A hunting deity is a deity 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 Vosges region
Chinese mythology Fu Xi, the creator of fishery Jiang Ziya, a god of fishery Erlang Shen, god of hunting and protector of hunters
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
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 Amanikable: the Tagalog god of the sea who was spurned by the first mortal woman; also a god of hunters 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 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 Esa’: a Batak ancestor whose movements created the landscapes, which he named during a hunting journey with his dogs, who were after wild pigs 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 Kabigat: the Bontok goddess of the moon who cut off the head of Chal-chal's son; her action is the origin of headhunting Kalao: Bugkalot spirit birds; depicted as red hornbills who guide and protect hunters and their soul Kedes: the Aeta god of the hunt Okot: the Bicolano forest god whose whistle would lead hunters to their prey Paglingniyalan: the Tagalog god of hunters Sugudun: also called Sugujun; the Manobo god of hunters and trappers 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 Artemis, goddess of the hunt, associated with the moon Britomartis, Cretian goddess of hunting and trapping Heracles Kynagidas, Heracles' aspect as a hunter
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
Japanese Mythology Takeminakata, god of wind, hunting and warfare.
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 Aristaeus, a minor god of bee-keeping, cheese-making, herding, olive-growing and hunting. Heracles Kynagidas/Hercules. Faunus, in addition to being a god of the wild and shepherds, was also a hunting god.
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
References