Deitiesof the Fields

Posted on August 1, 2014 by ladyoftheabyss

Deities of the Fields

Godsand Goddesses of the Early Harvest

By Patti Wigington, About.com

When Lammastide rolls around, the fields are full andfertile. Crops are abundant, and the late summer harvest is ripe for thepicking. This is the time when the first grains are threshed, apples are plumpin the trees, and gardens are overflowing with summer bounty. In nearly everyancient culture, this was a time of celebration of the agriculturalsignificance of the season. Because of this, it was also a time when many godsand goddesses were honored. These are some of the many deities who areconnected with this earliest harvest holiday.

Adonis(Assyrian): Adonis is a complicated god who touched many cultures. Althoughhe’s often portrayed as Greek, his origins are in early Assyrian religion.Adonis was a god of the dying summer vegetation. In many stories, he dies andis later reborn, much like Attis and Tammuz.

Attis (Phrygean): This lover of Cybele went mad andcastrated himself, but still managed to get turned into a pine tree at themoment of his death. In some stories, Attis was in love with a Naiad, andjealous Cybele killed a tree (and subsequently the Naiad who dwelled withinit), causing Attis to castrate himself in despair. Regardless, his storiesoften deal with the theme of rebirth and regeneration.

Ceres (Roman): Ever wonder why crunched-up grain iscalled cereal? It’snamed for Ceres, the Roman goddess of the harvest and grain. Not only that, shewas the one who taught lowly mankind how to preserve and prepare corn and grainonce it was ready for threshing. In many areas, she was a mother-type goddesswho was responsible for agricultural fertility.

Dagon (Semitic): Worshipped by an early Semitic tribecalled the Amorites, Dagon was a god of fertility and agriculture. He’s alsomentioned as a father-deity type in early Sumerian texts and sometimes appearsas a fish god. Dagon is credited with giving the Amorites the knowledge tobuild the plough.

Demeter (Greek): The Greek equivalent of Ceres, Demeteris often linked to the changing of the seasons. She is often connected to theimage of the Dark Mother in late fall and early winter. When her daughterPersephone was abducted by Hades, Demeter’s grief caused the earth to die for sixmonths, until Persephone’s return.

Lugh (Celtic): Lugh was known as a god of both skill andthe distribution of talent. He is sometimes associated with midsummer becauseof his role as a harvest god, and during the summer solstice the crops areflourishing, waiting to be plucked from the ground at Lughnasadh.

Mercury (Roman): Fleet of foot, Mercury was a messengerof the gods. In particular, he was a god of commerce and is associated with thegrain trade. In late summer and early fall, he ran from place to place to leteveryone know it was time to bring in the harvest. In Gaul, he was considered agod not only of agricultural abundance but also of commercial success.

Neper (Egyptian): This androgynous grain deity becamepopular in Egypt during times of starvation. He later was seen as an aspect ofOsiris, and part of the cycle of life, death and rebirth.

Parvati (Hindu): Parvati was a consort of the god Shiva,and although she does not appear in Vedic literature, she is celebrated todayas a goddess of the harvest and protector of women in the annual GauriFestival.

Pomona (Roman): This apple goddess is the keeper oforchards and fruit trees. Unlike many other agricultural deities, Pomona is notassociated with the harvest itself, but with the flourishing of fruit trees.She is usually portrayed bearing a cornucopia or a tray of blossoming fruit.

Tammuz (Sumerian): This Sumerian god ofvegetation and crops is often associated with the cycle of life, death, andrebirth.