A goddess is a female deity. Text: goddesses Female deities. In some faiths, a sacred female figure holds a central place in religious prayer and worship. For example, Shaktism (one of the three major Hindu sects), holds that the ultimate deity, the source of all reality, is Supreme Goddess (Mahamaya) and in some forms of Tantric Shaivism, the pair of Shiva and Shakti are the ultimate principle (with the goddess representing the active, creative power of God). Meanwhile, in Vajrayana Buddhism, ultimate reality is often seen as being composed of two principles depicted as two deities in union (yab yum, "father-mother") symbolising the non-duality of the two principles of perfect wisdom (female) and skillful compassion (male). A single figure in a monotheistic faith that is female may be identified simply as god because of no need to differentiate by gender or with a diminutive. An experiment to determine the effect of psychedelics on subjects composed of leaders from diverse religious groups revealed a general experience that the divine which the subjects encountered was feminine.Jocelyn, Hannah, Is God a Woman?, The New Yorker, Daily, Monday, May 19, 2025
Polytheist religions, including Polytheistic reconstructionists, honour multiple goddesses and gods, and usually view them as discrete, separate beings. These deities may be part of a pantheon, or different regions may have tutelary deities. In many known cultures, goddesses are often linked with literal or metaphorical pregnancy or imagined feminine roles associated with how women and girls are perceived or expected to behave. This includes themes of spinning, weaving, beauty, love, sexuality, motherhood, domesticity, creativity, and fertility (exemplified by the ancient mother goddess cult). Many major goddesses are also associated with magic, war, strategy, hunting, farming, wisdom, fate, earth, sky, power, laws, justice, and more. Some themes, such as discord or disease, which are considered negative within their cultural contexts also are found associated with some goddesses. There are as many differently described and understood goddesses as there are male, shapeshifting, devilish, or neuter gods.
Etymology The noun goddess is a secondary formation, combining the Germanic god with the Latinate -ess suffix. It first appeared in Middle English, from about 1350.Barnhart (1995:323). The English word follows the linguistic precedent of a number of languages—including Egyptian, Classical Greek, and several Semitic languages—that add a feminine ending to the language's word for god. Occasionally, one finds the root term being applied without the secondary ending.
Historical polytheism
Ancient Near East Mesopotamia
Inanna was the most worshipped goddess in ancient Sumer.Sylvia Brinton Perera, Descent to the Goddess (Toronto 1982) re Inanna and Ereshkigal. She was later syncretised with the East Semitic goddess Ishtar. Other Mesopotamian goddesses include Ninhursag, Ninlil, Antu and Gaga.
Ancient Africa (Egypt)
Goddesses of the Ennead of Heliopolis: Tefnut, Nut, Nephthys, Isis Goddesses of the Ogdoad of Hermopolis: Naunet, Amaunet, Kauket, Hauhet; originally a cult of Hathor Satis and Anuket of the triad of Elephantine
Canaan
Goddesses of the Canaanite religion: Ba`alat Gebal, Astarte, Anat.
Anatolia Arinniti: Hittite goddess of the sun. She became patron of the Hittite Empire and monarchy. Cybele: Her Hittite name was Kubaba, but her name changed to Cybele in Phrygian and Roman culture. Her influence can also be seen in Artemis as the Lady of Ephesus. Hebat: Mother goddess of the Hittite pantheon and wife of the leader sky god, Teshub. She was the origin of the Hurrian cult. Leto: A mother goddess figure in Lykia. She was also the main goddess of the capital city of the Lykia League (Letoon)
Pre-Islamic Arabia In pre-Islamic Mecca, the goddesses Uzza, Manāt and al-Lāt were known as "the daughters of god". Uzzā was worshipped by the Nabataeans, who equated her with the Graeco-Roman goddesses Aphrodite, Urania, Venus and Caelestis. Each of the three goddesses had a separate shrine near Mecca. Uzzā was called upon for protection by the pre-Islamic Quraysh. In 624 AD, during the Battle of Uhud, the war cry of the Qurayshites was, "O people of Uzzā, people of Hubal!" (Tawil 1993).
According to Ibn Ishaq's controversial account of the Satanic Verses (q.v.), these verses had previously endorsed them as intercessors for Muslims, but were abrogated. Most Muslim scholars have regarded the story as historically implausible, while opinion is divided among Western scholars such as Leone Caetani and John Burton, who argue against it, and William Muir and William Montgomery Watt, who argue for its plausibility.
The Quran (Q53:19-31) warns of the vanity of trusting to the intercession of female deities, in particular "the daughters of god".
Indo-European traditions
Pre-Christian and pre-Islamic goddesses in cultures that spoke Indo-European languages.
Indian
Agneya: or Aagneya is the Hindu Goddess of Fire. Prithivi: the Earth, also appears as a goddess. Rivers are also deified as goddesses. Ushas: is the main goddess of the Rigveda and is the goddess of the dawn. Varuni: is the Hindu Goddess of Water. Bhumi, Janani, Buvana, and Prithvi are names of the Hindu Goddess of Earth.
Iranian Anahita: or Nahid, or Arədvī Sūrā Anāhitā, or Aban: the divinity of "the Waters" and hence associated with fertility, healing, beauty and wisdom. Ashi: a divinity of fertility and fortune in the Zoroastrian hierarchy of yazatas. Daena: a divinity, counted among the yazatas, representing insight and revelation, hence "conscience" or "religion". Spenta Armaiti: or Sandaramet, one of the Amesha Spentas, a female divinity associated with earth and Mother Nature. She is also associated with the female virtue of devotion (to family, husband, and child). In the Iranian calendar, her name is on the twelfth month and also the fifth day of the month.
Greco-Roman
Eleusinian Mysteries: Baubo (goddess of mirth), Demeter (goddess of the harvest) and Persephone (goddess of spring, queen of the Underworld as the wife of Hades). Greek muses: Calliope (goddess of epic poetry), Clio (history), Erato (love poetry), Euterpe (music, song, and lyric poetry), Melpomene (tragedy), Polyhymnia (sacred poetry), Terpsichore (dance), Thalia (comedy and pastoral poetry), and Urania (astronomy). Aphrodite: Goddess of love and beauty. Artemis: Virgin goddess of the wilderness and the hunt. Athena: Virgin goddess of strategy, warfare, and crafts. Eris: Goddess of chaos. Gaia: Primordial goddess of the Earth. Most gods descend from her. Hecate: Goddess of sorcery and crossroads. Often considered a chthonic or lunar goddess. She is either portrayed as a single goddess or a triple goddess (maiden, mother, crone). Hera: Goddess of womanhood, marriage and childbirth, queen of Olympus as the wife of Zeus. Hestia: Virgin goddess of the hearth, domesticity and family. Iris: Goddess of rainbows. Leto: Titan goddess of childhood. Nike: Goddess of victory. She is predominantly pictured with Zeus or Athena and sometimes Ares. Selene: Titan goddess of the Moon. Rhea: Titan goddess of motherhood.
Celtic
Goddesses and otherworldly women in Celtic polytheism include:
Celtic antiquity: Brigantia Gallo-Roman goddesses: Epona, Dea Matrona Irish mythology: Áine, Boann, Brigid, The Cailleach, Danu, Ériu, Fand and The Morrígan (Nemain, Macha, and Badb) among others.
The Celts honoured goddesses of nature and natural forces, as well as those connected with skills and professions such as healing, warfare and poetry. Celtic goddesses have diverse qualities such as abundance, creation, and beauty, as well as harshness, slaughter, and vengeance. They have been depicted as beautiful or hideous, old hags or young women, and at times may transform their appearance from one state to another, or into their associated creatures such as crows, cows, wolves or eels, to name but a few. In Irish mythology in particular, tutelary goddesses are often associated with sovereignty and various features of the land, notably mountains, rivers, forests and holy wells.
Germanic
Surviving accounts of Germanic mythology and Norse mythology contain numerous tales of female goddesses, giantesses, and divine female figures in their scriptures. The Germanic peoples had altars erected to the "Mothers and Matrons" and held celebrations specific to these goddesses (such as the Anglo-Saxon "Mothers-night"). Various other female deities are attested among the Germanic peoples, such as Nerthus attested in an early account of the Germanic peoples, Ēostre attested among the pagan Anglo-Saxons, and Sinthgunt attested among the pagan continental Germanic peoples. Examples of goddesses attested in Norse mythology include Frigg (wife of Odin, and the Anglo-Saxon version of whom is namesake of the modern English weekday Friday), Skaði (one time wife of Njörðr), Njerda (Scandinavian name of Nerthus), that also was married to Njörðr during Bronze Age, Freyja (wife of Óðr), Sif (wife of Thor), Gerðr (wife of Freyr), and personifications such as Jörð (earth), Sól (the sun), and Nótt (night). Female deities also play heavily into the Norse concept of death, where half of those slain in battle enter Freyja's field Fólkvangr, Hel's realm of the same name, and Rán who receives those who die at sea. Other female deities such as the valkyries, the norns, and the dísir are associated with a Germanic concept of fate (Old Norse Ørlög, Old English Wyrd), and celebrations were held in their honour, such as the Dísablót and Disting.
Pre-Columbian America Aztec
Chalchiuhtlicue: goddess of water (rivers, seas, storms, etc.) Jade symbolizes both the femininity of the goddess and water, since jade metaphorically denotes water due to the similarity of color and brilliance between water and jadeDehouve, D. (2020). THE RULES OF CONSTRUCTION OF AN AZTEC DEITY: CHALCHIUHTLICUE, THE GODDESS OF WATER. Ancient Mesoamerica, 31(1), 7–28. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0956536118000056.
Chantico: goddess of the hearth, flames Coyolxauhqui: warrior goddess associated with the moon Duality Earth Goddesses: Cihuacoatl (childbirth and maternal death), Coatlicue (earth as the womb and grave), Tlazolteotl (filth and purification) Itzpapalotl: monstrous ruler of Tamoanchan (a paradise realm) Mictecacihuatl: queen of Mictlan (the underworld) Xochiquetzal: goddess of fertility, beauty, and female sexuality In Aztec art, the concept of women is shown through skirts. Not only skirts but also necklaces with jade and pectorals can imply femininityDehouve, Danièle. “The Rules of Construction of an Aztec Deity: Chalchiuhtlicue, the Goddess of Water.” Ancient Mesoamerica 31, no. 1 (2020): p.23. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0956536118000056..
Maya
Ixchel: mother goddess Maya moon goddess Goddess I: eroticism, human procreation, and marriage
Inca
Pachamama: the supreme Mother Earth Mama Killa: moon goddess Mama Ocllo: fertility goddess Mama Cocha: goddess of the sea and lakes
Native North America Goddesses of various Native North American peoples include:
Spider Grandmother: Creator goddess of the Southwestern United States Atahensic: Iroquois sky goddess Atira: Pawnee earth and corn goddess Tia: Haida goddess of peaceful death Sedna: Inuit goddess of the sea and underworld Atabey: Taino mother goddess
Folk religion and animism
African religions