A hunting deity is a god or goddess in

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 ...

associated with the

hunting Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...

of animals and the skills and equipment involved. They are a common feature of

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.

Anglo-Saxon mythology

* Wōden, leader of the Wild Hunt

Aztec mythology

Mixcoatl Mixcoatl (, from mixtli "cloud" and cōātl "serpent"), or Camaxtle or Camaxtli, was the god of the hunt and identified with the Milky Way, the stars, and the heavens in several Mesoamerican cultures. He was the patron deity of the Otomi peopl ...

, god of hunting. * Opochtli, god of fishing.

Akan mythology

* Ahosu, Goddess of hunting and the protector of wildlife, called upon for successful hunts. In myths, she killed people who overhunted or overharvested the forest’s resources. * Bosomtwe, god of fishing and sailors.

Celtic mythology

* Arawn, king of Annwn in some Welsh legends and associated with hunting, dogs and stags *

Cernunnos Cernunnos is a Celtic god whose name is only clearly attested once, on the 1st-century CE Pillar of the Boatmen from Paris, where it is associated with an image of an aged, antlered figure with torcs around his horns. Through the Pillar of the ...

, a horned god associated with fertility and hunting *

Gwyn ap Nudd Gwyn ap Nudd (, sometimes found with the antiquated spelling Gwynn ap Nudd) is a Welsh mythological figure, the king of the '' Tylwyth Teg'' or " fair folk" and ruler of the Welsh Otherworld, Annwn, and whose name means “Gwyn, son of Nudd”. D ...

, another king of Annwn in Welsh Mythology, associated with the Wild Hunt *

Nodens *''Nodens'' or *''Nodons'' ( reconstructed from the dative ''Nodenti'' or ''Nodonti'') is a Celtic healing god worshipped in Ancient Britain. Although no physical depiction of him has survived, votive plaques found in a shrine at Lydney Park ...

, god associated with healing, the sea, hunting and dogs * Vosagus, Gaulish god of hunting and forests; gives his name to the

Vosges The Vosges ( , ; ; Franconian and ) is a range of medium mountains in Eastern France, near its border with Germany. Together with the Palatine Forest to the north on the German side of the border, they form a single geomorphological unit and ...

region

Chinese mythology

Fu Xi Fuxi or Fu Hsi ( zh, c=伏羲) is a culture hero in Chinese mythology, credited along with his sister and wife Nüwa with creating humanity and the invention of music, hunting, fishing, domestication, and cooking, as well as the Cangjie system ...

, the creator of fishery *

Jiang Ziya Jiang Ziya ( century BC – 11th century BC), also known by several other names, also known by his posthumous name as the Duke Tai of Qi, was the founding monarch of the Qi state. He was a military general and strategist who as ...

, a god of fishery * Erlang Shen,god of hunting and protector of hunters

Egyptian mythology

Neith Neith (, a borrowing of the Demotic (Egyptian), Demotic form , also spelled Nit, Net, or Neit) was an ancient Egyptian deity, possibly of Ancient Libya, Libyan origin. She was connected with warfare, as indicated by her emblem of two crossed b ...

, goddess of war and the hunt *

Pakhet In Egyptian mythology, Pakhet, Egyptian ''Pḫ.t'', meaning ''she who scratches'' (also spelt Pachet, Pehkhet, Phastet, and Pasht) is a lioness goddess of war. Origin and mythology Pakhet is likely to be a regional lioness deity, ''Goddess of ...

, a lioness huntress deity, whom the Greeks associated with

Artemis In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Artemis (; ) is the goddess of the hunting, hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, transitions, nature, vegetation, childbirth, Kourotrophos, care of children, and chastity. In later tim ...

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 ...

, god of hunting and war, along with funerary practices *

Bastet Bastet or Bast (), also known as Ubasti or Bubastis, is a goddess of ancient Egyptian religion, possibly of Nubian origin, worshipped as early as the Second Dynasty (2890 BC). In ancient Greek religion, she was known as Ailuros (). Bastet was ...

, a cat goddess and natural hunter of reptiles and rodents. Greeks often associated her with

, giving her the name Ailuros.

Filipino mythology

*Abog: the Bagobo god of hunters *Alagaka: the Tagalog protector of hunters *Anlabban: the Isnag deity who looks after the general welfare of the people; special protector of hunters *Amanikable: the Tagalog god of the sea who was spurned by the first mortal woman; also a god of hunters *Bakero & Tawo-nga-talonon: Ati spirits of the forest; the first-fruits sacrifices of the hunt are offered to them through bits of meat, which would bring good luck to the people *Cain: the Bugkalot headhunter creator of mankind; gave customs to the people; lived together with Abel in the sky but separated due to a quarrel *Esa’: a

Batak Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of closely related Austronesian peoples, Austronesian ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia, who speak Batak languages. The term is used to include the Karo people ( ...

ancestor whose movements created the landscapes, which he named during a hunting journey with his dogs, who were after wild pigs *Ga’ek Spirits: Bugkalot spirits in the Ga’ek magic plant used in relation to hunting and fishing; the naw-naw prayer is given to them *Kabigat: the Bontok goddess of the moon who cut off the head of Chal-chal's son; her action is the origin of headhunting *Kalao: Bugkalot spirit birds; depicted as red hornbills who guide and protect hunters and their soul *Kedes: the

Aeta Aeta (Ayta ), Agta and Dumagat, are collective terms for several indigenous peoples who live in various parts of Luzon islands in the Philippines. They are included in the wider Negrito grouping of the Philippines and the rest of Southeast A ...

god of the hunt *Okot: the Bicolano forest god whose whistle would lead hunters to their prey *Paglingniyalan: the Tagalog god of hunters *Sugudun: also called Sugujun; the

Manobo The Manobò (sometimes also spelled Menobò, Manuvù , Menuvù , or Minuvù) are an indigenous peoples from Mindanao in the Philippines, whose core lands cover most of the Mindanao island group, from Sarangani island into the Mindanao mainland in ...

god of hunters and trappers *True: the Mamanwa deity of the forest and herder of hunting animals

Finnish mythology

* Mielikki, goddess of forests and the hunt *

Nyyrikki Nyyrikki (), Nyypetti, Vilpus or Pinneys is the Finland, Finnish god of the hunt and cattle, and son of Tapio_(spirit), Tapio and Mielikki. He has been tenuously associated with Nimrod (king), Nimrod. Nyyrikki was first mentioned by Mikael Agrico ...

, god of the hunt * Tapio, East Finnish forest spirit to whom men prayed before a hunt

Georgian mythology

* Apsat, god of the hunt, associated with fish and birds * Dali, goddess of the hunt, associated with horned beasts of the mountain

Greek mythology

Aristaeus Aristaeus (; ''Aristaios'') was the mythological culture hero credited with the discovery of many rural useful arts and handicrafts, including bee-keeping; He was the son of the huntress Cyrene and Apollo. ''Aristaeus'' ("the best") was a cu ...

, god of bee-keeping, cheese-making, herding, olive-growing and hunting *

, goddess of the hunt, wild animals and the moon *

Heracles Kynagidas Heracles Kynagidas (, "The Huntsman") was the patron god of hunting in the Macedonian Kingdom, to whom hunting trophies were dedicated. The epithet was also attributed to "Artemis Kynago" , in its female form. Inscriptional attestations Heracles ...

* Pan, in addition to being a god of the wild and shepherds, was also a hunting god. *

Persephone In ancient Greek mythology and Ancient Greek religion, religion, Persephone ( ; , classical pronunciation: ), also called Kore ( ; ) or Cora, is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She became the queen of the Greek underworld, underworld afte ...

, the goddess of life and death, also known for being

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 ...

' wife

Hindu mythology

* Banka-Mundi, goddess of the hunt and fertility *

Bhadra ''Bhadra'' is a Sanskrit word meaning 'good', 'fortune' or 'auspicious'. It is also the name of many men, women and objects in Hinduism. Male Figures King of Chedi Bhadra was a king of Chedi Kingdom who participated in the Kurukshetra War from t ...

, god of hunting, one of

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

's ganas *

Rudra Rudra (/ ɾud̪ɾə/; ) is a Rigvedic deity associated with Shiva, the wind or storms, Vayu, medicine, and the hunt. One translation of the name is 'the roarer'. In the ''Rigveda'', Rudra is praised as the "mightiest of the mighty". Rudra ...

Rigvedic The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' (, , from ऋच्, "praise" and वेद, "knowledge") is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts (''śruti'') known as the ...

god associated with wind or storm, and the hunt

Hittite mythology

* Rundas, god of the hunt and good fortune

Inuit Mythology

* Arnakuagsak, goddess responsible for ensuring the hunters were able to catch enough food and that the people remained healthy and strong * Arnapkapfaaluk, sea goddess who inspired fear in hunters * Nerrivik, the sea mother and patron of fishermen and hunters * Nujalik, goddess of hunting on land * Pinga, goddess of the hunt, fertility, and medicine * Sedna, goddess of the sea, marine animals, and sea hunting * Tekkeitsertok, god of hunting and master of

caribou The reindeer or caribou (''Rangifer tarandus'') is a species of deer with circumpolar distribution, native to Arctic, subarctic, tundra, boreal, and mountainous regions of Northern Europe, Siberia, and North America. It is the only represe ...

Japanese Mythology

Takeminakata Takeminakata (タケミナカタ), also known as Minakatatomi or Takeminakatatomi, is a ''kami'' in Japanese mythology. Also known as or after Suwa-taisha, Suwa Grand Shrine (Suwa Taisha) in Nagano Prefecture in which he is enshrined alongside ...

, god of wind, hunting and warfare.

Mbuti mythology

* Khonvoum, supreme god of the

Mbuti The Mbuti people, or Bambuti, are one of several indigenous pygmy groups in the Congo region of Africa. Their languages are Central Sudanic languages and Bantu languages. Subgroups Bambuti are pygmy hunter-gatherers, and are one of the oldest ...

people in

central Africa Central Africa (French language, French: ''Afrique centrale''; Spanish language, Spanish: ''África central''; Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''África Central'') is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries accordin ...

; the "great hunter"

Mesoamerican mythology

* Ah Tabai, Maya god of the hunt * Sip, a hunting god often shown with deer ears and antlers * Yum Kaax, Maya god of the forest and the protector of game animals

Norse mythology

Skaði In Norse mythology, Skaði (; Old Norse: ; sometimes anglicized as Skadi, Skade, or Skathi) is a jötunn and Æsir, goddess associated with bowhunting, skiing, winter, and mountains. Skaði is attested in the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 1 ...

, a

jötunn A (also jotun; plural ; in the normalised scholarly spelling of Old Norse, ; or, in Old English, , plural ) is a type of being in Germanic mythology. In Norse mythology, are often contrasted with gods (the Æsir and Vanir) and with other no ...

and goddess associated with

bowhunting Bowhunting (or bow hunting) is the practice of hunting game animals by archery. Many indigenous peoples have employed the technique as their primary hunting method for thousands of years, and it has survived into contemporary use for sport and ...

, skiing, winter, and mountains *

Ullr In Norse mythology, Ullr (Old Norse: ) is a Æsir, god associated with skiing. Although literary attestations of Ullr are sparse, evidence including relatively ancient place-name evidence from Scandinavia suggests that he was a major god in ear ...

Norse god of hunting, mountains, archery, and skiing.

Roman mythology

* Diana, goddess of the hunt, wild animals and the wilderness; the counterpart of

, goddess of the hunt and wild; twin sister of

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 ...

, daughter of

Leto In ancient Greek mythology and Ancient Greek religion, religion, Leto (; ) is a childhood goddess, the daughter of the Titans Coeus and Phoebe (Titaness), Phoebe, the sister of Asteria, and the mother of Apollo and Artemis.Hesiod, ''Theogony' ...

and

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a Jupiter mass, mass more than 2.5 times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined a ...

Siberian mythology

* Bugady Musun, Evenki mother goddess of animals * Hinkon, Tungusic lord of the hunt

Slavic mythology

* Devana, goddess of the hunt; the Slavic equivalent of the Roman goddess Diana

Thracian mythology

Bendis Bendis () was a Thracian goddess associated with hunting and the moon. Worship of the goddess seems to have been introduced into Attica around 430 BC. In Athens, Bendis was identified with the goddess Artemis, but she had a separate temple at ...

, goddess of the hunt and the moon, whom the Greeks associated with

. *

Thracian horseman The Thracian horseman (also "Thracian Rider" or "Thracian Heroes") is a recurring Motif (visual arts), motif depicted in reliefs of the Hellenistic period, Hellenistic and Roman Empire, Roman periods in the Balkans—mainly Thrace, Macedonia (reg ...

, a hunting god on horseback.

Yoruba mythology

* Ogoun or

loa , also called loa, are spirits in the African diaspora religions, African diasporic religion of Haitian Vodou and Dominican Vudú. They have also been incorporated into some revivalist forms of Louisiana Voodoo. Many of the lwa derive their iden ...

, the Two-Spirit

orisha Orishas (singular: orisha) are divine spirits that play a key role in the Yoruba religion of West Africa and several religions of the African diaspora that derive from it, such as Haitian Vaudou, Cuban Santería and Brazilian Candomblé. The p ...

who presides over fire, iron, hunting, politics and war * Oshosi, the

also known as the "hunter of a single arrow", also the deity of the forests. * Yoruba mythology Etymology: from the

Yoruba people The Yoruba people ( ; , , ) are a West African ethnic group who inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo, which are collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute more than 50 million people in Africa, are over a million outsid ...

West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...

to include the countries Nigeria and Benin, foreparents to practices or Santería, Lucumí, and other religions of the Caribbean, and the Americas.

Other

Herne the Hunter In English folklore, Herne the Hunter is a ghost associated with Windsor Forest and Great Park in the English county of Berkshire. He is said to have antlers growing from his head, ride a horse, torment cattle, and rattle chains. The earliest ...

, leader of the Wild Hunt. * The

Horned God The Horned God is one of the two primary deities found in Wicca and some related forms of Neopaganism. The term ''Horned God'' itself predates Wicca, and is an early 20th-century syncretism, syncretic term for a horned or antlered anthropomorp ...

, the Neopagan god of the sun, masculinity, nature, and hunting.

References

{{Hunting topics Hunting deities

Deities A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...