gong Gong, water god who is responsible for the great floods, together with his associate,

Xiang Yao

Gong Gong (Chinese: 共工) is a Chinese water god or sea monster, said to resemble a

serpent or dragon. He is said to be responsible for the great floods together with his

associate, Xiang Yao (Chinese: 相繇), who has nine heads and the body of a snake.

In Chinese mythology, Gong Gong was ashamed that he had 21 toes that he lost the

fight with Zhu Rong, the Chinese god of fire, to claim the throne of Heaven and in a fit of

rage he smashed his head against Buzhou Mountain (不周山), a pillar holding up the sky.

The pillar suffered great damage and caused the sky to tilt towards the northwest and the

earth to shift to the southeast. This also created the tilt of the earth. This caused great

floods and suffering to the people. Nüwa (女媧), an important and benevolent goddess,

cut off the legs of the giant turtle Ao then used them to supplant the fallen pillar and

alleviate the situation. She was unable to fully correct the tilted sky which is said to

explain the phenomenon that the sun, moon, and stars move towards the northwest, and

that rivers in China flow southeast into the Pacific Ocean. Apart of mythological

associations, "Gong Gong" is sometimes translated as Minister of Works (e.g.in the first

chapters of the Shangshu). This appears to be an attempt at rationalization of the

otherwise historically unimaginable character. Therein, however, he figures together with

other dubious "ministers", such as Long the Dragon.

Mazu, water goddess and protector of sailors

Mazu (simplified Chinese: 妈祖; traditional Chinese: 媽祖; pinyin: Māzǔ; Wade–Giles:

Ma-tsu; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Má-chó͘, Vietnamese: Ma Tổ; Foochow Romanized: Mā-cū; literally

"Mother Ancestor"), also spelt Matsu, is the indigenous goddess of the sea who is said to

protect fishermen and sailors, and is invoked as the patron deity of all Southern Chinese

and East Asian persons. Born as Lin Moniang (Chinese: 林默娘; pinyin: Lín Mòniáng;

Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lîm Be̍k-niû; Foochow Romanized: Lìng Mĕk-niòng) in Fujian around 960 CE,

worship of Mazu began around the Ming Dynasty, when many temples dedicated to her

were erected all across Mainland China, later spreading to other countries with Southern

Chinese inhabitants. Mazu is widely worshipped in the south-eastern coastal areas

of China and neighbouring areas in Southeast Asia,

especially Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan, as well as Vietnam and Taiwan all

of which have strong seafaring traditions, as well as migrant communities elsewhere with

sizeable populations from these areas. Mazu also has a significant influence on East

Asian sea culture, especially in China and Taiwan.

Ao Kuang/Ao Guang, Dragon King of the East Sea

In Fengshen Yanyi, following the passage of many years, Ao Guang had brought chaos

to the world by forming droughts, storms, and other disasters. Due to the people's

immense fear of the dragon king and his sons, they never reported Ao Guang's actions to

the Jade Emperor. Thus, Ao Guang enjoyed countless offerings by the people throughout

a time interval of many years. Thereafter, Nezha cleansed himself at a neighboring

stream of the East Sea, causing Ao Guang's palace to shake at an annoying level. After

Ao Guang's favorite investigator Li Gen and third son Ao Bing were both killed by the

hands of Nezha, Ao Guang set out to talk to Nezha's father, Li Jing. After discussing the

matter with his friend for a long period of time in a state of great anger, he ascended to

the heavens to state the issue to the Jade Emperor. When Nezha appeared in heaven,

he began to beat Ao Guang very violently, even tearing scales from his skin and causing

him to bleed. Therefore Ao Guang was forced to turn himself into a small snake and

come with Nezha back to the Old Pond Pass to forget about the incident completely.

Later, Ao Guang, along with three other dragon kings, comes to Old Pond Pass and

takes both Li Jing and his wife Lady Yin. Nezha, wishing to free them, offers the dragons

all of his internal organs in exchange for his parents. Ao Kuang personally agrees to

Nezha's resolution with happiness and brings his internal organs to the Jade Emperor.

Following this point, Ao Guang's fate is unknown.

Ao Qin, Dragon King of the South Sea

Ao Run, Dragon King of the West Sea

Ao Shun, Dragon King of the North Sea

He-Bo/He Bo, God of the Yellow River

Egyptian mythology

Sobek, god of the Nile river, depicted as a crocodile or a man with the head of a crocodile.

Sobek (also called Sebek, Sochet, Sobk, Sobki, Soknopais), and

in Greek, Suchos (Σοῦχος) was the deification of crocodiles, as crocodiles were deeply

feared in the nation so dependent on the Nile River. Egyptians who worked or travelled

on the Nile hoped that if they prayed to Sobek, the crocodile/Nile god, he would protect

them from being attacked by crocodiles.[1] The god Sobek, which was depicted as a

crocodile or a man with the head of a crocodile was a powerful and frightening deity; in

some Egyptian creation myths, it was Sobek who first came out of the waters of chaos to

create the world.[1] As a creator god, he was occasionally linked with the sun god Ra.[1]

Pharaoh Amenhotep III and god Sobek

Sobek in crocodile form, 12th Dynasty(Staatliches Museum Ägyptischer Kunst, Munich)

Cult of Sobek

During the twelfth and thirteenth dynasties (1991 BC - 1650 BC), the cult of Sobek was

given particular prominence and a number of rulers incorporated him in their coronation

names.[2] Most of Sobek's temples were located "in parts of Egypt where crocodiles were

common."[1] Sobek's cult originally flourished around Al Fayyum where some temples still

remain. The area was so closely associated with Sobek that Arsinoe was known to the

Greeks as Crocodilopolis or 'crocodile Town.'[1] Another major cult centre was at Kom

Ombo, "close to the sandbanks of the Nile where crocodiles would often bask.[1] Some

temples of Sobek kept pools where sacred crocodiles were kept: these crocodiles were

fed the best cuts of meat and became quite tame.[1] When they died, they were

mummified and buried in special animal cemeteries. In other areas of Egypt, however,

crocodiles were dealt with by simply hunting and killing them.

Sometimes the ferocity of crocodiles was seen in a positive light, Sobek in these

circumstances was considered the army's patron, as a representation of strength and

power. In Egyptian art, Sobek was depicted as an ordinary crocodile, or as a man with

the head of a crocodile. When considered a patron of the pharaoh's army, he was shown

with the symbol of royal authority - the uraeus. He was also shown with an ankh,

representing his ability to undo evil and so cure ills. Once he had become Sobek-Ra, he

was also shown with a sun-disc over his head, as Ra was a sun god. In other myths,

which appeared extremely late in ancient Egyptian history, Sobek was credited for

catching theFour sons of Horus in a net as they emerged from the waters of the Nile in

a lotus blossom. This motif derives from the birth of Ra in the Ogdoad cosmogony, and

the idea that as a crocodile, Sobek is the best suited to collecting items upon the Nile.

Nephthys, god of rivers

Nephthys (pron.: /ˈnɛpθɨs/ or /ˈnɛfθɨs/) or Nebthet (/ˈnɛbˌθɛt/) is a member of the

Great Ennead of Heliopolis inEgyptian mythology, a daughter of Nut and Geb. Nephthys was

typically paired with her sister Isis in funerary rites because of their role as protectors of the

mummy and the god Osiris and as the sister-wife of Set.

Fijian mythology

Daucina, god of seafaring

In Fijian mythology (Fiji), Daucina ("torchbearer") is the great god of seafaring Fiji. When

Daucina was a toddler, he was only quiet when looking at a lamp. His mother tied fiery reeds

to his head so that he would be calm. He has roamed the coral reefs with a hood on ever

since. [1] He is a trickster and a patronof adulterers, and a seducer of women.

Dakuwaqa, a shark god

In Fijian mythology, Dakuwaqa is a shark-god. He was greatly respected

by fishermen[2] because he protected them from any danger at sea[ and sometimes

protected them from evil denizens of the sea. He was once going inland to

conquer Kadavu Island through the river when another god challenged him in the form of

anoctopus. After a great battle, the octopus won (mainly due to his 8 arms which enabled

him to hold off the massive attack of Dakuwaqa) forcing Dakuwaqa to promise to never

attack Kadavu again. That is how Dakuwaqa became the god and protector of Kadavu.

Dakuwaqa can also change shape into anything, but his real form is that of a muscular

Fijian man with the upper torso of a shark.[8]

]Finnish mythology

Ahti, god of the depths and fish

In Finnish mythology, Ahti or Ahto is a heroic character of oral poetic tradition.

Sometimes given in folk poetry the epithet of Saarelainen or the Islander, he is described

as a fierce sea-going warrior. In the poems, Ahti makes a double vow with his wife

Kyllikki, binding him to stay at home and not to engage in raiding, and her to stay faithful.

However, Kyllikki breaks their oath, sending Ahti on a voyage with his old war

companions. In some versions of the poem, he subsequently falls in combat.[citation needed]

Ahti Saarelainen was one of the heroic figures Elias Lönnrot artificially compounded with

the character of Lemminkäinen when writing the Kalevala in the 19th century. The

original poems in the Ahti cycle have been dated tentatively to the Iron Age based on

their sea-going setting. Sometimes the name of Ahti is used of a god of the sea and

of fishing, portrayed as a man with a handlebar moustache and beard of moss.[citation

needed] He is the consort of Vellamo, and they dwell in the undersea palace of Ahtola.[citation

needed] He probably possesses some fragments of Sampo, which was broken and then lost

at sea after a battle.[citation needed] Also Vetehinen and Iku-Turso live underwater with Ahti

Iku-Turso, a malevolent sea monster

Iku-Turso (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈikuˌturso], "the eternal Turso"; also known as Iku-

Tursas, Iki-Tursas, Meritursas, Tursas, Turisas among others) is a malevolent sea

monster in the Finnish mythology. Nowadays Meritursas means octopus in Finnish, named

after Iku-Turso, but originally tursas is an old name for walrus while the more common term

is mursu. However, it is more common to see the word Mustekala (lit. "ink fish"), the name of

its SubclassColeoidea in Finnish, for the octopus.

Vedenemo, a goddess of water

Ved-ava is a water deity, common to several Baltic and Finno-Ugric peoples traditionally

dependent on fishing. She is also sometimes associated withfertility. She is generally

depicted as a water creature resembling a mermaid, with long hair, large breasts, and the

lower body of a fish complete with tail, and is sometimes said to play or sing, seducing

humans with her music. Fishermen sacrificed to her the first of their catch and observed

numerous taboos related to her while fishing. Seeing Ved-ava boded ill, most often

drowning. She has been regarded as the spirit of a drowned person or simply as a

personification of the water itself. Among the Mordvins (an area in what is now

Western Russia) she was the Water Mother, ruler of the waters and their bounty; she is

known as Vete-ema among the Estonians and Veen emo among the Finns.

Vellamo, the wife of Ahti, goddess of the sea, lakes and storms.

In Finnish mythology, Vellamo is the goddess of the sea, the wife of Ahti. The name is

derived from the verb velloa, "to rock oneself." She is sometimes described as "cold hearted".

Along with Ahti, she dwells in the undersea palace of Ahtola. She is often pictured as

a mermaid.

Greek mythology

Aegaeon, god of violent sea storms and ally of the Titans

Akheilos, shark-shaped sea spirit

Amphitrite, sea goddess and consort of Poseidon

Anapos, water god of eastern Sicily

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

Ceto, goddess of the dangers of the ocean and of sea monsters

Charybdis, a sea monster and spirit of whirlpools and the tide

Cymopoleia, a daughter of Poseidon and goddess of giant storm waves

Delphin, the leader of the dolphins, Poseidon placed him in the sky as the

constellation Delphinus

Doris, goddess of the sea's bounty

Eidothea, prophetic sea nymph and daughter of Proteus

Electra, an Oceanid, consort of Thaumas

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

Stheno

Euryale

Medusa

The Graeae, three ancient sea spirits who personified the white foam of the sea; they shared

one eye and one tooth between them

The Harpies, winged spirits of sudden, sharp gusts of wind

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

Bythos

Aphros

Ladon, a hundred-headed sea serpent who guarded the western reaches of the sea, and the

island and golden apples of the Hesperides

Leucothea, a sea goddess who aided sailors in distress

Nerites, watery consort of Aphrodite and/or beloved of Poseidon

Nereus, the old man of the sea, and the god of the sea's rich bounty of fish

Nymphs

Naiades, fresh water nymphs

Nereides, sea nymphs

Oceanides, fresh water nymphs

Oceanus, Titan god of the Earth-encircling river Okeanos, the font of all the Earth's fresh-

water

Pan, Patron God of fishing

Palaemon, a young sea god who aided sailors in distress

Phorcys, god of the hidden dangers of the deep

Pontus, primeval god of the sea, father of the fish and other sea creatures

Poseidon, king of the sea and lord of the sea gods; also god of rivers, storms, flood and

drought, earthquakes, and horses. His Roman equivalent isNeptune.

Potamoi, deities of rivers, fathers of Naiads, brothers of the Oceanids, and as such, the sons

of Oceanus and Tethys.

Proteus, a shape-shifting, prophetic old sea god, and the herdsman of Poseidon's seals

Psamathe, goddess of sand beaches

Scylla, a Nereid metamorphosed into a sea monster

The Sirens, three sea nymphs who lured sailors to their death with their song

The Telchines, sea spirits native to the island of Rhodes; the gods killed them when they

turned to evil magic

Tethys, wife of Okeanos, and the mother of the rivers (Potamoi), springs, streams, fountains

and clouds

Thalassa, primeval spirit of the sea and consort of Pontos

Thaumas, god of the wonders of the sea and father of the Harpies and the rainbow

goddess Iris

Thetis, 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

Achelous, Greek river god

Haitian Vodou

Agwé, a loa who rules over the sea, fish, and aquatic plants, as well as the patron loa of

fishermen and sailors

Clermeil, the loa who made rivers flood their banks

Pie, a soldier-loa who lives at the bottoms of lakes and rivers and causes floods

Hawaiian mythology

Kamohoalii, shark god

Nāmaka, sea goddess

Ukupanipo, shark god who controls the amount of fish close enough for the fisherman to

catch

Hindu/Vedic mythology

Varuna, the Lord of the oceans

Apam Na

pat, god of fresh water, such as in rivers and lakes

Ganga goddess of the Ganges River

Varuna (celestial ocean)

Various rivers associated with goddesses in the Rigveda, such as Sarasvati (Sarasvati River)

and Yamuna

]Incan mythology

Pariacaca, god of water and rainstorms

Paricia, god who sent a flood to kill humans who did not respect him adequately

Inuit mythology

Aipaloovik, an evil sea god associated with death and destruction

Alignak, a lunar deity and god of weather, water, tides, eclipses, and earthquakes

Arnapkapfaaluk, a fearsome sea goddess

Idliragijenget, god of the ocean

Nootaikok, god who presided over icebergs and glaciers

Sedna, goddess of the sea

Japanese mythology

Mizuchi, Japanese dragon and sea god

Ōhoyamatsumi, god of mountains, sea and war

Ryūjin or Watatsumi, Japanese dragon and tutelary deity of the sea

Suijin, Shinto god of water

Susanoo, Shinto god of storms and the sea

Lithuanian mythology

Bangpūtys, god of sea and storm

Māori mythology

Ikatere, a fish god, the father of all the sea creatures including mermaids

Tangaroa, god of the sea

Mesopotamian mythology

Enbilulu, god of rivers and canals

Enki, god of water and of the River Tigris

Marduk, god associated with water, vegetation, judgment, and magic

Sirsir, god of mariners and boatmen

Nammu, goddess of the primeval sea.

Tiamat, goddess of salt water and chaos, also mother of all gods

Apsu, god of fresh water, father of all other gods

Asherah, Mother goddess whose title is "She Who Walks Upon the Sea".

Norse/Germanic mythology

Ægir, personification of the sea

Mímir, god of the spring of Mímisbrunnr, which gives the drinker wisdom and Odin sacrificed

an eye to drink from

Rán, sea goddess of love who collects the drowned in a net

Nine Daughters of Ægir, who personify the characteristics of waves

Njord, god of the sea, particularly of seafaring

Nehalennia, goddess of the North Sea

Nerthus, goddess of lakes, springs, holy waters

Nix, water spirits who usually appear in human form

Philippine mythology

Amanikable, ill- tempered god of the sea

Haik, another god of the sea

Amansinaya, god of fishermen

Sirena, mermaid

Siyokoy, merman

Magwayen, goddess of the sea

Lidagat, daughter of Magwayen

[

Roman mythology

Fontus, god of wells and springs

Neptune, king of the sea

Salacia, Neptune's queen

Tiberinus, the genius of the river Tiber.

Volturnus, god of the waters

Slavic mythology

Bagiennik, water demons who lived in lakes and rivers

Rusalki, female ghosts, water nymphs, succubi or mermaid-like demons that dwell in

waterways.

Veles, god of earth, waters, and the underworld

Tonga (Zambezi Valley Zimbabwe)

Nyami Nyami, river god

Yoruba, Orisha worship, IFA

Yemaja, or Yemaya goddess of the ocean, the essence of motherhood, and a protector of

children

Mami Wata, a pantheon of water deities

Oshun, deity of rivers, beauty, sensuality. In Santería she also represents wealth

Okie, deity of lakes, daughter of Obatala

Olokun, deity of the oceans often synchronized with Poseidon or Neptune

Igbo, African religion

Idemili, goddess of a river

Uhammiri/ Ogbuide, a lake goddess

Urashi/ Okita, a river god

Ava, a pair of river goddess and god

Modified from WikiPedia “List of Water Deities”” at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_water_deities