The

mythology Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...

religion Religion is a range of social system, social-cultural systems, including designated religious behaviour, behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, religious text, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics in religion, ethics, or ...

of most cultures incorporate a

god In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

death Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...

or, more frequently, a divine being closely associated with death, an afterlife, or an underworld. They are often amongst the most powerful and important entities in a given tradition, reflecting the fact that death, like

birth Birth is the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring, also referred to in technical contexts as parturition. In mammals, the process is initiated by hormones which cause the muscular walls of the uterus to contract, expelling the f ...

, is central to the human experience. In religions where a single god is the primary object of worship, the representation of death is usually that god's antagonist, and the struggle between the two is central to the folklore of the culture. In such dualistic models, the primary deity usually represents

good In most contexts, the concept of good denotes the conduct that should be preferred when posed with a choice between possible actions. Good is generally considered to be the opposite of evil. The specific meaning and etymology of the term and its ...

, and the death god embodies

evil Evil, as a concept, is usually defined as profoundly immoral behavior, and it is related to acts that cause unnecessary pain and suffering to others. Evil is commonly seen as the opposite, or sometimes absence, of good. It can be an extreme ...

. Similarly, death worship is used as a derogatory term to accuse certain groups of morally abhorrent practices which set no value on human life. In

monotheistic Monotheism is the belief that one God is the only, or at least the dominant deity.F. L. Cross, Cross, F.L.; Livingstone, E.A., eds. (1974). "Monotheism". The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. A ...

religions, death is commonly personified by an angel or demon standing in opposition to the god.

Occurrence

polytheistic Polytheism is the belief in or worship of more than one Deity, god. According to Oxford Reference, it is not easy to count gods, and so not always obvious whether an apparently polytheistic religion, such as Chinese folk religions, is really so, ...

religions which have a complex system of deities governing various natural phenomena and aspects of human life, it is common to have a deity who is assigned the function of presiding over death. This deity may actually take the life of humans or, more commonly, simply rule over the afterlife in that particular belief system (a single religion may have separate deities performing both tasks). The deity in question may be good, evil, or neutral and simply doing their job, in sharp contrast to a lot of modern portrayals of death deities as all being inherently evil just because death is feared. Hades from Greek mythology is an especially common target. The inclusion of such a "departmental" deity of death in a religion's pantheon is not necessarily the same thing as the glorification of death. A death deity has a good chance of being either male or female, unlike some functions that seem to steer towards one gender in particular, such as fertility and earth deities being female and storm deities being male. A single religion/mythology may have death gods of more than one gender existing at the same time and they may be envisioned as a married couple ruling over the afterlife together, as with the Aztecs, Greeks, and Romans. In

religions, the one god governs both life and death (as well as everything else). However, in practice this manifests in different rituals and traditions and varies according to a number of factors including geography, politics, traditions, and the influence of other religions.

Africa and the Middle East

Sub-Sahara Africa

Igbo

* Ala (

Igbo mythology Odinani, also known as Odinala, Omenala, Odinana, and Omenana (), is the traditional cultural belief and practice of the Igbo people of south east and Igbo people of south south Nigeria.Afulezy, Juj"On Odinani, the Igbo Religion", ''Niger Del ...

) *

Ogbunabali Ogbunabali () is the traditional Igbo death deity. His name is considered to be a literal description of his character as he is said to kill his victims in the night, these usually being criminals or those who have committed an unspeakable taboo. ...

(

)

Yoruba

Eshu Èṣù is a pivotal Òrìṣà/Irúnmọlẹ̀ in the Yoruba spirituality or Yoruba religion known as ìṣẹ̀ṣe. Èṣù is a prominent primordial Divinity (a delegated Irúnmọlẹ̀ sent by the Olódùmarè) who descended from Ìkọ̀l ...

(

Yoruba religion The Yorùbá religion (Yoruba language, Yoruba: Ìṣẹ̀ṣe), West African Orisa (Òrìṣà), or Isese (Ìṣẹ̀ṣe), comprises the traditional religious and spiritual concepts and practice of the Yoruba people. Its homeland is in pres ...

) *Iku (god) (

)

Akan

Owuo Owuo is the abosom of Death in the Asante and Akan mythology of West Ghana and the Ewe, specifically the Krachi tribe of East Ghana and Togo. He is represented with the Adinkra symbol of a ladder. It is said that he was created by Odomankoma ( ...

, Akan God of Death and Destruction, and the Personification of death. Name means death in the Akan language. *

Asase Yaa Asase Ya/Afua (or Asase Yaa, Asaase Yaa, Asaase Afua, Asaase Efua) is the Akan goddess of fertility, love, procreation, peace, truth and the dry and lush earth in Ghana and Ivory Coast. She is also Mother of the Dead known as Mother Earth or Abere ...

, one half of an Akan Goddess of the barren places on Earth, Truth and is Mother of the Dead *

Amokye In the religious traditions of the Akan people and the Nice people of Ghana, Amokye is the woman who guards the entrance to the other world, which is called Asamando (the Land of the Dead). She is the woman who welcomes the souls of dead individ ...

Psychopomp Psychopomps (from the Greek word , , literally meaning the 'guide of souls') are creatures, spirits, angels, demons, or deities in many religions whose responsibility is to escort newly deceased souls from Earth to the afterlife. Their role is ...

Akan religion Akan religion comprises the traditional beliefs and religious practices of the Akan people of Ghana and eastern Ivory Coast. Akan religion is referred to as Akom. Although most Akan people have identified as Christians since the early 20th cen ...

who fishes the souls of the dead from the river leading to Asamando, the Akan underworld * Nkrabea, The deity of destiny and fate, believed to influence human fortunes and life paths, as well as their deaths.

Afroasiatic Africa

Somali

* Huur, a messenger of Death who had the form of a large bird similar to

Horus Horus (), also known as Heru, Har, Her, or Hor () in Egyptian language, Ancient Egyptian, is one of the most significant ancient Egyptian deities who served many functions, most notably as the god of kingship, healing, protection, the sun, and t ...

of ancient Egypt.

Afroasiatic Middle East

Canaanite

Mot Mot or MOT may refer to: * Montserrat, UNDP country code Media * Ministry of Truth, the propaganda ministry in George Orwell 1949 novel ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' * ''mot'' (magazine), former German car magazine * Mot (Star Trek), a minor charact ...

Egyptian

* Aker (

Egyptian mythology Egyptian mythology is the collection of myths from ancient Egypt, which describe the actions of the Egyptian pantheon, Egyptian gods as a means of understanding the world around them. The beliefs that these myths express are an important part ...

) *

Andjety Andjety (meaning "He of Andjet") is a local ancient Egyptian deity of the ninth nome, centered at Andjet, which was known as Busiris to the Greeks. This deity is also known by the alternative names Anezti ''or'' Anedjti. Andjety is considered o ...

, an old Egyptian god *

Anubis Anubis (; ), also known as Inpu, Inpw, Jnpw, or Anpu in Ancient Egyptian (), is the god of funerary rites, protector of graves, and guide to the underworld in ancient Egyptian religion, usually depicted as a canine or a man with a canine hea ...

, guardian of the dead, mummification, and the afterlife in

ancient Egyptian religion Ancient Egyptian religion was a complex system of Polytheism, polytheistic beliefs and rituals that formed an integral part of ancient Egyptian culture. It centered on the Egyptians' interactions with Ancient Egyptian deities, many deities belie ...

Aqen Aqen was a rarely mentioned ancient Egyptian deity of the underworld. He is first mentioned in the famous Book of the Dead. There, he guided the sun god Ra as the "protector of Ra's celestial bark" by "bringing the ''shen''-ring to his majesty ...

, a rarely mentioned deity in the Book of the Dead *

Assessors of Maat The Assessors of Maat were 42 minor ancient Egyptian deities of the Maat charged with judging the souls of the dead in the afterlife by joining the judgment of Osiris in the Weighing of the Heart.Hart 1986, pp. 34–5.Wilkinson 2003, pp. 84� ...

, charged with judging the souls of the dead in the afterlife *

Duamutef The four sons of Horus were a group of four deities in ancient Egyptian religion who were believed to protect deceased people in the afterlife. Beginning in the First Intermediate Period of Egyptian history ( 2181–2055 BC), Imsety, Hapy, Duamut ...

, one of the four sons of Horus * Hapi, one of the four sons of Horus * Imset, one of the four sons of Horus *

Kherty Kherty is an ancient Egyptian deity. Despite being archaeologically attested since the early 2nd Dynasty, his original mythological role during this era is unclear. Kherty was an Egyptian god of the Duat.Georg Meurer: ''Die Feinde des Königs in ...

Egyptian earth god * Medjed, an unusual looking god mentioned in the Book of the Dead *

Nephthys Nephthys or Nebet-Het in ancient Egyptian () was a goddess in ancient Egyptian religion. A member of the Great Ennead of Heliopolis in Egyptian mythology, she was a daughter of Nut and Geb. Nephthys was typically paired with her sister Isis ...

(NebetHuet), Anubis' mother; sister of Osiris and Isis (Aset); also a guardian of the dead. She was believed to also escort dead souls to Osiris *

Nehebkau Nehebkau (also spelled Nehebu-Kau) was the primordial snake god in ancient Egyptian mythology. Although originally considered an evil spirit, he later functions as a funerary god associated with the afterlife. As one of the forty-two assessors ...

, the primordial snake and funerary god associated with the afterlife, and one of the forty-two assessors of Maat *

Osiris Osiris (, from Egyptian ''wikt:wsjr, wsjr'') was the ancient Egyptian deities, god of fertility, agriculture, the Ancient Egyptian religion#Afterlife, afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He was ...

, lord of the Underworld * Qebehsenuef, one of the four sons of Horus *

Seker Seker may refer to: *Sokar, a falcon god in Egyptian mythology *Şeker, a Turkish name See also

*Şəkər (disambiguation) {{disambiguation ...

, a falcon god of the Memphite necropolis who was known as a patron of the living, as well as a god of the dead. He is known to be closely tied to Osiris *

Serapis Serapis or Sarapis is a Egyptian Greeks, Graeco-Egyptian god. A Religious syncretism, syncretic deity derived from the worship of the Egyptian Osiris and Apis (deity), Apis, Serapis was extensively popularized in the third century BC on the ord ...

, Graeco-Egyptian syncretistic deity, combining elements of

, the

Apis Bull In ancient Egyptian religion, Apis or Hapis, alternatively spelled Hapi-ankh, was a sacred bull or multiple sacred bulls worshiped in the Memphis region, identified as the son of Hathor, a primary deity in the pantheon of ancient Egypt. Initi ...

Hades Hades (; , , later ), in the ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, is the god of the dead and the king of the Greek underworld, underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea ...

Demeter In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Demeter (; Attic Greek, Attic: ''Dēmḗtēr'' ; Doric Greek, Doric: ''Dāmā́tēr'') is the Twelve Olympians, Olympian goddess of the harvest and agriculture, presiding over cro ...

, and

Dionysus In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, myth, Dionysus (; ) is the god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was also known as Bacchus ( or ; ...

. Also, patron of the

Ptolemaic Kingdom The Ptolemaic Kingdom (; , ) or Ptolemaic Empire was an ancient Greek polity based in Ancient Egypt, Egypt during the Hellenistic period. It was founded in 305 BC by the Ancient Macedonians, Macedonian Greek general Ptolemy I Soter, a Diadochi, ...

and

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

Wepwawet In Egyptian mythology, Wepwawet ( hieroglyphic ''wp-w3w.t''; also rendered Upuaut, Wep-wawet, Wepawet, Apuat, and Ophois) was originally a jackal deity of funerary rites, war, and royalty, whose cult centre was Asyut in Upper Egypt (Lycopolis in ...

, a wolf god of war, and brother of

, being seen as one who opened the ways to, and through, Duat, for the spirits of the dead

Mesopotamian

Ereshkigal In Mesopotamian mythology, Ereshkigal (Sumerian language, Sumerian: 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒆠𒃲 REŠ.KI.GAL, lit. "Queen of the Great Earth") was the goddess of Kur, the land of the dead or underworld in Sumerian religion, Sumerian mythology. In la ...

(

Sumerian mythology Sumerian religion was the religion practiced by the people of Sumer, the first literate civilization found in recorded history and based in ancient Mesopotamia, and what is modern day Iraq. The Sumerians widely regarded their divinities as res ...

Akkadian mythology Akkadian literature is the ancient literature written in the East Semitic Akkadian language ( Assyrian and Babylonian dialects) in Mesopotamia ( Akkadian, Assyria and Babylonia) during the period spanning the Middle Bronze Age to the Iron Age (r ...

Babylonian mythology Babylonian religion is the religious practice of Babylonia. Babylonia's mythology was largely influenced by its Sumerian counterparts and was written on clay tablets inscribed with the cuneiform script derived from Sumerian cuneiform. The myths ...

),"The counterpart to these deities of sky, air, water, and earth was the underworld, the realm of the dead, originally seen as ruled by the powerful Goddess Ereshkigal." Ruether, Rosemary Radford. ''Goddesses and the Divine Feminine: A Western Religious History''. Berkeley: University of California Press. "After consulting his mistress Ereshkigal, the queen of the Nether World, he admits Ishtar" Kramer, "Ishtar in the Nether World According to a New Sumerian Text" ''Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research''. 1940
Google scholar results
a
the JSTOR link
is unlikely to be universally available. first lady of the Underworld *

Namtar Namtar () was a figure in ancient Mesopotamian religion who, depending on the context, could be regarded both as a minor god and as a demon of disease. He is best attested as the sukkal (attendant deity) of Ereshkigal, the goddess of the underwor ...

(

), Ereshkigal's ''

sukkal Sukkal (conventionally translated from Sumerian as "vizier") was a term which could denote both a type of official and a class of deities in ancient Mesopotamia. The historical sukkals were responsible for overseeing the execution of various com ...

''. *

Nergal Nergal ( Sumerian: d''KIŠ.UNU'' or ; ; Aramaic: ܢܸܪܓܲܠ; ) was a Mesopotamian god worshiped through all periods of Mesopotamian history, from Early Dynastic to Neo-Babylonian times, with a few attestations indicating that his cult surv ...

(

), second lord of the Underworld *

Inshushinak Inshushinak (also Šušinak, Šušun; Linear Elamite: ''Insušinak'', Cuneiform: '' dInšušinak'') was the tutelary god of the city of Susa in Elam. His name has a Sumerian etymology, and can be translated as "lord of Susa". He was associat ...

(Elamite mythology; also present in the Mesopotamian An-Anum god list.) *

Nungal Nungal ( d''Nun-gal'', "great princess"), also known as Manungal and possibly Bēlet-balāṭi, was the Mesopotamian goddess of prisons, sometimes also associated with the Ancient Mesopotamian underworld, underworld. She was worshiped especially i ...

(

), daughter of Ereshkigal *

Erra (god) Erra (sometimes called Irra) is an Akkadian plague god known from an 'epos' of the eighth century BCE. Erra is the god of mayhem and pestilence who is responsible for periods of political confusion. He was assimilated to Nergal at some point. E ...

* Ugur (

Hurrian religion The Hurrian religion was the polytheistic religion of the Hurrians, a Bronze Age people of the Near East who chiefly inhabited the north of the Fertile Crescent. While the oldest evidence goes back to the third millennium Common Era, BCE, it is ...

; also a ''

'' of Nergal) *

Ninazu Ninazu (; DNIN.A.SU">sup>DNIN.A.SU"lord healer") was a Mesopotamian god of the underworld. He was also associated with snakes and vegetation, and with time acquired the character of a warrior god. He was frequently associated with Ereshkigal, e ...

Ningishzida Ningishzida ( Sumerian: DNIN.G̃IŠ.ZID.DA, possible meaning "Lord f theGood Tree") was a Mesopotamian deity of vegetation, the underworld and sometimes war. He was commonly associated with snakes. Like Dumuzi, he was believed to spend a part ...

Allani Allani, also known under the Akkadian name Allatu (or Allatum), was the Hurrian goddess of the underworld. She was also associated with the determination of fate. She was closely linked with Išḫara, and they could be invoked or receive offer ...

Enmesharra Enmesharra ( , "Lord of all ''Me (mythology), me''s") was a List of Mesopotamian deities, Mesopotamian god associated with the Ancient Mesopotamian underworld, underworld. He was regarded as a member of an old generation of deities, and as such ...

, a primordial deity described as "lord of the underworld" *

Kanisurra Kanisurra (also Gansurra, Ganisurra) was a Mesopotamian goddess who belonged to the entourage of Nanaya. Much about her character remains poorly understood, though it is known she was associated with love. Her name might be derived from the word ' ...

, a goddess whose name is derived from the term "ganzer," referring to the underworld (Mesopotamian) *

Shuwala Shuwala (Šuwala) was a Hurrian goddess who was regarded as the tutelary deity of Mardaman, a Hurrian city in the north of modern Iraq. She was also worshiped in other Hurrian centers, such as Nuzi and Alalakh, as well as in Ur in Mesopotamia, Ha ...

, a goddess of Hurrian origin worshipped in Ur *

Lagamal Lagamal or Lagamar ( Akkadian: "no mercy") was a Mesopotamian deity associated chiefly with Dilbat (modern Tell al-Deylam). A female form of Lagamal was worshiped in Terqa on the Euphrates in Upper Mesopotamia. The male Lagamal was also at some p ...

, minor underworld deity *

Birtum Birtum (, also spelled Birdu) was a Mesopotamian god who was the husband of Nungal. He was regarded as a deity associated with the underworld. Character Birtum's name means "fetter" or "shackle" in Akkadian, and he was likely a deification of s ...

, husband of Manungal

Western Eurasia

European

Albanian

* Djall, symbolizes the devil. (Djaj(plural)) * Mortja, personification of death. An equivalent of

Grim Reaper The Grim Reaper is a popular personification of death in Western culture in the form of a hooded skeletal figure wearing a black robe and carrying a scythe.Vdekja, personification of death. (Female)

Balto-Finnic

Tuoni In Finnish mythology, Tuoni () was the god of Tuonela (the underworld), and darkness personified. He was the husband of Tuonetar. Their children included Kipu-Tyttö, Tuonenpoika, and Loviatar, who were divinities of suffering. When in human form, ...

(

Finnish mythology Finnish mythology commonly refers of the folklore of Finnish paganism, of which a Finnish Neopaganism, modern revival is practiced by a small percentage of the Finnish people. It has many shared features with Estonian mythology, Estonian and othe ...

Estonian mythology Estonian mythology is a complex of myths belonging to the Estonian folk heritage and literary mythology. Information about the pre-Christian and medieval Estonian mythology is scattered in historical chronicles, travellers' accounts and in eccle ...

)

Balto-Slavic

Giltinė The list of Lithuania, Lithuanian gods is based on scarce written sources and late folklore. Many of them Pseudo-mythology, were outright invented. Christianization of Lithuania, Lithuania converted to Christianity in 1387, but elements of Lithuan ...

(

Lithuanian mythology Lithuanian mythology () is the mythology of Lithuanians, Lithuanian polytheism, the religion of pre-Christian Lithuanians. Like other Indo-European studies, Indo-Europeans, Lithuanians (tribe), ancient Lithuanians maintained a polytheistic myth ...

) *

Māra Māra is the highest-ranking goddess in Latvian mythology, the ancient Dawn-goddess, previously called Austra, and, not at all, although often stated, the same as Zemes māte ( Mother Earth, pace). Names Alternative names: Māre, Mārīte (d ...

(

Latvian mythology Latvian mythology is the collection of myths that have emerged throughout the history of Latvia, sometimes being elaborated upon by successive generations, and at other times being rejected and replaced by other explanatory narratives. These myt ...

) * Morana (

Slavic mythology Slavic paganism, Slavic mythology, or Slavic religion refer to the Religion, religious beliefs, myths, and ritual practices of the Slavs before Christianisation of the Slavs, Christianisation, which occurred at various stages between the 8th and ...

) *

Peckols Peckols and Patollo (known under a multitude of different names) were gods in the pagan Prussian mythology who were worshiped by the Old Prussians. Most researchers believe that, despite varying names, Peckols and Patollo were probably the same ...

(

Prussian mythology The Prussian mythology was a polytheistic religion of the Old Prussians, indigenous peoples of Prussia before the Prussian Crusade waged by the Teutonic Knights. It was closely related to other Baltic faiths, the Lithuanian and Latvian mytho ...

) * Peklenc *

Veles Veles may refer to: *Veles (god), a Slavic god *Veles Municipality, in North Macedonia *Veles, North Macedonia, a city, seat of the municipality, formerly called Titov Veles *Veles Bastion, Stribog Mountains on Brabant Island, Antarctica *Veles, s ...

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

(

)

Basque

*Herio (

Basque mythology The mythology of the ancient Basques largely did not survive the arrival of Christianity in the Basque Country between the 4th and 12th century AD. Most of what is known about elements of this original belief system is based on the analysis o ...

)

Celtic

Ankou Ankou ( Breton: ''an Ankoù'') is a servant of death in Breton, Cornish (''an Ankow'' in Cornish), and Welsh (''yr Angau'' in Welsh). Background Ankou appears as a man or skeleton wearing a black robe and a large hat that conceals his f ...

(

Breton people The Bretons (; or , ) are an ethnic group native to Brittany, north-western France. Originally, the demonym designated groups of Brittonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain, particularly Cornwall and Devon, mostly during ...

) *

Arawn In Welsh mythology, Arawn () was the king of the otherworld realm of Annwn who appears prominently in the first branch of the Mabinogi, and alluded to in the fourth. In later tradition, the role of the king of Annwn was largely attributed to ...

* Cichol *

Crom Cruach Crom Cruach ( ) was a pagan god of pre-Christian Ireland. According to Christian writers, he was propitiated with human sacrifice and his worship was ended by Saint Patrick. He is also referred to as ''Crom Cróich'', ''Cenn Cruach''/''Cróic ...

Donn In Irish mythology, Donn ("the dark one", from ) is an ancestor of the Gaels and is believed to have been a god of the dead. Donn is said to dwell in Tech Duinn (the "house of Donn" or "house of the dark one"), where the souls of the dead gathe ...

* Mannanan *

The Morrigan ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

Scáthach Scáthach () or Sgàthach () is a figure in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. She is a legendary Scottish warrior woman and martial arts teacher who trains the legendary Ulster hero Cú Chulainn in the arts of combat. Texts describe her hom ...

Goddess of the dead

Germanic

Freyja In Norse mythology, 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 char ...

, presides over

Fólkvangr In Norse mythology, Fólkvangr (Old Norse "field of the host"Orchard (1997:45). or "people-field" or "army-field"Lindow (2001:118).) is a meadow or Field (agriculture), field ruled over by the goddess Freyja where half of those that die in comba ...

; chooses half of those who die in battle *

Gefjon In Norse mythology, Gefjon (Old Norse: ; alternatively spelled Gefion, or Gefjun , pronounced without secondary syllable stress) is a goddess associated with ploughing, the Danish island of Zealand, the legendary Swedish king Gylfi, the legend ...

, a goddess who oversees those who die as virgins * Hel, goddess of the dead and ruler of the land of the same name, Hel, *

Odin Odin (; from ) is a widely revered god in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. Most surviving information on Odin comes from Norse mythology, but he figures prominently in the recorded history of Northern Europe. This includes the Roman Em ...

Kveldulf Gundarsson. (1993, 2005) ''Our Troth''. The dwelling one went to after death varied depending on where one died, at the battlefield or not. If not at the battlefield, one would go to Hel (not to be confused with the Christian

Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history sometimes depict hells as eternal destinations, such as Christianity and I ...

). Of the slain at the battlefield, some went to

, the dwelling of

and some went to

Valhalla In Norse mythology, Valhalla ( , ; , )Orchard (1997:171–172) is described as a majestic hall located in Asgard and presided over by the god Odin. There were five possible realms the soul could travel to after death. The first was Fólkvang ...

, the dwelling of

(see

Grímnismál ''Grímnismál'' (Old Norse: ; 'The Lay of Grímnir') is one of the mythological poems of the '' Poetic Edda''. It is preserved in the Codex Regius manuscript and the AM 748 I 4to fragment. It is spoken through the voice of ''Grímnir'', one ...

). The ninth hall is Folkvang, where bright Freyja. Decides where the warriors shall sit. Some of the fallen belong to her. And some belong to Odin. presides over

and gets half of those who die in battle; there they train for Ragnarök *

Rán In Norse mythology, Rán (Old Norse: ) is a goddess and a personification of the sea. Rán and her husband Ægir, a jötunn who also personifies the sea, have nine daughters, who personify waves. The goddess is frequently associated with a net, ...

, the sea goddess who collects the drowned in her net

Etruscan

Aita Aita (), also spelled Eita (), is an epithet of the Etruscan chthonic fire god Śuri as god of the underworld, roughly equivalent to the Greek god Hades (). Images Aita is a relatively late addition to the Etruscan pantheon, appearing i ...

, god of the underworld *Culga, a female underworld spirit *

Februus Februus is an ancient Italic god of purifications, who was worshipped by both the Romans and Etruscans. He was also worshipped as the god of the underworld by the Etruscans. For them, Februus was also the god of riches (money and gold) and death, ...

, god of purification, death, the underworld, and riches *Mani, spirits of the dead *

Mania Mania, also known as manic syndrome, is a Psychiatry, psychiatric Abnormality (behavior), behavioral syndrome defined as a state of Abnormality (behavior), abnormally elevated arousal, affect (psychology), affect, and energy level. During a mani ...

, goddess of the dead *

Mantus Manth (), latinized as , is an epithet of the Etruscan chthonic fire god Śuri as god of the underworld; this name was primarily used in the Po Valley, as described by Servius, but a dedication to the god ''manθ'' from the Archaic period w ...

, god of the underworld *

Orcus Orcus was a god of the underworld, punisher of broken oaths in Etruscan and Roman mythology. As with Hades, the name of the god was also used for the underworld itself. Eventually, he was conflated with Dis Pater and Pluto. A temple to Orcus ma ...

, god of the underworld * Tuchulcha, an underworld spirit *

Vanth Vanth is a chthonic figure in Etruscan mythology shown in a variety of forms of funerary art, such as in tomb paintings and on sarcophagi. Background Vanth is a female entity in the Etruscan underworld that is often accompanied either by additio ...

, winged spirit of the underworld

Greek

Achlys Achlys ( "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 eyes (often in dea ...

, goddess who symbolizes the mist of death. Goddess of poisons, personification of misery and sadness. *

Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...

, god of diseases *

Atropos Atropos (; "without turn"), in Greek mythology, was the third of the Three Fates or Moirai, goddesses of fate and destiny. Her Roman equivalent was Morta. Atropos was one of the Three Fates and was known as "the Inflexible One." It was Atro ...

, one of the

moirai In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Moirai ()often known in English as the Fateswere the personifications of fate, destiny. They were three sisters: Clotho (the spinner), Lachesis (mythology), Lachesis (the allotter ...

, who cut the thread of life. *

Charon In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon ( ; ) is a psychopomp, the ferryman of the Greek underworld. He carries the souls of those who have been given funeral rites across the rivers Acheron and Styx, which separate the worlds of the living and ...

, a

daimon The daimon (), also spelled daemon (meaning "god", "godlike", "power", "fate"), denotes an "unknown superfactor", which can be either good or hostile. In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology a daimon was imagined to be a lesser ...

who acted as ferryman of the dead. *

Erebus In Greek mythology, Erebus (; ), or Erebos, is the personification of darkness. In Hesiod's ''Theogony'', he is the offspring of Chaos, and the father of Aether and Hemera (Day) by Nyx (Night); in other Greek cosmogonies, he is the father of A ...

, the primordial god of darkness, his mists encircled the underworld and filled the hollows of the earth *Erinyes, chthonic deities of vengeance *

, king of the underworld and god of the dead *Hecate, goddess of witchcraft, she helped Demeter in the search for Persephone and was allowed to live in the Underworld as her magic works best at night *Hermes, the messenger god who acted as psychopompos *Hypnos, personification of sleep, twin of Thanatos, his Roman counterpart is Somnus *Keres (mythology), Keres, goddesses of violent death, sisters of Thanatos *Lampads, Lampades, torch-bearing underworld nymphs *Limos was the goddess of starvation in ancient Greek religion. She was opposed by Demeter, goddess of grain and the harvest with whom Ovid wrote Limos could never meet, and Plutus, the god of wealth and the bounty of rich harvests.[1] *Persephone, queen of the underworld; wife of Hades and goddess of spring growth *

, Graeco-Egyptian syncretistic deity, combining elements of

, the

, and

. Also, patron of the

and

. *Tartarus, the darkest, deepest part of the underworld, often used for imprisoning enemies of the Olympians *Thanatos, personification of death, Roman counterpart is Mors * Gods of the seven rivers of the underworld: # Acheron, god of the river Acheron # Alpheus (mythology), Alpheus, god of the river Alpheus # Cocytus, god of the river Cocytus # Eridanos (mythology), Eridanos, god of the river Eridanos # Lethe, goddess of the river Lethe # Phlegethon, god of the river Phlegethon # Styx, goddess of the river Styx, a river that formed a boundary between the living and the dead

Roman

*Dea Tacita, goddess of the dead *Di inferi, ancient Roman deities associated with death and the Underworld *Dis Pater, god of the underworld *Laverna, goddess of thieves, cheats, and the underworld *Lemures, the malevolent dead *Libitina, goddess of funerals and burials *Manes, spirits of the dead *

, goddess of death *Mors (mythology), Mors, personification of death, Greek equivalent is Thanatos *Nenia Dea, goddess of funerals *

, punisher of broken oaths; usually folded in with Pluto *Pluto (mythology), Pluto, ruler of the Underworld *Proserpina, queen of the underworld *Soranus (mythology), Soranus, underworld Sabine god adopted by the Romans *Viduus, god who separated the soul and body after death

Western Asia

Elamite

Hindu-Vedic

*Chitragupta, god of justice after death *Mara (Hindu goddess), Mara *Yama (Hinduism), Yama, god of death and ruler of the afterlife *Dhumavati, goddess of death, misfortune and temporality *Shiva, god of destruction, time, and the arts

Persian-Zoroastrian

*Angra Mainyu or Ahriman, the destructive spirit (Persian mythology) *Asto Vidatu or Astiwihad or Asto-widhatu, death deity (Persian mythology) Ossetian *Aminon, gatekeeper of the underworld. *Barastyr, ruler of the underworld. *Ishtar-Deela, lord of the underworld in Vainakh mythology, Nakh.

Uralic

*Azyren (Mari Native Religion, Mari people) *Kalma (goddess), Kalma, Finland, Finnish goddess of death and decay, her name meaning "the stench of corpses" *Nga (god), Nga (Nenets) *

(

), with his wife and children.

Eastern Asia

Korean

* Yeom-ra, or Great King Yeom-ra' (Yama (Buddhism and Chinese mythology), King Yama)

Chinese

* Yanluo Wang Emperor(s) of Youdu (Capital City of the Underworld) * Di Guan Da Di * Dong Yue Da Di * Feng Du Da Di * Yanluo Wang (Yama (Buddhism and Chinese mythology), King Yama) * Meng Po Judges of the Ten Underworld Courts * Jiang Ziwen * Bao Zheng * Dong Ji * Huang Xile The rest only have surnames including Li, Yu, Lu, Bi, Lu and Xue. Four Kings of the Underworld * Bao Zheng * Han Qinhu * Fan Zhongyan * Kou Zhun Ghost Kings of the Five Regions * Cai Yulei * Zhao He * Zhang Heng * Duzi Ren * Zhou Qi Ghost Kings of the Five Regions (Ver.2) * Shen Cha * Yang Yun * Yan Di (Shenlong) * Ji Kang * Immortal Wang Governors of Fengdu * Deng Ai * Ji Ming Imperial Censor of Fengdu * Han Yi * Zeng Yuanshan * Jiao Zhongqing * Ma Zhong * Song Youqing * Guan Yu (note: different from the famous general of three kingdoms) * Wu Lun * Tu Cha Four Generals of the Direct Altar of Fengdu * Ma Sheng * Ma Chuanzhong * Chen Yuanbo * Guo Zhongyou Eight Generals of the Inner Altar of Fengdu * Wei Tin, Ghost Capturing General * Liu Chu, Ghost Restraining General * Wang Jian, Ghost Flailing General * Meng E, Ghost Interrogating General * Che Zi, Guardian of the East Gate * Xia Dali, Guardian of the West Gate * Lie Weizhi, Guardian of the South Gate * Sang Tongguai, Guardian of the North Gate Eight Generals of the Outer Altar of Fengdu * Zhang Yuanlian * Chen Yuanqing * Li Yuande * Fan YuanZhang * Du YuanZhen * Liu Yuanfu * Chang Yuan * Jia Taoyuan Ten Masters of the Underworld * A Bang, Bull Head * Luo Cha, Horse Face * Xie Bi'an, Wondering God of the Day * Fan Wujiu, Wondering God of the Night * Hei Wuchang (Black Impermanence) * Bai Wuchang (White Impermanence) * Huangfeng (responsible for insects) * Paowei (responsible for animals) * Yusai (responsible for fishes) * Guaiwang (responsible for Hungry Ghosts) (Note: in some versions, Xie Bi'an and Fanjiu are the Bai Wuchang and Hei Wuchang, respectively.) Four Strongmen of Fengdu * Zhang Yuanzhen, Taiyi Strongman * Hu Wenzhong, Tri-day Strongman * Sun Zhongwu, Demon-smiting Strongman * Tang Bocheng, Ghost-smiting Strongman Two Agents of Fengdu * Xun Gongda, Great God of the Black Sky * Liu Guangzhong, Great God of the Black Fog Wardens of the Nine Prison of Fengdu * Wang Yuanzhen * Zhen Yan * Yao Quan * Shi Tong * Zhou Sheng * Diao Xiao * Kong Sheng * Wu Yan * Wang Tong Administers of the Six Paths of Rebirth of Fengdu * Cao Qing, Administer of the Path of Heaven * Tien Yan, Administer of the Path of Ghosts * Cui Cong, Administer of the Path of Earth * Ji Bie, Administer of the Path of Gods * Chen De, Administer of the Path of Hungry Ghosts * Gao Ren, Administer of the Path of Beasts Judges of Fengdu * Cui (Chief Judge) * Wang Fu * Ban Jian * Zi He * Jia Yuan * Zhao Sheng * Zhang Qi * Yang Tong * Fu Po * Zhu Shun * Li Gong * Xue Zhong * Rong Zhen * Lu Zhongce * Chen Xun * Huang Shou * Zhou Bi * Bian Shen * Cheng De * Liu Bao * Dong Jie * Guo Yuan

Japanese

*Izanami, when she died she became queen of the underworld, Yomi, and goddess of the dead. *Enma, god and ruler of the dead in Japanese Buddhism *Shinigami, god of death *Susanoo-no-Mikoto, Susanoo *Ōkuninushi, an alternate ruler of the underworld

North and Central Asian mythology

*Erlik (Turkic mythology) *Xargi (Siberian mythology)

Oceanian mythology

*Wuluwaid (Australian Aboriginal mythology) *Degei (Fijian mythology) *Hine-nui-te-pō (Maori mythology) *Whiro (Maori mythology)

Southeast Asian mythology

*Batara Kala (Balinese mythology), god of the underworld in traditional Javanese and Balinese mythology, ruling over it in a cave along with Setesuyara. Batara Kala is also named the creator of light and the earth. He is also the god of time and destruction, who devours unlucky people. He is related to Hindu concept of Kala, or time. In mythology, he causes eclipses by trying to eat the Sun or the Moon. *Shingon (nat) (Nat (spirit), Burmese) * Thongalel (Manipuri mythology) *Pong Lalondong (Toraja), god of death

Philippines

*Tagbayan (Ifugao mythology): divinities associated with death that feast on human souls that are guarded by two headed monsters called kikilanJocano, F. L. (1969). Philippine Mythology. Quezon City: Capitol Publishing House Inc. *Fulor (Ifugao mythology): a wood carved into an image of a dead person seated on a death chair; an antique which a spirit in it, who bring sickness, death, and unsuccessful crops when sacrifices are not offered *Kabunyan (Kalanguya mythology): the almighty creator; also referred to as Agmattebew, the spirit who could not be seen; the mabaki ritual is held in the deity's honor during planting, harvesting, birth and death of the people, and other activities for livelihood *Binangewan (Aeta mythology): spirits who bring change, sickness, and death as punishment *Aring Sinukûan (Kapampangan mythology): sun god of war and death, taught the early inhabitants the industry of metallurgy, wood cutting, rice culture and even waging war *Lakandánup (Kapampangan mythology): serpent goddess who comes during total eclipses; followed by famine; eats a person's shadow, which will result in withering and death; daughter of Áring Sínukuan and Dápu *Sidapa (Bisaya mythology): the goddess of death; co-ruler of the middleworld called Kamaritaan, together with Makaptan *Sidapa (Hiligaynon mythology): god who lives in the sacred Mount Madia-as; determines the day of a person's death by marking every newborn's lifespan on a very tall tree on Madya-asLoarca, Miguel de. (1582) 1903. Relation of the Filipinas Islands. In Blair and Robertson, The Philippine Islands 5. *Hangin (Hiligaynon mythology): the spirits of the death wind; takes the life of the elderly *Patag'aes (Suludnon mythology): awaits until midnight then enters the house to have a conversation with the living infant; if he discovers someone is eavesdropping, he will choke the child to death; their conversation creates the fate of the child, on how long the child wants to live and how the child will eventually die, where the child will always get to choose the answers; once done, Patag'aes takes out his measuring stick, computes the child's life span, and then departs, sealing the child's fate *Pamulak Manobo (Bagobo mythology): supreme deity who controls good harvest, rain, wind, life, and death; in some myths, the chief deity is simply referred as the male deity, Diwata *Malakal Maut (Maranao mythology): the angel of death; takes the souls of someone after three to seven days from the falling of the person's leaf from the sacred Sadiarathul Montaha tree in the realm called Sorga; appears either a handsome prince or a grotesque monsters, depending if the soul he is getting comes from a sinner or a virtuous person; punishes the souls of sinners until final judgment, while lifting up the souls of the good onto heaven *Kumakatok - hooded and cloaked harbingers of death that would knock on doors of the dying in Tagalog mythology *Magwayen - the goddess of afterlife and the first ocean deity, according to Visayan mythology. Known for being the goddess who collects souls and takes them to Sulad with her boat. The souls are initially transferred to her via Pandaki, who gets the soul from Sidapa. *Sitan - god and caretaker of the underworld realm for evil souls known as Kasamaan in Tagalog mythology. Maca, the realm of the good dead, is jointly ruled by Sitan and Bathala. *Manduyapit - bring souls across a red river in Manobo mythology *Mama Guayen - ferries souls to the end of the world in Ilonggo mythology *Badadum - deity in Waray mythology that gathers family members at the mouth of a river to make a farewell to the deceased

Vietnam

* Diêm Vương (King Yama) * Mạnh Bà * Hắc Bạch Vô Thường, two spirits capture souls. * Đầu Trâu * Mặt Ngựa

American mythology

Aztec

*Cihuateteo (Aztec mythology), Divine women. Spirits of women who died during labor. *Coatlicue (Aztec mythology), minor goddess of death, as well as the goddess of life and rebirth *Itztlacoliuhqui (Aztec mythology), personification of winter-as-death *Mictecacihuatl (Aztec mythology), the chief death goddess; Queen of Mictlan (underworld) or Lady of the Dead *Mictlantecuhtli (Aztec mythology), the chief death god; lord of the Underworld *Tlaloc (Aztec mythology), water god and minor death god; ruler of Tlalocan, a separate underworld for those who died from drowning *Xipe Totec (Aztec mythology), hero god, death god; inventor of warfare and master of plagues *Xolotl (Aztec mythology), god of sunset, fire, lightning, and death

Cahuilla

*Muut

Guarani

*Luison, Guarani mythology

Haida

*Ta'xet, Haida mythology *Tia (goddess)

Inca

*Supay (Inca mythology) *Vichama (Inca mythology)

Inuit

*Aipaloovik *Pana (mythology), Pana

Latin American Folk Catholicism

*Santa Muerte, folk saint and goddess of death in Mexico *San La Muerte, folk saint and god of death in Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil *San Pascualito, folk saint and god of death in Guatemala and Mexico

Maya

*Camazotz, bat god who resides in the underworld *Cizin (Deity), Cizin *Ixtab *Xtabay *Maya death gods known under various names (Hunhau, Uacmitun Ahau, Ah Puch, Kisin, Yum Kimil)

Narragansett

*Chepi

Taíno

*Maquetauire Guayaba *Opiel Guabiron

Umbanda and Candomblé

*Exu caveira *Exu Tranca-rua das almas

Haitian Vodou

Gede (Haitian Vodou), Gede lwa *Baron Samedi, Baron La Croix, Baron Cimetiere, Baron Kriminel *Ghede Nibo *Maman Brigitte

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Death Deity Death deities, Comparative mythology Lists of deities