- Sky deity
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"Air spirit" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Spirit Air."Spirits of the air" redirects here. For the 1989 science fiction film, see Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds."Spirit of the sky" and "Spirits of the sky" redirect here. For the 1969 psychadelic rock song, see Spirit in the Sky. For the American alternative rock group, see Spirits in the Sky.
The sky has important religious significance. Most polytheistic religions have a deity or deities whose portfolio includes or is even limited to the sky or the heavens. This position is often reserved for the deity who reigns over the others, or at least is one of the most powerful, and incorporates the concept of the Sky Father, in contrast to the Earth Mother.
Contents
Ancient Near East
Ancient Semitic religion
- Hadad
- Yahweh (Canaanite religion)
Egyptian mythology
- Amun, god of creation and the wind
- Anhur, originally a foreign war god who became associated with the sky god, Shu
- Horus, god of the sun, sky, kings and war
- Nut, goddess of the sky
- Shu, god of the wind and air
Hurrian mythology
Mesopotamian mythology
- An, goddess of the sky
- Anshar, god of the sky
- Anu, king of the gods, associated with the sky, heaven and constellations
- Beelshamen, god of the sky
- Enlil, god of breath, wind, loft, and breadth
Armenian mythology
- Barsamin, god of the sky or weather
Europe
Basque mythology
- Aide, goddess of the air
Celtic mythology
- Latobius, sky and mountain god equated with the Greek gods Zeus and Ares
- Taranis, sky and thunder god, equated and syncretized with Jupiter
Etruscan mythology
Finnish mythology
- Ilmatar, virgin spirit of the air
- Jumala, god of the sky
- Perkele, supreme sky and thunder god
- Ukko, god of sky, weather, crops (harvest) and other natural things
Greek mythology
- Aether, primeval god of the upper air
- Chaos, the nothingness from which all else sprang, she also represented the lower atmosphere which surrounded the earth
- Hera, queen of heaven and goddess of marriage, women, childbirth, heirs, kings, empires, air and the sky
- Iris, goddess of the rainbow and divine messenger
- Nephelai, cloud nymphs
- Theia, goddess of sight and the shining light of the clear blue sky
- Uranus, primeval god of the sky
- Zeus, king of the gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus and the god of the sky, weather, thunder, law, order and fate
Roman mythology
- Caelus, personification of the sky, equivalent to the Greek Ouranos
- Jupiter, king of heaven and god of the sky and weather, equivalent to the Greek Zeus
Sami mythology
- Horagalles, god of the sky, thunder and lightning, the rainbow, weather, oceans, lakes, human life, health and wellbeing
Slavic mythology
- Stribog, god of the winds, sky and air
- Triglav, a triple god whose three heads represent sky, earth and underworld
Thracian mythology
- Sabazios, sky father
South Asia
- Dyaus Pita, sky father
- Indra, king of the gods, associated with war and the weather
- Saranyu, goddess of dawn and the clouds
- Varuna, god of the sky, water, the celestial ocean, law and the underworld
East and Southeast Asia
Japanese mythology
- Marici, goddess of the heavens
Māori mythology
- Ao, god of light and the sky
- Rangi, sky father
- Tane-rore, personification of shimmering air
- Tāwhirimātea, god of weather, including thunder and lightning, wind, clouds and storms
- Uenuku, god of rainbows
Thai and Lao Mythology
- Phaya Thaen (Thai: พญาแถน,) the sky personified with a rank equivalent to marquess (Thai Phraya,) the protagonist in a Rocket Festival
Central Asia
Turkic mythology
- Tengri, god of the sky
Udmurt mythology
- Inmar, god of the heavans
Americas
Arctic
- Ataksak, goddess of the sky
- Negafook, god of weather systems
- Torngarsuk, god of the sky
Native American mythology
Maya mythology
Australia and Oceania
Australia
- Altjira, Arrernte creator and sky god
- Baiame, south-east Australian creator and sky god
- Binbeal, god of rainbows
- Bunjil, Kulin creator and sky god
Oceania mythology
- Abeguwo, Melanesian sky goddess
- Amai-te-rangi, sky demon of Mangaia
- Atua I Kafika, supreme sky god of Polynesian mythology
- Ira, Polynesian sky goddess
- Laufakana'a, Tongan creator god and sky father
- Tangaloa, Tongan sky god
Sub-Saharan Africa
- Achamán, Guanche creator and sky god
- Achuhucanac, Guanche rain god, associated with the sky god Achamán
- Badessy, Vodou loa associated with the sky
- Denka, Dinka god of sky, rain and fertility
- Khonvoum, supreme creator god and sky father of Mbuti Pygmies
- Mulungu, Nyamwezi creator and sky god
- Numakulla, a pair of creator and sky gods
- Olorun, supreme deity, god of the sky, and heaven
- Shango, Yoruba sky father and thunder god
- Umvelinqangi, Zulu sky god
- Utixo, Khoikhoi sky god
- Xamaba, creator and sky god of the Heikum of South Africa
See also
- Categories:
- Agricultural deities
- Love deities
Categories:- History of religion
- Sky and weather deities
- Mythological archetypes
- Lists of deities
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