Gods Goddesses Devils and Demons

Page 187

178

Sun Hou-zi

fratres Arvales sacrificed black wethers to him. Sun Hou-zi A divine ape in Chinese mythology, also known as Sun Wu-kong, i.e. ‘he who awakens to nothingness (Nirvana)’. He was born from an egg fertilized by the wind. Skilled in various magic arts and crafts, he was finally able – against the will of the gods – to eat of the peaches of immortality and the pills of eternal life. Suparqva The seventh → Tirthaykara in Jainism. Its characteristic emblem is the swastika symbolizing the four planes of existence – the world of the gods, the world of men, the world of animals and hell. Surt(r) In Germanic mythology, an opponent of the gods at the time of the destruction of the world. He rules over Muspelheim and possesses a glowing-hot sword with which he will set fire to the world at the end of time. In the last battle he slays → Freyr. Surya Indian sun-god and guardian of the south-west quadrant. His father is the sky-god → Dyaus or → Indra; one myth tells how he arose from the eye of the world-giant → Purusa. Surya has golden

hair and golden arms. He drives in a chariot drawn by a team of four or seven horses; in his hand he holds a lotus flower, often a discus (cakra) as well. The daughter of the sun-god is also called Surya. Susanowo (Susanoo) Japanese god of the winds and lord of the ocean. It is said that he arose from the nose of → Izanagi. In his capacity as god of thunder he is associated with snakes and dragons. Svantevit (Latinized form Svantovitus) A war-god revered by the Slavonic inhabitants of the island of Rügen. He was also a protector of their fields, and the harvest festival was dedicated to him. The early Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus relates that his main attributes were a cornucopia and a white horse. Svarog (Svaropi3) Slavonic fire- and sun-god, equated by Greek-Christian writers with → Hephaistos. The divine smith was also regarded as the founder of the institution of marriage. Originally, Svarog was at the summit of the Slavonic pantheon, but he ended up as a sort of fire-spirit. In Russia, his place was taken by → Perun. Syrinx

→ Pan


Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.