Who is the goddess of love. Greek goddesses: names and a list of the main goddesses. Japanese goddess of beauty

The most beautiful daughter of the formidable Zeus, who turned the heads of both the majestic gods and mortal people, is the goddess of beauty and love, about which the legends of Ancient Hellas still circulate to this day. Marriage to the worker Hephaestus did not prevent the young charmer from enjoying love adventures. A fatal connection with Ares, the death of beloved Adonis, a zealous thirst for the recognition of one's impeccable beauty, love passion and endless power over lovers ... However, everything is in order.

Gods of Ancient Hellas

Ancient Hellas gave the world many myths and legends about fearless heroes and sailors who challenged the formidable gods of Olympus. Ever since school days, everyone has heard such names as Zeus, Apollo, Ares, Poseidon. But these powerful gods had no less famous wives and daughters - the Greek goddesses, the "mistresses" of Olympus, who invested their considerable contribution in the history of Ancient Greece. Skillfully manipulating their husbands and weaving networks of insidious intrigues, they achieved their goals and commanded mortals.

And if we recall the myths about the beautiful and cruel daughters of the glorious Olympus, it becomes obvious that they left many traces of their stay until the hour when the proud goddesses of Hellas left. And it doesn't matter that the events were not as significant and noticeable as in the male half of the Pantheon.

Birth of Aphrodite

According to one legend, the most beautiful Aphrodite is the daughter of Zeus, the goddess of love. Born by the supreme goddess Dione (Hero), she possessed incredible beauty, but was so frivolous that she not only inspired unbridled passion in everyone who saw her, but also fell in love endlessly herself.

According to another myth, Aphrodite appeared from the sea foam. During the first war for Olympus, Uranus was castrated by the first of the titans, Kronos. His blood and semen, which fell into the sea waters, formed a snow-white foam, which gave birth to the divinely beautiful Aphrodite. However, this did not prevent her from being cruel and treacherous to those who refused to recognize her perfection. But there were few of them.

History of Aphrodite

At the request of the supreme goddess Hera, the young beauty Aphrodite was given in marriage to the strong and hardworking Hephaestus, who was known among the gods of Olympus as the most skilled craftsman. Unfortunately, the mighty Hephaestus was ugly and limped in one leg. All day long he worked in the workshop, while his windy wife basked in the bedchamber or traveled, inflicting heart wounds on gods and people and falling in love in return.

Among the famous lovers of the fickle Aphrodite was the young god of hunting, Adonis, who charmed her with his beautiful body. She fell in love with the young man so much that after him tragic death from the fangs of a boar sent by Ares, she tried to cure her passion by throwing herself from the Leucadian rock.

So, having lost one temporary chosen one, the goddess of beauty and love gave herself to the insidious and cruel, but passionately in love with her god of war Ares. It was he who became the last straw for Aphrodite's husband Hephaestus, when he decided to take revenge on his windy wife. He skillfully forged the thinnest net and threw it on the bed secret lovers. In the midst of carnal pleasures, the trap slammed shut, disgraced before the gods specially invited by Hephaestus, Aphrodite was forced to flee to Cyprus, where her sons, Ares-Phobos and Deimos, were born a little later. Proud Hephaestus was pleased with the defeat of the enemy and forgave the beautiful Aphrodite.

Passion and love madness - this is the true weapon of Aphrodite

The goddess of love Aphrodite is one of the most senior Olympian goddesses. Hera herself turns to her help when she feels the cooling of her divine husband Zeus. Despite the fact that the main weapon of Aphrodite is the carnal passion and love madness that she inspires, she is still the goddess of life and fertility. In these hypostases, her symbols are roses, myrtle, daffodils, doves and sparrows. And the goddess of love in Greece is recognized as a sea goddess, whose symbol is a dolphin.

Beloved son of Aphrodite

The beloved son of Aphrodite from Ares was called Eros, otherwise Cupid or Cupid - the god of carnal love. That is why he has always been his mother's assistant and companion in traveling around the world. They were united by a common goal - the birth of love and the continuation of life, in which the role of Eros was to suggest sexual attraction.

Eros (Eros) controlled the hearts and wills of both gods and people, and therefore it was in his power to unite married couples.

Legacy of the Goddess of Love and Beauty

Greece, Cyprus, ancient city Paphos, where Aphrodite, the goddess of love, once emerged from the hissing sea foam. This place is her great heritage, which is appreciated by both women and men. It has long been a strange belief here that the girl who enters into an intimate relationship with the first man she meets within the divine temple of Aphrodite will receive her blessing for life.

And in this temple there was a bath of the goddess, in which she restored her unsurpassed beauty and youth. Greek women believed that if you enter here, you can keep your youthful freshness for a long time.

Romantic legend about the Temple of Aphrodite

Nowadays, any tourist is eager to visit the ruins left from the temple of Aphrodite in Paphos. Indeed, according to legend, anyone who finds a stone in the shape of a heart on the coast, the goddess of beauty and love will give eternal unquestioning love. This explains the popularity of this place.

ancient goddesses of love

The object of universal worship and creative inspiration at all times was not only Aphrodite. For example, the highest female deity in the Ancient Mesopotamia among the Sumerians was Ishtar, the goddess of not only carnal love, but also fertility. The cult implied freedom of sexual choice, assistance in childbirth and the sacrifice of virginity.

The ancient Egyptians called their goddess of heaven, love, music and fun the name Hathor. According to legend, she was a heavenly cow that gave birth to the sun, so she was depicted with cow horns.

The goddess of love in ancient Iran is known as Anahita, and her cult was widespread in Armenia until the very adoption of Christianity. The young goddess was described as a strong and beautiful, stately, well-born girl.

In the sources of literature, you can find many unique sculptural images of the goddess of love and beauty, photos. The Hindu goddess of love Lakshmi was considered the goddess of happiness and the mother of the god of love Kama. Appearing at the time of the creation of the world, Lakshmi emerged from the primordial waters on a lotus flower. Her other names are Indira and Lola (beautiful and fickle).

prototype Greek Aphrodite in Rome is the goddess of love Venus. Here, all the mythical heroes are renamed, but the legendary plots are preserved. For example, Zeus is called Jupiter, Eros is called Cupid, and Poseidon is called Neptune.

But in Scandinavian mythology, the dream of all the brave Vikings is a wife supreme god Odina - Freya (Fria), who controls the choice of soldiers who fell in battles. Among the Eastern Slavic peoples, the goddess of love was called Lada and Makosh, about whom information was found in ancient chronicles.

In conclusion, we note, firstly, that the above list is far from complete. Secondly, that Christianity was ambiguous and now refers to the concept of "love", addressing it, first of all, to God. Any worship of carnal love for a woman or worship of her beauty is rejected and considered heretical. In this context, the ideal of love and female beauty in Orthodoxy - the Mother of God, and in Catholicism - the Virgin Mary, but this is something else, more. Thirdly, in any form, the ancient goddesses of love were symbols of female beauty and sexuality for people.

Artemis- Goddess of the moon and hunting, forests, animals, fertility and childbearing. She had never been married, diligently guarded her chastity, and if she took revenge, she did not know pity. Her silver arrows spread plague and death, but she also had the ability to heal. Protected young girls and pregnant women. Her symbols are cypress, fallow deer and bears.

Atropos- one of the three moira, cutting the thread of fate and cutting off human life.

Athena(Pallas, Parthenos) - the daughter of Zeus, born from his head in full combat weapons. One of the most revered Greek goddesses, the goddess of just war and wisdom, the patroness of knowledge.

Athena. Statue. Hermitage Museum. Hall of Athena.

Description:

Athena - goddess of wisdom just war and patroness of crafts.

Statue of Athena by Roman craftsmen of the 2nd c. According to a Greek original from the end of the 5th c. BC e. Entered the Hermitage in 1862. Previously, it was in the collection of the Marquis Campana in Rome. It is one of the most interesting exhibits of the Hall of Athena.

Everything about Athena, from the moment she was born, was amazing. Other goddesses had divine mothers, Athena - one father, Zeus, who met with the daughter of the Ocean Metis. Zeus swallowed his pregnant wife, as she predicted that after her daughter she would give birth to a son who would become the ruler of heaven and deprive him of power. Soon Zeus had an unbearable headache. He grew gloomy, and seeing this, the gods hurried away, for they knew from experience what Zeus is like when he is in a bad mood. The pain didn't go away. The Lord of Olympus did not find a place for himself. Zeus asked Hephaestus to hit him on the head with a blacksmith's hammer. From the split head of Zeus, announcing Olympus with a war cry, an adult maiden jumped out in full warrior clothes and with a spear in her hand and stood next to her parent. The eyes of the young, beautiful and majestic goddess shone with wisdom.

Aphrodite(Kyferei, Urania) - the goddess of love and beauty. She was born from the marriage of Zeus and the goddess Dione (according to another legend, she came out of the sea foam)

Aphrodite (Venus Taurida)

Description:

According to Hesiod's Theogony, Aphrodite was born near the island of Cythera from the seed and blood of Uranus castrated by Kronos, which fell into the sea and formed snow-white foam (hence the nickname "foam-born"). The breeze brought her to the island of Cyprus (or she herself sailed there, because she did not like Kiefera), where she, who emerged from the waves of the sea, was met by Ores.

The statue of Aphrodite (Venus Tauride) dates back to the 3rd century BC. e., now it is in the Hermitage and is considered its most famous statue. The sculpture became the first antique statue of a naked woman in Russia. Life-size marble statue of Venus bathing (height 167 cm), modeled after Aphrodite of Cnidus or Venus Capitoline. The arms of the statue and a fragment of the nose are missing. Before entering the State Hermitage, she decorated the garden of the Tauride Palace, hence the name. In the past, "Venus Tauride" was intended to decorate the park. However, the statue was delivered to Russia much earlier, even under Peter I and thanks to his efforts. The inscription on the bronze ring of the pedestal recalls that Venus was presented by Clement XI to Peter I (as a result of an exchange for the relics of St. Brigid, sent to Pope Peter I). The statue was discovered in 1718 during excavations in Rome. Unknown sculptor of the 3rd century. BC. portrayed the naked goddess of love and beauty Venus. A slender figure, rounded, smooth silhouette lines, softly modeled body shapes - everything speaks of a healthy and chaste perception of female beauty. Along with a calm restraint (posture, facial expression), a generalized manner, alien to fragmentation and fine detail, as well as a number of other features characteristic of the art of the classics (5th - 4th centuries BC), the creator of Venus embodied in her his idea of beauty, associated with the ideals of the III century BC. e. (graceful proportions - high waist, somewhat elongated legs, thin neck, small head, tilt of the figure, rotation of the body and head).

Ancient Hellas… The land of myths and legends, the land of fearless heroes and brave sailors. The birthplace of the formidable gods, seated on the high Olympus. Zeus, Ares, Apollo, Poseidon - these names are familiar to everyone from school history lessons.

Today we will talk about their wives and daughters - the almighty ancient goddesses of Greece, who deftly manipulated their husbands, being the real mistresses of Olympus and mistresses of mortals. These great beings ruled the world, ignoring the miserable people below, because they were directors and spectators in the greatest theater in the world - Earth.

And when it was time to leave, the proud goddesses of Hellas left traces of their stay on Greek soil, albeit not as noticeable as in the male half of the Pantheon.

Let's remember the myths about the beautiful, sometimes incredibly cruel daughters of Olympus and take a short trip to the places associated with them.

Goddess Hera - the patroness of the hearth and family life

Hera - goddess ancient greece, the highest among equals and the nominal mother of almost all other goddesses of Olympus from fourth generation(the first generation - the creators of the world, the second - the titans, the third - the first gods).

Why? Because her husband Zeus is very far from the ideal of a faithful man.

However, Hera herself is good - in order to marry the then not even supreme god, but only the killer of Kronos (the strongest of the titans), Hera fell in love with Zeus, and then refused to become his mistress until he did not vow to make her his wife.

Moreover, the waters of the Styx appeared in the oath (the river that separates the world of the living and the dead, and has tremendous power over both gods and people).

In a love frenzy, the oath was pronounced and Hera became the main goddess on Olympus. But Zeus soon got fed up family life and gladly made connections on the side, which embittered Hera and forced her to look for ways to take revenge on those who were preferred by the unfaithful husband, and at the same time his illegitimate children.

Hera is the goddess-keeper of the hearth and family, helps abandoned wives, punishes unfaithful husbands (which often pushes her nose to nose with her windy daughter-in-law, Aphrodite).

But the hatred of the first lady of Olympus is shared by two creatures - the daughter of Zeus Athena and the son of Zeus Hercules, both born not by his legal wife, but nonetheless ascended to Olympus.

In addition, Hera is hated by her own son Hephaestus, the god of crafts and the husband of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, who was thrown from Olympus by Hera as a baby for his physical deformity.

The largest trace of this cruel lady can be considered the temple of Hera in ancient Olympia.

The religious building was built at the end of the 7th century BC. e. The massive temple has long been turned into ruins, but thanks to the efforts of several generations of archaeologists, the foundation of the temple and its preserved parts have been restored and are now open to tourists.

In addition, in the Olympia Museum, you can see fragments of statues dedicated to Hera and understand how her worshipers depicted the goddess.

The ticket price for Olympia is 9 euros, which includes admission to the excavation area and the museum. You can take a ticket only to the excavation area, it will cost 6 euros.

Aphrodite - Goddess of Love in Ancient Greece

The beautiful Aphrodite, whose beauty could only be compared with her own frivolity, is not the daughter of Zeus or Hera, but comes from a much older family.

She is the last creation of Uranus, the first of the Titans castrated by Kronos during the first war for Olympus.

The blood of a titan deprived of a certain part of the body mixed with sea foam and from it arose an insidious and cruel beauty, who hid in Cyprus from the eyes of Kronos until he was overthrown by Zeus.

Thanks to Hera's cunning plan, Aphrodite married the powerful but ugly Hephaestus. And while he worked in his workshop, the goddess either basked on Olympus, communicating with the gods, or traveled the world, falling in love with the gods and people, and falling in love herself.

by the most famous lovers windy beauty were Adonis - lovely body and spirit hunter, with whom the goddess fell in love so much that after him tragic death from the fangs of a boar, she threw herself down from the Lydian rock.

And Ares is the god of war and destruction, who secretly sent a boar to Adonis.

It was Ares who overflowed the patience of the proud Hephaestus, who set a trap for the lovers - he forged a strong net, so thin that the lovers simply did not notice it when the net was thrown on the bed.

When the god of crafts returned to Olympus, he laughed for a long time at the unlucky lovers, and the disgraced Aphrodite fled for a while to her temple in Cyprus, where she gave birth to the sons of Ares - Phobos and Deimos.

The god of war himself appreciated the elegance and softness of the trap of Hephaestus and accepted defeat with dignity, leaving the beautiful Aphrodite, who was soon forgiven by her husband.

Aphrodite is the goddess of love and love madness. She, despite her youthful appearance, is the oldest goddess on Olympus, whom Hera often turns to for help (especially in those cases when the center of love for her wife begins to fade in Zeus again). Also, Aphrodite is considered the goddess of fertility, and also one of the sea goddesses.

Aphrodite's favorite son is Eros, also known as Cupid, the god of carnal love, who always accompanies his mother. She has no permanent enemies on Olympus, but her frivolity often leads to quarrels with Hera and Athena.

This place was appreciated not only by women, but also by men - in some parts of ancient Greece there was a belief that a girl who visited the temple of Aphrodite and entered into a relationship with a stranger in the vicinity of the temple received the blessing of the goddess of love for life.

In addition, the temple housed the bath of Aphrodite, into which the goddess sometimes descended in order to restore her beauty and youth. Greek women believed that if you enter the bath, there is every chance to preserve youth.

Today, only ruins remain of the temple, open to tourists. Not far from the temple of Aphrodite in Paphos, you can always find both newlyweds and single people, because according to legend, those who find a heart-shaped stone on the coast will gain eternal love.

Warrior Goddess Athena

Goddess Athena is the owner of the most abnormal birth myth.

This goddess is the daughter of Zeus and his first wife Metis, the goddess of wisdom, who, according to the prediction of Uranus, was to give birth to a son, and he, in turn, would soon overthrow his thundering father.

Upon learning of his wife's pregnancy, Zeus swallowed her whole, but soon felt wild pains in his head.

Fortunately, the god Hephaestus was on Olympus at that time, who, at the request of the royal father, hit him on the sore part of the body with his hammer, splitting his skull.

From the head of Zeus emerged a woman in full combat garb, who combined the wisdom of her mother and the talents of her father, becoming the first goddess of war in ancient Greece.

Later, another lover of swinging a sword, Ares, was born, and tried to claim his rights, but the goddess in numerous battles forced her brother to respect herself, proving to him that fighting madness was not enough to win.

The goddess is dedicated to the city of Athens, which she sued from Poseidon in the legendary dispute over Attica.
It was Athena who gave the Athenians an invaluable gift - an olive tree.

Athena is the first commander of Olympus. During the war with the giants, the goddess fought on a par with Hercules until she realized that the gods could not win.
Then Athena retreated to Olympus and while the sons of Zeus held back the hordes of giants, she brought the head of Medusa to the battlefield, whose gaze turned the surviving warriors into stones, or rather into mountains.

Growing up, Athena became the most perspicacious of the goddesses of Olympus.

She is a perpetual virgin and rarely gets into conflicts (other than those involving her father).

Athena is the most faithful of all the Olympians, and even during the exodus of the gods, she wished to remain in Greece in the hope that one day she could return to her city.

Athena has neither enemies nor friends on Olympus. Her military prowess is respected by Ares, her wisdom is appreciated by Hera, and her loyalty by Zeus, but Athena keeps her distance even with her father, preferring loneliness.

Athena repeatedly showed herself as the guardian of Olympus, punishing mortals who declared themselves equal to the gods.

Her favorite weapon- a bow and arrows, but often she simply sends Greek heroes to her enemies, repaying them with her goodwill.

Athena's greatest legacy is her city, which she defended on numerous occasions, including by personally entering the battlefield.

The grateful Athenians built the most incredible sanctuary in Greece for the goddess - the famous one.

Her 11-meter statue was installed in the temple, made of bronze with a lot of gold by the famous sculptor Phidias:

To this day, the statue has not survived, as well as a significant part of the temple itself, but at the end of the twentieth century, the Greek government restored the legendary ruins and began searching for the removed relics, which are gradually returning to their places.

Miniature copies of the Parthenon were in many Athenian colonies, in particular those that stood on the Black Sea coast.

Long ago, the almighty gods and goddesses of ancient Greece have sunk into oblivion. But there are temples dedicated to them, and their great deeds are well remembered by the descendants of those who worshiped them.

And let Greece no longer honor the mighty Olympians, becoming the homeland for Orthodox Church, let scientists try to prove that these gods never existed ... Greece remembers! He remembers the love of Zeus and the cunning of Hera, the fury of Ares and the calm power of Athena, the skill of Hephaestus and the unique beauty of Aphrodite ...
And if you come here, she will definitely tell her stories to those who want to listen.

Sacred texts, images and sculptures ancient india, Egypt, Tibet and the Middle East depict sensual goddesses of love and beauty as joyful. Their postures, gestures, facial expressions and adornments symbolize spiritual and material abundance. The bodies of the goddesses of fertility are mature and abundant, radiating with the heat of passion. The goddesses of love are often depicted in the company of their spouses, which symbolizes the harmonious union of the feminine and masculine. The powerful fruitful energy of the sacred union pours out from such a couple as a divine elixir that purifies hearts and minds. Serving as a divine example for people, these passionate and joyful goddesses teach us that true sensuality is born from the bliss of being in complete harmony with the vital rhythms of Mother Nature.

Lakshmi

The Indian goddess Lakshmi is the embodiment of the rich, nourishing energy of the universe. She is an inexhaustible source of health, prosperity and health to those who call upon her. Wearing jewelry made of gold and silver, accompanied by elephants pouring her life-giving waters, generously pouring gold coins from her hands, Lakshmi manifests the beauty and richness of the manifested world.

As the brilliant wife of Vishnu the Guardian, Lakshmi is the Mother of the Universe. In iconography, Vishnu and Lakshmi are often depicted holding hands, embracing, or gazing into each other's eyes. It is believed that he is one with all men, she is with all women, he is love, she is bliss. A woman who has learned to invoke and embody her divine qualities feels pleasure and satisfaction rarely found in modern world. The energy emanating from Lakshmi is so strong and rich that the light energy field of the woman who called her begins to glow brighter, and she becomes more physically attractive. It awakens warmth, generosity and sympathy for people.

Mandarava

Mandarava is an indestructible dakini belonging to the tantric tradition of Tibet. An Indian princess and wife of the great Tibetan master Padmasambhava gained enlightenment through the sexual practices of merging with her guru. Mandarava practice aimed at increasing vital energy, followers of dakinis perform a lifetime. It is believed that when a person feels her divine presence within himself, everything impure dissolves, all tricks and poisonous thoughts are cleansed, turning into the priceless pure nectar of her boundless wisdom. The transformation of Mandarava into an immortal dakini through the sexual practices of sacred fusion shows the importance of sensuality in spiritual development, and that even in the dark age of the Kali Yuga, a person is able to purify himself to such an extent as to acquire a light rainbow body.

Lada

Lada is the Slavic goddess of beauty, love and happiness. This is one of the supreme feminine principles, which in the Slavic pantheon of bright gods personified the feminine ideal, but not the ideal of motherhood. Mother, mistress of the house is Makosh. At the same time, Lada is not Lelya's spring girl, but the image of a woman "in the very juice." In medieval encyclopedic dictionary Mater Verborum 9th century Lada correlates with Venus. God Svarog is considered the spouse of Lada. Unfortunately, almost no information has been preserved about this Slavic goddess, except for several references to her in European sources and dedicated to Lada a large number folklore songs associated with wedding ceremonies.

Hathor

Hathor is a beautiful and caring Egyptian goddess with the head of a cow. She is the goddess of dance, music, wine, joy and love. As the goddess of femininity and beauty, Hathor patronizes the sacred feminine arts of beautification, charm and love games. In ancient Egyptian temples, images of priestesses of Hathor, servants of love, are still preserved. as a goddess life cycles and fertility Hathor is most often associated with the sistrum, a ratchet-like instrument. The bells attached to each of the four sides of the sistra were tuned to the vibrations of the four natural elements, and the sound of this instrument symbolized the forces of fertility under the auspices of Hathor and her ability to maintain balance and harmony in the world.

In the guise of a divine cow with stars on her stomach, horns in the form of a sickle of the Moon and a solar disk on her head, the golden Hathor, the mother of light and the wife of the mighty god Ra, nourishes the entire universe. In The Egyptian Book of the Dead, Hathor receives the dead - she feeds them, cares for them and helps them on the path to enlightenment. She is also called the one who built the sacred boat of Osiris, capable of crossing the Waters of Truth.

Inanna / Ishtar / Astarte

The ancient Sumerian goddess Inanna, with whom the Akkadian Ishtar is identified, the West Semitic Ashtoret / Astarte is the majestic goddess of heaven and earth, as well as the goddess of the morning star, enjoying her sensuality. She is the goddess of fertility, giver of the arts of civilization, and goddess of carnal love. Like an inexhaustible cornucopia, Inanna offers her divine gifts of prosperity, creativity, passion, inspiration and satisfaction to those who worship her.

Inanna is also the goddess of beauty and erotica. She is well aware of the joys of the realm of sensuality. In the text "Romance between Inanna and Dumuzi", Inanna, queen of heaven, takes as her husband earthly man, the courageous shepherd Dumuzi, to ensure fertility and seasonal renewal of the land. Her passionate words of love and longing, as well as the impulsiveness with which she talks about her body and her desire for blissful sexual fusion - all this allows us to create an image of the era of temple priestesses, when sensual pleasure was still considered sacred, and female body was perceived as a vessel that gives life.

Anahita

Among the ancient Iranians - Zoroastrians, Ardvisura Anahita was revered as a mother goddess, the goddess of fertility and love. In the collection of sacred texts of the Zoroastrians "Avesta", Advisura Anahita is described as "a beautiful, strong, slender girl, highly girded, straight, of a noble family, noble." Her cult called Anahit was widespread in Armenia until the official adoption of Christianity. In the Hellenistic period, Advisura Anahita was also identified with Aphrodite.

Aphrodite / Venus

Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty, included among the twelve great Olympian gods. She is also the goddess of fertility and carnal love, marriage and even childbirth, as well as the "baby feeder". The love power of Aphrodite obeyed both people and gods, with the exception of the three highest female goddesses of Olympus. According to legend, the beautiful Aphrodite was born from sea foam (hence her name - from the word ἀφρός - "foam"). The dazzling goddess came ashore in Cyprus, and hence her middle name, Cypriada, came from. In the Roman pantheon of gods, she is known by the name of Venus (Latin venus, gen. p. veneris "carnal love") as the goddess of beauty, carnal love, desire, fertility, and prosperity.

Oshun

Perhaps the standards of beauty have changed over the centuries, but all people are still subject to a desire that is quite understandable from the point of view of biology - to produce offspring. Consequently, love and sexual attraction are extremely important for people, which eventually influenced deities from different pantheons. This is not surprising, since our gods are a reflection of ourselves.

1. Xochiquetzal, Aztec mythology

The name Xochiquetzal translated from the Nahuatl language means "Precious lightest flower" - suitable name for the Aztec goddess of love. She also patronizes other aspects of life - flowers, pregnancy and prostitutes, which makes her one of the most popular deities of the Aztec pantheon. A feast in her honor, where worshipers wore animal masks, was held every eight years. Because of her association with marriage, Xochiquetzal is considered the wife of the rain god Tlaloc.

Unlike most Aztec goddesses of fertility, Xochiquetzal is usually depicted as a beautiful young woman, which causes enmity with other gods of the pantheon. Although she is married to Tlaloc, she was once kidnapped by Tezcatlipoca, the god of the night, and forced to marry him, after which she ascended the throne of the goddess of love. From her other husband, she gave birth to Quetzalcoatl - the feathered serpent god.

2. Kliodna, Irish mythology

Cliodna is an Irish goddess who is sometimes depicted as a banshee or even a banshee queen (or fairy, depending on interpretation of myths and translation). However, she is also the goddess of love, perhaps because she was considered the most beautiful woman in the world.

Unlike many other deities associated with love, Kliodna remained chaste until she met the mortal male Ciabahn - by a lucky chance, he turned out to be the most handsome man of all who have ever lived on earth. Cliodna loved him so much that she left Tir Tairngire, the land of the gods, for him.

But other Irish deities formed an alliance to bring her back when they learned of what had happened. When Kiaban was away, Cliodna was lulled by the music of a minstrel on sea ​​shore and the goddess was carried away by the waves. Since then, the waves in that area are called Cliodna waves. The legend has two endings - very unhappy and not very happy, depending on the source: Cliodne either drowned in the sea, or returned back to Tir Teirngir.

3. Tu Er Shen, Chinese mythology

A relatively minor deity in the Chinese pantheon, Tu Er Shen, also known as Hu Tianbao, was once a mortal before becoming a deity of homosexual love and marriage.

Tianbao, who was born during the Qing Dynasty, became interested in an official from local government and started spying on him through a hole in the wall of his bathroom. As a result, he was found and beaten to death. The gods, full of sympathy for unrequited love, took pity on him and resurrected him, making him a deity of homosexual relations along the way.

Rabbits in China are considered a symbol of homosexual erotica, perhaps because "rabbits" are often called homosexuals, and Tu Er Shen is depicted as a rabbit on many shrines dedicated to him. Unfortunately, in many places where he is worshiped, homosexuality remains a criminal offense.

4. Hathor, Egyptian mythology

Hathor is one of the most revered and ancient Egyptian goddesses, the first mention of her appears during the second dynasty of the pharaohs (circa 2890-2686 BC) or even earlier. Hathor was revered for so long because she was the patroness of many aspects of life: love, beauty, music, and mining. She was also part of the Eye of Ra - the Egyptians came up with this term for the female counterpart of Ra, and different goddesses alternately wore this title, including Ra's daughter, Hathor.

Found in the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, the story of the “destruction of mankind” tells of the time when Hathor, at the insistence of Ra, turned into the goddess of war Sekhmet in order to punish people for their sins. When the bloodthirsty goddess got out of control, Ra tried to stop her daughter, but to no avail. Luckily, Ra managed to drug her with wine before she killed her. last person on the ground.

She woke up already as Hathor, completely forgetting what she had done, and returned to normal life. In another story, perhaps no less disturbing, she danced a striptease for her father to cheer him up.

5. Eros, Greek mythology

The Greek version of the Roman Cupid, Eros was the son of Aphrodite and the god of desire and sexual desire. Like his Roman counterpart, Eros is often depicted as a winged boy armed with a bow and arrow. He loved his mother, although he often disobeyed her. This famous god is one of the main characters of the famous myth.

People began to call a young woman named Psyche the most beautiful woman in the world and prophesied that she would take the place of Aphrodite. The goddess was angry and sent her son to Psyche so that he hit her with his arrow and forced her to fall in love with the most ugly person on earth as a punishment.

But the beauty of Psyche turned out to be so irresistible that Eros and Psyche fell in love - God did not fulfill the mother's desire and took Psyche to his halls. Eros never told her who he was, but Psyche's curiosity got the better of her and she looked at him while he slept. Struck by the betrayal of his beloved, the god fled, and Psyche wandered the Earth until Zeus allowed Eros and Psyche to marry.

6. Rati, Hinduism

Better known as the wife of Kama, the god of love, Rati plays a big role in Hinduism as the goddess of love and passion. She has many names, and they all speak of her incredible beauty, which is quite natural for the goddess of sexual desire.

Depending on the source, she is considered the daughter of either Daksha or Brahma - in the latter case, she also caused the suicide of the god who desired her, but could not receive. Rati, however, after that also committed suicide. But gods are gods, so both quickly resurrected and returned to their business.

But the strangest act of Rati was that she overshadowed the mind of Shiva: the destroyer vowed to follow the path of the ascetic after the death of his first wife, but because of Rati he had to fall in love again. In revenge, he killed Kama by turning his third eye to ash. Later, Rati convinced Shiva to allow her to resurrect her husband, but on the condition that for eternity, Kama would remain invisible.

7. Oshun, Yoruba mythology

The goddess of beauty, love and erotica, Oshun is highly revered among the West African followers of the Yoruba religion. Known for her beauty, she is usually depicted as a human woman wearing jeweled jewelry, and sometimes as a mermaid.

Oshun is superior in strength to all other female deities of the Yoruba religion and demands appropriate respect for himself. When the gods first created the Earth, they forgot to ask Oshun for help, and she made it so that without her the gods could not create absolutely anything - so they still had to turn to the capricious goddess for help.

Due to its crystalline reputation, Oshun is also associated with fresh water- an extremely important resource for the peoples of West Africa. In addition, she protects women and children during childbirth and is considered a protector from terrible diseases, especially smallpox.

8. Hymen, Greek mythology

Hymen, the god of marriage and love in marriage, is not very famous compared to other gods of the Greek pantheon. Depending on the source, he is considered the son of Apollo and one of the Muses or Dionysus and Aphrodite.

Hymeneus led an easy life and, thanks to his beauty, got everything he wanted until he fell in love with a virgin, whose name is not called - but without reciprocity. When Hymeneus tried to woo her, she and several other women were kidnapped by pirates. God was among the kidnapped girls - because of his beauty, the pirates mistook him for a woman, in some versions of the myth it is even said that the god had a hymen.

One way or another, Hymen was on that ship, killed the pirates, saved the girls and convinced his beloved to marry him. Their marriage was so successful that it became the ideal that every Greek couple aspired to, and the name of Hymen was included in wedding chants so that his blessing fell on the newlyweds.

9. Yue Lao, Chinese mythology

Yue Lao, otherwise known as "The Man Under the Moon", is a popular figure in Chinese mythology as a matchmaker and witness to heterosexual marriages. Yue Lao is often seen as a benevolent deity and the owner of the red threads of fate that connect the hearts of two people through marriage.

The most famous history featuring Yue Lao is the story of a man named Wei Gu who was looking for a wife. After several years of unsuccessful searches, Wei Gu stumbled upon Yue Lao while he was reading a book of marriages. Wei Gu forced the god to show him his future wife and saw an old woman with a small child living in poverty. Frightened that this beggar girl would become his wife, Wei Gu ordered his servant to kill the baby.

But the girl survived and even escaped serious injury, and after many years, Wei Gu found a suitable bride for himself and noticed a scar on her forehead. She told him that when she was a child, someone tried to kill her, and Wei Gu realized with horror that he himself almost killed her wife. He probably never told her about it - some secrets are better not to give out.

10. Freya, Scandinavian mythology

Freya had several purposes in Norse mythology. She was the goddess of love and the queen of Folkwang, a Valhalla-like place where half of those who died in battle end up after death. But Freya has another, evil, black side associated with jealousy, greed and bad deeds. Among other things, it is believed that it was she who gave people knowledge about witchcraft, which the Scandinavians consider evil.

Often she clashed with Loki, who kept trying to torture the goddess or steal some of her magical things, including her famous Brisingamen necklace, which Heimdall eventually got. Freya constantly wandered the earth in search of her husband who disappeared without a trace, from time to time crying with golden tears. Freya traveled on an amazing wagon - cats were harnessed to her chariot.