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A night deity is a goddess or god in

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 narrat ...

associated with

night Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends o ...

, the night sky, or darkness. They commonly feature in polytheistic religions. The following is a list of night deities in various mythologies.

Arabian The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate. ...

Al-Qaum Al-Qaum () was the Nabataean god of war and the night, and guardian of caravans. Large numbers of inscriptions bearing his name have been found, and archaeologists believe that he was a major god of the Nabataean pantheon. In popular culture A bl ...

, Nabatean god of war and the night, and guardian of caravans

Aztec The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those g ...

* Lords of the Night, a group of nine gods, each of whom ruled over a particular night * Itzpapalotl, fearsome skeletal goddess of the stars * Metztli, god or goddess of the moon, night, and farmers * Tezcatlipoca, god of the night sky, the night winds, hurricanes, the north, the earth, obsidian, enmity, discord, rulership, divination, temptation, jaguars, sorcery, beauty, war, and strife *

Tzitzimimeh In Aztec mythology, a Tzitzimitl (plural Tzitzimimeh ) is a monstrous deity associated with stars. They were depicted as skeletal female figures wearing skirts often with skull and crossbones designs. In postconquest descriptions they are often de ...

, skeletal goddesses of the stars * Yohaulticetl, the lunar goddess known as the "Lady of the Night"

Canaanite

* Shalim, god of dusk * Araphel, the divine darkness

Egyptian Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...

Apep Apep, also spelled Apepi or Aapep, ( Ancient Egyptian: ; Coptic: Erman, Adolf, and Hermann Grapow, eds. 1926–1953. ''Wörterbuch der aegyptischen Sprache im Auftrage der deutschen Akademien''. 6 vols. Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs'schen Buch ...

, the serpent god, the deification of evil and darkness * Kuk, uncreated god and the personification of the primordial darkness * Khonsu, god of the moon *

Nut Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed, or a collective noun for dry and edible fruits or seeds * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut or Nuts may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Com ...

, goddess of the night also associated with rebirth

Greco-Roman The Greco-Roman civilization (; also Greco-Roman culture; spelled Graeco-Roman in the Commonwealth), as understood by modern scholars and writers, includes the geographical regions and countries that culturally—and so historically—were di ...

Greek *

Achlys Achlys ( grc, Ἀχλύς "mist"), in the Hesiodic ''Shield of Heracles'', is one of the figures depicted on Heracles' shield, perhaps representing the personification of sorrow. In Homer, ''achlys'' is the mist which fogs or blinds mortal eye ...

, a primordial goddess of the clouding of eyes after death, the eternal night, and poison *

Artemis In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified wit ...

, the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, and wild animals, who was commonly associated with the moon *

Astraeus In Greek mythology, Astraeus () or Astraios (Ancient Greek: Ἀστραῖος means "starry"') was an astrological deity. Some also associate him with the winds, as he is the father of the four Anemoi (wind deities), by his wife, Eos. Etymolog ...

, Titan god of the dusk, stars, planets, and the art of

Astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...

and

Astrology Astrology is a range of Divination, divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of Celestial o ...

* Asteria, Titan goddess of nocturnal oracles and the stars * Erebus, the primordial god and personification of darkness *

Hades Hades (; grc-gre, ᾍδης, Háidēs; ), in the ancient Greek religion and myth, is the god of the dead and the king of the underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea, although this also ...

, god of the underworld, whose domain included night and darkness *

Hecate Hecate or Hekate, , ; grc-dor, Ἑκάτᾱ, Hekátā, ; la, Hecatē or . is a goddess in ancient Greek religion and mythology, most often shown holding a pair of torches, a key, snakes, or accompanied by dogs, and in later periods depicte ...

, the goddess of boundaries, crossroads, witchcraft, and ghosts, who was commonly associated with the moon * Hypnos, the personification of sleep, the son of Nyx and Erebus and twin brother of Thanatos *

Nyx Nyx (; , , "Night") is the Greek goddess and personification of night. A shadowy figure, Nyx stood at or near the beginning of creation and mothered other personified deities, such as Hypnos (Sleep) and Thanatos (Death), with Erebus (Darknes ...

, a primordial goddess and personification of the night * Selene, Titaness goddess and personification of the moon * Thanatos, the personification of death, the son of Nyx and Erebus and twin brother of Hypnos

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

* Diana Trivia, goddess of the hunt, the moon, crossroads, ''equivalent to the Greek goddesses Artemis and Hecate'' *

Latona In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Leto (; grc-gre, Λητώ , ''Lētṓ'', or , ''Lātṓ'' in Doric Greek) is a goddess and the mother of Apollo, the god of music, and Artemis, the goddess of the hunt.Hesiod, ''Theogony'404–409/ref> ...

, mother goddess of day and night, ''equivalent to the Greek goddesses Leto and Asteria'' * Luna, goddess of the moon, ''equivalent to the Greek goddess Selene'' *

Nox In atmospheric chemistry, is shorthand for nitric oxide () and nitrogen dioxide (), the nitrogen oxides that are most relevant for air pollution. These gases contribute to the formation of smog and acid rain, as well as affecting tropos ...

, primordial goddess of night; ''equivalent to the Greek goddess Nyx'' *

Scotus The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. Federal tribunals in the United States, federal court cases, and over Stat ...

, primordial god of darkness; ''equivalent to the Greek god Erebus'' * Somnus, god of sleep, ''equivalent to the Greek god Hypnos'' *

Summanus Summanus ( lat, Summānus) was the god of nocturnal thunder in ancient Roman religion, as counterposed to Jupiter, the god of diurnal (daylight) thunder. His precise nature was unclear even to Ovid. Pliny thought that he was of Etruscan origin, ...

, god of nocturnal thunder

Etruscan __NOTOC__ Etruscan may refer to: Ancient civilization *The Etruscan language, an extinct language in ancient Italy *Something derived from or related to the Etruscan civilization **Etruscan architecture **Etruscan art **Etruscan cities **Etruscan ...

Artume Artume (also called ''Aritimi'', ''Artames'', or ''Artumes'') was an Etruscan mythology, Etruscan goddess who was the mistress of animals, goddess of human assemblies, and hunting deity of Neolithic origin. Etruscans later appropriated the Greek go ...

(also called Aritimi, Artames, or Artumes),

goddess of the night; ''equivalent to the Greek goddess Artemis''

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

Ratri Ratri () also referred to as Nisha, is a Vedic goddess in Hinduism. She is the personification of the night. The majority of references to Ratri are found in Rigveda and she is described as the sister of Ushas, the personification of dawn. Tog ...

, goddess of night *

Chandra Chandra ( sa, चन्द्र, Candra, shining' or 'moon), also known as Soma ( sa, सोम), is the Hindu god of the Moon, and is associated with the night, plants and vegetation. He is one of the Navagraha (nine planets of Hinduism) and ...

, god of the moon *

Rahu Rāhu (Sanskrit: राहु, 16px, ☊) is one of the nine major celestial bodies (navagraha) in Hindu texts and the king of meteors. It represents the ascension of the moon in its precessional orbit around the earth, also referred as the ...

, celestial deity of darkness and eclipse *

Bhairava Bhairava (Sanskrit: भैरव ) or Kala Bhairava is a Shaivite and Vajrayāna deity worshiped by Hindus and Buddhists. In Shaivism, he is a powerful manifestation, or avatar, of Shiva associated with annihilation. In Trika system ''Bhairava ...

, god of night, guardian of all 52

Shakti Peetha The Shakti Pitha or the Shakti Peethas ( sa, शक्ति पीठ, , ''seat of Shakti'') are significant shrines and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism, the goddess-centric denomination in Hinduism. The shrines are dedicated to various fo ...

Kali Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hinduism, Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In t ...

, goddess of time *

Dewi Ratih Dewi Ratih, also known as ''Sang Hyang Ratih'' or ''Sang Hyang Semara Ratih'', is a Hindu lunar goddess worshipped in Java and Bali. She is well known for her beauty and grace, thus she was also known as the Goddess of Beauty. Her myth is linked ...

, Balinese goddess of the moon

Hurrian The Hurrians (; cuneiform: ; transliteration: ''Ḫu-ur-ri''; also called Hari, Khurrites, Hourri, Churri, Hurri or Hurriter) were a people of the Bronze Age Near East. They spoke a Hurrian language and lived in Anatolia, Syria and Northern ...

* DINGIR.GE₆ (reading uncertain), goddess representing the night and associated with dreaming

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

* Ahriman, god of darkness, night and evils

Lithuanian Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...

Aušrinė Aušrinė ("dawning", not to be confused with ''Aušra'', "dawn") is a feminine deity of the morning star (Venus) in the Lithuanian mythology. She is the antipode to "Vakarinė", the evening star. Her cult possibly stems from that of the Indo-E ...

, goddess of the morning star * Breksta, goddess of twilight and dreams, who protects people from sunset to sunrise * Mėnuo, god of the moon * Vakarė, goddess of the evening star * Žvaigždės, goddesses of the stars and planets

Meitei/ Sanamahism

* Sajik (Arietis) * Thaba (Musca) * Khongjom Nubi (Pleiades) * Apaknga (Lunar mansions) * Sachung Telheiba (A Orionis) * Likla Saphaba (Orion) * Chingcharoibi (G Geminorum) * Chungshennubi (Cancer) * Leipakpokpa (Mars) * Yumsakeisa (Mercury) * Sagolsen (Jupiter) * Irai (Venus) * Thangja (Saturn) * Shakok (Uranus) * Shamei (Neptune)

Norse

Nótt In Norse mythology, Nótt (Old Norse: , "night"Orchard (1997:120).) is night personified. In both the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the ''Prose Edda'', composed in the 13th century, Nótt is li ...

, female personification of night

Polynesian

* Hine-nui-te-pō, goddess of night and death and the ruler of the underworld in

Māori mythology Māori mythology and Māori traditions are two major categories into which the remote oral history of New Zealand's Māori may be divided. Māori myths concern fantastic tales relating to the origins of what was the observable world for the pr ...

Ira Ira or IRA may refer to: *Ira (name), a Hebrew, Sanskrit, Russian or Finnish language personal name *Ira (surname), a rare Estonian and some other language family name *Iran, UNDP code IRA Law *Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, US, on status of ...

, sky goddess and mother of the stars * Taonoui, Māʻohi goddess who was the mother of the stars

Slavic

* Zorya, two guardian goddesses, representing the morning and evening stars *

Chernobog Chernobog ( "Black God") and Belobog ( "White God") are an alleged pair of Polabian deities. Chernobog appears in the Helmold's ''Chronicle'' as a god of misfortune worshipped by the Wagri and Obodrites, while Belobog is not mentioned – he was ...

, god of darkness, chaos, famine, pain, and all that is evil