The violent water element frightened people, because from the underwater lords depended both the catches, the safety of merchant ships, and victories in sea battles. That is why the gods of the seas in various nations were among the most majestic and revered.
God of the Sea in Ancient Greece
The Greek god of the seas Poseidon is the son of the titan Kronos and the goddess Rhea. After birth, he was swallowed by his father, who feared the overthrow of the throne, but then was released by his brother - Zeus. The main character traits , which the Greeks endowed Poseidon, - quick temper, turbulence, impermanence. The sea god easily came into a frenzy, and people were then in great danger. To reach the location of Poseidon, the Greeks brought him rich gifts, throwing them into the sea abyss.
Outwardly, the god of the seas Poseidon was portrayed as handsome, powerful, in gold clothes, with thick curly hair and a beard. He lived in a huge underwater palace, and traveled on his chariot drawn by magic horses, or riding a horse or horse. Sea element Poseidon ruled with a magic trident - just one stroke, he could cause or pacify the storm. And by the impact of the trident on the ground Poseidon carved water springs.
The Greeks dedicated a lot of different myths to the god of the seas of Poseidon. In the early legends Poseidon was closely associated with the underworld and sent earthquakes. However, he also controlled the spring waters, on which the harvest depended.
Many myths describe how Poseidon argues with other gods for the land, but does not win. For example, he competed with Athena for Attica. However, the gift of the goddess - the olive tree - seemed more useful to the judges than the source that Poseidon created. Then the angry sea god sent a flood to the city.
One of the myths about Poseidon describes the appearance of the legendary monster - the Minotaur. Once the king of Crete, Minos, asked the god of the sea to grant him a huge bull, who lived in the sea. This animal was to be sacrificed to Poseidon himself. However, Minos liked the bull so much that he decided not to kill him, but to keep himself. In retaliation, Poseidon inspired Minos' wife to love the bull, the fruit of which became the Minotaur - half-bull, half-man.
God of the Seas Neptune
Neptune is an analogue of Poseidon in Roman mythology. When Jupiter divided the spheres of influence, Neptune received a water element - the seas, oceans, rivers and lakes. The subjects of the sea god in Roman mythology are Tritons and Nereids, as well as smaller gods who look after rivers and lakes. These gods were depicted either as elders, or as beautiful young men and girls.
Neptune, like Poseidon, was very loving. From various beloved, he had many children. In the image of a horse, Neptune seduced the goddess Proserpin and she gave birth to the winged horse of Arion. Beloved Theophanes, whom God, who became a sheep, turned into a sheep, gave birth to a lamb with golden hair. It was in search of the golden fleece of this sheep that Jason traveled with the Argonauts.
God of the sea with the Slavs
The sea king - the Slavic god of the sea, is the hero of many fairy tales and epic stories. This sea lord seemed to people an old man with a beard from the grass. This deity should not be confused with water-lower creatures with swollen bellies and people living in lakes, rivers and swamps.
Slavic god of the sea
According to ancient traditions, the sea king gave people honey bees - he presented a beehive in gratitude for the beautiful black horse sacrificed. But one fisherman decided to take a beehive to himself, he stole the uterus and swallowed it. Then the bees grew stings and they began to sting the thief. The fisherman confessed his crime to the magi and they punished him to swallow another uterus. After the fisherman was healed, the sea king gave the bees to the magi. And the Magi have since since the creation of the new apiary began to sacrifice one of the beehives to the sea king.