The Aztec Gods: A Who’s Who of the Mexica Cosmos

From Quetzalcoatl the Feathered Serpent to the bloodthirsty Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec pantheon was vast, violent and surprisingly flexible. Plus, learn how the Flower Wars provided (semi) willing fodder for human sacrifices. 

The Mexica treated war as an opportunity for cultural accumulation, much like the Mongols did a few centuries earlier. Every conquest came with new foods, new customs, new technology and, often, new deities. If another city had a rain god who seemed to get better results, the Mesoamerican people didn’t see worshipping him as blasphemy — they saw it as smart.

“In many defeated nations we discovered new gods or novel manifestations of our known gods, and, if they appealed to us, our armies brought home copies of their statues for us to set in our own temples,” Gary Jennings writes in his 1980 novel Aztec. 

“Every ritual — whether it involved flowers, animals or human hearts — was a way to keep the cosmic machinery running.

Blood was the power source of the sun. To let that flow stop would be like unplugging the universe.”

It’s a tradition that goes back to at least Ancient Rome. Why destroy another civilization’s gods when you can just add them to your own pantheon? 

The Spanish, of course, were appalled (never mind how many Catholic beliefs originated in so-called pagan celebrations like Yule). They arrived preaching one true God — and promptly rolled out the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost, the Virgin Mary, angels, apostles and a saint for every stubbed toe and lost key. 

“I have heard you Christians complain of our ‘multitudes’ of gods and goddesses,” Jennings writes later, before his narrator adds, “I have counted and compared. I do not believe that we relied on so many major and minor deities as you do — the Lord God, the Son Jesus, the Holy Ghost, the Virgin Mary — plus all those other Higher Beings you call Angels and Apostles and Saints, each of them the governing patron of some single facet of your world, your lives, your tónaltin [fate], even every single day in the calendar. In truth, I believe we recognized fewer deities, but we charged each of ours with more diverse functions.”

What a dig! While Europeans obsessed over keeping heaven in order, the Mexica embraced divine chaos — a spiritual ecosystem where gods could merge, borrow faces and change form as easily as the world itself.

The Aztec Gods, A to Z 

(Well, Actually C to X)

Aztec mythology wasn’t built on tidy hierarchies. It instead embraced glorious contradiction — gods who could be both creators and destroyers, lovers and warriors, rainmakers and flood-bringers. To keep things simple (or at least alphabetized), here’s a guide to the divine cast that kept the sun burning, the corn growing, and the sacrifices right on schedule.

Centeotl

“God of Maize”

Pronunciation: Sen-teh-o-tull

Domain: Corn, sustenance, harvest

Vibe: The dependable one — always shows up for dinner

Story: Centeotl was the golden core of Aztec life, the maize god whose body quite literally fed the people. According to the Florentine Codex, Quetzalcoatl tore open the earth to bring corn to humankind, and from that soil Centeotl sprouted — divine, delicious and essential.

Chalchiuhtlicue

“She of the Jade Skirt”

Pronunciation: Chal-chee-oot-lee-kweh

Domain: Rivers, lakes, seas, childbirth

Vibe: The goddess of good water and bad  wmoods

Story: Chalchiuhtlicue ruled over every flowing thing — from gentle rivers to catastrophic floods. One myth says she once loved humanity so much she wept for them, and her tears flooded the world. The survivors, naturally, turned into fish. 

Coatlicue

“She of the Serpent Skirt”

Pronunciation: Ko-aht-lee-kweh

Domain: Earth, life and death, motherhood

Vibe: The cosmic mom you do not want to disappoint

Story: Coatlicue was the ultimate Earth mother — nurturing yet terrifying. She wore a skirt of snakes and a necklace of severed hands and hearts (sharing a fashion sense with the Hindu goddess Kali). When her daughter Coyolxauhqui and 400 sons plotted to kill her, they struck off her head — but from the gushing wound sprang two serpents whose fanged mouths met to form her new face. And Coatlicue’s unborn child Huitzilopochtli burst forth from her womb, fully armed, and ended that rebellion fast. 

Coyolxauhqui

“Bells on Her Cheeks”

Pronunciation: Koy-ol-shau-kee

Domain: The moon

Vibe: The rebel who lost, but still owns the night 

Story: Coyolxauhqui led her siblings in a failed coup against their mother, Coatlicue, only to be dismembered by her newborn brother, Huitzilopochtli — a mythic explanation for the moon’s fragmented phases.

Ehécatl

“He Who Is the Wind”

Pronunciation: Eh-heh-katull 

Domain: Wind, breath, motion, life

Vibe: The chill cousin who shows up, stirs things up and vanishes again

Story: Ehécatl is the wind god — a breezy form of Quetzalcoatl himself. When the newly created sun refused to move, Ehécatl blew across the heavens to push it into motion. His temples were round so the wind could pass through, a clever architectural touch in a city built on geometry. The man was literally the breath of life — and sometimes, the breath of fresh air everyone needed.

Huitzilopochtli

“Left-Handed Hummingbird” or “Hummingbird of the South”

Pronunciation: Weets-ee-loh-pohch-tuhlee

Domain: War, the sun, the destiny of the Mexica

Vibe: The overachiever with a bloody habit

Story: Huitzilopochtli was the Mexica’s personal war god and the reason they believed themselves unstoppable. Born in a blaze of feathers and fury, he beheaded his sister Coyolxauhqui moments after his birth and tossed her body down the mountainside — symbolizing the sun’s daily triumph over the moon. He needed blood to keep shining, and the Aztecs were more than happy to supply it.

Ilamatecuhtli

“The Old Lady”

Pronunciation: Ee-lah-mah-teh-koo-tlee

Domain: Age, endings, childbirth, dry corn, the turning of the year

Vibe: The venerable (and sometimes scary) grandmother

Story: Ilamatecuhtli was the Earth Mother in her oldest form — not nurturing like Teteoinnan, not frantic like Coatlicue, but ancient, heavy and utterly unavoidable. She ruled the cold, solemn month of Tititl, when people fasted, moved quietly, and lived in fear, as though Death herself was walking past their doors.

Women who died in childbirth were honored as fierce, restless spirits called the cihuateteo during this season, their cries believed to haunt crossroads at night. They belonged to Ilamatecuhtli, who understood both the agony of labor and the final stillness of death. She was the end of the cycle, the crack in the seed before it sprouts again, the winter before the earth remembers how to bloom. 

Itztlacoliuhqui

“Curved Obsidian Blade”

Pronunciation: Eets-koh-lee-oo-kee

Domain: Cold, punishment, winter, misfortune

Vibe: The burnt-out star who pissed off the wrong person 

Story: Itztlacoliuhqui is literally the embodiment of bad vibes. But he wasn’t always this way. He used to be a radiant god of light, the Lord of the Dawn, Venus as Morning Star, until he either insulted the sun, Tonatiuh, or accidentally loosed an arrow at him. The sun’s response was instant: a burst of searing fire. The blow broke his nose, warped his face into a permanent curve, and transformed him into the frigid, shadowy deity of winter. He’s often shown blindfolded or bent, carrying a staff like a frozen wanderer. He represents the moment when light collapses into darkness — and the consequences of making mortal enemies.

Mayahuel

“Goddess of the Agave”

Pronunciation: My-yah-well

Domain: Agave, pulque, nourishment, fertility

Vibe: The star-crossed lover

Story: Mayahuel is the spirit of the agave plant — the source of food, fiber, healing sap and the sacred drink pulque. Her family practices an extreme form of helicopter parenting: They’re star demons who’ve forbidden Mayahuel to leave the heavens. But Quetzalcoatl falls for her and the two hide by merging into a forked tree. When the goddess’ family finds them, they tear Mayahuel apart, scattering her pieces across the soil. Where they land, the maguey grows — resilient, sharp-edged and impossible to uproot.

Because the plant came from her body, every harvest was an act of reverence. The sap that fermented into pulque belonged to her. Agave and pulque folklore shows how deeply the plant shaped everything from spirituality to social rituals in Mesoamerica.

Mictecacihuatl

“Lady of the Dead”

Pronunciation: Meek-teh-kah-see-wah-tull

Domain: Death, the underworld, ancestors, bones

Vibe: The goth aunt who keeps every receipt — and by receipts, we mean bones

Story: She rules the underworld with quiet authority — no drama, no shouting, just a stare that sees straight through flesh to your skeleton. She and her husband, Mictlantecuhtli, oversee Mictlan, the final destination for most souls. Festivals in her honor later blended with Catholic All Souls’ celebrations and evolved into Día de los Muertos — meaning she’s the spiritual grandmother of the holiday that remembers the dead with candles, food and marigolds.

Mictlantecuhtli

“Lord of the Underworld”

Pronunciation: Meek-tuhlahn-teh-koot-lee

Domain: Death, the afterlife

Vibe: Surprisingly chill about mortality

Story: Mictlantecuhtli ruled Mictlan, the nine-layered underworld where most souls went after death — more for bureaucracy vs. punishment. The journey took four years, with challenges like mountains that crashed together and rivers of blood. When Quetzalcoatl came to borrow bones to make humanity, Mictlantecuhtli agreed — and then tried to trip him on the way out. 

Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl

“Our Lord and Lady of Duality”

Pronunciation: Oh-meh-teh-koot-lee / Oh-meh-see-wah-tuhl

Domain: Creation, balance, masculine and feminine forces 

Vibe: The original power couple. Divine yin and yang — a sort of Adam and Eve for the Mexica.

Story: Before there was sun, moon or time itself, there was Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl. Living in the highest heaven, they embodied the balance of existence. Together, they created the four great gods (Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca, Tlaloc and Xipe Totec), setting the cosmic wheels in motion. Creation wasn’t a solo act; it was a duet.

Quetzalcoatl

“Feathered Serpent”

Pronunciation: Ket-sahl-koh-ah-tuhl

Domain: Wind, knowledge, art, life, creation

Vibe: The philosopher who tried to make everyone chill

Story: Quetzalcoatl was the thoughtful one — a feathered serpent who preferred wisdom to warfare. He gave humans knowledge, maize and calendars, which is more than most gods manage before breakfast. Trickster rival Tezcatlipoca once got him drunk and shamed him into exile; some legends say he sailed east, promising to return. When the Spanish landed, later chroniclers swore the Mexica mistook Cortés for him. 

Teteoinnan

“Mother of the Gods”

Pronunciation: Teh-teh-oh-ee-nahn

Domain: Fertility, death, renewal

Vibe: Brutal, maternal, unstoppable

Story: Teteoinnan was the primordial Earth Mother — the one who birthed the gods and demanded blood to keep creation fertile. During the festival of Ochpaniztli, “the Sweeping,” a woman chosen to represent her was pampered for days, then shot to death by arrows. Her skin was flayed and worn by a priest, symbolizing the earth shedding its old season so a new one could grow. Teteoinnan was life itself: the womb and the tomb, the soil that feeds and devours.

Tezcatlipoca

“Smoking Mirror”

Pronunciation: Tes-kaht-lee-poh-kah

Domain: Night, chaos, destiny, trickery

Vibe: The original frenemy — chaos with cheekbones

Story: Tezcatlipoca was Quetzalcoatl’s equal and opposite — the shadow to his light. With his obsidian mirror, he could see into hearts and futures, which made him the ultimate gossip. One myth has him turning into a jaguar to destroy the world, just to prove a point. The Aztecs loved him for it; he reminded them that fate has teeth.

Tlaloc

“He Who Makes Things Sprout” (possibly)

Pronunciation: Tuhlah-lok

Domain: Rain, storms, fertility

Vibe: The moody meteorologist

Story: Tlaloc could bless or drown with equal enthusiasm. Farmers adored him; everyone else kept a respectful distance. Children were sometimes sacrificed in his honor, their tears believed to bring rain. Archaeologists have found offerings of tiny skeletons near his temple, a haunting reminder that the weather is often a matter of life and death.

Tlazolteotl

“Goddess of Filth”

Pronunciation: Tuhlah-zohl-teh-o-tuhl

Domain: Sin, purification, lust, confession

Vibe: The confessor — sharp-tongued, forgiving and uncomfortably honest

Story: Tlazolteotl was the goddess of both sin and cleansing. People confessed their moral missteps to her once in their lifetime, and she “ate” their spiritual filth, leaving them pure again. Basically the Aztec equivalent of Jesus Christ taking away the sins of the world — only with black face paint, dirty rags and rotten food.

Tonatiuh

“The Radiant One”

Pronunciation: Toh-nah-tee-uh

Domain: The sun (the current one — there were four before him)

Vibe: The jock who knows the world literally revolves around him

Story: Tonatiuh is the fifth sun — the version we live under now. The Aztecs believed the universe had been destroyed and reborn four times already, and keeping Tonatiuh burning required constant human sacrifice. If the flow of hearts stopped, so would the sun. No pressure, humanity.

Xipe Totec

“Our Lord, the Flayed One”

Pronunciation: Shee-peh Toh-tek

Domain: Renewal, spring, agriculture, goldsmiths

Vibe: Horrifying but optimistic

Story: Xipe Totec wore human skin to symbolize the shedding of the old and the rebirth of the new. Each spring, priests honored him by donning the flayed skin of sacrificial victims until it decayed — a vivid, if disturbing, metaphor for renewal. He was terrifying, but also proof that life always grows back.

Xiuhtecuhtli

“Turquoise Lord”

Pronunciation: Shee-ooh-teh-koot-lee

Domain: Fire, time, renewal

Vibe: The spark that keeps the universe’s pilot light on

Story: Xiuhtecuhtli rules over fire and time — the heart of every hearth and the flame that ties life together. Every 52 years, the Aztecs extinguished all the blazes in the empire for the New Fire Ceremony, then rekindled it atop a sacrificial victim’s chest to reboot the cosmic clock. A bit extreme, but supposedly effective.

Xochipilli

“Flower Prince”

Pronunciation: Soh-chee-pee-lee

Domain: Pleasure, art, dance, song and sacred intoxication

Vibe: The good time guy — who’s always got the good stuff

Story: Xochipilli ruled over music, poetry and hallucinogenic ecstasy. His statues show him in blissful trance, covered in carvings of psychoactive plants like morning glory and mushrooms. Scholars debate whether he’s communing with fellow gods or just having an incredible trip. Either way, he’s the patron of joy.

Xochiquetzal

“Precious Flower”

Pronunciation: Soh-chee-ket-sahl

Domain: Love, beauty, fertility, female sexuality, arts

Vibe: The divine muse with petals and power

Story: Xochiquetzal ruled over everything pleasurable: love, sex, beauty, art and weaving (opinions differ on how fun that last one is). She was beauty incarnate, the kind people write terrible poetry about. Naturally, this led to drama: At one point Tezcatlipoca abducted her, proving that even gods make bad romantic decisions. Worshiped by artists and universally adored, she was the eternal muse — always in bloom.

Aztec Offerings: Blood and Blossoms

For the Mexica, the gods needed constant nourishment to keep creation from falling apart. In a universe born from divine sacrifice, the only fitting offering was more of the same.

The Florentine Codex, compiled by Franciscan friar Bernardino de Sahagún and his Nahua collaborators between 1540 and 1577, is a 12-book encyclopedic record of Aztec culture, language and religion created to document and ultimately aid in converting indigenous peoples after the Spanish conquest.

According to the codex, every ritual — whether it involved flowers, animals or human hearts — was a repayment, a way to keep the cosmic machinery running. Blood was the power source of the sun. The gods had given their own essence to ignite the world. To let that flow stop would be like unplugging the universe.

The Flower Wars (Xochiyaoyotl)

The Aztecs even had a word for the ultimate warrior’s death: xōchimiquiztli, the “flowery death.” Dying in battle or on the sacrificial stone wasn’t seen as tragedy but transcendence. To fall for Huitzilopochtli or Tonatiuh was to bloom forever in the sky, your soul reborn as a hummingbird or butterfly chasing the rising sun.

And the gods demanded a lot of blood. So the indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica came up with an interesting proposal: battles not for conquest but purely to feed the gods. These ritualized clashes between city-states — most famously Tenochtitlan and Tlaxcala — were called the Flower Wars. The goal wasn’t land or wealth; it was captives.

The Mexica believed these chosen warriors made the best offerings: brave, beautiful and unafraid. To die in one of these sacred battles was an honor. As The Florentine Codex notes, they were “debt payments” to the gods — each body a line item in the cosmic ledger.

It sounds kind of poetic — if you ignore the gruesome obsidian knives carving out all those still-beating hearts.

Yet within that brutality lived a strange kind of grace. The Aztecs saw the world as a vast cycle of giving and renewal. Flowers wilted, rain fell, the sun rose again — and so did life. In their eyes, blood was just another bloom, proof that everything beautiful demands something in return. 

Tonantzin: The Reverend Mother Who Became the Virgin Mary

If you climb Tepeyac Hill, on the north side of Mexico City, at sunrise, people say you can still feel her presence.

Before the Spanish ever arrived, the Mexica made pilgrimages up that hill to honor Tonantzin (Toh-nahn-tseen), “Our Revered Mother.” 

But the name wasn’t tied to one figure. It was a title, a crown shared by the great mother goddesses:

• Coatlicue when she was fierce

• Teteoinnan when she was the ultimate authority

• Chalchiuhtlicue when she flowed with kindness

Then the conquest happened. The Spanish tore down her temple and built a church on the exact same hill dedicated to the Virgin Mary. 

They expected the indigenous people to move on. They didn’t. The locals kept making pilgrimages, lighting candles and praying — but they kept calling the Virgin Mary Tonantzin.

Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, a Franciscan friar, lost his mind over it, writing “This appears to be a Satanic device to mask idolatry,” in his Historia General de las Cosas de Nueva España. 

Tonantzin is the Aztec mother goddess who survived colonization by putting on a new outfit. –Wally

The Norse Gods: The Deities Who Knew They Would Die

Meet the Norse gods: a fierce pantheon of warlike deities, doomed heroes and mischief-makers. Learn about Odin, Thor, Loki, Freyja, and Ragnarök, the end of the world they can't escape.

The Norse gods don’t rule from some shining eternal paradise. They sit in Asgard, a realm of feasting halls and battle scars, knowing full well that doom is coming. They drink, they fight, they love, and they scheme — but above all, they live with the knowledge that one day, it all ends in fire and ruin. 

“The Norse gods aren’t distant, perfect figures sitting on golden thrones.

They struggle, they fail, they sacrifice, and they rage against the inevitable. They’re larger than life — until they die. ”

Unlike the gods of other mythologies, the Norse deities aren’t immortal in the traditional sense. They age, they can die, and they know how the story ends: Ragnarök, the final battle, where most of them are fated to perish.

But until then? They shape the cosmos, meddle in human affairs, and prove that gods the world over have complicated relationships, questionable choices and a flair for the dramatic.

A Tale of Two Tribes: The Aesir and the Vanir

The Norse gods are divided into two distinct groups:

The Aesir: The warlike, ruling gods of Asgard. Odin, Thor and Loki belong to this camp, focusing on battle, wisdom and power.

The Vanir: The gods of nature, fertility and prosperity. Freyja, Freyr and Njord are part of this mysterious older group.

The two groups weren’t always allies. They started out as enemies, locked in a brutal war that ended in a truce and an exchange of hostages. The Aesir and Vanir eventually merged into a single pantheon, but their differences remain: One is bound by war and fate; the other by nature’s cycles.

Now, let’s meet the major players.

The Norse Pantheon: A Who’s Who of the Gods of Norse Mythology 

ODIN

Dominion: Wisdom, war, death

Gave up an eye for knowledge

THOR

Dominion: Thunder, strength, protection

Wields the hammer Mjölnir

LOKI

Dominion: Trickery, shapeshifting

Fathered a giant wolf, serpent and eight-legged horse

FREYJA

Dominion: Love, magic, battle

Slept with four dwarves to get a necklace

FREYR

Dominion: Fertility, prosperity, peace

Has a golden boar and a self-fighting sword

TYR

Dominion: Justice, law, sacrifice

Lost his hand to the giant wolf Fenrir

BALDER

Dominion: Light, beauty, hope

Was killed by a mistletoe arrow

HEIMDALL

Dominion: Guardianship, perception

Has golden teeth and guards the Rainbow Bridge

FRIGG

Dominion: Fate, foresight, motherhood

Can see the future but doesn't speak of it

NJORD

Dominion: Sea, wind, wealth

Hated living in the mountains with his wife

HODR

Dominion: Darkness, mystery

Accidentally killed his brother Balder

HEL

Dominion: Death, the underworld

Rules over those who die of illness or old age

Odin

Divine Dominion: Wisdom, war, poetry, death and generally knowing more than everyone else

Temperament and Tendencies: Odin isn’t your typical benevolent all-father. He’s the kind of guy who trades his own eye for knowledge and thinks that’s a fair deal. He wanders the world in disguise, testing mortals with riddles and cryptic wisdom, all while hoarding every scrap of magical power he can get his hands on. He’s half battle god, half poetry nerd, and 100% obsessed with avoiding his own fate — though deep down, he knows it’s inevitable.

Signature Style:

• Gungnir, a spear that never misses its mark

• Huginn and Muninn, his two ravens who fly across the world gathering intel. Basically, his personal spy network

• Sleipnir, an eight-legged horse that is technically his grandchild, thanks to Loki’s … creative approach to problem-solving

Inner Circle:

• Frigg, his wife, who knows the future but refuses to tell him

• Thor, his muscle-bound son who solves everything with his hammer

• Loki, his brother and occasional worst enemy

• The Valkyries, his elite warrior-maidens who collect the souls of fallen fighters for the heavenly hall of Valhalla

Saga-Worthy Moment: He once hanged himself from the World Tree for nine days just to unlock the secrets of the runes. Talk about commitment.

Ragnarök Status: Doomed. He’ll go head-to-head with Fenrir, the giant wolf, and it will not end well for him.

Thor

Divine Dominion: Thunder, strength, protection and smashing things really hard

Temperament and Tendencies: Thor is the kind of guy who kicks down doors instead of knocking. He’s loud, boisterous, fiercely loyal and completely incapable of subtlety. He’s the gods’ first line of defense against giants, trolls and anyone who looks at Asgard funny. Despite being a god of war, he has a soft spot for mortals — probably because they cheer the loudest when he shows up swinging his hammer.

Signature Style:

• Mjölnir, his hammer, which always returns to his hand after being thrown

• A magic belt that doubles his strength

• A chariot pulled by two immortal goats, which he occasionally eats and then resurrects the next day

Inner Circle:

• Sif, his wife, best known for her golden hair (which Loki once shaved off, and somehow survived)

• Odin, his complicated father figure

• Loki, his on-again, off-again adventure buddy who causes 95% of his problems

Saga-Worthy Moment: Once had to disguise himself as a bride to retrieve his stolen hammer. It ended in a massacre — but not before some very uncomfortable moments with the groom.

Ragnarök Status: Will go down swinging against Jörmungandr, the world-serpent — he kills it but dies shortly after from its venom

MORE: Norse Mythology That the Movie Thor: Ragnarok Got Wrong

Loki

Divine Dominion: Trickery, chaos, fire and making bad decisions seem fun

Temperament and Tendencies: Loki is equal parts hilarious and horrifying. One minute he’s pulling off an elaborate prank on Thor, and the next, he’s indirectly responsible for the downfall of the gods. He’s a shapeshifter, a smooth talker and a chaos magnet. He’s technically Odin’s brother but doesn’t really fit in with the rest of the Aesir — probably because he keeps switching sides.

Signature Style:

• Shapeshifting into literally anything, from a fish to a fly to, infamously, a female horse. (Yes, this is how Odin’s eight-legged horse was born. No, we don’t talk about it)

• A silver tongue, which gets him both into and out of trouble

• A flair for the dramatic, because being subtle is boring

Inner Circle:

• Odin, when they’re on good terms

• Thor, when they’re not trying to kill each other

• His wife, Sigyn, who’s way too patient for her own good

Saga-Worthy Moment: Loki once gatecrashed a feast at the underwater hall of the giant and master brewer Ægir, where he insulted every god in attendance, bragged about sleeping with half of them, and aired everyone’s dirty laundry in verse — all while very drunk. When Thor finally stormed in and threatened to hammer Loki into paste, the trickster decided it was probably time to leave. This delightful trainwreck of a roast is known as Lokasenna, or Loki’s Flyting. 

Ragnarök Status: Will lead the charge against the gods and go down in a final showdown with Heimdall.

THINK NORSE MYTHOLOGY IS CRAZY? Wait’ll you get a load of this tale of incest, lettuce and jizz from Egyptian mythology!

Freyja

Divine Dominion: Love, beauty, war, magic and getting whatever she wants

Temperament and Tendencies: Freyja’s not your typical love goddess. Sure, she’s beautiful and enchanting — but she’s also a battle-hardened warrior who rides into combat and takes half the fallen warriors before Odin gets his pick. She’s also the queen of sorcery, which makes her both alluring and utterly terrifying.

Signature Style:

• Brísingamen, a dazzling necklace that she definitely didn’t have to sleep with four dwarves to obtain. (Except she did)

• A chariot pulled by two big cats, because dogs are overrated

• A falcon-feathered cloak, allowing her to fly

Inner Circle:

• Freyr, her twin brother, also associated with fertility and prosperity

• Odin, who learned magic from her

• A lot of broken-hearted lovers

Saga-Worthy Moment: Once turned down a marriage proposal from a giant so dramatically that Thor had to step in and smash things.

Ragnarök Status: Unclear. She might survive — because no one tells Freyja what to do.

LEARN MORE about Freyja

Freyr

Divine Dominion: Fertility, prosperity, peace and romantic decisions that haunt you forever 

Temperament and Tendencies: Freyr is one of the Vanir, a fertility god with a soft spot for beautiful women and good harvests. Unlike his battle-happy Aesir cousins, Freyr prefers peace, feasting and abundance — but when love strikes, he goes full disaster romantic.

Signature Style:

• A magic sword that fights on its own (which he gave away to impress a girl… Great call)

• Gullinbursti, a glowing golden boar that pulls his chariot

• An aura of extremely fertile energy — the kind that makes crops grow just by being near them

Inner Circle:

• Freyja, his twin sister and occasional partner-in-crime

• Njord, their laidback sea god dad

• Gerðr, the giantess he fell for so hard, he handed over his magic weapon

Saga-Worthy Moment: At Ragnarök, Freyr goes into battle unarmed because of that whole sword-for-love swap, and gets absolutely wrecked by Surtr, the fire giant.

Ragnarök Status: Heroic, but very dead

Tyr

Divine Dominion: Justice, law, honorable combat and making the ultimate sacrifice

Temperament and Tendencies: Tyr is the god you call when things need to be done the right way. He’s honorable, courageous, and possibly the only Norse god who actually thinks before acting. Unlike Thor, who solves problems with a hammer blow, and Odin, who solves them with riddles, Tyr solves them with logic and sheer willpower — and sometimes, by personally sacrificing body parts.

Signature Style:

• A missing hand, courtesy of Fenrir the giant wolf. (More on that in a second)

• A sword, because even a god of justice needs a way to back it up with force

• An aura of quiet competence, which makes him stand out in a pantheon full of drama

Inner Circle:

• Odin, when things need a legal expert

• The other gods, when they need someone to do the hard job

• Not Fenrir, for obvious reasons

Saga-Worthy Moment: The gods needed to bind Fenrir, the monstrous wolf who would one day help destroy the world. The wolf, being somewhat intelligent, refused to let them tie him up unless one of them put their hand in his mouth as collateral. Tyr immediately stepped up, fully aware of how this was going to end. Sure enough, the second Fenrir realized he was tricked, he bit down — and Tyr didn’t even flinch.

Ragnarök Status: Will fight Garm, the underworld’s monstrous hound, in a final battle. The result? Mutual destruction. But honestly, that’s just how Tyr rolls.

Balder

Divine Dominion: Light, purity, joy and making everyone love him (too much)

Temperament &land Tendencies: Balder is the golden boy of the Norse pantheon — literally. He’s charming, kind, handsome and basically too good for this world (which, spoiler alert, is a problem). Everyone adores him: gods, mortals, even inanimate objects — except for Loki, of course.

Signature Style:

• Glowing with divine radiance, because normal beauty isn’t enough

• Wearing the best armor ever, because Frigg, his mother, made everything in existence promise not to harm him. (Again, almost everything)

• Being the center of attention, mostly because the gods liked to throw things at him just to watch them bounce off

Inner Circle:

• Frigg and Odin, his doting parents

• Hodr, his blind twin brother

• Literally everyone (again, except Loki)

Saga-Worthy Moment: Thanks to his mother’s magical oath, nothing in existence could hurt Balder. The gods turned this into a game, throwing weapons at him and laughing as they bounced off. Enter Loki, who found the one thing Frigg forgot to make swear an oath: mistletoe. He handed a mistletoe-tipped arrow to Balder’s blind brother, Hodr, and guided him to shoot. Balder died instantly, and everyone lost their minds.

Ragnarök Status: Already dead, but he’ll make a glorious return after the world ends, because Balder always gets a happy ending.

Heimdall

Divine Dominion: Guardianship, foresight and being literally the most alert being in existence

Temperament and Tendencies: Heimdall is the guy who never sleeps. He’s the guardian of Bifröst, the rainbow bridge, and his one job is to watch for any threats to Asgard. And he does it very well — his hearing is so sharp he can hear grass grow, and his vision is so good he can see across the realms. Basically, he’s the divine equivalent of a security system cranked up to 11.

Signature Style:

• The Gjallarhorn, the horn he will blow when Ragnarök begins

• Golden teeth, cuz why not?

• A sword — he’s not just standing guard for fun

Inner Circle:

• Odin, because somebody has to be responsible

• The other gods, when they actually listen to his warnings

Saga-Worthy Moment: One day, when the world finally starts crumbling, Heimdall will blow the Gjallarhorn, signaling the beginning of the end. And after a lifetime of standing guard, he’ll finally step into battle against Loki himself in a legendary duel where both will die.

Ragnarök Status: As mentioned, he’ll go out in the ultimate grudge match against Loki. No survivors.

Frigg

Divine Dominion: Fate, motherhood, marriage and knowing absolutely everything — but keeping it to herself

Temperament and Tendencies: Frigg is the ultimate quiet power player. As Odin’s wife and queen of the Aesir, she has the gift of foresight; she knows exactly how everything will end. But does she share this knowledge? Absolutely not. Instead, she spends her time weaving the threads of fate and occasionally trying (and failing) to save her golden boy, Balder. 

Signature Style:

• A spindle and distaff, because fate doesn’t weave itself

• A throne right next to Odin, where she sees everything

• A talent for making oaths happen, which works great — until Loki finds a loophole

Inner Circle:

• Balder, her beloved son (RIP)

• Odin, her mysterious, wandering husband

• A host of minor goddesses who help her manage fate

Saga-Worthy Moment: She got everything in existence to swear an oath not to harm Balder … except for mistletoe. That one oversight set off the entire apocalypse countdown.

Ragnarök Status: Survives (but she already knew that) 

Njord

Divine Dominion: The sea, wealth, boats and awkward family vacations

Temperament and Tendencies: Njord is chill. He’s a sea god who just wants everyone to be rich, happy and sailing the open waves. But thanks to an arranged marriage with Skadi, a snow-loving giantess, his life is one long compromise between the beach and the mountains. Spoiler: Nobody’s happy.

Signature Style:

• A ship that can sail on land if needed

• An eternal tan, because sea gods don’t do SPF

• A lot of treasure — the sea is a profitable business

Inner Circle:

• Freyr and Freyja, his beloved kids

• Skadi, his extremely outdoorsy ex

Saga-Worthy Moment: He and his wife, Skadi, agreed to split their time between his beach house and her mountain lodge. Both hated each other’s homes, so they split up, making Njord the god of divine irreconcilable differences.

Ragnarök Status: Not really a fighter, so he might just float off into the sunset

Hodr

Divine Dominion: Darkness, tragic accidents and being way too trusting of Loki

Temperament and Tendencies: Hodr is kind-hearted but doomed, born blind and destined to kill his own brother Balder — which is super-awkward because they actually liked each other. But the gods don’t even blame him. They all know it was Loki’s fault.

Signature Style:

• A bow and arrow, because nothing could possibly go wrong handing that to a blind guy

• A general vibe of tragic inevitability

• Being the saddest pawn in the whole mythology game

Inner Circle:

• Balder, his ill-fated brother

• Frigg, his mom, who really tried her best

• Loki, who hands him the murder weapon like some cosmic prank gone too far

Saga-Worthy Moment: When the gods played their “let’s throw stuff at Balder” game, Hodr got handed a mistletoe-tipped arrow by Loki, who kindly helped him aim. Instant tragedy.

Ragnarök Status: Already dead before Ragnarök even starts. A true overachiever in cosmic misfortune.

Hel

Divine Dominion: The underworld, death, and giving zero fucks about your feelings

Temperament and Tendencies: Hel is half living woman, half rotting corpse, which really sets the tone. Unlike the fiery torment of some afterlives, Helheim is more of a cold, dreary waiting room for souls who didn’t die in battle. Hel’s not really cruel; she just doesn’t give a shit.

Signature Style:

• A kingdom named after herself, because branding matters

• An expression that says, “This meeting could’ve been an email.”

• A general air of “why are you bothering me?”

Inner Circle:

• Loki, her dad, who barely visits

• The dead, who don’t exactly have options

Saga-Worthy Moment: When Balder died, Hermod (Odin’s other son) rode into Helheim to beg Hel to release him. Hel said sure — if literally everything in the world would weep for him. When one giantess (Loki in disguise, naturally) refused, she slammed the gates shut and went back to not caring.

Ragnarök Status: Stays put in Helheim, because she has a kingdom to run, thank you very much.

The Norse Pantheon: Gods of Glory and Doom

The Norse gods are a paradox: mighty yet mortal, powerful yet doomed. Unlike the serene and eternal deities of other mythologies, they live in the shadow of an ending they can’t escape. 

But rather than despair, they fight harder, love wilder and drink deeper. They’re warriors, tricksters, rulers and seers, but above all, they’re beings who embrace their fate and make every moment count.

And maybe that’s what makes them so compelling. The Norse gods aren’t distant, perfect figures sitting on golden thrones. They struggle, they fail, they sacrifice, and they rage against the inevitable. They’re larger than life — until they die. 

So raise a horn of mead, toast to the Aesir and Vanir, and remember: Even gods can fall, but legends live forever. –Wally

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MORE MYTHOLOGY

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Ancient Gods of the Old Testament

Little-Known Gods of Ancient Egypt 

Hindu Gods & Goddesses

The Major Hindu Gods and Goddesses

Hinduism is said to have millions of gods — but in practice, a few dozen take center stage. Here’s your guide to the most significant deities and avatars, including Shiva, Ganesha, Vishnu, Saraswati, Krishna, Hanuman, Lakshmi and Kali.

If you’ve ever heard that Hinduism has “330 million gods,” you might picture an endlessly expanding pantheon with so many characters you could spend a lifetime learning about them all. 

The truth is more layered. That astronomical number isn’t a census so much as a poetic way of saying the divine is infinite, manifesting in countless forms and aspects. 

In practice, certain deities emerge again and again — in temple carvings, festival processions, devotional songs and stories passed down through generations.

“Many Hindu gods have skin glowing in hues beyond the human — deep blue for cosmic infinity, gold for radiance, green for life itself.

Multiple arms signal their boundless power, each hand holding a weapon, tool, lotus or blessing. ”

Some are worshipped as supreme in their own right; others are venerated as avatars, or incarnations, of the same cosmic force. You might see the same god in wildly different guises — gentle one moment, ferocious the next — depending on the story being told. And while millions of forms may exist in theory, a core roster of perhaps 20 or so names dominates the Hindu spiritual and cultural imagination.

Here, we’ve gathered the most prominent Hindu gods and goddesses. You’ll meet gods who ride lions, owls, bulls and even mice; goddesses who create, nurture and destroy; and divine heroes whose epics have shaped centuries of art, music and philosophy. 

While each deity is unique in their own way, you’ll notice certain recurring themes that mark their divinity. Many are crowned with halos of light, their skin glowing in hues beyond the human — deep blue for cosmic infinity, gold for radiance, green for life itself. Multiple arms signal their boundless power, each hand holding a weapon, tool, lotus or blessing. They are adorned with jewels and garlands, their forms draped in silks that ripple like clouds or sunlight. At their side waits a faithful vahana, an animal mount whose nature mirrors the god’s own — be it the fierce lion, the graceful swan or the humble mouse. These shared elements form a visual language of the divine, instantly recognizable across temples, paintings and stories.

Whether you’re new to Hindu mythology or deepening your familiarity, consider this your guided tour of the celestial VIP list.

Annapurna

The goddess who feeds the world

Domain: Nourishment, food, abundance, hospitality

Symbolism: Golden ladle for the act of serving, bowl of food for sustenance, grain for prosperity, kitchen hearth for the warmth of home

Appearance: Annapurna’s beauty is that of comfort — the kind that draws you in from the cold and fills your bowl before you can ask. Her skin glows with the warmth of an autumn harvest, and her dark hair falls in glossy waves beneath a golden crown. She wears a crimson sari edged in gold, the color of ripened grain in the sun, and jewels that glint like the first sparks from a cooking fire. In one hand, she holds a golden ladle; in the other, a bowl brimming with food, the eternal promise that no soul will go hungry in her presence.

Mount/Vahana: None traditionally. She’s often depicted seated in a kitchen or temple setting. 

Mythological role: Annapurna is a form of Parvati, born to remind even Shiva that life cannot be lived on renunciation alone. When Shiva once declared that the world was an illusion — including the need for food — she disappeared, and the earth grew barren. Only when hunger touched every being did Shiva seek her out. Finding her in Varanasi, he humbled himself, and she served him a meal with her own hands. From then on, she became the goddess of nourishment, the one who teaches that the spiritual and the physical are inseparable.

Consort and family: As a form of Parvati, she’s the wife of Shiva and mother of Ganesha and Kartikeya.

Associated festivals: Annapurna Jayanti (celebrating her birth), observed mainly in northern India

Worship and significance: Devotees seek Annapurna’s blessings for a plentiful harvest, a stocked kitchen and the generosity to feed others. Her temples often serve prasada (sanctified food) to all who come, without question of wealth or status.

Fascinating fact: The Annapurna temple in Varanasi is one of the few where food — rather than flowers or incense — is the primary offering.

Brahma

The creator, architect of the universe

Domain: Creation, knowledge, the cosmic order

Symbolism: Four heads gazing in all directions, each reciting one of the Vedas; a water pot holding the seed of life; the lotus, symbol of the universe’s unfolding

Appearance: Imagine an elderly yet ageless figure, his beard as white as the snows of the Himalayas, his skin glowing with the faint blush of dawn. Brahma wears robes the color of the rising sun — deep pinks and reds, shimmering with gold threads that catch the light. His four heads turn in unison, surveying all corners of the cosmos. Each face holds a calm, wise expression, as if they’ve already seen all possible futures. In one hand, he holds the Vedas, the sacred knowledge of the universe; in another, a mala (prayer beads) that he uses not for devotion, but for counting the endless cycles of creation and destruction.

Mount/Vahana: A swan named Hamsa, symbolizing discernment and wisdom. The swan is said to be able to separate milk from water, just as Brahma discerns truth from illusion. In art, Hamsa often glides beside him, wings lifted as if in mid-takeoff, ready to carry him across the endless skies.

Mythological role: Brahma’s story begins in a lotus — but not just any lotus. It sprouted from the navel of another god, Vishnu, as he lay upon the cosmic ocean, and from that lotus, Brahma emerged. He became the craftsman of reality, shaping the heavens, Earth and all beings. And yet, despite his monumental role, Brahma is one of the least-worshipped gods in Hinduism. Myth has it this is due to a curse: After a quarrel with Shiva and an act of deceit to prove his supremacy, Brahma lost the right to have temples dedicated to him. Today, there are only a handful of temples in the world where he is the main deity, the most famous being in Pushkar, Rajasthan. He is, though, often found inside spirit houses on Bali. 

Consort and family: Saraswati, goddess of wisdom, is his wife and creative partner — her music and intellect inspiring his act of creation.

Associated festivals: Brahmotsavam in Tirupati carries his name but actually honors Vishnu; Kartik Purnima in Pushkar celebrates him directly.

Worship and significance: As the origin point of creation, Brahma represents knowledge, beginnings and the birth of ideas — whether that’s the universe itself or the spark of inspiration in a human mind.

Fascinating fact: Each of Brahma’s days lasts 4.32 billion human years. At the end of one of his “days,” the universe dissolves into the cosmic ocean, only to be re-created when he awakens. In other words, even the universe has a bedtime.

Chandra

The moon god, keeper of time and tides

Domain: The moon, time, fertility, the mind and the life-giving elixir soma

Symbolism: The luminous crescent moon, the night sky strewn with stars, a chariot pulled by antelopes, and the cool radiance that soothes the earth after the heat of day

Appearance: Picture the night as a velvet canopy, deep navy and speckled with pinpricks of silver light. Cutting through that darkness is Chandra’s chariot — sleek, gleaming, and drawn by a team of pure white antelopes. Chandra has a youthful face, his skin glowing with the pale luminescence of moonlight reflected on water. His black hair flows beneath a crown that holds a crescent moon, its tips like delicate silver horns. Draped in garments of pearl white and soft blue, he carries a lotus, symbol of purity, and his eyes have a dreamy calm that mirrors the gentle pull he exerts on the tides.

Mount/Vahana: A shining chariot drawn by 10 white antelopes (or, in some traditions, horses with antelope heads). The choice of mount reflects agility, swiftness and the moon’s ability to traverse the heavens with grace.

Mythological role: Chandra’s presence in the sky is more than decoration; he is the very heartbeat of time in the Hindu calendar. The waxing and waning of his light marks the rhythm of festivals, rituals and agricultural cycles. But his myths are not without drama. In one tale, Chandra married the 27 daughters of Daksha, the starry “nakshatras” or lunar mansions, but favored one, Rohini, above the rest. His neglect angered Daksha, who cursed him to fade away. This curse explains the moon’s waning phase — until the gods intervened to let him regain his strength, creating the cycle of waxing and waning we see each month.

Chandra is also tied to the sacred drink soma — in some traditions, he is soma personified, the elixir that nourishes gods and mortals alike. When he disappears at the new moon, it is said he is being “drunk” by the gods, only to be reborn and replenished.

Consort and family: Married to the 27 nakshatras, with Rohini as his most beloved. In some myths, he fathers Budha (the planet Mercury, not to be mistaken with the Buddha) with the goddess Tara, sparking a celestial scandal.

Associated festivals: Karva Chauth, where married women fast until they see the moon; Sharad Purnima, celebrating Chandra’s brightest, most benevolent light of the year.

Worship and significance: Chandra governs the mind and emotions in Vedic astrology, influencing calmness, creativity and romance. He is called upon for mental clarity, fertility blessings and the soothing of emotional storms.

Fascinating fact: While most gods have one vahana, Chandra’s chariot is pulled by not one but 10 antelopes, a detail that adds a touch of otherworldly strangeness (and a nod to Santa Claus) to his midnight ride.

Durga

The invincible mother, warrior goddess of cosmic balance

Domain: Protection, destruction of evil, strength, righteousness, the embodiment of shakti (divine feminine power)

Symbolism: Ten arms each bearing a weapon from the gods, the lion or tiger as her mount, and the serene smile of a warrior who knows the battle is already won

Appearance: The horizon burns with gold and crimson light, the air trembling as the roar of a lion cuts through the clamor of war. On its back sits Durga — radiant, unflinching, crowned with a gleaming diadem that catches the sun like fire. Her skin glows like molten gold, and her eyes are wide and steady, reflecting the calm at the heart of a storm. Each of her 10 arms moves with divine precision: One looses an arrow, another swings a sword, another raises a conch to rally her allies. Each weapon was a gift from a god, entrusted to her when they realized no male deity could defeat the demon Mahishasura.

Mount/Vahana: A lion or tiger, symbolizing power, fearlessness and the ferocity needed to destroy evil. In many images, her mount is mid-leap, claws bared, charging into battle beside her.

Mythological role: Durga’s most famous tale is her battle with Mahishasura, a shape-shifting buffalo demon who could not be killed by man or god. For nine days and nights, she fought him, her weapons flashing like lightning. On the 10th day, she struck the final blow, the demon collapsing at her feet. This victory is celebrated as Vijayadashami (the Day of Victory), and the nine nights of battle as Navratri. But Durga isn’t just a warrior — she’s also a compassionate mother and a guardian of the innocent, protecting the world from forces that disrupt cosmic order.

Consort and family: Considered an aspect of Parvati, wife of Shiva, and mother to Ganesha and Kartikeya. In her warrior form, she stands apart, representing the untamed energy that even the gods must revere.

Associated festivals: Durga Puja, Navratri, Vijayadashami — all filled with dancing, music and processions of her image returning to the water from which she came.

Worship and significance: Durga is called upon for courage, protection and the strength to face seemingly insurmountable challenges. Her image is often placed at thresholds or in vehicles as a ward against danger.

Fascinating fact: In many depictions, Durga is shown skewering Mahishasura at the exact moment he shifts from buffalo to human form — symbolizing her mastery over chaos itself, striking at the perfect moment when the enemy is most vulnerable.

Ganesha

The granter of boons, remover of obstacles, lord of beginnings and wisdom

Domain: Wisdom, intellect, new ventures, success, remover of obstacles both physical and spiritual

Symbolism: Elephant head (wisdom and memory), large ears (listening deeply), small eyes (focus), a curved trunk (adaptability), broken tusk (sacrifice for knowledge), a sweet dumpling known as modak (reward of spiritual pursuit)

Appearance: A figure that makes everyone smile. Ganesha sits with the casual ease of someone who has already solved your problems before you’ve spoken them aloud. His elephant head is grand yet gentle, with eyes that crinkle in amusement and ears spread like open hands, ready to catch every prayer. His skin is often a warm pink or golden hue, adorned with rich silks in reds and yellows, gold bangles chiming softly at his wrists. One hand raises in blessing; another holds a sweet modak, its conical shape a symbol of spiritual rewards. Another hand may wield an axe, to cut away attachments, while the fourth carries a rope, to draw devotees closer to their goals.

Mount/Vahana: A small, humble mouse named Mushika. At first glance, it seems absurd — an enormous god riding a tiny creature — but the symbolism is deliberate. The mouse represents desires, which can gnaw endlessly if unchecked. Ganesha, in riding it, shows mastery over impulses, and the ability to reach even the smallest corners of the mind where obstacles hide.

Mythological role: Ganesha’s origin stories are as colorful as his depictions. In the most popular version, Parvati fashioned him from the turmeric paste she used for bathing, breathing life into the boy to guard her privacy. When Shiva, her husband, returned and found this unknown child blocking his way, he beheaded him in a fit of divine rage. Realizing his mistake, Shiva replaced the head with that of the first creature he found — an elephant — and bestowed upon Ganesha the role of guardian of thresholds, beginnings and new journeys.

He appears in countless tales, often outwitting gods and demons alike with his quick thinking. One famous story tells how he won a race around the world against his brother Kartikeya by circling his parents, declaring that they were his whole world — a victory earned through wisdom, not speed.

Consort and family: Son of Shiva and Parvati, brother to Kartikeya. In some traditions, married to Siddhi (spiritual power) and Buddhi (intellect).

Associated festivals: Ganesh Chaturthi: a 10-day celebration where clay idols of Ganesha are immersed in water, symbolizing both his arrival and return to the divine realm.

Worship and significance: Ganesha is invoked at the start of all endeavors — whether building a temple, writing a book or opening a shop. His image is often placed above doorways, on business ledgers and on the dashboards of cars, ensuring smooth beginnings and safe journeys. As Vighnaharta, the remover of obstacles, and Varada, the granter of boons, he is the god to whom devotees turn when seeking success, blessings and protection.

Fascinating fact: The broken tusk has several explanations. In one, Ganesha broke it off to use as a quill for writing the epic Mahabharata as the sage Vyasa dictated it, agreeing never to stop until the work was complete. The sacrifice turned a blemish into an eternal symbol of devotion to knowledge.

Hanuman

The monkey god, embodiment of strength and devotion

Domain: Courage, loyalty, protection, selfless service

Symbolism: The gada (mace) for strength, the mountain he carries for resourcefulness, and his open chest revealing the images of Rama and Sita — a literal heart of devotion

Appearance: A figure with the face of a monkey but the stance of a seasoned warrior — broad shoulders, a long curling tail, eyes full of determination. Hanuman’s skin is often rendered in shades of deep gold or copper, his muscles taut with power earned through ascetic discipline. He wears a simple dhoti, sometimes red, sometimes saffron, with golden ornaments that catch the light as he moves. His most striking image is not when he wields his mace or leaps across the sea, but when he tears open his chest to reveal the divine couple Rama and Sita glowing inside — proof that they live in his heart.

Mount/Vahana: None in the traditional sense; Hanuman’s own supernatural strength, speed, and ability to leap vast distances make him his own transport. In art, he’s often shown soaring through the air, wind whipping through his fur.

Mythological role: Hanuman’s story is woven tightly into the Ramayana. Born to Anjana and blessed by the wind god Vayu, he displayed superhuman powers from childhood — once leaping to catch the sun, mistaking it for a fruit. As an adult, he becomes the devoted ally of Rama in the quest to rescue Sita from Ravana. His feats include burning the city of Lanka with his flaming tail, carrying an entire mountain of herbs to heal Lakshmana, and crossing oceans in a single bound. Yet for all his power, Hanuman is known for humility — he never seeks glory for himself, only the success of Rama’s mission.

Consort and family: Celibate by choice, devoting all his energy to service and devotion. Son of Anjana and the wind god Vayu.

Associated festivals: Hanuman Jayanti, celebrated with recitations of the Hanuman Chalisa and offerings of sindoor (vermilion powder).

Worship and significance: Hanuman is called upon for strength in adversity, courage in the face of danger, and protection from evil influences. Temples dedicated to him often have devotees chanting his name or circling the shrine for blessings.

Fascinating fact: Hanuman’s name means “disfigured jaw” — a reference to the childhood incident where Indra struck him with a thunderbolt when he tried to grab the sun, injuring his jaw but also awakening his divine powers.

Indra

King of the heavens, wielder of the thunderbolt

Domain: Rain, storms, war, kingship, protection of cosmic order (ṛta)

Symbolism: The Vajra (thunderbolt) for irresistible power, Airavata the elephant for strength and majesty, rain clouds for life-giving abundance, the rainbow for divine promise

Appearance: Indra stands tall and broad-shouldered, the bearing of a warrior-king in every line of his frame. His skin glows with the vitality of fresh rain on sunlit stone, and his eyes flash with the quicksilver of lightning. A golden crown rests on his brow, studded with gems that mirror the colors of the sky — sapphire for the clear day, opal for the gathering storm. Draped in silks the color of storm clouds, he carries the Vajra, forged from the bones of the sage Dadhichi, a weapon that can shatter even the mightiest foe.

Mount/Vahana: Airavata, the great white elephant, vast as a mountain and crowned with four tusks. His steps shake the earth, and from his trunk he sprays water that feeds the clouds, heralding the monsoon.

Mythological role: Indra is the king of the Devas and ruler of Svarga, the heavenly realm. In the Vedic age, he was the supreme god, the bringer of rain and the breaker of drought. His most famous legend tells of his battle with Vritra, the serpent-demon who had imprisoned the world’s waters. Riding Airavata and wielding the Vajra, Indra struck Vritra down, freeing the rivers and restoring life to the land. Later myths show him as both hero and flawed figure — brave in battle, quick to defend the gods, yet prone to pride and desire.

Consort and family: Married to Shachi (also called Indrani), queen of the heavens. Son of the sky-god Dyaus and the dawn goddess Prithvi in some accounts, though genealogies vary.

Associated festivals: While Indra is less central in modern Hindu worship, he’s honored in certain regional festivals, such as Indra Jatra in Nepal, which celebrates him as the god of rain and the harvest.

Worship and significance: Once the chief deity of the Rigveda, Indra’s prominence has shifted over time. But he remains a powerful symbol of leadership, protection and the life-giving force of rain. Farmers and warriors alike have invoked his name for victory and survival.

Fascinating fact: In some Balinese traditions, Indra is seen as a mediator between gods and humans — a role that has parallels in the island’s legends of Barong and Rangda, the eternal dance of protection and destruction.

Kali

The fierce mother, devourer of time, destroyer of illusions

Domain: Destruction of evil, liberation, transformation, time, empowerment

Symbolism: Garland of severed heads (knowledge gained through ego’s destruction), skirt of severed arms (detachment from action), lolling red tongue (shock and raw power), weapons and a severed demon head in her hands (victory over darkness)

Appearance: Kali does not arrive quietly. She bursts into the battlefield like a storm let loose, her skin the color of midnight, absorbing all light. Her hair streams wild and unbound, a living halo of chaos, and her eyes blaze like twin suns at the moment of apocalypse. Around her neck hangs a grisly garland — fifty severed heads, each representing a Sanskrit letter, a reminder that all speech and creation eventually dissolve into silence.

Her skirt is a belt of severed arms, trophies from foes, but also a symbol that the fruits of action belong to the divine, not to the ego. In two hands she holds weapons: a sword and a trident; in another, she clutches the freshly severed head of a demon, its blood still dripping onto the ground. Her other hands are extended in gestures of blessing and reassurance, an unsettling reminder that the one who destroys also protects.

Mount/Vahana: None in her most iconic form — Kali’s arrival is so sudden and overwhelming that she needs no mount. In some regional depictions, she is associated with jackals or rides upon the corpse of a demon, symbolizing her mastery over death itself.

Mythological role: Kali’s most famous appearance comes in the battle against the demon Raktabija. Each drop of his blood that hit the earth produced another demon, making him nearly impossible to kill. Kali’s solution was both brilliant and terrifying: she tore through the battlefield, drinking his blood before it could touch the ground, consuming him entirely.

But her ferocity once threatened to tip into total annihilation. In a victory frenzy, she rampaged across the world until Shiva lay down in her path. Stepping on him, she realized what she was doing — her tongue darting out in shock. That moment is immortalized in her most famous pose: foot on Shiva’s chest, tongue out, eyes wide, the destroyer stopped by compassion.

Consort and family: Considered a form of Parvati, consort of Shiva, though in her aspect as Kali she often acts alone.

Associated festivals: Kali Puja, coinciding with Diwali in Bengal; Navratri in her fierce aspect.

Worship and significance: Kali is worshipped not for gentle blessings, but for transformation — she burns away illusions, attachments, and fears. Devotees come to her to destroy what is holding them back, knowing the process may be as fierce as she is.

Fascinating fact: In Tantric traditions, Kali is not feared but embraced as the ultimate reality — the womb and the tomb, creation and destruction in one. Her darkness is not evil, but the infinite void from which all life emerges and to which it returns.

Kartikeya (aka Murugan)

The youthful warrior, commander of the divine army

Domain: War, victory, wisdom, leadership, guardianship of dharma

Symbolism: Spear (vel) for piercing ignorance, peacock for pride mastered, rooster emblem for dawn and vigilance.

Appearance: Kartikeya is the god of youth and vigor, and it shows in every depiction. He’s sometimes depicted with six faces (a nod to his birth story, below), though most often as a youth with a single handsome face. His skin glows like burnished gold, his features sharp and confident, with eyes that flash like drawn steel. His hair falls in dark waves past a diadem encrusted with rubies, and his body is draped in fine silks the color of peacock feathers. Across his chest gleams a golden chain, and in one hand he holds the vel, a spear so perfectly balanced it seems to float in his grasp.

The vel was a gift from his mother Parvati, forged from her own shakti (divine power), and it never misses its mark. In his other hand he may carry a small banner emblazoned with a rooster, whose crowing heralds the light that drives away the night’s dangers.

Mount/Vahana: A regal peacock named Paravani, feathers iridescent with blues and greens that shimmer like oil on water. The peacock is a symbol of beauty and vanity mastered — its sharp talons and fierce beak a reminder that elegance does not preclude ferocity. In many depictions, the peacock tramples a serpent beneath its claws, representing the conquest of harmful desires and ego.

Mythological role: Kartikeya was born for battle. When the demon Tarakasura could only be slain by Shiva’s son, the gods sought to bring Shiva and Parvati together. From their union came six sparks of fire, carried by the river Ganga to a lotus pond, where they became six infants. The celestial nymphs known as the Krittikas nurtured them, and when Parvati embraced all six at once, they merged into one child with six faces — a tradition that gave him an alternate name Shanmukha, “Six-Faced One.”

He grew to be the general of the gods’ army, leading them to victory against Tarakasura. In South India, he is celebrated as Murugan, the patron of Tamil culture and poetry, embodying both the scholar and the warrior.

Consort and family: Son of Shiva and Parvati, brother to Ganesha. In some traditions, he’s married to Valli and Devasena.

Associated festivals: Thaipusam, Skanda Shashti, Panguni Uthiram — celebrated with grand processions, kavadi offerings such as pots of milk, and feats of devotion.

Worship and significance: Kartikeya is invoked for courage, clarity and success in competition. In Tamil Nadu, devotees climb hills barefoot to reach his temples, mirroring the god’s own journey to conquer the heights of battle.

Fascinating fact: In some depictions, Kartikeya’s peacock mount is shown turning its head to watch him closely, as if taking silent instruction — a visual metaphor for the disciplined control of power and pride.

Krishna

The divine lover, cowherd and protector of dharma

Domain: Love, compassion, joy, divine play (lila), protection of the righteous

Symbolism: Flute for the music of the soul, peacock feather for beauty and grace, cows for abundance and gentleness, yellow garments for the light of divinity

Appearance: Krishna’s beauty is the kind that makes time pause. His skin is the deep blue of monsoon clouds, luminous and alive, as if it holds the promise of rain. His eyes are dark and playful, holding secrets he’ll never tell outright; instead, he lets them slip in song. Around his head rests a crown woven with fresh peacock feathers, shimmering emerald and sapphire. He wears a yellow pitambara (silken dhoti) that moves like sunlight caught in a breeze.

He holds his flute to his lips, coaxing a melody so sweet that cows stop grazing, rivers change their course to listen, and hearts — even those hardened by pride — begin to soften. At his feet, the gopis (cowherd girls) stand transfixed, drawn not just to his beauty but to the boundless love it reflects.

Mount/Vahana: None. Krishna’s life is pastoral; he walks among cows in the town of Vrindavan, accompanied by the sound of ankle bells and the laughter of companions. In battle, he drives the warrior Arjuna’s chariot as a guide rather than a mounted warrior.

Mythological role: Krishna’s story spans from playful trickster to statesman and philosopher. As a child, he stole butter from every household, earning the nickname Makhan Chor (“Butter Thief”), and once lifted the massive Govardhan Hill on his finger to shelter villagers from a storm sent by the rain god Indra. As an adult, he becomes the moral compass and strategist of the Mahabharata, delivering the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna on the eve of battle: a discourse on duty, devotion and the eternal soul that has shaped Hindu philosophy for millennia.

But Krishna is also the god of lila — divine play. His romances with Radha and the gopi cowherd girls work also as metaphors for the soul’s yearning for union with the divine.

Consort and family: Beloved of Radha; in later life, married to Rukmini and other queens of the legendary city of Dwaraka. Son of Vasudeva and Devaki, raised by Nanda and Yashoda.

Associated festivals: Janmashtami (his birth), Holi (the festival of colors, recalling his playful smearing of colors on Radha)

Worship and significance: Krishna is worshipped as the supreme personality of godhead in many traditions. Devotees seek him for joy, love and guidance, whether in the innocence of childhood games or the gravity of moral decisions.

Fascinating fact: Krishna’s flute, called Murali, gets its power from the divine breath that flows through it, reminding devotees that we are instruments for the divine will when we let go of ego.

Lakshmi

The radiant goddess of fortune, beauty and abundance

Domain: Wealth, prosperity, good fortune, fertility, spiritual abundance

Symbolism: Lotus flowers for purity and spiritual awakening, gold coins flowing from her palms for prosperity, elephants for royal authority and generosity

Appearance: Lakshmi is the very embodiment of grace — a vision bathed in light as if she herself is the sunrise breaking over still waters. Her skin glows with a golden warmth, and she wears a red sari embroidered with gold thread, the fabric rippling like firelight. Each movement is deliberate and fluid, like the gentle opening of a lotus.

In most depictions, she stands or sits upon a blooming lotus floating on the cosmic ocean, the petals cupping her like a throne. Two of her four hands hold lotuses, their long stems rising gracefully; the other two extend in blessing, one palm open in reassurance, the other pouring an endless stream of gold coins that pile into shimmering mounds at her feet. The air around her is alive with elephants spraying water from golden vessels, symbols of strength and auspiciousness.

Mount/Vahana: An owl, symbolizing wisdom and the ability to see through darkness. Though rarely emphasized in modern depictions, the owl reminds devotees that wealth without wisdom can lead to downfall — Lakshmi’s blessings must be balanced with discernment.

Mythological role: Lakshmi emerged fully grown from the churning of the cosmic ocean (Samudra Manthan), radiant and carrying a lotus. The gods and demons had worked together to churn the ocean for the nectar of immortality, but it was Lakshmi’s appearance that became the crowning blessing of their labor. She chose Vishnu as her eternal consort, and from then on accompanied him in every incarnation — as Sita to his Rama, as Rukmini to his Krishna.

True prosperity, she teaches, includes health, love, knowledge and spiritual growth. In some stories, she tests the worthiness of those who seek her, disappearing from households where greed and injustice reign.

Consort and family: Wife of Vishnu; in his earthly incarnations, she is born alongside him.

Associated festivals: Diwali, especially Lakshmi Puja, when homes are cleaned, lit with lamps, and decorated to welcome her

Worship and significance: Lakshmi is one of the most widely worshipped deities in Hinduism. Businesses open their books in her name, households pray to her for stability, and farmers seek her blessing for fertile fields.

Fascinating fact: In southern India, Lakshmi is sometimes depicted in eight forms known as Ashtalakshmi, each representing a different type of wealth — from material prosperity to courage, fertility and knowledge.

Meenakshi

The warrior-queen and fish-eyed goddess of Madurai, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world 

Domain: Fertility, prosperity, protection of Madurai, righteous rule

Symbolism: Green skin for life and abundance, fish-shaped eyes for watchfulness and grace, crown for sovereignty, parrot for love and divine speech

Appearance: Meenakshi’s beauty is unlike any other — her skin glows a vivid green, like new rice shoots after the rain, a sign of the fertile abundance she brings. Her almond-shaped eyes, long and luminous, are said to resemble fish — always open, never blinking, guarding her people as a fish watches over its young. She wears royal silks in deep magenta and gold, and a towering crown studded with rubies and emeralds. In one hand she holds a bouquet of lotuses; in the other, a parrot perches, its feathers bright as new leaves, whispering divine secrets into her ear.

Mount/Vahana: Often depicted standing rather than riding, but sometimes shown with a parrot or lion as her companion.

Mythological role: Born to the king and queen of Madurai after a divine promise from the gods, Meenakshi entered the world with three breasts — a sign she was destined for greatness. Prophecy foretold that the extra breast would vanish when she met her future husband. A fierce warrior, she led armies to conquer neighboring lands, never defeated in battle. When she encountered Shiva in his form as Sundareshwarar, her third breast disappeared, and they were wed in a grand ceremony that united divine power with royal rule.

Consort and family: Married to Shiva (as Sundareshwarar) and worshipped alongside him. Considered an incarnation of Parvati

Associated festivals: Meenakshi Thirukalyanam (her celestial wedding), Chithirai Festival in Madurai

Worship and significance: Meenakshi is the heart of Madurai’s spiritual life, enshrined in the colossal Meenakshi Amman Temple, whose gopurams (gateway towers) rise like jeweled mountains over the city. She is both a tender mother and an unflinching protector, blessing devotees with prosperity while defending her city with warrior strength.

Fascinating fact: In Tamil tradition, parrots are symbols of eloquence and divine love, repeating sacred mantras and carrying messages between the human and divine realms.

Parvati

The gentle mother, devoted wife and wellspring of divine energy

Domain: Love, fertility, marital devotion, spiritual power (shakti)

Symbolism: Lotus for purity, mirror for self-knowledge, red garments for passion and vitality, and her many forms — from nurturing Annapurna to fierce Durga and terrifying Kali.

Appearance: Parvati’s beauty is the quiet kind — like a lamp’s steady flame, constant and unwavering. Her skin glows with the warm bronze of sunlit earth, and her large, compassionate eyes seem to see through pretenses straight to the heart. She wears a red sari edged in gold, its color speaking of both love and strength, and her long black hair is often braided and adorned with fresh flowers. A crescent moon, borrowed from her husband Shiva, sometimes gleams in her hair, a sign of their eternal bond.

When she sits beside Shiva atop Mount Kailash, she radiates the warmth that softens his ascetic severity. Yet within that serenity is the power of all the goddesses — the potential to become the lion-riding Durga or the dark, storm-eyed Kali when the world needs defending.

Mount/Vahana: Lion or tiger, representing courage, power and her latent warrior nature. While gentle in her most common form, her vahana is a reminder that she carries within her the force to vanquish evil.

Mythological role: Parvati’s love story with Shiva is one of devotion and persistence. Born as the daughter of the mountain king Himavan, she fell in love with Shiva, the god of destruction, who was lost in deep meditation. Her devotion was tested by years of austerity and trials, until Shiva finally accepted her as his wife. Together, they are the divine couple whose union balances ascetic withdrawal and earthly engagement.

As a mother, Parvati is nurturing yet fiercely protective — the one who fashioned Ganesha from her own body and defended her privacy against even Shiva himself. Her many forms represent the full spectrum of the feminine divine: the giver of food as Annapurna, the destroyer of demons as Durga, the liberator as Kali.

Consort and family: Wife of Shiva, mother of Ganesha and Kartikeya

Associated festivals: Teej (celebrating marital devotion), Navratri (in her various forms)

Worship and significance: Parvati is worshipped by women for marital happiness, fertility and family well-being. She’s also invoked for strength and balance, as she embodies the union of compassion and power.

Fascinating fact: In one tale, Parvati playfully covered Shiva’s eyes from behind, unaware that without his gaze, the universe was plunged into darkness. To restore the balance, she transformed into her radiant golden form, Mahagauri, bringing light back to the cosmos.

Radha

The eternal beloved, embodiment of devotion

Domain: Divine love, spiritual longing, union with the divine

Symbolism: Lotus for purity of heart, veil for modesty, pastoral settings for the soul’s journey, and her inseparable connection to Krishna as the soul is to a deity

Appearance: Radha’s beauty is the kind that pulls at the heart — not through grandeur, but through the quiet ache of longing. Her skin is luminous, her eyes large and dark, holding both joy and the weight of separation. She wears a flowing lehenga in deep crimson or midnight blue, adorned with golden embroidery that catches the sun. A long veil frames her face, shifting with the breeze as she moves through the meadows of the town of Vrindavan.

In art, she’s almost always shown glancing toward Krishna, her posture poised between approach and retreat. Her hands may cradle a garland of fresh jasmine meant for him, or a pot of butter she will let disappear into his thieving hands. The landscape around her — the river Yamuna, the blossoming kadamba trees — seems to bend subtly toward her, as if drawn to the devotion she radiates.

Mount/Vahana: None. Radha moves through the pastoral world on foot, walking the same cow-trodden paths as Krishna, her presence transforming the fields and forests into sacred space.

Mythological role: Radha’s love for Krishna is the gold standard of devotion in Hinduism — selfless, unbound by social convention and beyond the reach of time. Though she’s not mentioned in the earliest scriptures, later devotional literature, especially in the Bhagavata Purana and the poetry of Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda, elevates her to demigod status. She’s the human soul (jivatma) yearning for reunion with the supreme soul (paramatma), her longing for Krishna standing in for humanity’s longing for the divine. 

Their relationship is one of pure connection. Even when separated, Radha feels Krishna’s presence in every breath, and her yearning is considered even more powerful than the joy of union — for it keeps the heart in constant remembrance of the beloved.

Consort and family: Beloved of Krishna; often depicted as his spiritual counterpart rather than a worldly consort

Associated festivals: Rasa Lila reenactments during Holi and Janmashtami; Radhashtami, celebrating her birth

Worship and significance: Radha is worshipped alongside Krishna in many temples, especially in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, where she’s revered as the source of Krishna’s joy. Devotees seek her grace to cultivate pure, unconditional love for the divine.

Fascinating fact: In some traditions, Radha is considered an incarnation of Lakshmi, born to be Krishna’s eternal companion. Her name is often invoked first in chants — “Radhe Krishna” — as if to approach the beloved through the one who knows him best.

Rama

The noble prince, upholder of dharma, the right way of living 

Domain: Virtue, moral duty, justice, kingship, protection of the righteous

Symbolism: Bow and arrow for readiness and skill in battle, blue skin for divine origin, simple yet regal garments for humility in leadership

Appearance: Rama stands with the quiet authority of a man who knows his strength and has no need to boast. His skin is the rich blue of a twilight sky, his posture upright and composed. He wears a golden crown that catches the sun, yet his garments are simple — the saffron robes of an exile rather than the ornate silks of a king. Across his shoulder rests a quiver of arrows, and in his hand, his bow is always ready, a natural extension of himself rather than an ornament.

His expression is calm, even in the face of war. There’s a gentleness in his gaze that belies the steel in his resolve — a leader whose strength lies as much in compassion as in martial skill. In art, he is often shown alongside Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman, forming the ideal vision of a harmonious household and righteous rule.

Mount/Vahana: Rama has no permanent animal mount. In the Ramayana, he travels on foot, by chariot, or with the aid of allies like Hanuman. His lack of a vahana underscores his humanity — the idea that righteousness and divine purpose can be lived out in the mortal world without supernatural crutches.

Mythological role: Rama’s life is told in the epic Ramayana, where he is born as the prince of Ayodhya, the seventh avatar of Vishnu, sent to destroy the demon king Ravana. When his stepmother’s scheming leads to his exile, he accepts the decree without anger, honoring his father’s word above his own comfort. For 14 years, he roams the forests with Sita and his younger brother, Lakshmana, defending sages and villages from demons.

The defining trial of his life comes when Sita is abducted by Ravana. With the help of Hanuman and an army of vanaras (monkey warriors), Rama wages war on the island kingdom of Lanka, eventually killing Ravana and restoring order. His reign after returning to Ayodhya is remembered as Rama Rajya — an era of justice, peace and prosperity.

Consort and family: Husband of Sita, brother to Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna. Son of King Dasharatha and Queen Kaushalya

Associated festivals: Rama Navami (his birth), Diwali (marking his return to Ayodhya

Worship and significance: Rama is revered as the perfect man — a warrior without cruelty, a ruler without arrogance, a husband without neglect. Devotees seek his blessing for moral clarity and the strength to act in accordance with dharma, even when it is costly.

Fascinating fact: In some folk retellings, Rama’s bow was so powerful that only he could lift it — he proved his worth to marry Sita by stringing it with effortless grace, a feat no other suitor could manage.

Saraswati

The serene muse, goddess of wisdom, music and the arts

Domain: Knowledge, learning, speech, music, poetry, truth

Symbolism: Veena (lute) for harmony and creativity, white lotus for purity of mind, flowing river for the unending stream of wisdom, swan for discernment

Appearance: Saraswati is the embodiment of clarity and calm — a vision in white, untouched by the dust of greed or the heat of passion. Her skin is pale and luminous, her long hair flowing like dark silk down her back. She wears a simple white sari with a golden border, the fabric so light it moves like water when she shifts. A garland of fresh jasmine hangs around her neck, and her forehead is marked with the tilak of concentration.

In her hands, she cradles the veena, each note she plays carrying the resonance of cosmic truth. A white lotus blooms beneath her feet, symbolizing the mind’s ability to rise unstained from the muddy waters of ignorance. Behind her, the gentle current of a river often winds through the scene — a reminder of her origin as the goddess of the Saraswati River, whose sacred waters nourished the Vedic civilization.

Mount/Vahana: Swan (hamsa), representing the ability to separate truth from falsehood. In some depictions, she rides a graceful peacock, whose beauty is balanced by its vigilance against snakes — a metaphor for guarding wisdom against corruption.

Mythological role: Saraswati is said to have been present at creation itself, when Brahma called upon her to bring order to the chaos. With her wisdom, she gave names to all things, creating speech and language. She is the inspiration behind poetry, the patron of scholars, and the divine voice that flows through musicians’ hands.

Her presence is subtle yet essential — in mythology, gods and mortals alike call upon her before embarking on intellectual or creative endeavors. Without Saraswati, knowledge remains dormant; with her, it becomes luminous and transformative.

Consort and family: In some traditions, consort of Brahma; in others, she stands alone as an independent force. 

Associated festivals: Vasant Panchami, when devotees dress in yellow, offer her flowers, and keep books and instruments before her image for blessing

Worship and significance: Students, artists and seekers of truth invoke her for clarity of mind and eloquence of speech. Unlike deities who grant material boons, Saraswati bestows treasures that cannot be spent — the kind that grow the more they are shared.

Fascinating fact: It’s considered inauspicious to ask Saraswati for wealth, as she is believed to leave when greed enters. In some households, her image is kept in a quiet corner, away from noisy celebration, to honor her preference for peaceful contemplation.

Shiva

The great ascetic, destroyer of illusions, lord of transformation

Domain: Destruction (as renewal), transformation, meditation, time, cosmic balance

Symbolism: Trident (trishula) for the three aspects of existence (creation, preservation, destruction), crescent moon for mastery over time, serpent for fearlessness, river Ganga flowing from his hair for life-giving power, drum (damaru) for the cosmic sound of creation

Appearance: Shiva’s presence is both serene and terrifying — the stillness of a mountain and the force of a storm. His skin is the cool ash-gray of cremation grounds, reminding all that life is temporary and death only a doorway. His hair is long and matted into jata dreads, coiled high upon his head to cradle the Ganga as it flows down from the heavens. A crescent moon glints among his locks, its silver light softening the fire of his third eye.

Around his neck rests a coiled cobra, unmoving, its forked tongue tasting the air — a symbol of Shiva’s mastery over fear and death. His eyes, when open, seem to look through lifetimes; when closed, they turn inward, diving into the infinite void. He wears a tiger skin around his waist, signifying his victory over animal instincts, and rudraksha beads for spiritual focus. In his hand, the trident gleams like lightning, and at his side the damaru beats out the rhythm to which the universe dances.

In his most iconic form, Shiva appears as Nataraja, the Lord of the Dance. With one leg lifted in a graceful arc and the other pressing down on the dwarf of ignorance, Apasmara, Shiva performs the tandava — the cosmic dance of creation, preservation and destruction. In his four arms he has fire, the damaru drum, a gesture of protection, and a hand pointing to his raised foot, offering liberation. Encircled by a halo of flames, Nataraja is a vision of the universe in motion: every heartbeat, every birth and every dissolution bound together in a rhythm that never ceases.

Mount/Vahana: Nandi, the white bull — a symbol of strength, virility and unwavering devotion. Nandi is Shiva’s constant companion, often depicted kneeling in reverence, facing the entrance of Shiva’s temples.

Mythological role: Shiva is one-third of the Hindu Trimurti, alongside Brahma the creator and Vishnu the preserver. His role as destroyer is often misunderstood; he ends cycles so new ones can begin, clearing away stagnation. He’s the patron of ascetics, yogis and those who seek truth beyond illusion.

His stories are as varied as they are powerful: swallowing the deadly poison (halahala) churned from the cosmic ocean to save creation — the act that turned his throat blue and earned him the name Neelkanth; unleashing his third eye to burn desire to ashes; dancing the Tandava, a cosmic performance that both creates and destroys worlds.

Consort and family: Husband of Parvati; father of Ganesha and Kartikeya

Associated festivals: Maha Shivaratri, when devotees fast, chant and keep vigil through the night in his honor.

Worship and significance: Shiva is worshipped in the form of the lingam, a phallic symbol of divine energy and creative potential. Devotees seek his blessing for liberation from worldly attachments and the courage to face transformation.

Fascinating fact: In many villages, Shiva is considered the most approachable of the great gods — Bholenath, the simple lord — quick to grant blessings to anyone who approaches him with sincerity, regardless of status or ritual precision.

Shukra

The teacher of demons, master of resurrection

Domain: Wealth, pleasure, diplomacy, resurrection, the planet Venus

Symbolism: The staff for wisdom, the water pot for life-giving knowledge, Venus for beauty and prosperity

Appearance: Shukra’s presence is calm yet commanding, with skin like polished sandalwood and eyes that gleam with patient intelligence. His white beard and flowing hair mark the wisdom of ages, while his garments shimmer with the soft sheen of silver — the light of Venus caught in fabric. In one hand he holds a danda (staff), in the other a kamandalu (water vessel) said to carry the sacred nectar of life itself.

Mount/Vahana: Often depicted seated on a white horse or in a chariot drawn by eight horses, each representing a different aspect of worldly desire.

Mythological role: Shukra serves as the guru to the asuras (often translated as “demons”), guiding them with cunning strategy and unmatched knowledge of the cosmos. His most prized possession is the Sanjivani Vidya, the secret art of reviving the dead — a gift from Shiva after intense penance. This power has tipped the scales in many battles, forcing the devas (gods) to find new ways to win. Despite his loyalty to the asuras, Shukra is also revered by humans seeking prosperity, charm and the ability to turn rivals into allies.

Consort and family: Married to Jayanti, daughter of Indra; father of Devayani, whose own stories weave through the Mahabharata

Associated festivals: Shukravar (Fridays), dedicated to Venus, are considered auspicious for his worship. 

Worship and significance: Followers seek Shukra’s blessing for wealth, harmonious relationships and diplomatic skill — but also for protection against enemies, knowing his allegiance to the asuras makes him an expert in countering adversaries.

Fascinating fact: In astrology, Shukra is linked to artistic talent and sensual pleasures; those under his favor are said to possess irresistible charm and an eye for beauty.

Sita

The steadfast queen, born of the earth and emblem of virtue

Domain: Purity, devotion, courage, self-sacrifice, the ideal of righteous womanhood

Symbolism: Lotus for grace and spiritual beauty, the Earth as her mother, fire as a test of truth, her role as Rama’s equal in love and suffering

Appearance: Sita’s beauty is quiet but unshakable — the kind that deepens the longer you look. Her skin carries the glow of fresh earth after rain, and her eyes, large and steady, hold both tenderness and the weight of trials endured. She wears silks in shades of gold and crimson, with a long veil that frames her face and flows down her back like a stream of sunlight. Jewels gleam lightly at her wrists and neck, never ostentatious, as if she wears them more from tradition than vanity.

In art, she is often shown beside Rama, her posture dignified but never submissive — her head high, her gaze calm. In exile, she appears barefoot among the forest trees, her sari plain, her only ornaments the garlands of flowers she strings with her own hands.

Mount/Vahana: None. Sita’s journeys are always made on foot or by chariot, sharing the same path as her companions. Her lack of a mount reflects her role as an equal partner in hardship rather than a divine figure set apart from mortal trials.

Mythological role: Sita’s life is told in the Ramayana. Found as an infant in a furrow while King Janaka was plowing the fields, she is said to be the daughter of Bhumi Devi, the Earth goddess herself. She grows to marry Rama after he wins her hand by stringing the great bow of Shiva — a feat no other suitor could accomplish.

Her devotion to Rama is absolute: When he’s exiled to the forest for 14 years, she insists on joining him, trading palace comforts for the rigors of wilderness. Her greatest trial comes when she’s abducted by the demon Ravana and held captive in Lanka. Despite months of pressure, she remains unshaken in her loyalty, her only comfort the hope of Rama’s arrival.

After her rescue, she endures the Agni Pariksha, the trial by fire, to prove her purity. In later life, when her character is doubted once more, she chooses to return to the embrace of her mother, the Earth, which parts to receive her — a final act of dignity and self-possession.

Consort and family: Wife of Rama, daughter of King Janaka and Queen Sunaina

Associated festivals: Sita Navami, celebrated especially in Mithila, her birthplace.

Worship and significance: Sita is revered as the ideal of marital devotion, but also as a figure of resilience and moral strength. She embodies the idea that true virtue remains intact, even in the face of injustice.

Fascinating fact: In some folk traditions, Sita is worshipped as an incarnation of Lakshmi, born to accompany Vishnu’s avatar Rama in his earthly mission — making her both queen and goddess.

Vishnu

The preserver and protector of cosmic order

Domain: Preservation, protection of dharma, restoration of balance, compassion

Symbolism: Conch (shankha) for the sound of creation, discus (chakra) for the mind’s sharpness and the destruction of evil, mace (gada) for strength, lotus (padma) for purity rising from the world’s chaos

Appearance: Vishnu’s form is majestic yet serene — the steady, unshakable center of the universe. His skin is the rich blue of the deepest ocean, his eyes calm pools that seem to hold the reflection of the cosmos itself. He’s adorned in golden silk garments and an abundance of jewels — armlets, necklaces, a crown studded with rare gems — yet nothing about him feels over the top. It’s as if the wealth of creation naturally rests upon him.

In his four hands, he holds his eternal emblems: the lotus, delicate and alive; the mace, heavy with power; the discus, spinning and radiant like a miniature sun; and the conch, ready to sound the victory of righteousness. His posture is relaxed but alert, the quiet readiness of a ruler who acts when the time is right.

Mount/Vahana: Garuda, the mighty eagle, with a wingspan that can blot out the sun. Garuda’s golden feathers flash like lightning as he soars, carrying Vishnu effortlessly across the three worlds: the heavens, the Earth and the underworld. He’s both mount and ally, a living embodiment of speed, loyalty and fearlessness.

Mythological role: Vishnu is the preserver of the Hindu Trimurti, standing alongside Brahma the creator and Shiva the destroyer. His duty is to maintain cosmic balance, stepping into the world whenever evil threatens to overwhelm good. To do this, he takes on avatars — earthly incarnations — to set things right. These include Rama, the noble prince; Krishna, the divine lover and strategist; Narasimha, the man-lion who burst from a pillar to save his devotee; and many others.

When not incarnated, Vishnu rests upon the infinite serpent Ananta (Shesha), floating on the cosmic ocean. From his navel grows the lotus that births Brahma, showing that preservation isn’t separate from creation but intertwined with it.

Consort and family: Married to Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and prosperity, who accompanies him in each of his avatars

Associated festivals: Vaikuntha Ekadashi, Janmashtami (for Krishna), Rama Navami (for Rama)

Worship and significance: Vishnu is worshipped across India in many forms, from the grandeur of temple idols to the small household shrines where his avatars are honored. Devotees seek him for protection, moral clarity, and the assurance that no matter how dark the times, the preserver will arrive.

Fascinating fact: Vishnu’s discus, the Sudarshana Chakra, is said to move at the speed of thought and can cut through anything — but it only strikes when guided by righteousness, never in anger or vanity. –Wally

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OH MY GODS!

Major Gods of Ancient Egypt

Gods of the Old Testament 

The Monsters of “Impossible Creatures” by Katherine Rundell

A bestiary of dragons, unicorns, mermaids, centaurs and griffins — plus more of the world’s strangest, wildest magical beasts — all brought vividly to life.

In the days of yore, when the world was still young and the line between the mundane and the magical was but a whisper, creatures of legend roamed freely across the lands. Dragons soared over misty mountains, their scales shimmering in the dawn light; mermaids wove their songs into the ocean’s currents, luring sailors with promises of the unknown; and unicorns galloped through ancient forests, their horns gleaming with untamed magic.

But as time marched on and human settlements expanded, these wondrous beings found themselves pushed to the fringes of existence. To preserve their kind and the magic they embodied, they retreated to the hidden Archipelago — a sanctuary shrouded in mystery and accessible only to those who believe in the extraordinary.

“In ‘Impossible Creatures,’ Katherine Rundell unveils a secret realm, inviting readers to rediscover the myths that once instilled both fear and wonder, helping people make sense of their reality. ”

In Impossible Creatures, Katherine Rundell unveils this secret realm, inviting readers to rediscover the myths that once instilled both fear and wonder, helping people make sense of their reality. Through her vivid storytelling, the Archipelago becomes a place where the impossible not only exists but thrives, waiting for those daring enough to seek it.

The Monsters of Impossible Creatures

Now, let’s dive into the Impossible Creatures bestiary. This guide reveals some of the bestiary’s most fascinating inhabitants — both familiar and obscure — bringing you closer to the legends that have shaped cultures and folklore for centuries.

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READ MORE: The Monsters of Harry Potter

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al-miraj

What the name means: It comes from the Arabic word meaning “ascension” or “ladder.” While the exact reason for this name is unclear, it may reference the creature’s mystical nature, possibly its ability to transcend the ordinary world — much like the Prophet Muhammad’s ascension to heaven.

Where it’s from: Middle Eastern folklore, especially from Persian and Arabic tales

What it looks like: A small, rabbit-like creature with golden fur and a single spiraling horn on its forehead, reminiscent of a unicorn’s horn

What it does: The al-miraj is fiercely territorial and highly aggressive despite its diminutive size. Known to take down much larger predators with its horn

What to watch out for: Its deceptively cute appearance lures unsuspecting prey. Its horn is sharp enough to pierce armor, and it’s unnervingly fast.

avanc

What the name means: A variant of the Welsh word afanc, which means “beaver”

Where it’s from: Welsh mythology, particularly tales involving lakes and rivers

What it looks like: A hybrid of a beaver, crocodile and sometimes a wolf, with sharp teeth and scaly skin

What it does: Lurks in lakes and rivers, capsizing boats and dragging victims underwater. It’s said to guard treasures hidden in its watery lair.

What to watch out for: Some legends say it can hypnotize its victims into walking into the water willingly.

borometz

What the name means: It stems from the Russian word borametz, meaning “lamb.”

Where it’s from: Central Asian and European medieval lore

What it looks like: A plant that grows a lamb-like creature on its stalk. The lamb is tethered to the ground by its navel.

What it does: The lamb feeds on nearby plants until the stalk dies, after which the lamb perishes.

What to watch out for: Some tales suggest its wool is highly sought after, but beware — harvesting the borometz can anger local spirits or beasts who protect it.

centaur

What the name means: From Greek kentauros, possibly meaning “bull piercer” referring to horsemen who hunted bulls

Where it’s from: Greek mythology, especially associated with Thessaly and Mount Pelion

What it looks like: A being with the upper body of a man and the lower body of a horse

What it does: Centaurs are known for their dual nature — some are wise and noble, while others are wild and hedonistic.

What to watch out for: Their strength and speed make them formidable foes, and the wilder centaurs are quick to anger. Approach with caution.

chimera

What the name means: From the Greek chimaira, meaning “she-goat.”

Where it’s from: Greek mythology, specifically described in The Iliad by Homer

What it looks like: A monstrous hybrid with the body and head of a lion, a goat’s head rising from its back, and a serpent as its tail.

What it does: Breathes fire and wreaks havoc on towns and travelers. Known for its ferocity and near-imperviousness in battle

What to watch out for: Its fire breath is its most dangerous weapon, but its three sets of jaws make it deadly at close range. Attack only if you have a strong defense.

dragon

What the name means: Derived from the Greek drakon, meaning “serpent” or “giant sea fish”

Where it’s from: Found in myths across the globe, including European, Chinese and Middle Eastern folklore

What it looks like: Dragons vary widely but often have serpentine bodies, scales, wings, and the ability to breathe fire, lightning or ice. Some are massive with glowing eyes and sharp talons.

What it does: Known for guarding treasures, wreaking destruction or embodying wisdom, depending on the culture. European dragons are often malevolent, while Asian dragons are revered.

What to watch out for: Its breath weapon is deadly, but many dragons are also cunning and manipulative. Engage carefully — or better yet, avoid altogether.

griffin

What the name means: From the Greek gryps, meaning “curved” or “hooked,” referring to its beak.

Where it’s from: Ancient Middle Eastern and Mediterranean myths, particularly in Greek and Persian art

What it looks like: A majestic creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. Its powerful claws are said to be sharper than swords.

What it does: Known as a guardian of treasures and divine mysteries, griffins are fiercely protective of their hoards and will attack anyone who ventures too close.

What to watch out for: Its aerial advantage makes it nearly impossible to outrun, and its talons can rip through armor. The best approach is to avoid its territory entirely.

hippocamp

What the name means: From Greek hippos (“horse”) and kampos (“sea monster”).

Where it’s from: Greek and Roman mythology, often associated with Poseidon, god of the sea

What it looks like: A creature with the front half of a horse and the back half of a fish, complete with shimmering scales and a flowing, finned tail.

What it does: The hippocamp serves as a steed, gracefully navigating the oceans. It’s often depicted pulling Poseidon's chariot.

What to watch out for: Rarely hostile, but it may become defensive if threatened. Beware of strong ocean currents in its territory, which are said to be caused by its movements.

kanko

What the name means: A Japanese term associated with trickery; the name derives from a game called kankō-dori (“hide-and-seek”).

Where it’s from: Japanese folklore, where it’s considered a type of mischievous yokai, a supernatural creature or spirit

What it looks like: Often depicted as a weasel-like critter, small and nimble, with a sly grin and sparkling eyes

What it does: Known for luring people into games or traps, the kanko enjoys playing tricks and can vanish into thin air if pursued.

What to watch out for: Its tricks are usually harmless, but following it too far into its lair may lead to danger — or being lost forever.

karkadann

What the name means: From the Persian kargadan, meaning “rhinoceros.”

Where it’s from: Middle Eastern and Persian folklore, often considered a precursor to unicorn legends

What it looks like: Resembles a massive, horned beast, similar to a rhinoceros but with a sharper, spiraling horn. It has thick, tough skin and a fearsome presence.

What it does: Known for its territorial aggression, the karkadann is said to be nearly invincible in battle. Some myths claim it has healing properties linked to its horn.

What to watch out for: The karkadann charges relentlessly at perceived threats. Steer clear unless you have a quick escape route or a protective charm.

kludde

What the name means: The name is Flemish, but its meaning is unclear; it’s often associated with shadows and dread.

Where it’s from: Belgian folklore, particularly in Flanders

What it looks like: A shapeshifting creature that can appear as a monstrous dog engulfed in blue flames, a cat or a vague shadowy figure. Its most striking feature is its glowing eyes.

What it does: The kludde lures travelers into dangerous areas, such as swamps or forests, where it reveals its terrifying form and attacks.

What to watch out for: Its ability to shift forms and its speed make it a dangerous foe. Some say chanting prayers or holding a talisman can ward it off.

kraken

What the name means: From the Norwegian word krake, meaning “crooked” or “twisted”

Where it’s from: Norse and Scandinavian mythology, often described as a sea monster off the coasts of Norway and Greenland

What it looks like: A gargantuan, tentacled sea creature, often resembling a colossal squid or octopus

What it does: The kraken is known to drag entire ships under the water with its massive tentacles and create whirlpools to drown sailors.

What to watch out for: Its tentacles can crush ships in seconds. Signs of its presence include sudden, inexplicable whirlpools or strange movements in the ocean’s surface.

lavellan

What the name means: Connected to the Scottish Gaelic word làbh-allan, “water shrew” or “water vole”

Where it’s from: Scottish legends, particularly in the Highlands

What it looks like: A small, rodent-like creature with sharp teeth and golden fur that glows faintly.

What it does: The lavellan is said to have poisonous skin and a bite that can cause sickness or death. It often lurks near water.

What to watch out for: Avoid touching or handling it, as its venom is potent even through the skin. In some tales, its lair is surrounded by toxic mist.

longma

What the name means: From Chinese, long (“dragon”) and ma (“horse”)

Where it’s from: Chinese mythology, often associated with wisdom and celestial beings

What it looks like: A horse-like creature with scales, dragon-like wings, and flames or mist emanating from its body.

What it does: The longma is a divine creature often seen as a symbol of prosperity and enlightenment. It’s said to carry sacred texts or celestial messages.

What to watch out for: The longma isn’t inherently dangerous, but its presence is considered a divine omen. Disrespecting or harming it could bring bad luck or divine retribution.

manticore

What the name means: From the Old Persian martiya-khvara, meaning “man-eater”

Where it’s from: Persian mythology, later adopted into Greek and European tales

What it looks like: A fearsome creature with the body of a lion, a human-like face and a tail that can shoot venomous spines. Some depictions also give it bat-like wings.

What it does: The manticore is a predator that devours its victims whole, leaving no trace behind. It’s said to roam deserts and wastelands.

What to watch out for: Its spines can be deadly even from a distance. Avoid its lair, as it rarely lets intruders escape.

mermaid

What the name means: Derived from Old English mere (“sea”) and maid (“woman”)

Where it’s from: Global folklore, including European, African and Asian traditions

What it looks like: A creature that typically has the torso of a woman and the tail of a fish

What it does: Mermaids are sometimes portrayed as being benevolent, and sometimes as dangerous. They sing haunting songs to lure sailors, helping them on occasion — or leading them to their doom.

What to watch out for: Their enchanting voices can hypnotize sailors, causing them to wreck their ships. Be wary of calm waters near their supposed dwelling places.

nereid

What the name means: From Greek nereis, meaning “sea nymph”

Where it’s from: Greek mythology, associated with the god Poseidon and the sea

What it looks like: Beautiful, humanoid nymphs with flowing hair and shimmering skin, often adorned with seaweed or pearls

What it does: Nereids guide sailors through treacherous waters and are protectors of the sea. They can also be vengeful if disrespected.

What to watch out for: While generally benevolent, offending a nereid by polluting their waters or disturbing sacred sites can bring storms and shipwrecks.

ratatoska

What the name means: Old Norse for “drill tooth” or “gnawing tooth”

Where it’s from: Norse mythology, particularly associated with Yggdrasil, the World Tree

What it looks like: A squirrel-like creature with sharp teeth and mischievous eyes

What it does: Ratatoska runs up and down Yggdrasil, carrying messages (often insults) between the eagle at the top of the tree and the serpent Nidhogg at its roots.

What to watch out for: Its penchant for stirring up trouble can lead to chaos. While not physically dangerous, its meddling can provoke conflicts between much larger beings.

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RELATED: Norse Mythology the Movie Thor: Ragnarok Got Wrong

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sphinx

What the name means: From the Greek sphingo, meaning “to bind” or “to squeeze”

Where it’s from: Egyptian, Greek and Mesopotamian mythology, each culture depicting it a bit differently

What it looks like: Usually a lion-bodied creature with a human head, sometimes with wings

What it does: Known for its riddles, the sphinx challenges travelers to answer correctly — or face dire consequences.

What to watch out for: Failing to solve the sphinx’s riddle doesn’t just bruise your ego — it’s a death sentence. This cunning predator is known to strangle its victims or throw them from a high cliff. Remember: In this case, it’s brains over brawn.

Twrch Trwyth

What the name means: In Welsh, it translates to the “Trwyth Boar”

Where it’s from: Welsh mythology, particularly Culhwch and Olwen from the Mabinogion, a medieval collection of tales from Wales. It’s part of the myth of Mabon, the Wiccan celebration of the autumn equinox. 

What it looks like: A giant, magical boar with razor-sharp tusks and a thick, impenetrable hide

What it does: Twrch Trwyth is a fearsome creature hunted by King Arthur and his knights. It ravages the land, destroying crops and villages.

What to watch out for: Its tusks are said to cut through any material, and it can trample an entire village in its fury. Hunting it requires great skill, bravery and some magical help.

unicorn

What the name means: From Latin unicornis, meaning “one-horned”

Where it’s from: Found in European folklore, with some references in ancient texts like the Bible and Greek writings

What it looks like: A graceful horse-like creature with a single spiraling horn on its forehead, often depicted with a shimmering coat

What it does: The unicorn is a symbol of purity and grace. Its horn is believed to have magical properties, such as purifying water and curing poison.

What to watch out for: Unicorns are elusive and shy, fleeing at the slightest hint of danger. However, attempting to capture one can provoke its wrath, and its horn can become a formidable weapon.

A World of Impossible Creatures

Through their adventures in the Archipelago, Christopher and Mal encounter creatures that once roamed the Earth: dragons, manticores, griffins and more. Now, thanks to this bestiary, you’ve met them too. Whether it’s the ferocious kraken or the enigmatic Sphinx, these impossible creatures remind us that magic lingers in the stories we tell and the worlds we imagine. –Wally

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Who Is Freyja? The Fierce and Enigmatic Goddess of Norse Mythology

Duality defines Freyja, the Norse goddess of love and war, beauty and death. She’s also a powerful sorceress, wielding seid — magic tied to fate, transformation and prophecy.

Duke and I adopted a cat from a shelter named Freya — and quickly fell under her spell. I was always more of a Greek and Roman mythology buff than Norse, so my curiosity was piqued — I wanted to know more about the goddess our new kitty was named after. I dove into learning about the goddess, and it soon became clear that our Freya is every bit as beautiful, fierce and wild as her divine namesake, with both embodying a blend of grace, power and an untamed spirit.

Freyja (as it’s most commonly spelled), the Norse goddess of love, beauty, war and magic, both captivates and unnerves. 

“Freyja stands as one of the most captivating figures in Norse mythology — a goddess of dualities who embodies beauty and ferocity, love and war, magic and mystery. ”

What Does Freyja Look Like?

She’s draped in a cloak of falcon feathers, shimmering with the colors of the sunrise — golden and russet hues that catch the light as she moves. 

Her hair, long and flowing like streams of molten amber, contrasts with eyes that seem to hold the mysteries of the cosmos. 

Adorning her neck is Brísingamen, the legendary necklace forged by dwarves in the depths of the Earth. (See the full myth of the necklace below, in which Freyja whores herself out to dwarves.)

Freyja’s Chariot

She commands a chariot drawn by two formidable big cats. These silver-furred creatures, known as Bygul and Trjegul, glide with the grace of wild predators, their eyes glowing with the sharp intelligence and cunning of the goddess they serve. 

The chariot moves as if weightless, whether it glides across the earth or soars through the sky. 

The Origin of Freyja

Back when the cosmos were still untamed, swirling in chaotic mists and shadows, the Vanir emerged from this primal void — gods and goddesses intrinsically tied to nature’s cycles, ancient and wild. Among them was Freyja, born of the sea god Njörðr and sister to Freyr. 

But Freyja’s birth was unlike any other — rumor has it that she emerged from the crashing waves, fully grown, as the saltwater mixed with the dawn’s first light, setting her hair aglow with a golden sheen. (Sounds quite a bit like Aphrodite, doesn’t it?)

From the very start, Freyja carried a duality within her: a grace that could soothe even the most troubled hearts, and a ferocity that could shake the heavens. 

As she grew, her allure was unmatched, yet it was her wisdom in seiðr, the mysterious Norse magic, that truly set her apart. It was said that she could weave the very threads of fate, bend reality to her will and command the elements themselves. Her presence could sway the tides of war, and her tears, when shed, turned into precious amber, glittering tokens of her sorrow and joy.

The Vanir, Freyja’s original tribe, went to war with the Æsir in a conflict that shook the Nine Realms. To establish peace, Freyja played a key role as a mediator. As part of the truce, the Vanir sent Freyja and her family to live with the Æsir — a gesture that underscored her immense value and the high stakes of the agreement.

She craved adventure, adored beautiful things and was never afraid to wield her formidable powers to get what she wanted. This was a goddess who is as multifaceted as the jewels she wears — beautiful and fearsome, compassionate and unyielding, with a touch of mischievous charm. Just like our cat.

Goddess of Love and War

Freyja is a goddess of dualities, straddling seemingly opposing forces with effortless grace. She’s most commonly associated with love, beauty and fertility, but she’s far from a simple goddess of romance. Freyja’s love is fierce and complex, reflecting both the sweetness of new beginnings and the passion that can lead to conflict and heartache. 

Her beauty is more than skin deep, tied to the power she wields and the control she exercises over those who desire her favor. Her role in fertility isn’t just about the growth of crops or even the bearing of children — it’s about the vital force of life itself, the energy that sustains both the Earth and its people.

But Freya’s also a goddess of war, presiding over the battlefield in a role similar to that of Odin. Half of those who die in battle are claimed by Freyja, who takes them to her hall, Fólkvangr, while the other half go to Valhalla. This dual role reflects the Norse view of death, where even in war, the concepts of love, honor and sacrifice are deeply intertwined. Freyja’s warriors are chosen not just for their valor but for the passion with which they lived and fought.

Freyja’s power also extends into the realm of magic, specifically seiðr — a type of Norse sorcery associated with fate, transformation and prophecy. She’s said to have taught this art to Odin, a significant detail that underscores her mastery of one of the most feared and revered practices in Norse culture. Seiðr allowed her to manipulate the threads of destiny, control the elements and see into the future, making her both respected and dreaded.

Freyja’s Symbols and Associations 

Freyja’s symbols further reflect her complex nature. Brísingamen, her radiant necklace, is a source of power and authority. The cats that draw her chariot embody her independence and mystery, as felines have long been associated with both sensuality and cunning. Her falcon cloak, which allows her to take the form of a bird and fly, represents her ability to traverse the boundaries between worlds — between life and death, love and war, magic and reality.

Finally, Freyja’s association with gold and amber, symbolized by the tears she sheds for her missing husband, ties her to the earth’s treasures. These tears, said to be found along the shores of rivers and forests, show how deeply her emotions are connected to the natural world. 

Freyja’s domains make her one of the most complex figures in Norse mythology — her influence extends across all realms, and through her associations, we see a goddess who embodies the full spectrum of human and divine experience.

Freyja’s Necklace, Brísingamen

It’s a masterpiece of craftsmanship — each link in the chain engraved with ancient runes of power and protection, glowing with an otherworldly radiance. Inset with gemstones that flicker between deep amber and blood-red, it pulses in time with Freyja’s heartbeat, amplifying her beauty and authority, making even gods and giants bow in awe. And like any good Norse artifact, it has its own name: Brísingamen.

The tale of how Freyja came to possess Brísingamen is a perfect blend of ambition, desire and a touch of scandal — exactly the kind of tale you’d expect from the goddess of love and war.

One evening, Freyja was wandering through the forests of Midgard when her eye caught the glimmer of something extraordinary: a necklace unlike any she had ever seen. It was Brísingamen, forged by four dwarves deep within the earth, and it shone with a brilliance that rivaled the stars. Instantly captivated, Freyja knew she had to have it. But dwarves are a tricky bunch — they aren’t easily bribed with gold or treasures. No, these craftsmen had something else in mind.

When Freyja approached them, the dwarves, grinning slyly, made their offer: sleep with each of them, and the necklace would be hers. Now, Freyja isn’t one to shy away from a deal — especially when something as dazzling as Brísingamen is at stake. She weighed her options, considered the price, and agreed. The deal was struck, she had sex with each dwarf in turn — and the necklace was hers, glittering proudly around her neck. 

But not everyone was thrilled by Freyja’s deal.

Loki, the trouble-making trickster, caught wind of the arrangement and couldn’t resist stirring up trouble. He went straight to Odin, gleefully spilling the beans about how Freyja had “negotiated” for her new accessory. Odin was outraged and demanded the necklace be taken from her as a lesson in humility.

Loki, always ready to stir the pot, snuck into Freyja’s hall, slipped past her defenses and stole Brísingamen right from under her nose. When Freyja discovered the theft, she didn’t take it lightly. She stormed into Asgard, confronting Odin with a fury that shook the heavens. 

Odin decreed that if Freyja wanted her precious necklace back, she would have to incite a war. And even if Freyja wasn’t particularly keen on Odin’s terms, she knew she wasn’t walking away from Brísingamen. 

Now, how to start a war? Freyja took a surprisingly subtle approach. She traveled through villages and courts, planting seeds of jealousy, rivalry and greed. Her whispers acted like a slow poison, and soon, those tiny sparks of discord ignited into flames. Neighbor turned against neighbor, tribes clashed over petty slights, and kings sought expansion through conquest. War was declared, and Freyja got her necklace back. 

Freyja and Thor’s Hammer

In another myth, Thor woke up one day to find that his beloved hammer, Mjölnir, had vanished. Now, losing Mjölnir isn’t like misplacing your car keys — it’s a catastrophic event that leaves Asgard vulnerable to all sorts of enemies. 

As Thor fumed and threatened to smash anything in sight, Loki (who else?) volunteered to investigate. Using his usual cunning, Loki discovered that the hammer had been stolen by Thrym, a giant with a particularly thick skull and a bad case of greed. Thrym wasn’t interested in riches or glory, though — he had his eyes set on something far more valuable: Freyja.

Thrym sent a message to the gods: “You want the hammer back? Fine, but I want Freyja as my bride in exchange.” 

When Freyja heard the demand, her face turned scarlet, her eyes blazed, and she unleashed a roar so powerful that it caused the very foundations of Asgard to tremble. 

“Do you really think I’d let myself be bartered off like some prize cow?” she thundered, sending all the gods scrambling for cover. 

With Freyja’s refusal made perfectly clear, the gods had to get creative. They hatched a hairbrained plan that could only work in the world of Norse mythology: Thor would disguise himself as Freyja and trick Thrym into giving back Mjölnir. 

So there he was — Thor, the mighty god of thunder, his bulging muscles squeezed into a bridal gown, wearing a veil that barely concealed his thick beard. Loki, never one to miss out on a prank, gleefully played the role of Thor’s maid of honor and accompanied him to Thrym’s hall.

When Thrym saw his “bride,” he was thrilled — though a little confused by Freyja’s sudden appetite, as she devoured platter after platter of food and drained barrels of ale in one sitting. Loki, quick on his feet, explained that Freyja hadn’t eaten in days, out of excitement for her wedding. Dim-witted Thrym was sold and brought out the hammer as part of the wedding ceremony.

The moment Mjölnir was placed in “Freyja’s” lap, the charade was over. Thor ripped off his veil, seized the hammer, and with a single swing, sent Thrym and his cronies flying. The feast turned into a battlefield, with Thor gleefully smashing his way through the giant’s hall while Loki cackled in the background.

The gods returned to Asgard victorious, hammer in hand and no bride sacrificed. And Freyja? She watched the whole spectacle from afar with an amused smirk. 

Freyja as the Price of Asgard’s Defences

As we have seen, Freyja’s beauty and allure were legendary, which made her a target for unwanted attention — particularly from giants, who always seemed to be scheming for ways to get their hands on her. One such tale involves a giant who came to Asgard with an offer the gods couldn’t refuse…or so he thought.

The giant approached the gods with a bold proposition: He would build a wall around Asgard strong enough to keep out any enemy — an impenetrable fortress that could withstand even the fiercest of attacks. In return, he demanded three things: the sun, the moon and — most importantly — Freyja as his bride. Now, the gods weren’t exactly thrilled about the idea of losing the sun and moon, but the thought of handing over Freyja? Unthinkable.

Still, they figured they could outsmart the giant. After all, he was offering a monumental task, and they were confident that no one could complete such a project in the tight deadline they’d impose. The gods agreed to the deal but insisted that the wall had to be finished within a single season. Thinking they’d bought themselves an easy win, they relaxed…until the giant started making serious progress.

What they hadn’t anticipated was that the giant had a secret weapon: his powerful stallion, Svadilfari, who was hauling massive stones at lightning speed. As the deadline drew near, the gods realized they were in deep trouble. Freyja, fuming at the thought of being handed over like a prize, made it clear that if this deal went south, heads would roll. Literally.

Desperate for a solution, the gods turned to Loki, the trickster they could always count on for a scheme, however unconventional.

Loki didn’t disappoint. “Leave it to me,” he said with a sly grin, already hatching a plan.

That night, under the cover of darkness, Loki transformed himself into a sleek, graceful mare. His shimmering coat caught the moonlight as he trotted toward Svadilfari, the giant’s powerful stallion, who was tirelessly hauling massive stones for the wall.

Svadilfari, enchanted by the sight of this new and alluring horse, immediately lost interest in his work. Loki, in mare form, whinnied coyly, flicked his tail, and galloped into the forest. The stallion, spellbound, followed without hesitation.

What happened in the woods isn’t certain, but let’s just say Loki as a mare was just a bit too entrancing. He ended up pregnant and gave birth to Sleipnir, an extraordinary eight-legged horse with unmatched speed and strength. Sleipnir would go on to become Odin’s trusted steed, capable of crossing realms and outrunning the wind itself.

Meanwhile, with the horse gone, the giant’s progress slowed to a crawl. 

Enraged and realizing he’d been duped, the giant revealed his true form. It was terrifying to behold: His once humanoid features twisted and expanded, his body swelling to an immense size. His skin turned a dark, stony gray, cracked and weathered like ancient rock, with jagged ridges jutting from his shoulders and spine. His eyes burned like molten lava, seething with fury, and his hands became massive, clawed appendages capable of crushing stone. Veins of fiery red pulsed across his body, as if his rage was fueling him from within, and his voice thundered like an earthquake as he roared his fury, shaking the very ground beneath him.

But before he could make a move, Thor swooped in and took care of the problem the way he usually does — with a swift blow from Mjölnir, turning the giant into rubble. Crisis averted, the gods celebrated, and Freyja remained free, much to her relief.

Óðr, Freyja’s Wandering Husband

Freyja is married to Óðr (pronounced “Oh-thur”), a figure shrouded in mystery. His identity has long been debated by scholars. Some suggest that he’s another aspect of Odin, given the similarity in their names and roles as wanderers. If that’s true, it would make Freyja and Frigg — Odin’s wife, and a wise, reserved goddess of domestic life — two sides of the same coin, representing different aspects of a single goddess. 

Óðr, a mysterious figure even by Norse standards, was known for his wanderlust. For reasons unknown, he left Freyja, vanishing into the far reaches of the world. Heartbroken but determined, Freyja set out on a relentless quest to find him, traveling through every corner of the Nine Realms.

In her search, Freyja disguised herself many times, using her falcon cloak to fly over mountains, seas and distant lands. Her journey took her through realms of both gods and mortals, and wherever she went, she asked after Óðr. Yet her search was filled with more questions than answers, and with every door she knocked on, the trail seemed to grow colder. As the days turned into months and the months into years, Freyja’s sorrow became legendary.

The tears she shed in her search turned into shimmering gold or amber as they hit the ground. These tears were found scattered across forests and shores, becoming treasured jewels sought after by mortals and gods alike. Even in her despair, Freyja’s presence brought beauty into the world, a fitting symbol for a goddess whose love and pain are intertwined.

Despite the depth of her love and the lengths she went to, Freyja’s search for Óðr was ultimately fruitless. Whether he ever returned or remained lost to her, the myths don’t say clearly. What they do tell us, though, is that Freyja’s longing became a part of who she is: a goddess who, despite her formidable powers and fierce independence, knows the sting of loss. It’s this complexity that makes Freyja one of the most relatable figures in Norse mythology. She’s both the mighty goddess who commands the battlefield and the grieving wife searching for the one she loves.

Interestingly, despite her marriage, Freyja remains a goddess whose love is sought after by many. Giants, gods and dwarves alike have tried to win her hand or bargain for her favor. Yet, even when she strikes deals, it’s always on her terms, showcasing her autonomy and power within relationships. Whether she’s using her beauty to achieve her goals or fiercely guarding what she holds dear, Freyja’s never reduced to just a love interest. 

The tale of Freyja’s search for her lost husband, Óðr, is one of longing, resilience, and the deep, bittersweet love that lies at the heart of her myth. Unlike the larger-than-life battles or witty escapades of other gods, this story reveals a more poignant side of the fierce goddess, one that resonates with the universal pain of losing someone dear.

Freyja, Goddess of Dualities

Freyja stands as one of the most captivating figures in Norse mythology — a goddess of dualities who embodies beauty and ferocity, love and war, magic and mystery. Her stories remind us that power comes in many forms: the strength to fight, the wisdom to weave destiny, and the resilience to seek what’s lost. Much like our own Freya, who prowls the house with a mix of wild grace and playful charm, the goddess Freyja continues to enchant and inspire. –Wally

Why Did Christ Have to Be Born of the Virgin Mary?

Virgin births weren’t unusual in pagan times — just in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Here’s how sex got tangled up with the idea of sin, and by extension, chastity became the ultimate sign of virtue. 

Nativity, Birth of Jesus by Giotto, circa 1305

Early Christians needed their savior to have been born of a woman without sin, and that included the act of fornication. Greek myths could have influenced their theology.

Mary, the mother of Christ, is held up as one of a kind among humans for getting pregnant and giving birth without ever having sex. 

But believe it or not, so-called virgin births weren’t uncommon in the pagan world. Pythagorus, Plato and Alexander the Great were all said to have been born of virgins by the power of a holy spirit. 

Alexander the Great’s mom dreamed of a lightning bolt striking her vagina — and lo and behold! She became pregnant with the future king of Macedon. In antiquity, “virgin” births weren’t all that uncommon.

“Christians, aware of the antique pantheon, are still worried by the parallel between Christ’s story and the dozens of virgin births of classical mythology,” Maria Warner wrote in her 1976 work Alone of All Her Sex: The Myth and the Cult of the Virgin Mary.

So how exactly does one conceive without fornication? We can turn once again to paganism. In Greek mythology, the closest parallel seems to be when Zeus turned himself into a shower of gold and impregnated Danae, who gave birth to the hero Perseus.   

Danaë and the Golden Shower by Andrea Casali, circa 1750

The Greek myth of Zeus impregnating a woman in the form of a golden rain could have inspired the form the Holy Ghost took with the Virgin Mary.

The Greek god Zeus metamorphosed into a swan to couple with Leda. Did this bird imagery inspire the Holy Ghost’s representatoin as a dove?

Then again, the Holy Ghost is often depicted as a dove, and in another encounter, Zeus, that shapeshifting, lecherous cad, adopted the form a bird as well: He became a swan to seduce (or, perhaps, rape) Leda, mother of Helen of Troy, the twins Castor and Pollux, and another daughter, Clytemnestra.

The Annunciation by Fra Angelico, 1445

The shaft of light symbolizing the Holy Ghost isn’t too different from Danae’s shower of gold. Notice the contrast of the Virgin with Adam and Eve being expelled from the Garden of Eden to the left.

Connecting Sex With Sin

Of course in these cases, Zeus is copulating with the women. It’s an act of lust, and, at least for the god, one of pleasure. That’s in stark contrast to the Christian idea of Mary’s conception of Jesus: She remains a virgin, her maidenhead unbroken, and there’s no animal-like rutting. 

This was an essential part of the Christ story. The fathers of the Christian church connected sex with sin early on, taking their cue from Genesis and the Garden of Eden: Fornication becomes necessary for reproduction, and the pain of childbirth a curse that Eve, and all women to follow, must bear. 

Sex was seen as the ultimate sin. Saint Augustine wrote in City of God, in 426, that the passion aroused by lovemaking was sinful — though the holy act of propagation was not. In a similar vein, he added, “We ought not to condemn marriage because of the evil of lust, nor must we praise lust because of the good of marriage.”

“[I]n this battle between the flesh and the spirit, the female sex was firmly placed on the side of the flesh,” Warner wrote. “For as childbirth was woman’s special function, and its pangs the special penalty decreed by God after the Fall, and as the child she bore in her womb was stained by sin from the moment of its conception, the evils of sex were particularly identified with the female. Woman was womb and womb was evil.”

The Annunciation from the Grabower Altar in St. Peter’s in Hamburg, Germany, 1383

Saint Ephrem the Syrian wrote, “Perfectly God, he entered the womb through her ear.” The idea was that by conceiving via her ear, Mary remained a virgin.

The Virgin Mary: Not Your Typical (Sinful) Woman

Mary’s impregnation is, in contrast, a serene, holy act. It’s possibly tied to the very words of the Angel Gabriel when he announces her role in bringing forth the Savior. In ancient times, some people actually believed pregnancy could come about through the ear. (It gives a whole new meaning to Iggy Pop’s lyric “Of course I’ve had it in the ear before.”)

A sixth century hymn that’s still sung today goes:

The centuries marvel therefore 
that the angel bore the seed,
the virgin conceived through her ear, 
and believing in her heart, became fruitful.

The son of God chose to be born of a virgin, according to Augustine, because it was the only way to enter the world without sin. So, “Let us love chastity above all things,” he wrote, “for it was to show that this was pleasing to Him that Christ chose the modesty of a virgin womb.”

Painful births were one of God’s punishments for Eve eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. But Jesus’ mother couldn’t be connected with anything so sinful, so she was said to be a virgin, pure and intact.

Slandering the Virgin Mary

The early Christian church had to defend itself against rumors that painted Mary in a negative light. Jews and pagans in Alexandria, for example, were saying that Jesus wasn’t conceived by God — instead, he was the bastard child of an incestuous union of Mary and her brother. 

It doesn’t seem far-fetched nowadays to question a scientific impossibility — but at the dawn of Christianity, virgin births wouldn’t have been too big of a surprise. For early Christians, anything to do with female bodily functions was dirty and sinful. So they would have insisted their savior had to have come from an inviolate womb. And, despite evidence to the contrary, Mary became a virgin. –Wally

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Agave Mythology and Pulque Folk Tales

Mesomaerican legends, including Mayahuel and Ehécatl’s doomed love, drunk Tlacuache the possum and 400 rabbits suckled on pulque.

Mesoamerican myths are pretty crazy. Take the fertility goddess Mayahuel, who lactated pulque, which intoxicated the 400 rabbits she gave birth to.

Aside from being a source of sustenance, the agave, or maguey as it’s referred to in Mexico, was revered and respected as a sacred plant by the ancient peoples of Mesoamerica. 

The desert succulent is distinguished by a rosette of strong fleshy leaves that radiate from the center of the plant. Fibers from its tough spiny leaves were used to make rope or fabric for clothing, and the barbed tips made excellent sewing needles. Devotees and priests would pierce their earlobes, tongues or genitals with the thorns and collect the blood as an offering to the gods. An antiseptic poultice of maguey sap and salt was used in traditional medicine and applied to wounds. The plant is also the source of pulque, a beverage made from its fermented sap, and many years later, distilled as mezcal and tequila. 

Agave being used to treat a head wound

As a final act, the maguey poetically blooms in the final throes of its life cycle. A mutant asparagus-like stalk emerges from the center of the plant, reaching 25 to 40 feet high before it flowers and dies. 

Drink of the Gods

In Aztec times, the milky and sour mildly alcoholic beverage was highly prized and strictly limited to consumption by a select few, including priests, pregnant women, the elderly and tributes offered up for ritual sacrifice. The priests believed that the resulting intoxication put them in an altered state and allowed them to communicate directly with the gods. The consequences of illegally imbibing outside of this group were so serious that the convicted faced death by strangulation. 

So what are the myths and folklore stories about agave and pulque? As with myths around the world, there are multiple variations, and while researching stories about agave I found myself falling down a rabbit hole. I couldn’t quite decide what the definitive versions were, so here are my interpretations.

The gorgeous (personally we don’t see it) Mayahuel was rescued from her evil grandmother, then torn apart and fed to demons, before eventually becoming the first agave.

The Legend of Mayahuel, Whose Lovely Bones Became the First Agave

When the universe as we know it was formed, so too was a ferocious and bloodthirsty race of light-devouring demons known as tzitzimime. It was said that life ebbed from their fleshless female forms. They were easily recognizable by their shiny black hair, skeletal limbs ending in clawed hands, and blood red tongues resembling a sacrificial knife wagging from their gaping maws. Their wide-open starry eyes allowed them to see through the darkness. 

The tzitzimime were ferocious demons who sucked light and life from this world.

These monstrous beings ruled over the night sky and wore gruesome necklaces loaded with severed human hands and hearts — trophies from the steady diet of human sacrifices required to appease them. 

The tzitzimime cloaked the earth in darkness, and in return for ritual bloodshed, permitted the sun to rise and move across the sky. It’s a fair guess to say that a large number of lives were lost, as the Aztecs believed that if darkness won, the sun would be lost forever, the world would end, and the tzitzimime would descend from the skies and gobble up humankind. 

The tzitzimime demons were insatiable for sacrifices of human blood.

Hidden in the sky among the tzitzimime was a beautiful young maiden by the name of Mayahuel. Mayahuel was imprisoned by her grandmother, Tzitzímitl, the oldest and most malevolent demoness of the brood.

Tzitzímitl’s insatiable desire for human sacrifice angered Ehécatl, the god of wind and rain. 

One evening he rose up into the night sky to confront her, but instead discovered Mayahuel. Struck by her beauty, he immediately fell in love and convinced her to descend from the heavens to become his paramour. 

Ehécatl, god of wind and rain, tried his best to save poor Mayahuel from Tzitzimitl.

When Tzitzímitl discovered that Mayahuel was missing, she exploded into a violent rage and commanded her demon servants to find her granddaughter. The pair assumed the form of trees and stood side by side so that their leaves would caress one another whenever the wind blew.

Time passed, but their disguise was no match for the furious Tzitzímitl. The sky turned gray with clouds that heralded a major storm, followed by lightning and thunder. When the evil spirit finally found Mayahuel, she tore her from the ground and fed her to her legions of tzitzimime. 

The skeletal demoness Tzitzímitl with her necklace of severed human hearts and hands

Ehécatl was unharmed. He avenged Mayahuel’s death by killing Tzitzímitl and returned light to the world. Still overcome with grief, he gathered the bones of his beloved and buried them in a field. As his tears saturated the arid soil, Mayahuel’s remains transformed and emerged from the earth as the first agave. After getting a taste of the elixir that came from the plant, Ehécatl decided to share his creation with humankind. 

For some reason, the possum god Tlacuache was responsible for creating the course of rivers. They’re curvy because he got drunk on pulque.

The Tale of Tlacuache: Why a River Runs Its Course

Another Mesoamerican tale connects pulque with the creation of rivers. According to the story, Tlacuache, a possum god, was responsible for assigning the course of rivers. While going about his day foraging for food, he happened upon an agave. Using his human-like hands, he dug into one of its leathery leaves. A sweet honeyed sap oozed from the cuts, and Tlacuache stuck his snout into the maguey and lapped up the liquid with glee. 

After having his fill, he returned to his den and dreamt of returning to the plant the next day. Tlacuache had a remarkable talent for finding food and remembering exactly where it was found. What he didn’t know, though, is that the nectar had fermented overnight and now contained alcohol. The marsupial accidentally overindulged and became intoxicated. Finding himself disoriented, he stumbled and wandered this way and that, until he eventually found his way home. 

Over time, Tlacuache’s circuitous meandering was reflected in his work. Any river in Mexico that bends or doesn’t follow a straight line was due to Tlacuache drinking pulque and plotting the river’s course while he was tipsy. In fact, some say he was the very first drunk.

Suck on this: The fertility goddess Mayahuel didn’t have milk in her breasts — she had pulque.

Pulque Breast Milk and being drunk as 400 Rabbits

Last but not least is the fantastical story of the mythical 400 drunken rabbits whose behavior even Beatrix Potter would have found excessive. 

In Aztec mythology, Patecatl was the Lord of 13 Days and the credited discoverer of the squat psychedelic peyote cactus. One evening, he and Mayahuel, who in this story is a fertility goddess, had a no-strings-attached tryst, resulting in an unusual pregnancy. Months later, the proud mother bore a litter of 400 fluffy little bunnies. 

Naturally, being the goddess of the agave, Mayahuel’s multiple breasts lactated pulque, which she used to nourish her children. It’s safe to say that her divine offspring didn’t understand the concept of moderation and were frequently found in various states of inebriation. 

Mayahuel had a one-night stand with the Lord of 13 Days — and ended up having a litter of 400 rabbits!

The 400 rabbits each depict a different stage of inebriation.

The siblings were known as the Centzon Totochtin and represented the varying degrees of intoxication one can attain while under the influence of alcohol. One of the children, Ometochtli (Two Rabbit), a god who represented duality, was associated with that initial burst of courage that comes after a couple of drinks. Conversations feel more important, and everyone around you becomes more attractive. His brother Macuiltochtli (Five Rabbit) was one of the gods of excess — the equivalent of having too much of a good thing, and waking up the next day with a pounding headache. 

Ometochtli, or Two Rabbit, was the god of the courage you get after a couple of drinks — and the start of beer-goggling.

This fellow is going to regret being like Macuiltochtli, or Five Rabbit, and drinking to excess. He’s gonna be hungover tomorrow.

If you’re drunk as 400 rabbits, you’re beyond wasted.

For the Aztecs, the concept of infinity started at 400. A couple of drinks is OK; consuming your body weight in booze not so much. Moral of the story: If you drink more than you can handle, whether you’re a small animal or otherwise, you’ll be carried away by a colony of 400 rabbits. –Duke

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Learn How Mezcal Gets Made

Another drink made from the agave, mezcal is much more artisanal than tequila, with numerous factors influencing the taste of each batch — and that’s what makes it so interesting.

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Animal Symbolism in Pre-Columbian Pottery at the Museo Nacional de Antropología

The meanings behind monkeys, jaguars, ducks, bats, dogs and other animals in Mesoamerican myths as depicted in pre-Columbian artifacts at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City.

A lot of the exhibits at the National Museum of Anthropology in CDMX depict animals — each of which held symbolic meaning for the ancient peoples of Mexico.

Something that’s always fascinated me about ancient cultures are the similarities in beliefs with other civilizations around the world. Despite being oceans apart, many shared highly developed civilizations and a deep reverence for the natural world. 

We saw this in action during our last visit to Mexico City, when we finally made it to the Museo Nacional de Antropología. The scale and scope of the galleries at the museum is dizzying. Wally and I don’t like to overdo it, so we spent half a day just wandering through the first floor. One of the highlights for me was the large number and variety of Mesoamerican animal-shaped effigy vessels on display. Like other ancient societies, the pre-Columbian peoples believed that certain animals embodied a spiritual energy in which sacred beings manifested themselves. 

“Conquistadors developed such an appetite for Xoloitzcuintli Mexican hairless dogs that they nearly ate them into extinction. ”

These ritual objects were not used in everyday life; they were often placed in tombs as burial goods. Animals played a key role at all levels of society and symbolically linked the three cosmic realms of the universe: the heavens, earth and underworld.

Aztec cosmology posited that time is cyclical — and that we’re in the Fifth Sun, the final cycle of the world.

Here Comes the (Fifth) Sun

According to the Aztec legend of the Fifth Sun, time is cyclical. Four suns, or eras, have passed, created by a different deity and successively destroyed. Each cycle included inhabitants who died or transformed into various creatures, including monkeys, turkeys, dogs and fish. Our present world happens to be the Fifth Sun. 

Brightly colored feathers were used in religious ceremonies.

The pre-Columbian people used animals for a variety of purposes. Parrots and macaws, for example, provided a source of food as well as prized blue-green plumage used to adorn headdresses. However, animals also held great symbolic significance. They served as cultural and cosmic metaphors based on their habitat and natural features. 

Ducks were particularly holy to Mesoamericans, as they moved between three realms: water, the sky and land.

Just Ducky

Birds symbolized the celestial realm, the sun and moon in particular, and were considered messengers between the natural and spiritual worlds. 

Ducks were particularly holy, perhaps because they ticked all the boxes: They can fly, walk on land and dive underwater, possessing the ability to travel freely between these different spheres. 

Ducks and related birds were also associated with the wind god Ehécatl (pronounced “Eh-heh-ka-tul”), one of the avatars of Quetzacoatl, the great plumed serpent. The deity was frequently portrayed with a duckbill-like appendage on his face, which he used to summon the winds. 

The Maya considered bodies of water to be pathways to the Underworld. Ducks and other waterfowl were ritualistically sacrificed, eaten and used to ward off demons.

This little guy represents a coatimundi, which figures in a Mayan myth that involved a decapitated head in the Underworld.

Coati Encounters of the First Kind

The coatimundi, or coati, are members of the raccoon family. They have distinct mask-like markings on their faces, resembling a combination of kinkajou, anteater, raccoon and bear cub. 

In the Popol Vuh, the sacred text of the Maya, a bat rips off the head of Hunahpu, one of the Hero Twins, and takes it to the ball court of Xibalbá (the Underworld) to be used in place of a rubber ball. A coati fashions a fake head from a calabash squash and places it on the shoulders of the headless hero. Hanapu’s brother Xbalanque places Hanapu’s head back on his shoulders, and the brothers succeed in defeating the Lords of Xibalbá.

Monkeys represented the good (luck and joy) and the bad (immorality).

Monkeys: Sacred Simians 

Spider and howler monkeys are the two most common species native to the tropical lowlands of Mexico. Playful and social in nature, these nimble primates live in the high forest canopy and are mankind’s closest living relative. They were symbols of good fortune and joy, as well as pleasure and immorality — the latter of which was punishable by death. Monkeys were domesticated and kept as pets by both Zapotec and Aztec nobility and weren’t used for food or sacrifice. 

The “leftovers” of the Second Sun cycle of the universe were turned into jabbering monkeys.

Ehecatl, the Aztec god of the wind, was associated with monkeys.

Monkeys were also associated with the Aztec wind god Ehécatl. According to the legend of the Fifth Sun, the disobedient survivors of the Second Sun, whose cataclysmic end included hurricanes and floods, were transformed into monkeys by Ehécatl. Deprived of the ability to speak, they were condemned to emit meaningless noises for the rest of their existence. 

A person’s spirit would hold onto a Xoloitzcuintli dog’s tail to be guided through the Underworld.

Dogs Truly Are Man’s Best Friend

Before the Chihuahua became the most popular dog breed from Mexico, there was the hairless Xoloitzcuintli (pronounced “Show-low-eats-queent-lee”). This breed got its name from Xolotl, the god of lightning and death, and itzcuintli, dog. To the ancient Aztec and Maya, the canine was created by Xolotl to guard the living and guide the souls of the dead through the perils of Mictlán, the Underworld. Deceased souls held onto the dogs’ tails as they led their owners through the afterlife. They were also bred as a source of food — in fact, the conquistadors developed such an appetite for them that they nearly ate them into extinction. 

The most common depictions of Xoloitzcuintles take the form of small ceramic vessels known as Colima dogs for the modern state of Mexico where they are commonly found. More than a few of these red clay objects are depicted with chubby bodies — this may be an indication that they were fattened up to be eaten.

Frida Khalo and Diego Rivera owned a brood of Xolos, and Wally and I saw a few sunning themselves at el Museo Dolores Olmedo, which houses a large collection of works by this famous duo.

Grasshoppers were associated with agriculture and fertility — but could also mean destruction.

The Grasshopper: the Insect That Sings for Its Supper

The name of Chapultepec Park, where the Museo Nacional de Antropología is located, comes from Náhuatl for “Hill of the Grasshopper.” This hill rises from the center of the park, was a sacred place for the Aztec and is where Chapultepec Castle stands. 

Grasshoppers were associated with agriculture and fertility and were associated with the period following the annual rainfall, which brought an abundance of the insects. 

In addition to their symbolic importance, the Aztec snacked on chapulines, cooking them on clay surfaces with spices. 

To the Mexica, they represented the duality of abundance vs. destruction: Drought triggers the solitary grasshopper to become social, changing color from green to yellow and black. Under such conditions, they move in swarms, devouring crops and vegetation.

Bats were paired with the Underworld, which was accessible via the caves they live in.

Bats Out of Hell

Bats are nocturnal creatures that travel the sky by night and hide in caves by day, which Mesoamericans believed were portals to the Underworld. 

The stuck-out tongue on this bat statue hinted at the creature’s blood-sucking nature and connected it to the practice of human sacrifice.

The Zapotec venerated the god Camazotz, who had the head of a bat and was associated with night, death and sacrifice. Most likely due to the sanguinary diet of the vampire bat, native to most regions of Mexico, where it feeds on the blood of mammals, the creature became associated with rites of bloodletting and human sacrifice practiced to honor the gods and secure bountiful harvests. 

A common symbol in ancient Mesoamerica, the jaguar was linked to power and protection from evil.

Jaguars Hit the Spot(s)

The jaguar was one of the most important sacred symbols of power, ferocity and protection from evil. According to Mexica lore, a jaguar and an eagle both sacrificed themselves to bring light to the world, and in doing so became gods. 

Jaguars were believed to have the ability to travel between the worlds.

The Maya connected the jaguar’s spots with heavenly lights.

The jaguar is closely associated with the “night sun” (the sun during its nightly trip through the Underworld) and darkness as well. As such, the big cat was thought to have the ability to move between the worlds of the living and the dead. The Maya venerated the feline, seeing heavenly lights in its spots. –Duke

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RELATED: Death Cults of Ancient Mexico

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8 Wild Facts About Saffron

Why are people mad about saffron? The fragile tendrils of the Crocus sativus flower yield the most expensive spice in the world. 

Three small strands that jut out of the crocus flower are what we use as the spice saffron.

The most precious and costly spice in our cupboard — and most likely yours — is saffron, which comes from Crocus sativus, the saffron crocus. Its name is derived from the Arabic za’faran, which has its roots in the word for yellow. Today, Iran is the world’s top producer, though the plant is also a cash crop of Spain, Greece, Morocco and the Kashmir region of India. 

Saffron might not be worth its weight in gold — but it’s the most expensive spice in the world.

1. It’s said that a pound of saffron is worth more than a pound of gold, but this turns out to be a myth. 

Despite this, saffron is still the most expensive and labor-intensive spice in the world. Fortunately, a little goes a long way. It only takes a pinch to infuse its aromatic, earthy flavor and brilliant color. Saffron is integral to far-ranging dishes, from Spanish paella to Indian biryani, from Persian pilau to the yeasted saffron buns of Cornwall, England. Its widespread usage was often introduced by conquerors: the Moors in Spain and the ancient Persians in India. 

The crocus is sterile and needs to be planted each year, and then harvested by hand.

Interestingly, saffron is a sterile plant that is difficult to reproduce without human intervention. New plants are grown by digging up and replanting the corm (the bulb-like part of the stem). Its high price makes sense: There’s no way to harvest the delicate crimson filaments of the Crocus sativus mechanically. The strands, known botanically as stigmas, must be carefully removed from the heart of the small violet blooms by hand, and there are only three per flower. To put this into perspective, approximately 350 tiny threads of saffron make up a single gram. So, it takes about 75,000 flowers for 1 pound of saffron: Its retail value is estimated at around $5,000 a pound. A pound of gold as of this writing is worth over $27,000.

Buddhist monks, like these in Cambodia, don’t waste saffron on dyeing their robes; they use other natural dyes, including tumeric.

2. The robes of Buddhist monks aren’t actually dyed with saffron.

When I think of my first trip to Southeast Asia, I can picture the vivid saffron-colored robes worn by the Buddhist monks of Cambodia. According to monastic discipline, the robes must be made from cloth that is naturally dyed using indigenous plants, barks or spices, though saffron is too expensive to be used widely. Instead, that distinctive yellowish-orange color most often comes from the knobby turmeric root.

Perhaps the association with saffron and the dye used for monks’ robes comes from a transliteration of the botanical name for turmeric, curcumin, which originates from the Arabic kurkum, meaning saffron. 

I can attest to the dyeing power of turmeric, from the intense amber stains it left on my hands and the chute of my juicer.

What exactly is Donovan’s “Mellow Yellow” about? Who’s this Saffron he’s mad about?

3. The song “Mellow Yellow” by Donovan was actually about a female sex toy.

The first time I recall hearing the word saffron was riding in a car with my dad while he was listening to an oldies station. The song was “Mellow Yellow,” written and recorded by the Scottish singer Donovan. It begins, “I’m just mad about Saffron. Saffron’s mad about me.” I wasn’t sure if it was saffron the spice or a woman with that name that made him mellow. But when the song was released in 1967, a rumor emerged that it was about smoking bananadine cigarettes, the scraped and dried white pith of a banana peel, which were believed to have hallucinogenic properties. The myth has since been debunked, as Wally can attest from a high school “experiment,” when he tried smoking dried banana peels, to no effect.

Donovan admitted that “Mellow Yellow” was about a vibrator.

Donovan later admitted in an interview in NME that the idea for the song came from an ad for a yellow vibrator that he saw in the back pages of a magazine. You can catch the reference in the lyrics “Electrical banana is gonna be a sudden craze.” 

Could this have been the sex toy that inspired the lyrics “electrical banana”?

As for the phrase “mellow yellow,” it first appeared a half-century earlier in James Joyce’s Ulysses in a description of the protagonist’s unfaithful wife Molly Bloom’s buttocks. 

Not surprisingly, the name Saffron gained popularity after the release of Donovan’s song. Quite rightly.

Cleopatra had undeniable sex appeal and claimed two Roman leaders as her lovers. Was it because of her saffron and mare’s milk baths?

4. Cleopatra and Alexander the Great used saffron as a health and beauty hack.

Cleopatra, the legendary seducer of not one but two powerful men of Ancient Rome, bathed in saffron-infused mare’s milk as an all-natural bronzer and aphrodisiac to enhance her allure. The lactic acid contained in milk is believed to gently exfoliate dead skin cells, while saffron gave her skin a healthy glow and acted as a perfume. In fact, saffron baths were a luxurious trend amongst the elite of Rome. And the Macedonian ruler Alexander the Great enjoyed soaking in saffron-colored water, convinced it would heal his battle wounds. 

An illuminated manuscript that depicts women shopping at a spice merchant’s stall

5. People in the Middle Ages were willing to die for saffron.

The marketplaces of Medieval Europe were filled with the exotic spices and spoils of returning crusaders. Saffron was so popular in 14th century Europe that the theft of a single ship en route to Basel, Switzerland, carrying 800 pounds of the spice led to the 14-week Saffron War that lasted until the shipment was returned. 

Perhaps these two were caught selling counterfeit saffron — and were burned at the stake!

Its purity was of such importance that the Safranschou code was enacted to deter fraud. Because of saffron’s high price tag, cheap substitutes were often passed off as authentic saffron. Merchants caught selling adulterated forms of the spice faced the possibility of imprisonment, public burning or being buried alive. 

Be careful getting too transfixed by dancing nymphs — you might end up being turned into a flower!

6. Saffron features prominently in a couple of Greek myths. 

In the most common version of the story, a handsome Arcadian youth named Krokos was passing through the Athenian woods, when he spied the nymph Smilax dancing with her friends. He was bewitched and began to visit the forest regularly to seek her out. For a time, Smilax allowed him to find her but couldn’t decide if she should let herself be courted by a mortal. The gods were not amused, though, and lost patience with the couple. They struck Krokos with their wrath, transforming him into a small purple flower that bears his name, the crocus. Its bright red stigmas glow with his fiery, unrequited love. Smilax was simultaneously turned into a thorny briar vine. Why such a choice? Because the vine would strangle the flower, the would-be lovers were prevented from ever meeting again.

The bisexual Greek god Hermes had a male lover who was killed by a discus — so he turned him into a crocus.

In an alternate version of the tale, the Greek trickster god Hermes was smitten with a young Spartan named Krokos, or Crocus. One day, while playing a game of discus, Hermes accidentally struck the young man on the head, killing him instantly. Distraught by what had happened, Hermes turned his lover into a purple flower, which became known as the crocus. And the three drops of blood upon his head became the red stigmata used for the spice saffron.  

The coat of arms for the town of Saffron Walden in England — note the three crocus flowers at the center

7. Saffron found its way to Britain from the Crusades.

Britain’s often damp and chilly weather seems far from the perfect climate for producing saffron, which thrives in arid terrain. However, it was grown commercially in the fields of Norfolk and Suffolk from the 15th to 18th centuries. It was most likely brought to England from the Holy Land during the Crusades, either by the Knights of St. John or, as popular lore goes, by a pilgrim who risked his life by concealing a saffron corm in the hollow of his walking staff. 

The spice was cultivated in large quantities in the village of Chipping Walden and brought prosperity to the small town — so much so that it changed its name to Saffron Walden. The lasting impact can be seen on the town’s official coat of arms: three crocus flowers surrounded by two castle towers and its walls, a heraldic pun — as in, “Saffron Walled-in.” 

A lot of saffron in Spain finds its way into paella.

8. Each country has its own standard for grading and classifying saffron, based upon aroma, color and flavor.

Not all saffron is created equal. There are different strengths or grades determined by how much of the yellow stamen is still attached to the stigma. In Spain, for example, there are four varieties: coupe, la mancha, río and sierra. Coupe is pure red stigmas only and has the highest amount of crocin, the property responsible for the distinct aroma of saffron. For Iranian traders, the highest grade is sargol, which means “top of the flower” in Farsi and consists of the strongest grade with only the tips of the dried red stigmas. –Duke

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The Real Monsters of Harry Potter Wizards Unite

What magical creatures come from folklore — and did the augmented reality game get the details right? A glossary of famous monsters, including gnomes, hippogriffs, leprechauns, mandrakes, phoenixes and trolls.

Many of the creatures from the mobile game Harry Potter: Wizards Unite have their roots in actual folklore.

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite features some monsters we know well — vampires, werewolves, unicorns and the like — but there are some odd ones you’ll encounter as well. Some of these creatures spring entirely from the impressive imagination of J.K. Rowling, such as those naughty Nifflers and dreadful Dementors. 

But many of the monsters that appear in the addictive AR game have their origins in folklore and mythology from around the world. 

“Some kappa are pranksters, making fart noises and peeking under kimonos.

But others are dangerous, drowning livestock, eating children and raping women.”

The Abraxan winged horse from the Harry Potter universe is based on one of the flying steeds that pulled the Greek sun god Helios’ chariot across the sky.

Abraxan

I’m not sure who would want to drink a potion with horse hair in it, even if it does make you stronger in battle. But Abraxan hair is one of the ingredients in the Strong Exstimulo Potion in the Wizards Unite game.

A little digging reveals where Rowling got the inspiration for these winged steeds: Abraxas was one of four immortal horses that pulled the sun god Helios’ chariot across the sky each day in Greek myth.

A depiction of a boggart from The Spiderwick Chronicles. They can change their shapes at will.

Boggart

Many of the Foundables in the game must face their worst fears when a shapeshifting boggart emerges from its cabinet. Clever Ron is terrified of spiders (like me), but once he casts Riddikulus, roller skates suddenly appear on all eight legs of the arachnid-shaped boggart, causing the creature to slip and bumble in all directions and making it more comical than creepy.

“The world is full of fairies, and if anyone tells you it isn’t, don’t you believe them.” So begins this helpful tome, published in 1956.

Boggarts love to cause mischief, like taking a baby out of its crib.

In English folklore, boggarts are mischief-makers, pulling the covers off you when you sleep, moving furniture, turning milk sour or even taking a baby out of its crib and placing it on the floor. They typically don’t hurt humans, though the threat of throwing a child down a boggart-hole often worked wonders in getting them to behave. Because boggarts are described in such differing ways — human-sized, able to fit in your palm, resembling an animal, invisible — these monsters are believed to be shapeshifters.

The creepy Erkling from Wizards Unite looks like a demented cousin of Jack Frost.

Erkling

In the game, these hideous creatures, with their skeletal frame, large red eyes and nose like a misshapen carrot, attack you with blowdarts. 

Saying that you won’t dance with a erlking or join it in fairyland could be the last thing you ever do.

Erlkings are often shown as crowned, flying spirits following those on horseback.

Rowling transposed two letters, drawing inspiration from the erlking, a woodland spirit of Scandanavian and Germanic origin. Based on their depictions in illustrations and paintings, they appear as humans, wrapped in flowing robes and flying, ghostlike, above those on horseback. Sometimes an erlking wears a crown, in reference to the origin of the word, which means “elf king.” While similar creatures are mere tricksters, erlkings are willing to kill humans for doing something like refusing to dance with them or venture into fairyland. Others are said to prey on children. But it could also be that erlkings are merely omens of death, appearing to those doomed to soon die.

This cheeky Gnome Confoundable is waving a fart at us!

Gnome

Forget those statues in your garden of a small humanlike creature with a white beard and rosy cheeks, dressed in a blue tunic and pointy red cap. The gnomes of Wizards Unite have mottled green skin and horns atop their heads. They flounder around in a comical manner, and I can’t help but laugh no matter how many times I see that one gnome wafting its stinky fart in my direction to keep me from the Beater’s bat.

Wally stole — er, permanently borrowed — this book from his neighbors, knowing he’d appreciate it much more than they would.

Gnomes are diminutive creatures of the earth and mountains from European folklore. These shy supernatural folk avoid humans but befriend birds, rabbits, foxes, hedgehogs and squirrels (though they have a particular dislike of cats). They can move through stone as easily as we do through air. Some tales say they turn to stone in the sun, which could explain why it’s only during the nighttime that they sneak out to help with gardening. 

Hippogriffs, part eagle, part horse, can be dangerous!

Hippogriff

Many of us are familiar with Buckbuck, whom Harry and his friends save from execution and is one of the Foundables from the Forbidden Forest in the Wizards Unite game. 

In this 1824 painting by Louis-Édouard Rioult, a knight named Roger, riding his hippogriff mount, saves a woman, Angelica, from a sea monster.

A hippogriff is the offspring of a mare and a griffin, itself a magical creature. Because griffins typically hunt horses, hippogriffs are extremely rare and became symbols of something deemed impossible. When the two creatures do mate, the result is a mishmash, with the forefront of an eagle and the hind quarters of a horse. 

When Mare and Griffin meet and mate
Their offspring share a curious fate.
One half is Horse with hooves and tail,
The rest is Eagle, claws and nail.

As a Horse it likes to graze
In summer meadows doused in haze,
Yet as an Eagle it can fly
Above the clouds where dreams drift by.

With such a Beast I am enthralled,
The Hippogriff this beast is called.

–“The Hippogriff” by Arnold Sundgaard

They’re able to be tamed and make swift steeds, as many a knight and wizard has learned.

The Horned Serpent you must battle in Harry Potter: Wizards Unite

Horned Serpent

One of the Oddities that’s a bit more difficult to defeat, this monster is exactly what its name describes: a giant snake with — you guessed it! — horns. It’s also one of the four houses at Ilvermorny, the unfortunately named U.S. equivalent of Hogwarts. Horned Serpent students are smarties, most likely making them the equivalent of Ravenclaws.

Many Native American tribes had a version of the horned serpent in their folk tales.

These supernatural spirits were primarily water based and could perform powerful magic.

While these mythic creatures from Native American folklore sometimes travel on ground, they’re most often found in rivers and lakes. It seems that each indiginous tribe has its own version of the horned serpent, but they’re almost always powerful supernatural spirits, with powers ranging from shapeshifting and invisibility to hypnosis and healing. Many are also said to control the weather, causing rain, earthquakes and floods.

Watch out for kappa! They’re known to not only peek up kimonos but rape women as well.

Kappa

The kappa shows up in the Circus Calamitous special event in the game, with a head that seems to hold water like a bowl, barnacles stuck to its skin and a Fu Manchu mustache.

The creature derives from Japanese mythology, described as an amphibian humanoid with webbed feet and hands, a beak and a turtle shell upon its back, dwelling in rivers and ponds. 

Some kappa are mere pranksters, making fart noises and peeking under kimonos. But others are dangerous, drowning livestock, eating children (though they’re also fond of cucumbers) and raping women.

The turtle-like kappas’ weakness is the dents on top of their heads, which must always be filled with water.

They do indeed have a small bowl-like dent in their heads called a sara, the source of their magical powers, which must always be filled with water. If they’re on land and you refill its sara, a kappa will be indebted to you for life. 

James Browne’s leprechaun is a cobbler and has a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

Leprechaun

These little buggers throw clods of dirt at you in Wizards Unite, making it oh-so-satisfying when you cast a spell that sends one flying into the air. 

Leprechauns often have treasure — but they’ll do their best to trick you out of getting it.

The Harry Potter game loves its diminutive tricksters, so it’s no surprise leprechauns are featured. These creatures from Irish folklore are quite well known to Americans, thanks to St. Patrick’s Day — though the children’s cereal Lucky Charms has a part to play as well. You can easily picture a leprechaun: a small humanoid with a red beard and a green outfit, from its top hat to its buckled shoes. It wasn’t until the 20th century, though, that the color scheme turned to green — originally, leprechauns dressed in red.

This leprechaun on a vintage St. Patrick’s Day card is probably drunk.

These creatures haunt wine cellars and, playing to a stereotype about the Irish, are famous drunks. In many cases, they’re shoemakers, and you’ll find their pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. If you capture one, you can usually get him to hand over his treasure. Some tales say that those who catch a leprechaun will be granted three wishes. But beware: These naughty fairies will do everything they can to trick you out of your reward. 

A baby mandrake root as seen in the Hogwarts greenhouses.

Mandrake

Who can forget the scene where Harry and his Hogwarts classmates must pull screaming baby mandrakes out of a pot, being sure to wear earmuffs as protection from their horrific wails? 

Mandrakes were popular inclusions in medieval manuscripts.

It’s handy to have a dog you don’t like around when harvesting a mandrake.

These unusual plants actually exist — though it’s highly doubtful that they spring from the fat, blood and semen of a hanged man. Mandrakes are a member of the nightshade family and have hallucinogenic properties. Their roots often form humanlike shapes, leading to the belief that they held various powers over the body.

Dioscurides, a first century Greek physician, states that mandrake boiled in wine was used as an anesthetic in Ancient Rome. Too much, though, could be fatal. And the barren Rachel of Genesis seems to have finally gotten pregnant thanks to the magical properties of the mandrake.

This powerful plant could bring good fortune, riches or power. Slip one shaped like a baby under your pillow and you might conceive a child. Put one that resembles a woman into your pocket, and that gal you’ve got your eye on is sure to fall for you.

The humanlike mandrake root was said to emit a fatal screech when pulled out of the ground.

These ladies are using string to yank out mandrakes — I sure hope they have their ears plugged with wax!

Because the plant emits a fatal shriek when uprooted, harvesting it was a dangerous activity. The only way to safely go about this is to plug your ears with wax and tie one end of a rope around the mandrake and the other to a dog. Throw a treat, which the dog will chase after — yanking the mandrake root out of the ground. Of course, the mandrake will emit its lethal scream, killing the poor doggie instantly (though I’m not sure why you can’t try plugging the pooch’s ears with wax as well).

The adorable mooncalf from Wizards Unite

Mooncalf

No matter how many times I see that poor little guy, with its huge blue eyes, chained up in the game, my heart breaks a little. Sure he’s a misshapen beast with webbed feet, but he’s downright adorable in his way.

The moon could botch a pregnancy, resulting in a horrifically deformed creature called a mooncalf.

Mooncalves in folklore aren’t always bovine: Perhaps the first reference dates back to Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, where the deformed creature Caliban is said to be the offspring of a witch and a devil.

Poor Caliban, a mooncalf created by Shakespeare

Caliban and a couple of other characters from The Tempest

The beasts get their name from the belief that the moon can exert a sinister influence over a pregnancy, resulting in a child that’s monstrously deformed, pale and mentally deficient. 

A Mountain Troll Confoundable isn’t too fond of the Flesh-Eating Slugs (but really, who would be)?

Mountain Troll

In the mobile game, these dimwitted, lumbering giants guard numerous Foundables, including the Mirror of Erised, which reveals that their heart’s desire is…a female of the species. Trolls — they just want to be loved, too. 

Trolls from a 1915 illustration by the Swedish artist John Bauer

Trolls originated in Norway, where they’re a proud part of the national heritage — despite being hideous and cruel monsters (though the females are often said to be quite comely). Wizards Unite and the world of Harry Potter got one thing right about them: They’re great of strength and weak of brain. The good news is that because trolls are so stupid, if you’re caught by one, you just might be able to trick your way out of danger. If you’re not clever enough, though, you could get smashed by a tree used as a club or crushed by a stone hurled by a troll. Or, you might be the troll’s next meal. 

Duke and Wally got attacked by the trolls at the Morton Arboretum outside of Chicago, part of a fun exhibit by Thomas Dambo.

Their skin is gray and tough as stone, their hair wild and unkempt. Like the folklore concerning gnomes, trolls will turn to stone if caught in the sun’s rays. Some of the mountain outcroppings in Norway are the remains of unlucky trolls. 

Trolls that get caught out at sunrise turn instantly to stone.

In some tales, trolls have a particular dislike of Christians and never pass up a chance to wreak havoc on a church — perhaps because church bells are said to ward them off. (Incidentally, they also run in terror from thunder.)

The phoenix gets consumed in flames, only to be reborn from the ashes.

Phoenix

Dumbledore’s companion phoenix is named for Guy Fawkes Day, a strange British holiday with pagan origins that involves bonfires and the burning of an effigy.

That’s because the famous headmaster of Hogwarts’ phoenix shares a bizarre trait with the mythological creature: After living for 1,000 or so years, the gorgeous eagle-like bird grows old and frail before finally bursting into flames. But fear not — the phoenix will be reborn from its ashes, and the cycle will continue. That’s why phoenixes are associated with resurrection.

Phoenix tears are believed to have healing powers, and no one can tell a lie when this creature is nearby.

A page from a medieval bestiary shows a phoenix. Christians liked how the fabled bird symbolized resurrection.

The phoenix is said to have come from Paradise. Its fable began in Arabia and became popular in Ancient Greece and Rome. The majestic bird is covered in brilliant feathers of red, purple and gold. Its tears are said to have regenerative powers, and some say no one can tell a lie when the bird is near.

The pain-in-the-ass pixies you’ll find throughout the Wizards Unite game

Pixie

In the game, these little pests are hard to aim at, as they flit about during challenges — but they’re usually pretty easy to defeat once you land a shot.

Pixies, a variety of which is shown here, from The Spiderwick Chronicles, really just wanna have fun.

This source claims that pixies choose to look like hedgehogs, though most say they have wings like a butterfly or dragonfly.

While the pixies of Harry Potter are troublemakers, that’s not how they’re depicted in British folklore. The diminutive fairy-like creatures are giddy merrymakers who will give you a blessing if you recite a poem or present them with a pretty ribbon (they’re not good at making clothes, so they tend to dress in rags). Pixies sometimes have blue- or green-tinted skin, pointed ears, and wings like those of a butterfly or dragonfly.

One of Halbot K. Browne’s illustrations from the 1854 book A Peep at the Pixies by Anna Eliza Bray

Their magic can make a child smile, a maiden dance or a traveler lose their way (indeed, some disoriented voyagers would gripe about being “pixy-led”). Plants near them grow at an accelerated speed.

Whatever you do, don’t make fun of a pukwudgie. They’re not typically malevolent, but they could cause great harm if you don’t treat them with respect.

Pudwudgie

Rowling offers a variant spelling of the Native American creature known as a pukwudgie. These spirits of the forest are gray-skinned, about 3 feet tall and resemble humans, aside for their bulbous noses and enlarged ears. Like many other fey creatures, they’re sometimes mischievous, sometimes malicious — especially to those who don’t treat them with respect. Their magical powers include being able to turn invisible, confuse people, shapeshift into cougars or other dangerous animals and harm a person with a stare. A particularly vile pukwudgie might push you off a cliff, shoot a flaming arrow at you or kidnap your child. 

No one can seem to agree on exactly what a re’em looks like.

Re’em

If you want to brew an Exstimulo potion, you’ll have to scoop up little pools of re’em blood. Who knew this was an actual creature from Jewish folklore?

Like many of these monsters, there’s a debate about what a re’em actually looks like. One thing’s for certain: It’s massive. Some sources interchange it with a unicorn, but many describe it as an ox-like creature. 

One story about Noah’s Ark tells of a unicorn-like re’em being towed behind it because the giant beast wouldn’t fit on the boat.

A Jewish tale says that there are only two re’em at any given time: one male and one female. For 70 years, they exist on opposite sides of the Earth, but then come together to mate — after which the female slays the male with a single bite. When she finally gives birth, her stomach bursts open, killing her instantly. But she always gives birth to twins: one male, one female. They head off in different directions for 70 years, until…well, you know the drill.

Evidence points to the re’em being a giant aurochs, like those painted at the Lascaux caves.

Another story tells of King David, back when he was a shepherd. He climbed upon a re’em, thinking it was a mountain. He told God that he would build Him a temple as high as the re’em itself if he could get down safely. God sent a lion, the king of the beasts, and when the re’em bowed down in submission, David hopped off. 

An alert for Fluffy, the Three-Headed Dog once cared for by Hagrid

Three-Headed Dog

Hagrid never met a monster he didn’t love, and that includes the vicious three-headed hound to whom he gave the ridiculous name of Fluffy. 

Cerberus, the original three-headed dog, shown in this William Blake illustration, guards the gates of Hades in Greek mythology.

The original three-headed hell hound was called Cerberus. It guarded the entrance to Hades, devouring anyone who tried to leave the underworld. The only person to sneak past this monstrous watchdog was Orpheus, who played music so sweet it soothed the savage beast and lulled him to sleep.

Hercules and Cerberus by Peter Paul Rubens, 1636

The Greek hero Herakles, aka Hercules, had to capture Cerberus as the last of his 12 labors. Despite being bitten by the creature’s snakelike tail, Herakles managed to choke Cerberus until he passed out.

The Wizards Unite version of a zouwu

Zouwu

The zouwu appears in the Circus Calamitous event and was so strange, I had to wonder if it sprung from Rowling’s imagination. 

The mythic Chinese zouwu is actually a docile, lucky creature.

But no — it’s a legendary Chinese monster. Despite resembling a fierce big cat (sometimes described as a lion, sometimes a tiger), the zouwu is a gentle, vegetarian beast that’s seen as a good omen. The Harry Potter version has a strange pink tail like a ruffled dress, but in Chinese mythology, it’s only said that the tail is longer than its body. If you ride upon one, you can cover 1,000 miles in a day. 

The AR game is even more fun when you know the origins of the creatures that populate its world.

As you battle or rescue various creatures in the Harry Potter: Wizards Unite game, don’t get too caught up staring at your phone. You’ll want to be prepared if you happen to encounter one of these monsters in real life! –Wally