Gods - Atlas Obscura
Places near me Random place

66 Items Tagged

Gods

Share
In 2015, this effigy of the Pagan goddess Marzanna met a fiery end.
witchcraft

In Poland, Drowning the Pagan Goddess Marzanna Ushers in Spring

A straw effigy of the winter goddess is burned and then submerged in chilly waters.
Sarah Laskow May 3, 2023
Pune, India

Baneshwar Cave Temple

A centuries-old Hindu cave temple is tucked away in a quiet suburb.
Archaeologists believe this head belonged to a figurine representing a high priestess of Ur.
relics

History’s First Named Author Was a Mesopotamian Priestess

Her name was Enheduanna.
Sarah Durn December 22, 2022
Chinese Kali Mandir
Kolkata, India

Chinese Kali Mandir

In Kolkata's China Town, a temple to the Hindu goddess Kali.
Risan, Montenegro

Risan Roman Mosaics

The only known mosaic depicting the Greek god of sleep, Hypnos.
Dendengu
Kyoto, Japan

Denden-gu

A small shrine dedicated to a god of lightning and electronics.
Mithraeum elements included a tauroctony, or depiction of Mithras sacrificing a bull.
cults

An Ancient Roman Cult's Rituals Included Feasting, Fire, and Floor Cleaning

To uncover new clues about the secretive world of Mithraism, scientists considered evidence right at their feet.
Nathaniel Scharping May 13, 2022
Baud, France

Vénus de Quinipily

Despite the name, this ancient statue of uncertain origins is unlikely to represent the Roman goddess Venus.
Alfred the Great statue
London, England

Alfred the Great Statue

King of the Saxons on top, Roman goddess of wisdom on the bottom.
View of the temple.
Duino, Italy

Duino Mithraeum

Europe's only Temple of Mithras located in a natural cave.
(Detail) This 1882 engraving of Ragnarok shows Odin mounted on a horse fighting the wolf Fenrir.
vikings

The Long, Hidden History of the Viking Obsession With Werewolves

A symbol both of chaos and order, the wolf came to represent many things for the Vikings.
Sarah Durn October 27, 2021
One of Kanha Tiger Reserve's revered residents: Conservation scientists are studying how villagers near the Central Indian park coexist with the big cats.
forests

An Ancient 'Tiger God' Helps Communities and Big Cats Coexist in India

Across the central and western parts of the country, reverence for the deity translates to tolerance for predators.
Radhika Iyengar September 14, 2021
Utai-gami, the God of Singing.
Tokyo, Japan

Rokugeishin

A miniature shrine in the busy corner of Tokyo's historic Broadway, honoring a sextet of unusual entertainment gods.
The daikon-themed temple of Matsuchiyama Shoden.
Tokyo, Japan

Matsuchiyama Shoden

Daikon radishes are offered to the Japanese Buddhist counterpart of the Hindu god Ganesha at this historic hilltop temple.
The Temple of Nodens, Lydney Park.
Gloucestershire, England

Lydney Camp

Home to the ancient Roman temple of a lesser-known Celtic god that inspired J. R. R. Tolkien and H. P. Lovecraft.
A digital reconstruction of what the godhouse may have looked like.
architecture

Found: An Old Norse 'Godhouse' Fit for Thor and Odin

The site reflects how the rise of Christianity to the south affected the worship of the Norse pantheon.
Matthew Taub October 14, 2020
The museum is in the old Royal Customs House.
Santiago, Chile

Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino (Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art)

This museum covers 10,000 years of Pre-Columbian Latin American history.
The god before he was moved to his current location.
Kochi, Japan

Berobero no Kamisama

This extremely naked God of Drunkards welcomes visitors to Kochi Station.