A love deity is a

deity A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greate ...

mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narra ...

associated with romance, sex,

lust Lust is a psychological force producing intense desire for something, or circumstance while already having a significant amount of the desired object. Lust can take any form such as the lust for sexuality (see libido), money, or power. It ...

, or

sexuality Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied wit ...

. Love deities are common in mythology and may be found in many

polytheistic Polytheism is the belief in multiple deities, which are usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses, along with their own religious sects and rituals. Polytheism is a type of theism. Within theism, it contrasts with monotheism, the ...

religions. Female sex goddesses are often associated with beauty and other traditionally feminine attributes.

Sub-Sahara Africa

Western African-Congo

Efik * Anansa, goddess of the Sea, allure and beauty. Vodun *

Baron La Croix Baron La Croix ( ht, Bawon Lakwa), is one of the Gede, a lwa of the dead and sexuality,Torres, Rafael Agustí. "Loas y Vèvès del Vudú", p. 15 (in Spanish) along with Baron Samedi and Baron Cimetière Baron Cimetière is one of the Gede, ...

, loa of the dead and sexuality. * Baron Samedi, loa of the dead, sex, and resurrection. * Erzulie Freda Dahomey, loa of love, beauty, jewelry, dancing, luxury, and flowers. 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 ...

, goddess of luxury and pleasure, sexuality and fertility, beauty and love, the river and fresh water venerated in

Ifá Ifá is a Yoruba religion and system of divination. Its literary corpus is the ''Odu Ifá''. Orunmila is identified as the Grand Priest, as he revealed divinity and prophecy to the world. Babalawos or Iyanifas use either the divining chain k ...

Yoruba religion The Yoruba religion (Yoruba: Ìṣẹ̀ṣe), or Isese, comprises the traditional religious and spiritual concepts and practice of the Yoruba people. Its homeland is in present-day Southwestern Nigeria, which comprises the majority of Oyo, Og ...

, Dahomey mythology,

Vodun Vodun (meaning ''spirit'' in the Fon, Gun and Ewe languages, with a nasal high-tone ''u''; also spelled Vodon, Vodoun, Vodou, Vudu, Voudou, Voodoo, etc.) is a religion practiced by the Aja, Ewe, and Fon peoples of Benin, Togo, Ghana, and ...

Santería Santería (), also known as Regla de Ocha, Regla Lucumí, or Lucumí, is an African diasporic religion that developed in Cuba during the late 19th century. It arose through a process of syncretism between the traditional Yoruba religion of We ...

Candomblé Candomblé () is an African diasporic religion that developed in Brazil during the 19th century. It arose through a process of syncretism between several of the traditional religions of West Africa, especially that of the Yoruba, and the Roman ...

Haitian Vodou Haitian Vodou is an African diasporic religion that developed in Haiti between the 16th and 19th centuries. It arose through a process of syncretism between several traditional religions of West and Central Africa and Roman Catholicism. There i ...

Afroasiatic Middle East

Canaanite

Astarte Astarte (; , ) is the Hellenized form of the Ancient Near Eastern goddess Ashtart or Athtart ( Northwest Semitic), a deity closely related to Ishtar ( East Semitic), who was worshipped from the Bronze Age through classical antiquity. The name ...

, goddess of sex and war.

Egyptian

Bastet Bastet or Bast ( egy, bꜣstjt, cop, Ⲟⲩⲃⲁⲥⲧⲉ, Oubaste , Phoenician: 𐤀𐤁𐤎𐤕, romanized: ’bst, or 𐤁𐤎𐤕, romanized: bst) was a goddess of ancient Egyptian religion, worshipped as early as the Second Dynasty (2 ...

, goddess of felines, love, protection, perfume, beauty, and dance. *

Bes BES or Bes may refer to: * Bes, Egyptian deity * Bes (coin), Roman coin denomination * Bes (Marvel Comics), fictional character loosely based on the Egyptian deity Abbreviations * Bachelor of Environmental Studies, a degree * Banco Espírito ...

, god of music, love, and dance. *

Hathor Hathor ( egy, ḥwt-ḥr, lit=House of Horus, grc, Ἁθώρ , cop, ϩⲁⲑⲱⲣ, Meroitic: ) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion who played a wide variety of roles. As a sky deity, she was the mother or consort of the sky ...

, goddess of love, beauty, and music; originally a sky goddess. *

Min Min or MIN may refer to: Places * Fujian, also called Mǐn, a province of China ** Min Kingdom (909–945), a state in Fujian * Min County, a county of Dingxi, Gansu province, China * Min River (Fujian) * Min River (Sichuan) * Mineola (Amtr ...

, god of reproduction, love, and sexual pleasure.

Hausa

* Zamani, god of sex and beauty.

Mesopotamian

Inanna Inanna, also sux, 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒀭𒈾, nin-an-na, label=none is an ancient Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility. She is also associated with beauty, sex, divine justice, and political power. She was originally worshiped in Su ...

Ishtar Inanna, also sux, 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒀭𒈾, nin-an-na, label=none is an ancient Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility. She is also associated with beauty, sex, divine justice, and political power. She was originally worshiped in Su ...

, goddess of sex, love, beauty, wine and war. *

Nanaya Nanaya ( Sumerian , DNA.NA.A; also transcribed as "Nanāy", "Nanaja", "Nanāja", '"Nanāya", or "Nanai"; antiquated transcription: "Nanâ"; in Greek: ''Ναναια'' or ''Νανα''; Aramaic: ''ננױננאױ;'' Syriac: ܢܢܝ) was a Mesopo ...

, goddess personifying voluptuousness, sexuality and sensuality.

Western Eurasia

Albanian

* Prende, goddess of love, beauty and fertility.

Balto-Slavic

Lithuanian

* Milda, goddess of love and freedom.

Slavic

* Dogoda, Polish spirit of the west wind, associated with love and gentleness. * Dzydzilelya, Polish goddess of love and marriage and of sexuality and fertility. * Siebog, god of love and marriage. * Živa, goddess of love and fertility. * Lada, goddess of beauty and fertility. * Jarilo, god of fertility and springtime, sometimes regarded as god of lust and passion. Sandro Botticelli - La nascita di Venere - Google Art Project - edited

Sandro Botticelli - La nascita di Venere - Google Art Project - edited

Celtic

* Áine, Irish goddess of love, summer, wealth, and

sovereignty Sovereignty is the defining authority within individual consciousness, social construct, or territory. Sovereignty entails hierarchy within the state, as well as external autonomy for states. In any state, sovereignty is assigned to the perso ...

; possibly originally a sun goddess. *Branwen, Welsh goddess of love and beauty * Cliodhna, Irish goddess, sometimes identified as a goddess of love and beauty.

Norse-Germanic

* Eostre, Germanic dawn goddess. *

Freyja In Norse paganism, Freyja (Old Norse "(the) Lady") is a goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, gold, and seiðr (magic for seeing and influencing the future). Freyja is the owner of the necklace Brísingamen, rides a chario ...

, goddess of love/sex, beauty,

seiðr In Old Norse, (sometimes anglicized as ''seidhr'', ''seidh'', ''seidr'', ''seithr'', ''seith'', or ''seid'') was a type of magic which was practised in Norse society during the Late Scandinavian Iron Age. The practice of is believed to be a ...

, war, and death. *

Frigg Frigg (; Old Norse: ) is a goddess, one of the Æsir, in Germanic mythology. In Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about her, she is associated with marriage, prophecy, clairvoyance and motherhood, and dwells in the wet ...

, goddess of marriage and women. * Lofn, goddess who has permission from Frigg to arrange forbidden marriages. *

Sjöfn In Norse mythology, Sjöfn (or Sjǫfn in Old Norse orthography) is a goddess associated with love. Sjöfn is attested in the ''Prose Edda'', written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson; and in three kennings employed in skaldic poetry. Schol ...

, goddess associated with love. Eros Farnese MAN Napoli 6353

Greaco-Roman

Greek / Hellenic

Aphrodite Aphrodite ( ; grc-gre, Ἀφροδίτη, Aphrodítē; , , ) is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman goddess . Aphrodite's major symbols incl ...

, goddess of love, sex and beauty. *

Dionysus In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, myth, Dionysus (; grc, wikt:Διόνυσος, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstas ...

, god of wine and pleasure. * Eos, the Greek dawn goddess. *The Erotes **

Anteros In Greek mythology, Anteros (; Ancient Greek: Ἀντέρως ''Antérōs'') was the god of requited love (literally "love returned" or "counter-love") and also the punisher of those who scorn love and the advances of others, or the avenger of ...

, god of requited love. **

Eros In Greek mythology, Eros (, ; grc, Ἔρως, Érōs, Love, Desire) is the Greek god of love and sex. His Roman counterpart was Cupid ("desire").''Larousse Desk Reference Encyclopedia'', The Book People, Haydock, 1995, p. 215. In the ear ...

, god of love and procreation; originally a deity unconnected to Aphrodite, he was later made into her son, possibly with Ares as his father; this version of him was imported to Rome where he came known as Cupid. ** Himeros, god of sexual desire and unrequited love. **

Hedylogos According to Greek Mythology, Ἡδῠ́λόγος (''Hēdylógos'', 'sweet-voiced, flattering') was one of the seven Erotes, the winged gods of Love. He was the god of sweet-talk and flattery. Although not mentioned in any existing literature ...

, god of sweet talk and flattery. **

Hermaphroditus In Greek mythology, Hermaphroditus or Hermaphroditos (; grc, Ἑρμαφρόδιτος, Hermaphróditos, ) was a child of Aphrodite and Hermes. According to Ovid, he was born a remarkably handsome boy whom the naiad Salmacis attempted to rape an ...

, god of hermaphrodites and effeminate men. **

Hymen The hymen is a thin piece of mucosal tissue that surrounds or partially covers the external vaginal opening. It forms part of the vulva, or external genitalia, and is similar in structure to the vagina. In children, a common appearance of the ...

, god of marriage, weddings, and the bridal hymn. ** Pothos, god of sexual longing, yearning, and desire. *

Hedone Hedone ( grc, ἡδονή, ''hēdonē'') is the Greek word meaning "pleasure." It was an important concept in Ancient Greek philosophy, especially in the Epicurean school. It is also the root of the English word "hedonism". In Greek mythology, ...

, goddess of pleasure. *

Helios In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Helios (; grc, , , Sun; Homeric Greek: ) is the god and personification of the Sun (Solar deity). His name is also Latinized as Helius, and he is often given the epithets Hyperion ("the one above") an ...

, the sun, who played a role in love-magic, and according to Pindar, lovesick men would pray to him. * Pan, god of the wild, shepherds, flocks, rustic music, and fertility of the wild/flocks. Is portrayed as very lustful and often depicted with an erect phallus. He lusted after several nymphs, most importantly

Echo In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the lis ...

and

Syrinx In classical Greek mythology, Syrinx ( Greek Σύριγξ) was a nymph and a follower of Artemis, known for her chastity. Pursued by the amorous god Pan, she ran to a river's edge and asked for assistance from the river nymphs. In answer, ...

Diogenes of Sinope Diogenes ( ; grc, Διογένης, Diogénēs ), also known as Diogenes the Cynic (, ) or Diogenes of Sinope, was a Greek philosopher and one of the founders of Cynicism (philosophy). He was born in Sinope, an Ionian colony on the Black Sea ...

, speaking in jest, related a myth of Pan learning

masturbation Masturbation is the sexual stimulation of one's own genitals for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation may involve hands, fingers, everyday objects, sex toys such as vibrators, or combinat ...

from his father,

Hermes Hermes (; grc-gre, Ἑρμῆς) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Hermes is considered the herald of the gods. He is also considered the protector of human heralds, travellers, thieves, merchants, and orat ...

, and teaching the habit to shepherds. Pan's greatest conquest was that of the moon goddess

Selene In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Selene (; grc-gre, Σελήνη , meaning "Moon"''A Greek–English Lexicon's.v. σελήνη) is the goddess and the personification of the Moon. Also known as Mene, she is traditionally the daughter of ...

. He accomplished this by wrapping himself in a sheepskin to hide his hairy black goat form, and drew her down from the sky into the forest where he seduced her. * Peitho, personification of persuasion and seduction. *

Philotes In Greek mythology, Philotes (; Ancient Greek: ) was a minor goddess or spirit ('' daimones'') personifying affection, friendship, and sex. Family Philotes was a daughter of the primordial deities Erebus (Darkness) and Nyx (Night). Hesiod ...

, either a goddess of affection or a daimon of intercourse. *

Priapus In Greek mythology, Priapus (; grc, Πρίαπος, ) is a minor rustic fertility god, protector of livestock, fruit plants, gardens and male genitalia. Priapus is marked by his oversized, permanent erection, which gave rise to the medical ter ...

, god of sexual intercourse, genitalia, nature, fertility, and lust. *

, the moon, who played a role in love-magic, and according to Pindar, lovesick women would pray to her.

Roman

Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...

, Roman equivalent of the Greek Eos. *Bacchus, Roman equivalent of the Greek

. *

Cupid In classical mythology, Cupid (Latin Cupīdō , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, lust, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus (mythology), Venus and the god of war Mar ...

, Roman equivalent of the Greek Eros, also called Amor. *

Suadela In Roman mythology, Suada (also called by the diminutive Suadela) was the goddess of persuasion, particularly in the realms of romance, seduction and love. She was strongly associated with Venus. Her Greek name was Peitho and she was worshippe ...

, Roman equivalent of the Greek Peitho. *

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never f ...

, Roman equivalent of the Greek

. * Voluptas, Roman equivalent of the Greek Hedone. Etruscan * Albina, goddess of the dawn and protector of ill-fated lovers. * Turan, goddess of love and vitality.

Western Asia

Armenian

* Astghik, goddess of fertility and love. * Azrul, god of seduction and sex

Hindu-Vedic

Kamadeva Kama ( sa, काम, ), also known as Kamadeva and Manmatha, is the Hindu god of love and desire, often portrayed alongside his consort, Rati. The Atharva Veda regards Kamadeva as the wielder of the creative power of the universe, also descri ...

Hindu god of human love or desire. *

Rati Rati ( sa, रति, ) is the Hindu goddess of love, carnal desire, lust, passion, and sexual pleasure. Usually described as the daughter of ''Prajapati'' Daksha, Rati is the female counterpart, the chief consort and the assistant of Kama (Ka ...

, consort of Kama, goddess of love, carnal desire, lust, passion and sexual pleasure. * Ushas, Hindu dawn goddess.

Persian Zorostarian

* Anahita, seems to have gained an association with fertility and sex due to being influenced by the Mesopotamian Inanna; originally appears to have been a water goddess.

Turkic-Altai

* Aisyt, love and beauty goddess.

Asia-Pacific / Oceania

Filipino

*Bangan: the Kankanaey goddess of romance; a daughter of Bugan and LumawigJocano, F. L. (1969). Philippine Mythology. Quezon City: Capitol Publishing House Inc. *Obban: the Kankanaey goddess of reproduction; a daughter of Bugan and Lumawig *Amas: the Aeta deity who moves to pity, love, unity, and peace of heart *Dian Masalanta: the Tagalog goddess of lovers, daughter of Anagolay and Dumakulem; a patron of lovers and of generation; the Spanish called the deity Alpriapo, as compared with the Western deity Priapus *Mangagayuma: the Tagalog deity specializing in charms, especially those which infuses the heart with love; one of the five agent brothers *Agkui: the Manobo divinities who have purview over sexual excess *Tagbayaw: the Manobo goddess that incites incest and adultery in mortals

Far East Asia

Chinese

* Jiutian Xuannü, a goddess of war, sex, and longevity. * Yue-Lao, a god of love, who binds two people together with an invisible red string. * Tu Er Shen, a deity who oversees love between (effeminate) homosexual men. *

White Peony White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

(Bai Mudan or Pai Mu-Tan), a goddess who tempts men, especially ascetics. * Wutong Shen, a group of five wanton deities from Southern China. They ravished and possessed beautiful women. * Baimei Shen, Chinese prostitution god. On her first assignment with a client, a prostitute was supposed to make a sacrifice to him. *Qian Keng ( Peng Zu), a god of health-focused sex. * Chuangmu, goddess of the bedchamber. She and her husband Chuanggong look after everything that may happen in the bed room, including sex, sleep, and childbirth. *

King Zhou King Zhou (; ) was the pejorative posthumous name given to Di Xin of Shang () or King Shou of Shang (), the last king of the Shang dynasty of ancient China. He is also called Zhou Xin (). In Chinese, his name Zhòu ( 紂) also refers to a horse cr ...

, one of worst tyrants in Chinese history. He is known as the god of sodomy.

Japanese

* Daikokuten, one of the

Seven Lucky Gods In Japanese mythology, the Seven Lucky Gods or Seven Gods of Fortune (, shichifukujin in Japanese) are believed to grant good luck and are often represented in netsuke and in artworks. One of the seven (Jurōjin) is said to be based on a historic ...

. He's a god of prosperity who gets often portrayed with a huge phallus.

Vietnamese

* Ông Tơ Bà Nguyệt, are the two gods of love and marriage. Bà Nguyệt is depicted as someone holding a fan to bring harmony to love and Ông Tơ is depicted as holding a red thread which he uses to tie a couple together.

Buddhist

Aizen Myō-ō Aizen may refer to: * Aizen Myō-ō (愛染明王), a popular deity in Japanese Buddhism. * Sōsuke Aizen is a fictional character from the manga series ''Bleach'' created by Tite Kubo and the main villain of the first half of the series (and t ...

or Rāgarāja, a deity who transforms worldly lust into spiritual awakening; his red-skinned appearance represents suppressed lust and passion. *Kuni, god of love. * Kurukulla, Tibetan goddess particularly associated with rites of magnetization or enchantment.

Native Americas

Central American and the Caribbean

Aztec

* Ixcuiname, goddess of carnality. * Teicu, goddess of sexual appetite. * Tiacapan, goddess of sexual hunger. * Tlaco, goddess of sexual longing. * Tlazolteotl, goddess of lust, carnality, sexual misdeeds. * Xocotzin, goddess of sexual desire. * Xochiquetzal, goddess of sex and beauty. * Xochipilli, god of homosexuality, love, art, games, beauty, dance, flowers, maize, fertility, and song.

South America

Guaraní

* Kurupi, god of sexuality and fertility. * Rudá, god of love.

References

{{List of mythological figures by region

Love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest Interpersonal relationship, interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of ...

*List