Pantheon
Every entry the archive files to this pantheon, with the record for each shown as it stands.
62 entries
These three are recorded for the Inca pantheon as a whole. The archive holds no separate culture, civilization or period for the individual entries below.
Entries
Showing 1–62 of 62, alphabetically.
Animal worship is an umbrella term designating religious or ritual practices involving animals. This includes the worship of animal deities or animal sacrifice. An animal 'cult' is formed when a species is taken to represent a religious figure.
In the ancient religion and mythology of Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia, an apu is the term used to describe the spirits of mountains and sometimes solitary rocks, typically displaying anthropomorphic features, that protect the local people.
Axomamma is a goddess of potatoes in Inca mythology. She is one of the daughters of Pachamama, the earth mother. Potatoes form a vital part of the food supply of the Incan people, and most villages had a particularly odd-shaped potato to worship and to beg for a good harvest.
Bear worship is the religious practice of the worshipping of bears. This variety of animal worship is found in many North Eurasian ethnic religions such as those of the Sami, Nivkh, Ainu, Basques, Germanic peoples, Slavs and Finns. There are also a number of deities from Celtic Gaul and Britain associated with the bear.
Đạo Bửu Sơn Kỳ Hương refers to a religious tradition originally practiced by the mystic Đoàn Minh Huyên (1807–1856) and continued by Huỳnh Phú Sổ, founder of the Hòa Hảo sect. The phrase itself refers to the Thất Sơn range on the Vietnamese-Cambodian border, where Huyên, claiming to be a living Buddha sent into the world to rescue humankind, and accepted as such by followers of Hòa Hảo, is said to have made his first appearance in 1849.
A demon is an evil or malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in folklore, mythology, religion, occultism, and literature; these beliefs are reflected in media including fiction, comics, film, television, and video games. Belief in demons probably goes back to the Paleolithic age, stemming from humanity's fear of the unknown, the strange and the horrific.
A dying-and-rising god, life–death–rebirth deity, or resurrection deity is a religious motif in which a god or goddess dies and is resurrected. Examples of gods who die and later return to life are most often cited from the religions of the ancient Near East. The traditions influenced by them include the Greco-Roman mythology.
The Ekeko is the Tiwanakan god of abundance and prosperity in the mythology and folklore of the people from the Altiplano. Its chief importance in popular culture is as the main figure of the annual Alasitas fair, a cultural event that happens every January 24 in La Paz, Bolivia. The Ekeko is a traditional god of luck and prosperity popular in the western region of Bolivia.
A holy well or sacred spring is a well, spring or small pool of water revered either in a Christian or pagan context, sometimes both. The water of holy wells is often thought to have healing qualities, through the numinous presence of its guardian spirit or Christian saint. They often have local legends associated with them; for example in Christian legends, the water is often said to have been made to flow by the action of a saint.
The Huarochirí manuscript is a text in Classical Quechua from the late 16th century, describing myths, religious notions and traditions of the Quechua people of Huarochirí Province. The main roles in the myth are played by mountain deities (Huacas), including the rivals Paryaqaqa and Wallallu Qarwinchu, who also act as protectors of regional ethnicities. This text is an important monument of early colonial Quechua literature, because it is unique in its detailed description of the traditional beliefs of the indigenous Andean population of the former Inca Empire.
Idolatry or idol worship is the worship of an idol as though it were a deity. In Abrahamic religions idolatry connotes the worship of something or someone other than the Abrahamic God as if it were God. In these monotheistic religions, idolatry has been considered as the "worship of false gods" and is forbidden by texts such as the Ten Commandments.
Viracocha is the creator and supreme deity in the pre-Inca and Inca mythology in the Andes region of South America. According to the myth Viracocha had human appearance and was generally considered as bearded. According to the myth he ordered the construction of Tiwanaku.
Inti is the ancient Inca sun god. He is revered as the national patron of the Inca state. Although most consider Inti the sun god, he is more appropriately viewed as a cluster of solar aspects, since the Inca divided his identity according to the stages of the sun.
In the pre-Inca mythology of the Lake Titicaca Ka-Ata-Killa is the moon goddess.
Mama Quilla, in Inca mythology and religion, was the third power and goddess of the moon. She was the older sister and wife of Inti, daughter of Viracocha and mother of Manco Cápac and Mama Uqllu (Mama Ocllo), mythical founders of the Inca empire and culture. She was the goddess of marriage and the menstrual cycle, and considered a defender of women.
In Inca mythology, Mama Ocllo, or more precisely Mama Uqllu, was deified as a mother and fertility goddess. In one legend she was a daughter of Inti and Mama Killa, and in another the daughter of Viracocha (Wiraqucha) and Mama Qucha. In all of them she was the older sister and wife of Manco Cápac, whom she established the city of Cusco with.
Pachamama or Mama Pacha is the Andean deity representing space-time, revered by the peoples of the Andes. In Inca mythology and religion, she is a "mother goddess" type deity, representing the universal energy that connects everything, linked to space, time, the universe, totality, life, fertility, and nature. She is considered an omnipresent deity with creative power, capable of sustaining life in the cosmos.
Mama Qucha or Mama Cocha is the ancient Incan goddess of sea and fishes, guardian of sailors and fishermen, wife of Wiraqucha, mother of Inti and Mama Killa. She was commonly worshipped to calm rough waters and to obtain good fishing, and was considered one of the four Elemental Mothers. The word mama in Mama Qucha comes from the Quechua language, where it means "mother"; this usage predates Spanish contact and appears widely in names of Andean deities such as Pachamama and Mama Quilla.
Mama Quilla, in Inca mythology and religion, was the third power and goddess of the moon. She was the older sister and wife of Inti, daughter of Viracocha and mother of Manco Cápac and Mama Uqllu (Mama Ocllo), mythical founders of the Inca empire and culture. She was the goddess of marriage and the menstrual cycle, and considered a defender of women.
Manco Cápac, also known as Manco Inca and Ayar Manco, was, according to some historians, the first governor and founder of the Inca civilisation in Cusco, possibly in the early 13th century. He is also a main figure of Inca mythology, being the protagonist of the two best known legends about the origin of the Inca, both of them connecting him to the foundation of Cusco. His main wife and the mother of his son and successor, Sinchi Ruq'a, was his sister Mama Uqllu.
Pachacamac or Pacha Kamaq is the creator god and animator of the entire universe. Likewise, he was the one who controlled the balance in the world.
Pachamama or Mama Pacha is the Andean deity representing space-time, revered by the peoples of the Andes. In Inca mythology and religion, she is a "mother goddess" type deity, representing the universal energy that connects everything, linked to space, time, the universe, totality, life, fertility, and nature. She is considered an omnipresent deity with creative power, capable of sustaining life in the cosmos.
In Incan and pre-Incan mythology, Pariacaca was a god of storms, as well as a creator god. His life is described in the first chapter of the Huarochirí Manuscript.
Russian Authentism, incorporated as the Thesaurus Non-Confessional Spiritual Union, is a Rodnover philosophy and psychological practice originally founded in 1984 by Sergey Petrovich Semyonov in Saint Petersburg. Semyonov also termed his doctrine Russian Vedism, a name shared by many other currents within Rodnovery. The adherents of the philosophical doctrine are called Authentists, while the core members of the Thesaurus Union are called Thesaurites.
Sacred mountains are central to certain religions, and are usually the subjects of many legends. For many, the most symbolic aspect of a mountain is the peak because it is believed that it is closest to heaven or other religious realms. Many religions have traditions centered on sacred mountains, which either are or were considered holy or are related to famous events.
A sacred place or holy site is a location which is regarded to be sacred or hallowed. The sacredness of a natural feature may accrue through tradition or be granted through a blessing. One or more religions may consider sacred locations to be of special significance.
Sanamahism, also known as Meiteism, or Lainingthouism is an ethnic religion of the Meitei people of Manipur, in Northeast India. It is a polytheistic religion and is named after Lainingthou Sanamahi, one of the most important deities of the Meitei faith. Sanamahi is the eldest son of the supreme god Sidaba Mapu and the supreme goddess Leimarel Sidabi.
Sant Mat, also known as the Sant movement, was a spiritual movement on the Indian subcontinent during the 13th–17th centuries CE. The name literally means "teachings of sants", i. e.
Sikh sects, denominations, traditions, movements, sub-traditions, also known as sampardai in the Punjabi language, are sub-traditions within Sikhism with different approaches to practicing the religion. Sampradas believe in one God, typically rejecting both idol worship and castes. Different interpretations have emerged over time, some of which have a living teacher as the leader.
Secular theology is a term applied to theological positions influenced by humanism and secularism, rejecting supernatural metaphysical positions related to the nature of God. Secular theology can accommodate a belief in God, like many nature religions, but as residing in this world and not separately from it.
Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It is rooted in the belief that the Islamic prophet Muhammad explicitly designated his cousin and son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib as his rightful political successor (caliph) and the divinely guided spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). Shia Muslims maintain that Ali's divine right to leadership was unjustly usurped at the meeting of Saqifa, where certain companions of Muhammad apparently acted against the Prophet's mandate to appoint Abu Bakr as caliph.
Spiritual Christianity is the group of belief systems held by so-called heterodox ethnic Russians, folk Protestants, including non-Eastern Orthodox indigenous faith tribes and new religious movements that emerged in the Russian Empire. Their origins are varied: some come from Protestant movements imported from Europe to Russia by missionaries, travelers and workers; others from dissatisfaction with the perceived misbehavior of Orthodox priests, still others from the Bezpopovtsy Raskolniks. Those influences, mixed with indigenous folk traditions, resulted in communities of heretics that are collectively called sektanty.
Spiritualism is a social religious movement popular in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, according to which an individual's awareness persists after death and may be contacted by the living. The afterlife, or the "spirit world", is seen by spiritualists not as a static place, but as one in which spirits continue to interact and evolve. These two beliefs—that contact with spirits is possible, and that spirits are more advanced than humans—lead spiritualists to the belief that spirits are capable of advising the living on moral and ethical issues and the nature of God.
The meaning of spirituality has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape of man", oriented at "the image of God" as exemplified by the founders and sacred texts of the religions of the world. The term was used within early Christianity to refer to a life oriented toward the Holy Spirit and broadened during the Late Middle Ages to include mental aspects of life.
Sri Vaishnavism is a denomination within the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism, predominantly practiced in South India. The name refers to goddess Lakshmi, as well as a prefix that means "sacred, revered", and the god Vishnu, who are together revered in this tradition.
In "Southern Andean Iconographic Series" the Staff God pose is a religious icon and a standardized pose reminiscent in its way of the standardized poses in Byzantine art. The pose shows a front-facing human or human-like figure with vertical attributes, one in each hand. There is no uniform representation of a "Staff God".
Subud is an international and interfaith spiritual movement that originated in Indonesia in the 1920s. It was founded by Muhammad Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo (1901–1987). The central practice of Subud is a spiritual exercise known as the latihan kejiwaan, which Muhammad Subuh described as receiving guidance from "the Power of God" or "the Great Life Force.
The Sun of May is one of the national symbols of the Río de la Plata countries of Argentina and Uruguay, featured in their respective flags and coats of arms. It is named after the May Revolution of 1810, the event that catalyzed the Independence process in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. It is also known as the Inca sun, since the most widespread explanation of its meaning is that it represents Inti, the solar god of the Incas.
In the Quechua, Aymara, and Inca mythologies, Supay was originally an ambivalent spirit, both benevolent and harmful, a denizen of the Incan netherworld. He is a central figure in the Andean worldview, particularly in the Inca and Quechua-Aymara traditions. He is not a simple "demon" in the Christian sense, but rather an ambivalent deity embodying the positive and negative forces of the universe.
The Swaminarayan Sampradaya, also known as Swaminarayan Hinduism and Swaminarayan movement, is a Hindu Vaishnava sampradaya rooted in Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita, characterized by the worship of its charismatic founder Sahajanand Swami, better known as Swaminarayan (1781–1830), whom many regard as an avatar of Krishna or as the highest manifestation of Purushottam, the supreme God. According to the tradition's lore, both the religious group and Sahajanand Swami became known as Swaminarayan after the Swaminarayan mantra, which is a compound of two Sanskrit words, swami and Narayan.
Tengrism is a belief system originating in the Eurasian steppes, based on shamanism and animism. It generally involves the titular sky god Tengri. According to some scholars, adherents of Tengrism view the purpose of life as to be in harmony with the universe.
Tenrikyo is a Japanese new religion which is neither strictly monotheistic nor pantheistic, originating from the teachings of a 19th-century woman named Nakayama Miki, known to her followers as "Oyasama". Followers of Tenrikyo believe that God of Origin, God in Truth, known by several names including "Tsukihi," "Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto" and "Oyagamisama" revealed divine intent through Miki Nakayama as the Shrine of God and to a lesser extent the roles of the Honseki Izo Iburi and other leaders. Tenrikyo's worldly aim is to teach and promote the Joyous Life, which is cultivated through acts of charity and mindfulness called hinokishin.
Theism is broadly defined as the belief in the existence of at least one deity. In common parlance, or when contrasted with deism, the term often describes the philosophical conception of God that is found in classical theism—or the conception found in monotheism—or deities found in polytheistic religions—or a belief in God or gods without the rejection of revelation, as is characteristic of deism.
Theocracy or ethiocracy is a form of autocracy or oligarchy in which one or more deities are recognized as supreme ruling authorities giving divine guidance to human intermediaries with executive, legislative or judicial power who manage the government's daily affairs.
Theravāda is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed Theravādins, have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or Dhamma in the Pāli Canon for over two millennia. As of 2010, Theravāda is the second largest branch of Buddhism, with 36% of Buddhists belonging to Theravāda, compared to 53% to Mahāyāna.
A totem is a spirit being, sacred object, or symbol that serves as an emblem of a group of people, such as a family, clan, lineage, or tribe, such as in the Anishinaabe clan system.
Trinidad Orisha, also known as Orisha religion and Shango, is a syncretic religion in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean, originally from West Africa. Trinidad Orisha incorporates elements of Spiritual Baptism, and the closeness between Orisha and Spiritual Baptism has led to use of the term "Shango Baptist" to refer to members of either or both religions. Anthropologist James Houk described Trinidad Orisha as an "Afro-American religious complex", incorporating elements mainly from traditional African religion and Yoruba and including some elements from Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, Baháʼí, and Amerindian mythologies.
Twelver Shi'ism is the largest branch of Shia Islam. Twelver Shi'as believe that the Twelve Imams are divinely appointed as both spiritual and political successors to the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and that they possess special knowledge and authority to guide the Muslim community. According to Twelver theology, the Twelve Imams are exemplary human individuals who rule over the Muslim community (Ummah) with justice, and are able to preserve and interpret the Islamic law (Sharia) and the esoteric meaning of the Qur'an.
Unitarianism is a nontrinitarian movement of Christianity, which affirms the unitary nature of God as the singular and unique creator of the universe. Unitarian theology critiques the traditional Christian theology of the Trinity, which regarded God as three distinct but unified beings—transcendent Creator God, human Savior God, and immanent Spiritual God. Unitarians viewed this understanding of God as a later theological corruption, and they embraced a view of God as a singular, unified entity; in most Unitarian theological interpretations, Jesus Christ retains highest respect as a spiritual and moral teacher of unparalleled insight and sensitivity, with his divine nature as the Son of God being subordinate to the Creator God.
Urcuchillay, sometimes spelled as Urcachillay, was a god worshiped by Incan herders, believed to be a multicolored male llama who watched over animals. It was said to be the incarnation of the constellation Lyra, as Urcuchillay was the name given to both the constellation and the deity. The IAU Working Group on Star Names adopted the name Urquchillay for the star Zeta2 Lyrae in this constellation in 2026.
Vajrayāna, otherwise known as Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, is a vehicle of the Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition that emphasizes esoteric practices and rituals aimed at rapid spiritual awakening. Emerging between the 5th and 7th centuries CE in medieval India, Vajrayāna Buddhism incorporates a range of techniques, including the use of mantras, dhāraṇīs, mudrās, mandalās, and the visualization of deities and Buddhas. These practices are designed to transform ordinary experiences into spiritual paths toward enlightenment and liberation, often by engaging with aspects of desire and aversion in a ritualized context.
In ancient Rome, the Vestal Virgins or Vestals were priestesses of Vesta, virgin goddess of Rome's sacred hearth and its flame.
In Inca mythology, Vichama is the god of death and the son of Inti. His mother was murdered by his half-brother Pacha Kamaq, and he took revenge by turning the humans who were created by Pachacamac into rocks and islands. Afterwards he hatched three eggs from which a new race of humans was born.
Viracocha is the creator and supreme deity in the pre-Inca and Inca mythology in the Andes region of South America. According to the myth Viracocha had human appearance and was generally considered as bearded. According to the myth he ordered the construction of Tiwanaku.
Vārkari meaning: 'The one who performs the Vari' is a sampradaya within the Bhakti spiritual tradition of Hinduism, geographically associated with the Indian state of Maharashtra. Varkaris worship Krishna as Vitthal, the presiding deity of Pandharpur, regarded as a form of Vishnu, and his consort Rukmini as Rakhumai, regarded as a form of Lakshmi. Saints and gurus of the bhakti movement associated with the tradition include Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Chokhamela, Eknath, and Tukaram, all of whom are accorded the title of Sant.
Willka Raymi is a feast celebrated in the Cusco Region in Peru. It is the representation of the traditional offering ceremony to Pachamama. The celebrations are held annually on August (24th) in the archaeological complex of Pisac.
The cosmic egg, world egg or mundane egg is a mythological motif found in the cosmogonies of many cultures and civilizations, including in Proto-Indo-European mythology. Typically, there is an egg which, upon "hatching", either gives rise to the universe itself or gives rise to a primordial being who, in turn, creates the universe. The egg is sometimes lain on the primordial waters of the Earth.
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity or God. For many, worship is not about an emotion, it is more about a recognition of a God. An act of worship may be performed individually, in an informal or formal group, or by a designated leader.
The worship of heavenly bodies is the veneration of stars, the planets, or other astronomical objects as deities, or the association of deities with heavenly bodies. In anthropological literature, these systems of practice may be referred to as astral cults.
The Xiantiandao, or known as Blue/Green Lotus sect (青蓮教), also simply Tiandao, is one of the most productive currents of Chinese folk religious sects such as the White Lotus Sect, characterised by representing the principle of divinity as feminine and by a concern for salvation of mankind.
Zalmoxianism or Zamolxianism is a Neopagan movement in Romania which promotes the rebuilding of an ethnic religion and spirituality of the Romanians through a process of reconnection to their ancient Dacian and Thracian roots. The religion takes its name from Zalmoxis or Zamolxe, at the same time the name of the primordial god and the archetype of the enlightened man in Paleo-Balkan mythology. Scholars Bakó and Hubbes (2011) have defined Zalmoxianism, like the other ethnic religious revivals of Europe, as a reconstructionist ethno-paganism.
Zen is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition that developed in China during the Tang dynasty by blending Indian Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Yogacara and Madhyamaka philosophies, with Chinese Taoist thought, especially Neo-Daoist. Zen originated as the Chan school or the Buddha-mind school, and later developed into various sub-schools and branches.
Complete index
All 62 names, alphabetically. This pantheon is too small for a letter rail to be worth the space — 62 entries do not fill 26 letters — so it runs as one list.