67 Items Tagged

Gods

Statue of Lord Laddu Gopal

Built as part of the 'Waste to Wonder' campaign, the 26-foot statue is made of more than two tonnes of iron and steel.

Wakefield, England

Amazonian Caiman God

A surreal depiction of a South American god is actually filled with deeper symbolism.

Nishiki Tenmangū Shrine

A 1000-year-old shrine in Kyoto with a poorly planned sacred arch.

Rock of Kalikatsou

A Christian pilgrimage site that may have also been a temple for the Greek goddess of love.

Kagoshima, Japan

Masked God Boze of Akusekijima Island

Once a year, these 'visitor deities' chase away evil spirits with a phallic-shaped staff.

London, England

Pimlico Priapus

This sanitized yet surreal depiction of a Greek fertility god looks over a square in one of central London’s residential areas.

The Video Game 'Black Myth: Wukong' Has Ancient Roots

A trickster monkey hero, a complex pantheon, and more than a millennium of storytelling are behind the hit.

Michael Naparstek October 1, 2024

The Zodiac Gods of Horikiri

All 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac are depicted in anthropomorphized deity form.

Embracing Kangiten of Torimi Shrine

A rare public effigy of “the Embracing Kangiten,” the erotic Japanese equivalent of Hindu god Ganesha.

Kamiiso no Torii

A lone torii arch stands on a coastal rock where a deity is said to have landed.

Syracuse, Italy

Fountain of Arethusa

According to Greek mythology, this natural spring is the home of a freshwater nymph.

Farnham, England

Mother Ludlam's Cave

This place is the subject of local legends about a good witch and a Celtic God.

Constanța, Romania

Glykon

An ancient Roman snake god, carved expertly into stone.

Kulasekharapatnam, India

Arulmigu Kulasai Mutharamman Temple

Every year, massive crowds flock to this 300-year-old temple to celebrate a unique, goddess-centric Hindu festival.

After death, an individual's heart was weighed; hearts heavy with sin were devoured by the terrifying Ammit, a chimera of ancient Egypt's most feared predators: crocodile, lion, and hippopotamus.

In Ancient Egypt, Judgement of the Dead Was Severe

To enter the realm of Osiris, the dead had to complete a long to-do list—and face a terrifying devourer of souls.

Nicky Nielsen October 24, 2023

Each night during his journey across the netherworld, the sun god Ra's barque crosses the desert Rostau, realm of the falcon god Sokar, borne by snakes.

In Ancient Egypt, the Duat Was a Netherworld of Gods and Monsters

A guide called the Amduat helped pharaohs navigate the complex afterlife.

Nicky Nielsen October 3, 2023

A river winds along paved banks lined with pilgrims.

Haridwar, India

Har Ki Pauri

The Hindu god Vishnu is said to have walked at this Hindu pilgrimage site.

Nagareyama, Japan

Tone Canal Billiken Shrine

An American mascot that became a lucky god in Japan, enshrined in a city far from the main center of his worship.