Knowledge deity



A knowledge deity is a deity in mythology associated with knowledge, wisdom, or intelligence.

Ancient Egyptian

 * Neith, goddess sometimes associated with wisdom
 * Thoth, originally a moon deity, later became god of wisdom and scribe of the gods
 * Sia, the deification of wisdom
 * Isis, goddess of wisdom, magic and kingship. She was said to be "more clever than a million gods".
 * Seshat, goddess of wisdom, knowledge, and writing. Scribe of the gods. Credited with the invention of writing and the alphabet. Later demoted to consort of Thoth.

West African

 * Anansi, the spider trickster and spirit of all stories, best known from Akan and Ashanti folklore; according to some tales, also creator of the sun, moon and stars, and teacher of agriculture to humans
 * Orunmila, god of wisdom, knowledge, and divination

Caribbean / African diaspora mythology

 * Papa Legba, loa of speech, communication, understanding, and guardian of crossroads

Armenian mythology

 * Anahit, goddess of wisdom
 * Tir, the god of written language, schooling, rhetoric, wisdom, and the arts

Celtic mythology

 * Ogma, a figure from Irish and Scottish mythology, said to have invented the Ogham alphabet

Chinese mythology

 * Wenchang Wang, the god of literature and scholarship
 * Kui Xing, God of examinations
 * Zhuyu Xingjun, God of examination successes
 * Guan Yu, God of military exams
 * Lu Dongbin, God of Daoist inner alchemy knowledge
 * Laozi, God of wisdom
 * Confucius, Sage of teachers & learning
 * Bao Zheng, Star of literature
 * Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom

Etruscan mythology

 * Menrva, goddess of wisdom, war, weaving, and medicine

Greek mythology

 * Apollo, god of knowledge, music, education and youth
 * Athena, Olympian goddess of wisdom, weaving, and war strategy
 * Coeus, Titan of the inquisitive mind, his name meaning "query" or "questioning". He is the grandfather of Apollo.
 * Metis, the Titan associated most closely with wisdom and the mother of Athena, whose name in Ancient Greek described a combination of wisdom and cunning.

Hindu mythology

 * Saraswati, goddess of knowledge, creativity and speech
 * Brihaspati, Guru of the gods, bestower of knowledge and eloquence
 * Shukra, Guru of the demons, bestower of knowledge
 * Dakshinamurthy, aspect of the god Shiva as a guru and bestower of knowledge
 * Hayagriva, god of knowledge and wisdom
 * Gayatri, form of Saraswati and the goddess of hymns
 * Savitri, another form of Saraswati and goddess of wisdom

Hittite mythology

 * A'as, god of wisdom
 * Kamrusepa

Japanese mythology

 * Benzaiten, a Japanese form of Saraswati, goddess of everything that flows: water, words, speech, eloquence, music and by extension, knowledge.
 * Fukurokuju, god of wisdom and longevity
 * Kuebiko, scarecrow god of wisdom and agriculture
 * Omoikane, Shinto god of wisdom and intelligence
 * Tenjin, god of scholarship

Middle Eastern mythology

 * Al-Kutbay, Nabataean god of knowledge and writing
 * Enki, Sumerian god of intelligence, crafts, mischief, water, and creation
 * Nabu, Babylonian god of wisdom and writing
 * Nidaba, Sumerian goddess of writing, learning, and the harvest

Muisca mythology

 * Bochica, messenger god of knowledge

Norse mythology

 * Óðinn, god of wisdom who nevertheless relentlessly keeps searching for more knowledge; associated with the runes
 * Frigg, she is said to know the future, but never tells. The three following goddesses may be hypostases of her.
 * Gefjon, goddess associated with plowing, foreknowledge, and virginity.
 * Sága, goddess of wisdom
 * Snotra, goddess associated with wisdom
 * Vǫr, goddess associated with wisdom
 * Numerous minor characters in Norse mythology are said to be very wise, though there's often no instance of them demonstrating this supposed wisdom:
 * Dwarfs, particularly Alvíss, whose name means "all-wise". Thor keeps him from marrying his daughter by challenging him to a wisdom contest that lasts all night. He's turned to stone by the rising sun.
 * Elfs possibly
 * Heimdallr
 * Kvasir
 * Mímir
 * Týr
 * Útgarða-Loki, while not outright stated to be wise, he's notable for being the only giant to be cleverer than the gods and getting to escape with his life
 * Vafþrúðnir, a wise jǫtunn Odin seeks out to challenge to a wisdom contest
 * the Vanir in general

Persian mythology

 * Anahita, goddess of wisdom
 * Ahura Mazda, Zoroastrian god of light, benevolence, creation, truth, and perfect wisdom
 * Chista, goddess of wisdom and knowledge, she leads the mortals to the right way in life and the afterlife; she is also the goddess of religion in Zoroastrian mythology.

Polynesian mythology

 * Anulap, god of magic and knowledge
 * Eijebong

Roman mythology

 * Egeria, water nymph who gives wisdom and prophecy in return for libations of water or milk at her sacred grove
 * Fabulinus, the god who teaches children to speak
 * Minerva, goddess of wisdom and crafts, the Roman equivalent of Athena
 * Providentia, goddess of forethought

Slavic mythology

 * Gamayun, symbol of knowledge and wisdom

Turco-Mongol mythology

 * Mergen, deity of abundance and wisdom. Mergen symbolizes intelligence and thought.