List of hunting deities explained

A hunting deity is a god or goddess in mythology associated with the hunting of animals and the skills and equipment involved. They are a common feature of polytheistic religions.

Anglo-Saxon mythology

• Wōden, leader of the Wild Hunt

Aztec mythology

• Mixcoatl, god of hunting.
• Opochtli, god of fishing.

Akan mythology

• Ahosu, Goddess of hunting and the protector of wildlife, called upon for successful hunts. In myths, she killed people who overhunted or overharvested the forest’s resources.
• Bosomtwe, god of fishing and sailors.

Celtic mythology

• Arawn, king of Annwn in some Welsh legends and associated with hunting, dogs and stags
• Cernunnos, a horned god associated with fertility and hunting
• Gwyn ap Nudd, another king of Annwn in Welsh Mythology, associated with the Wild Hunt
• Nodens, god associated with healing, the sea, hunting and dogs
• Vosagus, Gaulish god of hunting and forests; gives his name to the Vosgas region
• Flidais, Celtic goddess of hunting and nature

Chinese mythology

• Fu Xi, the creator of fishery.
• Jiang Ziya, a god of fishery.

Egyptian mythology

• Neith, goddess of war and the hunt
• Pakhet, a lioness huntress deity, whom the Greeks associated with Artemis
• Wepwawet, god of hunting and war, along with funerary practices
• Bastet, a cat goddess and natural hunter of reptiles and rodents. Greeks often associated her with Artemis, giving her the name Ailuros.

Filipino mythology

See main article: article and List of Philippine mythological figures.

• Abog: the Bagobo god of hunters
• Alagaka: the Tagalog protector of hunters
• Anlabban: the Isnag deity who looks after the general welfare of the people; special protector of hunters^[1]
• Amanikable: the Tagalog god of the sea who was spurned by the first mortal woman; also a god of hunters^{[2] [3]}
• Bakero & Tawo-nga-talonon: Ati spirits of the forest; the first-fruits sacrifices of the hunt are offered to them through bits of meat, which would bring good luck to the people^[4]
• Cain: the Bugkalot headhunter creator of mankind; gave customs to the people; lived together with Abel in the sky but separated due to a quarrel^[5]
• Esa’: a Batak ancestor whose movements created the landscapes, which he named during a hunting journey with his dogs, who were after wild pigs^[6]
• Ga’ek Spirits: Bugkalot spirits in the Ga’ek magic plant used in relation to hunting and fishing; the naw-naw prayer is given to them^[7]
• Kabigat: the Bontok goddess of the moon who cut off the head of Chal-chal's son; her action is the origin of headhunting^[8]
• Kalao: Bugkalot spirit birds;^[5] depicted as red hornbills who guide and protect hunters and their soul^[9]
• Kedes: the Aeta god of the hunt^[10]
• Okot: the Bicolano forest god whose whistle would lead hunters to their prey^[11]
• Paglingniyalan: the Tagalog god of hunters
• Sugudun: also called Sugujun; the Manobo god of hunters and trappers^[3]
• True: the Mamanwa deity of the forest and herder of hunting animals

Finnish mythology

• Mielikki, goddess of forests and the hunt
• Nyyrikki, god of the hunt
• Tapio, East Finnish forest spirit to whom men prayed before a hunt

Georgian mythology

• Apsat, god of the hunt, associated with fish and birds
• Dali, goddess of the hunt, associated with horned beasts of the mountain

Greek mythology

• Aristaeus, god of bee-keeping, cheese-making, herding, olive-growing and hunting
• Artemis, goddess of the hunt, wild animals and the moon
• Heracles Kynagidas
• Pan, in addition to being a god of the wild and shepherds, was also a hunting god.
• Persephone, the goddess of life and death, also known for being Hades' wife

Hindu mythology

• Banka-Mundi, goddess of the hunt and fertility
• Bhadra, god of hunting, one of Shiva's ganas
• Rudra, Rigvedic god associated with wind or storm, and the hunt

Hittite mythology

• Rundas, god of the hunt and good fortune

Inuit mythology

• Arnakuagsak, goddess responsible for ensuring the hunters were able to catch enough food and that the people remained healthy and strong
• Arnapkapfaaluk, sea goddess who inspired fear in hunters
• Nerrivik, the sea mother and patron of fishermen and hunters
• Nujalik, goddess of hunting on land
• Pinga, goddess of the hunt, fertility, and medicine
• Sedna, goddess of the sea, marine animals, and sea hunting
• Tekkeitsertok, god of hunting and master of caribou

Mbuti mythology

• Khonvoum, supreme god of the Mbuti people in central Africa; the "great hunter"

Mesoamerican mythology

• Ah Tabai, Maya god of the hunt
• Sip, a hunting god often shown with deer ears and antlers
• Yum Kaax, Maya god of the forest and the protector of game animals

Norse mythology

• Skaði, a jötunn and goddess associated with bowhunting, skiing, winter, and mountains
• Ullr Norse god of hunting, mountains, archery, and skiing.

Roman mythology

• Diana, goddess of the hunt, wild animals and the wilderness; the counterpart of Artemis, goddess of the hunt and wild; twin sister of Apollo, daughter of Leto and Jupiter

Siberian mythology

• Bugady Musun, Evenki mother goddess of animals
• Hinkon, Tungusic lord of the hunt

Slavic mythology

• Devana, goddess of the hunt; the Slavic equivalent of the Roman goddess Diana

Thracian mythology

• Bendis, goddess of the hunt and the moon, whom the Greeks associated with Artemis.
• Thracian horseman, a hunting god on horseback.

Yoruba mythology

• Ogoun or loa, the Two-Spirit orisha who presides over fire, iron, hunting, politics and war
• Oshosi, the orisha also known as the "hunter of a single arrow", also the deity of the forests.
• Yoruba mythology Etymology: from the Yoruba people in West Africa to include the countries Nigeria and Benin, foreparents to practices or Santería, Lucumí, and other religions of the Caribbean, and the Americas.

Other

• Herne the Hunter, leader of the Wild Hunt.
• The Horned God, the Neopagan god of the sun, masculinity, nature, and hunting.

See also

• Lord of the animals

Notes and References

1. Vanoverbergh, M. . 1941 . The Isneg Farmer . Publications of the Catholic Anthropological Conference . III . 4 . 281–38 .
2. Book: Demetrio, F. R. . Cordero-Fernando, G. . Zialcita, F. N. . 1991 . The Soul Book . Quezon City . GCF Books . amp.
3. Book: Jocano, F. L. . F. Landa Jocano . 1969 . Philippine Mythology . Quezon City . Capitol Publishing House.
4. Web site: Noval-Morales . D. Y. . The Ati of Negros and Panay . National Commission for Culture and the Arts . 2022-06-04.
5. Book: Wilson, L. L. . 1947 . Ilongot Life and Legends . Southeast Asia Institute.
6. Novellino . D. . 2003 . Shamanism and Everyday Life: An Account of Personhood, Identity and Bodily Knowledge amongst the Batak of Palawan Island (the Philippines) . University of Kent . PhD .
7. Mikkelsen . H. H. . 2016 . Chaosmology: Shamanism and personhood among the Bugkalot . HAU Journal of Ethnographic Theory . 6 . 1 . 10.14318/hau6.1.013. 224808433 .
8. Book: Jenks, A. E. . 1905 . The Bontoc Igorot . Manila . Bureau of Public Printing . Department of the Interior: Ethnological Survey Publications . I.
9. Carlson . S. E. . 2014 . From the Philippines to The Field Museum: A Study of Ilongot (Bugkalot) Personal Adornment . Honors Projects . 45 . Illinois Wesleyan University .
10. News: Noche, D. . 2019-11-08 . A reclamation of one's heritage . Manila Standard .
11. Book: Realubit, M. L. F. . 1983 . Bikols of the Philippines . A.M.S. Press.