deity
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 ...
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
water
Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...
or various
bodies of water
A body of water or waterbody is any significant accumulation of water on the surface of Earth or another planet. The term most often refers to oceans, seas, and lakes, but it includes smaller pools of water such as ponds, wetlands, or more ra ...
. Water deities are common in mythology and were usually more important among civilizations in which the sea or ocean, or a great river was more important. Another important focus of worship of water deities has been springs or
holy well
A holy well or sacred spring is a well, Spring (hydrosphere), spring or small pool of water revered either in a Christianity, Christian or Paganism, pagan context, sometimes both. The water of holy wells is often thought to have healing qualitie ...
s.
As a form of
animal worship
Animal worship (also zoolatry or theriolatry) is an umbrella term designating religious or ritual practices involving animals. This includes the worship of animal deities or animal sacrifice. An animal 'cult' is formed when a species is taken ...
,
whale
Whales are a widely distributed and diverse group of fully Aquatic animal, aquatic placental mammal, placental marine mammals. As an informal and Colloquialism, colloquial grouping, they correspond to large members of the infraorder Cetacea ...
s and
snake
Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have s ...
s (hence
dragon
A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...
s) have been regarded as godly deities throughout the world (as are other animals such as
turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order (biology), order Testudines, characterized by a special turtle shell, shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Crypt ...
s, fish, crabs, and
shark
Sharks are a group of elasmobranch cartilaginous fish characterized by a ribless endoskeleton, dermal denticles, five to seven gill slits on each side, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the ...
* Bosompo, primordial embodiment of the oceans
* Abena Mansa, sea goddess associated with gold
* Ashiakle, goddess of the treasures at the bottom of the ocean
*
Tano (Ta Kora)
Tano (Tanoɛ), whose true name is Ta Kora (abbreviated from Tano Kora/Akora, not to be confused with Tano Akora) and is known as Tando to the Fante people, Fante is the Abosom of war and strife in Akan religion, Akan mythology and Abosom of Thunder ...
, god of the Tano river
*Bia, god of the Bia river
*Birim, goddess of the Birim river
*Bosomtwe, antelope god of the Bosomtwe river
*Ayensu, god of the Ayensu river
*Densu, three headed god of the
Densu river
Kojo Antwi, also known as "Mr. Music Man", is a Ghanaian Afro pop, highlife, reggae musical artist and a former Ghamro chairman. Born with the name Julius Kojo Antwi into a family of 13 siblings, he grew up in Darkuman, a suburb of Accra.Cons ...
, often represented as red, and having a bad temper
Bantu
*
Bunzi
Bunzi (also Mpulu Bunzi and Phulu Bunzi) is a serpent water spirit and goddess of rain in traditional Kongo religion that was first venerated by the Woyo people of the Kingdom of Ngoyo.
Appearance
Bunzi is sometimes depicted as a multicolor ...
, goddess of rain, rainbow and waters.
* Chicamassichinuinji, king of oceans.
* Funza, goddess of waters, twin phenomenon and malformations in children. Wife of Mbumba.
*
Jengu
A jengu (pl. miengu, also called bisima) is a water spirit in the traditional beliefs of the Sawabantu groups of Cameroon, like the Duala, Bakweri, Malimba, Subu, Bakoko, Oroko people. Among the Bakweri, the term used is liengu (plural: ...
, Sawabantu water spirits
* Kalunga, Bantu Supreme Creator
* Kimbazi, goddess of sea storms.
* Kuitikuiti, serpent god of Congo river.
* Lusunzi, god of spring and waters.
* Mamba Muntu, goddesses of waters and sexuality.
* Makanga.
* Mbantilanda.
* Mbumba, rainbow serpent of terrestrial waters and warriors.
* Mboze.
* Mpulu Bunzi,
Bakongo
The Kongo people (also , singular: or ''M'kongo; , , singular: '') are a Bantu ethnic group primarily defined as the speakers of Kikongo. Subgroups include the Beembe, Bwende, Vili, Sundi, Yombe, Dondo, Lari, and others.
They have li ...
god of rain and waters.
*
Nyami Nyami
The Nyami Nyami, otherwise known as the Zambezi River God or Zambezi Snake Spirit, is one of the most important gods of the people living along the Zambezi River. The Nyami Nyami is believed to protect the people and give them sustenance in d ...
Simbi
A Simbi (also Cymbee, Sim'bi, pl. Bisimbi) is a Central African water and nature spirit in traditional Kongo religion, as well as in African diaspora spiritual traditions, such as Hoodoo in the southern United States and Palo in Cuba. Simbi ha ...
,
Bakongo
The Kongo people (also , singular: or ''M'kongo; , , singular: '') are a Bantu ethnic group primarily defined as the speakers of Kikongo. Subgroups include the Beembe, Bwende, Vili, Sundi, Yombe, Dondo, Lari, and others.
They have li ...
ancestral water spirits
Dahomey
* Erzulie, goddess of sweet water, beauty, and love.
Dogon
* Nommos, amphibious spirits that are worshipped as ancestors.
Egyptian
*
Anuket
Anuket was the ancient Egyptian goddess of the cataracts of the Nile and Lower Nubia in general, worshipped especially at Elephantine near the First Cataract.
Etymology
In ancient Egyptian, she was known as Anuket, Anaka, or Anqet. Her name ...
, goddess of the Nile and nourisher of the fields.
*Bairthy, goddess of water, was depicted with a small pitcher on her head, holding a long spear-like sceptre.
* Hapi, god of the annual flooding of the Nile.
* Heh, frog headed god of the primordial waters.
*
Heqet
Heqet (Egyptian ', also ' "Heqtit"), sometimes spelled Heket, is an Egyptian goddess of fertility, identified with Hathor, represented in the form of a frog.
To the Egyptians, the frog was an ancient symbol of fertility, related to the annual ...
, wife of Khnum, also with the head of a frog.
*
Khnum
Khnum, also romanised Khnemu (; , ), was one of the earliest-known Egyptian deities in Upper Egypt, originally associated with the Nile cataract. He held the responsibility of regulating the annual inundation of the river, emanating from the ca ...
, god of the source of the Nile.
*
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 ...
, goddess of rivers, death, mourning, the dead, and night.
* Nu, uncreated god, personification of the primordial waters.
*
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 ...
, god of the dead and afterlife; originally a god of water and vegetation.
*
Satet
Satet, Satit or Satjet, Satjit in Ancient Egyptian ( or ', ."Pourer" or "Shooter"), Greek: Satis, also known by numerous related names, was an Upper Egyptian goddess who, along with Khnum and Anuket, formed part of the Elephantine Triad. A pro ...
, goddess of the Nile River's floods.
*
Sobek
Sobek (), also known as Suchus (), was an ancient Egyptian deities, ancient Egyptian deity with a complex and elastic history and nature. He is associated with the Nile crocodile and is often represented as a crocodile-headed humanoid, if not a ...
, god of the Nile river, is depicted as a crocodile or a man with the head of a crocodile.
*
Tefnut
Tefnut ( ; ) is a deity in Ancient Egyptian religion, the feminine counterpart of the air god Shu. Her mythological function is less clear than that of Shu, but Egyptologists have suggested she is connected with moisture, based on a passage in t ...
, goddess of water, moisture, and fertility.
* Wadj-wer, personification of the Mediterranean Sea or represented the lagoons and lakes in the northernmost Nile Delta.
Mami Wata
Mami Wata, Mammy Water, or similar is a mermaid, water spirit, and/or goddess in the folklore of parts of Western Africa, Eastern Africa, and Southern Africa. Historically, scholars trace her origins to early encounters between Europeans and ...
, a water loa.
*
Pie
A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that contains a filling of various sweet or savoury ingredients. Sweet pies may be filled with fruit (as in an apple pie), nuts ( pecan pie), fruit preserves ( jam tart ...
Serer religion
The Serer religion or Serer spirituality (''Serer language, Serer:'' A ƭat Roog, meaning "the way of the Divine", "path of God", or "religious life"Kalis, Simone, ''Médecine traditionnelle, religion et divination chez les Seereer Siin du Sén� ...
, but a
pangool
Pangool (in Serer and Cangin) singular: Fangool (var : ''Pangol'' and ''Fangol''), are the ancient saints and ancestral spirits of the Serer people of Senegal, the Gambia and Mauritania. The Pangool play a crucial role in Serer religion and hist ...
with goddess–like attributes. She is a female protector of the Fatick Region. Offerings are made in her name at the River Sine. She appears to humans in the form of a
manatee
Manatees (, family (biology), family Trichechidae, genus ''Trichechus'') are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivory, herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing t ...
, She is one of the best known ''fangool'' (singular of ''pangool''). She possess the attributes of a typical ''water fangool'', yet at the same time, she is a ''blood fangool''. The Senegalese Ministry of Culture added the ''Mbind Ngo Mindiss'' site to its list of monuments and historic sites in
Fatick
Fatick (; ; ) is a town and urban commune in Senegal, located between M'bour and Kaolack and inhabited by the Serer people. Its 2023 population was at 39,361.
It is the capital of the Fatick Region and the Fatick Department.
Toponymy
Its n ...
. It is the site where offerings are made, situated on the arms of the sea which bears her name, in the
Sine
In mathematics, sine and cosine are trigonometric functions of an angle. The sine and cosine of an acute angle are defined in the context of a right triangle: for the specified angle, its sine is the ratio of the length of the side opposite th ...
.
Yoruba
*
Oshun
Oshun (also Ọṣun, Ochún, and Oxúm) is the Yoruba orisha associated with love, sexuality, fertility, femininity, water, destiny, divination, purity, and beauty, and the Osun River, and of wealth and prosperity in the Yoruba religion. Sh ...
, an orisha of fresh "sweet" waters and the Osun River.
* Olokun, an ocean orisha. In Yoruba Mythology he was the god of all waters.
* Yemoja, originally the orisha of the Ogun River (largest river in Yoruba land) but became the orisha over the sea waves by way of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. Originally was the metaphysical mother of all the Orishas. In some traditional-myths she is the co-creator of humans with Obatala.
* Olosa, wife of Olokun, orisha over lagoons.
* Oya, orisha of storms and the Niger River.
* Oba, orisha of the Oba River.
* Yewa, orisha of the Yewa River.
* Otin, orisha of the Otin River.
*Yemoo, original wife of Obatala and orisha over waters and maternity. Said to be the original form of most female water orishas
Gonggong
Gonggong () is a Chinese water god who is depicted in Chinese mythology and folktales as having a copper human head with an iron forehead, red hair, and the body of a serpent, or sometimes the head and torso are human, with the tail of a serpen ...
, red-haired dragon with the head of a man and water god who, together with his associate Xiang Yao, is responsible for the great floods.
* Hebo, god of the
Yellow River
The Yellow River, also known as Huanghe, is the second-longest river in China and the List of rivers by length, sixth-longest river system on Earth, with an estimated length of and a Drainage basin, watershed of . Beginning in the Bayan H ...
.
* Longmu, goddess of the Xijiang River in the Lingnan area.
*
Mazu
Mazu or Matsu is a sea goddess in Chinese folk religion, Chinese Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. She is also known by several other names and titles. Mazu is the deified form of Lin Moniang (), a shamaness from Fujian who is said to ...
, goddess of the sea and protector of seafarers.
* Shuimu, goddess of the water.
* Shui Wei Niang, goddess of the water.
* Shuidexianjun (水德星君)
* Tam Kung, sea deity worshiped in Hong Kong and Macau with the ability to forecast weather.
* Honorable Kings of the Water Immortals (''Shuixian Zunwang'').
**Han Ao or
Lu Ban
Lu Ban (–444BC). was a Chinese architect or master carpenter, structural engineer, and inventor, during the Zhou Dynasty. He is revered as the Chinese Deity (Patron) of builders and contractors.
Life
Lu Ban was born in the state of Lu; a fe ...
, the inventors.
**
Qu Yuan
Qu Yuan ( – 278 BC) was a Chinese poet and aristocrat in the State of Chu during the Warring States period. He is known for his patriotism and contributions to classical poetry and verses, especially through the poems of the '' ...
,
Wu Zixu
:''Note: names are in simplified characters followed by traditional and Pinyin transliteration.''
Wu Yun (died 484 BC), better known by his courtesy name Zixu, was a Chinese military general and politician of the Wu (state), Wu kingdom in the Spr ...
, and
Xiang Yu
Xiang Yu (), born Xiang Ji, was a Chinese warlord who founded and led the short-lived ancient Chinese states, kingdom-state of Western Chu during the interregnum period between the Qin dynasty, Qin and Han dynasty, Han dynasties of China, d ...
, famous suicides lost in rivers.
**
Yu the Great
Yu the Great or Yu the Engineer was a legendary king in ancient China who was credited with "the first successful state efforts at flood control", his establishment of the Xia dynasty, which inaugurated Dynasties in Chinese history, dynastic ru ...
, tamer of China's Great Flood.
*
Dragon King
The Dragon King, also known as the Dragon God, is a Chinese water and weather god. He is regarded as the dispenser of rain, commanding over all bodies of water. He is the collective personification of the ancient concept of the '' lóng'' in ...
s of the Four Seas.
** Ao Kuang, Dragon King of the Eastern Sea.
** Ao Qin, Dragon King of the Southern Sea.
** Ao Run, Dragon King of the Western Sea.
** Ao Shun, Dragon King of the Northern Sea.
Japanese
* Ebisu, god of fortunes and fishery, often being referred to marine
megafauna
In zoology, megafauna (from Ancient Greek, Greek μέγας ''megas'' "large" and Neo-Latin ''fauna'' "animal life") are large animals. The precise definition of the term varies widely, though a common threshold is approximately , this lower en ...
s such as whales and
whale shark
The whale shark (''Rhincodon typus'') is a slow-moving, filter feeder, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known Extant taxon, extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of . The whale shark holds many records for ...
s (hence being also called "Ebisu-shark").
*Hanzaki Daimyojin, gigantic
Japanese giant salamander
The Japanese giant salamander (''Andrias japonicus'') is a species of fully aquatic giant salamander endemic to Japan, occurring across the western portion of the main island of Honshu, with smaller populations present on Shikoku and in northe ...
Japanese dragon
Japanese dragons (, ''Nihon no ryū'') are diverse legendary creatures in Japanese mythology and folklore. Japanese dragon myths amalgamate native legends with imported stories about dragons from China, Korea and the Indian subcontinent. The ...
and sea god.
* Ōyamatsumi, god of mountains, sea and war.
* Ryūjin or Watatsumi, Japanese dragon and tutelary deity of the sea.
* Suijin,
Shinto
, also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...
Susanoo
__FORCETOC__
Susanoo (, ; historical orthography: , ), often referred to by the honorific title Susanoo-no-Mikoto (), is a in Japanese mythology. The younger brother of Amaterasu, goddess of the sun and mythical ancestress of the Japanese im ...
, Shinto god of storms and the sea.
* Watatsumi, dragon king and ocean god.
*
Yamata no Orochi
Yamata no Orochi (ヤマタノオロチ, also written as 八岐大蛇, 八俣遠呂智 or 八俣遠呂知) is a legendary eight-headed and eight-tailed serpent that appears in Japanese mythology. Both the ''Kojiki'' and ''Nihon Shoki'' record the ...
, serpentine monster but also regarded as an incarnation of violent river.
Ainu
* Amemasu, monster in the lakes.
* Rep-un-kamuy, god of the sea, often referring to
orca
The orca (''Orcinus orca''), or killer whale, is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. The only extant species in the genus '' Orcinus'', it is recognizable by its black-and-white-patterned body. A cosmopol ...
.
Korean
*
Imoogi
Korean dragons () are legendary creatures in Korean mythology and folklore. It is also called ''Mir'' or ''Miri'' in Native Korean.
In Korean mythology and culture
Whereas most European dragon, dragons in European mythology are linked to the el ...
or Imugi, giant serpents of Korean folklore which later become true dragons.
* King Munmu, a king who wished to become a dragon before his death to protect Korea from the
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it ...
.
* Yongwang, an undersea deity believed to determine the fortunes of fishermen and sailors.
South Asia
Hindu
In Hindu culture, each water body is worshipped as a form of God. Hence, the rivers are worshipped as goddesses and the ocean is worshipped as a god.
* Ap, group of water goddesses.
*
Matsya
Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...
, avatar of
Vishnu
Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...
in piscine form
*
Apam Napat
Apam Napat is a deity in the Indo-Iranian pantheon associated with water. His names in the Vedas, ''Apām Napāt'', and in Zoroastrianism, ''Apąm Napāt'', mean "child of the waters" in Sanskrit and Avestan respectively. '' Napāt'' ("grands ...
, god of fresh water, such as in rivers and lakes.
* Danu, goddess of primordial waters, mother of
Vritra
Vritra (, , ) is a danava in Hinduism. He serves as the personification of drought, and is an adversary of the king of the devas, Indra. As a danava, he belongs to the race of the asuras. Vritra is also known in the Vedas as Ahi ( ). He appe ...
and the
Danavas
In Hindu mythology, the danavas are a race descending from Kashyapa and his wife Danu, a daughter of the progenitor god, Daksha. It is mentioned that there are one hundred danavas.
Origin
The danavas are a mythological race of asuras, the ...
.
*
Makara
Makara () is a legendary sea-creature in Hindu mythology. In Hindu astrology, Makara is equivalent to the Zodiac sign Capricorn.
Makara appears as the vahana (vehicle) of the river goddess Ganga, Narmada, and of the god of the ocean, Varun ...
, mystical creature of waters.
*
Varuna
Varuna (; , ) is a Hindu god. He is one of the earliest deities in pantheon, whose role underwent a significant transformation from the Vedic to the Puranic periods. In the early Vedic era, Varuna is seen as the god-sovereign, ruling the sky ...
, the God of the ocean and rains and water.
*
Indra
Indra (; ) is the Hindu god of weather, considered the king of the Deva (Hinduism), Devas and Svarga in Hinduism. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes
Indra is the m ...
, King of the Gods, God of weather, and bringer of rain, thunderstorms and clouds.
* Saptasindhu, the seven holy rivers of India, namely:
**
Ganga
The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary riv ...
, the Goddess of the Ganges River.
**
Yamuna
The Yamuna (; ) is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of Bandarpunch peaks of the Low ...
, the Goddess of the Yamuna River.
**
Saraswati
Saraswati (, ), also spelled as Sarasvati, is one of the principal Devi, goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of knowledge, education, learning, arts, speech, poetry, music, purification, language and culture. Together with the godde ...
, the divine Goddess of knowledge and wisdom who was personified as a river that dried up in ancient times.
**
Indus
The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans- Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in the Western Tibet region of China, flows northwest through the dis ...
, also called Sindhu. The river is considered the eldest daughter of the Himalaya mountains.
**
Narmada
The Narmada River, previously also known as ''Narbada'' or anglicised as ''Nerbudda'', is the 5th longest river in India and overall the longest west-flowing river in the country. It is also the largest flowing river in the state of Madhya Prade ...
, the river Goddess often worshipped as a deity and daughter of Lord
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 ...
.
**
Godavari
The Godavari (, �od̪aːʋəɾiː is India's second longest river after the Ganga River and drains the third largest basin in India, covering about 10% of India's total geographical area. Its source is in Trimbakeshwar, Nashik, Maharash ...
, the longest river of South India. The river is also considered as Dakshina Ganga aka South(ern) Ganga.
**
Kaveri
The Kaveri (also known as Cauvery) is a Rivers of India, major river flowing across Southern India. It is the third largest river in the region after Godavari River, Godavari and Krishna River, Krishna.
The catchment area of the Kaveri basin i ...
, a river of South India, worshipped by people as a goddess who was previously incarnated as
Lopamudra
Lopamudra, also known as Kaveri, Kaushitaki and Varaprada, was a philosopher according to ancient Vedic Indian literature. She was the wife of the sage Agastya who is believed to have lived in the Rigveda period (1950 BC-1100 BC) as many hymns ...
, the wife of Sage
Agastya
Agastya was a revered Indian sage of Hinduism. In the Indian tradition, he is a noted recluse and an influential scholar in diverse languages of the Indian subcontinent. He is regarded in some traditions to be a Chiranjivi. He and his wife ...
.
*Rivers such as Tapi, also known as Tapati, is worshipped as a daughter of the sun god,
Surya
Surya ( ; , ) is the Sun#Dalal, Dalal, p. 399 as well as the solar deity in Hinduism. He is traditionally one of the major five deities in the Smarta tradition, Smarta tradition, all of whom are considered as equivalent deities in the Panchaya ...
.
*The river
Krishna
Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...
, worshipped as Krishnaveni Devi/Krishna Mai, is considered to be Lord
Vishnu
Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...
born as a river.
*
Tungabhadra
The Tungabhadra River () starts and flows through the state of Karnataka, India, for most of its course, then through Andhra Pradesh where it ultimately joins the Krishna River near Murvakonda.
The Tungabhadra derives its name from two strea ...
, a tributary of Krishna, is worshipped as a goddess. The river is also known as Pampa.
*
Pamba River
The Pamba River (also called Pampa River) is the longest river in the Indian state of Kerala after Periyar (river), Periyar and Bharathappuzha, and the longest river in the erstwhile former princely state of Travancore. The Sabarimala Temple, d ...
River
A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
flowing past the holy temple towns of
Sabarimala
The Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple () is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Ayyappan, who is also known as Dharma Shasta and is the son of the deities Shiva and Mohini (female avatar of the god Vishnu).
The temple is situated atop th ...
in Kerala and
Tirupati
Tirupati () is a city in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Andhra Pradesh and serves as the administrative headquarters of Tirupati district. It is known for its significant religious and cultural heritage, being home to th ...
and
Srikalahasti
Srikalahasti is a town in Tirupati district located in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality and the revenue division of Srikalahasti mandal and Srikalahasti revenue division. It is a part of the Tirupati Urban Development Au ...
in Andhra Pradesh, respectively.
*The river
Brahmaputra
The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Southwestern China, Northeastern India, and Bangladesh. It is known as Brahmaputra or Luit in Assamese, Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibetan, the Siang/Dihang River in Arunachali, and ...
is the only river to have a male personification, whose name means "son of Brahma", the creator.
*
Mariamman
Mariamman, often abbreviated to Amman (), is a Hindu Dravidian folk religion List of rain deities, goddess of weather, predominantly venerated in the rural areas of South India. Her festivals are held during the late summer/early autumn season ...
, regional goddess of the rain and medicine
Meitei
*
Wangbren
Wangpulen is the god of water, rain, flood, disease and sickness in Meitei mythology and Sanamahism.
He is the ruler of the underwater world. He is the Lord of the rivers. The guardianship of the south eastern direction is alluded to Wangbren a ...
, the Sea God who holds storm, rain and disaster .
*
Poubi Lai
Poubi Lai was an ancient dragon python, who dwelled in the Loktak Lake of Manipur, in Meitei mythology and folklore. It is also referred to as ''"Loch Ness Monster of Manipur"''.
Mythology
In the Loktak lake, the spirit of Poubi Lai was aw ...
, the giant dragon who ruled its tyranny in the Loktak lake.
* Irai Leima, the Goddess of water and aquatic life.
* Ngāreima, goddess of fish
* Thongjarok Lairembi of Thongjaorok River
* Iril Lairembi of Iril River
* Imphal Turel Lairembi of Imphal River
* Kongba Turel Lairembi of Kongba River
* Loktak Ima of Loktak Lake
* Pumlenpat Lairembi of Pumlenpat Lake
Southeast Asia
Filipino
*Sirinan: the Isnag spirit of the river
*Limat: the Gaddang god of the sea
*Oden: the Bugkalot deity of the rain, worshiped for its life-giving waters
*Ocean Deity: the Ilocano goddess of the ocean whose waters slammed the ediface of salt being built by Ang-ngalo and Asin, causing the sea's water to become salty
*Gods of the Pistay Dayat: Pangasinense gods who are pacified through the Pistay Dayat ritual, where offerings are given to the spirits of the waters who pacify the gods
*Anitun Tauo: the Sambal goddess of win and rain who was reduced in rank by Malayari for her conceit
*Sedsed: the Aeta god of the sea
*Apûng Malyari: the Kapampangan moon god who lives in Mt. Pinatubo and ruler of the eight rivers
*Lakandanum: variant of the Kapampangan Naga, known to rule the waters
*
Bathala
In the indigenous religion of the ancient Tagalogs, Bathalà/Maykapál was the transcendent Supreme God, the originator and ruler of the universe. He is commonly known and referred to in the modern era as Bathalà, a term or title which, in ...
: the Tagalog supreme god and creator deity, also known as Bathala Maykapal, Lumilikha, and Abba; an enormous being with control over thunder, lightning, flood, fire, thunder, and earthquakes; presides over lesser deities and uses spirits to intercede between divinities and mortals
*Anitun Tabu: the Tagalog goddess of wind and rain and daughter of Idianale and Dumangan
*Lakapati: the Tagalog hermaphrodite deity and protector of sown fields, sufficient field waters, and abundant fish catch
*Amanikable: the Tagalog god of the sea who was spurned by the first mortal woman; also a god of hunters
*Amansinaya: the Tagalog goddess of fishermen
*Haik: the Tagalog god of the sea who protects travelers from tempests and storms
*Bulan-hari: one of the Tagalog deities sent by Bathala to aid the people of Pinak; can command rain to fall; married to Bitu-in
*Makapulaw: the Tagalog god of sailors
*Great Serpent of Pasig: a giant Tagalog serpent who created the Pasig river after merchants wished to the deity; in exchange for the Pasig's creation, the souls of the merchants would be owned by the serpent
*Quadruple Deities: the four childless naked Tau-buid Mangyan deities, composed of two gods who come from the sun and two goddesses who come from the upper part of the river; summoned using the paragayan or diolang plates
*Afo Sapa: the Buhid Mangyan owner of rivers
*Apu Dandum: the Hanunoo Mangyan spirit living in the water
*Tubigan: the Bicolano god of the water
*Dagat: the Bicolano goddess of the sea
*Bulan: the Bicolano moon god whose arm became the earth, and whose tears became the rivers and seas
*Magindang: the Bicolano god of fishing who leads fishermen in getting a good fish catch through sounds and signs
*Onos: the Bicolano deity who freed the great flood that changed the land's features
*Hamorawan Lady: the Waray deity of the Hamorawan spring in Borongan, who blesses the waters with healing properties
*Maka-andog: an epic Waray giant-hero who was friends with the sea spirits and controlled wildlife and fish; first inhabitant and ruler of Samar who lived for five centuries; later immortalized as a deity of fishing
*Maguayan: the Bisaya god who rules over the waters as his kingdom; father of Lidagat; brother of Kaptan
*Maguyaen: the Bisaya goddess of the winds of the sea
*Magauayan: the Bisaya sea deity who fought against Kaptan for eons until Manaul intervened
*Lidagat: the Bisaya sea deity married to the wind; daughter of Maguayan
*Bakunawa: the Bisaya serpent deity who can coil around the world; sought to swallow the seven "Queen" moons, successfully eating the six, where the last is guarded by bamboos
*Makilum-sa-tubig: the Bisaya god of the sea
*Kasaray-sarayan-sa-silgan: the Bisaya god of streams
*Magdan-durunoon: the Bisaya god of hidden lakes
*Santonilyo: a Bisaya deity who brings rain when its image is immersed at sea
*Magyawan: the Hiligaynon god of the sea
*Manunubo: the Hiligaynon and Aklanon good spirit of the sea
*Launsina: the Capiznon goddess of the sun, moon, stars, and seas, and the most beloved because people seek forgiveness from her
*Kapapu-an: the Karay-a pantheon of ancestral spirits from whom the supernatural powers of shamans originated from; their aid enables specific types of shamans to gush water from rocks, leap far distances, create oil shields, become invisible, or pass through solid matter
*Neguno: the Cuyonon and Agutaynen god of the sea that cursed a selfish man by turning him into the first shark
*Polo: the benevolent Tagbanwa god of the sea whose help is invoked during times of illness
*Diwata Kat Sidpan: a deity who lives in the western region called Sidpan; controls the rains
*Diwata Kat Libatan: a deity who lives in the eastern region called Babatan; controls the rain
*Tagma-sa-Dagat: the Subanon god of the sea
*Tagma-sa-uba: the Subanon god of the rivers
*Diwata na Magbabaya: simply referred as Magbabaya; the good Bukidnon supreme deity and supreme planner who looks like a man; created the earth and the first eight elements, namely bronze, gold, coins, rock, clouds, rain, iron, and water; using the elements, he also created the sea, sky, moon, and stars; also known as the pure god who wills all things; one of three deities living in the realm called Banting
*Dadanhayan ha Sugay: the evil Bukidnon lord from whom permission is asked; depicted as the evil deity with a human body and ten heads that continuously drools sticky saliva, which is the source of all waters; one of the three deities living in the realm called Banting
*Bulalakaw: the Bukidnon guardian of the water and all the creatures living in it
*Python of Pusod Hu Dagat: the gigantic Bukidnon python living at the center of the sea; caused a massive flood when it coiled its body at sea
*Bulalakaw: the Talaandig deity who safeguards the creatures in the rivers; the lalayon ritual is offered to the deity
*Tagbanua: the Manobo god of rain
*Yumud: the god of water
*Pamulak Manobo: the Bagobo supreme deity and creator of the world, including the land, sea, and the first humans; throws water from the sky, causing rain, while his spit are the showers
*Eels of Mount Apo: two giant Bagobo eels, where one went east and arrived at sea, begetting all the eels of the world; the other went west, and remained on land until it died and became the western foothills of Mount Apo
*Fon Eel: the Blaan spirit of water
*Fu El: the T'boli spirit of water
*Fu El Melel: the T'boli spirit of the river
*Segoyong: the Teduray guardians of the classes of natural phenomena; punishes humans to do not show respect and steal their wards; many of them specialize in a class, which can be water, trees, grasses, caves behind waterfalls, land caves, snakes, fire, nunuk trees, deers, and pigs
*Tunung: the Maguindanao spirits who live in the sky, water, mountain, or trees; listens to prayers and can converse with humans by borrowing the voice of a medium; protects humans from sickness and crops from pests
*Tonong: divine Maranao spirits who often aid heroes; often lives in nonok trees, seas, lakes, and the sky realm
*Umboh Tuhan: also called Umboh Dilaut, the Sama-Bajau god of the sea and one of the two supreme deities; married to Dayang Dayang Mangilai
*Umboh Kamun: the Sama-Bajau totem of mantis shrimp
*Sumangâ: the Sama-Bajau spirit of sea vessels; the guardian who deflects attacks
Indonesian
* Dewi Danu, Balinese Hindu water goddess.
* Dewi Lanjar, Javanese Queen of the North Sea.
* Nyai Roro Kidul, Javanese Queen of the South Sea (Indian Ocean).
Cambodia
* Yeay Mao, a neak ta divinity in Khmer Buddhism that is the patron guardian of sailors, travelers, and hunters.
Kinh Dương Vương
Kinh Dương Vương (chữ Hán: 涇陽王; "King of Kinh Dương") is a legendary ancient Vietnamese figure, mentioned in the 15th-century work ''Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư'' by having unified all the tribes within his territory into on ...
's father-in-law, grandfather of Lạc Long Quân, he was a Long Vương who lived in Dongting Lake.
* Lạc Long Quân, he is the ancestor of the Vietnamese people and is also one of the top Long Vươngs under the Water Palace.
* Bát Hải Long Vương or Vua Cha Bát Hải Động Đình, he is a Long Vương and also the father of
Mẫu Thoải
Mẫu Thoải (Chữ Hán: 母水, or Thủy Cung Thánh Mẫu (Chữ Hán: ) is a goddess in Vietnamese non-Buddhist Vietnamese folk religion, traditional religion. The goddess features in Chầu văn religious ceremonies and music.
She presides ...
. He is the son of Lạc Long Quân and one of the heads of the Water Palace.
* Đông Hải Long Vương, was the 25th son of Lạc Long Quân and Âu Cơ who ruled the whole Bồ Sào region, ruled the Red River, gathered people scattered because of floods to re-explore the hamlets, and kept quiet villages throughout the delta form Ngã ba Hạc to the sea estuary.
*
Mẫu Thoải
Mẫu Thoải (Chữ Hán: 母水, or Thủy Cung Thánh Mẫu (Chữ Hán: ) is a goddess in Vietnamese non-Buddhist Vietnamese folk religion, traditional religion. The goddess features in Chầu văn religious ceremonies and music.
She presides ...
, the head goddess of all rivers, lakes and seas. She governs water and all things related to water.
* Long Vương, the Long Vương is a common name for the gods who rule over the sea and ocean.
* Tô Lịch Giang Thần, god of Tô Lịch River.
* Hà Bá, the god who manages the rivers (note that each river has its own governing god, and each person's power may be less or more powerful than Hà Bá).
* Bà Thủy, goddess has the same function as Hà Bá
* Cá Ông, this god often appears in the form of large fish (such as whales, dolphins, sperm whales,...) to help ships that have accidents due to weather at sea.
* Độc Cước, god of protection for the people of the sea.
* Thuồng Luồng or Giao Long, They can be water monsters, they can also be water gods.
Western Asia and Central Asia
Armenian
*
Astłik
Astłik or Astghik () a prominent goddess in ancient Armenian mythology, is revered as the embodiment of beauty, love, fertility, and water. Celebrated for her celestial beauty, she was a key figure in Armenian religious practices. Astghik is a ...
, goddess of water sources.
* Tsovinar, goddess of seas and storms.
Canaanite
*
Yam (god)
Yam (sometimes Yamm; ; “sea”) was a god representing the sea and other sources of water worshiped in various locations on the eastern Mediterranean coast, as well as further inland in modern Syria. He is best known from the Ugaritic texts. ...
, god of the sea.
*
Asherah
Asherah (; ; ; ; Qatabanian language, Qatabanian: ') was a goddess in ancient Semitic religions. She also appears in Hittites, Hittite writings as ''Ašerdu(š)'' or ''Ašertu(š)'' (), and as Athirat in Ugarit. Some scholars hold that Ashera ...
(
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some faiths, a sacred female figure holds a central place in religious prayer and worship. For example, Shaktism (one of the three major Hinduism, Hindu sects), holds that the ultimate deity, the source of all re ...
), goddess of water, fertility, mother goddess, queen of gods and heaven.
*
Atargatis
Atargatis (known as Derceto by the Greeks) was the chief goddess of northern Syria in Classical antiquity. Primarily she was a fertility goddess, but, as the ''baalat'' ("mistress") of her city and people she was also responsible for their prot ...
, fertility goddess tied to fish and identified with a mermaid figure.
* Marah, goddess of water, Anat's twin sister being described as benevolent.
Hebrew
*
Leviathan
Leviathan ( ; ; ) is a sea serpent demon noted in theology and mythology. It is referenced in several books of the Hebrew Bible, including Psalms, the Book of Job, the Book of Isaiah, and the pseudepigraphical Book of Enoch. Leviathan is of ...
Abzu
Abzû or Apsû ( Sumerian: ; Akkadian: ), also called (Cuneiform:, ; Sumerian: ; Akkadian: – recorded in Greek as ), is the name for fresh water from underground aquifers which was given a religious fertilising quality in ancie ...
, god of fresh water, father of all other gods.
* Enbilulu, god of rivers and canals.
*
Enki
Enki ( ) is the Sumerian god of water, knowledge ('' gestú''), crafts (''gašam''), and creation (''nudimmud''), and one of the Anunnaki. He was later known as Ea () or Ae p. 324, note 27. in Akkadian (Assyrian-Babylonian) religion, and ...
, god of water and of the river
Tigris
The Tigris ( ; see #Etymology, below) is the eastern of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through the Syrian Desert, Syrian and Arabia ...
Marduk
Marduk (; cuneiform: Dingir, ᵈAMAR.UTU; Sumerian language, Sumerian: "calf of the sun; solar calf"; ) is a god from ancient Mesopotamia and patron deity of Babylon who eventually rose to prominence in the 1st millennium BC. In B ...
.
*
Marduk
Marduk (; cuneiform: Dingir, ᵈAMAR.UTU; Sumerian language, Sumerian: "calf of the sun; solar calf"; ) is a god from ancient Mesopotamia and patron deity of Babylon who eventually rose to prominence in the 1st millennium BC. In B ...
, god associated with water, vegetation, judgment, and magic.
* Nammu, goddess of the primeval sea.
* Nanshe, goddess of the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...
, justice, prophecy, fertility and fishing.
*
Tiamat
In Mesopotamian religion, Tiamat ( or , ) is the primordial sea, mating with Abzû (Apsu), the groundwater, to produce the gods in the Babylonian epic '' Enûma Elish'', which translates as "when on high". She is referred to as a woman, an ...
, goddess of salt water and chaos, also mother of all gods.
* Sirsir, god of mariners.
* Ahurani, Ahurani is a water goddess from ancient Persian mythology who watches over rainfall as well as standing water.
*
Anahita
Anahita is the Old Persian form of the name of an Iranian goddess and appears in complete and earlier form as ('), the Avestan name of an Indo-Iranian cosmological figure venerated as the divinity of "the Waters" ( Aban) and hence associat ...
, the divinity of "the Waters" (
Aban
Apas (, ) is the Avestan language term for "the waters", which, in its innumerable aggregate states, is represented by the Apas, the hypostases of the waters.
''Āb'' (plural ''Ābān'') is the Middle Persian-language form.
Introduction
"To t ...
) and associated with fertility, healing, and wisdom.
*
Apam Napat
Apam Napat is a deity in the Indo-Iranian pantheon associated with water. His names in the Vedas, ''Apām Napāt'', and in Zoroastrianism, ''Apąm Napāt'', mean "child of the waters" in Sanskrit and Avestan respectively. '' Napāt'' ("grands ...
, the divinity of rain and the maintainer of order.
*
Haurvatat
Haurvatat (Help:IPA/English, /ˈhəʊrvətət/; ) is the Avestan language word for the Zoroastrianism, Zoroastrian concept of "wholeness" or "perfection."
In post-Gathic Zoroastrianism, Haurvatat was the Amesha Spenta associated with water (''c ...
, the
Amesha Spenta
In Zoroastrianism, the Amesha Spenta (—literally "Immortal (which is) holy/bounteous/furthering") are a class of seven divine entities emanating from Ahura Mazda, the highest divinity of the religion. Later Middle Persian variations of the ter ...
associated with water, prosperity, and health in post-Gathic Zoroastrianism.
*
Tishtrya
Tishtrya (; ) is the Avestan name of a Zoroastrian benevolent divinity associated with life-bringing rainfall and fertility. Tishtrya is Tir in Middle- and Modern Persian. As has been judged from the archaic context in which Tishtrya appears in t ...
,
Zoroastrian
Zoroastrianism ( ), also called Mazdayasnā () or Beh-dīn (), is an Iranian religion centred on the Avesta and the teachings of Zarathushtra Spitama, who is more commonly referred to by the Greek translation, Zoroaster ( ). Among the wo ...
benevolent divinity associated with life-bringing rainfall and fertility.
Tangaroa
Tangaroa (Māori; Takaroa in the South Island dialect; cognate with Tagaloa in Sāmoan) is the great atua of the sea, lakes, rivers, and creatures that live within them, especially fish, in Māori mythology. As Tangaroa-whakamau-tai, he exercis ...
, god of the ocean and magics and underworld with forms of
cephalopod
A cephalopod is any member of the molluscan Taxonomic rank, class Cephalopoda (Greek language, Greek plural , ; "head-feet") such as a squid, octopus, cuttlefish, or nautilus. These exclusively marine animals are characterized by bilateral symm ...
.
* Nāmaka, sea goddess.
* Nanaue, another shark god.
* Ukupanipo, shark god who controls the amount of fish close enough for the fisherman to catch.
Māori
* Ikatere, a fish god, the father of all the sea creatures including mermaids.
* Kiwa, a guardian of the sea.
* Rongomai, a whale god.
* Ruahine, an eel god.
* Taniwha, deities or
monster
A monster is a type of imaginary or fictional creature found in literature, folklore, mythology, fiction and religion. They are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive, with a strange or grotesque appearance that causes Anxiety, terror ...
s (often take forms resembling dragons).
*
Tangaroa
Tangaroa (Māori; Takaroa in the South Island dialect; cognate with Tagaloa in Sāmoan) is the great atua of the sea, lakes, rivers, and creatures that live within them, especially fish, in Māori mythology. As Tangaroa-whakamau-tai, he exercis ...
, god of the sea.
* Tawhirimātea, god of the weather, rain, storms and wind
* Tinirau, a guardian of the sea.
* Tohora ( Maori name for
southern right whale
The southern right whale (''Eubalaena australis'') is a baleen whale, one of three species classified as right whales belonging to the genus ''Eubalaena''. Southern right whales inhabit oceans south of the Equator, between the latitudes of 20� ...
s), the great whale who saved legendary hero Paikea, famously known as the
Whale Rider
''Whale Rider'' is a 2002 New Zealand drama film written and directed by Niki Caro. Based on the 1987 novel '' The Whale Rider'' by Witi Ihimaera, the film stars Keisha Castle-Hughes as Kahu Paikea Apirana, a twelve-year-old Māori girl whos ...
, (also the Maori name for
humpback whale
The humpback whale (''Megaptera novaeangliae'') is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the monotypic taxon, only species in the genus ''Megaptera''. Adults range in length from and weigh u ...
s) from drowning and carried him to land. This led to the creation of New Zealand.
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, t ...
.
* Ayida-Weddo, serpentine spirit among several island nations.
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands whose total land area is approximately . The Cook Islands' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers of ocean. Avarua is its ...
*Tangaroa, God of the Ocean and Seas
*Momoke, fair maidens, said to be water spirits with skin as pale as milk. These 'white ones' approach those on land during the night, emerging from deep pools of water to collect food or to seduce men before returning to the water depths. It is said that the Momoke come from an underwater nation, though some have said that this watery kingdom is also 'Avaiki'; paradise, heaven and the source of all of creation.
Rainbow Serpent
The Rainbow Serpent or Rainbow Snake is a common deity often seen as the Creator deity, creator God, known by numerous names in different Australian Aboriginal languages by the many List of Australian Aboriginal group names, different Aborigina ...
s, creators of
dreamtime
The Dreaming, also referred to as Dreamtime, is a term devised by early anthropologists to refer to a religio-cultural worldview attributed to Australian Aboriginal religion and mythology, Australian Aboriginal mythology. It was originally u ...
.
* Ungud, serpent god bring fortunes.
* Wirnpa, creator of rain.
* Yurlungur, the copper serpent.
Europe
Baltic
Lithuanian
* Bangpūtys, god of sea and storm.
* Laumė, goddess of wild spaces, including waters.
Celtic
* Belisama, goddess of lakes and rivers, fire, crafts, and light.
* Grannus, a god associated with spas, the sun, fires and healing thermal and mineral springs.
* Nantosuelta, river goddess of fire, the earth, healing, and fertility.
*
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.
* Damona, water goddess associated with healing and rivers
*
Selkie
Selkies are mythological creatures that can shapeshift between seal and human forms by removing or putting on their seal skin. They feature prominently in the oral traditions and mythology of various cultures, especially those of Celtic and ...
genius loci
In classical Roman religion, a ''genius loci'' (: ''genii locorum'') was the protective spirit of a place. It was often depicted in religious iconography as a figure holding attributes such as a cornucopia, patera (libation bowl), or snake. Man ...
Essonne
Essonne () is a department in the southern part of the Île-de-France region in Northern France. It is named after the river Essonne. In 2019, it had a population of 1,301,659, across 194 communes.Condatis, god of the
River Wear
The River Wear (, ) in Northern England rises in the Pennines and flows eastwards, mostly through County Durham, to the North Sea in the City of Sunderland. At long, it is one of the region's longest rivers. The Wear wends in a steep valley t ...
and healing.
* Segeta, goddess of the
Loire
The Loire ( , , ; ; ; ; ) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône.
It rises in the so ...
.
*
Sequana
In Gallo-Roman religion, Sequana is the goddess of the river Seine, particularly the Spring (hydrology), springs at the Source-Seine#Geography, source of the Seine. Although the origins of the goddess are Celtic, Sequana was subsequently integrate ...
, goddess of the
River Seine
The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern France. Its drainage basin is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine, northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres p ...
Saône
The Saône ( , ; ; ) is a river in eastern France (modern Regions of France, region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté). It is a right tributary of the Rhône, rising at Vioménil in the Vosges (department), Vosges Departments of France, department an ...
.
* Sirona, a goddess associated with healing springs.
Irish
*
Brigid
Brigid or Brigit ( , ; meaning 'exalted one'),Campbell, MikBehind the Name.See also Xavier Delamarre, ''brigantion / brigant-'', in ''Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise'' (Éditions Errance, 2003) pp. 87–88: "Le nom de la sainte irlandaise ''B ...
, a goddess sometimes associated with water and where three streams join (relating to her being a
Triple Goddess
A triple deity is a deity with three apparent forms that function as a singular whole. Such deities may sometimes be referred to as threefold, tripled, triplicate, tripartite, triune, triadic, or as a trinity. The number three has a long history ...
).
*
Boann
Boann or Boand is the Irish mythology, Irish goddess of the River Boyne (''Bóinn''), an important river in Ireland's historical province of Kingdom of Meath, Meath. According to the ''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' and ''Táin Bó Fraích'' she was th ...
, goddess of the
River Boyne
The River Boyne ( or ''Abhainn na Bóinne'') is a river in Leinster, Ireland, the course of which is about long. It rises at Trinity Well, Newberry Hall, near Carbury, County Kildare, and flows north-east through County Meath to reach the ...
.
* Danu (Dana), Continental Celtic river goddess. Her Irish variation was an ancestor/mother goddess.
*
Manannán mac Lir
or , also known as ('son of the Sea'), is a Water deity, sea god, warrior, and king of the Tír na nÓg, otherworld in Irish mythology, Gaelic (Irish, Manx, and Scottish) mythology who is one of the .
He is seen as a ruler and guardian of t ...
Lir
Lir or Ler (meaning "Sea" in Old Irish; ''Ler'' and ''Lir'' are the nominative and genitive forms, respectively) is a sea god in Irish mythology. His name suggests that he is a personification of the sea, rather than a distinct deity. He is na ...
River Shannon
The River Shannon ( or archaic ') is the major river on the island of Ireland, and at in length, is the longest river in the British Isles. It drains the Shannon River Basin, which has an area of , – approximately one fifth of the area of I ...
Llŷr
Llŷr ( (); meaning 'half-speech' or 'half-language') is a figure in Welsh mythology, probably originally a deity, probably derived from Irish Ler ('the Sea'), father of ''Manannán mac Lir''. Other than his progeny and odd tidbits, his identit ...
, god of the sea.
Lusitanian
* Bandua, theonym associated with fountains.
* Duberdicus, god of the sea and rivers.
* Durius, personification of the
Douro
The Douro (, , , ; ; ) is the largest river of the Iberian Peninsula by discharge. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in the Spanish Soria Province, province of Soria, meanders briefly south, then flows generally west through the northern par ...
river.
Germanic
Ancient
*
Ægir
Ægir (anglicised as Aegir; Old Norse 'sea'), Hlér (Old Norse 'sea'), or Gymir (Old Norse less clearly 'sea, engulfer'), is a jötunn and a anthropomorphism, personification of the sea in Norse mythology. In the Old Norse record, Ægir hosts the ...
, personification of the sea.
*
Freyr
Freyr (Old Norse: 'Lord'), sometimes anglicized as Frey, is a widely attested Æsir, god in Norse mythology, associated with kingship, fertility, peace, prosperity, fair weather, and good harvest. Freyr, sometimes referred to as Yngvi-Freyr, was ...
, god of rain, sunlight, fertility, life, and summer.
*
Nehalennia
Nehalennia (also Nehalenia, Nehalaenniae, Nehalaenia) is a tutelary goddess who was worshipped in 2nd- and 3rd-centuryLendering (2006). Gallia Belgica by travelers, especially sailors and traders, at the mouth of the Scheldt. Her origin is un ...
, goddess of the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...
.
*
Nerthus
In Germanic paganism, Nerthus is a goddess associated with a ceremonial wagon procession. Nerthus is attested by first century A.D. Roman historian Tacitus in his ethnographic work ''Germania''.
In ''Germania'', Tacitus records that a group of G ...
, mostly an earth goddess, but is also associated with lakes, springs, and holy waters.
* Nine Daughters of Ægir, who personify the characteristics of waves.
* Nix, water spirits who usually appear in human form.
*
Njörðr
In Norse mythology, Njörðr (Old Norse: ) is a god among the Vanir. Njörðr, father of the deities Freyr and Freyja by Sister-wife of Njörðr, his unnamed sister, was in an ill-fated marriage with the goddess Skaði, lives in Nóatún (myth ...
, god of the sea, particularly of
seafaring
Seamanship is the skill, art, competence (human resources), competence, and knowledge of operating a ship, boat or other craft on water. The'' Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford Dictionary'' states that seamanship is "The skill, techniques, o ...
.
* Rán, sea goddess of death who collects the drowned in a net, wife of Ægir.
* Rhenus Pater, god of the
Rhine
The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...
river
*Rura, goddess of the Rur river
* Sága, wisdom goddess who lives near water and pours Odin a drink when he visits.
English folklore
*Father Thames, human manifestation and/or guardian of the
River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...
that flows through Southern England, while his ancient worship is obscure, he has become a popular symbol of the river in modern times, it being the subject of the song "Old Father Thames" and the model of several statues and reliefs scattered around
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
Devil
A devil is the mythical personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conce ...
of the seas in Western piratical lore.
* Tiddy Mun, a bog deity once worshiped in Lincolnshire, England who had the ability to control floods.
Achelous
In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Achelous (also Acheloos or Acheloios) (; Ancient Greek: Ἀχελώϊος, and later , ''Akhelôios'') was the god associated with the Achelous River, the largest river in Greece. Accordi ...
, Greek river god.
* Aegaeon, god of violent sea storms and ally of the Titans.
* Alpheus, river god in Arcadia.
*
Amphitrite
In ancient Greek mythology, Amphitrite (; ) was the goddess of the sea, the queen of the sea, and her consort is Poseidon. She was a daughter of Nereus and Doris (or Oceanus and Tethys).Roman, L., & Roman, M. (2010). Under the influence ...
, sea goddess and consort of Poseidon and thus queen of the sea.
* Anapus, river god of eastern Sicily.
*
Asopus
Asopus (; ''Āsōpos'') is the name of four different rivers in Greece and one in Turkey. In Greek mythology, it was also the name of the God (male deity), gods of those rivers. Zeus carried off Aegina (mythology), Aegina, Asopus' daughter, and ...
, river god in Greece
*
Asterion
In Greek mythology, Asterion (Ancient Greek, Greek: , gen.: , literally "starry") or Asterius () may refer to the following figures:
* Asterion (god), Asterion, one of the River gods (Greek mythology), river gods.
* Asterius (giant), Asterius ...
, river-god of Argos
* Brito-Martis, the goddess Brito-Martis is always depicted in arms.
* Brizo, goddess of sailors.
*
Carcinus
''Carcinus'' ( '' Karkinos'') is a genus of crabs, which includes '' Carcinus maenas'', an important invasive species, and '' C. aestuarii'', a species endemic to the Mediterranean Sea.
''Carcinus maenas''
''C. maenas'' is among the 100 "wor ...
, a giant crab who allied itself with the Hydra against Heracles. When it died, Hera placed it in the sky as the constellation
Cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...
.
*
Ceto
Ceto (; ) is a primordial sea goddess in Greek mythology, the daughter of Pontus and his mother, Gaia. As a mythological figure, she is considered to be one of the most ancient deities, and bore a host of monstrous children fathered by Pho ...
, goddess of the dangers of the ocean and of sea monsters.
*
Charybdis
Charybdis (; , ; , ) is a sea monster in Greek mythology. Charybdis, along with the sea monster Scylla, appears as a challenge to epic characters such as Odysseus, Jason, and Aeneas. Scholarship locates her in the Strait of Messina.
The idiom " ...
, a sea monster and spirit of whirlpools and the tide.
* Cymopoleia, a daughter of Poseidon and goddess of giant storm waves.
* Doris, goddess of the sea's bounty and wife of Nereus.
* Dynamene sea nymph and daughter of Nereus, associated with the power and might of ocean waves.
* Eidothea, prophetic sea nymph and daughter of Proteus.
*
Electra
Electra, also spelt Elektra (; ; ), is one of the most popular Greek mythology, mythological characters in tragedies.Evans (1970), p. 79 She is the main character in two Greek tragedies, ''Electra (Sophocles play), Electra'' by Sophocles and ''Ele ...
, an Oceanid, consort of
Thaumas
In Greek mythology, Thaumas or Thaumant (; ; ) was a sea god, son of Pontus and Gaia, and the full brother of Nereus, Phorcys, Ceto and Eurybia.
Mythology
According to Hesiod, Thaumas's wife was Electra (one of the Oceanids, the many daughter ...
.
* Enipeus, a river god
* Eurybia, goddess of the mastery of the seas.
* Galene (Γαλήνη), goddess of calm seas.
*
Glaucus
In Greek mythology, Glaucus (; ) was a Greek prophetic sea-god, born mortal and turned immortal upon eating a magical herb. It was believed that he came to the rescue of sailors and fishermen in storms, having earlier earned a living from the ...
, the fisherman's sea god.
*
Gorgons
The Gorgons ( ; ), in Greek mythology, are three monstrous sisters, Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa, said to be the daughters of Phorcys and Ceto. They lived near their sisters the Graeae, and were able to turn anyone who looked at them to stone ...
Medusa
In Greek mythology, Medusa (; ), also called Gorgo () or the Gorgon, was one of the three Gorgons. Medusa is generally described as a woman with living snakes in place of hair; her appearance was so hideous that anyone who looked upon her wa ...
**
Stheno
In Greek mythology, Stheno (; ) and Euryale ( ; ) were two of the three sister Gorgons, the third being Medusa, who were able to turn anyone who looked at them to stone. When Perseus beheaded Medusa, the two Gorgons pursued him but were unable ...
* The
Graeae
In Greek mythology, the Graeae (; ''Graiai'', , alternatively spelled Graiai), also called the Grey Sisters and the Phorcides (), were three sisters who had gray hair from their birth and shared one eye and one tooth among them. They were the ...
, three ancient sea spirits who personified the white foam of the sea; they shared one eye and one tooth between them.
* Hippocampi, the horses of the sea.
* The Ichthyocentaurs, a pair of centaurine sea-gods with the upper bodies of men, the lower fore-parts of horses, ending in the serpentine tails of fish.
* Kymopoleia, daughter of Poseidon and goddess of violent sea storms.
*
Leucothea
In Greek mythology, Leucothea (; ), sometimes also called Leucothoe (), was a Water deity, sea goddess. Myths surrounding Leucothea typically concern her original identity, either as Ino (Greek mythology), Ino or Halia of Rhodes, Halia, and her t ...
, a sea goddess who aided sailors in distress.
* Nerites, watery consort of Aphrodite and/or beloved of Poseidon.
*
Nereus
In Greek mythology, Nereus ( ; ) was the eldest son of Pontus (the Sea) and Gaia ( the Earth), with Pontus himself being a son of Gaia. Nereus and Doris became the parents of 50 daughters (the Nereids) and a son ( Nerites), with whom Nereus ...
, the old man of the sea, and the god of the sea's rich bounty of fish.
*
Nymph
A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...
s
**
Naiad
In Greek mythology, the naiads (; ), sometimes also hydriads, are a type of female spirit, or nymph, presiding over fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of fresh water.
They are distinct from river gods, who embodied ...
es, freshwater nymphs.
**
Nereid
In Greek mythology, the Nereids or Nereides ( ; ; , also Νημερτές) are sea nymphs (female spirits of sea waters), the 50 daughters of the ' Old Man of the Sea' Nereus and the Oceanid Doris, sisters to their brother Nerites. They ofte ...
es, sea nymphs.
**
Oceanid
In Greek mythology, the Oceanids or Oceanides ( ; , ) are the nymphs who were the three thousand (a number interpreted as meaning "innumerable") daughters of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys.
Description and function
The Oceanids' father Oceanu ...
es, nymphs of freshwater sources.
*
Oceanus
In Greek mythology, Oceanus ( ; , also , , or ) was a Titans, Titan son of Uranus (mythology), Uranus and Gaia, the husband of his sister the Titan Tethys (mythology), Tethys, and the father of the River gods (Greek mythology), river gods ...
, Titan god of the Earth-encircling river Okeanos, the font of all the Earth's fresh water.
* Palaemon, a young sea god who aided sailors in distress.
*
Phorcys
In Greek mythology, Phorcys or Phorcus (; ) is a primordial sea god, generally cited (first in Hesiod) as the son of Pontus and Gaia (Earth). Classical scholar Karl Kerenyi conflated Phorcys with the similar sea gods Nereus and Proteus. His w ...
, god of the hidden dangers of the deep.
*
Pontus
Pontus or Pontos may refer to:
* Short Latin name for the Pontus Euxinus, the Greek name for the Black Sea (aka the Euxine sea)
* Pontus (mythology), a sea god in Greek mythology
* Pontus (region), on the southern coast of the Black Sea, in modern ...
, primeval god of the sea, father of the fish and other sea creatures.
*
Poseidon
Poseidon (; ) is one of the twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and mythology, presiding over the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 He was the protector of seafarers and the guardian of many Hellenic cit ...
, Olympian god of the sea and king of the sea gods; also god of flood, drought, earthquakes, and horses. His Roman equivalent is
Neptune
Neptune is the eighth and farthest known planet from the Sun. It is the List of Solar System objects by size, fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 t ...
.
*
Proteus
In Greek mythology, Proteus ( ; ) is an early prophetic sea god or god of rivers and oceanic bodies of water, one of several deities whom Homer calls the "Old Man of the Sea" (''hálios gérôn''). Some who ascribe a specific domain to Prote ...
, a shape-shifting, prophetic old sea god, and the herdsman of Poseidon's seals.
*
Psamathe Psamathe may refer to:
Greek mythology
* Psamathe (Nereid)
* Psamathe (Crotopus), Daughter of Crotopus
Other
* Psamathe (moon), moon of Neptune
* Psamathe (polychaete), ''Psamathe'' (polychaete), polychaete worm genus
* Psamathe (Leighton), '' ...
, goddess of sand beaches.
*
River gods
A water deity is a deity in mythology associated with water or various bodies of water. Water deities are common in mythology and were usually more important among civilizations in which the sea or ocean, or a great river was more important. Anoth ...
, deities of rivers, fathers of Naiads, brothers of the Oceanids, and as such, the sons of Oceanus and Tethys.
*
Scylla
In Greek mythology, Scylla ( ; , ) is a legendary, man-eating monster that lives on one side of a narrow channel of water, opposite her counterpart, the sea-swallowing monster Charybdis. The two sides of the strait are within an arrow's range o ...
, a sea monster, later authors made up a backstory of her being a Nereid transformed into a monster due to Circe's jealousy.
* The
Telchines
In Greek mythology, the Telchines () were the original inhabitants of the island of Rhodes and were known in Crete and Cyprus.
Family
Their parents were either Pontus (mythology), Pontus and Gaia (mythology), Gaia or Tartarus and Nemesis (mytholog ...
, sea spirits native to the island of Rhodes; the gods killed them when they turned to evil magic.
* Tethys, Titan goddess of the sources fresh-water, and the mother of the
rivers
A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of its course if it ru ...
, springs, streams, fountains and clouds.
*
Thalassa
Thalassa (; ; Attic Greek: , ''thálatta'') was the general word for 'sea' and for its divine female personification in Greek mythology. The word may have been of Pre-Greek origin and connected to the name of the Mesopotamian primordial sea godde ...
, primordial goddess of the sea.
*
Thaumas
In Greek mythology, Thaumas or Thaumant (; ; ) was a sea god, son of Pontus and Gaia, and the full brother of Nereus, Phorcys, Ceto and Eurybia.
Mythology
According to Hesiod, Thaumas's wife was Electra (one of the Oceanids, the many daughter ...
, god of the wonders of the sea and father of the
Harpies
In Greek and Roman mythology, a harpy (plural harpies, , ; ) is a half-human and half-bird mythical creature, often believed to be a personification of storm winds. They feature in Homeric poems.
Descriptions
Harpies were generally depicted ...
Thetis
Thetis ( , or ; ) is a figure from Greek mythology with varying mythological roles. She mainly appears as a sea nymph, a goddess of water, and one of the 50 Nereids, daughters of the ancient sea god Nereus.
When described as a Nereid in Cl ...
, leader of the Nereids who presided over the spawning of marine life in the sea, mother of Achilles.
* Triteia, daughter of Triton and companion of Ares.
* Triton, fish-tailed son and herald of Poseidon.
* Tritones, fish-tailed spirits in Poseidon's retinue.
*
Aspidochelone
According to the tradition of the ''Physiologus'' and medieval bestiary, bestiaries, the aspidochelone is a fabled sea creature, variously described as a large whale or vast sea turtle, and a giant sea monster with huge spines on the ridge of its ...
, colossal sea monster from the medieval bestiary ''
Physiologus
The ''Physiologus'' () is a didactic Christian text written or compiled in Greek by an unknown author in Alexandria. Its composition has been traditionally dated to the 2nd century AD by readers who saw parallels with writings of Clement of Alexa ...
''.
Slavic
* Morana, a goddess associated with the winter, death and rebirth. Death and the afterlife itself are tightly connected to the bodies of water, while the effigy of Morana is thrown into a river at the end of winter so it can carry her away.
*
Mokosh
Mokosh ( ) is a List of Slavic deities, Slavic goddess. No narratives about this deity have survived and scholars must rely on academic disciplines like philology to discern details about her.
According to etymological reconstruction, Mokosh wa ...
, a
mother goddess
A mother goddess is a major goddess characterized as a mother or progenitor, either as an embodiment of motherhood and fertility or fulfilling the cosmological role of a creator- and/or destroyer-figure, typically associated the Earth, sky, ...
associated with wetness.
*
Rusalka
In Slavic folklore, the rusalka (plural: rusalki; , plural: русалки; , plural: ''rusałki'') is a female entity, often malicious toward mankind and frequently associated with water. It has counterparts in other parts of Europe, such as th ...
a type of water spirit connected to floods and death.
*
Vodyanoy
In Slavic mythology, ''vodyanoy'' ( rus, водяной, p=vədʲɪˈnoj; lit. ' efrom the water' or 'watery') is a water spirit. In Czech and Slovak fairy tales, he is called ''vodník'' (or in Germanized form: ), and often referred to as '' ...
, a water spirit often drowning people and collecting their souls.
* Bolotnik, a dangerous spirit of muddy waters and swamps.
*
Topielec Utopiec (plural ''Utopce''), Vodník or Topnik is a name applied to Slavic spirits of water. The ''utopce'' are spirits of human souls that died drowning, residing in the element of their own demise. They are responsible for sucking people into sw ...
and utopce, spirits of people who were killed by Topielec (or who died drowning) and who now stay in the body of water where they died.
* Zmej or smok, a snake or dragon, often dangerous and living in or controlling a body of water.
Finnish
* Ahti, god of the depths and fish.
* Iku-Turso, a malevolent sea monster.
* Vedenemo, a goddess of water.
* Vellamo, the wife of Ahti, goddess of the sea, lakes, and storms.
Americas
Central America and the Caribbean
Lencan
* Ilangipuca, goddess of fertility, earth, and all bodies of water
Chalchiuhtlicue
Chalchiuhtlicue (from ''chālchihuitl'' "jade" and ''cuēitl'' "skirt") (also spelled Chalciuhtlicue, Chalchiuhcueye, or Chalcihuitlicue) ("She of the Jade Skirt") is an Aztec deity of water, rivers, seas, streams, storms, and baptism. Chalch ...
, goddess of water, lakes, rivers, seas, streams, horizontal waters, storms, and baptism.
* Opochtli, god of fishing and birdcatchers.
* Tlāloc, god of water, fertility, and rain.
* Tlaloque, a group of rain, water, and mountain gods.
* Kaeki Kaska, goddess of the lakes, rivers, and the fish
Taíno
*
Atabey (goddess)
Atabey is an ancestral mother of the Taíno, one of two supreme ancestral spirits in Taíno mythology. She was worshipped as a zemi, which is an embodiment of nature and ancestral spirit, (not to be confused with a goddess, how she is commonly ...
, Mother goddess of fresh water and fertility. Female counterpart of the god Yúcahu.
North America
Inuit
* Aipaloovik, an evil sea god associated with death and destruction.
*
Alignak
In the Inuit religion, Alignak is a lunar deity
A lunar deity or moon deity is a deity who represents the Moon, or an aspect of it. These deities can have a variety of functions and traditions depending upon the culture, but they are often ...
, a lunar deity and god of weather, water, tides, eclipses, and earthquakes.
* Arnapkapfaaluk, a fearsome sea goddess.
* Idliragijenget, god of the ocean.
*Kanajuk, the scorpionfish god and husband of the goddesses Nuliajuk and Isarraitaitsoq.
* Nootaikok, god who presided over icebergs and glaciers.
* Nuliajuk and Isarraitaitsoq, goddesses of the sea's depths and its creatures among the Netsilik Inuit.
* Sedna, goddess of the sea and its creatures.
South America
Tupi-Guarani (Brazilian Myth)
*
Boto
Boto is a Portuguese name given to several types of dolphins and river dolphins native to the Amazon
Amazon most often refers to:
* Amazon River, in South America
* Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin
* Amazon (c ...
, A deity that is capable of impregnating unmarried women.
* Amanasy, Goddess of the rain and frogs.
* Iara, Guardian of the water and of the Amazon River.
* Ipupiara, Guardian of the sea.
* Luruaçu, Goddess of the storms.
* Tupã, God of the thunder, weather, storms and clouds.
Incan
* Amaru, a colossal winged dragon-like celestial deity that can manipulate all the elements of nature.
* Mama Qucha, goddess of water, lakes, rivers, seas, streams, ponds, rain, thunderstorms, and all sources of water.
* Pariacaca, god of water, winds, and rainstorms.
* Paricia, god who sent a flood to kill humans who did not respect him adequately.
* Tunupa, god of fire, volcanoes, the sky and water.
Muisca
The Muisca (also called the Chibcha) are indigenous peoples in Colombia and were a Pre-Columbian culture of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense that formed the Muisca Confederation before the Spanish colonization of the Americas. The Muisca spe ...
* Mohan, a mischievous entity associated with rivers, lakes and water in general.
See also
*
Ekendriya
An elemental is a mythic supernatural being that is described in occult and alchemical works from around the time of the European Renaissance, and particularly elaborated in the 16th century works of Paracelsus. According to Paracelsus and hi ...
*
Holy wells
A holy well or sacred spring is a well, Spring (hydrosphere), spring or small pool of water revered either in a Christianity, Christian or Paganism, pagan context, sometimes both. The water of holy wells is often thought to have healing qualitie ...
Nature worship
Nature worship, also called naturism or physiolatry, is any of a variety of religious, spiritual and devotional practices that focus on the worship of a nature deity, considered to be behind the natural phenomena visible throughout nature. A n ...
*
Sea monster
Sea monsters are beings from folklore believed to dwell in the sea and are often imagined to be of immense size. Marine monsters can take many forms, including sea dragons, sea serpents, or tentacled beasts. They can be slimy and scaly and are of ...
Water spirit
A water spirit is a kind of supernatural being found in the folklore of many cultures:
African
Some water spirits in traditional African religion include:
* Mami Wata is a transcultural pantheon of water spirits and deities of the African ...
Water deities
A water deity is a deity in mythology associated with water or various bodies of water. Water deities are common in mythology and were usually more important among civilizations in which the sea or ocean, or a great river was more important. Anoth ...