Time and fate deities
Time and fate deities are personifications of time, often in the sense of human lifetime and human fate, in polytheistic religions. In monotheism, Time can still be personified, as in Father Time in European folklore, or Zurvan in Persian (Zoroastrian) tradition. In the book of Ecclesiastes in the Hebrew Bible, the terms עדן `iddan "time" vs. זמן zĕman "season" express a contrast similar to that of Greek Chronos vs. Kairos.
Ancient Near East
Ancient Egyptian religion: Hemsut · Huh
Assyro-Babylonian religion: Ashima · Ishtar · Mamitu · Mammetun · Manah · Manu the Great · Meni
Classical Antiquity
Ancient Greek religion:
The Fates: Moirai — Atropos · Clotho · Lachesis
The Fates: Parcae — Decima · Morta · Nona
Europe
Etruscan — Nortia · Tinia
Norse — Norns (Urðr · Verðandi · Skuld)
- Day: (Dagr · Skinfaxi) · Night: (Nótt · Hrímfaxi) · Seasons: (Sumarr and Vetr) · Old age: Elli
Baltic — Dalia · Laima · Lauma
Polish — Sudz
Romanian — Fates: Ursitoare
Other European — Matres and Matrones · Father Time · Beten
Asia
- Bali - Batara Kala
- Buddhism - Mahakala
- Hinduism - Kala
- The Philippines - Kan-Laon
- Zoroastrianism - Zurvan
Africa
See also
- List of deities
- Time
- Time Cycles
- Wheel of time