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A Compendium of the Ancient Gods

Themes

Wisdom and writing

53 gods of wisdom and writing, across nine rooms, in the order the rooms are walked.

The Cradle of Cities

10 works

Adapa, plate — Adapa a-da-pa The Sage Who Refused the Bread of Immortal Life

Atrahasis, plate — Atrahasis at-ra-ha-sis The Exceeding Wise — Survivor of the Great Flood

Enki, plate — Enki en-kee Lord of the Sweet Waters and Wisdom — Akkadian Ea

Hannahanna, plate — Hannahanna han-na-han-na The Grandmother — Mother-Goddess of the Hittite Pantheon

Ishum, plate — Ishum i-shum The Watchman of the Night — Herald of Erra

Kothar-wa-Khasis, plate — Kothar-wa-Khasis ko-thar--wa--kha-sis Skilful and Wise — craftsman of the gods

Nabu, plate — Nabu na-bu Scribe of the Gods — Lord of Borsippa

Nisaba, plate — Nisaba ni-sa-ba Lady of the Reeds — goddess of grain and writing

Tashmetum, plate — Tashmetum tash-me-tum The Listening One — Wife of Nabu, Goddess of Intercession

The Apkallu, plate — The Apkallu the ap-kal-lu The Seven Sages — Bringers of the Arts of Civilization

The Gift of the Nile

6 works

Hu, plate — Hu hu The authoritative utterance — divine command made manifest

Imhotep, plate — Imhotep im-ho-tep The Deified Sage — Old Kingdom architect, god of medicine

Ptah, plate — Ptah ptah The Memphite Creator — Lord of Craftsmen

Seshat, plate — Seshat se-shat Lady of the Library — goddess of writing, measurement, and architecture

Sia, plate — Sia sia The perceiving mind — divine intelligence made manifest

Thoth, plate — Thoth thoht The Ibis — Lord of Wisdom and Writing

The Olympian Order

15 works

Athena, plate — Athena ah-thee-nah The Grey-Eyed — goddess of wisdom and crafts

Cadmus, plate — Cadmus kad-mus Founder of Thebes — sower of dragon's teeth

Calliope, plate — Calliope kuh-lye-uh-pee Muse of Epic Poetry

Chiron, plate — Chiron kye-ron The Wise Centaur — teacher of heroes

Clio, plate — Clio klye-oh Muse of History

Coeus, plate — Coeus see-us Titan of the celestial axis — father of Leto

Melpomene, plate — Melpomene mel-pom-uh-nee Muse of Tragedy

Metis, plate — Metis mee-tis Wisdom — first wife of Zeus

Mnemosyne, plate — Mnemosyne neh-moss-ih-nee Memory — mother of the Muses

Nereus, plate — Nereus neer-ee-us Old Man of the Sea — prophetic shape-shifter

Polyhymnia, plate — Polyhymnia pol-ee-him-nee-uh Muse of Sacred Hymn

Prometheus, plate — Prometheus proh-mee-thee-us The Forethinking — friend of mankind

Sphinx, plate — Sphinx sfinks The Theban Riddler

The Muses, plate — The Muses the mu-ses Daughters of Mnemosyne — patrons of the arts

Tiresias, plate — Tiresias tie-ree-see-us The Blind Theban Seer

The Persian World

3 works

Ahura Mazda, plate — Ahura Mazda ah-hoor-ah maz-dah The Wise Lord — supreme creator of all that is good

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

Vohu Manah, plate — Vohu Manah vo-hu ma-nah Good Mind — patron of cattle, first of the Amesha Spentas

The Levantine Borderlands

1 work

Sin of Harran, plate — Sin of Harran sin of har-ran The Moon-God of Harran — Roman-Period Aramaean Cult

The Edges of Empire

1 work

Satana, plate — Satana sa-ta-na The Mother of the Narts — wise counselor of the heroic clan

The Etruscan World

1 work

Menrva, plate — Menrva men-rvah The Etruscan Wise Maiden — warrior, craftswoman, prophetess

The Roman Inheritance

4 works

Egeria, plate — Egeria e-ge-ria The Water-Nymph and Counselor of King Numa Pompilius

Hermes Trismegistus, plate — Hermes Trismegistus her-mes tris-me-gis-tus Thrice-Great Hermes — see also Thoth (Volume II)

The Camenae, plate — The Camenae the ca-me-nae The Italic Muses — water-nymphs of the spring at the Porta Capena

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

The Northern Inheritance

12 works

Baldr, plate — Baldr baldr The Beautiful — His Death the Beginning of Ragnarök

Boann, plate — Boann boann Goddess of the River Boyne — wife of the Dagda

Bragi, plate — Bragi bra-gi God of Poetry — Husband of Idunn

Ceridwen, plate — Ceridwen ce-rid-wen The Welsh Witch of Inspiration — keeper of the cauldron of awen

Fafnir, plate — Fafnir faf-nir The Dragon — son of Hreidmar, slain by Sigurd

Fionn Mac Cumhaill, plate — Fionn Mac Cumhaill fionn mac cum-haill Leader of the Fianna — Hero of the Fenian Cycle

Kvasir, plate — Kvasir kva-sir The Wisest of Men — whose blood made the Mead of Poetry

Mimir, plate — Mimir mi-mir The Wisest of Beings — whose head spoke from the well of wisdom

Odin, plate — Odin oh-din Allfather — God of War, Wisdom, and Death

Ogma, plate — Ogma og-ma God of Eloquence — Inventor of the Ogham Script

Taliesin, plate — Taliesin ta-lie-sin The Welsh Bard — twice born, once mortal and once divine

Awaiting its plate

Väinämöinen väi-nä-möi-nen The Eternal Sage — Hero of the Kalevala — Finnic