Who Is The God Of Wrath In Mythology?
Myths and legends from cultures around the world contain stories of gods known for their fiery tempers and penchant for vengeance. If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: The gods most associated with wrath in mythology are the Greek Ares, the Mesopotamian Erra, the Norse Odin, the Aztec Tezcatlipoca, and the Polynesian Pele.
In this in-depth article, we will explore some of the major deities throughout history that have been associated with anger, warfare, and punishment. By examining these wrathful gods and goddesses, we can better understand how different cultures made sense of destruction, violence, and retribution.
Ares – The Greek God of War
Ares’ Origins and Significance
Ares was one of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and mythology. According to myth, he was born from an affair between Zeus and Hera. As the god of war and embodiment of physical valor, Ares was often portrayed as violent, aggressive, and bloodthirsty.
However, he played an important role in Ancient Greek culture as a driving force for courage in battle. Worship of Ares was much more prominent in ancient times among soldiers and warriors than it is today. His Roman counterpart was Mars.
Personality and Attributes
In Greek mythology, Ares represented the more violent aspects of war in contrast to his sister Athena who represented military strategy and generalship. He was typically depicted as wielding a spear and wearing armor. His sacred animals were the vulture, dog, and boar.
Ares was known for his quick temper, aggression, and tendency to shift his loyalty between sides during war. According to the Iliad, the other gods despised him for his chaotic nature and proclivity for violence.
However, Ares was also said to have a romantic side and was the lover of the goddess Aphrodite.
Myths Involving Ares
As the Greek god of war, Ares was featured in numerous myths and legends. Some of the more famous stories involving Ares include:
- The Trojan War – Ares fought for the Trojans against the Greeks. He was wounded by the Greek warrior Diomedes with help from Athena.
- Ares and Aphrodite – Ares and the goddess of love had a passionate affair that was eventually exposed embarrassingly by her husband Hephaestus.
- The Aloadae – Ares killed the twin giants Otus and Ephialtes when they tried to storm Mount Olympus and kidnap Hera.
- The Murder of Halirrhothius – Ares killed Poseidon’s son Halirrhothius for raping his daughter Alcippe.
As the ancient Greek embodiment of the violence of war, Ares was featured in numerous other stories that highlighted his aggressive and headstrong nature. His tumultuous love life with Aphrodite also inspired many romantic myths and legends among the Greeks.
Erra – The Mesopotamian God of Violence and Mayhem
Erra in the Babylonian Pantheon
Erra was the Mesopotamian god of violence, destruction, and mayhem. He played an important role in the Babylonian pantheon as the bringer of disorder and chaos. According to the myths, Erra became enraged if he went too long without destroying things, so the Babylonians would try to regularly placate him with tributes and offerings to avoid his wrath.
His destructive power was seen as an unfortunate but necessary force in the world.
Erra was envisioned as a warrior deity who went into a frenzied rage in battle. He was associated with plagues, natural disasters, and civil unrest. The Enuma Elish describes him as having “unyielding anger” and leaving nothing intact when he attacked.
He was believed to revel in the destruction he caused. His associated planet was Mars, fitting his warlike nature.
Despite his propensity for violence, Erra was still considered a divine being who deserved worship. The Babylonians believed that his destruction, while terrible, served to clear away the old to make way for the new. He was seen as an agent of change, albeit an extremely dangerous one.
His chaotic energy was necessary to disrupt stagnation and keep the world dynamic.
The Enuma Elish and Erra’s Origins
According to the Babylonian creation myth Enuma Elish, Erra was created by the elder gods Anu, Enlil, and Ea at the very beginning of time. He came into being alongside other destructive forces such as snakes and scorpions whose terror “would frighten the gods in the shrines.”
Erra is described as the “mighty one of the gods, irresistible, who all the gods together are powerless to oppose.” He was created as an unstoppable force of chaos that could challenge even the mightiest deities.
The gods wanted to limit Erra’s destructive potential, so they set him up with a palace in the underworld surrounded by flames, where he could direct his violent tendencies away from the heavens.
But Erra grew restless in confinement and eventually threatened to escape his prison and wreak havoc on the cosmos. The clever god Ea managed to trick and pacify Erra to keep him contained. The Enuma Elish shows how even at the dawn of creation, the gods recognized the need to carefully manage forces of disorder like Erra.
The Destructive Power of Erra
Erra’s immense capacity for violence is described in an Akkadian poem called The Erra Epic. It tells how Erra becomes enraged because the people of Babylon have become complacent and failed to properly venerate him. He conspires with his lieutenant Išum to unleash terror on the city:
“Erra the overpowering, offspring of Anu, who holds nothing in check…his mind devising to set out carnage, to ascertain strife.”
Erra proceeds to slaughter people indiscriminately, lay waste to temples and buildings, and boast about staining canals with blood. He is described as “magnified in intensity,” spreading mayhem everywhere.
The devastation finally awakens the god Marduk, who reprimands Erra but acknowledges his essential role in the cosmos.
The Erra Epic shows both the wanton destruction Erra was capable of, and the delicate balance required by the gods to make use of his violent energies for creation rather than purely annihilation. As enumerated in ancient texts, Erra’s fierce power was both feared and respected by the people of Mesopotamia.
Odin – A Complex Norse God Associated with Rage
Odin as a Shapeshifter and Sorcerer
Odin, the chief god in Norse mythology, was a shapeshifter and master of magic and sorcery. He could change his appearance at will, often taking the form of an old, wandering man with a long beard and a broad-brimmed hat. As a sorcerer, Odin was said to have unrivaled knowledge of charms and runes.
He possessed magical artifacts like his spear Gungnir, which never missed its target, and his eight-legged horse Sleipnir, the greatest of all horses. Odin was constantly seeking more knowledge, and his quest for wisdom was a defining trait.
However, he also had a shadowy side related to his rage and fury.
The Furious Side of Odin in Norse Mythology
Odin was not simply a wise, benevolent figure in Norse myth. He had a furious temper that struck fear in gods and men alike. As a god of battle and death, Odin could fly into a terrible rage and was associated with violent frenzy.
Some Viking warriors called berserkers were said to channel Odin’s fury, working themselves into a battle madness. Odin also expressed rage against those who used magic and blood rituals dishonorably. In one story, he grew so angry at two rival sorcerers that he transformed into a monstrous wolf and devoured them both.
So while known for wisdom, Odin had an association with wrath befitting his role as a war god.
Odin’s Quest for Wisdom
Odin went to extreme lengths in his eternal quest for knowledge and wisdom. Most famously, he sacrificed an eye to drink from the Well of Wisdom, gaining unparalleled vision and insight. Odin also hanged himself from Yggdrasil, the World Tree, pierced by his own spear, for nine days and nights to gain knowledge of the runic alphabet.
- Odin’s self-sacrifices and unrelenting pursuit of wisdom made him an incredibly complex and multi-faceted figure in Norse mythology.
- He transcended simplistic notions of good and evil, combining wisdom and rage, sorcery and valor.
- Odin’s willingness to sacrifice himself for wisdom made him a god respected and feared among mortals and immortals alike.
In his dual nature and depth of character, Odin perhaps represents the wide gamut of human potentials and impulses for enlightenment, fury and everything in between.
Tezcatlipoca – Aztec God of Retribution
Tezcatlipoca’s Connection to Justice and Punishment
As the god of retribution, Tezcatlipoca was deeply connected to concepts of justice, punishment, and fate. He was believed to reward good deeds and punish sins or transgressions. Some myths depict him as the deity who set the laws that humankind must live by.
Tezcatlipoca was known as “Lord of the Smoking Mirror” which represented his powers of scrying and omniscience – he saw into people’s hearts and minds. If someone lied or committed wrongdoings, the tales say Tezcatlipoca’s judgment would inevitably catch up with them.
Depictions and Symbolism of Tezcatlipoca
Art and iconography show Tezcatlipoca with black and yellow stripes on his face, wearing a turquoise mask, and with obsidian mirrors attached to his feet. These mirrors linked Tezcatlipoca to cycles of time and meditations on fate and destiny.
His other common accoutrements were feathers and owl imagery. Owls symbolize Tezcatlipoca’s capacity to see and mete out justice even in the darkness of night. The feathers connect to shamanic flights between realms and the belief that Tezcatlipoca could manifest as a jaguar.
His nagual or animal spirit in legends is the jaguar so jaguar skins and imagery are also associated with the god Tezcatlipoca. Jaguars represent power able to prowl the forests and jungles, mastering the realm of nature.
Myths of Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl
Tezcatlipoca appears in Aztec mythology with his great rivals or counterparts, the gods Quetzalcoatl and Huitzilopochtli. The rivarly between Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl is particularly profound.
In the cosmic creation story, Tezcatlipoca battled the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl for control over the cosmos. In later myths, a rivalry between Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl continues to play out over the rule of the mythical Tollan.
Eventually Tezcatlipoca schemes to dethrone Quetzalcoatl from rule over Tollan. Tezcatlipoca deceives Quetzalcoatl, tricking him into transgressions that force his exile. This reflects Tezcatlipoca’s association with revenge, envy, sorcery and trickery.
Pele – The Hawaiian Goddess of Volcanoes
Pele as a Creator and a Destroyer
Pele is the powerful Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes and fire. According to myths, she has the ability to build land by spewing lava as well as obliterate it as a destructive force. This dual nature makes her both a creator and a destroyer.
Ancient Hawaiians respected Pele greatly and made offerings to appease her fiery wrath.
As the shaper of Hawaii’s landscape, Pele is considered a force of creation. It is believed that the Hawaiian Islands were created by her persistent eruptions underwater. Over hundreds of thousands of years, she built up the islands until they rose above sea level.
The newest island, the Lōʻihi Seamount, is still being formed by her right now underwater and is expected to emerge in tens of thousands of years!
However, what Pele creates, she can also demolish in her typical capricious manner. As a destroyer, her destructive lava flows can wipe out entire villages and landscapes. So Hawaiians must not disrespect or anger her, or risk facing her overpowering fury and devastation!
Legends of Pele’s Arrival in Hawaii
There are many legends about Pele coming to Hawaii. According to one of them, she originally lived in Kahiki (Tahiti) but eventually set out with her family in a great voyaging canoe to find a new home. In her journey over the ocean, she remained asleep and was unaware of being in Hawaii already.
Angered by her older sister Namakaokahai’s taunts and jealousy towards her, Pele woke up and made the sea fiery hot with her rage. Then she caused an explosive fight with her brothers and sisters, burning parts of their canoe!
Pele finally arrived on the island of Hawaii and dug raging pits and channels in the earth with her magical stick, Pa’oa. After trying different parts of the island, she finally settled in the Halema‘uma‘u crater atop Kilauea volcano.
According to scientists though, Pele likely found her way from Polynesia to Hawaii around 700 AD, discovering an unformed volcanic landscape that gave rise to her legends over time.
Pele’s Wrath and the Hawaiian Volcanoes
To this day, Pele is believed to reside in the Halema‘uma‘u crater, and her mood is reflected by Kilauea’s eruptions. When she is angry or upset, the consequences are brutal and swift. In 1955, over half of the town Kapoho was destroyed when Fissure 8 erupted after a local fisherman claimed to have seen Pele at the shore and taunted her.
More recently in 2018, rivers of lava from the East Rift Zone buried entire neighborhoods, beloved landmarks, and accumulated over 700 homes.
Locals try hard not to disrespect Pele because of how temperamental she is. Tourists who have taken lava rocks from the Big Island as souvenirs often end up mailing them back since they believe it angers her and causes them misfortune.
Pele reminds Hawaiians that the land they live on is ever-changing. New terrain is birthed, and old terrain is swallowed as the Earth breathes. They must respect Pele the volcano goddess in order to live in harmony.
Conclusion
The gods of wrath found in myths around the world offer insight into how ancient peoples made sense of destruction and upheaval in their lives. While their anger could be dangerous, it also served to punish wrongdoing and destroy corrupt elements so that renewal could follow.
These complex deities show the multifaceted nature of wrath as an expression of both chaos and justice.
