A water deity is a deity in mythology associated with water or various bodies of water. Water deities are common in mythology and were usually more important among civilizations in which the sea or ocean, or a great river was more important. Another important focus of worship of water deities has been springs or holy wells.
As a form of animal worship, whales and snakes (hence dragons) have been regarded as godly deities throughout the world (other animals are such as turtles, fish, crabs, and sharks). In Asian lore, whales and dragons sometimes have connections. Serpents are also common as a symbol or as serpentine deities, sharing many similarities with dragons.
Aztec mythology
- Tlaloc, god of thunder, rain, and earthquakes.
- Chalchiuhtlicue, goddess of water, lakes, rivers, seas, streams, horizontal waters, storms, and baptism.
- Huixtocihuatl, goddess of salt.
- Opochtli, god of fishing.
- Tlaloques, gods of drops.
- Tlaloquetotontli, goddess of the rivers.
Ainu mythology
- Amemasu, monster in the lakes
- Hoyau Kamui, or Oyau Kamui, Rapushinupurukuru, or Sakusomoai~epu, serpentine or dragon-like god with wings and stench (possessing both natures of evil god and guardian), master of Lake TÅya
- Repun Kamui, god of the sea, often referring to orca
Armenian mythology
- Astghik, goddess of water sources
- Tsovinar, goddess of seas and storms
Australian aboriginal mythology
- Eingana, mother of all
- Rainbow Serpents, creators of dreamtime
- Ungud, serpent god bring fortunes
- Wirnpa, creator of rain
- Yurlungur, the copper serpent
Benin mythology
- Ezili, goddess of sweet water, beauty, and love
Canaanite mythology
- Lotan, sea monster
- Yam (god), god of death for creatures in rivers and the sea
Celtic mythology
- Acionna (Gaulish) - a water goddess/genius loci of the Orleanais region and the Essonne
- Belisama, goddess of lakes and rivers, fire, crafts and light
- Boann - goddess of the River Boyne (Irish)
- Condatis, (Gaulish) - god of the River Wear and healing
- Danu (Dana) - goddess of the Danube (Celtic overlords ruled Germanic tribes before Rome attacked Gaul). Later her name was added to the Tuath Dé.
- Dylan Eil Ton (Welsh)
- Grannus, a god associated with spas, the sun, fires and healing thermal and mineral springs
- LÃ Ban (Irish), water goddess
- Lir (Irish), god of the sea
- LlÅ·r (Welsh), god of the sea
- Manannán mac Lir (Irish), god of the sea
- Nantosuelta, river goddess of fire, the earth, healing, and fertility
- Nodens, god associated with healing, the sea, hunting and dogs
- Sinann (Irish), goddess of the River Shannon
- Sequana (Gaulish), goddess of the River Seine
Chinese mythology
- Many whale-dragon related deities including Dragon Kings, Dragon Soldiers, and 鲸拜龙王
- Wang Yuanpu (Dong Wanggong, the Eastern King). King of the Palace of the Eastern Seas
- Gong Gong, red-haired dragon with the head of man, and water god who is responsible for the great floods, together with his associate, Xiang Yao
- Longma, dragon horse possessing powers of water
- Mazu, water goddess and protector of seafarers
- Guo Pu, Immortal of the Water Realm.
- Yu-Kiang, ruler of the ocean in the form of whale with arms and legs
- Tam Kung, sea deity worshiped in Hong Kong and Macau with the ability to forecast weather
Honorable Kings of the Water Immortals (Shuixian Zunwang)
- Yu the Great, tamer of China's Great Flood
- Qu Yuan, Wu Zixu, and Xiang Yu, famous suicides lost in rivers
- Han Ao or Lu Ban, the inventors
Dragon Kings of the Four Seas
- Ao Kuang, Dragon King of the Eastern Sea
- Ao Qin, Dragon King of the Southern Sea
- Ao Run, Dragon King of the Western Sea
- Ao Shun, Dragon King of the Northern Sea
God-Kings of the Four Seas
- Wang Duyuan, God-King of the Eastern Sea
- Kai Na Ling, God-King of the Southern Sea
- Dao Dongqing, God-King of the Western Sea
- Xi Yuanyuan, God-King of the Northern Sea
Gods of the Four Seas
- A Ming, God of the Eastern Sea
- Zhou Liang, God of the Southern Sea
- Ju Cheng, God of the Western Sea
- Yu Qiang, God of the Northern Sea
Gods of the Five Waters
- He Guiju, God of the Eastern Sea
- Liu Xiao, God of the Southern Sea
- Guo Shu, God of the Western Sea
- Wu Yuquang, God of the Northern Sea
- Feng Yi / Hebo, God of the Yellow River
- Longmu, Goddess of the Xijiang River in the Lingnan area
- Ehuang & Nuying, Goddesses of the Xiang River
- Wu Yuan, God of the Qiantang River in Huangzhou
- Lady Youle, Goddess of the Le River, a branch of the Yellow River
Dogon mythology
- Nommos, amphibious spirits that are worshipped as ancestors
Egyptian mythology
- Hapi, God of the annual flooding of the Nile
- Anuket, Goddess of the Nile, and nourisher of the fields
- Nephthys, Goddess of rivers, death, mourning, the dead and night
- Nu, uncreated God, personification of the primordial waters
- Khnum, God of the Nile River
- Satet, Goddess of the Nile River's floods
- Sobek, God of the Nile river, depicted as a crocodile or a man with the head of a crocodile.
- Tefnut, Goddess of water, moisture and fertility.
- Osiris, God of the dead and afterlife. Originally god of water and vegetation.
Fon/Ewe mythology
- Agwé, a sea loa
- Mami Wata, a water loa
- Clermeil, a river loa
- Pie, a lake and river loa
Fijian mythology
- Daucina, god of seafaring
- Dakuwaqa, a shark god
Finnish mythology
- Ahti, god of the depths and fish
- Iku-Turso, a malevolent sea monster
- Vedenemo, a goddess of water
- Vellamo, the wife of Ahti, goddess of the sea, lakes and storms.
Greek mythology
- Aegaeon, god of violent sea storms and ally of the Titans
- Achelous, Greek river god
- Akheilos, shark-shaped sea spirit
- Alpheus, river god in Arcadia
- Amphitrite, sea goddess and consort of Poseidon
- Anapos, water god of eastern Sicily
- Brizo, goddess of sailors
- Carcinus, a giant crab who allied itself with the Hydra against Heracles. When it died, Hera placed it in the sky as the constellation Cancer
- Ceto, goddess of the dangers of the ocean and of sea monsters
- Charybdis, a sea monster and spirit of whirlpools and the tide
- Cymopoleia, a daughter of Poseidon and goddess of giant storm waves
- Delphin, the leader of the dolphins, Poseidon placed him in the sky as the constellation Delphinus
- Doris, goddess of the sea's bounty and wife of Nereus
- Eidothea, prophetic sea nymph and daughter of Proteus
- Electra, an Oceanid, consort of Thaumas
- Eurybia, goddess of the mastery of the seas
- Galene (Î"αλήνη), goddess of calm seas
- Glaucus, the fisherman's sea god
- Gorgons, three monstrous sea spirits
- Stheno
- Euryale
- Medusa
- The Graeae, three ancient sea spirits who personified the white foam of the sea; they shared one eye and one tooth between them
- The Harpies, winged spirits of sudden, sharp gusts of wind
- Hippocampi, the horses of the sea
- The Ichthyocentaurs, a pair of centaurine sea-gods with the upper bodies of men, the lower fore-parts of horses, ending in the serpentine tails of fish
- Bythos
- Aphros
- Ladon, a one hundred-headed sea serpent who guarded the western reaches of the sea, and the island and golden apples of the Hesperides
- Leucothea, a sea goddess who aided sailors in distress
- Nerites, watery consort of Aphrodite and/or beloved of Poseidon
- Nereus, the old man of the sea, and the god of the sea's rich bounty of fish
- Nymphs
- Naiades, fresh water nymphs
- Nereides, sea nymphs
- Oceanides, Ocean water nymphs
- Oceanus, Titan god of the Earth-encircling river Okeanos, the font of all the Earth's fresh-water
- Pan, Patron God of fishing
- Palaemon, a young sea god who aided sailors in distress
- Phorcys, god of the hidden dangers of the deep
- Pontus, primeval god of the sea, father of the fish and other sea creatures
- Poseidon, Olympian God of the Oceans and king of the sea gods; also god of rivers, storms, flood and drought, earthquakes, and horses. He controlled every aspect of the seas. His Roman equivalent is Neptune.
- Potamoi, deities of rivers, fathers of Naiads, brothers of the Oceanids, and as such, the sons of Oceanus and Tethys.
- Proteus, a shape-shifting, prophetic old sea god, and the herdsman of Poseidon's seals
- Psamathe, goddess of sand beaches
- Scylla, a Nereid metamorphosed into a sea monster
- The Sirens, three sea nymphs who lured sailors to their death with their song
- The Telchines, sea spirits native to the island of Rhodes; the gods killed them when they turned to evil magic
- Tethys, Titan goddess of the sources fresh-water, and the mother of the rivers (Potamoi), springs, streams, fountains and clouds
- Thalassa, primordial goddess of the sea
- Thaumas, god of the wonders of the sea and father of the Harpies and the rainbow goddess Iris
- Thetis, leader of the Nereids who presided over the spawning of marine life in the sea, mother of Achilles
- Triteia, daughter of Triton and companion of Ares
- Triton, fish-tailed son and herald of Poseidon
- Tritones, fish-tailed spirits in Poseidon's retinue
- ΣÎÏγιο, god of the frogs and amphibians, often taking a frog form himself when on Earth
Hawaiian mythology
- Kanaloa or Tangaroa, god of the ocean and magics and underworld with forms of cephalopod
- Kamohoalii, shark god
- NÄmaka, sea goddess
- Ukupanipo, shark god who controls the amount of fish close enough for the fisherman to catch
Hittite mythology
- Illuyanka, dragon of the ocean
Hebrew mythology
- Leviathan, sea monster
Hindu/Vedic mythology
- Apam Napat, god of fresh water, such as in rivers and lakes
- Apah, god of fresh water, such as in rivers and lakes
- Ap, group of water goddesses
- Dewi Danu Goddess Danu of the lake and waters of life, Balinese Hinduism
- Ganga goddess of the Ganges River and purity.
- Makara, mystical creature of waters
- Samundra, goddess of seas
- Varuna, God of the water and the celestial ocean
- Yami, goddess of Yamuna river
- Tapti, goddess of Tapti River
Igbo mythology
- Idemili, a river alusi
- Ogbuide, a lake alusi
- Urashi, a river alusi
- Oboshi river goddess
Incan mythology
- Pariacaca, god of water and rainstorms
- Paricia, god who sent a flood to kill humans who did not respect him adequately
Inuit mythology
- Aipaloovik, an evil sea god associated with death and destruction
- Alignak, a lunar deity and god of weather, water, tides, eclipses, and earthquakes
- Arnapkapfaaluk, a fearsome sea goddess
- Idliragijenget, god of the ocean
- Nootaikok, god who presided over icebergs and glaciers
- Sedna, goddess of the sea
Japanese mythology
- Ebisu, god of fortunes and fishery, often being referred to marine megafaunas such as whales and whale sharks (hence being also called "Ebisu-shark")
- Hanzaki Daimyojin, gigantic Japanese giant salamander and master of the water
- Kuraokami, one of Suijin
- Mizuchi, Japanese dragon and sea god
- Miwa Myojin or Omononushi-no-kami, serpentine deity of waters
- ÅŒhoyamatsumi, god of mountains, sea and war
- Ryūjin or Watatsumi, Japanese dragon and tutelary deity of the sea
- Suijin, Shinto god of water
- Sumiyoshi sanjin, god of ocean and sailing
- Susanoo, Shinto god of storms and the sea
- Watatsumi, dragon king and ocean god
- Yamata no Orochi, serpentine monster but also regarded as an incarnation of violent river
Korean mythology
- Imoogi or Imugi, giant serpents of Korean folklore which later become true dragons
- King Munmu, a king who wished to become a dragon before his death to protect Korea from the East Sea
- Dragon King, an undersea deity believed to determine the fortunes of fishermen and sailors
Kyrgyz mythology
- Martuv, river goddess
- Presno, god of storms
Lithuanian mythology
- Atrimpas, god of the sea and water
- Bangpūtys, god of sea and storm
- Divytis, deified hero of fishermen's legends
- DugnÄ—, nymph goddess of rivers
- Ežerinis, god of lakes
- Gardaitis, spirit of ships and sailors
- JuratÄ—, goddess of the sea
- LaumÄ—, goddess of wild spaces, including waters
- Lietuvonis, god of rain
- Neris, nymph goddess of the Neris River
- Neringa, goddess of seacoasts
- UpinÄ—, goddess of rivers and water springs
- Upinis Dievas, god of rivers
Luganda mythology
- Sezibwa, goddess of the Sezibwa River
Lusitanian mythology
- Bandua, theonym associated with fountains
- Duberdicus, god of the sea and rivers
- Durius, personification of the Douro river
MÄori mythology
- Ikatere, a fish god, the father of all the sea creatures including mermaids
- Rongomai, a whale god.
- Taniwha, deities or monsters (often take forms resembling to dragons)
- Tangaroa, god of the sea
- Tohora (Maori name for southern right whales), the great whale who saved legendary hero Paikea, famously known as the Whale Rider, (also the Maori name for humpback whales) from drowning and carried him to land. This led to the creation of New Zealand.
Mayan mythology
- Chaac, god of rain
Mesopotamian mythology
- Amathaunta, goddess of the ocean
- Abzu, god of fresh water, father of all other gods
- Asherah, Mother goddess whose title is "She Who Walks Upon the Sea"
- Enbilulu, god of rivers and canals
- Enki, god of water and of the River Tigris
- Marduk, god associated with water, vegetation, judgment, and magic
- Nammu, goddess of the primeval sea
- Nanshe, goddess of Persian Gulf, social justice, prophecy, fertility and fishing
- Sirsir, god of mariners and boatmen
- Tiamat, goddess of salt water and chaos, also mother of all gods
Micronesian mythology
- Latmikaik, ocean goddess in the region of micronesia
Native American mythology
- Ktchi at'husis and Weewilmekq, giant serpents or leeches in Mi'kmaq lore
Norse/Germanic mythology
- Ægir, personification of the sea
- Nine Daughters of Ægir, who personify the characteristics of waves
- MÃmir, god of the spring of MÃmisbrunnr, which gives the drinker wisdom, from which Odin sacrificed an eye to drink
- Rán, sea goddess of death who collects the drowned in a net
- Njord, god of the sea, particularly of seafaring
- Nehalennia, goddess of the North Sea
- Nerthus, goddess of lakes, springs, and holy waters
- Nix, water spirits who usually appear in human form
- Sága, goddess in the form of a waterfall
- Freyr, god of rain, sunlight, fertility, life, and summer
- Tiddy Mun, a bog deity once worshipped in Lincolnshire, England who had the ability to control floods
- Father Thames, personification of the River Thames in England
Persian/Zoroastrian mythology
- Anahita, the divinity of 'the Waters' (Aban) and hence associated with fertility, healing and wisdom.
- Tishtrya, Zoroastrian benevolent divinity associated with life-bringing rainfall and fertility.
- Haurvatat, the Amesha Spenta associated with water, prosperity, and health in post-Gathic Zoroastrianism
- Ahurani, Ahurani is a water goddess from ancient Persian mythology. She watches over rainfall as well as standing water. She was invoked for health, healing, prosperity, and growth. She is either the wife or the daughter of the great god of creation and goodness, Ahura Mazda. Her name means "She who belongs to Ahura".
Philippine mythology
- Amanikable, ill- tempered god of the sea
- Haik, another god of the sea
- Amansinaya, god of fishermen
- Sirena, mermaid
- Siyokoy, merman
- Magwayen, goddess of the sea and death
- Lidagat, second goddess of the sea. Known as the daughter of Magwayen
Physiologus
- Aspidochelone, colossal sea monster
Pirate lore
- Davy Jones, the Devil of the seas
Roman mythology
- Fontus, god of wells and springs
- Juturna, goddess of fountains, wells, and springs
- Neptune, King of the sea. Greek counterpart: Poseidon
- Salacia, Neptune's queen
- Tiberinus, the genius of the river Tiber.
- Volturnus, god of the waters
- Coventina, Goddess of a sacred spring at Carrawburgh, on Hadrian's Wall
Shilluk mythology
- Nyakaio, river goddess
Slavic mythology
- Nepra, river goddess of the Dneiper River
- Omutnitsa, river goddess
- Vodyanoi, water demon who lived in lakes and rivers
- Rusalki, female ghosts, water nymphs, succubi or mermaid-like demons that dwell in waterways.
- Veles, god of earth, waters, and the underworld
- Pereplut (rus. ПереплуÌÑ‚), god of alcohol and rivers
- Mokosh, moistness, lady of waters, goddess of moisture
- Mati-syra-zemla, moist mother
- Sur-mumy, mother of the river
- Viz-Anya, water mother (Hungarian - Finno-Ugraic)
- Viz-Leany, water maiden (Hungarian - Finno-Ugraic)
- Vu-ava, water woman
- Vut-kuva, water grandmother
- Zimarzla, snow goddess
Island Nations mythology
- Agunua, serpentine god of the sea of Solomon Islands
- Ayida-Weddo, serpentine spirit among several island nations
TaÃno mythology
- Atabey (goddess), Mother goddess of fresh water and fertility. Female counterpart of the god Yúcahu.
Tonga mythology
- Nyami Nyami, a river spirit of the BaTonga of Zambia and Zimbabwe
Yoruba mythology
- Yemoja, an ocean orisha
- Oshun, a river orisha
- Olokun, an ocean orisha
Vietnamese mythology
- Lạc Long Quân, legendary ancestor of Vietnamese people.
- Cá Ã"ng (Vietnamese name for blue whales, also dolphins and whale sharks in some cases), king of the sea and patron of fishermen.
Viking lore
- Raudkembingur, a demonic whale with red hair
See also
- Holy wells
- Nadi (yoga)
- Nature worship
- Sea monster
- Water chakra
- Water spirit