Dictionary Of God And Godedesses

Mena 195contrast to this imagery, his home is said to be ina cave and he takes the animal guise of a raven.Gadeira/Cadiz were renamed the Pillars of Herculesby the Romans.Mehet-Weret (great flood)Minor goddess associated with creation accounts.Egyptian. In some versions of the story she epitomizesthe primeval ocean, while in others she isthe waterway on which the barque of the sun godRE travels. She is depicted as a cow bearing a sundisc between its horns and lying on papyrus reeds.MelloniaGoddess of bees. Roman.MELQARTORIGIN Phoenician [Turkey]. Heroic tutelarygod.KNOWN PERIOD OF WORSHIP circa 1200 BC to200 BC.SYNONYMS Milk-quart.CENTER(S) OF CULT Tyre.ART REFERENCES possibly sculptures in stone.LITERARY SOURCES Herodotus and local inscriptions;Vetus Testamentum.A god of youthful appearance often associatedwith the sea. Known mainly from Tyre, where hewas regarded as the consort of ASTARTE and probablyconstituted part of a trio of major deitieswith BAAL ŠAMIN and Astarte. He may bedepicted on coinage riding a sea-horse. The cultof Melqart spread extensively through Egypt,Carthage, Cyprus, etc. Melqart equates withEŠMUN, the tutelary god of Sidon. Known inHebrew tradition as the ruler of the underworldand probably based on the Sumerian/AkkadianNERGAL. In Hellenic times he becomes definedmore as a sun god, but is largely syncretized withHERAKLES. The pillars in the sanctuary atMe’mdeye-Eci’eFire spirit. Yukaghir [eastern Siberia]. A benevolentbeing residing in the sky and known as “father fire.”MenMoon god. Phrygian [Turkey]. Ruler of bothupper and lower worlds. Probably also a god ofhealing, he was subsequently adopted by theGreeks and Romans. The cult was popular duringthe imperial period, but its inscriptions were writtenin Greek.Men AscaenusLocal tutelary god. Antioch-near-Pisidia. Possiblyoriginating as a Persian moon god and knownchiefly from a description by Strabo. He enjoyeda substantial cult including a temple some 1,200meters above sea level. His symbol is the head ofa bull above a crescent moon and wreath; itappears on local coinage circa AD 200. The popularityof the cult earned antagonism from theRoman occupation.See also MEN.Men ShenGod of passage. Chinese. One of a pair of deities,armed with bow and arrows, who guard doorwaysand gates. Paper images are pinned toentrances of homes during the New Year celebrationsto ward off evil spirits.MenaMountain goddess. Hindu. The consort of HIMA-VAN and the mother of GANGA and PARVATI.