Just as there are gods of the sky, there are also gods of death in every mythology around the world. Death is rarely as apparent as it is on Samhain. The sky has turned gray, the earth is fragile and cold, and the fields have been harvested of their last crops. It was the perfect time to ask the gods of death for help.
Image gallery of the gods of death
Gods of Death
Winter looms on the horizon, and as the Wheel of the Year turns once again, the boundary between our world and the spirit world becomes fragile and thin. In cultures around the world, the spirit of Death has been honored at this time of year. Here are some of the deities that represent death and the death of the earth.
1.- Anubis (Egyptian)
This jackal-headed god is associated with mummification and death in ancient Egypt. Anubis is the one who decides whether or not the deceased is worthy of entering the realm of the dead. Anubis is typically depicted as half human, half jackal or dog.
The jackal has connections to funerals in Egypt; bodies that were not properly buried could be dug up and eaten by hungry, scavenging jackals.
Anubis’ skin is almost always black in images, due to its association with the colors of decay and deterioration. Embalmed bodies tend to turn black as well, so the color is very appropriate for a funerary god.
2.- Demeter (Greek)
Through her daughter, Persephone, Demeter is strongly linked to the changing of the seasons and is often connected to the image of the Dark Mother and the death of the fields. When Persephone was kidnapped by Hades, Demeter’s grief caused the earth to die for six months, until her daughter’s return.
3.- Freya (Norse)
Although Freya is typically associated with fertility and abundance, she is also known as a goddess of war and battle. Half of the men who died in battle joined Freya in her hall, Folkvangr, and the other half joined Odin in Valhalla.
Revered by women, heroes, and rulers alike, Freyja could be called upon to assist in childbirth and conception, to help with marital problems, or to bring forth fruit from the earth and sea.
4.- Hades (Greek)
While Zeus became king of Olympus and his brother Poseidon gained dominion over the sea, Hades was left with the land of the underworld. Because he is unable to leave much and does not get to spend much time with those still living, Hades focuses on increasing the population levels of the underworld whenever he can. Although he is the ruler of the dead, it is important to distinguish that Hades is not the god of death—that title actually belongs to the god Thanatos.
5.- Hecate (Greek)
Although Hecate was originally considered a goddess of fertility and childbirth, she has come to be associated with the moon, witchcraft, and the underworld. Sometimes known as the Goddess of Witches, Hecate is also connected to ghosts and the spirit world. In some modern Pagan traditions, she is believed to be the guardian between cemeteries and the world of mortals.
6.- Hel (Norse)
This goddess is the ruler of the underworld in Norse mythology. Her hall is called Éljúðnir, and it is where mortals who do not die in battle, but rather from natural causes or illness, go. Hel is often depicted with her bones on the outside of her body rather than inside.
She is typically portrayed in black and white, showing that she represents both sides of the spectrum. She is the daughter of Loki, the trickster, and Angrboda. Her name is believed to be the source of the English word “hell,” due to her connection to the underworld.
7.- Meng Po (Chinese)
This goddess appears as an old woman, and it is her job to ensure that souls about to be reincarnated do not remember their previous time on earth. She prepares a special herbal tea of forgetfulness, which is given to each soul before they return to the realm of mortals.
8.- Morrighan (Celtic)
This warrior goddess is associated with death in much the same way as the Norse goddess Freya. The Morrighan is known as the washerwoman of the ford, and it is she who determines which warriors leave the battlefield and which are carried away on their shields.
She is represented in many legends by a trio of ravens, often seen as a symbol of death. In later Irish folklore, her role would be delegated to the bain sidhe, or banshee, who foresaw the death of members of a specific family or clan.
9.- Osiris (Egyptian)
In Egyptian mythology, Osiris is murdered by his brother Set before being resurrected by the magic of his lover, Isis. Osiris’ death and dismemberment are often associated with the threshing of grain during the harvest season. Works of art and statues honoring Osiris typically depict him wearing the pharaonic crown, known as the atef, and holding the crook and flail, which are the tools of a shepherd.
These instruments often appear on sarcophagi and in funerary art depicting dead pharaohs, and the kings of Egypt claimed Osiris as part of their ancestry; it was their divine right to rule as descendants of the god-kings.
10.- Whiro (Maori)
This god of the underworld inspires people to do evil things. He typically appears as a lizard and is the god of the dead. According to Esldon Best’s Maori Religion and Mythology,
“Whiro was the origin of all diseases, of all the afflictions of mankind, and he acts through the Maiki clan, which personifies all those afflictions. All diseases were caused by these demons—these evil beings who dwell in Tai-whetuki, the House of Death, located in the lowest twilight.”
11.- Yama (Hindu)
In the Hindu Vedic tradition, Yama was the first mortal to die and go to the other world, which is why he was named king of the dead. He is also a lord of justice, and sometimes appears in an incarnation as Dharma.
Conclusion
In religion, the gods of death, who are necessary to maintain the balance of the world, are often ignored by those who favor life. But life is much less eternal than death. Throughout history, who have our ancestors been worshipping, and with whom did they believe they would reside now?
You must keep in mind that for good to be considered “good,” we need the opposite binary. This demand for balance is woven throughout life, with “death” giving life to “life.” Although it may seem irrational, gods of death are worshipped in many countries around the world.
