The best-known goddesses of love in mythology are Aphrodite in Greek mythology, Venus in Roman mythology, Freyja in Norse mythology, Hathor in Egyptian mythology, Ishtar in Mesopotamian mythology and Rati in Hindu mythology. Nearly every polytheistic religion has at least one deity tied to love, romance or beauty, and many of them overlap with war, fertility or the dawn.
This list groups the main love goddesses by culture, with each goddess’s role as given in the standard reference list of love and lust deities.
Greek and Roman Mythology
- Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love, sex and beauty.
- Venus, the Roman equivalent of Aphrodite.
- Hedone, Greek goddess of pleasure, whose Roman equivalent is Voluptas.
- Peitho, the Greek personification of persuasion and seduction, whose Roman equivalent is Suadela.
- Philotes, either a goddess of affection or a daimon of intercourse.
Norse
- Freyja, goddess of love and sex, beauty, seiðr, war and death.
- Frigg, goddess of marriage and women.
- Lofn, a goddess who has permission from Frigg to arrange forbidden marriages.
- Sjöfn, a goddess associated with love.
Egyptian
- Hathor, goddess of love, beauty and music, who was originally a sky goddess.
- Bastet, goddess of felines, love, protection, perfume, beauty and dance.
Mesopotamian and Canaanite
- Ishtar, goddess of sex, love, beauty, wine and war.
- Nanaya, a goddess personifying voluptuousness, sexuality and sensuality.
- Astarte, Canaanite goddess of sex and war.
Hindu and Persian
- Rati, consort of Kama and goddess of love, carnal desire, lust, passion and sexual pleasure.
- Parvati, a goddess of love and devotion.
- Anahita, a Persian goddess who seems to have gained an association with fertility and sex through the influence of the Mesopotamian Inanna, and who originally appears to have been a water goddess.
Celtic and Slavic
- Áine, Irish goddess of love, summer, wealth and sovereignty, possibly originally a sun goddess.
- Branwen, Welsh goddess of love and beauty.
- Cliodhna, an Irish goddess sometimes identified as a goddess of love and beauty.
- Lada, Slavic goddess of beauty and fertility.
- Milda, Lithuanian goddess of love and freedom.
- Prende, Albanian goddess of love, beauty, fertility, dawn and rainbows.
African
- Osun, Yoruba goddess of luxury and pleasure, sexuality and fertility, beauty and love, and the river and fresh water.
- Erzulie Freda Dahomey, a loa of love, beauty, jewelry, dancing, luxury and flowers in Vodun.
Asian
- Ông Tơ and Bà Nguyệt are the two Vietnamese gods of love and marriage. Bà Nguyệt is shown holding a fan to bring harmony to love.
- Chuangmu, Chinese goddess of the bedchamber.
- Kurukulla, a Tibetan goddess particularly associated with rites of magnetization or enchantment.
- Astghik, Armenian goddess of fertility and love.
- Aisyt, Turkic-Altai goddess of love and beauty.
- Dian Masalanta, Tagalog goddess of lovers and a patron of lovers and of generation.
Aztec and Maya
- Xochiquetzal, Aztec goddess of sex and beauty.
- Tlazolteotl, Aztec goddess of lust, carnality and sexual misdeeds.
- Ixik Kab (Sak Ixik), Maya goddess of earth, love, marriage and copulation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the Greek goddess of love? Aphrodite, goddess of love, sex and beauty.
Who is the Roman goddess of love? Venus, the Roman equivalent of Aphrodite.
Who is the Norse goddess of love? Freyja, who is also tied to beauty, war and death.
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