Deva (देव in Devanagari script, pronounced as "dévə") is the Sanskrit word for "god, deity". It can be variously interpreted as a spirit, demi-god, angel, deity or any supernatural being of high excellence. In Hindu mythology, the devas are opposed to the demonic Asuras. Deva Hinduism - Etymology. The word is from PIE *deiwos, originally an adjective meaning "celestial" or "shining", a PIE (not synchronic Sanskrit) vrddhi derivative from a root *diw "to shine", especially ...

Including:

• Deva Hinduism - Etymology
• Deva Hinduism - Vedic religion
• Deva Hinduism - Classical Hinduism

Read more here: » Deva Hinduism: Encyclopedia - Deva Hinduism

See also:

Deva Hinduism, Deva Hinduism - Etymology, Deva Hinduism - Vedic religion, Deva Hinduism - Classical Hinduism

Read more here: » Deva Hinduism: Encyclopedia II - Deva Hinduism - Vedic religion

Nature devas are responsible for things as fire, air, rain and trees - most of them assumed a minor role in the later religion. Certain other deities rose into prominence. These higher devas control much more intricate tasks governing the functioning of the cosmos and the evolution of creation. Mahadevas, such as Lord Ganesa, have such tremenduous tasks under their diligence that they are sometimes called themselves gods under the Supreme One God. The Hin ...

See also:

Deva Hinduism, Deva Hinduism - Etymology, Deva Hinduism - Vedic religion, Deva Hinduism - Classical Hinduism

Read more here: » Deva Hinduism: Encyclopedia II - Deva Hinduism - Classical Hinduism

Sabazios is the nomadic horseman sky and father god of the Phrygians. In Indo-European languages, such as Phrygian, the '-zios' element in his name goes back to Dyeus, the common precursor of 'deus' (god) and Zeus. Though the Greeks associated Phrygian Sabazios with Zeus, representations of him, even into Roman times, show him always on horseback, as a nomadic horseman god, wielding his characteristic staff of power. Sabazios - Thracian/Phrygian Sabazios. It seems likely that the migrating Phr ...

Including:

• Sabazios - Thracian/Phrygian Sabazios
• Sabazios - The god on horseback
• Sabazios - Transformation to Sabazius
• Sabazios - The Jewish connection

Read more here: » Sabazios: Encyclopedia - Sabazios

Tuisto or Tuisco was according to Tacitus (Germania, ch. 2) the ancestor of all Germanic tribes. He was the father of the first man, Mannus. He was worshipped with human sacrifice. According to Jakob Grimm, his name and variant forms (Thuisco, Thuiskon, Tuisco) come from the adjective tivisco derived from the name of the god Tiu; the name Tiu, Proto-Germanic *Tîwaz, derives from Proto-Indo-European *Dyeus, the god of the daylit sky, and the adjective derived from it could ...

Read more here: » Tuisco: Encyclopedia - Tuisco

In vedic religion, Dyaus Pita is the Sky Father, husband of Prthivi and father of Agni and Indra (RV 4.17.4). His origins can be traced to the Indo-European sky god *Dyeus, who is also reflected as Zeus in Greek mythology, Jupiter (from Latin Iove pater, "father-god") in Roman mythology, Div in Slavic mythology and Tyr in Norse mythology. Sharing a fate similar to nordic Tyr's, already in the Rig Veda, Dyaus Pita is all but featureless, appearing in hymns 1.89, 1.90, 1.164, 1.191 and 4.1 in simple invocations. In RV 1.89.4b, Pita Dyaus "Father Sky" appe ...

Including:

• Dyaus Pita - Literature

Read more here: » Dyaus Pita: Encyclopedia - Dyaus Pita

Zeús or Dzeús (Greek Ζεύς) or Dias (Greek Δίας) ("divine king") is the leader of the gods and god of the sky and thunder in Greek mythology. Zeus - Prehistory. Zeus is the continuation of Dyeus, the supreme god in Indo-European religion, also continued as Vedic Dyaus Pitar (cf. Jupiter), and as Tyr (Ziu, Tiw, Tiwaz) in Germanic and Norse mythology. Tyr was however supplanted by Odin as the supreme god among the Germanic tribes and they did not identify Zeu ...

Including:

• Zeus - Prehistory
• Zeus - Role and epithets
• Zeus - Panhellenic cults of Zeus
• Zeus - Some local Zeus-cults
• Zeus - Oracles of Zeus
• Zeus - Zeus and foreign gods
• Zeus - Zeus in myth
• Zeus - Consorts and children
• Zeus - Zeus miscellany
• Zeus - Zeus in Neopaganism
• Zeus - Spoken-word myths - audio files

Read more here: » Zeus: Encyclopedia - Zeus

The name Tyr meant "god" (cf. Hangatyr, the "god of the hanged" as one of Odin's names) and goes back to a Proto-Germanic Tîwaz, continuing Proto-Indo-European Dyeus, originally the chief god, the precursor also of e. g. Zeus in Greek mythology, and Dyaus Pitar in Vedic religion. The oldest attestation of the god is Gothic Tyz (Vienna cod. 140 [1]) Tîwaz was overtaken in popularity and in authority by Odin at some point in both the North Germanic and West Germanic traditions. Among East Germanic tribes, h ...

See also:

Tyr, Tyr - Origins, Tyr - Tyr in the Edda, Tyr - Other traces, Tyr - The Tyr rune, Tyr - Fascist use, Tyr - Popular culture

Read more here: » Tyr: Encyclopedia II - Tyr - Origins

Philological reconstructions of some PIE theonyms: *Dyeus Ph2ter is believed to have been the original name of god of the daylit sky and the chief god of the Indo-European pantheon. He survives in Greek Zeus (also Dias), Latin Jupiter (Deus Pater), Sanskrit Dyaus Pita, Baltic Dievas, Slavic Div, Germanic Tyr (also Tiwaz), and Armenian Astwatz (c.f. also deus pater in the Vulgate, e. g. Jude 1:1) *Plth2vih2 Mh2ter (Dg'hōm ...

See also:

Proto-Indo-European religion, Proto-Indo-European religion - Priests, Proto-Indo-European religion - Pantheon, Proto-Indo-European religion - Mythology, Proto-Indo-European religion - Development, Proto-Indo-European religion - Notes

Read more here: » Proto-Indo-European religion: Encyclopedia II - Proto-Indo-European religion - Pantheon

Zeus is the continuation of Dyeus, the supreme god in Indo-European religion, also continued as Vedic Dyaus Pitar (cf. Jupiter), and as Tyr (Ziu, Tiw, Tiwaz) in Germanic and Norse mythology. Tyr was however supplanted by Odin as the supreme god among the Germanic tribes and they did not identify Zeus/Jupiter with either Tyr or Odin, but with Thor. In addition to his Indo-European inheritance, the classical Zeus also derives certain iconographic traits from the cultures of the ancient Near East, such as the scepter. < ...

See also:

Zeus, Zeus - Prehistory, Zeus - Role and epithets, Zeus - Panhellenic cults of Zeus, Zeus - Some local Zeus-cults, Zeus - Oracles of Zeus, Zeus - Zeus and foreign gods, Zeus - Zeus in myth, Zeus - Consorts and children, Zeus - Zeus miscellany, Zeus - Zeus in Neopaganism, Zeus - Spoken-word myths - audio files

Read more here: » Zeus: Encyclopedia II - Zeus - Prehistory

The name Tyr meant "god" (cf. Hangatyr, the "god of the hanged" as one of Odin's names) and goes back to a Proto-Germanic Tîwaz, continuing Proto-Indo-European Dyeus, originally the chief god, the precursor also of e. g. Zeus in Greek mythology, and Dyaus Pitar in Vedic religion. The oldest attestation of the god is Gothic Tyz (Vienna cod. 140 [1]) Tîwaz was overtaken in popularity and in authority by Odin at some point in both the North Germanic and West Germanic traditions. Among East Germanic tribes, h ...

See also:

Tyr, Tyr - Origins, Tyr - Tyr in the Edda, Tyr - Other traces, Tyr - The Tyr rune, Tyr - Modern popular culture, Tyr - Games, Tyr - Literature, Tyr - Music, Tyr - Misc

Read more here: » Tyr: Encyclopedia II - Tyr - Origins

Tyr (Old Norse: Týr) is the god of warfare and battle in Norse mythology, portrayed as a one-handed man. He was a son of either Odin or Hymir. Corresponding names in other Germanic languages include Tyz (Gothic), Ty (Old Norwegian), Ti (Old Swedish), Tiw, Tiu or Tew (Old English) Týr (Modern Icelandic), and Ziu (Old High German). Tyr - Origins. The name Tyr meant "god" (cf. Hangatyr, the "god of the hanged" as one of Odin's names ...

Including:

• Tyr - Origins
• Tyr - Tyr in the Edda
• Tyr - Other traces
• Tyr - The Tyr rune
• Tyr - Fascist use
• Tyr - Popular culture

Read more here: » Tyr: Encyclopedia - Tyr

A deity or a god, is a postulated preternatural being, usually, but not always, of significant power, worshipped, thought holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, or respected by human beings. They assume a variety of forms, but are frequently depicted as having human or animal form. Sometimes it is considered blasphemous to imagine the deity as having any concrete form. They are usually immortal. They are commonly assumed to have personalities and to possess consciousness, intellects, desires, and emotions much like human ...

Including:

• Deity - Etymology
• Deity - Relation with humanity
• Deity - Religion
• Deity - Singular God

Read more here: » Deity: Encyclopedia - Deity

Zoroastrianism was once the "official" religion of Sassanid (Sassanian) Persia, and played an important role in the Achaemenid as well as Parthian empires in Persia. The religion is also known as Mazdaism by some followers; and currently, as Zarathustrianism by others. Zoroastrian areas once stretched from Anatolia to the Persian Gulf, and its followers once numbered in the millions. Its followers today, located in South Asia, Iran, and throughout the diaspora, num ...

Including:

• Zoroastrianism - Principal beliefs
• Zoroastrianism - Specific Zoroastrian concepts
• Zoroastrianism - The Prophet
• Zoroastrianism - Zoroaster's meditations
• Zoroastrianism - Zoroaster's preaching
• Zoroastrianism - Holy Book
• Zoroastrianism - History
• Zoroastrianism - Historical importance
• Zoroastrianism - Principles of modern-day Zoroastrianism
• Zoroastrianism - Adherents
• Zoroastrianism - Famous Zoroastrians
• Zoroastrianism - Notes

Read more here: » Zoroastrianism: Encyclopedia - Zoroastrianism

Greek mythology comprises the collected narratives of Greek gods, goddesses, heroes, and heroines, originally created and spread within an oral-poetic tradition. Our surviving sources of mythology are literary reworkings of this oral tradition, supplemented by interpretations of iconic imagery, sometimes modern ones, sometimes ancient ones, as myth was a means for later Greeks themselves to throw light on cult practices and traditions that were no longer explicable. The historian must sometimes deduce from hints in imagery, such as in ...

Including:

• Greek mythology - Nature and sources of Greek mythology
• Greek mythology - An overview
• Greek mythology - The age of gods
• Greek mythology - The age of gods and men
• Greek mythology - The age of heroes
• Greek mythology - Theories of origin
• Greek mythology - Did the Greeks believe their myths?
• Greek mythology - Hellenistic rationalism
• Greek mythology - Syncretizing trends
• Greek mythology - Belles and Beaus of Greek Mythology
• Greek mythology - Modern interpreters
• Greek mythology - Greek cosmology
• Greek mythology - Related subjects
• Greek mythology - Sources

Read more here: » Greek mythology: Encyclopedia - Greek mythology

The scope of Greek mythology is enormous. It extends from the horrific crimes of the early gods and the bloody wars of Troy and Thebes, to the childhood pranks of Hermes and the touching grief of Demeter for Persephone. The legions of gods, goddesses, heroes, heroines, monsters, daemons, nymphs, satyrs, and centaurs that one encounters in traversing this vast landscape are beyond count. Greek mythology has an approximate internal chronology. While contradictions in the material make an absolute timeline impossible, it breaks down roug ...

See also:

Greek mythology, Greek mythology - Nature and sources of Greek mythology, Greek mythology - An overview, Greek mythology - The age of gods, Greek mythology - The age of gods and men, Greek mythology - The age of heroes, Greek mythology - Theories of origin, Greek mythology - Did the Greeks believe their myths?, Greek mythology - Hellenistic rationalism, Greek mythology - Syncretizing trends, Greek mythology - Belles and Beaus of Greek Mythology, Greek mythology - Modern interpreters, Greek mythology - Greek cosmology, Greek mythology - Related subjects, Greek mythology - Sources

Read more here: » Greek mythology: Encyclopedia II - Greek mythology - An overview

Main article: religion. Theories and narratives about, and modes of worship of, gods are largely a matter of religion. At present, the vast majority of humans are adherents of some religion, and this has been true for at least thousands of years. Human burials from between 50,000 and 30,000 B.C. provide evidence of human belief in an afterlife and possibly in gods, although it is not clear when human belief in ...

See also:

Deity, Deity - Etymology, Deity - Relation with humanity, Deity - Religion, Deity - Singular God

Read more here: » Deity: Encyclopedia II - Deity - Religion

The importance of the genealogies (toledot. "generations") emphasized by Ezra's insistence on racial purity of the High Priest resulted in genealogical scrolls being kept in Jerusalem. They are mentioned by Josephus, and their loss in AD 70 was considered disastrous. A priest was required to demonstrate the purity of the pedigree of his prospective bride as far back as her great-great-grandfather and great-great-grandmother. In the case of marriage with a daughter of Levi or of Israel his scrutiny had to extend a degree further, perha ...

See also:

Genealogies of Genesis, Genealogies of Genesis - Enumerated genealogy, Genealogies of Genesis - Genealogies of Cain and Seth, Genealogies of Genesis - Table of Nations, Genealogies of Genesis - Disputed genealogies, Genealogies of Genesis - The historicity of the genealogies, Genealogies of Genesis - Sources

Read more here: » Genealogies of Genesis: Encyclopedia II - Genealogies of Genesis - The historicity of the genealogies

One of the most noticeable features of the table is that it does not describe nations beyond the immediate world of the west Arabian peninsula, straying only as far as Nubia, Egypt, Anatolia and the Caucus. While some Mediterranean trading nations are mentioned, it is not the homeland groups but sea merchants who are mentioned. The table implies that all nations have descended from those it lists, since all other possible lines of descent were apparently wiped out in a great flood; thus this region is traditionally seen, in Jewish, Christian ...

See also:

Table of nations, Table of nations - The table, Table of nations - The first generation, Table of nations - The second generation, Table of nations - Arpaxad's family, Table of nations - The sons of Joktan, Table of nations - The table and its geographical context, Table of nations - The table and the wider world, Table of nations - Doublets

Read more here: » Table of nations: Encyclopedia II - Table of nations - The table and the wider world

A significant and far-reaching shift in human subsistence and lifestyle was to be brought about in those areas where crop farming and cultivation were first developed, then gradually improved. In these areas, the previous reliance upon a more nomadic hunter-gatherer subsistence technique was at first supplemented, and then increasingly replaced by, a reliance upon the yield produced from cultivated lands. These developments are also believed to have greatly encouraged the growth of settlements, since it may be supposed that the increased nee ...

See also:

Neolithic, Neolithic - Origins and regional development, Neolithic - Social organization, Neolithic - Farming, Neolithic - Technology, Neolithic - Neolithic Religion, Neolithic - Origins, Neolithic - Deities and Spirits, Neolithic - Others

Read more here: » Neolithic: Encyclopedia II - Neolithic - Farming