Is the Creator Male or Female?

 

Deities

These Goddesses and Gods are examples of how divinity has been understood in different times in different places of the world. Deities often have many aspects and their functions may change during centuries. The placement of any individual deity in this list is not exhaustive: for example Isis was in early Egypt (2000 BCE) the goddess associated with Sirius and flooding of the Nile, but in later periods she became also goddess of the moon (100 BCE), and for the followers of the Isis cult in the Roman empire (300 CE) she was the supreme being.

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Deity Female
Goddess
Male
God
Androgynous/ Neuter/ Couple
Creator Nu Kua (China);
Ishtar (Mesopotamia);
Spider Grandmother (Keres Pueblo);
Sky Woman (Iroquois)
God (Christian);
Yahweh (Judaism);
Viracocha (Inca)
Mawu-Lisa (Dahome);
Izanami & Izanagi (Japan);
Brahman (Hindu)
Creation and destruction Kali, Durga (India);
Sheela na Gig (Celtic)
Vishnu & Shiva (Hindu)  
Almighty Isis (Egypt, Roman world);
Ishtar (Mesopotamia)
Yahweh (Christian, Judaism);
Allah (Islam)
 
Sun Amaterasu (Japan);
Ka Sngi (Khasi, India );
Akewa (Toba, Argentina);
Arinnitti (Hittite, Anatolia);
Sutalidihi, Six Killer (Cherokee)
Ra (Egypt);
Utu (Sumer);
Apollon & Helios (Greek);
Vivasvat, Surya, Vishnu (Hindu);
Father Sun (Pueblo);
Huitzilopochtli (Aztec);
Inti (Inca);
Jaguar Sun God (Maya);
Wakan Tanka (Plains tribes)
 
Moon Selene (Greek);
Ix Chel (Maya);
Heng-o (China);
Kilya (Inca, Peru);
Isis (Hellenistic Egypt)
Tsukuyomi (Japan);
U Bnai (Khasi, India) ;
Nannar (Sumer);
Men (Asia Minor)
 
Tree Asherah (Canaanite)   Wacah Chan, World Tree (Maya);
Yggdrasill (Norse)
River Danu (Celtic);
Sequana (Celtic);
Ganga (India);
Volga (Russia);
Chalchihuitlicue (Aztec);
Ardvi Sura (Iran)
Ho Po (China)  
Mountain Pele (Hawai'i) ;
Fuji (Japan);
Goddess of Teotihuacan (Mexico);
Iztaccíhuatl (Mexico);
Chomo lhari (Bhutan)
Himalaya (India);
Popocatépetl (Mexico)
Witz Monster (Maya)
Stone Black stone of Kabah (Islam);
Black stone of Cybele (Phrygian, Anatolia)
Huanacauri huaca (Inca);
lingam (India);
matzeva (Canaanite)
 
Earth Demeter (Greek);
Gaia (Greek);
Ninhursag (Babylon);
Spider Woman (Pueblo);
Coatlicue (Aztec);
Papa (Maori);
Nungüin (Jibaro);
Pachamama (Peru);
Durga (India);
Mattarahkka (Sami, Lapland)
Geb (Egypt)  
Sky Nut (Egypt);
Sky Woman (Iroquois)
Anu (Babylon);
Uranos (Greek);
Tien (China);
Rangi (Maori)
 
Thunder, storm   Susano (Japan);
Enlil (Babylon);
Zeus (Greek);
Lei kung (China);
Taranis (Gaul);
Thor (Norse);
Oshe (Yoruba);
Ilyapa (Inca)
 
Rain Ch'ih Sung Tzu (China);
Tefnut (Egypt)
Tlaloc (Toltec);
Chac (Maya);
Tarhun (Hittite);
Indra (Hindu)
Baal (Canaanite)
 
Sea   Poseidon (Greek);
Njörðr (Norse)
 
Venus (planet) Ishtar (Babylon, Mesopotamia) Quetzalcoatl, Feathered Serpent (Aztec);
Hun Ahau (Maya)
 
Vegetation, Corn Corn Woman (North America);
Xilonen & Tonantzin (Aztec);
Zaramama (Peru)
Xipe-Totec (Aztec);
Attis (Phrygian, Anatolia)
 
Lord/ Lady of Animals Artemis (Greek);
Cybele (Phrygian, Anatolia)
Cernunnos (Celtic);
Age (Dahome);
Rudra (Hindu);
Dionysios (Greek)
 
Monkey   Hanuman (Hindu)  
Snake Manasha (Bengal);
Buto (Egypt);
Cihuacoatl (Aztec);
Asherah (Canaanite)
Meilichios (Greek) Nagas (India)
Horse Epona (Irish)    
Dog   Anubis (Egypt)  
Ram   Amun (Egypt)  
Bull/ Cow White Buffalo Woman (North America);
Hathor (Egypt)
Atum (Egypt);
El (Canaanite)
 
Cat Bastet (Egypt)    
Underworld Ereshkigal (Babylon);
Jabmiidahkka (Sami, Lapland)
Hades (Greek);
Odin (Norse);
Jaguar God of Xibalba (Maya)
 
Compassion Kuan Yin (China);
Tara (Tibetan Buddhism)
Avalokiteshvara (Buddha)  
Love Inanna (Sumer);
Hathor (Egypt);
Aphrodite (Greek);
Freya (Norse);
Erzulie (Voodoo)
Eros (Greek);
Krisna (India)
 
War Morrigan (Irish);
Bellona (Roman);
Sekhmet (Egypt)
Huitzilopochtli (Aztec);
Tlaloc (Maya);
Indra (Hindu)
Odin (Norse)
Ogu (Voodoo)
 
Truth, Justice Ma'at (Egypt);
Ishtar (Babylon)
Varuna (Vedic, India)  
Wisdom Sophia (Hellenistic Judaism);
Athena (Greek)
Brigit (Irish);
Vach, Sarasvati (Hindu)
Enki (Sumer);
Thoth (Egypt)
 

A great source to the thousands of deities in the world is the Encyclopedia Mythica.

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Copyright Jaana Holvikivi
Last updated: 7 August 2011