#mythedit
modern pantheon|@curios-curiousities
“illuma (like illuminate) goddess of Lights in the dark, street lamps, lanterns, flashlights and nightlights, on the streets they sit on top of street lamps and watch over people as the walk at night, they are the lights in people’s hands as the work at night, the headlamps in cars on dark lit roads, and the night lights giving security and comfort in dark rooms ”
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modern pantheon|@regina-cordium
“Eten - god of hole-in-the-wall restaurants where everyone knows your name”
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aphrodite: ❝ we’re in a beautiful and sad relationship
we make each other shine
like the moon and the river
and we hug again ❞
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But, goddess and queen of those below, I beseech you,
To banish the soul’s frenzy to the ends of the earth,
and show a kindly and holy face to the initiates.
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hel | …to apportion all abodes among those that were sent to her: that is, men dead of sickness or of old age. She has great possessions there; her walls are exceeding high and her gates great. Her hall is called Sleet-Cold; her dish, Hunger; Famine is her knife.
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idunna| She keeps in a box those apples of which the gods eat when they grow old, and then they become young again, and so it will be until Ragnarok.
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Luna(meaning‘moon’) was the goddess of the moon and often presented as the female complement to Sol(god of the sun) in Roman mythology. She was also sometimes represented as an aspect of the Roman triple goddess (diva triformis), along with Proserpina(goddess of fertility)andHecate(the greekgoddess of magic). Luna was not always a distinct goddess, but sometimes rather an epithet that specialised a goddess, since both Diana(goddess of the hunt)andJuno(queen of the gods) were also identified as moon goddesses. Her Greek counterpart was the moon goddess Selene and in Roman art and literature, myths of Selene were adapted under the name of Luna.
(Georges Hobeika Fall 2018 Haute Couture Collection)
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IaraorMãe das Águas (meaning‘mother of waters’) was a beautiful mermaid that lived in the Amazon River in Brazilian mythology. There are many versions of the Iara myth which began with her starting out as a fish-man called Ipupiara.However in the 18th century, Ipupiara had become the seductive mermaid called Iara. Fishermen from all over Brazil would tell stories of young men who gave in to the charms of the beautiful Iara who would then end up being drowned in a fit of passion. The indigenous people of the Amazon region would also tell that Iara was an excellent and courageous warrior and that her brothers were jealous of her, and the praise their father would give her. One day, the brothers decided to kill Iara. However, she heard about the plan and decided to kill the brothers as a form of defence. After doing so, Iara fled into the woods. However, her father pursued her and managed to capture her. As punishment, Iara was thrown into the river Solimões (Amazon region). The fish that were there saved her and as it was a full moon, she was transformed into a beautiful mermaid.
(Zuhair Murad Spring 2019 Haute Couture Collection)
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Morena(Slovak and Macedonia) was the goddess associated with seasonal agrarian rites based on the idea of death and rebirth of nature in Slavic mythology. As the Goddess of death, her realm was Nav(realm of dead) and she wasn’t respected as much as her counterpart and enemy Vesna(goddess of spring). She represented the long, cold winters that could bring death to both humans and their cattle in form of starvation and freezing. Her arrival was always expected with fear, while arrival of Spring season was always celebrated. Among Eastern Slavs, there was belief that Yarilo(god of rebirth), when he was taken by Veles(god of forests), he met Morena at the beginning of Spring and their love brought wheat and fruits. However, when Yarilo stopped liking her, she murdered him and that caused Autumn and eventually Winter to happen. Morena also goes by other names in Slavic mythology including Marzanna(Polish),Marena(Russian),Mara(Ukraine),Morana(Czech, Slovene, Croatian, Bosnian and Serbian)andMora(Bulgarian).
(Ziad Nakad Fall 2018 Haute Couture Collection)
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Asteria (Αστερια meaning ‘Starry’) was the Titan goddess of the falling stars, prophetic dreams and astrology in Greek mythology. After the fall of the Titans, Zeus(king of the gods) chased Asteria across the sky but she escaped him by transforming herself into a quail and leaping into the Aegean Sea. It was there that she metamorphosed into the island Asteria (’The Island which had Fallen From Heaven Like a Star’) or the ‘Quail Island’Ortygia. This then became identified with the island of Delos, which was the only place on earth to give refuge to her fugitive sister Leto(goddess of motherhood), when pregnant with Zeus’s children, she was pursued by the vengeful Hera(goddess of marriage). It was on the same island that Asteria married her Titan cousin Perses and gave birth to their daughter Hecate(goddess of witchcraft).
(Zuhair Murad Spring 2016 Haute Couture Collection)
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Diana(meaning ‘to shine’ or‘sky’) was the goddess of the hunt, wild animals, fertility, and the Moon in Roman mythology. Shunning the company of mortals and gods, Diana preferred the solitude of the forests and kept the company of nymphs and woodland creatures instead. A master of the bow, she was the greatest of all hunters. A maiden for all her days, she also preserved her virginity despite the advances of potential lovers and suitors. Diana was also associated with the underworld and liminal zones, the boundaries that separated the living from the dead and the wild from the civilised. Though she was a Roman goddess, much of Diana’s mythology and personality originated elsewhere. She was heavily based on the greek goddessArtemis(goddess of the hunt). In Roman religion, Diana was also known as ‘Diana Triformis,’ or a goddess of three aspects: the hunt, the moon, and the underworld making her a triple goddess.
(Christian Dior Spring 2020 Haute Couture Collection)
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Yemọja(Yoruba:Yemanjá) was considered the mother of all Orishas and the goddess of the living ocean in Nigerian mythology and the Yoruba religion of West Africa. She was motherly, strongly protective and cared deeply for all her children, comforting them and cleansing them of sorrow. She was said to be able to cure infertility in women, with cowrie shells representing her wealth. She didn’t easily lose her temper, but when angered she could be quite destructive and violent, unleashing the flood waters from turbulent rivers. Yemọja was also depicted as a mermaid and heavily associated with the moon (in some Diaspora communities), water, and feminine mysteries. She governed everything pertaining to women; parenting, child safety, love, and healing. According to myth, when her waters broke, it caused a great flood creating rivers and streams and that the first mortal humans were created from her womb. To this day she is still considered the patron spirit of rivers, particularly the Ogun RiverinNigeria; and oceans in CubanandBrazilian orisa religions.
(Georges Hobeika Fall 2018 Haute Couture Collection)
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Ọya(Ọya-Ìyáńsàn-án) was the goddess of the weather who could call forth lightning, storms, tornadoes and earthquakes in Nigerian mythology and the Yoruba religion of West Africa. She was also associated with funerals, with part of her duty being to carry souls to the afterlife. This included her being guardian of graveyards and the goddess in charge of cemeteries to which people of the Yoruba religion would seek favours from her. Because of this, she is called the ‘Great Mother of Witches’or‘The Elders of the Night.’ Ọya also had psychic abilities, she could perceive things beyond this world and call forth the dead for discussions. She could even hold them back if she felt they had unfinished business on earth. Once angered though, she could destroy villages and communities with floods and any other natural disaster she deemed fit. She was fierce because she hated lies and injustice and would not refrain from pouring her wrath on those who dare her. The Niger River Odo-Oya is named after because she is the patron.
(Iris van Herpen Spring 2020 Haute Couture Collection)
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Pele was goddess of fire and volcanoes as well as the creator of the Hawaiian islands in Hawaiian mythology. She was considered to be a rival of Poliʻahu(goddess of the snow), and her sisters Lilinoe(goddess of fine rain),Waiau(goddess of Lake Waiau), and Kahoupokane(a kapa-maker whose kapa-making activities create thunder, rain, and lightning). One myth tells that Poliʻahu had come from Mauna Kea with her friends to attend sled races down the grassy hills south of Hamakua. Pele came disguised as a beautiful stranger and was greeted by Poliʻahu. However, Pele became jealously enraged at the goddess of Mauna Kea. She opened the subterranean caverns of Mauna Kea and threw fire from them towards Poliʻahu, with the snow goddess fleeing towards the summit. Poliʻahu was finally able to grab her now-burning snow mantle and throw it over the mountain. Earthquakes shook the island as the snow mantle unfolded until it reached the fire fountains, chilling and hardening the lava. The rivers of lava were driven back to Mauna LoaandKīlauea. Later battles also led to the defeat of Pele and confirmed the supremacy of the snow goddesses in the northern portion of the island and of Pele in the southern portion.
(Iris van Herpen Spring 2021 Haute Couture Collection)
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Branwen(Bronwen meaning ‘Blessed Raven’) was the goddess of love and beauty and daughter of Llyr(god of the sea) andPenarddun in Celtic mythology. Because of her connection to white ravens if they were found in the willd they were considered sacred to the goddess. They were also associated with prophecies and dreams in the Celtic religion. The druids believed ravens were able to travel to the Otherworld and return with messages of ancient knowledge and wisdom from the deities. Branwen was also a triple goddess of AvalonalongsideCeriddwen(goddess of the moon)andArainrhod(goddess of reincarnation) and was considered to be the maiden aspect of the triple goddess due to her beauty as a young woman.
(Georges Hobeika Fall 2018 Haute Couture Collection)
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Serket(SerqetorSelket) was the goddess of fertility, nature, animals, medicine, magic, and healing venomous stings and bites in Egyptian mythology. She was thought to also have power over venomous snakes and scorpions, like Meretseger(goddess of cobras)andIsis(goddess of magic). It was believed that Serket could protect a person from venomous bites, and that she could send snakes and scorpions to meet out punishment to those of whom she disapproved. She also helped protect Isis and her infant son Horus(god of the sky) when they were hiding from Set(god of war) in the marshes of the delta. She was also associated with the seven scorpions who acted as a bodyguard for the mother and child and was sometimes named as the goddess who convinces Ra(god of the sun) to stop the sun barque and help when Horus was poisoned by a magical snake sent by Set. Because of this story, she was thought to offer special protection to children and pregnant women from venomous animals.
(Zuhair Murad Spring 2020 Haute Couture Collection)
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Lilith (לִילִית, meaning ‘nocturnal’) was a figure in Jewish mythology that was believed to derive from a class of female demons known as the Lilitu found in the religions of Mesopotamia. The Lilitu were malicious, winged spirits which had the tendency to prey on pregnant women and infants. Amulets and incantations were used as protection against such evil spirits. The earliest recordings of Lilith’s story are from the Medieval period. The story states that GodcreatedAdam and Lilith at the same time on the seventh day. Trouble soon started when Lilith wanted to be the dominant partner sexually, which Adam refused. In anger she uttered a forbidden name of God and left the Garden, becoming a type of demon. Adam begged God to bring her back, but when his angels tracked her down, she refused. Lilith became known as a demon of lust and death. She was known to cause miscarriages and sudden infant death, but it was said that talismans with the names of the three angels responsible for tracking Lilith could protect people from her harm. She was also known as the ‘Mother of Demons’ and the ‘Goddess of the Night.’
(Georges Hobeika Fall 2018 Haute Couture Collection)
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Athena (Αθηνη) was the Olympian goddess of wisdom and war and the adored patroness of the city of Athens in Greek mythology. She often appeared in mythology as a champion of heroes such as Argos,PerseusandHercules. These stories celebrated Athena’s kind regard for struggling mortals and often displayed her craftiness and ingenuity. For example, Athena advised Argos on how to construct the Argo, the ship that took Jason and the Argonauts to find the Golden Fleece. Athena also aided Perseus in his quest to slay Medusa, the Gorgon with hair made of serpents whose gaze turned onlookers to stone. As he set out on his quest, Athena appeared before him and gave him a bronze shield, polished to reflect the sight of Medusa so that Perseus would not have to look in her eyes. When Perseus struck Medusa with a scythe gifted to him by Hermes(the messenger of the gods), Athena guided the swing to ensure it would sever her head. Hercules also benefited from Athena’s intervention. When he was charged with stealing the golden apples from Hera’s secret garden, which was overseen by the daughters of Atlas, Hercules offered to hold the sky while Atlas beseeched his daughters to gather the apples. When the sky proved too heavy for Hercules, Athena took action and lifted the sky so that he would not be crushed under its weight.
(Jean Paul Gaultier Fall 2009 Haute Couture Collection)
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Medusa (Μέδουσα meaning ‘Guardian’) was one of the three Gorgonsalongside her sistersSthennoandEuryalein Greek mythology. Of the three sisters only Medusa was mortal but they were all described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of their hair. She also had the power to turn anyone to stone if they should ever gaze upon her face. Medusa was eventually beheaded by the hero Perseus, who thereafter used her head as a weapon which retained its ability to turn onlookers to stone until he gave it to the goddess Athena(goddess of war) to place on her shield.
(Zuhair Murad Spring 2018 Haute Couture Collection)
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Philotes (Φιλότης) was a minor goddess of affection, friendship and sex in Greek mythology. Sometimes she was referred to as a spirit or daimones rather than a deity. Philotes was the daughter of Nyx(goddess of the night) and sister to Hypnos(god of sleep) and according to some myths she was one of the driving forces of the creation of humankind. She was the force of good things. Additionally Philotes was offended by life-destroying offerings and demanded abstention from animal sacrifices. In some writings, she was also associated more with famous goddess of love, Aphrodite.
(Elie Saab Fall 2018 Haute Couture Collection)
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Milda was the goddess of love, courting, friendship and freedom in Lithuanian mythology. She was the worst enemy of loneliness and was often portrayed as a woman who drove a chariot pulled by doves. Milda also liked to ride naked, causing hearts to flutter and it was rumoured that one glimpse at her delightful vision wafting down the street meant that you were mere seconds away from love, romance and all the other stuff you’d been waiting for. Apparently she didn’t care about marriage. In her eyes, matrimony was secondary to love and friendship. To her worshippers she represented freedom. The female figure at the top of the Freedom MonumentinRiga is affectionately called ‘Milda’, because the model for the sculpture was a Lithuanian woman named Milda Jasikienė who lived in the city.
(Marchesa Spring 2016 Ready-to-Wear Collection)
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Inanna was the goddess of war, sex, and the dispensation of justice in the ancient kingdom of Sumer in Mesopotamian mythology. One particular Sumerian hymn details how she became a goddess of sexual love, particularly for women. In the story, Inanna asked her twin brother Utu(god of the sun) to accompany her to a magical place called the Kur, where sacred plants grew because she was forbidden from traveling alone. When they arrived, she wanted to eat a sacred fruit of knowledge so that she could learn the secrets of intimacy, telling Utu “What concerns women namely, men I do not know. What concerns women lovemaking I do not know.” Utu relented and allowed her to eat the fruit, and so Inanna then became aware of the power of her own sexuality. Over time though she merged with the figure of Ishtar in the ancient world, and they are often portrayed as one and the same.
(Zuhair Murad Spring 2020 Haute Couture Collection)
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Venus(meaning‘love’) was the goddess of love, maternal care, sexual reproduction, and erotic desire in Roman mythology. The loveliest of all deities, Venus desired and was desired by mortals and gods alike. As the goddess of love and sex, she possessed the ability to make mortals and gods fall madly in love. Venus’ chief weapons were her charm and erotic appeal, and in her mythological tradition, many fell victim to them. Like Apollo(Greek god of prophecy), Venus had a fluid sexuality and embraced male and female lovers alike. She was also the guardian of lovers and prostitutes, and a major figure in Roman religion. Venus was adapted from Aphrodite(Greek goddess of love), with whom she shared a mythological tradition.
(Ziad Nakad Spring 2020 Haute Couture Collection)
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Vesta(meaning‘to dwell’) was the virginal goddess of hearth and home, family life and child-rearing in Roman mythology. She oversaw all aspects of home life, ensuring the sanctity of the house and securing its tranquility. Despite her seeming lack of mythological presence, Vesta’s enormous power over family, marriage, and children protected the moral integrity of all Romans. For this reason, all prayers and sacrifices began and ended with devotions to Vesta. She remained a virgin throughout her mythic existence, took no lovers, and bore no children. Vesta was adapted from Hestia (Greek goddess of the hearth) with whom she shared a mythological tradition.
(Elie Saab Spring 2020 Haute Couture Collection)
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Pasithea(Πασιθέα, meaning ‘relaxation’) was the goddess of relaxation, meditation, hallucinations and all other altered states of consciousness in Greek mythology. She was also one of the Charities (Graces) which were believed to be the daughters of Zeus(king of the gods). As a minor goddess, the only real tale where she shows up is in the story where Hypnos(god of sleep) decides to help put Hera(queen of the gods) to sleep so that Zeus can get up to one of his many schemes. As a reward for his services, he gave Pasithea his daughter, to Hypnos in an Olympian marriage.
(Zuhair Murad Spring 2022 Haute Couture Collection)
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Lofn was the goddess of forbidden loves in Norse mythology. Her name possibly meant ‘comforter’or‘loving’ and she could be invoked to get rid of the shame around one’s forbidden desires. Lofn also facilitated lovers coming together, and protected them from the wrath of others. Whilst she may not have changed the minds of those who disapproved, she helped star-crossed lovers find a way to be together safely and helped create their own hearth where the vision was more tolerant. In chapter 35 of Prose Edda she was described as “She is so gentle and so good to invoke that she has permission from All-FatherorFrigg to arrange unions between men and women, even if earlier offers have been received and unions have been banned. From her name comes the word lof, meaning permission as well as high praise.”
(Elie Saab Fall 2017 Haute Couture Collection)
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