The Ancient Pantheon of Gods goes back to 4500 - 2500 BCE. Proto-Indo-European language and culture are common ancestors of a large group including German, Anatolian, Celtic, Greek and English. The Proto-Indo-Europeans first appear in the area of the Black Sea.
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From there, they spread East to India and China and west into Europe. Before the age was over they had developed distinct cultural differences. Records are sparse but the core mythology of Proto-Indo-Europeans survives as descendants appear and evolve in later cultures.
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Sky God
Dyḗus or Dyḗus Ph₂tḗr, is the daylight-sky god, understood as a vast divine entity. His name means 'daylight sky' or 'brightness of the day'. He rules the daytime and rain. He provides gentle rain to enhance the nurturing force of the Earth Mother. He's considered to be the divine seat of all gods.
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Earth Mother
Dʰéǵʰōm, the earth or Mother Goddess, is his consort. The Earth Mother (Dʰéǵʰōm Méh₂tēr) is the vast dark domain of mortals. She bears all things and creatures. She's often together with Dyēus, the daylight sky. In Indo-European traditions Dʰéǵʰōm is often associated with fertility, growth and death. She's the origin and final dwelling of human beings.
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Goddess of the Dawn
H₂éwsōs, the dawn goddess, is the daughter of Dyḗus. Eternally young, she is a symbol of rebirth as she arrives anew each day. In the Ancient Iliad Homer describes her as ἠριγένεια (early-born, born in the morning), an epithet of Eos, the sister of Greek sun god Helios.
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The Divine Twins
The Divine Twins are sons of Dyḗus and brothers of H₂éwsōs. Depicted as handsome young men rescuing mortals from peril in battle or at sea, the Divine Twins ride the steeds who pull the sun across the sky, and sometimes are the horses themselves. They're associated with helping and healing. One is strong and impulsive, a warrior, while the other is mild and thoughtful, a healer.
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Goddess of the Sun
Seh₂ul is the sun goddess. Her daily journey across the sky on a horse-driven chariot is a common motif among Indo-European myths and descendants. In some regions the people saw her as the Eye of Dyḗus, eternally watchful. She's related to the Baltic sun goddess Saulė, whose name in Lithuanian means 'sun'.
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God of the Moon
Meh₁not is the moon god. Little is known about him. He may be a sibling of the Sun, as in Norse myth. He's compared to the Zoroastrian (Iranian) moon god Mångha or Mah, where his crescent is a symbol of royalty. The Moon is considered to possess the cithra (seed) of the primeval bull.
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Weather God
Perkʷunos is a weather god capable of creating thunderstorms and lightning as well as fructifying rains. In an epic battle he fights a multi-headed serpent to release a huge cascade of water previously dammed up. The name of his weapon, ml̥dʰnis, means both "lightning" and "hammer".
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God of Herds & Roads
Péh₂usōn is a pastoral god of herds and roads, associated with Greek Pan and Vedic Pūshān, to whom goats were sometimes sacrificed. Péh₂usōn has a bushy beard and keen eyesight, and may have goat legs or hindquarters. He's closely linked to goats or bucks and is seen as a guide, protector and watcher.
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From these roots many great deities sprang. The core divinities Earth Mother and Sky God, as well as solar and lunar deities, appear in worldwide culture and mythology. Perkʷunos the weather god and Péh₂usōn the pastoral god are thought to be later additions, and we easily see their equivalents in successive mythologies.