Mercury

October 27, 2012, 6:09 pm

Mercury is a messenger who wore winged sandals, and a god of trade, merchants, and travel, the son of Maia Maiestas and Jupiter in Roman Folklore.

The root of the idea of Mercury lies in Greek folklore with the messenger god, Hermes.

The Romans, whose culture was in many ways derivative of the Greeks, borrowed the old stories from the Greek God Hermes and laid them on top of their own similar god, Mercury.

The process by which this was done is now shrouded somewhat by the mists of time, suffice it to say that these two names came to be recognized as designating one and the same being...

In Virgil's Aeneid, Mercury reminds Aeneas of his mission to found the city of Rome.

In Ovid's Fasti, Mercury is assigned to escort the nymph Larunda to the underworld.

See Jove:

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Lampetia, Lampetie

October 28, 2012, 3:43 pm

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Lampetie is the personification of light in Greek folklore...

Lampetia (meaning shining) and (Phaethousa) were two nymph siblings who pastured the sacred herds of Helios the sun on the legendary island of Thrinakie.

Lampetia shepherded seven flocks of fifty sheep with a silver crock...

According to Aeschylus and later Ovid Lampetia is one of the two Heliades, daughters of the sun who were transformed into poplar trees after the death of their brother Phaethon...

See Helios:

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Trauco, El Trauco

October 29, 2012, 4:50 pm

≫ Next: Mihos, Maahes, Mahes, Mios, Miysis, Myusis

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Trauco is a legendary goblin that lives in the woods of Chiloé...

In Chilean folklore El Trauco is described as a deformed dwarf-like spirit that is dressed in a suit and hat made of natural fibers...

This humanoid spirit is said to inhabit the holes of trees, from where he spies upon young women who wander the roads and mountains.

According to folk tales, the his wife is the wicked and ugly Fiura...

The Trauco has a powerful magnetism which attracts young women and that whoever is chosen by him will go to him and fall enraptured at his feet...

He is also represented as a warlock that is able to produce sickness to the kids and even the older ones.

It is said that if you can get his staff and hit the ground with it, he can feel the hits. And if you carry the stick to your home and hang in over a fire, it will start to distillate oil, with which you can heal all the people who have fallen victim to the Trauco's curses.

It is also said that if someone can look at the dwarf before he looks at him, the Trauco will die...

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Mihos, Maahes, Mahes, Mios, Miysis, Myusis

November 3, 2012, 4:58 pm

≫ Next: Nótt

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Mihos is the son of Bastet or, more rarely, Sekhmet and Atem-Re, was a local lion god at Taremu, Greek Leontopolis, known since the New Kingdom in Ancient Egypt.

He was depicted as as a lion or a man with a lion's head, wearing a kilt and various headdresses such as a sun-disk on a Roman period stela and often grasping a knife and described as a fierce eyed lion...

He was a god of war and was associated in Greek writings with storms and darkness.

He was a sun-god, embodying the scorching summer heat, and supported Re in his nightly struggle with Apophis.

However, Maahes was rarely referred to by name.

Rather he was usually referred to by his most common epithet, "The lord of the Massacre".

He was given a number of other bloodcurdling epithets including; "Wielder of the Knife", "The Scarlet lord" (referring to the blood of his victims) and "lord of Slaughter". Yet, he was not seen as a force of evil....

He punished those who violated the rules of Ma´at and so promoted order and justice.

Thus he was also known as the "Avenger of Wrongs" and "Helper of the Wise Ones".

See Bastet:

See Sakhmet:

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Nótt

November 6, 2012, 5:21 pm

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In Norse folklore, Nótt (Old Norse "night") is night personified.

In both the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, Nótt is listed as the daughter of a figure by the name of Nörvi (with variant spellings) and is associated with the horse Hrímfaxi ("rime mane" or "frost mane"), while the Prose Edda features information about Nótt's ancestry, including her three marriages.

Nótt's third marriage was with the god Dellingr and this resulted in their son Dagr, the personified day.

As a proper noun, the word nótt appears throughout Old Norse literature...

Nótt’s son Dagr is associated with the horse Skinfaxi ("shining mane").

It was believed that Skinfaxi pulled Dagr’s chariot across the sky every day and that it was Skinfaxi’s shining mane that lit up the sky and the earth below...

“In Norse mythology, Nótt is night personified, grandmother of Thor. In both the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson...

See Hrímfaxi and Skinfaxi:

http://bit.ly/sAU9Pr

See Thor:

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Ugallu

November 8, 2012, 4:52 pm

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Ugallu means ‘Big Weather Creature’ ‘Great Lion’.

He is a Babylonian (Especially Akkadian) humanoid storm-demon...

He wields two weapons, a dagger and a mace.

Ugallu has a curly lion’s mane. The iconography changed over time, with the human feet morphing into an eagle’s talons and dressing him in a short skirt.

He was one of the class of ud-demons (day-demons), personifying moments of intervention in human life...

He is known to protect against diseases and Demons and is frequently seen in houses.

Ugallu features in the epic of the hero Marduk.

Ugallu is one of the eleven beasts born from the Dragon goddess Tiamat and is killed by Marduk...

See Tiamat:

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Ophiotaurus, Stygian Bull: Serpent-tailed bull of Tartarus

November 9, 2012, 4:56 pm

≫ Next: Tyr, Tir, Tiv, Tiw, Tiwaz

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Ophiotaurus is the "serpent-bull" in Greek folklore...

He is a monster born with the foreparts of a black bull and the tail of a serpent....

It was slain by an ally of the Titanes in their search for a victory against Zeus....

This story may have been part of the lost Greek epic known as the Titanomachia (War of the Titanes), in which the giant Aigaion was represented as an ally of the Titanes. Ovid here calls Aigaion Briareus, the name of his son in both the Titanomachia and the Iliad...

It is said that whoever kills the Ophiotaurus and sacrifices its entrails will become filled with power.

This is supposed to be so much power that with it, you could take on the gods themselves...

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The Picture describes a rate transformation of Ophiotaurus into a Minator...

See Minotaur:

http://bit.ly/RqdbWn

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Tyr, Tir, Tiv, Tiw, Tiwaz

November 13, 2012, 4:41 pm

≫ Next: Apsu, Absu, Abzu, Apason, Engur, Engurru

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Tyr is the god of war in Norse folklore...

He is the son of Odin and Frigg; an Asgardian Aesir (Aesir are warrior deities of the sky who lived in Asgard).

http://bit.ly/ZFdO1M

He is the god of single (man-to-man) combat.

When the monstrous wolf Fenrir became very powerful, the gods decided to imprison the beast.

No ordinary chain could restrain Fenrir, so Tyr had to put his hand in the mouth of the wolf as a sign of goodwill while the other gods created a magical restraint.

When Fenrir realized that he had been tricked, and that he could not free himself, he bit off Tyr's hand.

Tyr will fight at Ragnarok, where he is destined to battle with Garm, the watchdog of the underworld - a fight which would result in both of their deaths...

The name Tiw, which he was called by the Anglo-Saxons gave rise to the name Tiwesdaeg, or Tuesday...

See Odin:

See Fenrir:

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Apsu, Absu, Abzu, Apason, Engur, Engurru

November 15, 2012, 12:20 pm

≫ Next: Abaasy, Abaahy, Abasy, Abassy

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Apsu in Sumerian-Babylonian folklore, is a primeval abyss of sweet water from which all things sprang...

He is the consort of Tiamat, the primordial abyss of salt waters of Chaos.

In the later legends of the Enuma Elish, the sweet water mingled with the bitter waters of the sea and with a third watery element, perhaps cloud, the first gods were engendered...

The first men were formed by Nammu with clay dug up from Apsu’s waters...

Note that Apsu's vizir, Mummu, was imprisioned in a house built on his body...

"The Epic of Creation (Enuma Elish): Tablet I"
He is the underworld ocean, the begetter of the skies (Anshar) and the earth (Kishar) and the father of Lahmu and Lahamu.

He could not quell the noise of them or of their children, so he colluded with his vizier Mummu to silence the gods and allow his mate Tiamat to rest, after Tiamat herself rejected the idea. Ea found out about his plans, cast a sleeping spell on him and killed him.
(Dalley pp. 232-235, 318)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abzu

http://bit.ly/QJCJkk

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See Tiamat:

http://bit.ly/JGNHns

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Abaasy, Abaahy, Abasy, Abassy

November 17, 2012, 2:50 pm

≫ Next: Metis

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The Abaasy are demons in the folklore of the Sakha (also known as the Yakuts)...

Yakut Shamanism divides the universe into upper and lower layers, with the earth being "a kind of indeterminate space or matter" in between...

The abaasy occupy the lower level, referred to as the underworld or "kingdom of darkness."

The abaasy are alleged to be the spirits of the long-time deceased who dwell near graves or in deserted places who otherwise travel about causing destruction...

The Abaasy have teeth of iron and travel in packs of seven...

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Metis

November 21, 2012, 4:32 pm

≫ Next: Eir, Eil, Eira, Eria, Eyra

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Metis in Greek folklore is the Titan generation and, like several primordial figures, an Oceanid/Okeanides (three thousand goddess Nymphs who presided over the sources of earth's fresh-water, ranging from rainclouds to subterranean springs and fountains) , in the sense that Metis was born of Oceanus and Tethys, of an earlier age than Zeus and his siblings...

Metis is the first great spouse of Zeus...

Metis presided over all knowledge. This Titan is the goddess of good counsel, advise, planning, cunning, craftiness and wisdom.

She functioned as the counsellor of Zeus during the Titan War, and devised the plan which forced Kronos to regurgitate his children.

She is the mother of Athena...It may seem odd for Metis to have been pregnant with Athena but, never mentioned as her mother...

Zeus became concerned over prophecies that her second child would replace Zeus.

To avoid this Zeus ate her. It is said that she is the source for Zeus wisdom and that she still advises Zeus from his belly.

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Eir, Eil, Eira, Eria, Eyra

November 25, 2012, 3:43 pm

≫ Next: Geb,Seb, Keb, Kebb, Gebb

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Eir ("mercy") is a goddess of healing and medicine in Norse folklore....

Eir is a master physician who wields power in the healing of the mind, body, and spirit.

Eir knows the secret powers of the herbs...

She bestows healing and wisdom only to women for in Scandinavia women dominated this honorable field.

She is the goddess of mercy and depicted as sitting on her hill Lyfia.

Eir is a handmaiden mate of Freya, and is also named in a list of the Valkyries (the Norse goddesses who choose which warriors will go to Valhalla when they are slain....

Eir is also the Patron for health care workers.

KveldulfR Gundarsson tells us that, " Eir is a goddess who prefers the gentler and slower methods of healing."...

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Geb,Seb, Keb, Kebb, Gebb

November 26, 2012, 3:45 pm

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In Ancient Egypt Geb was a god of the earth and one of the Ennead of Heliopolis.

His grandfather was Atum, his father was Shu (the god of air) and his mother was Tefnut (the goddess of moisture).

Osiris, Isis, Seth and Nephthys were the children of Geb and his sister-wife Nut (the goddess of the sky).

Geb is usually represented in the form of a man who who wears either the white crown to which is added the Atef crown, or a goose.

The Goose was his sacred animal and symbal.

As the god of earth, the earth formed his body and was called the "house of Geb," just as the air was called the "house of Shu," and the heaven the "house of Ra,"

Hence,. he was also often portrayed laying on his side on the earth, and was sometimes even painted green, with plants springing from his body.

Earthquakes were believed to be the laughter of Geb...

Geb is frequently described as father of snakes (one of the names for snake was s3-t3 - 'son of the earth' and in a Coffin Texts-spell Geb was described as father of the snake Nehebkau, while his mother was in that case Neith) and therefore depicted sometimes as such.

Geb could also be regarded as personified fertile earth and barren desert, the latter containing the dead or setting them free from their tombs, metaphorically described as 'Geb opening his jaws', or imprisoning those there not worthy to go to the fertile North-Eastern heavenly Field of Reeds.

In the latter case, one of his otherworldly attributes was an ominous jackal-headed stave (called wsr.t) rising from the ground unto which enemies could be bound...

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See Nephthys:

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Uttu

December 3, 2012, 4:15 pm

≫ Next: Epona; seldom Rhiannon, Macha

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Uttu is a Sumerian spider-goddess of domestic arts including weaving, plants and earth...

some say daughter of Enki and Ninkurra.

Enki fathered Ninsar on Ninhursaga, then Ninkurra on Ninsar and finally Uttu on Ninkurra, each birth requiring only a nine-day gestation.

Other accounts say that she was Ninhursaga's daughter.

When Enki then ate Uttu's children, Ninhursag cursed him with eight wounds and disappears.

Uttu in Sumerian means "the woven" and she was illustrated as a spider in a web.

She is a goddess in the pantheon...

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Epona; seldom Rhiannon, Macha

December 4, 2012, 3:36 pm

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Epona is an important goddess of the ancient Continental Celts, always linked to the horse; her name is implied by the expressions ‘Divine Horse’ and ‘Horse-goddess’.

She is com-memorated in more surviving inscriptions and statues than any other early goddess.

Although only known from Roman contexts, the name Epona is from the Celtic language Gaulish; it is derived from epos, horse or epa, mare (compare Latin equus, Greek hippo) together with the -on- frequently, but not exclusively, found in theonyms (for example Sirona, Matronae), and the usual Gaulish feminine singular -a. (Delmarre, 2003 pp.163-164).

Most often Epona is portrayed on horseback, usually clothed and riding side-saddle, accompanied by a bird, dog, and foal.

At thermal springs, such as Allerey and Saulonla-Chapelle, she appears nude and nymph-like.

A triple Epona was found at Hogondange in the Moselle valley, which may explain the occasional plural form of her name, Eponabus.

Sometimes Epona is portrayed riding a great horned goose.

Epona is particularly a goddess of fertility, as shown by her attributes of a patera, cornucopia, ears of grain and the presence of foals in some sculptures.

She and her horses might also have been leaders of the soul in the after-life ride, with parallels in Rhiannon of the Mabinogion.

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Vanara, Vānara

December 5, 2012, 4:13 pm

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In the Hindu epic Ramayana, the Vānara were brave and inquisitive by nature.

They possessed supernatural powers and could change their shapes.

The term Vanara can be described as forest-dweller (vane carati iti vanara).

Vanaras are intelligent, monkeylike humanoids that live in deep, warm forests and lush jungles.

A vanara's body is covered in a thin coat of soft fur, and individuals with chestnut, ivory, and even golden coats are common.

Despite their fur, vanaras can grow lengthy hair on their head just as humans can, and both male and female vanaras take pains to wear elaborate hairstyles for important social functions.

The hair on a vanara's head matches the color of its fur.

All vanaras have long, prehensile tails and handlike feet capable of well-articulated movements.

A vanara stands slightly shorter and weighs slightly less than a typical human...

See Sun Wu-Kung:

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Pomona

December 10, 2012, 2:35 pm

≫ Next: Hundun, Hùndùn, Hun-tun, Muddled confusion

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In Roman Pantheon, Pomona is the goddess of plenty, fruit trees, garden, and orchards...

Her name comes from the Latin word, pomum, meaning "fruit."

She was said to be a wood nymph and a part of the Numia, guardian spirits who watch over people, places, or homes...

She scorned the love of the woodland gods Silvanus and Picus, but married Vertumnus after he tricked her, disguised as an old woman...

The pruningknife was her attribute...

Unlike many other Roman goddesses and gods, she does not have a Greek counterpart...

She was not actually associated with the harvest of fruits itself, but with the flourishing of the fruit trees.

http://bit.ly/ec0uPr

I am the ancient Apple Queen,
As once I was so am I now.
For evermore a hope unseen,
Betwixt the blossom and the bough.
Ah, where's the river's hidden Gold!
And where the windy grave of Troy?
Yet come I as i came of old,
From out the heart of summer's joy."
--William Morris--

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Hundun, Hùndùn, Hun-tun, Muddled confusion

December 11, 2012, 3:57 pm

≫ Next: Rokurokubi, The Long-Necked Woman

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Hundun is an obscure ﬁgure in Chinese folklore.

The word hundunis used in Chinese language as both a noun and an adjective that literally refers to the primeval chaos as well as a person who is ignorant or muddleheaded.

Folk tales about Hundun may personify these two aspects of his name.

Ancient recordings about Hundun are often quite different from or even contradictory to each other, which perhaps suggests that they come from different narrative traditions.

Hundun was semantically extended from a legendary "primordial chaos; nebulous state of the universe before heaven and earth separated" to mean "unintelligible; chaotic; messy; mentally dense; innocent as a child"...

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Rokurokubi, The Long-Necked Woman

December 12, 2012, 2:13 pm

≫ Next: Nêsos, Nesus, Nêsoi, Nesi

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Rokurokubi are Japanese monsters, a type of cursed human or demonic beings.

While they resemble normal humans, their heads can detach from their spines and float around while stretching their necks to great lengths.

Most Rokurokubi are tricksters and like to scare humans, and are often voyeurs.

At night, their neck stretches to great lengths and they can change the way their face looks.

Some are not fully aware of what they are, and simply have strange dreams of seeing the room at odd angles.

In some legends Rokurokubi were humans who turned into monsters by karma or other sins.

These types of Rokurokubi are often very sinister, praying on humans and eating their flesh or blood.

Often, their favorite victims are humans who have sinned as they have.

Some Rokurokubi thus resort to revealing themselves only to drunkards, fools, the sleeping, or the blind in order to satisfy these urges.

Other Rokurokubi have no such compunctions and go about frightening mortals with abandon...

The Rokurokubi are also tricksters and love to spy on people...

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Nêsos, Nesus, Nêsoi, Nesi

December 13, 2012, 1:52 pm

≫ Next: Zahhak, Zohhāk, Aži Dahāka, Dahāg, Bēvar-Asp

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The Nesoi were the goddesses of the islands in Greek folklore. Each island was believed to have its own personified divinity.

They were numbered among the Protogenoi*, the primordial gods.

According to Callimachus the Nesoi (Islands) were Ourea (Mountains) cast into the sea by Poseidon with his trident...

More:
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http://bit.ly/N3pcQ1

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Mhd.Shadi Khudr's insight:
In the Greek folklore the name Protogenoi (pl.; Gr. Πρωτογενοι, sing. Protogenos) means First Born or Primeval and are a group of beings who were born in the beginning of our universe. The Protogenoi are the first entities or beings that come into existence. They form the very fabric of our universe and as such are immortal.http://bit.ly/XYn4jv

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