Includes 2 files in a zipped folder: 1 Copy with Deities Colored by Archetype (i.e. Sun Gods, Sea Gods, etc), and 1 Copy in Grayscale Optimized for Black & White Printing.
I (Joshua J Kes) am passionate about mythology and anthropology. I have a B.S. in Geography and Sociology; the study of places and people, respectively. I've been working on a database for comparative mythological studies for a few years now, and thought I'd put together some slick informative charts/posters of family trees for various pantheons. I am putting this out there from both an artistic and an academic perspective.
I also produce YouTube videos on this subject @Sapienite1, with episodes on individual motifs and pantheons. If you like what you see, you may check them out for more details!
Our methodology of comparison for mythological motifs usually involves planetary or astrological associations, but this time, I used a simple coding system including 11 motifs/archetypes/codes, each color-coded and in order from left-to-right:
1. HEARTH - Fire, Blacksmithing, or Domestic Deities like Caishen/Fuxing and Zhurong.
2. EARTH - Earth, Fertility, or Wild Deities like Pangu and Dimu.
3. SKY - Sky, Storm, and Messenger Deities like Shangdi and Leizi.
4. WATER - Sea, River, or Wellspring Deities like Heidi.
5. CHTHONIC - Underworld Deities like Qingdi and Yanwang.
6. DAY - Sun or Light Deities like Xihe and Xie.
7. NIGHT - Moon, Night, or Dusk Deities like Changyi and Hou Yi.
8. LOVE - Dawn, Love, or Justice Deities like Baidi/Dijun and Nuwa.
9. WAR - War Deities like Yandi and Xingtian.
10. DEMIGOD - Demigods or Heroes like Wukong and Zhongkui.
11. MONSTER - Monsters or Spirits like Gonggong and Tu'ershen.
Chinese and Daoist deities included: Hundun, Pangu, Taiyi/Doufu, Doumu, Shangdi/Tian, Dimu, Fubao/Nudeng, Yuanshi, Daode/Laozi, Lingbao, Siming, Leigong/Leishen/Dishitian, Huaxu, Yanwang, Yandi/Chidi, Huangdi, Canshen/Xiancan/Leizu, Shennong/Shun, Fuxi, Nuwa, Leizi/Dianmu, Sun Wukong, Yudi, Xiwangmu, Changyi, Baidi/Dijun, Xihe, Qingdi, Chiyou, Fengbo, Fengpopo, Zhongkui, Heidi/Xuanwu, Chang'e, Hou Yi, Xie, Caishen/Fuxing, Qingdu/Qingxiao, Jiangyuan/Yunxiao, Guanyin/Bixia/Bixiao, Yun Tong, Yu Shi, Gonggong, Zhurong, Tu'ershen, Tudigong, Xingtian, and Hou Ji.
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