God & Goddesses (task # 2)

Kinich Ahau:
The Sun God (Mayan)

Kinich Ahau was the patron god of the city Itzamal,
and routinely descended every day at noon in the guise
of a Macaw. During these visits, the Sun God would
have consumed the city offerings to him. This god has
some attributes to help someone point him out, such as:
his jaguar-esque features, like filed teeth, and the Mayan
symbol of Kin, a Mayan day. Ah Xoc Kin was another
name for Kinich Ahau, associating himself with music, and
poetry.




Quan Yin:
The Goddess of Mercy (Hindu)

Quan Yin is the embodiment of compassionate
loving kindness, like that of the Bodhisattva of
Compassion, she answers all cries of help, from
every being. In almost all instances, Quan Yin is
seen wearing, shrouded about her wrists, and elbow
bends, the Pearls of Illumination. Quan Yin, in
her true enlightened state, or Bodhisattva, vowed
to exist only in the earthly realms and not enter
the heavenly worlds until all other living things
have completed their own enlightenment and thus
become liberated from the pain-filled cycle of birth,
death, and rebirth. She is also the Virign Goddess,
who helps protectwomen, believes that a strong
religious life instead of a marital life, and grants
children to those who want, and deserve them. Quan
Yin, as The Goddess of Mercy is forgiving and
understanding, thus free from pride or vengefulness
that She remains reluctant to punish even those who
break the laws of the country. Leniency is a trait also associated with Quan Yin, those of
whom are shun, and are sentenced to un-humanly pennance,may be "renewed" of their
atrocities, to be reborn to a clean slate.




Ganesha:
The God of the people (hindu)

Ganesha, the Lord of Categories: All that can be counted or comprehended is a category, or gana. The principle of all the classifications through which the relations between different orders of things, between the macrocosm and the microcosm, can be understood is called the lord-of-categories, or Ganapati. Ganesha is this lord, and takes into consideration that calculations that balance macrocosm and the microcosm. Among his vast astrological phenomena, and philosophies about the cosmos, Ganesha is also known as the God of the people, and is closely associated with the lives of millions of Hindus. The lord is a role model as, Buddhi, meaning wisdom, an influence to the people of whom worship him. It is also said that the reason that Ganesha has an elephant head is because of his jealous uncle Sani, who with a look, lopped off Ganesha's head. The beautiful child at birth would then die, if Vishnu had not set off too Mt. Kailash to come across and elephant. Vishnu then cuts the head off of the sleeping elephant, and bring it back to the party held by Ganesha's mother. This elephants head was then transplanted onto Ganesha's body, and the boy was saved.




Athena Parthenos:
The Goddess of War & Wisdom (Greek)

Athena is the goddess of skill, craft, justice, and industry. Being the favorite daughter of Zeus, she was also born from Zeus' head, fully grown. Her mother was Metis, swallowed up by Zeus, fearing her creation of a more powerful son. Athena and Poseidon, her uncle, mounted the top of the Acropolis, where she gave to the people, an olive tree, which spawned many resources, such as oil, wood, and food. She set up this new city and called it
Athens, after herself.




Poseidon:
The God of the sea (Greek)

Poseidon is often seen holding a trident, surrounding with under the sea motifs of fish and or waves. He is by far one of the most famous of the gods that are from Polythestic ancient Greece. He is also the son of Cronus and Rhea, and is one of six sibling who ends up dividing the power of the world. Upon important trips by sea ships, the crews would sacrifice horses in the sea for Poseidon. Poseidon means husband, and with his most notorious of relations, his sister Demeter (goddess of wheat), they were to become the god and goddess of fertility, birthing a son, as a horse, Arion. Also, Poseidon and Athena fought for domination over the city of Athens. It is said that he threw down a mighty spear that hit the side of the Acropolis, causing a stream of water, but it had high levels of salt in it. Due to this Athena won, furious by this, Poseidon sends a flood to the Attic Plain.




Isis:
Goddess of magic & immortality (Egyptian)

All of the following are names associated with Isis: The great lady, the God-mother, lady of Re-a-nefer; Isis-Nebuut, lady of Sekhet; lady of Besitet; Isis in Per Pakht, the queen of Mesen; Isis of Ta-at-nehepet; Isis, dweller in Netru; Isis, lady of Hebet; Isis in P-she-Hert; Isis, lady of Khebt; Usert-Isis, giver of life, lady of Abaton, lady of Philae, lady of the countries of the south," etc. Isis possessed great skill in the working of magic, and several examples of the manner in which she employed it are well known. One of these magical feats was when she made Ra tell her his most secret of all names, she made a venemous asp appear from the dust to sink its teeth into him as he passed. When she was told by Ra, his most secret of names, she chanted it into a spell, and gave him a full recovery from the poison. She also is well versed in the art of tonal presentation, which was as important as the meaning of the words themselves. She has her own chapter in the Book of The Dead, that demonstrates how to honor her, as she would have honored her husband, Osiris. Isis is almost always portrayed with an 'amulet' atop her headdress, and flanked with wings.




Amen Ra, or Ra:
The Sun God (Egyptian)

Ra is the Sun god of Heliopolis in ancient Egypt. Heliopolis actually means "city of the sun". It is stated in the scripts of the city, that Ra in later Egyptian dynastic times, was subsumed or taken in, to the god Horus. The attribute, the sun, either depicts an interpretation of Ra, or his entire being, or just his eye. Which is the most recognized attribute of Ra. Also Ra had symbolic symbols, like the solar symbol of the disk on top of his head. He is also associated with the Phoenix, for rising again each morning. Ra also is coined as the One god of monotheism, with all the other polythesitic gods serving as subserviants to his superiority.




Ixchel:
Moon Goddess of Pregnant Women (Mayan)

Ixchel invented the use of weaving, whilst being mostly made up waterfall, she takes charge of downpours on the people she charges. Her hair is said to be made up of real snakes, seen in most depictions, as well as the vase or chalice she holds upside, reinforcing her waterfall powers of downpours. If she is angered, Ixchel can be merciless and cruel, but then has another side as the Rainbow Goddess of childbirth. These two personalities switch and counter-act with eachother to create a balance.




Kukailimoku:
The God of War (Hawaiian)

Ku or Kukailimoku reigned over crops and woodlands, and was worshipped in many forms by craftsmen of the forrest. Ku is often represented with a helmet flanked with feathers topped with the blood of 1000 of his enemies. Ku is depicted as an angry god, with large intimidating eyes, and severe facial features, causes enemies to be enveloped with fear. It was believed to be a tactic for war with Ku. Statuettes of Kukailimoku were placed in the tomb of King Kamehameha I for protection in the after-life.




Kali:
Goddess of Time & Death (Hindu)

Kali takes the guise of many forms, such as the Divine Mother who sent the Mother Gauri, Shakti to free the gods from the demonic altercations of Shumbh and NiShumbh, who through their wickedness, conquered the celestial plane and the astral plane of all three of the worlds of earth. Kali is the Kundalini, or the energy that paralyes the tentacles of the solar and lunar currents created by the above mentioned demons. These tentacles, to humans, causes fear of death. Kali removes the ignorance associated with the demonic tentacles of persuasion.




Lugh:
God of all skills (Celtic)

Lugh is the ideal God, he can do anything, and help any man in need of it. He is also bound to his nature goddess Rosemerta, and the two are worshipped on the 30 day Lugnasad midsummer feast in Ireland. Magic that emanated from this festival contained fertile aspects that the people believed would help crops grow, and good harvest. He was called Lamfhada or 'of the long arm' in Gaelic, because of his hand-made sling, and the long great spear, he would carry to show his authority. Lugh is represented with some attributes like the sling and the spear, but also the pressence of the raven and the lynx. "Tain Bo Cuailnge", the Cattle-raid of Cooley, is a book that has the adventures and a running list of his daring exploits as the God of all skills.




Morrigan:
The Goddess of Cons(Celtic)

She had a habit of appearing to the great heroes when their life was in danger. She can change her shape at will, to fool her opponents into thinking they would be rewarded with the pleasures of her body. She dwelled in the North which was considered the 'Land of the dead', justice and the element of Earth. She is known as the Triple Goddess, and the Great Goddess. She was the transporter from life to death.