Gods & Goddesses of Rebirth & Renewal Around the World
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Deities representing the concepts of rebirth and renewal have been a vital aspect of the human condition for thousands of years. Early animistic belief systems venerated the sun, which later became associated with powerful deities, such as Ra of ancient Egypt, as other gods and goddesses were associated with different natural phenomena or life experiences.
Among these, and including those representing the life-giving energies of the sun, are the gods and goddesses specifically associated with rebirth, transformation, and renewal. Some of these, such as Sol Invictus and Saturn of ancient Rome, were celebrated in December through festivals, which influenced the development of Yule (Yuletide) and Christmas traditions, while others were honored through festivals at different times of the year, as in the case of the Hindu goddess Saraswati (also given as Sarasvati) and her Vasant (Basant) Panchami festival in January or February or the Great Dionysia, honoring the ancient GreekgodDionysus, held in March.
The purpose of these deities and their respective festivals was to give hope to the people that, through faith, they could experience transformation and rebirth, meaning and purpose in their daily lives, and – in many cases – freedom from the fear of death in the promise of eternal life beyond the grave.
The following image gallery presents a sample of these deities from around the world, some more famous than others, but all representing the belief in transformation and rebirth through faith in a higher power.
There are many contenders for the "oldest god" title. Among them are Brahma and Shiva of Hinduism and Inanna of ancient Sumer.
What is the dying-and-reviving god?
The dying-and-reviving god is a religious paradigm involving a deity who dies and returns to life for the good of the people. Among the earliest such figures is Osiris of ancient Egypt, and the best known is Jesus Christ.
What was the purpose of ancient religious festivals?
Ancient religious festivals honored a specific god, spirits, or one’s ancestors, and served the purpose of uniting the people in a common belief system, as well as giving them the opportunity to celebrate the positive aspects of their lives.
What is the oldest religious festival still happening today?
The oldest religious festival still observed today is Nowruz, the Persian New Year’s celebration, though the Hindu festival of Diwali is also a contender for that title. The first religious holiday to appear in the historical record is Akitu, the Babylonian New Year’s Festival, which developed from the celebration of Zagmuk of ancient Sumer.
Based on Wikipedia content that has been reviewed, edited, and republished.
Original image by TangLung. Uploaded by Karen Barrett-Wilt, published on 16 May 2014. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Public Domain. This item is in the public domain, and can be used, copied, and modified without any restrictions. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.
