108 Titles & Epithets for Gods

Epithets are an addition to a god’s name. They can

be seen as titles or as a component of the god’s full Attentiveness to Worshipers
name, and generally serve to inform about a
particular characteristic. As a literary device, 1. …of Wishes (or Things Wished-For)
epithets helped storytellers to arrange the rhythm 2. …the Accessible
and spacing of a line (most ancient literature was 3. …Who Comes to Those Who Call Them
either poetry or at least poetic in essence). For 4. …Who Generously Grants Boons to
ritualistic purposes, the epithet could act to delimit Their Worshipers
the god or shape it. 5. …Who Hears Prayers
6. …Who Punishes the Enemies of Their
Either because gods suffered from multiple Worshipers
personhood or were a little dense, it was sometimes 7. …Who Serves (or Attends)
believed that their worshipers needed to address a 8. …Who Uplifts Their Worshipers
god with the relevant epithet in order to invoke
their power in the desired manner. Calling after the
aid of Zeus Brontios would more likely get you Cosmic / Divine Supremacy
storms than anything else, which would be next to
useless if what you really wanted was for Zeus to 1. …According to Whose Word the Gods Act
punish someone for breaking hospitality. 2. …Ruler of (All) the Gods (or Eternity)
3. …the Great (or Mighty, or Powerful) One
Epithets could also serve to shed a great amount of 4. …the Great Sovereign
light on a divinity, and those with multiple distinct 5. …the Most Excellent
roles had to be approached with even greater care 6. …the One Who Rides (or Reigns) Alone
and attention to their epithets. Persephone could 7. …the Protector of the Gods
be approached as Persephone Kore (Persephone 8. …the Ruler of All Places
the Maiden) when focusing on her role as a 9. …They Who Reign
vegetation goddess, but as a goddess of the 10. …to Whom Everything Belongs
underworld she was Aristi Chthonic (The Best of 11. …Who Has Great (or, Who is Great in)
the Chthonic Deities), and she could be Strength (or Power, or Triumph)
approached as Persephone Despoina (Mistress 12. …Whose Like Does Not Exist (or Who is
Persephone) or Persephone Melindia (Persephone Greater Than All the Gods)
of Honey) when she was needed to influence her
husband, Hades. Creator & Maintainer of the Universe

Epithets often reflected a fusion with other

divinities (as was the case with Persephone and 1. …Beam of the Universe1
Despoina). One of the most prominent sets of 2. …Creator, Reproducer, and Dissolver
examples is seen in Ra, who was Amun-Ra after the 3. …the Self-Begotten
unification of Upper and Lower Egypt, and Sobek- 4. …Who Creates Sky, Earth, Water, and
Ra in the final dynasties of Egyptian. Mountains
5. …Who Fashioned All Things (or Fashioned
Things Beautiful, or Made All That Exists)
“One” and “God/dess” are often interchangeable.
6. …Who Gives Breath to the Nostrils of
Every Person
7. …Who Gives Life to People
8. …Who Holds Together (or Supports) the
World

1 Beams support ceilings

 Destruction Oceans, Lakes, & Other Water

1. …Raven-Tester 1. …Enjoyer of Lakes

2. …Roarer 2. …Foam of the Sea
3. …The (Living) Lion (with a Dreadful Growl) 3. …of the Primal Streams
4. …the Destroyer (or Killer, or Ripper) 4. …Who is Worshiped on the Coast
5. …the Locust
6. …the Terrible One Partying & Happiness
7. …Who Overthrows)
8. …Who Scares (or Terrifies)
1. …Ruler of Joy (or Jubilation)
2. …the Blind Guest
Eloquence & Language
3. …Who Drinks Abundantly
4. …Who Takes Part in (or Gives) Banquets
1. …the Riddler (or Concealer, or Deceiver)
2. …Who Distinguishes the Tongue of Protection & Aide
Every Foreign Land
3. …Who is Mighty in Their Words
4. …Who is Sweet of Tongue 1. …(Universal) Benefactor (of Humankind)
2. …Friend of the Afflicted
3. …Giver of Good Things
Food & Agriculture
4. …Gladdener of Mortals
5. …God of the Prisoners
1. …Bringer of Fruit 6. …Protector of Cows (or other important animal)
2. …Guardian of Flocks 7. …Ruler of the Cow Protectors
3. …of Honey 8. …The Helper
4. …Ruler of Bread 9. …the Preserver (or Protector, or Warden)
5. …the Cultivator 10. …Who Bestows Boons on One and All
6. …The Mixed One2 11. …Who Brings Help to the Needy
7. …the Nourisher 12. …Who is Free (or Who Frees)
8. …the Pastoral
9. …the Tiller Trade & Wealth
10. …Who Bears Fruits
11. …Who Brews Beer
12. …Who Nourishes All Things (or All 1. …Giver of Wealth
Animals) 2. …of the Market
3. …Refuge of the Destitute
4. …Who Brings Relief to the Poor
Goodness & Purity

Traits, Personality
1. …Averter of Ills (or Evil)
2. …the Propitiating and Atoning God
3. …Warder Away of Evil 1. …the Agreeable
4. …Who Created Purification 2. …the Blusterer
5. …Who Does Good 3. …the Clear (or Calm, or Serene, or Happy)
6. …Who Drives Away Evil 4. …the Complacent
7. …Who Kills the Forces of Darkness 5. …the Cruel
8. …Who Takes Away All Sins 6. …the Dismal (or Melancholy)
7. …the Gracious
8. …the Wild

2 Referring to bread, whose flour is mixed.

 Traits, Physical

1. …Flashing Eye
2. …the Blind God (or the Twice-Blind)
3. …the Broad-Hatted One (or Hat-Wearer)
4. …the Cow-Eyed
5. …the Flaming-Eyed
6. …the Hooded (or Masked) One
7. …the Lame One
8. …the Pale

Wilderness & Wild Things

1. …Bow-Carrier
2. …Far-Shooting
3. …Goat-Shooter
4. …of the Trees (or in the Tree)
5. …the Loud Rider
6. …the Strong Archer
7. …Who Lets Loose (i.e. shoots arrows)
8. …Who Wields a Silver Bow