By the Gods!

Sobek

Sobek is the Egyptian god of crocodiles. While that might not sound so impressive when compared to your Zeus’ or Thors, Sobek was no pushover. In a nation that depended so much on the Nile, crocodiles were a real threat. Think about it: a population that has to roll the dice on encountering a super hungry giant lizard every time they want a glass of water is definitely going to turn to prayer in a hurry, and that’s where Sobek comes in.

Often depicted as a crocodile himself, or a man with a crocodile’s head, Sobek eventually came to represent more than just scary lizards. From god of crocodiles, it was only a small leap to being god of the Nile’s bounty as well. Sobek was commonly prayed to for not only safe travel on the river, but fertility blessings as well. Don’t think Sobek went soft in his old age though; he is also credited as the patron god of Egypt’s military. Thus began a long tradition of the ferocious animal mascot that lives on today in all the coolest sports teams.

Sobek’s temples were often built close to the Nile, or wherever a copious count of crocodiles was common. The city Arsinoe was so commonly associated with Sobek that the Greeks began calling it “Crocodilopolis.” One can speculate that its chief exports were Sobek bobble-heads and reptile-themed nightmares. 

Atalanta

In Greek mythology, Atalanta was the daughter of Iasus of Aradia. Who’s he? Doesn’t matter! We’re here to talk about Atalanta, the famous huntress. She was born unwanted to Iasus, and thus cast aside; left to die on a mountainside as a wee babe. A friendly bear came along and suckled her, raising her as a bear cub until they were bested by hunters. The hunters then assumed parentage of Atalanta, raising her as one of their own. Thanks to her wild origins, she became a truly mighty hunter. She was inclined, to manly pursuits, and even applied to be an Argonaut with Jason and those fellas, but was refused. Jason was worried that having a beautiful woman aboard would cause jealousies among his crew.

Atalanta’s most famous myth concerns the lengths to which she went to avoid marriage. She said that her husband-to-be must first beat her in a race, and any man who lost would be put to death. Many tried, many placed 2nd, many died. Then, along came Melanion, whose hopeless love for Atalanta won Aphrodite’s pity. She gave young Mel three golden apples, which he used to distract Atalanta at different points during the footrace, as they were completely irresistible. Melanion won the race and married Atalanta, but in his haste to consummate the marriage, forgot to make a vow of thanks to Aphrodite. Melanion and Atalanta both paid for the sacrilege by being turned into lions. That seems like a proportionate response, Olympus. 

Dagan

A god of corn and fertility who was worshipped in both Canaan and Mesopotamia, Dagan was often regarded as the father of Baal (or, depending on your definition, the Baal known as Hadad). Several kings of Akkad and Babylonia declared themselves to be “sons of Dagan,” giving us some early examples of self-deification, which we will discuss in more detail soon.

In the Old Testament (that good ol’ testament) a god called Dagon is described as the chief deity of the Philistines (those good ol’ Philistines). The mighty Samson destroyed his temple by pulling down the support pillars with his incredible strength, scoring big points for the Israelites in that ongoing struggle. This Philistine Dagon may have been a sea god, as he was represented with the tail of a fish, but there is still some dispute as to whether Dagan and Dagon are one and the same deity. 

Baal

Baal was the name given by many Canaanite tribes to their chief god. Now, Baal wasn’t the name of any one deity, per se, but it meant “Lord” or “Owner in the Canaanite language. Think of it more as a title, the chief god of any one Canaanite group being a “Baal.” The term was even applied to men in positions of power all around the Levant. The word is more commonly seen as an Israelite term for a “false god.” In biblical writings, any mention of Baal is in reference to any idol or deity other than Yahweh, seen as an evil, false, alien god. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Yahweh was a jealous guy. Suffer no rival. You’ve heard it all before. Okay. Movin’ on.

The most renowned Baal of Canaanite mythology was the god of fertility, rain and thunder known as Hadad. This god is sometimes named Baal, sometimes named Hadad, depending on the source and the translation. This particular Baal was closely associated with lightning, and is often depicted wielding a thunderbolt. He was also associated with the ideas of death and rebirth, dying and rising, as a story tells how he defeated Yam, the god of the sea, to become king of the gods, before being tricked into eating mud by Mot, the god of death, and himself dying. Mot was in turn killed by Baal’s mourning wife, which brought the mud-filled Baal back to life. Besides eating mud, (and being a bit of a weirdo) Baal seems like a pretty capable deity.