Dictionary Of God And Godedesses

172 Lao-TszeOnce a mortal being who achieved immortalitythrough perfect lifestyle. Attributes include flowersand a flute.See also BA XIAN.Lao-TszeGod. Taoist (Chinese). Also known as the MostHigh Prince Lao, he is one of the three holy SanCh’ing whose images stand in a Taoist sanctuary.The tutelary god of alchemists. He is the founderof Taoism who, according to tradition was bornwith full command of speech, and with white hair,under a plum tree. His sacred animal is the waterbuffalo.Lar FamiliarisAncestral spirit. Roman. A personal and vaguelydefined deity brought into the house from thesurrounding land.LaraSee LARUNDA.LaranGod of war. Etruscan. Depicted as a youtharmed with a lance and helmet and dressed in acape.LaresHearth deities. Roman. The lares are a peculiarlyRoman innovation. Two children, born of a liaisonbetween the god Mercury and a mute naiad,Lara, whose tongue had been cut out by Jupiter,became widely revered by Romans as houseguardians. Iconographically they are depicted inthe guise of monkeys covered with dog skins witha barking dog at their feet.See also LARUNDA, MERCURIUS.LarundaChthonic goddess. Sabine. An early Italic earthmother who, in Roman times, according to sometraditions, became the mother of the LARES. AlsoLara (Roman).Lasya (dancing girl)Mother goddess. Buddhist-Lamaist [Tibet]. Oneof the group of ASTAMATARAS (mothers). She isgenerally depicted dancing the lasya dance.Color: white. Attribute: a mirror. Also the genericname of a group of four goddesses, includingGITA, MALA, NRTYA and headed by LASYA.LatipanCreator god. Canaanite.See also IL.LauSpirit beings. Andaman Islands [Sea of Bengal].Generally invisible but perceived in humanform and living in the jungles and the sea.When an Andaman islander dies he or shebecomes a lau.Lauka MateGoddess of agriculture. Pre-Christian Latvian.Worshiped in the fields at ploughing time.Laukika-DevatasGeneric name for a group of deities. Hindu. Godsknown from local folklore as distinct from thoseof the Vedic texts.LavernaChthonic underworld goddess. Italic. Propitiatedby libations poured with the left hand.