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A Compendium of the Ancient Gods

Themes

Boundaries and thresholds

67 gods of boundaries and thresholds, across eight rooms, in the order the rooms are walked.

The Cradle of Cities

6 works

Lamassu, plate — Lamassu la-mas-su The Protective Spirit — winged bull of the gates

Ningishzida, plate — Ningishzida nin-gish-zi-da Lord of the True Tree — chthonic god of vegetation

Ninshubur, plate — Ninshubur nin-shu-bur The Faithful Vizier — minister of Inanna and Anu

Shapash, plate — Shapash sha-pash The Sun — torch of the gods

Shedu, plate — Shedu she-du The Male Guardian Spirit

The Kudurru Deities, plate — The Kudurru Deities the ku-dur-ru dei-ties Witnesses upon the Boundary Stones

The Gift of the Nile

12 works

Aker, plate — Aker a-ker The Twin Lions of the Horizon

Anubis, plate — Anubis ah-noo-bis The Jackal — Lord of Embalming

Anuket, plate — Anuket a-nu-ket Lady of the First Cataract — gazelle-goddess of the inundation

Dedun, plate — Dedun de-dun Lord of Nubia — incense-god of the southern frontier

Khnum, plate — Khnum khnum The Ram — Lord of the First Cataract

Nephthys, plate — Nephthys neph-thys Lady of the House — sister and helper of Isis

Pakhet, plate — Pakhet pa-khet The Tearer — lioness of the desert wadis

Satis, plate — Satis sa-tis Mistress of Elephantine — archer-goddess of the southern frontier

Shu, plate — Shu shu The Air — sustainer of the heavens

Sokar, plate — Sokar so-kar The Falcon of the Necropolis — lord of the Memphite cemetery

Sopdu, plate — Sopdu sop-du Lord of the East — god of the eastern desert and the Sinai approaches

Wepwawet, plate — Wepwawet wep-wa-wet Opener of the Ways — jackal of Asyut

The Olympian Order

16 works

Atlas, plate — Atlas at-las The Sky-Bearer — Titan of the western mountain

Cerberus, plate — Cerberus sur-buh-rus The Hound of Hades — three-headed guardian of the dead

Chaos, plate — Chaos kay-oss The First — primordial gap or void

Charon, plate — Charon kair-on Ferryman of the Styx — gatekeeper of the dead

Charybdis, plate — Charybdis kuh-rib-dis The Whirlpool of the Strait

Empusa, plate — Empusa em-pyoo-suh Shape-Shifting Hag of Hecate

Hecate, plate — Hecate hek-uh-tee Of the Crossroads — goddess of witchcraft and the dark moon

Hermes, plate — Hermes her-meez Messenger of the Gods — patron of travelers and thieves

Iris, plate — Iris eye-ris Rainbow Messenger — herald of Hera

Minotaur, plate — Minotaur min-uh-tor The Bull of Minos — prisoner of the Labyrinth

Morpheus and the Oneiroi, plate — Morpheus and the Oneiroi mor-fee-us and the oh-nye-roy The Shapers of Dreams — Morpheus, Phobetor, and Phantasos

Oceanus, plate — Oceanus oh-see-uh-nus The River-Stream — eldest of the Titans

Persephone, plate — Persephone per-sef-oh-nee Queen of the Underworld — daughter of Demeter

Scylla, plate — Scylla sil-uh The Six-Headed Monster of the Strait

The Graeae, plate — The Graeae the gree-eye The Gray Sisters — old from their birth, sharing one eye and one tooth

The Hesperides, plate — The Hesperides the hes-pair-ih-deez The Nymphs of the Evening — keepers of the golden apples

The Persian World

2 works

Daena, plate — Daena dae-na Religious Conscience — and the maiden who meets the soul after death

Sraosha, plate — Sraosha srao-sha Obedience — divine guardian of the night, judge of souls

The Edges of Empire

3 works

Bandua, plate — Bandua ban-dua The Local Tutelary Deity — patron of the small Lusitanian community

Kviria, plate — Kviria kvi-ria The Mediator-God — intermediary between Ghmerti and humankind

Vidasus, plate — Vidasus vi-da-sus Forest-God of the Western Balkans — Roman Silvanus in Illyrian guise

The Etruscan World

8 works

Aita, plate — Aita ai-ta The Etruscan Lord of the Underworld — equivalent to Greek Hades

Cel, plate — Cel cel The Etruscan Earth-Mother — patroness of the soil

Charun, plate — Charun cha-run Hammer-Wielding Death-Demon — striker of the dying

Nethuns, plate — Nethuns ne-thuns The Etruscan Sea-God — wielder of the trident, lord of waters

Selvans, plate — Selvans sel-vans God of Boundaries and Forests — Roman Silvanus

Thesan, plate — Thesan the-san Goddess of the Dawn — sister of the morning

Turan, plate — Turan tu-ran The Etruscan Goddess of Love — equivalent to Aphrodite, mistress of vital force

Vanth, plate — Vanth vanth The Etruscan Death-Escort — winged female spirit of the moment of dying

The Roman Inheritance

10 works

Bellona, plate — Bellona bel-lo-na Goddess of War — sister and companion of Mars

Awaiting its plate

Janus ja-nus God of Beginnings, Doorways, and the Two-Faced Gaze

Lares, plate — Lares la-res Household and Crossroads Spirits

Liber and Libera, plate — Liber and Libera li-ber and li-be-ra Italic Wine-and-Vine Deities — Companions of Ceres

Mania, plate — Mania ma-nia The Mother of the Manes — old goddess of the spirits of the dead

Portunus, plate — Portunus por-tu-nus God of Harbors and Doors — keeper of keys

Silvanus, plate — Silvanus sil-va-nus God of Forests, Fields, and Boundaries

Terminus, plate — Terminus ter-mi-nus God of the Boundary-Stone

The Indigitamenta, plate — The Indigitamenta the in-di-gi-ta-men-ta The Lists of the Named Specialist Powers

The Spirits of the Doorway, plate — The Spirits of the Doorway the spi-rits of the door-way Cardea, Forculus, and Limentinus — the divinities of the threshold

The Northern Inheritance

10 works

Baba Yaga, plate — Baba Yaga ba-ba ya-ga The Witch of the Forest — who lives in a hut on chicken legs

Bannik and Polevik, plate — Bannik and Polevik ban-nik and po-le-vik The Bath-Spirit and the Field-Spirit — guardians of two Russian thresholds

Heimdallr, plate — Heimdallr heim-dallr Watchman of the Gods — Guardian of Bifrost

Awaiting its plate

Hiisi hii-si The Finnish Forest-Demon — and the place that is his haunt

Jörmungandr, plate — Jörmungandr jör-mun-gandr The World-Serpent

Awaiting its plate

Kalev / Kalevipoeg ka-lev / ka-le-vi-poeg The Estonian Giant-Hero — son of the giant Kalev

Manannán Mac Lir, plate — Manannán Mac Lir ma-nan-nán mac lir Lord of the Sea — Son of the Sea

Māra, plate — Māra mā-ra The Latvian Earth-Mother — patroness of cattle, of women, and of the household

Scáthach, plate — Scáthach scá-thach The Warrior-Woman of the Isle of Skye — instructress of Cú Chulainn

Yggdrasil, plate — Yggdrasil ig-drah-sil The World-Tree — frame of the cosmos