# Who's Your Favorite Character/God from Mythology? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 18, 2006, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-god-from-mythology/365039 "2006-07-18T16:38:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2006, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-god-from-mythology/365039/41 "2006-07-19T17:20:33Z")
[QUOTE=mamboman] Posiden. Cool name, cool image, cool God-gig. I also like Heracles, but only if you pronounce it that way. Hercules reminds me of Jerkules. nn [/QUOTE] I would say almost the same thing, I’ve been looking for good pictures of Posiden for years for a tattoo, but haven’t been able to find one yet. I also hate the way Hercules sounds. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2006, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-god-from-mythology/365039/42 "2006-07-19T17:27:34Z")
> [@](#): > > If I had to chooose, I’d probably pick Perseus, due to his nobility and upright character. Yeah, but he had help from Athena _and_ Hermes, and he got a Magic Helmet of Invisibility _and_ Magic Flying Sandals _and_ a Magic Bag (_kibisis_) _and_ a Sword (_harpe_) and a Reflecting Shield, then he came upon Medusa in her sleep and killed her. Some hero. To give him his due, he’s often depicted in art slaying a wide-awake Gorgon, and I’ve argued that he has so much overkill in the weapons department because they probably come from variant versions of the story that got concatenated. And he was a righteous dude, willing to rescue a naked maiden chained to a rock as a sacrifice. ---
**Author:** ![ErinPuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dbc845/32.png) [@ErinPuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ErinPuff)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2006, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-god-from-mythology/365039/43 "2006-07-19T17:39:06Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] From Neil Gaiman’s new book, [_Anansi Boys,_](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FIHZB4/sr=8-1/qid=1153270458/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-8053143-2738418?ie=UTF8) I learned about Anansi the Spider, trickster-god of West African/Caribbean mythology. My favorite line: “All the stories belong to Anansi, but he does not always come out ahead.” [/QUOTE] I like Anansi too (and Neil Gaiman), even though I’m terrified of spiders. Mythological ones are okay, I guess. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2006, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-god-from-mythology/365039/44 "2006-07-19T17:54:54Z")
[QUOTE=Pushkin] Philip K Dick’s [Glimmung](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_Pot-Healer), a rather charmingly inept god. Acts involve appearing to followers by teleporting himself onto a floor incapable of withstanding his weight (by several tonnes) or demanding the completion of acts already written into history as unacheivable. [/QUOTE] See the posts about why Tolkien’s work on Middle-Earth isn’t mythology. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2006, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-god-from-mythology/365039/45 "2006-07-19T18:02:13Z")
[QUOTE=Edward The Head] I would say almost the same thing, I’ve been looking for good pictures of Posiden for years for a tattoo, but haven’t been able to find one yet. I also hate the way Hercules sounds. [/QUOTE] Here’s a whole list of Poseidon pix: [http://web.uvic.ca/grs/bowman/myth/gods/poseidon\_i.html](http://web.uvic.ca/grs/bowman/myth/gods/poseidon_i.html) My favorite, by far, is the Poseidon of Cape Artemision. Some say he’s actually Zeus, tossing a thunderbolt. Whatever, he’s a fine figure of a God. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2006, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-god-from-mythology/365039/46 "2006-07-19T19:25:44Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] I am very partial to Lugh or Lug Lámfhada or Lleu Llaw Gyffes in Wales. He was a child of both the Tuatha Dé Danann & the Fomorians. [/QUOTE] Dagda is probably a hoot to party with, but Lugh Long-arm is near the top of my list as well. Cernunnos is absolutely fascinating, IMHO, and is my #1 fav, partially because so little is known for sure about him. Lord of the Hunt, Lord of the Animals, The Hunter and the Hunted, Leader of the Wild Hunt, and shows some resemblance to The Sorcerer (cave painting in France). I see that wiki agrees with a lot of what I just wrote, but I’m not going to change it just because of that. I’m going to pretend wiki is occasionally right. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2006, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-god-from-mythology/365039/47 "2006-07-19T19:42:53Z")
Can you guess? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2006, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-god-from-mythology/365039/48 "2006-07-19T19:54:03Z")
Buddha. You gotta love a god whose traditional icon is him raising the roof. “Parrrrr-_tee!_” ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2006, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-god-from-mythology/365039/49 "2006-07-19T20:00:25Z")
Persephone. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2006, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-god-from-mythology/365039/50 "2006-07-19T21:49:20Z")
[QUOTE=Ethilrist] Buddha. You gotta love a god whose traditional icon is him raising the roof. “Parrrrr-_tee!_” [/QUOTE] Point of order–No Buddha (there is more than one) is a God. ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2006, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-god-from-mythology/365039/51 "2006-07-19T22:12:23Z")
What? No votes for [Bacchus](http://www.crystalinks.com/bacchus.html) (or Dionysus) the God of Wine and Spirits? 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![dotchan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@dotchan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dotchan)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2006, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-god-from-mythology/365039/52 "2006-07-19T22:15:33Z")
The young **Ne Zha**. Excessive and brutal, yeah, but it wasn’t 100% his fault. And besides, the dragons were jerks. 😛 A hearty double on **Son Wukong** , the original Monkey King. (But before he got stuck under a rock for 500 years.) The early version of **Zhuge Liang** , where he got to think circles around everybody else and have so much fun doing it. Eventually, of course, the writer couldn’t contradict history, so the character wasn’t as much fun. (Yes, I do consider the _Romance of the Three Kingdoms_ mythology. It was inspired by many folk tales already circulating about the Three Kingdoms era.) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2006, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-god-from-mythology/365039/53 "2006-07-19T22:28:38Z")
[QUOTE=Nic2004] What? No votes for [Bacchus](http://www.crystalinks.com/bacchus.html) (or Dionysus) the God of Wine and Spirits? 🆒 [/QUOTE] “That’s him. That’s my boss. He’s waving at you.” Bonus points for the source of that. ---
**Author:** ![easy\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2006, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-god-from-mythology/365039/54 "2006-07-20T01:11:48Z")
I used to really like Artemis, but as I read more of her stories, she came off really bitchy (turning Actaeon into a stag to be killed by his own hounds just because he happened to stumble across her bathing). I also liked Demeter. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-god-from-mythology/365039/55 "2006-07-20T02:38:41Z")
There’s the divine trio: Buddha, Jesus, and SpongeBob SquarePants. ---
**Author:** ![First\_Amongst\_Daves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@First\_Amongst\_Daves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/First_Amongst_Daves)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2006, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-god-from-mythology/365039/56 "2006-07-20T12:04:41Z")
If in doubt try [www.godchecker.com](http://www.godchecker.com) Some amusing comments, such as for one of the most visually interesting deities: > [@](#): > > [RAIJIN - the Shinto God of Storms ⛈️ (Japanese mythology)](http://www.godchecker.com/pantheon/japanese-mythology.php?deity=RAIDEN&ds=N) > > RAIDEN: God of Lightning. He has a very striking appearance: flames for skin, a demon’s head and eagle’s claws. > He also owns a thunder beast called RAIJU which he sends in the form of a fireball, leaping through trees and clawing at things. > > It is not advisable to sleep out of doors in thunderstorms as, apart from getting terribly wet, RAIJU can join you when he gets tired. He curls up in your belly button for a snooze and RAIDEN has to wake him up with fire arrows. This is not a good way to have your navel pierced. Bishamon, the Good Fortune God of War, who is: > [@](#): > > Clad in fiercesome armor, he sorts out enemies, protects against disease and loves a good demon-bashing. He also hands out rewards to the law-abiding is my favourite. A good news Ares. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2006, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-god-from-mythology/365039/57 "2006-07-21T18:35:13Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted byBosda Di’Chi of Tricor: > > Point of order–No Buddha (there is more than one) is a God. Depends on who you talk to. Hindus consider Siddhartha Gautama to be an incarnation of Vishnu. My personal favorite is Sir Palomides the Saracen. The patron saint of second-stringers. Anywhere but Camelot, he would have been the top of the heap. At Camelot, he was a perpetual sidekick. ---
**Author:** ![harrylentil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/53a042/32.png) [@harrylentil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harrylentil)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-god-from-mythology/365039/58 "2006-07-26T03:46:50Z")
Santa Claus. He is worshipped to this day. Merlin. Finn McCool. ---
**Author:** ![2nd\_Law](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/f475e1/32.png) [@2nd\_Law](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2nd_Law)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-god-from-mythology/365039/59 "2006-07-26T07:34:41Z")
[Nemesis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemesis_%28mythology%29) has always been one of my favorites. ---
**Author:** ![lachesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@lachesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lachesis)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-god-from-mythology/365039/60 "2006-07-26T15:18:59Z")
:: coughcough :: :rolleyes: although i’ve been known to indulge in other alter-egos, as it were… notably Sekhmet. and lately i’ve taken quite a fancy to Euryale. and no, not the mother of Orion one. but Isis would also be on my “don’t miss” list. and certainly can’t forget Kwan Yin. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-god-from-mythology/365039.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-god-from-mythology/365039.md?page=4)