The best-known sea gods in mythology are Poseidon in Greece and his Roman counterpart Neptune, Njörðr and Ægir in Norse myth, Manannán mac Lir in Ireland, Ryūjin in Japan, Tangaroa among the Māori, Sedna among the Inuit, and Yemoja and Olokun in Yoruba religion. Seafaring and fishing peoples nearly always had a power of the sea to thank for a good catch or to blame for storms and drownings.
Some of these deities belong to living traditions: Mazu is honoured at temples across coastal China and Taiwan, Ryūjin and Watatsumi in Shinto, and Yemoja and Olokun in Yoruba religion and the Afro-Caribbean and Brazilian traditions that grew from it.
Poseidon – Greek God of the Sea
Poseidon was the Greek god of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses, and one of the twelve Olympians. A son of Cronus and Rhea and a brother of Zeus and Hades, he carried a trident, and with a strike of it he was said to create springs. His wife was the sea goddess Amphitrite.
Neptune – Roman God of the Sea
Neptune was the Roman god of freshwater and the sea, the counterpart of the Greek Poseidon. Unlike Poseidon, who was above all a sea god, Neptune was first linked with fresh water sources, and he took over the role of god of naval matters from the older god Portunus.
Oceanus – Greek Titan of the Ocean
Oceanus was a Titan who personified the great river the Greeks believed encircled the whole world. With his wife Tethys he fathered the river gods and the Oceanids, the nymphs of springs and seas.
Nereus – The Old Man of the Sea
Nereus was an older Greek sea god, called the Old Man of the Sea, known for his truthfulness and his gift of prophecy. He was the father of the Nereids, the sea nymphs, among them Amphitrite and Thetis.
Triton – Messenger of the Sea
Triton was the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite. He is shown with the upper body of a man and the tail of a fish, and he is often shown blowing a conch shell like a trumpet.
Proteus – Shape-Shifting Sea God
Proteus was a Greek sea god who could tell the future but changed his shape to avoid answering. Anyone who held on to him through every change could make him speak, which is the origin of the word “protean”.
Njörðr – Norse God of the Sea and Wind
Njörðr is the Norse god of the sea, wind, fishing and wealth, one of the Vanir. He lives at Nóatún and is the father of Freyr and Freyja. He had an unhappy marriage with the goddess Skaði.
Ægir and Rán – Norse Rulers of the Waves
Ægir personifies the sea in Norse mythology. He is famous for hosting feasts for the gods in his halls and is associated with brewing ale. His wife, the goddess Rán, also personified the sea and is pictured pulling seafarers into the depths with her net. Their nine daughters are the waves of the sea.
Manannán mac Lir – Irish God of the Sea
Manannán mac Lir, “son of the Sea”, is a sea god, warrior and king of the Otherworld in Gaelic (Irish, Manx and Scottish) mythology and one of the Tuatha Dé Danann. In the early tale of the Voyage of Bran he rides his chariot over the sea to meet Bran’s ship.
Ryūjin and Watatsumi – Japanese Sea Kami
Ryūjin is the dragon god of the sea in Japanese tradition, who lives in the undersea palace Ryūgū-jō and controls the tides with magical jewels. Watatsumi is the Shinto kami of the sea; Ōwatatsumi, the “great deity of the sea”, is believed to be another name for Ryūjin.
Mazu – Chinese Goddess of the Sea
Mazu is the Chinese goddess of the sea. She is identified with Lin Moniang, a shamaness from Fujian, who after her death became revered as the protector of seafarers, including fishermen and sailors. Her worship spread through China’s coastal regions, Taiwan and overseas Chinese communities across Southeast Asia.
Yemoja and Olokun – Yoruba Orishas of the Waters
In Yoruba religion, Yemoja was originally the orisha of the Ogun River, the largest river in Yorubaland, and through the Atlantic crossings of the slave trade she became the orisha of the sea waves in the Americas. Olokun is the orisha of the deep sea and the bottom of the ocean, revered as ruler of all bodies of water and believed to be the parent of Ajé, the orisha of wealth.
Tangaroa – Māori God of the Sea
Tangaroa is the Māori atua (god) of the sea and fish, a child of Ranginui and Papatūānuku, the sky father and earth mother. Across Polynesia he appears under related names, including Kanaloa, the Hawaiian god of the ocean, healing and long voyages.
Sedna – Inuit Goddess of the Sea
Sedna is the Inuit mistress of the sea and mother of sea beasts. In the central story a girl is thrown overboard, and as she clings to the boat her fingers are cut off; the pieces become sea mammals such as seals, walruses and whales. When people break the proper taboos, she holds back the animals and hunters have no success.
Other Sea Deities at a Glance
- Tiamat (Mesopotamian): goddess of salt water and chaos, and mother of all the gods.
- Susanoo (Shinto): kami of storms and the sea, brother of the sun goddess Amaterasu.
- Varuna (Hindu): honoured as the lord of all bodies of water.
- Nanshe (Sumerian): goddess of the Persian Gulf, fishing and prophecy.
Sea Gods FAQ
- Who is the most famous sea god? Poseidon, followed by his Roman counterpart Neptune. His family is mapped in our Greek gods family tree chart.
- Who is the Norse god of the sea? Njörðr, with the sea giant Ægir and his wife Rán. More in is there a Norse god of water.
- What is the water god’s name? It depends on the culture; for rivers and rain as well as the sea, see what is the water god’s name.
- Is there a sea goddess? Yes: Amphitrite, Rán, Sedna, Mazu and Yemoja are all goddesses of the sea.
Related
- How Long to Freeze Apple Sorbet for Perfect Texture?
- What to Do If Rotisserie Chicken Is Dry: Tips and Solutions
- How Long Does Rotisserie Chicken Last in the Fridge?