The sky often has important religious significance. Many religions, both polytheistic and monotheistic, have deities associated with the sky.
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The daytime sky deities are typically distinct from the nighttime ones. Stith Thompson's Motif-Index of Folk-Literature reflects this by separating the category of "Sky-god" (A210) from that of "Star-god" (A250). In mythology, nighttime gods are usually known as night deities and gods of stars simply as star gods. Both of these categories are included here since they relate to the sky. Luminary deities are included as well since the sun and moon are located in the sky. Some religions may also have a deity or personification of the day, distinct from the god of the day lit sky, to complement the deity or personification of the night.
Daytime gods and nighttime gods are frequently deities of an "upper world" or "celestial world" opposed to the earth and a "netherworld" (gods of the underworld are sometimes called "chthonic" deities).[1] Within Greek mythology, Uranus was the primordial sky god, who was ultimately succeeded by Zeus, who ruled the celestial realm atop Mount Olympus. In contrast to the celestial Olympians was the chthonic deity Hades, who ruled the underworld, and Poseidon, who ruled the sea.[2]
Any masculine sky god is often also king of the gods, taking the position of patriarch within a pantheon. Such king gods are collectively categorized as "sky father" deities, with a polarity between sky and earth often being expressed by pairing a "sky father" god with an "earth mother" goddess (pairings of a sky mother with an earth father are less frequent). A main sky goddess is often the queen of the gods and may be an air/sky goddess in her own right, though she usually has other functions as well with "sky" not being her main. In antiquity, several sky goddesses in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Near East were called Queen of Heaven.
Gods may rule the sky as a pair (for example, ancient Semitic supreme god El and the fertility goddess Asherah whom he was most likely paired with).[3] The following is a list of sky deities in various polytheistic traditions arranged mostly by language family, which is typically a better indicator of relatedness than geography.
African
Central African
East African
Ancient Egypt
- Amun, Ancient Egyptian god of creation and the wind
- Anhur, Ancient Egyptian originally a foreign war god
- Hathor, Ancient Egyptian originally a sky goddess
- Horus, Ancient Egyptian god of the sun, sky, kings, and war
- Khonsu, Ancient Egyptian moon god
- Mehet-Weret, Ancient Egyptian goddess of the sky
- Nut, Ancient Egyptian goddess of the sky
- Ra, Ancient Egyptian god of the sun that ruled the sky, earth and underworld
- Shu, Ancient Egyptian god of the air
- Thoth, Ancient Egyptian original moon god
Southern African
West African
European
Proto-Indo-European
- Dyeus, the chief sky father of the Proto-Indo-European religion
- Hausos, dawn goddess and daughter of Dyeus
- Menot, moon deity
- Seul, sun deity
Albanian
- Zojz, the sky-god
- Dielli, the Sun
- Hëna, the Moon
- Prende, Afër-dita, the dawn, Venus
Baltic
- Auštaras, the god of the northeast wind
- Dievs, the god of the day-lit sky and the chief god in Latvian mythology
- Vejopatis, the god of the wind who guards the divine realm of Dausos
Celtic
- Latobius, sky and mountain god equated with the Greek gods Zeus and Ares
- Nuada, god of the sky, wind, and war
- Sulis, goddess of the hot springs at Bath; probably originally the pan-Celtic sun goddess
- Ambisagrus, Cisalpine god of rain, sky and hail equated to the Roman god Jupiter
- Tuireann, Irish god of thunder and the sky, Gaulic name Taranis.
English
Germanic
Greek
- Aether, primeval god of the upper air
- Apollo, god of the sun, archery, prophecy, medicine, plagues...
- Artemis, goddess of the moon, hunt, virginity, childbirth...
- Astraeus, dusk god
- Eos, dawn goddess
- Helios, personification/titan of the sun
- Hemera, primordial goddess of day
- Hera, goddess of the air, marriage, women, women's fertility, childbirth, heirs, kings, and empires
- Iris, goddess of the rainbow and messenger of Hera
- Nephele, cloud nymph in Hera's likeness
- Nyx, primordial goddess of night
- Selene, personification/titan of the moon
- Uranus, primeval god of the sky
- Zeus, king of the gods, ruler of Mount Olympus, god of the sky, weather, law, order, and civilization
Messapian
- Zis, god of the sky
Roman
- Aurora, dawn goddess
- Caelus, personification of the sky, equivalent to the Greek Uranus
- Juno, goddess of the sky, queen of the gods, and Jupiter's wife, equivalent to the Greek Hera
- Jupiter, king of heaven and god of the sky and weather, equivalent to the Greek Zeus
- Luna, moon goddess
- Nox, Roman version of Nyx, night goddess and mother of Discordia
- Sol, sun god
- Summanus, god of nocturnal thunder/lightning
Slavic
Thracian and Phrygian
- Sabazios, sky father
Asian
Western Asian
- Asherah, sky goddess and consort of El; after the rise of Yahweh, she may have become Yahweh's consort before she was demonized and the Israelite religion became monotheistic
- Baalshamin, "Lord of the Heavens" (c.f. Armenian Barsamin)
- El (god), original sky god and sky father of the Semitic speakers (replaced by Yahweh among Israelites)
- Yahweh, Levantine sky god of the Midianites, Israelites and other ethnic groups in the region
Iranian
Central Asian
Turkic and Mongolic
Hindu
Eastern Asian
Vietnamese
- Ông Trời, sky god in Vietnamese indigenous religion
- Ông Tử Vi, king of the stars
- Mẫu Cửu Trùng Thiên, she is the daughter of Ông Trời, the sister of the Mẫu Thượng Thiên, Mặt Trời, Mặt Trăng and also a goddess who rules the sky
- Mẫu Thượng Thiên, she is the daughter of Ông Trời and also one of the rulers of the sky
- Pháp Vân, cloud goddess
- Thần Mặt Trời, goddess of the sun, daughter of Ông Trời
- Thần Mặt Trăng, goddess of the moon, daughter of Ông Trời
- Hằng Nga, the goddess who lives on the moon with uncle Cuội and Moon Rabbit
Thai
- Phaya Thaen (Thai: พญาแถน,) the sky personified with a rank equivalent to marquess (Thai Phraya,) the protagonist in a Rocket Festival
Chinese
- Yu Huang Dadi-Jade Emperor (center)
- Ziwei Dadi-polestar emperor (north)
- Changsheng Dadi-longevity emperor (south)
- Qinghua Dadi-azure-illustrious emperor (east)
- Taiji Tianhuang Dadi-ultimate heaven emperor (west)
- Chang'e, moon goddess who lives with the moon rabbit
- Shang Di, the celestial emperor
- Tian or Heaven
- Xihe (deity), sun goddess
- Zhinü, weaver of the clouds
- Xian, Taoist spirits associated with the sky and tian
Twenty Four Sky Emperors (Tiandi 天帝)
- Six Tiandi of the North
- 1. Bìfàn Xuánwú Tiandi
- 2. Bìkōng Zhēnjì Tiandi
- 3. Bìluó Yuánshǐ Tiandi
- 4. Bìgě Chéngkāi Tiandi
- 5. Bìyàn Zhūjǐng Tiandi
- 6. Bìhóng Xūkuàng Tiandi
- Six Tiandi of the South
- 7. Bìzhēn Dòngyáng Tiandi
- 8. Bìyáo Jiànggōng Tiandi
- 9. Bìxiá Míngsù Tiandi
- 10. Bìwú Yàodòng Tiandi
- 11. Bìyùn Shǐtú Tiandi
- 12. Bìhào Zhēngxū Tiandi
- Six Tiandi of the West
- 13. Bìshén Zhàozhì Tiandi
- 14. Bìchōng Zǐyào Tiandi
- 15. Bìgě Fànkōng Tiandi
- 16. Bìdòng Xiáyáng Tiandi
- 17. Bìhuá Kāilì Tiandi
- 18. Bìfàn Míngyáo Tiandi
- Six Tiandi of the North
- 19. Bìguāng Hánhuá Tiandi
- 20. Bìyè Zhùyán Tiandi
- 21. Bìdān Huáqì Tiandi
- 22. Bìkuò Címíng Tiandi
- 23. Bìlà Gēyīn Tiandi
- 24. Bìxū Níngyáng Tiandi
Twenty Eight Sky Emperors (Tiandi 天帝)
- Seven Tiandi of the East
- 1. Tàimíng Hùzhēn Tiandi
- 2. Juéfàn Tàilíng Tiandi
- 3. Húyuè Cuìxiù Tiandi
- 4. Zǐdān Míngchǔ Tiandi
- 5. Dòngxiá Yùzhēn Tiandi
- 6. Kōngxuán Lìshǔ Tiandi
- 7. Qiáotōng Zhūpǔ Tiandi
- Seven Tiandi of the South
- 8. Yányú Zhēngshǐ Tiandi
- 9. Jīngwéi Xiāomíng Tiandi
- 10. Qìngfú Zīshàn Tiandi
- 11. Suíwén Xīdù Tiandi
- 12. Chángjī Lèwán Tiandi
- 13. Qíhuá Bùróng Tiandi
- 14. Gāolíng Dàiwú Tiandi
- Seven Tiandi of the West
- 15. Zhōuyú Píngwú Tiandi
- 16. Jǐngyán Tàizhēn Tiandi
- 17. Lǜjǐng Shǔchén Tiandi
- 18. Niúluó Pǔshì Tiandi
- 19. Dìngliáng Huìzōng Tiandi
- 20. Zhàolíng Sūjì Tiandi
- 21. Jiǔwēi Dònghuáng Tiandi
- Seven Tiandi of the North
- 22. Dìshū Guāngjìng Tiandi
- 23. Zǐyí Jìhuā Tiandi
- 24. Zhìdìng Yǔnlǐ Tiandi
- 25. Guāngfàn Jiùzhì Tiandi
- 26. Hǔ口 Zhēngbù Tiandi
- 27. Bàyān Wúyuán Tiandi
- 28. Dàomíng Húnxìng Tiandi
Thirty Two Sky Emperors (Tiandi 天帝)
- Eight Tiandi of the East
- 1. Tàihuáng Huángzēng Tiandi
- 2. Tàimíng Yùwán Tiandi
- 3. Qīngmíng Hétóng Tiandi
- 4. Xuántāi Píngyù Tiandi
- 5. Yuánmíng Wénjǔ Tiandi
- 6. Qīyào Móyí Tiandi
- 7. Xūwú Yuèhéng Tiandi
- 8. Tàijí Méngyì Tiandi
- Eight Tiandi of the South
- 9. Chìmíng Héyáng Tiandi
- 10. Xuánmíng Gōnghuá Tiandi
- 11. Yàomíng Zōngpiāo Tiandi
- 12. Zhúlà Huángjiā Tiandi
- 13. Xūmíng Tángyào Tiandi
- 14. Guànmíng Duānjìng Tiandi
- 15. Xuánmíng Gōngqìng Tiandi
- 16. Tàihuàn Jíyáo Tiandi
- Eight Tiandi of the West
- 17. Yuánzǎi Kǒngshēng Tiandi
- 18. Tàiān Huángyá Tiandi
- 19. Xiǎndìng Jífēng Tiandi
- 20. Shǐhuáng Xiàománg Tiandi
- 21. Tàihuáng Wēngchóng Tiandi
- 22. Wúsī Jiāngyóu Tiandi
- 23. Shǎngshé Ruǎnlè Tiandi
- 24. Wújí Tánshì Tiandi
- Eight Tiandi of the North
- 25. Hàotíng Xiāodù Tiandi
- 26. Yuāntōng Yuándòng Tiandi
- 27. Hànchǒng Miàochéng Tiandi
- 28. Xiùlè Jīnshǎng Tiandi
- 29. Wúshàng Chángróng Tiandi
- 30. Yùlóng Téngshèng Tiandi
- 31. Lóngbiàn Fàndù Tiandi
- 32.Píngyù Jiǎyì Tiandi
Sixty Four Sky Emperors (Tiandi 天帝)
- Sixteen Tiandi of the East
- 1. Wǎnkōng Míngfàn Tiandi
- 2. Zǐyuán Bàwú Tiandi
- 3. Yānjǐng Yùxū Tiandi
- 4. Chōngzhēng Dòngjí Tiandi
- 5. Míngbiàn Yuánhuáng Tiandi
- 6. Lǐchóng Yuānxū Tiandi
- 7. Jiàozhēn Quánzhòng Tiandi
- 8. Qīngwēi Huángyǔ Tiandi
- 9. Jiùmíng wàngshì Tiandi
- 10. Yuèfǔ Wènshí Tiandi
- 11. Qìlíng Zhāopǔ Tiandi
- 12. Xuánxū Guāngfàn Tiandi
- 13. Shǎngjí Sìzhǒng Tiandi
- 14. Yìhuā Zhēngzhèn Tiandi
- 15. Gūshì Bāfàn Tiandi
- 16. Jiǔyán Yùdìng Tiandi
- Sixteen Tiandi of the South
- 17. Dānmó Yìhuā Tiandi
- 18. Dòujiàn Xūyú Tiandi
- 19. Dìguāng Wújì Tiandi
- 20. Zhūlíng Yàoguāng Tiandi
- 21. Zǐjǐng Duànbái Tiandi
- 22. Jiàngxiān Táiyuán Tiandi
- 23. Shuǎngzhì Xièshēn Tiandi
- 24. Yùjiāng Sīchán Tiandi
- 25. Gūhóu Lìzhēn Tiandi
- 26. Gǔxuán Dàoyòng Tiandi
- 27. Lǐbù Míngwēi Tiandi
- 28. Shénlú Chāngyìng Tiandi
- 29. Dùzhēng Kèzōng Tiandi
- 30. Dàhuǒ Chìyī Tiandi
- 31. Qīngdì Dòngyáo Tiandi
- 32. Xuánchéng Bǎihuā Tiandi
- Sixteen Tiandi of the West
- 33. Jīnlí Guāngqǐ Tiandi
- 34. Jíhuáng Xuányùn Tiandi
- 35. Zhōuyán Jìngpíng Tiandi
- 36. Bǎosòng Róngzī Tiandi
- 37. Qìngzhēn Měiyuán Tiandi
- 38. Zhàiwú Shénsì Tiandi
- 39. Gāojiàng Zhìhuá Tiandi
- 40. Dàoqī Yánjì Tiandi
- 41. Tónglì Dàochú Tiandi
- 42. Dǐngshén Huàwēi Tiandi
- 43. Tàiān Shùnjí Tiandi
- 44. Qióngxī Yàoxiān Tiandi
- 45. Zǐdū Yuèguǎng Tiandi
- 46. Cuīkāng Jiéshí Tiandi
- 47. Jìngbì Làmáng Tiandi
- 48. Pǔhǎi Dòngjī Tiandi
- Sixteen Tiandi of the North
- 49. Yúsì Tǒngzhēn Tiandi
- 50. Hǔjiā Pīfāng Tiandi
- 51. Qiúyuān Làyú Tiandi
- 52. Jīnbái Zhēngjì Tiandi
- 53. Huánglì Kǒngxiū Tiandi
- 54. Yáoshū Jīnglíng Tiandi
- 55. Shényín Xiāodū Tiandi
- 56. Qìngzhāo Yuèfú Tiandi
- 57. Chēnmíng Chúkǔ Tiandi
- 58. Fēngxìn Kǎofú Tiandi
- 59. Zhèngrù Bàobù Tiandi
- 60. Gěnglěi Lìquán Tiandi
- 61. Guǐchǔ Shǐlè Tiandi
- 62. Língfù Hǎilún Tiandi
- 63. Shǎngjí Xiāotán Tiandi
- 64. Bìcháng Dòngyuán Tiandi
Japanese
- Amaterasu, goddess of the sun and the universe, ancestor of the emperors of Japan, and the most important deity in Shintoism.
- Amenominakanushi, heavenly ancestral god.
- Izanagi, creator of Japan and sky father.
- Izanami, creator goddess of Japan with her husband; starts off as a sky goddess, but after she dies becomes a death/underworld/chthonic goddess.
- Marici, Buddhist goddess of the heavens.
- Tsukuyomi, god of the moon and brother of Amaterasu.
Korean
The Americas
Haitian
- Badessy, Vodou loa associated with the sky.
Incan
- Chaska Coyllur, goddess of beauty, flowers and young maidens. Personification of planet Venus.
- Chuqui Chinchay, incarnation of various stars and meteorological phenomena.
- Coyllur, goddess of all the stars.
- Illapa, god of the sky, atmospheric phenomena and war.
- Inti, god of the Sun.
- Kon, god of the wind and rain.
- Kuychi, god of rainbows.
- Pachakamaq, creator and sustainer god of all the universe.
- Mama Killa, goddess of the Moon.
- Viracocha, heavenly father and god creator of all that exists.
Inuit
- Anguta, sky father and psychopomp.
- Ataksak, goddess of the sky.
- Negafook, god of weather systems.
- Torngarsuk, god of the sky.
Iroquoian
Lakota
- Anpao wichapi, the Morning Star spirit, bringer of knowledge and new beginnings
- Han, the spirit of night, representative of ignorance
- Hanbli Gleska, the Spotted Eagle spirit, usually regarded as Wakan Thanka
- Hanwi, the moon spirit of knowledge, feminine power, sometimes considered to be the wife of Wi
- Mahgpia Oyate, the Cloud People, also known as the Wichapi Oyate (Star People)
- Wohpe, the spirit of meteors or falling stars (often confused with Fallen Star), also the spirit of beauty, love, wishes, dreams, and prophecy
- Wakinyan, thunder spirit usually taking the form of a bird
- Wi, the sun spirit responsible for bringing light and wisdom to the Lakota oyate
- Wichapi oyate, the Star People, each having respective powers however they usually represent knowledge to some degree
- Wichapi Hinhpaya, the Fallen Star, the son of Wichapi owáŋžila and Tapun Sa Win
- Wichapi owáŋžila, the Resting Star or Polaris, the widower of Tapun Sa Win (Red Cheeked Woman)
Lencans
- Itanipuca, sky father and god of celestial bodies
- Icelca, god of time and seasons
Mayan
Puebloans
- Ápoyan Ta'chu, sky father in Zuni mythology
Taíno mythology
- Yaya, supreme god in Taíno mythology
Uto-Aztecan
- Citlalincue, goddess of the Milky Way
- Cipactonal, god of the daytime
- Oxomoco, goddess of nighttime
- Centzonmimixcoa, 400 gods of the northern stars
- Centzonhuitznahua, 400 gods of the southern stars
- Coyolxauhqui, goddess of the Moon
- Meztli, goddess of the Moon
- Tonatiuh, god of the Sun
- Tianquiztli, star goddesses (see the Pleiades)
- Citlaltonac, god of male stars
- Citlalmina, goddess of female stars
- Citlaxonecuilli, goddess of Ursa Major
- Eototo, Hopi head kachina and sky father
Australian
- Altjira, Arrernte creator and sky god.
- Baiame, southeast Australian creator and sky god.
- Bila (sun), cannibalistic sun goddess.
- Binbeal, god of rainbows.
- Bunjil, Kulin creator and sky god.
- Daramulum, one-legged emu sky god.
- Numakulla, a pair of creator and sky gods.
- Rainbow Serpent, creator god in many Aboriginal cultures associated with water, rain, and rainbows, though it also has a chthonic connection.
Burmese
- Akathaso, the spirits of the sky
Etruscan
Filipino
- llanit: a group of Isnag sky dwellers who are helpful harvest spirits[4]
Hurrian
Meitei/Sanamahism
- Sidaba Mapu, the sky god and the Supreme Deity
- Salailen (Soraren), father sky who help humans to build a civilisation
- Konthoujam Tampha Lairembi, queen of heaven
- Korouhanba, sky and sun god
- Nongshaba, celestial dragon lion
- Nongthang Leima, thunder and lightning goddess
- Pakhangba, celestial dragon god
- Taoroinai, heavenly dragon god
- Sajik (Arietis)
- Thaba (Musca)
- Thangching, ancestral God descended from the heaven
- Khongjom Nubi (Pleiades)
- Apaknga (Lunar mansions)
- Sachung Telheiba (A Orionis)
- Likla Saphaba (Orion)
- Chingcharoibi (G Geminorum)
- Chungshennubi (Cancer)
Malagasy
- Zanahary, sky deity of Madagascar
Māori
Other Pacific Islanders
- Abeguwo, Melanesian sky goddess
- Amai-te-rangi, sky demon of Mangaia
- Atua I Kafika, supreme sky god of Polynesia
- Ira, Polynesian sky goddess
- Laufakana'a, Tongan creator god and sky father
- Tangaloa, Tongan sky god
Sumerian
Uralic
Finnic
- Ilmari, godlike smith-hero and creator of the sky.
- Ilmatar, virgin spirit of the air[5]
- Ukko, supreme god of sky, weather, thunder, crops (harvest) and other natural things.[6]
- Perkele, associated with Ukko by some researchers. A name for Devil in Finnish.[7][8]
- Taara, Oeselian chief god of thunder and the sky
Mari
- Kugu Jumo, chief god of the sky, creator of the world, associated with a duck
- Tõlze, god of the moon
- Piambar, daughter of the sky
- Shudyr-Shamich, god of the stars
- Uzhara, god of the dawn
Mordvin
Permic
Sami
- Horagalles, Sami god of the sky, thunder and lightning, the rainbow, weather, oceans, lakes, human life, health and well-being.[9]
- Mano, god of the moon
Samoyedic
- Num, god of the sky
Ugric
- Num-Toorum-Aś, Ob-Ugric supreme god and ruler of the kingdom of the sky in the north
See also
References
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