Deity Descriptions
Gods
Here you will find information on some of
the many gods that exist throughout the world.
Which Greek God are you?
Which Trickster God are you?
Are you a sex God?
To learn about more Goddesses visit Inner Goddess,
the source of many of the following descriptions.
Cernunnos  Janus Herne the Hunter Squat The Green Man Gods & Their Familiars
Cernunnos a.k.a. Herne the Hunter
A principal god of the Continental Celts, his name means “the horned one.”
He is a god of nature, animals, fruit, grain and prosperity. He is known as Hernes
the Hunter in Great Britain.
Janus
An exalted Roman god, a figure of great antiquity and obscure origin.
Always represented as having two faces, one looking forwards, the other backwards,
Janus presided over the past, present, and future, over gates, doorways, entrances,
and beginnings in general, and over war and peace. At every sacrifice, in every prayer,
he was the first god invoked, taking precedence before Jupiter. When war was declared,
the portals to the sanctuary of Janus on the Forum were opened. The portals were again
closed on the declaration of peace. During the entire history of Rome, this happened on
a handful of occasions only. As the most ancient of kings, Janus is supposed to have given
the exiled Kronos a warm welcome in Italy, and to have offered Kronos a share of the royal duties.
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Squat
Ever want a good parking space for your car or your
stuff or a good camp site or a good seat at the
theater? Well there is an Deity in charge of just such
situations. It is neither male or female and its name
is Squat. By simply asking for Squat's aid before
reaching your destination your likelihood of finding
such a spot is increased! Of course if you get that
coveted spot make sure you thank Squat. Many folks
here chant their request to Squat ..."Squat, Squat,
Squat, Find me a parking spot" is very common.
- Pele
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Ix Chel
Symbol: Man’s face surrounded by leaves.
Usual Image: Either a man’s face looking out of a cluster of leaves,
or leaves that seem to form a human face.
Holy Day: May 1st.
Pace of Worship: A forest, an orchard or field either ready for planting crops, or harvested.
Major Taboos: Taking without putting a bit back.
Relatives: All plant life, any number of seasonal goddesses.
Synodieties: Many. The Green Man can be likened
to dozens of gods who were born in the spring, lived and loved during
the summer, died in the fall, and spent winter in the Underworld, only
to be reborn again in the spring. Some examples are Adonis, Lono, Xipe,
Dionysus, Tammuz, John Barleycorn, etc.
Details: There is no deity called the Green Man, the term was one coined to name
a figure that first appeared on funeral stones outside of churches, and later was
secreted away to out of the way places by stone masons on the early cathedrals.
He first appeared angry or sad and, then, later, about the time that worship of
Mary became part of Church practices, happy or triumphant. Just what this image
was to them, we cannot say, but it is thought to be an image of nature as an
awakened initiator, a guardian and revealer of nature’s mysteries, whose body
was wild nature itself.
He is an icon that will not leave the Western mind, it seems, turning up again and again.
The Green Man becomes the Green Knight:
One of the first places he appears is among the tales of King Arthur.
There he shows up wearing green armor, riding a green horse. Riding right into
King Arthur’s court, he offers to let any knight take a swing at his neck, noting
that if he should live the knight must seek him out one year later, and let the Green
Knight take the same strike at him.
Sir Gawain, the most handsome and fearless of the knights, accepted the stranger’s
challenge, and chopped the Green Knight’s head off with one stroke. As the head is
rolling around on the floor, the Green Knight’s body walks over to it, picks it up,
and puts it back on his shoulders, and leaves, reminding Sir Gawain to look for him
in one year. One year later Gawain arrives at the chapel where the Green Knight lives.
There he was tested by the knight’s wife. He succumbed, somewhat, to her. Later, he
offers his neck to the Green Knight who swings his sword, but stops just before it
would have hit, giving him only a small nick, to remind him of his indiscretion.
It can also be said that Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest is another face of the green one.
More than a few people have expounded upon the divine origin of Robin and Maid Marian.
Another example of “Jack in the Green,” as some called him, can be found among the chimney
sweeps of old London. At one time they had a presentation they performed each May Day in
which a man would peer out of a cage made from wicker and covered in leaves. The sweeps,
then, dressed up in gaudy tinsels and ribbons and danced around the framework banging drums,
blowing whistles, and cracking shovels and sticks together. Sometimes this got out of hand,
especially when rival groups set up their Jack in the Green.
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