In comparative mythology, sky father is a term for a recurring concept in polytheistic religions of a sky god who is addressed as a "father", often the father of a pantheon and is often either a reigning or former King of the Gods. The concept of "sky father" may also be taken to include Sun gods with similar characteristics, such as Ra. The concept is complementary to an "earth mother".
"Sky Father" is a direct translation of the Vedic , etymologically descended from the same Proto-Indo-European deity name as the Greek and Roman Jupiter, all of which are reflexes of the same Proto-Indo-European deity's name, . in Vedic still retained the meaning "sky", while the Greek Zeus had become a proper name exclusively. While there are numerous parallels adduced from outside of Indo-European mythology, there are exceptions (e.g. In Egyptian mythology, Nut is the sky mother and Geb is the earth father).
In historical religion +NameEtymologyMythologyParent MythologyDetailsNzambi AmpunguFrom the Bantu and Kikongo word meaning 'supreme god' and meaning 'great spirit'BakongoAfricanIn traditional Bakongo religion, Nzambi is the supreme creator god, the Sky Father, and god of the Sun.NyambiFrom the Bantu word meaning 'supreme god'BantuAfricanIn various Bantu cultures, Nyambi is the Supreme Being, the Creator of the universe, the Sky Father, god of the Sun and the source of all life.AtenEgyptianAfricanWas a Monotheistic Sun God under the pharaoh Akhenaten.HorusFrom Late Latin , from Ancient Greek (), from Egyptian . EgyptianAfricanIn Ancient Egypt, Horus was ruler of the sky. He was shown as a male humanoid with the head of a falcon. It is not uncommon for birds to represent the sky in ancient religions, due to their ability to fly. However, in Egyptian mythology the sky was perceived as the goddess Nut.TengriBorrowed from a Turkic language; ultimately from Proto-Turkic ('sky, heaven, god'). Compare Turkish ('god').Turkic, MongolicAltaicChief god of the early religion of the Turkic and Mongolic peoples.WākeaHawaiʻianAustronesianRanginuiMāoriAustronesianThe sky father and earth mother , embraced and had divine children.Dyaus PitaFrom Sanskrit (). From Proto-Indo-European; synchronically analyzable as (, nominative singular of , , 'sky') + (, 'father').Indo-Aryan (HinduismIndo-European) In the early Vedic pantheon, appears already in a marginal position, but in comparative mythology is often reconstructed as having stood alongside Prithvi Mata "Earth Mother" in prehistoric times.JupiterFrom Latin ('father Jove'), from Proto-Italic (literally 'sky father')ItalicIndo-European Often depicted by birds, usually the eagle or hawk, and clouds or other sky phenomena. Nicknames included Sky God and Cloud Gatherer.From Ancient Greek (). From Proto-Hellenic , related to Mycenaean Greek ( ); from Proto-Indo-European .HellenicIndo-EuropeanỌbatalaFrom the Yoruba words meaning 'king' and meaning 'white cloth'YorubaAfricanThe king of the Oriṣa pantheon, Ọbatala is the creator of the Earth and humanity. He resides in the spirit realm Ọrun usually associated with the sky. He is sometimes referred to as meaning "Father of all humankind".DagrFrom Proto-Germanic ('day, name of the D-rune'). Cognate with Old English (Modern English day), Old Frisian , , Old Saxon , Old Dutch , Old High German , , Gothic (). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ('to burn').NordicIndo-EuropeanThe personification of the daylit sky.Svarog?Interpreted by some authors as the possible contender for the Slavic Sky Father. Through possible syncetisation with the Indo-European Smith deity (see more at Tvashtr and Proto-Indo-European mythology)SlavicIndo-EuropeanMythological smith who is father of the Sun god, Dazhbog.DiepaturaIllyrianIndo-EuropeanZojzA derivation of Proto-Indo-European AlbanianIndo-EuropeanDievasFrom Proto-Baltic .BalticIndo-EuropeanPrimordial supreme god and one of the most important deities. The god of light, the sky, prosperity, wealth, the ruler of gods, and the creator of the universe.TýrFrom earlier runic (), from Proto-Germanic ; identical to ('god'). From Proto-Indo-European ('god'). Vṛddhi derivative of ('sky, heaven')GermanicIndo-EuropeanBochicaMuiscaNative AmericanIn what is now Colombia, the Muisca worshipped this sky father.Gitche ManitouNative AmericanNative AmericanCommon character in creation myths. (Hanyu Pinyin: ; literally 'king above')ConfucianismSino-TibetanSupreme God worshipped in ancient China. It is also used to refer to the Christian God in the Standard Chinese Union Version of the Bible. In China, in Daoism, (), meaning sky, is associated with light, the positive, male, etc., whereas () meaning earth or land, is associated with dark, the negative, female, etc. (lit. 'sky' or 'heaven')ConfucianismSino-TibetanUsed to refer to the sky as well as a personification of it. Whether it possesses sentience in the embodiment of an omnipotent, omniscient being is a difficult question for linguists and philosophers. (, lit. 'Lord' or 'Lord in Heaven') is translated from the English word, Lord, which is a formal title of the Christian God in Mainland China's Christian churches. (Hanyu Pinyin: )TaoismSino-TibetanAnother word used to refer to the Christian God in the Standard Chinese Union Version of the Bible.An or Anu(, from , 'sky, heaven') or , originally ()Sumerian, Assyrian and BabylonianSumerian, Assyrian and BabylonianThe father deity of the Sumerian and Assyro-Babylonian pantheon and is also the earliest attested Sky Father deity.UkkoFrom Proto-Finnic . Probably a Finnic pet form of ('man, male').FinnishUralicTaevaisa 'sky', 'father'UralicThe word by which adherents in Estonia of the Maausk (faith of the land) and the Taara native beliefs refer to God. Although both branches of the original Estonian religion — which are largely just different ways of approaching what is in essence the same thing, to the extent that it remains extant — are pantheistic, heaven has a definite and important place in the ancient pre-Christian Estonian belief system. All things are sacred for those of the faith of the land, but the idea of a sky father — among other "sacrednesses" — is something all Estonians are well aware of. In newer history, after the arrival of Christianity, the ideas of a sky father and "a father who art in heaven" have become somewhat conflated. One way or another, the phrase remains in common use in Estonia.BasqueVasconicThe by Aymericus Picaudus tells that the Basques called God , a word found in compounds for the names of some week days and meteorological phenomena. The current usage is , that can be interpreted as 'the lord of above'. The grammatical imperfection of the word leads some to conjecture that it is a folk etymology applied to , now considered a shorter synonym.
See also Earth mother God in Abrahamic religions Sky deity Thunder god Worship of heavenly bodies
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