Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Janus, in Roman religion

(Encyclopedia)Janus jāˈnəs [key], in Roman religion, god of beginnings. He was one of the principal Roman gods, the custodian of the universe. The first hour of the day, the first day of the month, the first mon...

Set, in Egyptian religion

(Encyclopedia)Set or Seth both: sĕt or sāt [key], in Egyptian religion, god of evil. Set was a sun god of predynastic Egypt, but he gradually degenerated from being a beneficent deity into being a god of evil and...

Seth, in Egyptian religion

(Encyclopedia)Seth, in Egyptian religion: see Set.

Ra, in Egyptian religion

(Encyclopedia)Ra rā [key], in Egyptian religion, sun god, one of the most important gods of ancient Egypt. Ra was chief of the cosmic deities and was sometimes called the creator and father of all things. Early Eg...

Re, in Egyptian religion

(Encyclopedia)Re: see Ra, in Egyptian religion.

Nut, in Egyptian religion

(Encyclopedia)Nut no͝ot, nŭt [key], in Egyptian religion, sky-goddess. She was the sister-wife of the earth god Geb, to whom she bore Osiris, Isis, Set, and Nephthys. She was sometimes represented with her hands ...

Sol, in Roman religion

(Encyclopedia)Sol sŏl [key], in Roman religion, sun god. An ancient god of Mesopotamian origin, he was introduced (c.220) into Roman religion as Sol Invictus by emperor Heliogabalus. His worship remained an import...

Bast, in Egyptian religion

(Encyclopedia)Bast băst [key], ancient Egyptian cat goddess. At first a goddess of the home, she later became known as a goddess of war. The center of her cult was at Bubastis. Her name also appears as Ubast. ...

anthropomorphism

(Encyclopedia)anthropomorphism ănˌthrəpōmôrˈfĭzəm [key] [Gr.,=having human form], in religion, conception of divinity as being in human form or having human characteristics. Anthropomorphism also applies to...

Priapus

(Encyclopedia)Priapus prīāˈpəs [key], in Greek religion, fertility god of gardens and herds; son of Aphrodite and Dionysus. He was represented as a grotesque little man with an enormous phallus. Priapus was imp...