Triple deities

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Triple deities, legendary persons, deities, and mythological creatures (sometimes referred to as tripled, triplicate, tripartite, triune or triadic), are common throughout world mythology; the number 3 has a long history of mythical associations. The deities and legendary creatures of this nature typically fit into one of the following general categories:

  • triadic ("forming a group of three"): a triad, three entities inter-related in some way (life, death, rebirth, for example, or triplet children of a deity) and always or usually associated with one another or appearing together;
  • triune ("three-in-one, one-in-three"): a being with three aspects or modes of existence (e.g. Father, Son and the Holy Spirit in traditional Christian theology);
  • tripartite ("of triple parts"): a being with three body parts where there would normally be one (three heads, three pairs of arms, and so on); or
  • triplicate-associated ("relating to three corresponding instances"): a being in association with a trio of things of the same nature which are symbolic or through which power is wielded (three magic birds, etc.)

The list below does not include fictional triple characters (e.g. Shakespeare's three witches in Macbeth, or Tolkien's trio of trolls in The Hobbit), however they may be inspired by the triple deities and legendary beings that are represented in the list.

Contents

[edit] List of triple deities

This part of a 12th century Swedish tapestry has been interpreted to show, from left to right, the one-eyed Odin, the hammer-wielding Thor and Freyr holding up an ear of corn. This triad corresponds closely to the trifunctional division of priesthood, warriors and farmers.
This part of a 12th century Swedish tapestry has been interpreted to show, from left to right, the one-eyed Odin, the hammer-wielding Thor and Freyr holding up an ear of corn. This triad corresponds closely to the trifunctional division of priesthood, warriors and farmers.[1]

Triples in deities:

[edit] List of mythological triads

Triples in legendary beings:

[edit] Quotes

Triads of gods appear very early, at the primitive level. The archaic triads in the religions of antiquity and of the East are too numerous to be mentioned here. Arrangement in triads is an archetype in the history of religion, which in all probability formed the basis of the Christian Trinity.

– C G Jung, A Psychological Approach to the Dogma of the Trinity

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Leiren, Terje I. (1999). From Pagan to Christian: The Story in the 12th-Century Tapestry of the Skog Church. Published online: http://faculty.washington.edu/leiren/vikings2.html
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  • Jung, C. G. A Psychological Approach to the Dogma of the Trinity, as quoted by Brabazon.
  • Brabazon, Michael. Jung and the Trinitarian Self, Quodlibet Journal: Volume 4 Number 2-3, Summer 2002. File retrieved Dec. 6, 2006.