Demigoddesses

Discussions about constructed worlds, cultures and any topics related to constructed societies.
Post Reply
User avatar
eldin raigmore
korean
korean
Posts: 6352
Joined: 14 Aug 2010 19:38
Location: SouthEast Michigan

Demigoddesses

Post by eldin raigmore »

Does anyone know of any demigoddesses (female demigods) in mythology?
Does anyone know of any demigod with a mortal father and a divine mother?
User avatar
Dormouse559
moderator
moderator
Posts: 2945
Joined: 10 Nov 2012 20:52
Location: California

Re: Demigoddesses

Post by Dormouse559 »

eldin raigmore wrote: 20 Aug 2021 00:46 Does anyone know of any demigoddesses (female demigods) in mythology?
Looking at Greek mythology: Hippolyta, who was the daughter of Ares. Pasiphaë, daughter of Helios (and mother of the Minotaur). Helen, daughter of Zeus.
Does anyone know of any demigod with a mortal father and a divine mother?
Aeneas, son of Aphrodite and the mortal Anchises. The sons of Circe and Odysseus.
User avatar
LinguistCat
sinic
sinic
Posts: 324
Joined: 06 May 2017 07:48

Re: Demigoddesses

Post by LinguistCat »

I don't know if tenshi from Japan would be considered goddesses (the natures of kami and divinity in Japan are a little fuzzy and don't always line up with Western conceptions), they are usually considered more analogous to angels. But if they count as minor deities, there is the folk story of the tenshi who lost her heavenly vestments and lived on Earth and marrying a mortal. She had children with him but left once she found her vestments, which he had stolen. This is obviously a tale closer in form to selkie or swan maiden stories.
User avatar
eldin raigmore
korean
korean
Posts: 6352
Joined: 14 Aug 2010 19:38
Location: SouthEast Michigan

Re: Demigoddesses

Post by eldin raigmore »

Dormouse, Linguistcat,

I was actually thinking of people whose parentage included a deity and a mortal.
So that would include a lot of who you mentioned, but not some others; though they are nevertheless interesting!

I think Gilgamesh, who was one-third mortal man and two-thirds god, would count as a demigod, even if the ratio is a bit off.

….

Thank you for the information! I didn’t know most of it and couldn’t call the rest of it to mind.
Salmoneus
MVP
MVP
Posts: 3030
Joined: 19 Sep 2011 19:37

Re: Demigoddesses

Post by Salmoneus »

Dormouse559 wrote: 20 Aug 2021 01:20
eldin raigmore wrote: 20 Aug 2021 00:46 Does anyone know of any demigoddesses (female demigods) in mythology?
Looking at Greek mythology: Hippolyta, who was the daughter of Ares. Pasiphaë, daughter of Helios (and mother of the Minotaur). Helen, daughter of Zeus.
Also Hippolyta's sister, Penthesilea.
Does anyone know of any demigod with a mortal father and a divine mother?
Aeneas, son of Aphrodite and the mortal Anchises. The sons of Circe and Odysseus.
Also Memnon, son of Eos.
Clio
sinic
sinic
Posts: 228
Joined: 27 Dec 2012 23:45

Re: Demigoddesses

Post by Clio »

Salmoneus wrote: 20 Aug 2021 19:45
Does anyone know of any demigod with a mortal father and a divine mother?
Aeneas, son of Aphrodite and the mortal Anchises. The sons of Circe and Odysseus.
Also Memnon, son of Eos.
Achilles, too.
Niûro nCora
Getic: longum Getico murmur in ore fuit
scratchpad
User avatar
elemtilas
runic
runic
Posts: 3021
Joined: 22 Nov 2014 04:48

Re: Demigoddesses

Post by elemtilas »

eldin raigmore wrote: 20 Aug 2021 00:46 Does anyone know of any demigoddesses (female demigods) in mythology?
Does anyone know of any demigod with a mortal father and a divine mother?
The Font of All Knowledge has a nice list, too! Right off hand, I can see Achilles, Turnus, Kabundungulu, the sons of Laun Sina, Bhishma, Apo Anno, Gwydion, Inter Alia.
User avatar
eldin raigmore
korean
korean
Posts: 6352
Joined: 14 Aug 2010 19:38
Location: SouthEast Michigan

Re: Demigoddesses

Post by eldin raigmore »

I just found Clymene, Harmonia, and Helen, as demigoddesses in Greek mythology.

Polydorus son of Cadmus (not to be confused with any of the many other Polydorusses) got his divine half from his mother Harmonia.

The vast majority of Greek demigods and demigoddesses appear to have been children (usually sons) of Zeus.
The majority of the reminder appear to have been sired by Apollo or Ares or Poseidon.

So that was why I asked.
Other-than-Graeco-Roman demigoddesses, and mortal-sired offspring of other-than-Graeco-Roman goddesses, still interest me!
(And so do Graeco-Roman ones I’ve missed.)

Thanks, @elemtilas, for the link to that Wikipedia list!
User avatar
Shemtov
runic
runic
Posts: 3283
Joined: 29 Apr 2013 04:06

Re: Demigoddesses

Post by Shemtov »

Depending on how distant you are inclusive of the demigoddess to the god/goddess, the Tamil heroine Maṇimēkalai, the title character of her own epic, is said to have the Apsara (nymph) Urvashi as a distant ancestress, and Urvashi is said to be the daughter of Vishnu-Narayana.
EDIT: If an Avatara of a Hindu Goddess counts, Sita, wife of Rama, is believed by most Hindus to be an Avatara of Lakshmi.
Many children make up, or begin to make up, imaginary languages. I have been at it since I could write.
-JRR Tolkien
Salmoneus
MVP
MVP
Posts: 3030
Joined: 19 Sep 2011 19:37

Re: Demigoddesses

Post by Salmoneus »

If modern mythologies are counted, then Luthien fulfill both criteria: female, and daughter of a female goddess (Melian).
Post Reply