Dictionary Of God And Godedesses

Bagala 43BabiMalevolent god. Egyptian. Known from as earlyas the Old Kingdom (circa 2700 BC). Babi isseen as a violent and hostile deity whose presencecan be highly dangerous during the ceremonyof the Weighing of the Heart in the Hallof the Two Truths (see also AMMUT). Converselyhe can also act in a protective capacity.Closely associated with sexual virility in theunderworld, Babi is ithyphallic. A god active inthe darkness, his penis serves variously as themast on the underworld ferry boat, and the bolton heaven’s doors. Depicted as an ithyphallicmale baboon.BacabsAttendant gods. Mayan (classical Mesoamerican)[Mexico]. Four deities identified with points ofthe compass and colors, thus Hobnil (red) residesin the east, Can Tzicnal (white) in the north, ZacCimi (black) in the west and Hozanek (yellow) inthe south. They are also identified as the Toliloch(opossum actors) in the Codex Dresden, whereeach carries the image of the ruling god for theincoming year on his back. Hobnil is also a patrondeity of beekeepers.BacaxLocal god. Roman-North African. A rare exampleof a named deity from this region, thought tohave been worshiped as a cave god. Known frominscription at Cirta [Constantine].BACCHUSORIGIN Roman. God of wine and intoxication.KNOWN PERIOD OF WORSHIP circa 400 BC toAD 400.SYNONYMS LIBER; DIONYSOS (Greek).CENTER(S) OF CULT throughout Roman world.ART REFERENCES sculptures and reliefs.LITERARY SOURCES Aeneid (Virgil) etc.Bacchus is modeled closely on the Greek godDIONYSOS. In Roman mythology his parents areJUPITER and SEMELE, the daughter of Kadmos, whobecame deified only after her death by fire onOlympus. Bacchus grew up through childhood witha wet-nurse Ino (LEUKOTHEA). As a youth he wasentrusted to the satyr Silenus. He is depicted as ayouthful figure wearing an ivy or grape crown andcarrying a wand or thyrsus. He is also frequentlydrawn riding in a chariot pulled by leopards.As god of wine and intoxication, his courtincludes the female Bacchantes, nymphs, faunsand satyrs. Bacchus was worshiped extensivelyand commanded a number of festivals includingthe Liberalia and Bacchanalia. These possessstrongly phallic connotations and on occasionsthe god was represented by a model phallus.BadbWar goddess. Celtic (Irish). One of the aspects ofthe MORRIGAN. Capable of changing shape atwill. She confronts the Irish hero Cu Chulainnbefore a battle and terrifies him by turning intoBadb Catha, the crow and harbinger of death.Badi MataMother goddess. Hindu [northern Indian]. ASAKTI and one of the seven SAPTAMATARAS(mothers) who in later Hinduism becameregarded as of evil intent, attacking childrenduring puberty. Particularly recognized in Bengal.Bagala (power of cruelty)Goddess. Hindu. One of a group of tenMAHAVIDYAS personifying the SAKTI of ŠIVA.Aspects include VIRARATRI.