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Nabongo The supreme deity of the Abaluyia. Kenya Nabu Near Eastern (Babylonian) god of wisdom, speech, eloquence, and writing. Son of Marduk. Nab’Wen The sky god whose wife is Teng. The Kusal, Ghana Naenia Roman goddess of funerals. Her name means "dirge". Nagaitco Great Traveler, the moon, who created the earth and all on it. He taught men the arts but also introduced dissension. He was subordinate to Tcenes. He was also called Kyoi. The Kato and the Sinkyone, California naghe’ nezghani Monster Slayer, twin of tobadjictcini, child-of-the-water. A sky being and intermediary between man and the deities. The Navajo, Arizona Nagi Tanka The powerful Great Spirit who was also called Taku Sjanskan, the sky. The Oglala Dakota, North and South Dakota Naguset, Sa’gama The sun was the creator god and worshipped at sunrise and at sunset. The Micmac, Maritime Provinces, Canada Naicje’etcó diłxiłn In one creation version ”large black spider” was one of the four who created the earth and sky. The San Carlos Apache, Arizona Naijok The benevolent but sacrifice-demanding supreme being of the Lotuko. Also called Ajob, Lajok, Najok, referring to different aspects. Sudan Naimuena a great ancestral spirit worshipped as a supreme being, the creator, and a vegetation god. The Uitoto, Colombia and Ecuador Nainema, Nainuema The self-existent, always existent god, who created the universe and all things out of a dream, a ”Phantasm.” The Uitoto, Colombia Ñaiñinen The supreme being, known by numerous names, is sometimes identified with the sun. He ”is particularly concerned in birth. He sends the souls of the new-born into the wombs of their mothers” and determines the length of life. He is the father of Yahal, Cloud Man, and Yahalñaut, Cloud Woman. The Koryak, Siberia Nai No Kami Japanese god of earthquakes. Naiyenesgani A god who created ”the world of the body of Yolgaiisdzan, his grandmother.” The Jicarilla Apache. Among other tribes he is the grandson of Ests’unnadlehi. New Mexico Nakk Finnish water spirit considered evil. It lives in the deepest water. Najok A name or aspect of the supreme being (in feminine form) when ”applied to sickness.” The Lotuko, Sudan Nakwuge The supreme being of the Toposa (Central Nilo-Hamites) who lives in the sky and is indifferent to man though he is ”believed to determine the length of a man’s life.: Sudan Nalban-Aiy A benevolent sky goddess who is also the creator. Also called Kubay-Khotum-La. The Yakut, Siberia Nałuletcu diłxiłn Black Big Spider, pre-existent. One of the four primordial beings of one of the creation myths. The San Carlos Apache, Arizona Namakon A god of the sky. The Huanyam, Western Matto Grosso, South Africa Namakungwe ”Originator, He from whom all things came. The Ila, Zambia Ñamandu The chief deity and giver of life is invoked for game, for good health. He lives in the east. The Guarani, Paraguay/Brazil Nambajandi God of ”Cadijia (heaven), the region of delight and abundant game.” The Watchandi, Australia Nambi A sky goddess who came to earth and married Kintu, the first man. Daughter of Gulu. The Baganda, Uganda gNam gyi Iha rgod thog pa (pr. Nam gyi Iha Göthokpa) God of heaven, of the sky, and consort of A phyi gung rgal (gNam phyi gung rgal) goddess of heaven. The Bon Tibet Nam-k’ahi-ñin-po, Ākāsagarbha(Sanskrit) a celestial Bodhisat, The ”matrix of the sky.” Tibet gNam Iha byang sman mthing gi go zu can a bon goddess-probably a sky goddess. Tibet gNam-Iha dkar-mo The ”White Goddess of Heaven.” Vicinity of Mount Everest. Tibet nam-mk’ahi snin-po, Nam mkhahi-sning-po A Dhyani-Bodhisattva, The ”Essence of the Void Space above.” Akasagarbha. Tibet Nam mkha’g∙yu mdog snang srid mdzod A Bon sky goddess who causes the disturbances of the elements. Tibet Nam mkha’I Iha mo gsal byed ma A Tibetan sky goddess. Nam mkha’I Iha mo Kun tu bzang mo A sky goddess invoked in pollution-eliminating ceremonies. Tibet Nam mkha’I Iha mo snyoms byed ma A Tibetan sky goddess residing in the northwest. Nam mkha’I Iha mo sprin tshogs ma A sky goddess residing in the northeast. A goddess of weather. Tibet Nam mkha’I Iha mo tsha gsang snyoms A sky and weather goddess residing in the southwest. Tibet Nam mkha’I Iha mo tshod ‘dzin ma A sky and weather goddess residing in the southeast. Tibet Nammu Sumerian goddess of the primeval sea. Mother of An, the heaven god, and Ki, the earth goddess. Asia Minor Namulenga, Namalenga A creator god of the Ila. Also of the Nyanja. Zambia/Malawi Namwanga A supreme sky god who controls the elements. Zaire Nan The supreme god of the Yergum, the Anga, Pe, Montoil, Sura, Mumbeke. He is the giver of rain and is invoked for a good harvest. Among the Angas and the Bachama he ”receives the souls of good men.” Nigeria Nana African earth goddess. Mother of Omolu. Nanabojou, Nanabozhu One of the names of the Great Hare. See Michabo. Algonquin Indians, Unites States and Canada Nana-Buluku, Nanan-nouclou The androgynous creator deity, parent of Mawu-Lisa, or Mawu and Lisa, as twins. Dahomey Na-naki-me A heavenly goddess (pheasant) sent to the earth to check on the Heavenly Kamis sent to subdue the Earthly Kamis. Japan Ñanderuvucu ”Our Great Father, who now resides in a dark region which he lights with the glimmer of his chest.” It is believed that one day he will again destroy the world. The Apapocuva-Guarani, Paraguay/Brazil sNang ba ‘od Idan (pr. Nangwa öden), Kun snang khyab pa Khri khug rgyal poa The creator in Bon cosmogony wherein there are ”two aspects, the exterior world (phyi snod) and that contained within it (Bcud).” Tibet Nanginath God as sky in Temein. Nuba Mountains, Sudan Nanih Waiya The creator god. The Choctaw, Georgia/Alabama Nanna Norse (Scandinavian) great goddess of earth. Mother goddess, symbolizes the moon and fertility. Na Nwen The sky god of the Loberu, whose wife is Teng. Ghana Na Nwene The sky god of the Dagare, whose wife is Tenga. Ghana Nantosuelta Celtic (Gaul) goddess of nature, valley, and streams. Her symbol, like the Celtic (Irish) goddess Morrigan's, is a raven. Narayanaa The cosmic supreme god associated with the primeval waters who manifests himself in Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra. India Narỉwiinyapah The Immortal Water, Everlasting Water, upon which the primal tetrad floated in a basket. After the earth was created Tavutsi caused the waters to splash all over it forming streams, lakes, etc. The Chemehuevis, California, Nevada and Arizona Naru Kami Japanese goddess of thunder, ruler of trees and the forest, patron of artisans. Nasaye, Nasayi The supreme being and beneficent creator of the universe and all things in it; giver of life and death. The Bahanga, the Kavirondo. Kenya Nascakiyel, Nascakiyetl The ”nearest approach to a supreme deity” that the Tlingit Indians have and from whom ”Raven obtained the sun, moon, stars, and eulachon” (candlefish). He also judges of the dead. Alaska nă thu pen do nă thu pĕ dŏ The omnipresent high god who rules over all the other spirits. A bisexual mother/father spirit who is appealed to in epidemics, rules over the animals of the forest and so is invoked by hunters. The Miao, China Nau (with Nen) and Ni (with Ennit) Variants of the pair of primeval deities who represent the ”watery abyss from which all things sprang.” Egypt Naunet With Nun the primeval pair of deities representing ”the primeval unlimited ocean.” Egypt Nawa The creator of all things is both beneficent and maleficent, providing good hunting, but also sending illness. The Bushmen, South Africa and Namibia Nawen The sky god of the Lobi. Gold Coast, Africa Naxokosse diłxiłn ”black great dipper” (Ursus Major)—one of the four creators of the earth and sky in one version of the creation myth. The San Carlos Apache, Arizona Ncemi The creator—a triune god with Kofangana and Nyomi Ngana. The Bakuba, Zaire Ndahoro The Great Spirit of the Batoro whose assistants are Wmala and Kyomya. Uganda Ndjambi, Ndjambi Karunga, Ndjambi Moungu, Ndjambi Kalunga A beneficent and omnipresent supreme god of dual aspect: as Ndjambi, a heavenly god, as Karunga, a chthonic god with a wife Musisi, both of whom are considered a unity with Ndjambi—forming a bisexual deity. Ndjambi was the creator of the heavens and the earth, the source of rain and atmospheric phenomena; the giver of life as well as of death. The Herero, Namibia. Ndjambi is a name used ”from the Congo tribes in the west to the Rotse people in the east, from the Ngala people in the north to the Herero in the south.” Ndo The omniscient supreme being whose name also means the sky, the firmament, the weather. The Miao, China Ndorombwike A name of the supreme being. Kyala, meaning the creative capacity of the god, the name that is ”used on solemn occasions.” No sacrifices are made to him, but rather to the spirits who intercede. The Konde, Tanzania Ndri A sky deity of the Umundri. Nigeria Ndriananahary The supreme being whose son is Ataokoloinona. Madagascar Ndu (1)The male principle (Yang), who with Sse was considered creator of heaven and earth. The Na-khi, Yunnan Province, China (2)A deity considered by the western Rengmas to have created the earth. India Nebele The creatress of all things except mankind, created by her brother Naka. The Sonjo, Tanzania Neb-er-tcher A name of Ra as the ”lord of the universe.” Egypt Nedamik The creator god who ”subjected the first humans to an ordeal by tickling. Those who laughed were changed into land or water animals….Those humans who maintained self-control became jaguars or men who hunted jaguars. The Toba-Pilaga, Paraguay and Argentina Neith "Lady Of The Sails". Egyptian goddess of war and weaving. She symbolizes strength, love, the moon, and courage. Nekilstlas The raven who was the beneficent creator of all things was always-existent and could transform himself. He provided the Haida with light, water, fire, etc. British Columbia Nemain "Panic". Celtic war goddess. Nemunemu Two brothers who were the creators of the earth and the sky. The ”elder made the mainland and gave his people the bow and stone club, the younger made the islands and the sea, and instructed his people in making spears and burning lime for betel-chewing.” Papua, New Guinea Ne Nanatch The supreme being who hears everything, everywhere. The Gros Ventres, Montana Nen The consort of Nau, the first pair of the primeval gods in the Pyramid Texts (Unas). Egypt Nenechen ”Master of men” and Nenemapun ”Master of the land” Names of the supreme being and creator of all things. As Nenemapun he is invoked in rites for rain and fine weather, for fertility of land and animals, for longevity. This is an androgynous deity, called father/mother, young man/woman, etc. The Mapuche-Huilliche (Araucanians), Chile Nenekicex A benevolent supreme deity and creator. The Kamchadal, Siberia Neo The supreme god, ”the Great Spirit of Life.” The Iroquois, Eastern Unites States Nepelle The ”ruler of the heavens and the father of all spirits.” Australia Nepthys Egyptian goddess of death and mystery. A guardian of the corpse of Osiris along with Isis. Invoke for element of earth. Also called Nebt Het, Nebet Het, Nebthet, or Neb-hut. Nerthus Norse (Scandinavian) earth mother. She symbolizes peace, fertility, the sea, purity, magic, and white witchcraft. Nestis The name used by Empedocles for the personification of the humid element out of which all first materials came. Greece Nesulk The Great Spirit and creator. The Micmac Indians, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada Ne-u A spirit of the sky. Burma Nexhequiriac A god who created nine gods, sons (Shishec, Naac, Yahui, Cuhui, Cunma, Nanec, Yuhuec, Nima, Chunguy—all names preceded by ”Naac”) who helped him create all things on earth. The Trique Tribe, Oaxaca, Mexico Ngai The self-existent and omniscient high god and creator of all things lives in the sky and is manifest in the sun, the moon, the stars, the atmospheric phenomena. His attitude is governed by people’s behavior. Animal sacrifices are made to him only in times of drought or epidemic, or severe troubles. Among the Masai the stars are his eyes at night, the sun by day. The Kikuyu, the Agekoyo, Kenya Ngala The supreme god is a deity of the sky and of the atmosphere, of all its elements. He is identified with the Islamic Allah. The Bambara, Mali. Among the Gbande he is the creator god. Liberia Ngewo The supreme god and creator of all including the spirits. He is otiose though he can be approached with prayers; sends the rain on his wife, Ndoi, the earth. The Mende, Sierra Leone Ngoc Hoang The sky god—”the Emperor of Jade…the supreme ruler of the universe.” Annam Ngulaitait, Nguletet Variant names of Uletet, the supreme being of the Kuku. Sudan Nguleso The supreme being and sky god. The Kakwa, Sudan Nguluve The remote ”first cause” and creator of the world. The Hehe-Bena-Sangu Peoples, Tanzania Nguluvi ”The supreme god of Safwa…often identified with the sun.” Tanzania Nguluwi The supreme being and creator god who bestows children, rain, good fortune, and health. The Wakilwe, Tanzania Ngulwe The remote god and creator of the world. The Kuulwee, Tanzania Ngun, Ngun lo ki, Ngun lo kak The beneficent creator god and one of duality: Ngun lo ki, the celestial aspect, associated with rain and lightning; Ngun lo kak, the chthonic aspect. The Bari, the Mondari, the Pojulu. Sudan Ngunyari A sky god important in initiation ceremonies having made the bull-roarer and established the rules regarding it. The Ungarinyin, Australia Nguruhi The all-powerful but remote supreme being and creator who controls the elements and human destiny, but leaves daily occurrences to the influence of the ancestor spirits. The Wahehe, East Africa Nguruvi The supreme being and creator god who is sometimes manifest as the sun, sometimes ”described as being like the wind and invisible.” He punishes with epidemics. The Safwa, Tanzania Ni See Nau Niamh Celtic (Irish) goddess of beauty and brightness. Helps heroes at their death. Nigsillik A sky god feared as dangerous, killing those who offend him. The Copper Eskimos, Canada Nike Greek winged goddess of victory. Also known as Victoria [Roman] Ninavanhu-Ma Mother goddess and creator. South Africa Ninewu The creator and instructor ”in behavior and work.” The Tson, Formosa Ningkong wa The god who combined the three skies and earths which appeared and placed them in position. Then with his brothers he formed the earth’s surface. When the earth was habitable he formed man. The Katchins, Burma Nangpang majan The primordial mother of the gods. The Katchins, Burma Ningsang Woishun Youngest son of Ningsin and Ningthoi, a third generation deity and father of the fourth generation deities. He is master of the sky. His wife was Phungkam Janun who died and became mistress of the earth. He sends her rain and she responds with the rainbow. The Katchins, Burma Ninib Near Eastern (Babylonian) god of the summer sun. Nin-me-sar-ra Lady of the Universe. With En-me-šar-ra the first cause, in the genealogy of Anu. Sumer, Near East Niottsi The name of Yeddariye, the supreme being, as the creator. The Chippewa Indians, Canada Niparaja, Niparaya The omnipotent supreme god and creator of heaven and earth whose wife is Anajicoijondi (Amayicoyondi). He was also called Añadian, and is a god of peace. The Pericues, Baja California Nirantali The creator goddess. The Khonds, India Nishkam A title of the Great Spirit. The Micmac Indians, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada Nitten Japanese Buddhist sun goddess. Based on the Hindu god Surya. Niwa A goddess who, with Dombe, created the world and its creatures. The Tangsas (Khemsing tribe), Indo/Burmese Njakomba, Mbombianda The supreme being and creator god who rules over all is not worshipped. He is believed to make the procreation of children possible. The Nkundo, Zaire Njambe The high god of the Marutse whose common name is Molemo. Rhodesia Njord Norse (Scandinavian) God of winds, sea, fire, and wealth. His children were Freya and Freyr. In the pagan days, his name was said in court oath. Invoke for financial requests, prosperity, or those rites involving the elements air, water, or fire. Nkir The supreme being among some Bantu tribes of Zaire. Also the creator god of the Badinga (Bantu). Nkya A ”vague, distant, amoral creator.” The Toro, Uganda Nobu The god who created the world. At Eromanga, Anaiteum, New Hebrides Nocuma The omnipotent being who created the earth and all living things, including man, Ejoni, and woman, Ae out of the earth. The coastal Acagchemem, California Nodimo Nakaranga The supreme being of the Basuto. South Africa Nogamain A self-existent celestial god of the Murinbata of Western Arnhem Land. Australia Noho Chac Yum, Nohochacyum (See also Hachacyum) Great Father, the chief god of the Lacandon pantheon and the creator, the beneficent protector against Hapikern. Other names—Ara, Acakyum, Ac Bilam, ‘Umbrikam. He is one of four brothers—with Yanto, Sukukyum, and Uyitzin, sons of Chac Nicte. Mexico Nomkubulwane A goddess of the heavens who must be propitiated because she sends illness. The Swazi, Swaziland No-no-kami Japanese god of fields and plants. Notawinan ”Our Father,” a title of the supreme being of the Cree Indians. Ontario Nourali The self-existent chief god and creator who was envisioned as a bird, a crow or an eagle. Murray River, Australia Nous I In Gnosticism ”the generator,…not a first couple, but one Principle, intelligible or above intelligence,…a male and female power, dividing itself into a syzgy, which in its turn procreates.” Nous created man as a bisexual; later divided the double beings into male and female. Nowutset With Utset the creators of the celestial bodies. She was the mother of men, other than Indians. The Sia, Pueblo Indians, New Mexico Nox Italian goddess of the night. Nphan Wa The supreme deity who formed the surface of the earth. The Kachin, Burma Ntse, Ntzi The supreme god who lives in the sky and is beneficent without need for ceremonies. He controls all. The Ch’uan Miano, Southwest China Nua An omnipotent deity, creator of all. The Ngong, Nigeria Nuba The god of the sly who sent Su to bring ”fruit-bearing seeds” to man. The Sara tribes, Chad Nukimatt, Mi-ki-matt A goddess, the incarnation of the sun, who was the creator of the world. Also called I-nach-tin-ak. The Klallam Indians, British Columbia Nu Kua Chinese goddess who created mankind. She was very powerful, half human and half serpent. She is associated with rain, ponds, pools, and moist creatures near such areas such as amphibians and fish. Num The omniscient and omnipotent supreme god and creator is identified with the universe itself—the sea, the earth, the sky. The Nenets, the Samoyed, Siberia The Numbakulla One (Eliade) or two (poignant) self-existent primordial being(s) who created numerous thing and mankind. The (two) sky being(s), (brothers), saw the embryonic Inapatura who only had outlines of bodies. It was their duty to finish the creation of these creatures making them into the aboriginal men and women. The Aranda, Australia Numi-Tarem, Numi Torem The Master of life and death.” The god of the sky, the Upperworld, is among some considered the creator, and the source of their civilization. Also considered a bear by some groups. The Vogel and the Ostyak, Siberia Num-Senke The sky god of the Ostyaks of the river Irtish whose name means luminous, light. Siberia Nun The creator god of the Bari tribe. Sudan Nun The primordial, celestial ocean out of which all things developed. His female counterpart is Nut, Naunet. The first of the primeval pairs of deities. Egypt Nunurao A goddess who was the creator of the universe. The Yami, Formosa Nunus Near Eastern (Semetic) god of the underworld. Nurrendere, Nurunderi, Martummere The supreme being and sky god created all things on earth, the terrain along the Murray River and the fish which live in it. He has two wives who are sisters; gave man all culture; manifests his will through the rainbow. Australia Nus Greek god of understanding and intelligence. Nustoo A goddess of the Yaros, Dravidians of North India, who created the world. Nut The cow goddess, the personification of the sky, was the daughter of Shu and Tefnut and the wife of Seb, the mother of Osiris and Isis, of Set and Nephthys. Also considered the female counterpart of Nu, a primeval goddess. Air element. Egypt Nwari The supreme being of the Nakaranga. Southern Rhodesia Nwende The sky god of the Mole whose wife is Tenga. Ghana Nyadenga The remote supreme being and sky god, the creator. An otiose god, though he is credited at times as ”knowing” (the truth, e.g.), as healing, as sending the rain. The Venda and the Shona, South Africa and Rhodesia Nyalaka de ”The Supreme Being…identified with the Sun…and regarded as the Creator of men and things.” The Longuda, Nigeria Nyalic(h) The omniscient god of the firmament, the creator, and the establisher of order and giver of rain. The Dinka, Sudan Nyama The supreme deity of the Mumbake, identified with the sun. Nigeria Nyamahanga The creator god of the Konjo, the Toro, Uganda Nyame The supreme being who is also usually named as the creator, is credited with omniscience and omnipresence, is presented as both male and female. Nyame is given as male (Pettazzoni, Clarke, Evans, Geland); as female (Meyerowitz—the mother goddess, ”the one supreme deity without beginning or end….The substance or body of Nyame, in her aspect of Moon- and Firmament-goddess, is envisioned as fire, and caused the birth of the universe, is called the kra”); and as androgynous—(Parrinder—”Nyame of Ashanti is sometimes said to be both male and female; the female element is symbolized by the moon….The male element is seen in the sun….The female element created men with water, and the male sun shot its life-giving fire into human veins.”). The Ashanti and the Akan, Ghana Nyambe (1)The supreme being and creator god, wide-spread over Western Equatorial Africa. Variants: Nzambi, Ndyambi, Dzambu, Tsambi, Yame, Sami, Zam, Monzam, Onayame. (2)Nyambe, Nyambi—The creator of all things whose wife was Nailele. They lived on earth for a time but left to avoid the evil actions of Kamunu. The Barotse, the Malozi, Zambia Nyame Amowia The bisexual deity of the Akan of the Gold Coast ”visible as the moon, gave birth to the Sun god…” Nyamele A sky god created by, and sometimes merged with, Edenkema. He gave people the techniques of divination, and is, with Edenkema, ”the master and sender of death,” His wife is Azele Yaba. The Nzema (Akan), Ghana Nyamia The supreme god was associated with the sky, with atmospheric phenomena. The Guinea and Senegambia groups, West Africa Nya-mpamvu-zentze The all-powerful god of the Tete. Upper Zambezi, Zaire Nyamuanga, Nyeruanga, Tsuba The supreme being of the Ba kara of Lake Victoria Nyanza. East Africa Nyamuhanga, Ruhanga The beneficent creator god. The Bahima, the Ankore, Uganda Nyamuzinda The ”first cause, the principle of all things,” and the creator. He is considered the source of disasters, of famine and epidemics. The Bashi, Zaire Nyamkopon A supreme being as one of a triad with Nyame and Odumankoma. He personifies the sun and represents the vital force. The Akan, the Ashanti, Ghana Nyante A goddess, the ”personification of the preexistent universe.” Mother of Wamara. The Bantu, Africa Nyasaye (of the south) or Wele (of the north) The creator god of the world and of mankind. The Abaluyia of Kavironda, Kenya Nyasi The supreme being and creator god who controls birth and death but is not worshipped. The Luo, Kenya Nyege The supreme being at Fowler’s Bay, Australia Nyesoa The creator god of the French Ivory Coast. Africa Nyimpo The remote supreme being and creator god. The Effutu, Ghana Nyingwan Mebege The moon goddess is ”the female principle of the universe…the author of procreation and the guarantor of a prosperous life.” The Fang, Gabon Nyongmo The supreme being and a sky and rain god. The Ga, Ghana Nysaye The supreme being and creator god, the giver of life and death. The Nilotic Kavirondo. Same as Nasaye of the Bantu Kavirondo. Kenya Nzakomba The supreme being of the Lulanga. Upper Congo Nzambi The supreme being and creator of all things punishes transgressions, is responsible for life and death, rains and fertility, is not approached directly, only through the ancestor spirits. A bisexual creator god. Associated with the sky and mother earth. The Chokwe, the Luchazi, the Lunda, the Bakongo, the Balari. Angola, Zaire, and Rhodesia Nzambi Mpungu The supreme being and creator of all things who punishes wrong-doing. The Bantu, the Vili, the Bakongo, and the Fiots, Angola, Gabon, and Zaire Nzame The sky god and creator of all things. The Fan of the Gabon forest. |