Naamah

The Charmer; Mother of Divination; My Darling

Naamah, ancient and mysterious spirit, is a sometime ally, sometime rival, sometime traveling companion of Lilith. Like Lilith, she
takes many forms: Naamah is a demon, an angel (albeit of prostitution), and a primordial goddess.
The Kabbalah describes Naamah as being similar to Lilith. Like her sister demon, Naamah seduces men and strangles sleeping
babies. (She's blamed for SIDS: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, also known as crib or cot death.) Like Lilith, she can be a powerful
ally to those she perceives as her constituents. Beautiful Naamah is so enticing and seductive that men, women, angels, demons, and
spirits of all kinds lust for her. She is the lover and/or wife of some of the most formidable angels, demons, and biblical heroes, including
Azazel, Samael, Shemhazai, Solomon, and Noah (and maybe his son, too). Her children include the Nephilim, Shedim, and Ashmodai.
The Hebrew name Naamah, meaning "pleasant," appears in the Bible and Jewish folklore but may or may not refer to the same
being:
• The name may be shared by different women.
• Naamah may name one spirit with a very long, interesting history.
• Naamah may be both a goddess, possibly a divine ancestress and the women named in her honor.

The first appearance of the name Naamah is early in the Book of Genesis. Genesis 4:22 details Cain's descendents including the first
ironworker and his sister: "And Zillah ... bore Tubal Cain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron and the sister of Tubal Cain
was Naamah." The verse is unusual as it mentions a female descendent. Female descendents are rarely sited in the Bible without
significant cause. Why Naamah is considered worthy of mention is not specified, but according to Talmudic sources, this Naamah
(widely acknowledged as the demon) was a shaman, cymbal player, and singer whose pleasant voice lured humanity to idolatry.
Naamah is a sea spirit. The Zohar, Kabbalah's sacred text, describes her as "alive to this day" and living amongst the
waves of the Great Sea.

The other official biblical reference to Naamah is as a princess of Ammon, an ancient kingdom near the Dead Sea, wife of King
Solomon and mother of his son and successor, King Rehoboam. Talmudic and Jewish lore identifies other Naamahs, too:
• Naamah, young, beautiful princess, fell in love with the rebel angel Azazel. According to some myths, when her sister Ishtahar
rejected the angel Shemhazai, Naamah had sex with him, too. Azazel and Shemhazai were severely punished. Naamah,
originally mortal, evolved into a spirit, attaining immortality or something very close to it.
• Naamah is the name of Noah's wife and thus ancestress of all born after the Flood. (Naamah's son Shem's wife may also be
named Naamah. They may or may not be the same Naamah.)
• Some interpret the two women who presented one baby to King Solomon in the days before DNA testing, requesting that he
determine the true mother, as Naamah and Lilith playing tricks.
Naamah is a spirit of women's sexual autonomy and sacred erotic rites. Naamah rules the ecstatic point where sex, spiritual ecstasy,
and music intersect. Those who comprehend this point and seek to attain it are her constituency.
Favored people: Musicians

Offerings: Naamah adores music (her half-brother Jubal is ancestor of all musicians); incense, water, desert fruits
See also: Ashmodai; Azazel; Lilith; She dim; Solomon, King

Nabu
Also known as: Nebo
Nabu is the Babylonian lord of wisdom and writing, introduced to Mesopotamia by the Amorites, a powerful Western Semitic
nation. Nabu originally served as Marduk's scribe, but they were incorporated into the Baby lonian pantheon as father (Marduk) and
son (Nabu). Nabu is the official spokesman for the Babylonian pantheon and eventually became the Assyrian Empire's primary deity.
Nabu engraves each person's destiny on the tablets of sacred record. He is the ultimate editor of the Babylonian equivalent of the
Book of Life. Although fate is decreed by the deities, Nabu has authorization to increase or diminish anyone's life span. His name may
be related to the Hebrew word navi, meaning "prophet."
References to Nabu in the Bible (Isaiah 46:1 and Jeremiah 48:1) indicate his prominence in the Babylonian pantheon and
his fame throughout the Middle East.

Iconography: Statues depict him as a dignified bearded man wearing a horned cap
Attribute: Clay writing tablet, a writing stylus, a wedge (for cuneiform writing)
M ount: Winged dragon
Planet: Mercury
Sacred site: The center of his veneration was in Borsippa on the Euphrates River, now in modern Iraq. His temple in Babylon
(Iraq) has been restored. Semiramis built Nabu a temple in Nimrud (Calah), now near Mosul, modern Iraq.
See also: Mari (2); Nisaba; Semiramis

Naddaha, Al

The Caller
Origin: Egypt

Al Naddaha literally means "the caller," but the word is also translated as "Siren," meaning a deadly mermaid. Al Naddaha, a spirit
of the Nile, is an Egyptian urban legend. It is unclear exactly when she first emerged, but she became particularly notorious in the 1950s.
Al Naddaha mysteriously appears and calls to young men strolling by the Nile at night. Her voice is alluring like a traditional Siren's.
She may possess a hypnotic gaze. If men respond to her call, allegedly she drowns them. She causes no harm to those who do not
approach but is an elusive, disturbing presence. It is unclear whether she is a spirit who lingers by the water (like Aisha Qandisha) or
whether she actually lives in the water (like the Lorelei). Egyptian folklore classifies her among the Djinn.
Like La Llorona, al Naddaha has captured public imagination. In addition to being the subject of spine-tingling horror tales,
Al
Naddaha is the name of an Egyptian avant-garde literary journal as well as a novella by Egyptian author Yusuf Idris (1927–1991).
M anifestation: Al Naddaha manifests as a beautiful woman with long dark hair flowing down her back. Her skin is sometimes

described as exceedingly white. Alternatively she is described as being semitransparent or as wearing a long, semitransparent, white
dress (possibly similar to ancient Egyptian linen garb).
See also: Aisha Qandisha; Djinn; Llorona, La; Lorelei; Mami Waters; Mermaids; Siren

Naga
Origin: India
Also known as: Naginis (females)

Naga means "snake," and the Nagas are a vast class of powerful snake spirits featured in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain mythology and
beloved by independent practitioners, too. They are pre-Hindu, tribal spirits renowned for their beauty, wisdom, and magical powers.
The category Naga encompasses a vast variety of serpent spirits. Dragons may be categorized among the Nagas. Nagas live
underwater (oceans, lakes, wells, springs, rivers) and underground, especially in subterranean caves converted into magnificent jeweled
palaces. Termite mounds may mark the entrance to a Naga's lair. Some Nagas live within trees or beneath them. Nagas also possess
their own realm, the subterranean metropolis, Bhogavati.
They are guardians of Earth's treasures including minerals, metals, and gemstones. Nagas guard anything of value found within Earth.
Petroleum deposits may be under their dominion. Nagas are associated with ancient tree veneration, fertility, and healing. They're
associated with illness, too. Many Nagas have notoriously short fuses. People aggravate them, whether by stupidity or by rude or
destructive behavior. Nagas are guardian spirits and must be propitiated before anything they guard is disturbed or even approached. It
is especially crucial to maintain cleanliness and purity of natural sources of water as these are the Nagas' homes. They punish those who
pollute air, earth, and water.
Nagas express frustration, anger, and unhappiness by causing illness, especially those ailments that manifest on the skin, ranging from
acne to leprosy. They have dominion over skin disorders and may be petitioned for cures, too. Nagas may also cause infectious disease
and mental disorders.
Boils allegedly may result from chopping down trees without requesting permission and forgiveness from Nagas dwelling
within.

• Blessings of the Nagas include fertility, wisdom, and wealth.
• Really angry Nagas cause disasters.
Center of Naga veneration may originally have been Kashmir. The Nagas are described as Kashmir's first inhabitants. Myth and
geology agree: the Vale of Kashmir was once filled with water like a huge reservoir or lake bounded by mountains. Myth explains that
land was eventually elevated from the waters and placed in the Nagas' care. (Geology suggests that earthquakes aided this process.)
Some five-hundred-twenty-seven named Nagas were traditionally worshipped in Kashmir. A court historian for the sixteenth-century
Mughal Emperor Akbar listed seven hundred places in Kashmir sacred to the Nagas. From Kashmir, veneration spread throughout the
subcontinent, the Himalayas, and southeast Asia, especially Cambodia and Indonesia.
Nagas are pivotal to the plot of Shekhar Kapur's comic book series Snake Woman.

M anifestation: Nagas may manifest as snakes, as snake-human hybrids, or as people with something serpentine about them,
possibly jewelry or a crown. Serpentine Nagas may have five, seven, or more heads. Many Nagas are brilliant magicians and skilled
shape-shifters.

Iconography: Snake stones, votive slabs bearing images of snakes, are placed beside wells or sacred trees by women petitioning
the Nagas for personal fertility.
Spirit ally: Shiva
Creatures: Snakes of all kinds, dragons
Element: Water
See also: Garuda; Klu; Manasa; Naga Kanya; Parnashvari; Shiva; Vajrapani

Naga Kanya

Cobra Woman
Origin: India

Naga Kanya, famous Naga goddess, is a benevolent spirit who bestows treasure of all kinds (material, romantic, spiritual, and
esoteric). Naga Kanya is petitioned for rain during drought, and happiness when that is in short supply.
There may be one Naga Kanya, or Naga Kanya may name a class of snake Fairies. Naga Kanya is identified with Lakshmi. Becaus
she has a positive relationship with Vishnu, she is considered apart from other Nagas who have a tense relationship with his mount,
Garuda. Naga Kanya is also venerated by Buddhists who perceive her as a guardian of the Dharma and a Tantric goddess.
M anifestation: Naga Kanya is a winged woman from the waist up and a cobra below. She wears a five-headed cobra headdress.
Attribute: Conch shell
Number: 5
Flower: Cobra lily (Arisaema costatum)
See also: Eight Dharma Protectors; Fairy; Garuda; Lakshmi; Naga

Naiad
Origin: Greece

Naiads are fresh-water Nymphs. Theoret ically each spring, well, fountain, lake, pond, or river is home to at least one Naiad.
Naiads also reside in areas near or dominated by water. Their name is related to a Greek verb meaning "to flow." They are weaving
spirits, indicating that they have power over fate.
Offerings: The Greeks traditionally sacrificed lambs and goats to the Naiads and poured libations for them of honey, wine, and
olive oil. Dolls and ex-votos in the forms of people were placed in wells and springs.
See also: Cymbee; Lara; Nymph; Oinone

Nakada

The Striker; Causer of Downfall
Origin: Hausa
Classification: Bori
Nakada, son of Malam Alhaji, renounced Islam and was banished from his father's home. He now lives in the Ninth House of Bori
Spirits, the House of Pagans. Nakada is an extremely important spirit because he is the last one summoned to Bori ceremonials. Upon
arriving, Nakada closes the door. No other Bori follows him. The affliction Nakada causes and heals is mental illness.
See also: Bori; Malam Alhaji

Nakaq

The Liposuction Vampire
Also known as: Pishtaco

The Nakaq is an Andean vampire except that instead of sucking blood, he extracts fat. If he lived in the United States and if only his
attacks weren't fatal, victims might be lining up for him rather than attempting to elude him.
The Nakaq, a figure of Peruvian folklore, is envisioned as a charismatic, magnetic, mesmerizing man with a hypnotic gaze. The Nakaq
is inevitably envisioned as a white man, although whether he is living, a phantom, or a ghost varies. His victims are almost invariably local
Indians. He drags them to his subterranean lair, hangs them upside down, and extracts their body fat. Victims do not survive the
procedure.
The Nakaq, long suspected of collusion with the Roman Catholic Church, is traditionally envisioned as a knife-wielding priest seeking
human fat to forge church bells. Alternatively he seeks fat for magical or industrial reasons, to manufacture medicines or for nefarious
government schemes.
The earliest documented reference to the Nakaq was written in Spanish in the seventeenth century. Although the concept of a fatremoving monster may sound amusing to those in weight-obsessed Western industrialized nations, the Nakaq is no joke in the Andes
but rather the subject of genuine dread. The Nakaq is the bane of anthropologists: lone white men who appear in Indian villages as if
from nowhere, seeking to ingratiate themselves with locals (like many anthropologists do) are often viewed with tremendous suspicion.
Many have been chased out of town, beaten, or worse in the belief that their true identity is the Nakaq.
See also: Vampire; Viracocha

Nakawé

Our Grandmother Growth; The Little Old One
Also known as: Takutsi Nakawé
Origin: Huichol

The Huichol are an indigenous people of Mexico now famous worldwide for their complex, shamanic religion, which fascinates
anthropologists and for their beautiful artwork, much coveted by collectors. Nakawé is the Huichol goddess of Earth and senior deity of
water. She is the female principle of Creation. The male is associated with fire and the sun. Nakawé controls the generative, reviving
power of water, which balances, counteracts and alleviates the sun's heat, making life possible.
Nakawé, powerful magician, may be the original shaman who first created the world using her magical bamboo staff and her medicine

basket. Nakawé is responsible for vegetation and agricultural abundance. She gave people healing and spiritual rituals.
Nakawé formed red flowers from her own bloody undergarments. permeated with her menstrual blood. She tossed these flowers
into a desert spring, and fruits and flowers sprang up—as did her daughter, the Huichol goddess of childbirth. Nakawé, primal
ancestress, also influences personal fertility. She blesses people with longevity and safe, easy childbirth.
In the Huichol version of the deluge myth, Nakawé foresaw the coming flood. (She may also have caused it.) Nakawé was the deity
who warned the sole survivor, advising him to build a canoe and stock it with maize, squash, and beans. She then guided him to the
place that would be his home after the waters receded, teaching him to plant and cultivate the seeds he had pre served.
Jealous men schemed to steal Nakawé's power. As she was too powerful to attack directly, they tricked her, inviting her to perform
a curing ceremony. Meanwhile they stole her staff in which her heart was hidden. They planted her heart in their fields, and maize of five
different colors sprouted. A pepper tree sprang from her heart's blood. Nakawé escaped underground, and the men became the first
male shamans, appropriating her power and position.
M anifestation: Nakawé manifests as an elderly woman who walks with a staff. Like Moses, her staff may transform back and
forth into a serpent. She is often accompanied by a javelina (wild pig) in which form she can also manifest.
Iconography: Wooden images of Nakawé serve as protective amulets intended to guard children, vulnerable landscapes and/or
sources of water.

Attribute: A medicine basket and her snake-staff (Iwaitsu: a bamboo staff patterned to resemble snake skin), which is symbolic of
her high authority.
Planet: Moon
Direction: West
Number: 5
Bird: Macaw
Animals: Javelina (peccary) and snakes, especially water snakes
Tree: Pepper tree (Schinus spp.), known as the pirul tree in Huichol territory. It has many traditional medicinal uses.

Namaka
Origin: Polynesia
Namaka, Ocean Goddess, is the child of Haumea and Ku and is volcano goddess Pelé's older sister. Conflict with Namaka was
the primary reason for Pelé's migration to Hawaii. Tahiti, their birthplace, wasn't big enough for both these powerful, turbulent
goddesses. Different reasons for the bitter conflict between the sisters are offered:
• They may have quarreled over a lover.
• Pelé may have seduced Namaka's husband.
• Namaka's beloved dog may have had an unfortunate encounter with fire, leaving the water goddess bitterly hostile to fire deities.
• The two sisters may just be elementally incompatible.
Pelé's departure failed to satisfy Nam aka, who pursued her kid sister from island to island, extinguishing all her fires and threatening
Pelé. Namaka's name means "eyes," and she kept those eyes fixed on Pelé, who finally reached safe haven in Hawaii. Needless to say,
the two sisters cannot safely share altar space together. They will fight and compete with each
other via fire and water. In general,
Namaka manifests anger through tidal waves.
See also: Haumea; Kapo; Ku; Pelé; Poliahu

Namtar
Origin: Sumer (Mesopotamia)
The name Namtar means "death" or "destiny." Namtar, death spirit, is responsible for creating illness in general and for directing it
toward specific people. He is the chief minister and messenger of Ereshkigal, Ruler of the Realm of Death.
See also: Ereshkigal

Nana Buruku
Also known as: Nana Bukwu; Buklu; Bukúu
Origin: West Africa

One vision of Creation describes life emerging from some primeval swamp. Nana Buruku, ancient mother, presides over that
swamp. Lady of marshes, swamps, mud, and clay, she is the primordial mother, the root ancestress. Nana Buruku, like her son Babalu
Ayé, appears throughout West Africa and is incorporated into Fon, Yoruba, and Keto pantheons. Thus she is significant to various
African Diaspora spiritual traditions. Nana Buruku is an ancient root lwa, eldest of the watery orishas.
Nana Buruku is an old fierce swamp witch, an austere, severe spirit. In Africa, her altars are traditionally maintained outside—she's
considered too volatile to safely bring indoors. She is extremely generous with those she loves. Nana Buruku is a fearless warrior who is
petitioned for victory.
Nana Buruku, divine herbalist, presides over medicinal plants and may be petitioned to help discover herbal solutions to health issues.
Ask her to empower and enhance herbal remedies. Nana Buruku is present in clay, which also has therapeutic uses. She may be
requested to enhance its magical and medicinal powers. Nana Buruku is traditionally believed able to identify and heal illnesses which
physicians are unable to locate, treat, or acknowledge. She is invoked for personal fertility but is also a guardian of the dead. If angered,
she may cause illnesses characterized by a swollen abdomen. Nana Buruku is syncretized to Saint Anne.
Nana Buruku prefers bamboo knives to those made of iron. Anthropologist and author Lydia Cabrera suggests that this is
because she predates the Iron Age.

Favored people: Herbalists, healers, root doctors, potters
M anifestation: Nana Buruku appears in the guise of an incredibly old woman and travels in the form of a freshwater snake.
Attribute: Nana Buruku carries a special staff constructed from palm fronds and decorated with cowrie shells.
Sacred sites: She lives in swamps and earthen mounds.
Spirit ally: Her son, Babalu Ayé
Planet: Moon
Creatures: Snakes, especially pythons
Tree: Camwood (Baphianitida), also known as African sandalwood, which is the source of a blood-red dye
Colors: Dark blue, black, pink, white
Stone: Tourmaline

Days: Monday, Saturday
Numbers: 7, 9
Offerings: Roses, mandrake and other roots, swamp plants
See also: Babalu Ayé; Lwa; Orisha; Oshumare In Fon cosmology, Nana Buruku may originally have been a
hermaphroditic being who independently gave birth to all the deities but was eventually eclipsed by younger spirits.

Nandi
Origin: India
The name Nandi means "rejoicing." He is a sacred white bull as well as Shiva's mount and foremost devotee. They are venerated
together. Nandi, the very essence of virility, fertility, strength, and power, is emblematic of male procreative power. His presence
radiates this power, which may be transmitted to devotees. Nandi may be a bull, but he's an accomplished musician and dancer, too.
M anifestation: A huge but graceful white humpback bull
Iconography: The image of kneeling Nandi is at the entrance of every Shiva temple, where it faces the image of Shiva.
See also: Gajasura; Garuda; Shiva

Nang Kwak
Origin: Thailand

Nang Kwak is a Thai spirit of wealth. Her image is kept in homes and stores to attract customers, business, money, prosperity, and
financial stability. Immensely popular, she is considered a spiritual magnet for good fortune.
Nang Kwak may be an indigenous Thai spirit or she may be a derivation of the Hindu spirit Parvati. Like many other Thai spirits, her
power is accessed through amulets created in her image. Images of Nang Kwak come in assorted sizes: small enough to wear around
your neck or large enough to be the central focus of an altar. Her image is ubiquitous throughout Thailand and in Thai restaurants around
the world.
Nang Kwak's image depicts her as a beautiful, kneeling woman dressed in traditional Thai clothing. She holds a money bag securely
in her lap and lifts one of her hands in a gesture of beckoning. This gesture allegedly beckons prosperity, business, and good fortune to
her devotees.
Nang Kwak's image has powerful associations with other amulets, too:
• Maneki Neko, the Japanese Beckoning Cat, serves similar spiritual functions and closely resembles Nang Kwak. Nang Kwak,
herself, is sometimes depicted with a cat's face or tail.
• Nang Kwak is also intensely identified with Thai phallic amulets. Some statues merge their imagery. The front of a statue may
appear to simply portray Nang Kwak, but if one looks closely, especially from the back, phallic imagery becomes apparent.
From behind, Nang Kwak's body is modeled in the form of a penis; she wears a glans-shaped hat.

In addition to traditional associations with luck and wealth, phallic-shaped images of Nang Kwak possess the added function of
protecting against the Evil Eye and are also reputed to banish malevolent spirits. Although Nang Kwak's associations with better
business and wealth are now dominant, once upon a time she was associated with magical healing and plants. The very oldest images of
Nang Kwak were carved from roots and embellished with auspicious words like wealth and treasure .
Favored people: Shopkeepers, peddlers, and owners of small businesses and restaurants

Day: Every day
Is there a day when you don't need good fortune? Consequently, Nang Kwak works around the clock for you, seven days a
week, never taking a day off. If you don't want her to slack off, it is customary to give her daily offerings.

Color: Red
Creature: Cat
Offering: Garland her image with red flowers. Serve her water or tea and a small dish of food daily. She accepts cooked rice
and/or peeled fruit. If you would like to offer something more elaborate, she favors prawns.
Ritual: Chant Nang Kwak's four syllable mantra (NA SHA LI TI) daily while focusing on your desire for luck, success, prosperity,
and good fortune.
See also: Buddha, Emerald; Golden Boy; Mae Po Sop, Maneki Neko; Parvatiand the Glossary entry for Mantra

Nang Nak

Nang is Thai for "lady" or "madame." It is an honorific or title of respect commonly used to address female spirits, as is
Mae
meaning Mother. These titles are sometimes used fairly interchangeably, so the famous ghost Mae Nak is also known as Nang Nak.
See also: Mae Nak

Nang Takian (1)
Also known as: Lady Takian
Origin: Thailand

Nang Takian means "Lady Takian." Nang Takian spirits reside in Takian trees (Hopea ferrea). Takian wood is waterproof and
hence desired for boat building, but it's otherwise traditionally considered a very inauspicious tree, not least because of its indwelling
spirits. Once common but now endangered, Takian trees are associated with death—they are not planted near homes. According to
prehistoric Thai cosmology, Takian trees are portals to the Underworld. If you cut the tree, you'll allegedly hear its spirit shriek.
Whether Nang Takian are ghosts or Fairies is unclear and subject to debate:
• They may be forest Fairies.
• They may be ghosts of women who died violently.
Although Nang Takian names a type of tree spirit, when most people refer to Nang Takian, they mean the specific spirit
who shares the shrine of Mae Nak.

Nang Takian exhibit Siren-like behavior. They serenade solitary men with melancholy but alluring songs. Their voices are beautiful.
When men investigate the source of this music, they discover a pretty, friendly girl. She may look harmless, but beware! If a man
submits to her embrace, she'll squeeze the life out of him like a snake.
See also: Fairy; Ghost; Lady Banana Ghost; Mae Nak; Nang Takian(2); Siren

Nang Takian (2)
Also known as: Lady Takian
Origin: Thailand
Nang Takian is the spirit who lives in the Takian tree shading Mae Nak's Bangkok shrine. She is a unique Takian spirit, considered
especially powerful because of her proximity to the powerful ghost, Mae Nak. Unlike other Takian tree spirits, this particular Nang
Takian is considered generally benevolent and is beloved for her willingness to bestow winning lottery numbers. If her bark is rubbed
vigorously (but respectfully and lovingly), patterns in the wood allegedly reveal numbers. She will reveal numbers for financial, magical,
and other purposes, too. According to a legend popularized by a Thai movie, Lady Takian was once a mortal woman who hung herself
from the big Takian tree in shame and despair after being raped. Her soul entered the tree, and she was transformed into its indwelling
spirit.
See also: Mae Nak; Nang Takian (1)

Nanshe

Our Lady of Dreams; Lady of Abundance; The Queen Mother
Origin: Sumeria, Babylonia
Nanshe, the daughter of Sumerian deities Enki and Ninhursag, is a divine prophetess and an oracle. Her temple priests served as
dream interpreters. Nanshe, herself, communicates via dreams. She is a goddess of personal and creative fertility who possesses the
power to increase abundance. The Sumerian Hymn to Nanshe describes her as the benefactress of the cities she sponsors and the
protectress of the weakest members of society.
Nanshe guards widows, orphans and refugees. She will not assist ingrates or the arrogant. Nanshe punishes those who offend her by
afflicting them with mental illness, insanity and/ or torturous dreams. Nanshe determines fate. She has dominion over fishing, literal and
metaphoric. Accord ing to the Sumerian Hymn to Nanshe, no other divine powers match hers.
Favored people: Dream workers; dream interpreters; sleep therapists; Pisceans
Attributes: A fish within a water-filled vessel (intended as a uterine symbol); containers made of reeds that are never empty
Consort: Nindara
Spirit allies: Enki, Nisaba
Creatures: Fish
Element: Water
M etal: Silver
Day: New Year's Day
Sacred site: The Sumerian city Nina, now modern Sorghul, Iraq
Offerings: Fresh water; wine; fruit; hot and cold prepared meals
See also: Enki; Nisaba

Nantosuelta

The Meandering Stream; The Winding River
Origin: Celtic

Nantosuelta is a mysterious goddess of fertility and abundance who was once extremely popular in Burgundy, the lower Rhone
Valley, Luxemburg, and the Rhineland. After Christianity became the official religion, Nantosuelta was almost completely erased from
history; thus her present elusiveness may not be inherent but instead derives from a simple lack of information.
Nantosuelta was venerated without a consort in Eastern Gaul, but alongside the Celtic deity Sucellus elsewhere. Together they
presided over Burgundy's wine harvest. Their iconography depicts them with barrels of wine.

M anifestation: She has thick, curly hair and was depicted wearing a flounced skirt and massive torc, emblematic of her power and
importance.
Attributes: A small house (like a doll's house) atop a long staff, a bowl of apples
Bird: Raven
Creature: Dog
Offerings: Burgundy or Rhine wine, fruit, honey, honeycombs

Narcissus
Origin: Greece

The Nymph Echo was deprived of the faculty of speech by Hera, who caught her in flagrante delicto with Zeus. Echo could only
repeat another's words. She wandered in the forest until one day she came upon an incredibly handsome boy named Narcissus and fell
in love with him at first sight. Narcissus paused to drink from a clear pool of water but became entranced by his own reflection. He
spoke to it saying, "I love you!" Echo repeated his words but to no avail. As if hypnotized, he just gazed at his own image, never
leaving, eating, or drinking until finally he pined away and died. A narcissus flower sprang up where he died, and the word narcissism
entered the language. Echo, too, pined away for love, leaving only her echo behind.
That's a particularly famous myth, but it's only half of it—and the latter half at that. Narcissus was not an ordinary mortal boy. He
was radiantly handsome because he was a woodland spirit, the son of river spirit Kephisos and the Nymph Leiriope "Lily Face."
Modern mythology books emphasize his rejection of Echo, but by the time she met him, he couldn't help himself. He wasn't narcissistic:
he was cursed.
The ancient Greeks would have recognized Narcissus' fascination with his reflection as the motif of a horror story. For the
ancient Greeks, dreaming about seeing your own reflection (in a mirror or in water) was a death omen. In modern Greek
folklore, the ailing are discouraged from looking in mirrors .

Narcissus was not narcissistic, but he was arrogant or perhaps too immature to appreciate deep emotions. He mocked the sincere
love that he had inspired in another, thus insulting the spirits of love, not least Aphrodite. The lover Narcissus repeatedly rejected was
not Echo— whom he was too entranced to even notice— but a male suitor, Amenias. Narcissus did not reject him gently or nicely. He
taunted him. Narcissus' harsh rejection of Amenias was what originally lost him sympathy in this myth.
Narcissus finally gave Amenias a gift of a sword, a deliberately ironic gift, considering the phallic imagery. Humiliated and suffering
unrequited love, Amenias used the gift to commit suicide right in front of Narcissus' home, cursing Narcissus as he died. Another

popular ancient Greek belief was that deathbed curses were particularly lethal and virtually impossible to break. Narcissus' doom was
sealed.
A temple dedicated to love was erected at the site of his death. Narcissus is invoked by those who have previously rejected a lover
but would now like a second (or third or fourth) chance.
See also: Aphrodite; Hera; Nymph

Nats
Origin: Burma (Myanmar)
The term Nat indicates "power" and names a vast variety of Burmese deities, including ancestral spirits and those of rivers, trees,
snakes and other creatures. Many of the most famous and widely venerated Nats are the souls of people who died tragic or violent
deaths. Technically, countless Nats exist, with more emerging daily.
Centuries of attempts to tame Nats (and their devotees) have never been completely successful. Thirty-seven Buddhist Nats were
officially designated as acceptable for worship. All other Nats are considered disreputable (as are their devotees by extension),
especially those that hew to indigenous shamanic and animist traditions and do not acknowledge the superiority of Buddhism. (See also:
Nats, Thirty-Seven.) The Thirty-Seven Nats are called the Inner Nats because they are permitted into the Buddhist pagoda precinct.
All others are called Outer Nats.
Nats are involved in all facets of human life. They are invoked:
• For protection
• To prevent and heal illness
• At every stage of the agricultural cycle
• To fulfill desires

Individual Nats demonstrate their own unique personalities, but generally Nats protect those who feed them. If not appeased and
propitiated, many are volatile, fast-tempered, and sometimes mean-spirited beings.
Nats are honored with small private rituals but also celebrated with huge public festivals featuring singers, musicians, and shamans. A
festival for Nats is known as a Pwe. Nats engage in voluntary ritual possession of shamans. As in other spiritual traditions, individual
shamans may possess a specific repertoire of spirits whom they channel.
Sacred site: Although individual Nats are associated with different locales, the spiritual home of Nat veneration is the extinct
volcano Mount Popa ("Flower Mountain"), also known as Mahagiri ("Great Moun tain"), approximately thirty miles southeast of Pagan
now designated a national park. A partially covered staircase ascends to the top.
Images and music from a Nat Pwe may be witnessed on the 2004 DVDNat Pwe: Burma's Carnival of Spirit Soul.

Offerings: In terms of devotion by individuals, the standard offering is one coconut and two bunches of bananas. An individual
seeking to offer something more substantial can make a pilgrimage or sponsor a Pwe. Nats love loud, lively music and vivid colors, so
these are integral to rituals and Pwes. Food is served to Nats, they consume the spiritual essence via the aroma; the food itself is
generally eaten by participants and devotees.
See also: Koumyoumin; Nats, Mahagiri; Nats, Thirty-Seven; Taungbyon Brothers; Youkhazou

Nats, Mahagiri

Also known as: Min Mahagiri; The House Nat
Origin: Myanmar (Burma)

Classification: Nat
Once upon a time, a blacksmith named Nga Tin De ("Mr. Handsome," also known as U Tin De) and his sister, Shwem Yethna
("Golden Face") lived in the city of Tagaung. Both were kind, generous, gorgeous, powerful, and beloved. Nga Tin De was so strong
he wielded two hammers at once, one in each hand. They were not just siblings; they were best friends. King Thinlik yaung (344–387
CE) resented the blacksmith's magical powers and spiritual authority, not to mention his physical strength. The king sent an assassination
squad to cut his throat while he slept, making it look like a robbery so the king wouldn't be suspected. One assassin secretly warned
Mr. Handsome, who fled into the forest.
Meanwhile the king, smitten with beautiful Golden Face, allayed her suspicions, admitting that he sought to capture her brother but
only to discover whether he was plotting against the throne. Golden Face married him, becoming one of his queens. (It's never clear
whether his love is sincere or if it's all a ploy to capture her brother.) The king explained to Golden Face that since he and Nga Tin De
were now in-laws, the blacksmith had nothing to fear. She fell for his argument. As a truthful, honest person, she expected her husband
to behave likewise. Golden Face sent a messenger to the jungle inviting the blacksmith to join her at court.
She traveled to the forest's edge with the king and royal entourage to greet her brother, or so she thought. As Mr. Handsome
emerged, guards grabbed him, bound him to a saga tree, piled tinder around him, and set him on fire. Not believing her eyes, Golden
Face attempted to intervene, but guards restrained her. Finally realizing that she'd been used to betray her beloved brother, she shouted
out a curse, broke free of the guards, ran to the tree, and flung herself on the flames. Brother and sister burned to death, in the process
transforming into angry Nats who dwell in the tree. Only their heads were left unburned.
• Legends circulated regarding how generous the two had been toward poor villagers.
• The royal court was plagued by disasters ranging from epidemics to lost treasure.

The poor and oppressed began to worship the Nats. The king's original fears about Mr. Handsome proved true: in death, the
blacksmith's power began to rival his own. The king ordered the saga tree chopped down and thrown into the Irawaddy River. The
ruler of the rival kingdom of Pagan, aware of the situation, had the tree fished out of the river as it floated downstream. He
commissioned beautiful images of the brother and sister, which were enshrined atop Mount Popa, transforming the blacksmith and his
sister into benevolent oracular spirits, known as Min Mahagiri—"Lords of the High Mountain" even though one is a lady.
There are technically seven Mahagiri Nats:
• The blacksmith Min Mahagiri
• Shwei Na Bai, his dragon wife
• Shin Byu and Shin Nyou, their sons
• Golden Face, his sister who died with him
• Ma Htwei Byu, another younger sister
• Ma Ne, his younger sister's daughter

Min Mahagiri are considered the oldest of the thirty-seven official Nats. Brother and sister are venerated together, but she is now
somewhat subordinate to her brother. (Other members of their family are enshrined with them, too.) Although theoretically, Thagya Min
(Indra) is chief of the thirty-seven official Nats, in reality, Min Mahagiri the blacksmith is their leader. For centuries, until King
Anawratha abolished Nat veneration, the first act of Burmese kings upon coronation was a pilgrimage to the Min Mahagiri shrine, where
brother and sister would manifest and prophesize.
The Mahagiri Nats provide blessings of all kinds. Pilgrimages are still made to their mountain shrine. They are also household Nats,
guarding individuals and their homes. As he was a blacksmith in life, it's considered wise to acknowledge him when working with metal.
Offerings are placed beside the appliance, machine, or tool in use. The Mahagiri Nats protect against thieves and illness but, like most
Nats, are volatile. If they perceive disrespect, they cause illness or otherwise demonstrate displeasure, usually via domestic disharmony.
Iconography: Min Mahagiri may be represented by a coconut.
Attributes: Coconut
Tree: Saga (Michelia champaca), also known as champa or champak

Sacred site: In addition to the shrine on Mount Popa, Min Mahagiri is also the official household Nat who lives within the coconuts
hung in his honor in Burmese homes.
Ritual: Traditionally a coconut, representing Min Mahagiri's presence and protection, is hung from a beam or post. Replace when
the stem falls off or it begins to rot or decay, whichever comes first. Make offerings to Min Mahagiri when the coconut is replaced.
Offerings: Coconuts (the juice soothes their burns), jaggery, sticky rice, plain cooked white rice, bananas, pickled tea leaves,
sandalwood
A coconut traditionally hung from the home's southeastern pillar is simultaneously an offering to Min Mahagiri, an image
of Min Mahagiri, and a home for Min Mahagiri.

See also: Nats; Nats, Thirty-Seven

Nats, Thirty-Seven
Also known as: Thirty-Seven Chief Nats; Inner Nats;Thounze Khunna Min Nat
Origin: Burma (Myanmar)
King Anawratha (reigned 1044–1077 CE), founder of the Buddhist Kingdom of Pagan and first to unite upper and lower Burma,
sought to convert the nation to Theravada Buddhism and away from Tantra, shamanism, and animism. His attempts to suppress Nat
veneration failed; it was too deeply ingrained. (How deeply? Almost one thousand years later, it still survives.) Instead a political
decision was made to co-opt, control, and limit Nats by placing them under Buddhist supervision.
Thirty-six especially popular Nats were officially selected and endorsed. A thirty-seventh, Thagya Min, patterned after Hindu deity
Indra, was added as the king of Nats. King Anawratha in conjunction with his Buddhist monk advisers embellished the stories of each
of the thirty-six official Nats so that they became devout followers of Buddha.
Among the newly enshrined Nats was Anawratha's father, Kunshaw, Lord of the White Umbrella. Anawratha reclaimed
the throne after his father was deposed by his step-sons, who forced him to enter a monastery. As an ancestral Nat, Kunshaw
is envisioned as a Buddhist monk, rather than as a king.

It was declared that there were no longer countless Nats, only these thirty-six plus one. Although new Nats sometimes replace old
ones, the official number remains thirty-seven. Although called the Thirty-Seven Nats, there are not consistently thirty-seven of them.
Historically, there have been fewer. Thirty-seven is, in essence, a category demonstrating that Nats can be controlled, not a literal count
or number. (For the sake of symmetry, there is also an official unofficial group of Thirty-Seven Outside Nats, even though there are
really an infinite number of Outside Nats.)
Iconography: The Thirty-Seven Nats are often accompanied by Buddhist imagery.
Sacred sites: Individual Nats generally have their own specific shrines and are not venerated in Buddhist pagodas, with one
exception: Shwezigon Pagoda in Pagan, King Anawratha's capital city. He had images of the Thirty-Seven chosen Nats moved to the
new pagoda, allegedly saying that if men wouldn't come for the sake of the new faith, they'd come for the old and gradually be
converted.
See also: Bon Spirits; Eight Dharma Protectors; Indra; Nats, Mahagiri; Nats

Nebaunaubae
Origin: Ojibwa
Classification: Manitou
The Nebaunaubae, a merman who lives at the bottom of lakes, rivers, and sea, is held responsible for the disappearance of young
women. He lures human females toward him, not to kill or consume them but to transform them into mermaid companions. (This female
counterpart is called the Nebaunaubaequae.) This is one way of increasing the mer community; however they can reproduce in the
standard way too.
If the Nebaunaubae wishes to visit land, he can transform into full human shape. He is able to shift between these forms easily,
however if the Nebaunaubae stays on land too long, he will die. He can linger in threshold areas like beaches for longer periods, but he
must periodically return to the water. The Nebaunaubae is most likely witnessed after dark or during stormy, overcast days. His eyes
are accustomed to dim underwater light, and so the bright lights of the upper world are too harsh and painful for him. A Nebaunaubae
wandering around on a sunny day in full human form will likely be wearing dark glasses.
See also: Manitou; Mermaid; Nixies

Nechtan
Origin: Ireland
Nechtan is an ancient Irish water deity, Keeper of the Well of Wisdom. Only Nechtan and his three cup bearers were permitted
near the well, no one else. Nechtan's wife Boann, defied this taboo, visiting the well with fatal consequences. The name
Nechtan,
deriving from a root word meaning "to wash," was once very popular, shared by several Pictish kings as well as a saint associated with
a holy well.
Sacred site: His well, Sidhe Nechtan, source of the Boyne River
See also: Boann; Nixie

Nefertem
Also known as: Nefert-Temu; Nefertum
Origin: Egypt

Nefertem is the lord of fragrance and perfume. He reminds us that perfume can be more than just a pleasant fragrance. He presides
over ritual, erotic, therapeutic, and shamanic uses of fragrance. Nefertem brought a water lily to the solar deity Ra to ease his suffering.
Nefertem, the subject of many amulets, is usually identified as the son of Ptah and Sekhmet. The goddesses Bastet and Wadjet are
sometimes identified as his mother instead. Nefertem is sometimes considered an aspect of the solar creator of the universe, known
variously as Ra, Atum, or Ammon.
Favored people: Perfumers, aromathera pists

Iconography: Nefertem is usually depicted as a handsome young man bearing a lotus and standing on a lion. He is sometimes
envisioned with a lion's head and a mummy's body, combining the images of his parents, Sekhmet and Ptah. He may be depicted as a
human head emerging from a water lily.

Planet: Sun
Flower: Blue lotus (Nymphaea caerulea) (Although called a lotus, it's really a water lily.)
Offerings: Flowers, incense
See also: Ammon; Bastet; Ptah; Sekhmet; Wadjet

Negra Francisca
Pronounced: Neh-gra Frahn-sees-ka

Negra Francisca is considered a saint in Venezuelan Espiritismo and a very prominent spirit in Maria Lionza's African Court. Negra
Francisca is a historical person, the consort of escaped Cuban slave and revolutionary leader, Negro Felipe. Francisca, of Yoruba
ancestry, was born near the Venezuelan coastal town of Higuerote. A friendly, gregarious spirit, she is invoked for protection and
romantic remedies.
M anifestation: Negra Francisca is envisioned as a beautiful woman with a red turban and large hoop earrings.
Element: Air (wind)
Color: Red
Offering: Rum, beer, flowers, incense, candles, cigars, cigarettes
See also: Maria Lionza; Negro Felipe

Negro Felipe
Pronounced: Neh-gro Feh-lee-pay
The historical Negro Felipe (literally "Black Philip") was an escaped slave from Cuba who played a prominent role in the Cuban
struggle for independence. He served as Simon Bolivar's aide before being murdered by Spanish colonists in Venezuela. Now among
the most beloved of the spirits of Maria Lionza, he is venerated independently and as one of the Très Potencias, the triad consisting of
himself, Maria Lionza, and Guaicaipuro. Felipe is head of the African Court and a member of the Court of Liberators. Originally from
Cuba, Felipe serves as the spiritual link between Maria Lionza and Cuban Santeria, increasingly popular in Venezuela.
Negro Felipe is invoked for protection from enemies.
Iconography: A handsome black man with military bearing, wearing a red turban and a military uniform
Consort: Negra Francisca
Color: Dark blue
Offerings: Rum, tobacco products
See also: Guaicaipuro; Maria Lionza; Negra Francisca

Nehalennia

Origin: Celtic

On 4 April 1970, fishermen, working off Colijnsplaat, an estuary of Holland's East Scheldt River, recovered three fragments from
two altars eighty-five feet below the surface. In the process, they also recovered the forgotten goddess to whom those altars were
dedicated. Further exploration recovered over one hundred twenty altars and sculptures. Inscriptions identified the goddess as
Nehalennia, which has been interpreted as "leader," "pilot," or "steers woman." Extremely popular during the early centuries of the
Common Era, Nehalennia's riverside temple was submerged by the North Sea when the shoreline receded at the end of the Roman era
Nehalennia possessed at least two substantial shrines on Holland's North Sea coast. (If there were more, they have not yet been
recovered.) Based on what's been recovered, Nehalennia was not a goddess of the starving masses but matron of the wealthy and
entrepreneurial. Surviving altars include information regarding donors. Nehalennia's shrines were well-endowed, patronized by the
prosperous.
Nehalannia is a goddess of well-being and prosperity; her successful devotees were a living testament to her prowess. People
traveled great distances to visit her shrine. Devotees included Celts from every corner of the Celtic world as well as Roman citizens and
those of Germanic derivation. Nehalennia sponsored and protected North Sea traders and travelers. Many devotees were merchants,
the ancient equivalent of business travelers.
Nehalennia's emergence from under -water obscurity may indicate that she is actively back in business and ready to
receive new clientele.

Virtually always portrayed with a large hound who sits beside her, Nehalennia's pooch is consistently a big, friendly companion dog
rather than a fierce or aggressive guard dog. Celtic deities closely associated with dogs tend to be associated with healing, death, and/or
the afterlife, so Nehalennia's canine companion leads to speculation that, in addition to being a protective goddess of prosperity, she is
also a goddess of healing and/or death.
Iconography: Nehalennia is depicted as a youthful woman wearing distinctive clothing (small round hat; short shoulder-length
cape). She is portrayed with a dog that gazes up at her or touches her knee with his nose. Sometimes she is enthroned beneath a shellshaped canopy. She's sometimes portrayed in the company of Neptune. Nehalennia sometimes stands in a ship's prow in similar
manner to Isis and some Black Madonnas.
Attributes: Boat, rope, rudder
Element: Water
Creature: Dog, dolphin
Altars: Nehalennia's altars are decorated with marine motifs
Sacred sites: Two temples have been found in what is now modern Holland:
• Colijnsplaat
• Domburg on the island of Walcheren
See also: Ailinn; Black Madonna; Isis

Neith

The Oldest One; Nurse of Crocodiles
Also known as: Nit

Origin: Libya
The inscription on Neith's temple in Sais in the Nile Delta (now modern Sa el-Hagar) read:
I am all that has been,
that is and that will be
No mortal has yet been able
to lift the veil that covers me

Neith, the First One, primordial goddess, was never born but always existed. Alternatively she is completely self-generated. Neith
traveled from the deserts and oases of Libya to emerge as among the greatest of Egyptian goddesses. In one Egyptian creation myth,
Neith brought forth Ra, the sun. Then she invented the shuttle and loom, put the sky on her loom, and wove the world into existence.
Neith, the first to give birth, invented weaving. Her name may derive from a word for "to weave" or "to knit."
Neith is a goddess of hunting. She presides over crafts of all kinds, including witchcraft and warcraft. Amuletic weapons placed in the
tomb to protect the deceased from evil spirits were consecrated to Neith. She is the judge of the Egyptian deities. After eighty years,
when the lawsuit between Horus and Set in the Court of Deities was still not resolved, Neith was called in to render a decision to which
all would defer. (She favored Horus but compensated Set. Neith has historically had a close, positive relationship with Set.)
Neith was worshipped with Mysteries and lantern processions. She may be venerated independently or together with her son,
Sobek. The Greeks identified her with Athena, also identified as originating in Libya. Many consider Athena to be a Greek path of Neith
or at least a very closely related spirit. (See the Glossary entry for Path.)
Favored people: Soldiers, hunters, weavers, artisans
M anifestation: Neith appears as an androgynous woman. She wears the red crown of Lower Egypt. She sometimes appears in
the guise of a golden cobra, too.
Iconography: She is customarily depicted with a green face and hands. Neith is portrayed suckling a crocodile at each breast.
Attribute: Two arrows and a shield, shuttle
Creatures: Crocodile, snake, bee
Color: Green
Plants: Flax, papyrus
Sacred site: Her primary shrine was in Sais
See also: Athena; Horus; Set; Sobek; Tanit

Nekhbet

Lady of the South
Also known as: Nekhebet
Origin: Egypt

Although in modern Western culture, vultures are commonly perceived as harbingers of death, in traditional African cosmology,
vultures are symbols of motherhood—no joke or sarcasm intended. A vulture's huge wingspan was associated with a mother's
sheltering arms. Despite their fierce appearance, vultures are gentle birds that do not kill but eat carrion. Their inclination to stand vigil by

the dying was not perceived as gruesome but as protective: vultures drive away malicious, harmful spirits and then, by devouring the
corpse, perform the necessary clean up. What appear to be vulture goddesses are among the earliest documented sacred images.
Nekhebet, primordial vulture goddess of Upper Egypt, presides over maternity, childbirth, life, and death. Nekhebet is the guardian
of infants. She was eventually incorporated into the official state solar pantheon as Ra's daughter and right eye. Her protective capacities
were so admired that Nekhebet was enlisted as the pharaoh's own guardian. Nekhebet guarded the royal children in the palace; she
hovered over the pharaoh during battle.
Nekhebet is the Great Mother who vigilantly protects her children. She gives birth to
them, supervises them carefully, and then
attends them in death, finally removing the body. Nekhbet presides over natron salt, an integral component of the Egyptian
mummification process. She may be invoked to enhance the protective and magical capacities of salt.
M anifestation: Nekhbet is a woman with a vulture's head but also appears as a complete vulture, especially a white one or as a
complete woman.
Iconography: Envisioned as the pharaoh's guardian, Nekhebet shields him with her outstretched wings. She wears the White
Crown of Upper Egypt.
Attributes: Bow and arrows; Nekhbet carries a long-stemmed water lily with a winged serpent entwined around it
Creature: Vulture, snake
Color: White
Spirit allies: Set,Wadjet
See also: Harpies; Set; Wadjet

Neko-Mata
Also known as: Nekomata
Origin: Japan
Classification: Yokai

The Neko-Mata may look like an ordinary cat, but it's not. It's a powerful cat spirit able to shape-shift into human form. The
Neko-Mata is a species of Bake-Neko or Obake-Neko, meaning "cat spirit." (Other types of cat spirits, Japanese or otherwise, also
exist who manifest and behave completely differently than the Neko-Mata.)
In its youth, the Neko-Mata may be indistinguishable from regular cats. When the Neko-Mata attains ten years, its tail begins to fork
into two, and its full magical powers start to manifest. Neko-Mata literally means "forked cat." Technically, it's not a Neko-Mata until
it's reached full power and its tail develops the characteristic fork. Before that, it's just a cat with potential. Its tail develops prehensile
qualities serving as extra, magical hands. As the Neko-Mata ages and increases in power, even more tails may appear, as with the ninetail fox. The nature of the Neko-Mata largely depends on the treatment it received before its powers manifested.
It is unclear if Neko-Matas are just innately grouchy as a species or whether many are so bad tempered because they are
on missions of revenge.

Fox spirits (Kitsune) tend to manifest as beautiful women, as do Japanese snake spirits. There is, however, rarely anything kittenish
about the Neko-Mata's human form. The guise they usually assume is that of a grouchy, bad-mannered, unpleasant old lady. The
Neko-Mata assumes the form of the granny from hell. Although the Neko-Mata appears human, she maintains feline characteristics
although not necessarily the most attractive. The Neko-Mata behaves like an old, surly, grudge-keeping, short-tempered, smelly semi-

feral cat.
Of course, plenty of humans are surly with bad hygiene, too. Personality isn't the tip-off to the Neko-Mata's true identity. The true
clue is the one thing the Neko-Mata cannot do. The Neko-Mata can walk and talk like a human but despite that extra tail/hand, she is
unable to eat like a person, only like a cat, actually putting her face into the bowl rather than using utensils or fingers. Aware of this
weakness, the Neko-Mata usually insists on eating alone. Because she is unpleasant, uncouth, and unsightly, she rarely has to turn down
many invitations but is left alone at mealtimes, preserving her secret.
The Neko-Mata was never an ordinary cat even when it resembled one. She's not an ordinary old lady either, even if she resembles
one. The Neko-Mata possesses incredible magical knowledge. She operates as a shaman and usually a necromancer. The Neko-Mata
eats carrion, including human corpses and so she may be discovered in the cemetery, still in human form, ostensibly performing
necromantic rituals but really snacking. Whether because of contact with corpses or because they are disease spirits, Neko-Matas
eventually become the source of infectious illness.
In addition to causing illness, the Neko-Mata is blamed for starting mysterious fires. The Neko-Mata also sometimes takes
involuntary possession of a person, although less frequently than fox spirits. An Inari shaman may be able to perform an exorcism.
The Neko-Mata has profound associations with death and has power over both dead and living humans. Via her shamanic
knowledge, the Neko-Mata can raise and control the dead like a zombie master. Like a puppet master, the Neko-Mata forces
the reanimated dead to dance like marionettes. A really vengeful Neko-Mata may seek out her victims' dead relatives,
controlling them in order to cause her target special pain .

The Neko-Mata is potentially a very dangerous spirit but, in general, she does not attack randomly. The Neko-Mata tends to have a
reason for targeting someone. She is not a trickster out for fun but a grouchy spirit out for revenge—or justice. Like Djinn, Fairies, or
bori spirits, the Neko-Mata punishes those perceived as causing it harm. However, unlike Djinn, Fairies or bori, the Neko-Mata does
not engage in the sudden strike. She may hold a grudge for years, biding her time.
The most dangerous Neko-Matas are those that were abused or mistreated as kittens (when they were indistinguishable from other
cats). The people they target may have treated them cruelly when they were young and helpless, but now the worm has turned. They
pursue their foes relentlessly even though the targets may have no memory of their crime. A thoughtless act of cruelty to a cat may bring
the revenge of the Neko-Mata many years later. (And the simplest method of never having problems with Neko-Matas is always to be
kind to cats.)
The Neko-Mata may be appeased with sincere and abject apologies as well as generous, frequent, and consistent food offerings.
She can theoretically become an ally and may share shamanic and magical skills and wisdom.
M anifestation: Neko-Matas can transform back and forth between cat and human form. In cat form, they are described as fierce,
ragged, gray cats: gray like an old person's hair.
Iconography: Neko-Matas are fun to draw and so are a favorite subject of Japanese artists. In the nineteenth century, images of
Neko-Mata were occasionally incorporated into Maneki Neko amulets. This type of Maneki Neko may have a tail, not the bob-tail
sported by traditional Maneki Nekos, but that's not the tip-off to their identity. You'll recognize this kind of Maneki Neko by her
vaguely malevolent aura and staring yellow eyes. Instead of beckoning prosperity, this Maneki Neko beckons revenge.
See also: Bastet; Bori; Djinn; Fairy; Fox Spirits; Inari; Ketta; Maneki Neko; Obake; Tanuki; Yokai

Nemain
Also known as: Nemhain
Origin: Ireland
The name Nemain means "frenzy." She is the goddess of battle fury. Nemain is the least known of the Irish battle goddesses.
Nemain does not fight in battles; she has other methods of influencing the outcome:

• Like a supreme, cosmic cheerleader, Nemain exhorts her favorites to victory.
• She intimidates the other side with her shrieking and terrifying presence.
• She incites warriors to frenzy and spreads absolute panic on the battlefield.
Nemain is a vocal presence. Her trademark characteristic is her death shriek. When Nemain shrieked at the army of Connacht, one
hundred extremely courageous men instantly dropped dead from fright.
Nemain's shriek is a weapon, but it's also a harbinger of death. Nemain may be understood as a Banshee goddess, a Banshee on a
grand scale: her death shriek prophesies battlefield massacres, the deaths of many—not of one or a few. She's not only audible but
visible when she wishes to be. Unlike the standard Banshee, Nemain isn't attached to one family: she appears to hosts of soldiers on the
battlefield.
See also: Aeronwen; Banshee; Morrigan

Nemesis
Origin: Greece
Nemesis, the goddess of divine justice and retribution, spins the wheel of fortune as a warning and promise that what goes around,
comes around. She is implacable and remorseless, but she is not cruel. Nemesis distributes just desserts. She is the spirit of righteous,
justified anger, directing her powers against those who have violated cosmic order. Nemesis has broader jurisdiction than the Erinyes,
who may be her sisters. While the Erinyes only avenge shed blood, Nemesis takes action wherever natural laws are flouted, broken, or
disrespected.
Nemesis Stones are stones taken from an altar of Nemesis. Stones are engraved with an image of Nemesis, usually in the form of a
young woman standing with one foot on a wheel. They were worn as amulets around the neck and set into rings. They exorcise and
ward off evil spirits as well as preventing and banishing nightmares and healing the moonstruck.
Nemesis serves as a personal goddess offering protection and sponsorship to devotees. Those who invoke her protection
are expected to behave honorably and to uphold natural moral code.

Greek apocalyptic prophecy suggests that when humanity finally achieves maximum wickedness, Nemesis and Aidos, Goddess of
Shame will abandon Earth, and then the hard times will really start. Nemesis hasn't left yet and is still administering justice: German
painter Alfred Rethel (15 May 1816–1 December 1859) painted her as an avenging angel in hot pursuit in his 1837 painting, "Nemesis
Pursuing a Murderer." According to legend, a high-ranking man with secret, undiscovered crimes on his conscience won Rethel's
painting in a Frankfurt lottery. Contemplation of Nemesis' portrait allegedly drove him mad.
M anifestation: Nemesis resembles modern images of angels. She is a winged, wreathed woman, usually dressed in white. She
may also manifest as a griffin.
Iconography: Egyptian faience amulets from the Roman period (circa second century CE) depicting Nemesis in the guise of a
griffin with her wheel of fate were used to ward off bad luck.
Attributes: Wheel of fate, cubit ruler, staff, branch laden with apples, hourglass, scales, bridle, scourge, sword
Spirit allies:
• Nemesis' closest companion is Aidos, Goddess of Shame.
• Nemesis may be worshipped together with Themis, Goddess of Divine Order.
• Artemis is Nemesis' good friend.
• Nemesis is often found in the company of Tyche, Goddess of Fortune, if only to ensure that people get what they deserve.
• Nemesis is the daughter of Nyx and sometimes identified as the secret mother of Helen of Troy. Images from her shrine at
Rhamnous showed Leda presenting Helen to Nemesis.

Plant: Mullein
Creature: Griffins pull her chariot
Sacred site: Her primary sanctuary at Rhamnous, Greece, dates back to at least the sixth century BCE.
See also: Artemis; Erinyes; Helen of Troy; Nyx; Themis; Tyche

Nephthys

Lady of the House; Lady of Life; Lady of Darkness; Lady of Death that Is Not Eternal; Mistress of the West
Origin: Egypt

Quiet Nephthys is overshadowed by her famous and more flamboyant siblings—Isis, Osiris, and Set—yet she, too, is a vital,
significant and powerful deity. Nephthys is the spirit of magic, sorcery, darkness, decay, death, and immortality.
Isis, Nephthys, Osiris, and Set are quadruplets. Isis and Osiris fell in love in the womb and were married. Nephthys and Set were
paired off by default. Set desired Isis, too. Nephthys wished to bear a child, but Set is a barren, sterile spirit.
Resourceful Nephthys conceived by trickery: she seduced Osiris by impersonating Isis and secretly gave birth to Anubis. Although
she betrayed her sister and they underwent a period of estrangement, they eventually reconciled. When Set killed Osiris, Nephthys
became Isis' great ally and constant companion. Nephthys shared maternity of Anubis with Isis. Anubis invented the mummification
process, which ultimately helped to resurrect Osiris. Nephthys also assisted in the temporary revival of Osiris' virility, so that Isis, too,
might conceive a child.
Nephthys is a modest but determined spirit. No cult centers have been discovered that are dedicated to her alone, but she shares
shrines with others. Shunning the spotlight, Nephthys quietly sets about fulfilling her desires. She has her son, her beloved sister, and
eventually found personal satisfaction as consort to Min. She is venerated with all three.
Nephthys is a guardian spirit, invoked in magical rites. She may be petitioned for fertility, especially by those who have been assured
that they will never have children but wish to prove naysayers wrong.
Nephthys guards the threshold between life and death, fertility and sterility. Egypt was known as the Black Land with black, the color
of rich, fertile soil, considered emblematic of life and abundance. The harsh, dry desert, which challenges survival, was known as the
Red Land. In Egypt, the dividing line between fertile earth and the desert, the black and the red, was visible. One could literally stand
with one foot on fertile land, the other on barren soil. Nephthys straddles, determines, and rules over that borderline.
Attributes: Skull and bones
Colors: Black, red
Planet: Moon
Birds: Vulture, crow, kite
Animal: Snake
See also: Anubis; Horus; Isis; Min; Osiris; Set

Neptune
Origin: Italy
Although Neptune is now considered the Roman Lord of the Sea, he was originally a freshwater spirit. His associations with the

ocean derive from his identification with the Greek Poseidon. The identities of the two originally distinct spirits are now so intertwined
that it is virtually impossible to distinguish between them. Their names are used interchangeably. If you search for information about
Neptune, you will almost certainly find only information that originally pertained to Poseidon. Little information survives regarding
Neptune prior to his identification with Poseidon. However, we know that the Romans invoked Neptune to protect fresh water,
especially for agricultural uses.

Day: July 23, his Roman feast day known as the Neptunalia. His festival was celebrated with feasting. Games were held in
Neptune's honor.
Planet: Neptune
See also: Mercury; Poseidon and the Glossary entry for Identification

Neraida
Origin: Greece
Neraida are spirits of modern Greek folklore, not ancient mythology. Their name derives from Nereids, but they may or may not be
the Nereids of yore. The name may just be borrowed, or alternatively the Nereids have emerged from their ocean and changed their
disposition. Modern Neraides are female spirits dwelling in forests, freshwater springs, and wild nature, in general, not only in the ocean.
If they are the ancient spirits, then they derive from the entire category of Nymphs. (The word Neraida may be singular or plural but the
plural Neraides is also sometimes used.)
Neraida resemble Nymphs: beautiful, seductive spirits who sing, dance, weave, and spin in the moonlight. They haunt caves, groves,
grottoes, springs, wells, and mountains—the Nymphs' old territory. They like mill ponds, too. This is not an exclusively female type of
spirit. The Neraida's male counterpart is the Neraidos; however the female is the primary subject of lore.
Nereids (and Nymphs in general) were considered generally benevolent spirits who bestowed good health, good luck, psychic
power, prosperity, and fertility to devotees. The modern Neraida is a dreaded spirit who causes death, disease, and misfortune. What
happened? Here are some possibilities:
• Neraides are completely different spirits with little in common with Nereids beyond their name; there's no reason to expect them
to behave like Nereids.
• Neraides who may or may not be Nymphs are really not so malevolent or dangerous but were saddled with a bad reputation by
a Church seeking to discourage people from contacting and venerating them.

Nymphs have always displayed tempers when angered or treated disrespectfully. After two thousand years of denigration, not
veneration, Neraides have reason to be volatile.
A Neraida can bestow health, wealth, and fertility. She can withhold it, too, or cause it to disappear. It's considered crucial not to
interrupt or aggravate them in any way as Neraides strike out suddenly in the manner of Djinn. The afflictions that they potentially cause
include blindness, muteness, impotence, and seizure disorders, especially epilepsy. Children who fail to thrive or who suffer from wasting
ailments are described as struck by Neraida.
Neraida are mischief makers. Among their other misdeeds, Neraida stand accused of capturing or seducing men and women, luring
them to their caves and forcing them to dance from dusk to dawn, sometimes with fatal results. They are among those spirits accused of
stealing human babies and leaving changelings behind. They steal midwives, too, whenever they require their services.
A Neraida can be captured by stealing an item of her clothing. If she gets it back, though, she'll depart. Solitary men try to trap them
for sex, companionship, and their legendary culinary skills.
"The Man Who Loved the Nereids," a story by author Marguerite Yourcenar (1903–1987) contained in her 1938 book,
Oriental Tales, draws on modern Neraida lore.

The traditional invocation against the Neraides should you encounter, anger, or fear one is to quickly say aloud, "Honey and milk in
your path!" It's a promise that must be kept. Deliver the requisite offering as soon as possible. In addition, the goddess Artemis and her
successor Saint Artemidos are invoked for protection and to remedy any harm caused by Neraides, including illness and possession.
Garlic is also used in traditional rituals that attempt to undo damage perpetrated by Neraides.
M anifestation: Neraides resemble beautiful
women but some have donkey or goat feet.
Colors: White, gold, yellow. They usually dress in white.
Sacred days: The early days of August are sacred to the Neraides. It is forbidden during this time to cut trees or to use water for
washing or household tasks, anything that will sully the purity of the water.
Time: The Neraides exert their maximum power after dark and at high noon.
Ritual: Offerings are served outdoors under shady trees or wherever one has encountered or anticipates encountering Neraides:
1. Lay a clean, white cloth on the ground and serve offerings on plates. Give them a full table-setting, including clean glasses, forks,
and knives. (The Neraides are not afraid of iron.)
2. A complete ritual offering includes bread, honey, honey cakes, assorted sweets and pastries, and a full bottle of good wine.
Open the bottle for them.
3. Light some fragrant incense or burn a new candle, dedicating it to the Neraides.
The names Neraida and Nereid are used interchangeably. Clearly Nereids and Neraides are virtually indistinguishable.
Either name may indicate either the ancient sea spirits or the modern nature spirits. In the context of this book, for the sake of
clarity, Neraida indicates the modern spirits, and Nereid the ancient ones; however, this is an artificial construct. In real life, no
such clarity exists.

Offerings: The simplest offering is honey and milk or wine. Honey is the essential ingredient; other things may be offered as well,
but honey is always included among their offerings. Brides traditionally offer items of clothing from their trousseau.
See also: Aisha Qandisha; Artemis; Djinn; Exotika; Gello; Gorgon; Leshii; Lilith; Merrow; Nereids; Nymphs; Padilha,
Maria

Nereids
Origin: Greece
The Nereids are the fifty beautiful daughters of sea spirit Nereus. The most famous are Amphitrite, Galatea, and Thetis, but other
sisters were also beloved, venerated, and well-known.
Nereids are generally benevolent toward people. Although famous for their lovely voices, they do not use them to lure travelers to
their doom (or at least not very often and certainly not randomly). Nereids were never trivial spirits but important, powerful goddesses.
Shrines and altars were erected to them throughout coastal Greece.
The Nereids are spirits of magic and smithcraft. They provided Hephaestus with his first forge, so they already knew about
metalworking. According to legend, the Ner eids were the first to reveal the Mysteries of Persephone and Dionysus to people. Nereids
possess the power to soothe or agitate ocean waters. They are invoked to protect travelers on the sea. Nereids can travel anywhere
they wish on sea or land, but their primary stomping grounds are the waters of the Aegean, where they live in undersea caves.
M anifestation: The Nereids may appear in the guise of women or mermaids.

M ounts: Nereids ride dolphins, giant crabs, hippocampi, and sea creatures of all kinds.
Offerings: Jewelry, ornaments, golden spindles, things that sparkle and glitter
See also: Amphitrite, Dionysus; Hephae stus; Neraida; Nereus; Nerites; Persephone; Poseidon; Thetis and the Glossary
entry for Mystery

Nereus

The Old One of the Sea
Origin: Greece
Nereus, Lord of the Aegean and Mediter ranean Seas, was eventually overshadowed by Poseidon. However, he still resides in the
sea and may be invoked for assistance, especially by those seeking information. Nereus possesses incredible oracular powers and is
renowned for always telling the truth. He is traditionally considered a kind, fair, and generous deity. He and his wife, Doris, have fifty
daughters, the Nereids. Nereus communicates via dreams, visions, and apparitions.
M anifestation: Nereus usually appears as an elderly man or merman with long flowing hair and beard, which may be adorned with
coral and shells. However, he is an extremely skilled shape-shifter and may be full of surprises.
See also: Nereids; Nerites; Poseidon

Nergal

The Burning
Also known as: Alad
Origin: Sumeria (Mesopotamia)

Nergal, Lord of Mass Destruction, produces and controls epidemics, disasters, and wars. A violent spirit who delights in carnage,
Nergal is lord of the realm of death called Irkalla, the Land of No Return. He inherited this position via marriage to Ereshkigal, Goddess
of Death, its original ruler. She may now co-rule with Nergal, or she may defer to him. How this shift in power occurred is subject to
myth and debate:
• Ereshkigal may have fallen violently in love with Nergal, demanded his presence in her realm and offered him anything because
of her love.
• Nergal may have decided that he was entitled to rule Irkalla because as a demon of epidemics and disasters, he was already a
major contributor to its population. He penetrated Ereshkigal's realm, posted his own guards at the gates, dethroned and
married her. He then spread the story that Ereshkigal had begged him to marry her and take over her realm.
• As society became increasingly conservative and patriarchal, many preferred a male king of death and hence favored Nergal
over Ereshkigal, regardless of the actual relationship or dynamic between the two spirits.
In addition to disease and war, Nergal's weapons include famine, drought, heat, lightning, and fire. The hot, dry desert wind is his
breath. (Illnesses were traditionally considered to ride in on those winds.) He is a spirit of the sun as a devastating force. Nergal may
once have been a preeminent solar deity from an earlier pantheon, now dethroned and forced to find a new home and role for himself,
hence his general destructive, angry, bad mood.

Nergal knows the cure to every illness he controls. He decides who dies or is injured in wars or epidemics but he decides
who is spared, too.

Nergal was a major deity, not an obscure one. He was subject to state-sponsored rituals and offerings. His name lingers in cultural
memory, still bearing an aura of dread:
• Based on medieval lore, demonologists consider Nergal to be chief of Hell's secret police and Beelzebub's spy.
• Nergal appears in the fantasy series Conan the Barbarian.
• Nergal is the name of the primary villain in the video game Fire Emblem 7.
M anifestation: A man or lion
Attribute: Lion-headed staff
Planet: Sun
Time: Noon
Creature: Lion
Day: The summer solstice when the sun is at the height of its powers
Sacred site: His primary sanctuary was at Kutha on the Euphrates River, but he had other temples and shrines, too.
See also: Ereshkigal; Inanna-Ishtar; Sekhmet

Nerites
Origin: Greece

Nerites is the only son of Nereus and Doris, sole brother of the fifty Nereid sisters. He is allegedly the absolute handsomest of the
male species, mortal or immortal. Before Aphrodite emerged on land in Cyprus, she lived beneath the sea. Nerites was her only lover.
When she was admitted to the Olympian pantheon, Aphrodite wanted Nerites to accompany her as her consort. He wasn't interested in
joining any new pantheon, preferring to stay in the sea with his family. Aphrodite gave him wings so that he could travel back and forth
between realms. Nerites wasn't interested. He underestimated Aphrodite. Angered and unwilling to see her lover with anyone else, she
transformed him into a scallop or cockle shell, one of her primary emblems. Then she found other companions for herself, including
Ares, Eros, Hermes, and Hephaestus.
Another version of Nerites' transformation suggests that he engaged in a very happy, mutually satisfying love affair with Poseidon, his
sister Amphitrite's husband. He somehow annoyed Helios either by challenging him to a race or because Helios couldn't stand the
speed with which Nerites swam alongside Poseidon's chariot. Helios transformed Nerites into a mollusk. Regardless of who effected
the transformation, Nerites' power and essence may be accessed via his sacred shells.
See also: Amphitrite; Aphrodite; Ares; Eros; Hephaestus; Hermes; Nereids; Nereus; Poseidon
According to one myth, Aphrodite took the wings originally intended for Nerites and bestowed them upon Eros, who then
became her constant companion and lover.

Nicnevin

The Bone Mother
Also known as: Gyre Carlin
Origin: Scotland
Nicnevin, Scottish witch goddess, can transform water into rocks and sea into dry land. Her name is believed to derive from the
Gaelic Nic an Neamhain, "Daughter of Frenzy." Nic nevin flies through the night. Although usually invisible, her presence is announced
by the cacophony of geese. The Romans identified her with Diana.
Following Scotland's official conversion to Christianity and brutal witch trials, Nicnevin, a former goddess, was reclassified as both a
Fairy and a demon. (Scotland suffered particularly virulent witch hunts, second in scope only to the German lands in terms of
prosecutions and executions.) She is considered the Queen of the Fairies of Fife, Scotland and is among the spirits associated with the
Wild Hunt.
M anifestation: Nicnevin manifests as a beautiful woman and a dried out hag. She wears a long gray mantle.
Attribute: Magic wand
Element: Water
Birds: Geese

Day: Samhain (Halloween) is Nicnevin's sacred night when she grants wishes and answers petitions. She is traditionally honored
with celebratory feasts and toasting. On Samhain, Nicnevin makes herself visible as she flies through the air accompanied by a retinue of
witches and honking geese. Rituals are also held in Nicnevin's honor on November 1.
See also: Diana; Fairy; Nemain; Wild Hunt

Nike

Winged Victory
Origin: Greece

Nike, Goddess of Victory, may be the daughter of Styx and the Titan Pallas. Styx dedicated her children to Zeus' victory during the
war between the Titans and the Olympians. Nike sometimes serves as Zeus' charioteer.
Nike provides victory in all contexts, peaceful as well as violent. Soldiers invoke her aid as do athletes and anyone entering any kind
of competition. Pie eating, poetry slam, spelling bee, you name it: if winning is involved, Nike may be petitioned for victory. She certainly
brought success to the shoe manufacturer that bears her name.
M anifestation: A young winged woman
Iconography: Nike is often depicted in the company of Zeus or Athena.
• A solid gold image of Nike once stood on the open right hand of the colossal statue of Athena in the Parthenon.
• The now-headless, armless Winged Victory of Samothrace , housed in the Louvre Museum, is among the most famous and
frequently reproduced statues on Earth. It may have once served as an altar in the Samothrace temple complex.
• Since 1928, the image of Nike has graced Olympic medals.
Attributes: Palm branch, pomegranate, helmet

Spirit ally: Athena and Nike are constant companions.
See also: Athena; Cabeiri; Olympian Spirits; Pallas; Styx; Titan; Victoria; Zeus

Nisaba
Also known as: Nidaba; Nanibgal
Origin: Sumeria
Nisaba is the goddess of education, learning and writing. She also has dominion over harvests of all kinds, agricultural or otherwise.
Nisaba is in charge of marking and recording boundaries. She may be invoked by those involved in boundary or territorial disputes.
Nisaba presides over a hall that serves as a school of higher, esoteric learning. She is the scribe and recording secretary of the
Sumerian pantheon, although this position was eventually reassigned to Nabu who may be her student and/or her husband.
Nisaba is the daughter of Enki and Ninhursag and the sister of Nanshe, her partner and ally. On New Year's Day, Nisaba organizes
those who line up to be judged by Nanshe. Nisaba also records Nanshe's prophesies and dream interpretations.
Favored people: Scribes; archivists; librarians
M anifestation: She is described in the Sumerian "Hymn to Nisaba" as possessing the colors of the stars of heaven
Iconography: Nisaba is depicted wearing a horned diadem over her long, flowing hair
Attributes: Crescent moon; sheaf of wheat; lapis lazuli tablets
Element: Earth
Creature: wild cow
Sacred sites: Nisaba had shrines in the ancient Sumerian city Umma and in Uruk, now modern Warka, Iraq
See also: Enki; Nabu; Nanshe

Nix
Also known as: Neck; Nicor; Nykur
Origin: Teutonic
Nixes are the male counterpart of the female Nixies, sea spirits who may be generous or malicious as they choose. Nixes love
music. They are brilliant musicians who teach musical skills and transmit musical talent to humans. They may be persuaded to do so in
exchange for regular offerings. Nixes are unabashedly Pagan spirits who will not compromise with Christianity. They work with Pagans
but may demand the renunciation of Christianity. (This has been interpreted
as diabolical.) They love human women, too, and will
attempt to seduce them.
Iron repels Nixes. An iron or steel knife placed in the bottom of a boat as an amulet provides safety from them while traveling over
the water.

M anifestation: Skilled shape-shifters, Nixes appear as they like, manifesting as horses, mermen, or in the guise of human men. The
guise varies. The Nix can resemble a small, cute boy; a handsome man; or a repulsively bloated drowned corpse with green teeth. The
Nix has been witnessed in the form of an elderly man sitting on sea cliffs, wringing water from his long hair and beard. Alternatively, the
Nix lingers waist-deep in water. He appears to be a very handsome man, but the parts of his body hidden beneath the water are those

of a horse.
See also: Each Uisge; Kelpie; Leshii; Nechtan; Nereus; Nixie

Nixie
Origin: Teutonic
Nixies are female water spirits and freshwater mermaids. Their male counterparts are the Nixes. They live in societies that parallel
those of humans in underwater cities and communities. Nixies, described as seductively beautiful, reputedly entice mortal men to a
watery doom. Nixies typically manifest as mermaids, but they are passionate shoppers who like to frequent local markets and fairs, so
that mermaid tail can get in the way. Unlike the Hans Christian Andersen tale, there's no Little Mermaid angst regarding lack of legs for
Nixies:
• When Nixies wish to walk on land, they sprout legs.
• When Nixies wish to return to their watery homes, legs are replaced with fins and tails.
Allegedly, the clue to two-legged, land-walking Nixies' true identity is the water that they constantly drip, like a leaky faucet. Nixies
are unable to ever be completely dry. Some item of their clothing is always soaked. Once upon a time, their apron strings were always
soaked; now that aprons are out of style, it might be a hem, a scarf, or any item of clothing.
The word Nixy derives from the Old High German nihhusa translated as "female water sprite." (The male is nihhus.) It may also be
related to the Old English nicor; Grendel's mother in the tale of Beowulf is described as a nicor. Nixie may also derive from an Old
Irish root word for washes. Nixies may be related to the Irish deity Nechtan or to the Washers at the Ford. Various water spirits
throughout Northern and Western Europe have similar names; most are considered threatening and malevolent. In Germany, Nixies are
accused of switching babies, stealing the human one and replacing it with a changeling.
Nixies love music and dancing. They like to bask in the sun and comb their long hair. They are oracular spirits and can be petitioned
for information however they are temperamental and thus potentially dangerous. Nixies must always be addressed very politely and
courteously.
M anifestation: Nixies typically manifest as mermaids or as beautiful women, but they can take any shape they please. Gray horses
are another favorite form.
Offerings: Hair ornaments, hand mirrors, deluxe combs and brushes, gift certificates, or anything that evokes shopping
See also: Each Uisge; Kelpie; Mermaid; Nechtan; Neraida; Nix; Ondine; Washers at the Ford

Njord
Origin: Norse
Classification: Vanir

Njord is the spirit of the sea and lakes, the father of Freya and Freyr. The three Vanir spirits were sent to live among the Aesir,
essentially as hostages following the war between the pantheons. They get along well with their Aesir hosts and seem at home in Asgard.
However Njord is destined to return to the Vanir at Ragnarok, the apocalypse of the deities.
Like his children, Njord is a spirit of fertility, abundance, and wealth, which he distributes (or doesn't) as he sees fit. He presides over
fertile land near water. He has dominion over ships and boats. Njord presides over a harbor realm known as Noatun, or Ship Town.
He is the lord of good fortune.
Favored people: Sailors, mariners, those who fish, those who love the sea, boat builders
M anifestation: Njord is a mature, bearded man. His skin may be weathered from the effects of sea wind, but he allegedly has

extremely beautiful feet—from walking barefoot in the waves, no doubt. His children are exceptionally good-looking; presumably they
inherited at least some of their looks from him.
Rune: Laguz
Element: Water
See also: Aesir; Angerboda; Freya; Freyr; Herta; Mimir; Skadi; Vanir

Njuzu
Also known as: Njusu; Nzuzu; Zuzu
Origin: Shona (Zimbabwe)

Njuzu, beautiful water spirit, lures (or kidnaps) people she finds interesting to her underwater realm. Initially, she treats them harshly,
but Njuzu is not really cruel: it's a test to see how the person reacts and behaves:
• The person must accomplish whatever tasks Njuzu sets responsibly and graciously.
• Njuzu's captive must eat whatever is offered. Otherwise the person will never be permitted to return home.

Njuzu initially offers food that a person is unlikely to desire: mud, worms, insects. Harsh treatment may last weeks, months, or even
longer. If the person passes Njuzu's test, then treatment improves as does the diet. Njuzu offers rice and various delicacies.
Njuzu can be extremely kind and generous. She is a wise spirit, a repository of knowledge. If captives pass her tests, they essentially
become her apprentices to whom she bestows information and teaches various healing arts. Eventually, if all goes well, a kidnapped
person is sent back home with a basket filled with magical medicines
(mushonga). Njuzu has supplied this person with the skills,
knowledge, and tools needed to become a potent and successful healer. The process can take a year or longer. Meanwhile those
people left behind on land must participate, too. The captive's relatives and loved ones must sing traditional ritual songs to Njuzu to
ensure the person's safety and return. Songs praising Njuzu are sung while kneeling and are accompanied by clapping. The song
"Njuzu" by Zimbabwean singer and mbira musician Stella Chiweshe is available on her CDAmbuya? (Shanachie Records).
Favored people: Njuzu kidnaps and instructs both men and women.
M anifestation: Njuzu may appear as a mermaid or a beautiful woman.
See also: Mermaid
Also known as: Inkisi; Mpungo
Origin: Congo
Nkisi are Congolese spirits venerated by various African Diaspora traditions including:
• Cuba's Reglas de Palo ("Rules of Palo"), also known as Reglas de Kongo
• Brazil's Candomblé Congo (Kimbanda), also known as Candomblé Angola
Nkisi include all kinds of spirits, divine ancestors, and elemental forces. Many Nkisi seem to correspond to Orishas, but whether or
not they are the same, are distinct, or have influenced each other is subject to vigorous debate.
See also: Centella Ndoki; Lucero; Mpun gu; Orisha; Siete Rayos

Nodens

The Cloud Maker; He Who Bestows Wealth
Also known as: Nodons
Origin: Celtic
Nodens is a spirit of healing and the sea. Little is now known of him: what is known has largely been pieced together from
archaeological evidence and inscriptions. Nodens may or may not be the same as Nuada. The Romans identified him with Mars,
Mercury, Neptune, and Sylvanus, indicating his versatility and his inability to be pigeon-holed.
He was venerated at a temple complex and healing sanctuary on the banks of England's Severn River. Nodens specialized in healing
eye ailments. The shrine seems to have contained a dormitory for incubating healing dreams and visions. Nodens is among those spirits
whose name is invoked on curse tablets, an ancient magic ritual by which petitioners could request that a deity deliver vengeance or
justice, depending upon perspective.
Arthur Machen, the influential Welsh author, mystic, and member of the esoteric society the Golden Dawn, described
Nodens as "the god of the Great Deep or Abyss" in his controversial 1894 novella, The Great God Pan.

Creature: Dog (images found at his shrine are identifiable as deerhounds)

Sacred site: Nodens had a healing sanctuary/ temple in Lydney Park on the banks of the Severn River in Gloucestershire, England.
He may also have had a shrine in Lancaster.
Offerings: Nodens was offered votive images of dogs.
See also: Mercury; Neptune; Nuada; Sylvanus

Norns
Origin: Norse
The Norns are the Norse goddesses of fate and guardians of the World Tree. According to Norse mythology, they are the most
powerful of all beings. The Norns determine the fate and destiny of all living beings.
Ygdrassil, the World Tree, is fed by the Well of Urd. The Norns live in a beautiful hall by the well and are Ygdrassil's caretakers.
The Norns are spinning goddesses. Ygdrassil is the spindle on which they weave destiny. The Norns are repositories of all knowledge:
past, present, and future.
The Norns operate together: they are a unit. Their name may derive from a reference to spinning techniques or twining. The three
Norns are:
• Urd, eldest sister, Norn of the Past, who wraps the wool around the spindle
• Verdandi, Norn of the Present, who spins the wool
• Skuld, "Shall Be" youngest of the Norns, cuts the thread, terminating existence
• Skuld allegedly sometimes takes it upon herself to change benevolent fates bestowed by Urd and Verdandi. Skuld sometimes
appears on lists of Valkyries.
The Norns figure prominently in old folk wisdom and modern popular entertainment. In the Faroe Islands, white spots that
sometimes appear on fingernails and may indicate illness are known as Nornaspor ("tracks of the Norns"). The Norns are a
force to be reckoned with in Neil Gaiman's novel American Gods. They appear in the manga/anime series Mythical Detective
Loki Ragnarok where they retain their own names while in the manga/anime series Oh, My Goddess! Verdandi has transformed

into the beautiful Belldandy.

M anifestations: The Norns manifest as women but may appear as mermaids. Sometimes Urd manifests as elderly, Verdandi as a
woman in her prime, and Skuld as a young girl but sometimes they appear to be of the same age. Skuld may manifest as a Valkyrie.
Planet: Moon
Bird: Swan
Creature: Spider
Rune: Nauthiz. The Norns are associated with runes in general and especially with a modern method of casting runes, possibly
based on the traditional tarot three-card spread. Three runes are cast, each representing the voice of one Norn. The first rune describes
the past, the second the present, and the third the most likely future outcome.
See also: Fates; Moirae; Valkyries and the Glossary entry for Rune

Nu Kua
Also known as: Nu Wa; Nu Gua
Origin: China
Nu Kua, primordial female, was married to the primordial male, Fu Xi, but she was bored and lonely. To amuse herself, she crafted
human-shaped dolls from Yellow River mud and breathed life into them. Those first humans regarded Nu Kua as their mother, and she
took good care of them. However, the thought of spending eternity crafting endless people inspired her with more boredom. Nu Kua
invented sexual intercourse so that people could reproduce all by themselves.
Nu Kua is central to the plot of the classic eighteenth century Chinese novel
A Dream of Red Mansions.

Nu Kua arranged the world so that it would be safe for people. She controlled floods and taught people the arts of irrigation and
dam-building. When disaster struck and the sky was damaged, she smelted the sacred five-colored stones to repair the sky. She
banished monsters, which were threatening the existence of humanity. She cut off the feet of the Great Tortoise and
used them to
support the four pillars of the universe lest they collapse. Nu Kua retired to the sky but will respond to petitions. She is invoked to
provide personal fertility and has dominion over marital relations.

M anifestation: Nu Kua resembles a human female from the waist up. Below the waist she may be a dragon, snake, or snail. She is
sometimes envisioned as a mermaid complete with fish tail.
Attribute: Compass
See also: Damballah; Dragon Queens; Fu Xi; Khnum; Mermaid

Nuada
Also known as: Nuadu; Nuadu Argatlam; Nuada of the Silver Hand

Origin: Ireland
Classification: Tuatha Dé Danaan

Nuada was an early spirit king of the Tuatha Dé Danaan. He is a powerful seer, warrior, champion of Ireland and an ancestral spirit.
He lost his hand in a battle, forcing him to relinquish his kingship, as the Tuatha Dé Danaan demand that their rulers be physically perfect
and intact. Dian Cecht, divine smith of the Tuatha Dé, crafted a silver hand for him, earning him a new name, Nuada Argatlam ("Nuada
of the Silver Hand"). Eventually Dian Cecht's children, master healers, were able to reattach the severed hand, enabling Nuada to once
again serve as king. Nuada eventually abdicated in favor of Lugh during the Tuatha's battles with the Fomorians. Nuada may or may not
be the same deity as Nodens. Their names are cognates and may have the same meaning.
Attribute: His magic sword is among Ireland's sacred treasures.
See also: Airmid; Dian Cecht; Lugh; Miach; Nodens; Ogma; Sulis; Tuatha Dé Danaan The myth of Nuada's silver hand
may serve as inspiration for what happened to the character Peter Pettigrew in the Harry Potter novels.

Nure-Onna

Wet Woman
Origin: Japan

Nure-Onna, a water serpent spirit from coastal Northern Japan, sits on the beach during storms, washing her long hair. Her name
means "wet woman" allegedly in reference to her hair. She is a feared spirit. Traditionally, fishermen and shore-dwellers dreaded her
appearance. She is physically very powerful and may be able to flatten trees with her tail. She also swims extremely fast.
Nure-Onna's motivations are subject for speculation. Some say that she deliberately preys on people. Others suggest that she isn't
particularly malevolent. She's just solitary and extremely goal-oriented. Nure-Onna comes ashore with a purpose. She wants to eat and
she wants to wash her hair and she wants to be left alone. She becomes enraged and violent if disturbed, interrupted, or thwarted. Given
the opportunity, just stay out of her way. Nure-Onna allegedly prefers a diet of entrails, presumably that of sea creatures, but some
stories suggest that she has a taste for humans, too.
According to legend, Nure-Onna, like Yuki-Onna, sometimes carries an infant. She may ask you to hold her baby. You must do so
gently and lovingly or the child will vanish and Nure-Onna will attack.
M anifestation: Nure-Onna has the head of a long-haired woman atop a very long serpentine body. Like a snake, she periodically
sticks out her long tongue as if tasting the air. However, she is a shape-shifter who can take various forms, including that of a beautiful
woman—in which shape, she may deliberately lure victims toward her. The tip-off to her identity is that her hair is always wet.
See also: Yokai; Yuki-Onna

Nurikabe
Origin: Japan
Nurikabe is a spirit that manifests as a wall. Unlike regular walls, however, the Nurikabe is mobile and sentient. Some Nurikabe
may serve as guardian spirits but others may just be malevolent. The Nurikabe mysteriously appears in the form of a tall wall in front of
someone out walking late at night. One may not immediately realize that is not an ordinary wall. Guardian Nurikabe may seek only to
divert those coming too close to whatever they are guarding. This type of Nurikabe also operates as an invisible wall.
Other Nurikabe, however, seem to target individuals:
• Turn and walk away, and the wall reappears before you. No matter which direction you turn, the wall appears in front of you.
• If you try to pass the wall, depending on the malevolence or intent of the spirit, it will either extend in all directions indefinitely or

collapse on top of you, smashing you.
How do you escape Nurikabe? Keep your wits. Slap the bottom of the wall with a stick, and it will disappear.
A family of Nurikabe spirits operating under the name Blockhead are demon guardians in the video game Okami. Nurikabe now also
names a popular Japanese number puzzle similar to Sudoku.
See also: Yokai

Nut

Mother of Stars; Queen of Heaven; Mother of the Deceased; She Who Holds a Thousand Souls; Mistress of All; She Who
Protects
Also known as: Nuit
Pronounced: Noot
Origin: Egypt
Nut is the spirit of the sky. Initially she cleaved to her brother/lover, Geb, spirit of Earth, but the two were forcibly separated by
their father Shu (Air) who holds them apart. Geb and Nut's children are Isis, Osiris, Set, and Nephthys, and possibly Horus the Elder.
Although Nut and Geb are separated during the day, at night, Nut is permitted to descend to join her true love, hence darkness.
Sometimes Nut slips a little bit closer to him during the daytime, too, resulting in dark, dull, stormy days.
Nut was envisioned as a huge sow. The stars are her piglets. She gives birth to them each night, and then swallows them up every
morning. Every morning Nut births the sun, reabsorbing it into herself at dusk. Likewise, she receives the dead into herself. Stars were
envisioned as the souls of the dead, lying amid Nut's bosom. Her associations with the dead caused her image to be frequently painted
on the underside of sarcophagus lids.
Nut's image has served as a symbol for the women's Take Back the Night movement .

Nut is the queen of star knowledge and wisdom. She is the guardian of the dead, the lady of birth and resurrection.
Favored people: astrologers, astronomers
M anifestation: Nut appears in the sky as the Milky Way. She may also manifest as a cow, a sow or as a woman wearing a long,
tight, blue dress covered with stars.

Iconography: Nut is most frequently depicted as a naked woman stretched across the sky, covered with stars. She is also depicted
as a sow suckling piglets, a vulture, a hippo, or a cow.
Attribute: Ladder, water pot, ankh
Color: Dark blue
Tree: Sycomore fig
See also: Horus the Elder; Isis; Nekhbet; Nephthys; Osiris; Set

Nyai Loro Kidul
Also known as: Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Kidul; Batu Loro Kidul
Origin: Java

Nyai Loro Kidul, Queen of the South Seas, lives in the Indian Ocean off Java's southern coast. She rules a luxurious underwater
realm, where she is attended by a court of beautiful sea spirits, musicians, courtiers, and male guards whose green hair is encrusted with
seashells and seaweed.
Before Islam, Nyai Loro Kidul may have been Queen of Java. (N yai means "queen." Her many names consist of various royal titles.
She expects to be addressed formally. Very close devotees address her as Grandmother.) She was the guardian of the sultan's palace
in Jogjakarta and the spirit wife of Javanese kings who waded into her waters to request her guidance before doing anything important.
Nyai Loro Kidul is also an ancestral spirit with many people claiming descent.
Various legends explain how Nyai Loro Kidul became Queen of the South Seas. One version envisions a Snow White scenario: she
was once the exceptionally beautiful mortal daughter of the King of Java and possessed the proverbial, wicked, jealous step-mother.
(Another version describes her as the most beautiful wife in the king's harem, preyed upon by other jealous wives.) Her bathwater was
poisoned so that her entire body was covered in painful, disfiguring boils. No longer beautiful, she was banished from the palace. The
princess wandered the wild forests until she reached Java's southern shores. A voice beckoned to her from the sea, telling her to jump
in, be healed, and rule like a goddess. She plunged into the waters and emerged, more beautiful than ever, transformed into Nyai Loro
Kidul. In the sixteenth century, Nyai Loro Kidul or an avatar returned to the palace to marry the King of Java. She taught him to
shamanize and how to gain and maintain power over spirits.
Men, especially young, handsome ones, are cautioned not to wear green bathing trunks when swimming along Java's southern coast
lest Nyai Loro Kidul perceive that you belong to her. She may drown you and keep you in her realm.
Nyai Loro Kidul controls the Indian Ocean. She soothes and raises ocean waves. Devotees gather on her shores on Thursday
evenings to seek guidance, offer petitions, and request prophetic dreams. She may be petitioned for virtually anything, from healing to
romance to fertility, success, and prosperity. Nyai Loro Kidul is often accompanied by an entourage of Nymphs and Fairies. It's
considered good manners to leave offerings for the entourage as well as their queen.
Nyai Loro Kidul sponsors the annual springtime harvest of edible swallow's nests (collected to make bird's nest soup.) Harvesting
the nests is exceedingly dangerous: no nest is touched (at least not traditionally) before Nyai Loro Kidul is invoked, propitiated, and
honored in rites including a gamelan orchestra.

M anifestation: Nyai Loro Kidul, renowned for her breathtaking beauty, manifests as a gorgeous woman with long black or green
hair dressed in a gold embroidered sarong. She may also manifest as a mermaid or a water snake woman. Fish, shells, and coral cling to
her. In some versions of her myth, Nyai Loro Kidul is beautiful and benevolent from the new moon until the full, but as the moon wanes,
she transforms into a malevolent hag.
Day: Thursday
Color: Green—don't wear it; it belongs to her. Devotees traditionally refrain from wearing green, but her altar may be decorated in
green, and she likes green offerings.
Time: She is honored with a spring festival in the fishing village Pelambuhan Ratu ("Queen's Harbor").
Sacred site: The Samudra Beach Hotel in Pelambuhan Ratu reserves a suite for Nyai Loro Kidul. She gave permission for the
resort to be built, providing they reserved a room for her. Room 308 now serves as a shrine to the queen and may be visited.
Altar: Nyai Loro Kidul's altars resemble dressing tables: include a mirror so she can see herself, plus a comb, a brush, and
cosmetics (face powder, kohl, perfume). A true devotee may decorate an entire room for Nyai Loro Kidul, similar to the rooms
dedicated to the Vodou lwa Ezili Freda Dahomey.
Offerings: Although offerings may be placed on an altar, especially if you're far away (Nyai Loro Kidul is perfectly capable of
traveling wherever she will), it's considered good manners to bring offerings to her home, if at all possible. Offerings are laid at the
ocean's edge, sometimes served on bamboo trays decorated with fresh flowers, shells, and streamers. Otherwise they may be

respectfully tossed into the water. Offerings include bananas and other fruit, coconuts, rice, incense, bowls of fragrant flower petals,
betel leaves, mirrors, cosmetics, clothing, and perfume.
See also: Ezili Freda Dahomey; Fairy; Mermaidsand the Glossary entry for Avatar

Nymph
Origin: Greece

Nymph is a blanket term encompassing female spirits of wild nature. Theoretically, naiads are freshwater Nymphs, dryads are tree
Nymphs, and Nereids are ocean Nymphs.
The word Nymph derives from numphe meaning "bride" with the added implication that a girl is old enough to be considered
sexually. (Hence the old-fashioned, derogatory pseudopsychological term: nymphomaniac.) There are countless Nymphs: Ovid wrote
in his Metamorphosis that every tree harbors a Nymph. The same could be said for every spring, well, or mountain cave.
Nymphs are not trivial, minor, or marginal spirits. Many are profoundly powerful and were once widely venerated, some with
organized cults. Shrines existed throughout Greece, often set up in a cave or beside a healing spring. Many were extremely popular and
subjects of pilgrimages from great distances.
Veneration of Nymphs was ubiquitous throughout the Greek world before Homer and continued into the Hellenistic era and beyond.
They predate the Olympian pantheon, but many Nymphs possess close associations with Olympian deities, especially Artemis, Apollo,
Dionysus, Hermes, and Persephone. (To some extent, Apollo and Artemis absorbed many of their functions, at least officially.) In
general, Nymphs were spirits beloved by rural, rustic populations rather than the elite who frequented state-sponsored cults. In Homer's
Odyssey, when Odysseus finally reaches his island home, he first kisses Earth and then prays to the local Nymphs. Only then does he
invoke Athena.
Nymphs are possessing spirits: people prophesize accurately while possessed by Nymphs or under their influence.
Nympholepsy, meaning "possession" or more accurately "seizure" by the Nymphs, was once perceived as a blessing, a positive
source of divine inspiration and oracular ability. During the Christian era, nympholepsy was reassessed and considered wholly
negative and diabolical. Nymphs were syncretized to evil spirits, including fallen angels and scary demons like the Lamiae and
Gelloudes.

Nymphs were and are ideal deities for independent practitioners. Twenty-three thousand astragaloi (knucklebones used for fortunetelling and gaming) have been discovered in the Korykian Cave of the Nymphs at Delphi. It's been theorized that those who couldn't
afford the expensive consultations at Apollo's official shrine consulted the Nymphs instead. Archaeological evidence suggests renewed
interest in nymphs' ancient cave shrines during the third and fourth centuries CE. Jennifer Larson in her study, Greek Nymphs (Oxford
University Press, 2001) theorizes that this resurrection of Pagan devotion may have been a response to Christianity.
Nymphs, in general, are associated with healing and prophecy. They are concerned with human reproduction overseeing fertility,
pregnancy, childbirth, child care, and children. When the lives of Zeus and Dionysus were endangered as babies, they were entrusted to
Nymphs who guarded, nursed, and raised them. (According to some myths, baby Hephaestus was entrusted to Nereids, Nymphs of the
sea.) Nymphs also provided funeral rituals for heroes.
Nymphs have dominion over beekeeping and honey production and may have taught humans the art. They are guardians of Earth,
presiding over the harvesting of wood or quarrying for minerals, which allegedly cannot be safely done without their express permission.
Gifts of the Nymphs include musical talent, heightened sensitivity, ESP, psychic skills, prophetic ability, and eloquence. They express
their displeasure by inflicting bad luck, infertility, impotence, and mental disorders, including insanity, depression, and the inability to find
joy. Nymphs are sometimes blamed for drownings in rivers, springs, and wells. (Their modern descendents, the Neraida are still held
responsible.)
Nymphs may be invoked for anything under their dominion. They are traditionally honored by women before giving birth as a
protective measure and then honored afterwards in thanks. If problems exist for mother or baby, the Nymphs may be invoked for help
and remedies.

Favored people: Beekeepers, diviners and fortune-tellers, midwives, artisans, makers of artisanal cheese and olive oil, those who
revel in nature and fight to preserve it
M anifestation: In general, Nymphs appear as beautiful women, but many are skilled shape-shifters. Be prepared for surprises.
Creatures: Bees, lions
Trees: Black poplar, plane, oak
Sacred sites: Mountains, freshwater springs, caves—especially caves containing natural springs and those frequented by bees,
bears, or other animals (Greece possesses countless caves with springs)
Time: During the ancient Sicilian festival of the Nymphs, people celebrated all night by going from house to house, offering
sacrifices, drinking (not water!), and dancing around images of the Nymphs in a precursor of Mardi Gras and Carnival.
Offerings: Traditionally served outside, offerings may be placed under shady trees, inside caves, on the shores of springs, or even
tossed inside. Offer libations of milk, water, olive oil, or wine. Traditional offerings include honey, aromatic herbs, incense, ex-votos
(milagros), flowers, fruit, coins, dolls, terra cotta or carved images of Nymphs, pins, mirrors, jewelry, ornaments, masks. Votive
offerings also include musical instruments (syrinxes, whistles, double flutes) and divination devices including coins, oil lamps, and dice.
See also: Achelous; Apollo; Aristaeus; Artemis; Dionysus; Fairy; Gello; Hephaestus; Hermes; Kura; Lamia; Naiad;
Neraida; Nereid; Oinone; Persephone; Silen; Zeus

Nyx
Also known as: Nox
Origin: Greek

Nyx, Goddess of Night, is the primordial Creatrix. In the beginning, according to one Greek myth, there was Chaos—the Void who
brought forth Nyx, her daughter and eldest child. Chaos had more children (no partner necessary; she is a solitary conceiver) including a
son Erebus (Darkness or Shadow) with whom Nyx united and conceived a daughter, Hemera (Day). Nyx shares a house with Hemera,
although they never see each other: when one comes home through the back door, the other leaves through the front.
That's one myth. In an Orphic myth, Nyx existed from the beginning in the guise of a great black-winged bird hovering in endless
darkness. No creation was necessary. Nyx was always here. Eventually this solitary bird laid an egg, which cracked in half: Eros, the
beautiful gold-winged Spirit of Love emerged. One half of the eggshell became Gaia, the Earth, while the other half became Uranus, the
Sky. Nyx is thus considered the all-powerful ancestress of all. Even Zeus fears her.
Depending on the version of the myth, Nyx may also be the mother of Nemesis, the Moirae (a.k.a. the Fates), the Hesperides,
Hypnos (Sleep), Morpheus (Dream), Eris (Discord), Thanatos (Death), and Momus (Ridicule).
M anifestation: A woman wearing a black veil studded with stars
Time: Night
Bird: Owl
Flowers: Poppies, especially opium poppies
Sacred sites: She was venerated at the sacred walnut tree of Benevento, Italy, alongside Diana and Proserpina.
See also: Diana; Eris; Eros; Fates (1); Gaia; Hesperides; Hypnos; Lampades; Moirae; Morpheus; Nemesis; Proserpina;
Thanatos