Many cultures have deities of love, but they’re all named different things. From Aphrodite in Greece to Aine in Ireland, they all have two things in common: love and beauty. It’s time to talk about some deities that are associated with love, as Valentine’s Day was not too long ago.
Aphrodite
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, passion, and war. Most say that she was born from the seafoam after the Titans had cut up their father, the god of the sky, and threw him into the sea. She was the most beautiful of the Olympians and people worshiped her as the goddess of love and beauty. The goddess’s name comes from the Greek word “Aphros” which means “foam”. Aphrodite’s connection to the ocean doesn’t exactly make her a sea goddess, however, one of her many symbols includes seashells and pearls.
Doves, representing peace and love, are one of her many animal symbols, including dolphins, swans, hares, sparrows, bees, and butterflies. Roses are the most common symbols that she’s connected to. Aphrodite represents all kinds of love, but people tend to associate her with romantic love and stereotypical beauty standards, like blonde hair and blue eyes.
Venus
The planet called Venus was named after the Roman goddess of love, like most planets were named after the Roman gods. Venus was originally called Aphrodite by the Greeks, however, as the Romans gained more Greek territory, they adopted many of the Greek gods, changed their names, and slightly changed their personalities to be more Roman-like. Venus is really no different from her Greek counterpart except, as a Roman, she is a lot more war-like and a little terrifying.
Aine
This Irish goddess was mostly known to be the goddess of the summer, wealth, and sovereignty, however, she is still well-known as the goddess of love, along with several other Celtic deities. Her name in Gaelic means “radiance” because she was depicted with a radiant smile, her hair adorned with blossoms. Offerings people would give her were candles, honey, flowers, and crystals. Aine was often depicted with hares, swans, and horses, which were believed to be her sacred animals. There were colors they also associated her with, which were red and gold.
Freyja
Freyja, also spelled Freya or Freja, was the Norse goddess of fertility, love, beauty, war, death, gold, and magic. She travels in a chariot pulled by cats, her sacred animal, and carries a staff, which carries the power of prophecy. Freyja rules over the other afterlife that takes heroes who’ve fallen in battle, called Fólkvangr. The other half goes to Valhalla, Odin’s afterlife. Lions and strawberries are also associated with her. The goddess has a twin brother Freyr, who is the god of fertility, peace, and good weather.
Hathor
The goddess from Egyptian mythology was the goddess of many things: love, beauty, music, dancing, fertility and pleasure. Hathor was known as the protector of women, though men also worshiped her, as she had priests as well as priestesses in her temple. Hathor was depicted with cow horns and a sun disk in between those horns. She could also appear with the head of a cow. The sistrum, a musical instrument, and the menat, a ceremonial necklace, were some of her symbols, along with the cow.
Laka
This Hawaiian goddess of beauty, love, fertility, and reproduction is best known for creating the Hawaiian hula dance. Her symbols are the red lehua flowers growing along the sides of volcanoes. Another one of her symbols is lei flowers and the color yellow. Laka is seen as the female variation of her husband Lono, the god of agriculture and rain. The name Laka means gentle and to attract.
Parvati
Parvati is the Hindu goddess of love, marriage, children, devotion, fertility and beauty. In Hinduism, she is the mother goddess, carrying the divine energy between a man and a woman. Some of her many symbols are lotus flowers, tigers, elephants and tridents.
