Ancient cultures attributed deities to everything, and water was no exception. Regarded as every civilization’s lifeline, the ancient people believed the seas and waters were presided over by gods who needed to be venerated, lest they unleash their fury and bring the entire civilization to ruin. The most commonly known water gods are probably Neptune, Poseidon and Njord. However, these are far from the only deities of their kind. The following is an overview of water gods and goddesses from different mythologies around the world.

Roman mythology

Neptune, the brother of Jupiter, Pluto and Juno, is the first deity who springs to mind here. The trident-wielding god is well known for his rule over the open sea. However, mention must also be made to his unwilling wife, Salacia, the goddess who presided over the deep oceans. Wells and springs had their own deity, Fontus. An even lesser known god, Volturnus, was regarded as the god of waters by a Samnite cult.

Greek mythology

The Greeks had various deities for water, with Poseidon being the most popular. Brother to Zeus and Hades, Poseidon fathered many children, among whom was Cymopoleia, the goddess of the giant storm waves which were generated by her husband, Briareus. His mate, Amphitrite, was regarded as a sea goddess, although her importance waned with the passage of time. Oceanus, the god of Okeanos, the body of water feeding all others, was the husband of Tethys, who was the goddess of rivers, springs and streams. Nereus cannot be omitted here. Known as ‘the old man of the sea’, he was revered as the god of the sea’s fish.  In the pre-Olympian era, Pontus, the son of Gaia and Aether, was the sea god.

Egyptian mythology

The Egyptians considered Tefnut as the goddess of water and fertility.  She was the personification of the sky’s moisture and the bringer of life due to rain. Khnemu was a water god who was associated with creation. According to Egyptian mythology, he was responsible for the sun’s, the gods’ and man’s creation. The Nile had its own deity, Hapi. His domain was divided in two: the northern Nile and the southern Nile. This resulted in two different depictions of Hapi, one for each domain. A third depiction portrayed him as the god of the Nile as a whole.

Norse mythology

Depicted as an old man, Aegir’s name was associated with water. He was regarded as the ruler of the sea by the Norse, a greedy ruler who sunk merchant vessels carrying large amounts of wealth. Much unlike Aegir, the Vanir god Njord, father to Freyr and Freyja, was the deity who calmed the storms and aided ships in distress. To the bafflement of many scholars, the goddess Nerthus, who was associated with lakes, springs and holy waters, seems to have not only preceded Njord but actually turned into him. The goddess Rán was believed to have collected drowned sailors in a net.

Hindu mythology

For the Hindus, the Ganges River, which is said to flow from Shiva’s hair, is sacred. Its water is used in many rituals and even the ashes of the deceased are entrusted to it. The goddess which the Hindus associated with the Ganges River is Ganga, who is actually the personification of the river itself. Apam Napat was the god of nearly all other rivers and lakes.

Hawaiian Mythology

The Polynesian islands of Hawaii had their own deities as well. These Hawaiian gods, known as Akua, presided over every element of nature. Water, being one such element, was ruled by the sea goddess, Namaka. One of her brothers, Ka-moho-alii was a shark god who guided lost boats to shore. Another shark god, Ukupanipo, was thought to have adopted a human child every now and then, giving him the ability to shape-shift into a shark.

Aztec mythology

One of the deities the Aztecs worshipped was Chalchihuitlicue, goddess of lakes and streams as well as fertility. She was the deity who controlled the rivers flowing from the paradise kingdom of Tlalocan. Legend has it that Chalchihuitlicue had created an entire world and subsequently destroyed it, turning all of its inhabitants into fish. Whenever there were deaths associated with water, the Aztecs prayed to Atlaua, the deity of water who was responsible for the protection of fishermen and archers.

Japanese mythology

The Japanese regarded Ohoyamatsumi as the god of the sea, mountains and war. However, he was not the sole sea god as even Ryujin and Mizuchi were considered to be deities of the sea. Suijin was the god of water in general. Susanoo, a violent god in Japanese mythology and the ruler of the underworld, was the Shinto god of the sea and storms.

The ancient world harbored various different mythologies as practically all civilizations had their own religious beliefs; with each one containing a number of water deities. While all of them are worthy of a mention, such an undertaking is regrettably impossible due to their sheer number. Not even an entire encyclopedia would suffice in covering all of the deities’ names and associated lore.