Dictionary of mythology - part 8 pdf

the first being, in the lore of the
Californian tribes
When Ouiot grew old, his children,
deeming him no longer capable of
ruling, poisoned him. At his funeral,
Coyote snatched a piece of the corpse
from the pyre and ran off. Some of the
skin fell on the ground and here the
creator Chinigchinich appeared,
giving Ouiot’s children the power to
become medicine-men for the benefit
of the men he promised to make.
In another version, he was the son
of Sirout and Ycaiut, and was killed by
his children who ground up some of
the black rock, Tosaut, and used it to
kill him by sprinkling it on his chest
where it ate into his body. At his
funeral, Attajen appeared and gave the
children of Ouiot the power to
become sorcerers.
Other tribes referred to Ouiot as
Atahen or Attajen. (see also Wy’ot)
Oulomos (see Oulomus)
Oulomus Phoenician
[Oulomos]
a being produced by Aer and Ether
progenitor of Chousorus
Our Father (see Senx)
Our Grandmother (see Kokumthena)
Our Great Chief (see Totec)

Our Lady (see Isis)
ouraboros (see ouroboros)
Ourania (see Urania)
Ourannus (see Ouranos)
Ouranos
1
Phoenician
[Auchthon.Epigeus.Ourannus:
=Greek Uranus]
son of Elioun and Berouth
consort of Gea
father of Ashtart, Baitulos, Dagan, El,
Pontus and Zeus Damaros
The Semitic version of the Greek
Uranus.
In some versions he and Gea were
two halves of a primordial egg,
produced by Chousorus, from which
all else came.
Ouranos
2
(see Uranus)
Oure Greek
sacred mountains created by Gaea
ouroboros Greek
[oroboros.(o)uraboros]
a symbolic serpent with its tail in its
mouth representing the cycle of life,
totality, etc.
Ousel of Cilgwri

(see Blackbird of Cilgwri)
Ousous Phoenician
a creator-god, a giant fire-deity
brother of Hyposouranios
He and his brother were said to be the
inventors of mankind.
Outgard (see Utgard)
Outis (see Noman)
Outlake (see Ontzlake)
Ouvin (see Odin)
Ouzel of Cilgwri
(see Blackbird of Cilgwri)
Ouzelem bird
an imaginary bird
This bird is said to fly backwards and
consequently never knows where it is
going but always knows where it has
been. A similar story is told of
Jayhawk.
Ovakuru African
ancestral spirits of the Ashanti
Ovda Baltic
[Alvasta.Surali]
a forest-spirit of the Lapps
This flesh-eating monster could appear
as male or female, naked with its feet
pointing to the rear. It killed people by
tickling them to death before eating
them but it could be rendered
powerless if touched under its left arm.

Ovid Roman
[(Publius Ovidius) Naso]
a 1st CBCpoet
He was the author of Amores, Fasti,
Heroides, Medea, Metamorphoses, etc.
Ovik (see Syen)
Ovinnik Slav
a mischievous spirit
a type of Domovik
This being, living in barns or, some
say, in kitchens or drying kilns, is
envisaged as a black cat which barks.
Ovo Okare East Indian
in Papuan lore, the third person to
be created
This person, born from a turtle’s egg,
later turned into the red coconut palm.
Owain
1
British
[Ewain.Ewayne.Ivain.Knight of the
Lion.Owe(i)n.Uwain(e):=Dutch
Iwa(i)nus.Iwein=French Yvain.Ywain]
a knight of King Arthur’s court
one of the Knights of Battle
son of Urien and Morgan le Fay or
Modron
twin brother of Morfudd
husband of Denw or of Penarwan
father of Galian, some say

In some accounts, he was the son of
Gorlois and Igraine, in others the
brother of Gawain.
Morgan planned to kill King Arthur
and her husband, Urien, marry her
lover Accolan and make him king.
Believing that Accolan had killed
Arthur in a fight, she took her
husband’s sword and was about to kill
him as he slept. Owain, alerted by a
servant, was hidden in the room and
seized his mother in time to prevent
murder. His mother duped him into
believing that she had been possessed
by evil spirits and he forgave her when
she promised to give up magic arts.
King Arthur felt that he could no
longer trust Urien or Owain so he
banished Owain from his court. His
friend Gawain opted to go with him
and they set out to find adventure
which would allow Owain to prove his
loyalty to the king.
Their first encounter was with
Morholt who quickly unhorsed two
strange knights in succession. He then
challenged Owain and Gawain,
disposing easily of the young Owain
who sustained a leg wound, and
fighting an honourable draw with

Gawain. All three became friends and
travelled on together. They met three
women who offered to lead them to
adventure and Owain chose the oldest
of the three.
She turned out to be Lyne, a woman
who had always wanted to be a man
and had made a lifetime study of
knightly pursuits. She made Owain
undergo ten months of intensive
training at her home in Wales and
then they set off to find adventure. He
unhorsed thirty knights at a
tournament and won the prize, riding
on to the Castle of the Rock. Here
lived the Lady of the Rock who had
had all her property, except the Castle,
taken from her by the brothers
Edward and Hugh. Owain fought
them both at once, killing Edward and
forcing Hugh to surrender. The Lady
of the Rock offered him the chance to
live with her and run her regained
estates but he chose to leave. At the
crossroads, Lyne left him to await
another knight errant she could train
while Owain joined Gawain and
Morholt and returned with them to
Camelot where they were all made
welcome by the king.

He was one of the knights captured
and imprisoned by Tarquin, who hated
all Arthur’s knights, until rescued
by Lancelot.
In Welsh stories, he appeared as
Owein, in the dream of Rhonabwy
playing a game of chess with King
Arthur and in the story of the Lady of
794
Oulomos Owain
1
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the Fountain. His ‘army’ consisted of
300 ravens given to him by Cenferchyn.
When Cynon (or Colgrevaunce) was
unhorsed by the Black Knight,
Escalados, Owain met the victor and
wounded him so severely that he died.
He was rescued from prison by Luned
who gave him a ring which made him
invisible and Owain took over all the
Black Knight’s lands and his wife
Laudine, the Lady of the Fountain,
living with her for three years. At the
end of that time, Arthur went in search
of him and Kay met the Knight of the
Fountain in single combat and was
defeated. Each of Arthur’s knights
was defeated in turn and it was only
when Gwalchmei fought him that

they realised they were fighting
Owain. He was reunited with Arthur
and returned to his court for three
years. When he realised how he had
deserted his wife, he did penance (or
went mad, some say) and lived the life
of a mendicant, killing a dragon and
taming the lion which had been
fighting with it. His path crossed that
of Luned once again and he rescued
her from death at the stake.
In some versions, he returned to the
Lady of the Fountain, in others he was
reunited with his wife and they lived
together at Arthur’s court.
In another story, he arrived home to
find his castle occupied by Salados and
his followers. In the fight that ensued,
Owain escaped with his life only when
the lion, which had become his faithful
companion, intervened, killing Salados
and routing his followers.
Other stories include a fight with
Gawain when Owain set out to defend
a lady robbed of her property by her
elder sister. The two finally recognised
each other, the fight was ended and
Arthur settled the dispute between the
sisters. En route to this adventure,
Owain had released 300 ladies held

captive in the Castle of Pesme
Aventure by two demons who forced
them to weave cloth.
Owain
2
British
[Ewain.Ewayne.Iwain.Owein the
Bastard.Owen]
a Knight of the Round Table
father of Chaus
He was the illegitimate son of Urien
by the wife of his steward and thus
half-brother to the other Owain.
He was killed by Gawain whom he
challenged to a joust.
Owain
3
British
[Ewain.Ewayne.Iwain.Owe(i)n]
son of Macsen
He fought a duel with a giant in which
they were both killed.
Owain
4
(see Lady of the Fountain)
Owain Gwynedd British
father of Madawg, the prince said to
have discovered America
owanka wakan North American
a sacred altar

Owasse North American
an Algonquian bear-spirit
Owatatsumi (see Watatsumi)
Owein (see Owain)
Owein the Bastard (see Owain
2
)
Owel (see Eoghabal)
Owen (see Eoghan.Owain)
Owen Glendower Welsh
a Welsh hero
He was said to own a stone, which he
had obtained fom a raven, which could
make him invisible.
Owiot (see Ouiot)
owl
a widely-distributed night-flying bird of
prey traditionally deemed to be wise
(1) The Buddhists regard the owl
as a messenger of Yama.
(2) In Central America the Aztec
refer to the owl as Tlacolotl and
regard it as a bird of ill-omen.
(3) In the Christian tradition the
owl is an attribute of both Christ
and Satan.
(4) In Egypt the owl was regarded
as a symbol of death.
(5) In Greece the owl was regarded
as sacred to Athene and Demeter.

(6) In Hindu lore, the owl (Shakra)
was regarded as an attribute of
Yama and sacred to Indra.
(7) The Japanese regard the owl as
typifying filial ingratitude, as a
form of Fukuro and as a god of
villages.
(8) The Malay regard owls as ghosts.
(9) In North America, the
Algonquin people regard the owl
as an attendant on the Lord of the
Dead.
(10) In Persian lore the owl, Asho-
Zushta, could drive away demons
by reciting passages from the
Avesta.
Owl-glass (see Tyll Eulenspiegel)
Owl of Cwm Cawlwyd Welsh
a very old bird
Culhwch consulted this bird in his
quest for the hand of Olwen but the
owl was unable to give any help in
finding Mabon and referred him to the
Eagle of Gwern Abwy.
Owlespiegle (see Tyll Eulenspiegel)
Owner (see Malik
1
)
Owo African
a supreme god of the Idoma people

of Nigeria
ox (see bull)
Ox Boy (see Ch’ien Niu)
Ox Head (see Niu T’ou)
Oxheheon North American
a Cheyenne sun-dance spirit
Oxlahun Ti Ku Central American
[Oxlanhuntiku]
a group of 13 Mayan sky-gods
In some accounts, these deities were
captured by another group, the
Bolon Ti Ku.
Oxlahuntiku (see Oxlanhun Ti Ku)
Oxomoco Central American
[Oromuco.Oxomuco]
the Aztec first man who, with the
woman Cipactonal, was created
by Piltzintecuhtli
In some accounts, Piltzintecuhtli was
the son of Oxomoco and Cipactonal,
while others say that he was the same
as Tonatiuh.
Oxomoco was one of the four sages
of the Aztec migration, the others
being Chipactonal, Tlaltecuin and
Xochicahuaca. These four were said to
have invented the Aztec alphabet.
In some accounts, Oxomoco is the
same as Xmucane.
Oxomuco (see Oxomoco)

Oxydeices (see Optiletis)
Oxylus Greek
co-king of Elis with Agorius
son of Andraemon or Haemon
brother of Thermius
He was banished to Elis after
accidentally killing Thermius but later
returned to Aetolia and raised an army
which conquered Elis of which he
became co-king with Agorius, ousting
the former king, Dius.
He is said to have had three eyes.
Oxyrhyncus Egyptian
a fish sacred to Hathor
Oya
1
African
[Mammy of the Water.Oba.Oja]
a river-goddess and weather-goddess
of the Yoruba people
a consort of Shango
This deity, though female, was said to
have a beard.
Oya
2
Japanese
[‘parent’]
a term used for the deity of the
Tenri sect
795

Oya
2
Owain
2
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Oya-Shima-Guni Japanese
the first 8 islands to be created when
Izanagi and Izanami made
the world
Oyamakui Japanese
[Yama-no-kami.Yama-sue-no-nushi]
a mountain god
guardian of the western shrine on
Mount Hiei
Oyandone (see O-yan-do-ne)
Oyazu Japanese
a woman whose spirit appeared
to Kyuzaemon
wife of Isaburo
She appeared at the home of
Kyuzaemon and prayed before his
family shrine. She told Kyuzaemon
that her husband, Isaburo, had left her
parents without support when she died
and she wanted to correct this wrong.
Next day, Kyuzaemon found that
Isaburo had returned to his in-laws,
having been visited by his wife’s spirit
in the guise of Yuki-Onna.
Oyise African

in Nigeria, a mediator
This being, in the form of a post
carved from a tree, acts as a mediator
between the Isoko people and their
remote god, Cghene.
Oynyena Maria Slav
[Fiery Mary.Mary the Fiery One.
Ognyena Maria]
a fire-goddess
assistant of the thunder-god, Peroun
sister of Elias
Oyoyewa North American
[Uyuyewi]
a war-god of the Keres
twin brother of Masewi in the lore of
the Pueblo Indians
These twins are the equivalent of the
Zuni Ahayuta achi. In some accounts,
they were the sons of the sun and when
they went to meet their father, he gave
them weapons with which to kill
monsters.
Oyuyewi (see Oyoyewa)
Oyselet (see Ambroy)
Oyuyewi (see Oyoyewa)
Ozanna le Cure Hardy British
a knight of King Arthur’s court
He was defeated by Lavaine in the
tournament at which he and Lancelot
fought on behalf of his father, Bernard.

He was one of the knights captured
with Guinevere by Meliagaunt.
Ozmatli Central American
the eleventh of the 20 days of the
Aztec month
Symbolising the monkey and west, the
day was governed by Xochipilli.
796
Oya-Shima-Guni Ozmatli
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797
P Central American
a Mayan deity of uncertain
identity, referred to as god P:
a frog-god
This deity is depicted as a frog and
may be sowing seed or ploughing,
leading some to identify him as a god
of agriculture.
pa (see ba)
Pa
1
Chinese
a drought-goddess
daughter of Huang Ti
Pa
2
(see Ba
1
)

Pa Bilalang (see Bilalang)
Pa Ch’a Chinese
[Great King]
a god of grasshoppers
He is depicted as having a blue-green
human torso, a bell in place of a
stomach, red hair and the beak and
claws of a bird.
Some accounts say that he was
originally a Mongolian peasant who
was never harmed by the wolves and
scorpions that abounded where he
lived and whose crops were never
affected by grasshoppers. Others
equate him with Liu Meng, the god
of agriculture.
Pa Gur Welsh
a poem relating Kay’s adventures
in Anglesey
Pa-hra Egyptian
an early deity
father of Ahi
pa-hsia Chinese
very strong tortoises often depicted
under gravestones
Pa Hsien (see Eight Immortals)
Pa-ku-la (see No Ch’u-lo)
Pa Kua (see Eight Diagrams)
pa-lis Persian
an evil gnome

These beings were said to kill those
who slept in the desert by licking their
feet to suck out their blood.
Pa-no-ka (see No Ch’u-lo)
Pa Pandir Malay
a stupid character who always does
the wrong thing
Pa Pao (see Eight Precious Things)
Paao Pacific Islands
a god of Hawaii
Pabel Canaanite
a king of Udumu
father of Hurriya
In some accounts, Hurriya was his wife.
pabid South American
the soul, in the lore of the Tupari
It is said that, when a person dies, the
soul leaves the body through the eyes
or the pupils leave him and become
the pabid. After a perilous journey,
threatened by fierce animals, the soul
crosses the river Mani-Mani to live in
the land of the dead. Here two worms
bore into the belly and eat all the
bowels before crawling out. At this
point, Patobkia restores the sight of the
pabid by sprinkling pepper on the eyes
and then the pabid is required to have
sexual intercourse with one of the
giants, the female Vaugh’eh or the

male Mpokalero. The pabid can breed
to produce children. The males
breathe on a bundle of leaves which
they then throw on to the back of the
chosen woman who then becomes
pregnant. (see also ki-apogo-pod)
Pabilsag Mesopotamian
[Pabilsang]
a Sumerian god
consort of Nininsinna
Pabilsang (see Pabilsag)
Pabuji Indian
a local god, hero of epic stories
in Rajasthan
Paca-Mama (see Pachamama)
Pacari South American
[Apo-tampu.Cave of Refuge.Cave of
the Dawn.Inn of Dawn.Inn of Origin.
Pacari Tampu.Pac(c)ari-Tambo.
Pacariqtambo.Paccarisca.Tambotocco]
a cave with 3 exits
This is the cave from which the
ancestors of the Inca people were said
to have emerged. Some say that there
were three such caves.
In some versions, there were the four
– Ayar Manco, Pachacamac, Viracocha
and one other; in others, there were three
– Apocatequil, Ataguchu and Piguerao.
Others claim that there were three or

four brothers and three or four sisters.
(see also Children of the Sun)
P
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Paeivae
Pacari-Tambo
Pacari-Tambo (see Pacari)
Pacari Tampu (see Pacari)
pacarina South American
in Inca lore, dead ancestors
It was believed that these beings could
intercede with the gods on behalf of
their descendants.
Pacariqtambo (see Pacari)
Pacaw (see Bacam)
Paccari-Tambo (see Pacari)
Paccarisca (see Pacari)
Pachacamac South American
[Earth-maker.Pacharurac.
Pachayachachic]
an Inca creator-god
son of Inti, some say
brother of Con
It is said that he defeated Con, the
earlier creator of men, turned Con’s
people into monkeys and made new
beings.
In another version of his story it is
believed that he created humans but

forgot their need for food. The man
died of starvation and the woman was
fertilised by the sun. Pachacamac
killed her first son and grew plants
from pieces of his body. Her second
son, Vichama, drove Pachacamac into
the sea when Pachacamac killed the
woman. He remained in the seas as a
sea-god.
Some stories equate him with Ayar
Ayca or Viracocha.
Pachacamama (see Pachamama)
Pachaccan South American
a name for Thunupa as ‘servant’
Pachamama South American
[Mama Pacha.Mother Earth.
Paca-Mama.Pachacamama]
an Inca earth-goddess
Pachari Tibetan
a Lamaist sorcerer
Pacharurac South American
a name for Pachacamac as ‘maker of
all things’
Pachayachachic South American
[Teacher of the World.Ticci
Viracocha:=Aymara Yatin]
an Inca creator-god
father of Imaymana Viracocha and
Tocapo Viracocha
He is regarded as a form of

Pachacamac but, in other accounts, is
said to be the same as Tici.
Pachet
1
Egyptian
an early desert goddess, envisaged
as a lion
Pachet
2
Pacific Islands
an undersea paradise in the lore of
the Caroline Islanders
Pachytos Greek
one of the dogs of Actaeon
When Artemis discovered the hunter,
Actaeon, watching her as she bathed,
she turned him into a stag. His
hounds, including Pachytos, tore him
to pieces.
pack
something buried under the threshold
of an enemy’s house, a magic rite
designed to harm him
Pacolet European
a French dwarf who owned a winged,
wooden flying horse
Pactolus Greek
a river-god
father of Euryanassa
This was also a name for the river itself

which was said to have gold-bearing
sands after Midas had washed his
hands in it to rid himself of the curse
of gold.
Padalon Hindu
the land of departed spirits into which
there are 8 entrances
Padanjali Hindu
a saint
Padarn Redcoat British
owner of the magic coat, Pais Padarn
Padern (see Paternus)
padfoot British
a name for the bargaist in Yorkshire
Padiel
a demon of the east
Paddock British
a witch’s familiar in Macbeth
paddy-bird (see gelatik)
Padma
1
Hindu
a snake-god
one of the mahanagas
This deity is usually depicted with
three eyes.
Padma
2
(see Kamala.Vishnu)
Padma

3
Hindu
a name for Lakshmi as ‘lotus’
padma
4
(see lotus
4
)
Padma-mkhah-Ngro Tibetan
the Tibetan name for Padmdakini
Padma-Nabha (see Brahma.Vishnu)
Padma-pani (see Padmapani)
Padma-Pitha Hindu
a deity seated on a lotus
Padma-Purana Hindu
[Book of the Golden Lotus]
an epic, in some 50,000 couplets,
which describes the creation
Padmadakini Buddhist
[=Tibetan Padma-mkhah-Ngro]
a female deity of the air
Padmaheruka Buddhist
one of the 5 Herukabuddhas
Padmanarteshvara Buddhist
a form of Avalokiteshvara with 2, 8
or 10 arms
Padmantaka Buddhist
a guardian god
one of the Dikpalas
He is the guardian of the western

region of the world.
Padmapani Buddhist
[‘lotus-born’.Padma-pani:=Chinese
Kuan Yin.=Japanese Kwannon]
a bodhisattva
a form of Avalokiteshvara in Tibet
Padmapani can appear in various forms
– animal or insect, man or woman –
including that of the flying horse
Valahaka.
This deity is depicted as three-eyed,
sometimes with eleven heads.
(see also Avalokiteshvara)
Padmasambhava
1
Hindu
a destroyer of demons appearing as
a tiger-god
Padmasambhava
2
Hindu
[=Tibetan Lopon.Rinpochhe.sLob-
dpon]
an 8th C Indian seer
son of Amitabha
He was said to have appeared in a lotus
flower at the age of eight and was
forced to spend his life in penitence
for killing a minister of the royal
palace where he was raised.

He took Buddhism to Tibet and,
having converted that country,
changed into a horse and converted
other races. He was said to have lived
for a thousand years.
Padmatara Buddhist
an aspect of Tara, ‘lotus’
Padmavati Hindu
a name for Lakshmi as ‘owner of
the lotus’
Padmosnisa Buddhist
a guardian god of the west
Padraic (see Patrick
1
)
Padraig (see Patrick
1
)
Padriya Canaanite
one of the wives of Baal
Padstow British
the Cornish town said by some to be
the place where King Arthur was
born
Padvaxtag Persian
a Manichaean deity
He and Xrostag are a pair involved in
the ritual of prayer and the answer to
that prayer.
Paean (see Paeon.Paiawon)

Paeeon (see Paeon)
Paeivae (see Paiva)
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799
Paeon
1
Paeon
1
Greek
[P(a)ean.Paeeon.Paion]
a title of such gods as Asclepius and
Apollo who had associations
with medicine
Paeon
2
Greek
[Paean.Paeeon.Paion]
son of Endymion and Calyce
brother of Aetolus and Epeus
Paeon
3
Greek
in some accounts, son of Poseidon
by Helle (see also Edonus)
pae’wa (see li’oa)
pagab South American
magic seeds, in the lore of the
Tupari
These yellow seeds are said to have the
power, when used by a shaman, to kill

his enemies.
Pagas Hindu
[=Greek Pegasus]
a horse of the Aswins
Page Abe South American
[Sun Father]
creator-god and sun-god of the
Tukano Indians
brother of Nyami Abe
father of Abe Mango
He and his brother ruled alternately,
one by night, one by day, each shining
as brightly as the other. When Nyami
Abe tried to rape his brother’s wife,
Page Abe gave him a good thrashing
that so reduced his power that,
thereafter, he could shine only weakly
as the moon.
Pagimon (see Paymon)
Paginet British
a Knight of the Round Table,
some say
pagoda Buddhist
a temple or shrine for relics
(see also stupa)
Pagoda Bearer (see Li Ch’ing)
pagoda-tree Indian
a fabulous coin-producing tree
Paguk North American
a moving skeleton, in the lore

of the Algonquian and Ojibwa
tribes
This apparition, said to be the skeleton
of a hunter who starved to death, is
said to move through the woodlands at
fantastic speed with much bone-
rattling. Its presence portends the
death of a friend.
Pah North American
[‘father’]
a moon-god of the Pawnees
consort of Sakuru
father of Closed Man
Paha Finnish
an evil spirit
Pahe-Wathahuni North American
a cannibal hill
This hill could open its mouth to form
a cavern and any hunters who ventured
in were swallowed up. Rabbit
disguised himself as a man and entered
the cavern with a band of hunters and
slew the monster by slitting its heart
open. The hill then split wide open
and those who had been swallowed
were restored to life.
Pahlava Persian
an ancient hero
Pahlavi Zand Persian
a commentary on the Avesta

Pahtecatl Central American
an Aztec fertility-god
Pahua North American
in the lore of the Pawnee, one of the
5 houses of the animal spirits, the
nahurak
Pahuanui (see Pahuanuiapitaaiterai)
Pahuanuiapitaaiterai Pacific Islands
[Pahuanui]
a sea-demon of Tahiti
Pahuk North American
in the lore of the Pawnee, one of the
5 houses of the animal spirits, the
nahurak
pai de santo South American
[female=mae de santo:=Yoruba babalorisha]
a priest of the African immigrants
in Brazil
Pai Hao Chinese
2 white cranes, messengers of the
gods
Pai-ho T’ung-tzu
(see White Crane Youth)
Pai Hu Chinese
[Bach-ho.White Tiger]
a guardian of the west
In some accounts, one of the Four
Auspicious Animals in place of the
unicorn, ch’i-lin
Pai Hutanga New Zealand

the first wife of Uenuku
Pai Lao-yeh (see Po Lao-yeh)
Pai Lung Chinese
one of the Four Dragon Kings
This being is said to have been born as
a lump of flesh to a maiden given
shelter by an old man when she was
caught in a storm. In disgust, she
threw the lump into the sea where it
became a white dragon, the cause of
famine. The girl died from shock.
pai-ma Chinese
a white horse with a single horn
(see also po
2
)
Pai Yang Chinese
[Heang Ho:=Arab Al Kabah al Alif]
a later name for the constellation
Aries as ‘the white sheep’
paiarehe New Zealand
fairies in the lore of the Maori
Paiawon Greek
[Paean]
a war-god
paigoels Hindu
demons
These beings are said to have been
angels who were expelled from heaven
when they sinned.

Paikea Pacific Islands
god of sea-creatures
offspring of Rangi and Papa
Paimon
a demon
one of the 72 Spirits of Solomon
He is said to be able to grant any wish
a magician may make and to teach
science and the arts. He is depicted as
a crowned ruler riding a camel.
(see also Paymon)
Painal Central American
an Aztec war-god
Paion (see Paeon)
pair (see paladin)
Pair Drynog British
a cauldron owned by Drynog
This vessel, said to boil meat only for
the brave, was one of the Thirteen
Treasures of Britain collected by
Merlin. In some accounts, it is the
same as the cauldron of Diwrnach.
Pairekse Siberian
son of the god of heaven
He makes entries in the book of fate as
instructed by the gods and sometimes
visits the earth in the form of a goose
to report what is happening.
Pairika Persian
[Parik(a)]

a supernatural enchantress
These evil beings were the female
counterparts of the Yatis.
(see also peri)
Pais Padarn British
a coat owned by Padarn
Redcoat
This garment, which could make the
wearer invisible and which would
fit only a nobleman, became one of
the Thirteen Treasures of Britain
collected by Merlin.
Paisachas (see Pishashas)
Paisunya Hindu
an evil spirit
This being was opposed to the Matrika,
Chaumunda.
Paisunya
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Palamedes
3
Paititi South American
a fabulous land of gold
The Guarani say that this realm, ruled
by El Gran Moxo, was set in the lake
Cuni-Cuni where it was guarded by a
strange animal known as Teyu-Yagua.
Paiva Baltic
[Paeivae]

a Finnish sun-god
The rays of the sun formed roads
between heaven and earth along which
the gods could travel.
Paiyatamu (see Paiyatemu)
Paiyatemu North American
[Paiyatamu.Paiyatuma.sun youth:
=Hopi T’aiowa]
a flute-playing spirit of the Zuni
son of Sun Father and Underground
Mother
In some accounts, Paiyatemu refers
to a group of spirits rather than to just
one.
Paiyatuma (see Paiyatemu)
Pajainen Baltic
a Finnish god
He killed a huge bull or pig.
Pajan Yan Cambodian
a goddess
It is said that this healing goddess was
banished to the moon to prevent her
from restoring all the dead. Her face is
now seen in the moon instead of the
more usual hare or man-in-the moon.
pajanvak’i Baltic
Finnish spirits associated with metals
pajé South American
a Xingu shaman
Pajonn Baltic

a Lappish thunder-god
Pak Tai Chinese
[Hsüan T’ien Shang Ti:=Taiwanese
Shang-ti Yeh]
a Taoist war-god
He was regarded as a mortal general
who was deified to lead the celestial
armies. He threw the demon snake and
tortoise into a deep cleft and became
ruler of the dark heaven. He is
expected to return to earth in times of
great trouble.
Paka’a Pacific Islands
wind-god of Hawaii
He is credited with the invention of
the sail.
Pakasa Uru Pacific Islands
a wallaby
This animal is featured in stories of
New Britain and is usually outwitted
by the dog, Tulagola.
Pakhet Egyptian
a god of the hunt
pako South American
a magician of the tribes of Bolivia
Pakoc Central American
a Mayan war-god
Pakrokitat North American
a creator-god of the Serrano people
brother of Kukitat

He was so upset by the actions of
Kukitat, who had been born from his
left shoulder, that he left this world
and returned to the afterworld.
Pal-Rai-Yuk North American
a water-monster of the Inuit
Palace Adventurous
(see Palace of Light)
Palace Goddess Greek
an aspect of the Great Goddess
concerned with intuition
Palace of Cool Breezes
(see Itzeecayan)
Palace of Flowers
(see Xochiticacan)
Palace of Great Cold Chinese
the home of the moon-goddess, Heng O
Palace of Light British
[Castle of Light.Palace Adventurous]
a palace within the Castle of Carbonek
where the Holy Grail was kept
Palace of the Boyne Irish
[Brugh.Brug na Boinne.Bruigh na
Boinne]
the fortress home of Nechtan and,
later, of Angus Og
Palace of the Lonely Park Chinese
the home of the sun-god, I
Palace of the West (see Tamoanchan)
paladin

[pair.peer]
one of the 12 personal companions of
Charlemagne: a knight-errant
The list varied from time to time but
some of the most famous were
Astolpho, the English duke
Aymon
Baldwin, son of Gano
Fierabras
Florismart
Gano, the traitor
Guido the Wild
Malagigi, the sorcerer
Namo, duke of Bavaria
Ogier the Dane
Oliver, friend of Roland
Rinaldo
Roland (Orlando)
Saloman from Brittany
Turpin, the archbishop
Others sometimes included in the list
are Amulion, Anseis, Engelir, Gerard,
Gerin, Gerier, Inon, Ivory, Otonne
and Samson.
Palaemon
1
Greek
[Palaimon]
son of Hephaestus
one of the Argonauts

Palaemon
2
Greek
[Palaimon]
a name for Heracles in his youth
Palaemon
3
Greek
the name for Melicertes when he
became a sea-god
Palaimon (see Palaemon)
Palamedes
1
British
[Palomedes.Palomides.Palomydes]
a Saracen knight
son of Esclabor
He arrived in Ireland at the time when
Tristram was recovering from his
wounds after being nursed by Isolde.
He wanted to claim her as a bride but
Tristram defeated him in a duel and he
sailed for home.
In another version, he was a guest
at Mark’s wedding to Isolde and so
pleased the king that Mark offered
him anything he could ask for. He
demanded Isolde and would have
taken her back to Syria but Tristram
intervened and returned her to

Mark. Palamedes was heartbroken
and sailed off.
Yet another account says that he
and Tristram fought another duel.
Palamedes surrendered and made
friends with Tristram, embraced
Christianity, became a loyal follower
of King Arthur and was made duke
of Provence.
He was one of those who hunted the
Questing Beast without success.
Palamedes
2
European
[Palomedes.Palomides]
brother of Achilles of Lombardy
and Sforza
He was a soldier in Godfrey’s army at
the siege of Jerusalem.
Palamedes
3
Greek
[Palomedes.Palomides]
son of Nauplius and Clymene
or Hesione
brother of Nausimedon and Oeax
He accompanied Agamemnon and
Menelaus when they tried to persuade
Odysseus to join the invasion of Troy
and, when Odysseus feigned madness

by ploughing salt into the earth,
Palamedes placed the baby
Telemachus in front of the plough.
Odysseus avoided the child, revealing
that he was quite sane.
During the Trojan war, Odysseus
exacted revenge by bribing a servant to
Paititi
EABC8972-576D-4878-8C33-C9EBD9D6F5A9
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Palamon
plant money and a letter, said to be
from Priam. As a result, Palamedes
was accused of treachery and stoned
to death.
In another account, he was drowned
by Odysseus and Diomedes during a
fishing trip or buried by them under
stones when he climbed down a well in
search of gold which, they told him,
was hidden there.
He is said to have invented dice,
lighthouses, scales and some of
the alphabet.
Palamon Greek
a prince of Thebes
cousin of Arcite
husband of Emily
He and Arcite, both captives of
Theseus, fell in love with his daughter

or sister-in-law, Emily. They fought
for her hand and Arcite won. On his
way to claim his bride, Arcite was
thrown from his horse and was killed.
Emily later married Palamon.
Palan Bah Malay
[Island of Fruit]
the home of the dead
Palaniyantavan Indian
a Tamil god, a form of Seyon
Palanta (see Palatia)
Palante British
cousin of Tristram
After the death of his cousin, Palante
invaded Cornwall and was killed there
by Palamedes.
Palanto (see Palatia)
Palasara Pacific Islands
husband of Durgandini
father of Abiasa
Palatia Roman
[Palanta.Pala(n)to]
a female deity of the north pole
Palatium Roman
a sacred hill
One of the seven hills of Rome,
the Palatine.
Palato (see Palatia)
Palatyi African
a monster of the Bantu

Pale Fox African
a culture-hero of the Dogon
He became an outcast for stealing
seeds from Amma. Marks in the earth,
said to be his paw-prints, are used
in divination.
Pales Roman
a god or goddess of cattle, flocks,
and shepherds
Palesmurt Russian
an evil forest-spirit
This being, said to frighten
travellers, is envisaged as half-man,
split vertically.
Palici Greek
twin gods of Sicily
sons of Hephaestus by Etna or of Zeus
by Thalia
In the story of their parentage by Zeus,
the pregnant nymph Thalia asked to be
buried to escape the wrath of Hera. The
twins were born underground and
made their way to the surface through
some pools. Those who protest their
innocence at these pools are killed if they
are guilty or allowed to live if innocent.
Palilia Roman
[Parilia]
a festival in honour of Pales held on
April 21st

Palinure (see Palinurus)
Palinurus Greek
[Palinure]
a steersman of the ship that carried
Aeneas and his men after the fall
of Troy
He fell overboard after falling asleep
and was killed by the natives when he
swam ashore.
Paliuli Pacific Islands
the Hawaiian paradise
Palk Korean
an ancient sun-god
Palladion (see Palladium)
Palladium Greek
[Palladion:plur=Palladia]
a wooden statue of Pallas Athene
This image was said to have fallen
from the sky and was enshrined at
Troy as guardian of the city. It was
said that the city would never be
conquered while the statue remained
at Troy and so the Greeks Odysseus
and Diomedes made a night-raid into
the city and stole it during the siege of
Troy. Some say that this was one of
many copies to be found in the city.
In some accounts, Diomedes gave
this copy to Aeneas who took it with
him to Italy although this could have

been the original saved by Aeneas
when Troy fell to the Greeks Others
say it was Numa Pompilius who
brought the Palladium to Italy.
Some say that the original
Palladium was made from the
shoulder-bone of Pelops.
Pallantids Greek
descendants of Pallas
Pallas
1
Greek
daughter of Triton
Triton reared Athena as a companion
for Pallas.
It was said that, having accidentally
killed Pallas, Athena had the
Palladium made in her memory.
(see also Pallas
4.5
)
Pallas
2
Greek
a Titan
son of Crius and Eurybia
brother of Astraeus and Perses
husband of Styx
father of Bia, Cratos, Nike and Zelos
Pallas

3
Greek
son of Evander
In some accounts, he was the son of
Heracles and Lavinia.
He was killed by Turnus when
fighting with the Trojans under
Aeneas in Italy against the Latins and
Rutulians.
Pallas
4
Greek
[Palleneos]
one of the Earthborn Giants
son of Uranus and Gaea
He was killed in the war between the
gods and the giants by Athena who
flayed him and used his skin as cover
for her breastplate. Thereafter, she
used his name as Pallas Athena.
Another version says that Pallas was
Athena’s father and she killed him
when he tried to rape her.
(see also Pallas
1.5
)
Pallas
5
Greek
a name of Athena adopted either in

memory of the girl Pallas whom she
had killed or of the giant Pallas (her
father) she killed (see also Pallas
1.4
)
Pallas
6
Greek
son of Pandion
half-brother of Aegeus, Lyceus
and Nicus
He was the father of fifty sons, all of
whom were killed by Theseus.
Pallas Athene (see Pallas
5
)
Palleneos (see Pallas
4
)
Pallian Australian
a creator-god of the Aborigines
He and his brother, Pundjel, created
beings from bark and clay but, when
they proved to be evil, they cut them
into pieces. The ancestors of the tribes
sprang from these pieces.
Pallor Greek
the god of terror
palmistry (see cheirognomy)
Palomedes (see Palamedes)

Palomides (see Palamedes)
Palomir British
a knight
He was one of the 100 knights fighting
for Lisuarte against 100 knights of the
Irish king, Cildadan.
Palomir
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Pan-ku
Palomydes (see Palamedes
1
)
Palongahoya North American
[Balongahoya.Palungahoya]
a culture-hero of the Hopi
son of the sun-god
twin brother of Poquanghoya
He was one of two warriors (the other
was Poquanghoya) created by
Kokyangwuti to protect human beings
from demons.
In another version he was a war-god.
They are equivalent to the Zuni
Ahayuta Achi twins.
Paltar (see Balder)
Paluc’s Cat (see Palug’s Cat)
Paluelap Pacific Islands
a deity of the Caroline Islands
husband of Leofas

father of Rongelap and Rongerik
Palug’s Cat Welsh
[Cath Palug.Paluc’s Cat:=French
C(h)apalu]
a huge feline
offspring of Hen Wen, some say
In some accounts, this beast was
thrown into the sea by Coll ap
Collfrewr, the swineherd in charge of
Hen Wen, but was rescued and reared
by the sons of Palug on the island of
Anglesey. It was said to have eaten
some 180 soldiers and was eventually
killed by Kay.
Other versions say it was Capalu,
killed by King Arthur in the French
Alps; others that the beast killed the
king when they fought in a swamp and
afterwards came to Britain where it
took over the throne.
Palulukon North American
[=Aztec Quetzalcoatl:=Zuni Koloowise]
a fertility-god
the plumed serpent of the Hopi
Palungahoya (see Palongahoya)
Pamba African
a creator-god of the Ovambo
Pamersiel
a demon
Pamiel

a demon
Pamlart British
a descendant of Ban
One version of the death of Mark
relates that he sacked Camelot and
died there at the hand of Pamlart.
Pamola North American
an evil spirit of darkness
in the lore of the Algonquians
She was one of the evil spirits killed
by Gluskap.
pampahilep East Indian
Dayak tree-spirits
These beings can take the form of
mortals and marry human partners.
Pamphagus Greek
one of the dogs of Actaeon
When Artemis discovered the hunter,
Actaeon, watching her as she bathed,
she turned him into a stag. His
hounds, including Pamphagus, tore
him to pieces.
Pamphyle Greek
daughter of Apollo
Pamphylus Greek
son of Aegimius
brother of Dymas
He is regarded as the founder of one of
the Dorian tribes.
Pamuri-mahse South American

[‘divine helper’]
a demi-god of the Tukano Indians
He helped Page Abe to create the
earth and its animals.
Pan
1
African
son of Asia
Pan
2
Greek
[‘all’.Capricorn.Feeder.Goat-god.
Goat-Pan.Herdsman.Nomius.
Pasturer.Shepherd God:plur=panes:
=Roman Consentes.Faunus.Lupercus.
Silvan]
god of flocks, shepherds, woods
half-brother of Daphnis
father of Iambe and Iynx by Echo
and of Crotus by Eupheme
father of Priapus by Aprhrodite and
of Acis by Symaethis, in some
accounts
He was part man, part goat, with
horns, hoofs and tail.
His parentage is not at all certain;
according to who is telling the story he
may be the son of Cronus by Rhea,
Zeus by Hybris, or Hermes by
Calypso, Dryope, Oeneis or Penelope

and either the father or brother of
Silenus. It is even suggested that he
was the son of Hermes by Penelope,
the wife of Odysseus.
It is said that when he pursued the
nymph Syrinx, she was turned into a
clump of reeds by Gaea. From seven of
these reeds, Pan fashioned the reed-
pipe, with which he is traditionally
depicted. He seduced a number of
nymphs and goddesses including
Echo, Eupheme and Selene. He gave
Artemis three hunting dogs and seven
hounds and helped Hermes restore the
sinews of Zeus cut out by the monster
Typhon. He was the only god to die.
He is also depicted with a crook.
(see also Evander
1
)
Pan
3
Greek
a deity, the gentle summer
breeze personified
He fell in love with the pine-tree
nymph Pitip. Boreas became jealous
and threw Pitip to her death from a
cliff and she turned into a pine tree.
Pan Chhan Rin-po Chhe Tibetan

the first Tashi Lama, deified as an
incarnation of Amitabha
P’an Chin-lien Chinese
a goddess of prostitutes
wife of Wu Ta-lang
She fell in love with Hsi-men Ch’ing
after the death of Wu Ta-lang and was
decapitated by her late husband’s
brother, Wu Sang, when he caught the
lovers together. She was immortalised
after her death.
Pan-Ephialtes
[Prince of Incubi]
a demon causing nightmares
Pan Hu Chinese
a celestial dog
In the lore of the Yao people, a worm
born from the ear of a woman at the
royal court grew into the dog, Pan Hu.
When the dog saved the country
from invading forces, the king gave
Pan Hu his daughter as his wife. They
produced six sons and six daughters
who became the ancestors of the Yao.
Pan-ko (see Pan-ku)
Pan-ku Chinese
[Pan-ko]
the primaeval being of the Confucians
father of Yüan-shih
The primordial Great Monad

separated to form the Yin and Yang.
They both split to form four lesser
beings which produced Pan-ku.
Alternatively, he was hatched from an
egg and pushed the two halves of the
shell apart to form earth and sky. In
some accounts he modelled the first
humans from clay or, alternatively, men
developed from the fleas on his body
after he died. It is said that it took him
18,000 years, during which he grew
bigger every day, to achieve the final
position and he died from the effort.
His left eye became the sun, his right
eye the moon and his beard became the
stars. Some say that he had a snake-like
body with the head of a dragon.
He is depicted working with a
hammer and chisel to make the
universe from blocks of granite
floating in space, assisted by his
companions, a dragon, phoenix,
tortoise and unicorn.
Palomydes
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P’an Kuan
In some versions of the creation
story, Pan-ku was assisted by the
woman Kua.

P’an Kuan Chinese
the registrar of hell
He later received promotion and
his post as registrar was taken by
Chung K’uei.
P’an Shen Chinese
son of Tou-shen
brother of Chen Shen, Ma Shen
and Sha Shen
He helps his mother to deal with those
suffering from small-pox.
P’an-t’ao Chinese
[Fan-t’ao.Shen-t’ao]]
a fabulous tree
This tree was a form of peach and was
said to blossom once in 3,000 years
and to bear fruit only after a further
period of the same length. It grew in
San Hsien Shan, the Fortunate Islands.
Pan-t’o-chia Chinese
[Pan-t’o-ka]
the Chinese version of Panthaka
Pan-t’o-ka (see Pan-t’o-chia)
Panacea Greek
[Panaceia]
a goddess of health
daughter of Asclepius
Panaceia (see Panacea)
Panaha Tibetan
a Lamaist sorcerer

He owned a pair of magic shoes which
could transport him rapidly to
wherever he wished to go.
Panalcarp
an evil demon
This being is depicted as a two-
headed crocodile.
Panan Indian
[Paraiyan.Pariah]
devil-dancers
These people are said to be able to
drive out devils by their dancing
and drumming.
Panangsang East Indian
a Javanese prince
He sent four of his retainers to kill the
sultan, Jaka Tingkir, but this ruler was
under divine protection and survived.
In a later battle with the sultan,
Panangsang was killed and the sultan
took over his lands.
Panao Afghan
a Kafir creator-god
Panathenaea Greek
[Panathenaia]
an annual festival in honour of
Athene, founded in 566 BC and held
in July/August
Panathenaia (see Panathenaea)
Pancabrahma Hindu

[Isana(dayas)]
5 aspects of Shiva
These are listed as Aghora, Isana
(dayas), Sadyojata, Tatpurusha and
Vamadeva.
Pancamukha Buddhist
a god
He is depicted with five heads and
sixteen hands.
Pancanana Hindu
a form of Shiva
He is depicted as a naked demon with
five faces, each with three eyes and
wearing snakes as a necklace.
Pancaraksa (see Pancharaksha)
Pancatantra (see Panchatantra)
Pancer European
a beaver in Reynard the Fox
He accused Reynard of attempting to
murder Coart, the hare.
Pancha-Tathagata East Indian
5 kings of Java
These rulers were regarded as the
incarnation of the five Dhyanibuddhas
and ruled in the 11th and 12th
centuries. They were noted for their
wisdom and courage, manifestations
of the Fivefold Buddha. Their names
are given as Jayanagara, Jaya-
wardhana, Kartanagara, Rajasanagara

and Rajasawardhara.
(see also Dhyanibuddhas)
Panchajana
1
Hindu
a sea-demon
He angered Krishna by abducting the
son of Sandipani and the god dived to
the bottom of the ocean and killed the
demon. Krishna took the conch-shell
in which Panchajana had lived and
used it thereafter as a trumpet with
which he killed evil-doers.
Panchajana
2
Hindu
the divine conch-shell trumpet
of Krishna
This was formerly the home of the
sea- demon of the same name who was
killed by Krishna.
Panchala Hindu
the realm of King Drupada
Panchali (see Draupadi)
Panchamaharaja
(see Mahapancharaja)
Panchamukhi-Maruti Hindu
a name for Shiva in the west of India
Pancharaksha Buddhist
[Pancaraksa]

any one of the 5 goddesses of magic
These protective deities are listed
as Mahamantranusarini, Mahamayuri,
Mahapratisara, Mahasaharapramandini
and Mahasitavati.
Panchatantra Hindu
[Pancatantra:=Arab Kalilah wa Dinmah
=English Tables of Bidpai:=French
Fables de Pilpay:=Persian Anwar-u-
Suhaili]
a collection of fabulous stories
Panchayudha Hindu
a name for Vishnu as owner
of 5 weapons
Panchen Lama Tibetan
[Tashi Lama]
the second senior leader of
Tibetan Buddhists
He is regarded as an incarnation
of Amitabha.
Panchika Buddhist
husband of Abhirata
father of Priyamkara
He was said to have fathered over
500 children.
Panchita Buddhist
a tutelary goddess of wealth
She is the commander of a host of
yakshas and is depicted with a pike
(weapon) and a purse.

Pandara Buddhist
a mother-goddess
a sakti of Amitabha
Pandaravasini Hindu
the Sanskrit version of White Tara
Pandareos (see Pandareus)
Pandareus
1
Greek
[Pandareos]
king of Miletus
son of Merops and Clymene
husband of Hermothoe
father of Aedon, Clothera and Merope
He stole Rhea’s golden mastiff made
by Hephaestus and refused to give it
back, giving it to Tantalus for safe-
keeping.
Zeus killed him and his wife and his
daughters were carried off by the
Harpies and sold to the Furies.
Pandareus
2
Greek
[Pandareos]
son of Hermes by Merope
In some accounts, he is the same as
Pandareus, king of Miletus.
Pandareus
3

Greek
[Pandareos]
a dog which stood guard over
the infant Zeus in the Dictean Cave
Pandarus Greek
a Trojan prince
son of Lycaon
He acted as a messenger between
Troilus and Cressida.
At the siege of Troy he shot and
Pandarus
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Pandurganga
wounded Menelaus during a period of
truce, resulting in the battle being
resumed. He also wounded Diomedes
who killed him.
Pandavas Hindu
[Pandus:=East Indies Pandawas.Pandowas]
the 5 sons of Pandu
Pandu had two wives, Kintu and
Madri, but refused to father children
because of a curse which said that he
would die if he tried. His five sons
were fathered by the gods – Arjuna by
Indra, Bhima by Vayu, Yudhishthira by
Dharma (all children of Kunti) and
Nakula and Sahadeva fathered by the
Aswins on Madri.

They were sent to the court of their
uncle, Dhartarashtra, where they came
into conflict with his one hundred
sons, the Kauravas, and their
subsequent battles form the subject
matter of the Mahabharata. After the
battle, in which all the Karauvas were
killed, the brothers went to Indra’s
heaven on Mount Meru.
Pandawas East Indian
[Pandowas]
the Javanese version of the Pandavas
pandé Pacific Islands
blacksmiths in Bali
These men, makers of the kris, are said
to have magic powers and are regarded
as holy men.
Pandemos Greek
a name for Aphrodite as goddess
of sensuality
Pandion
1
Greek
a king of Athens
son of Erichthonius and Praxitea
husband of Zeuxippe
father of twins Butes and Erectheus
father of Procne and Philomena
Pandion
2

Greek
a king of Athens
son of Cecrops and Metiadusa
husband of Pylia
father of Aegeus, Lycus, Nisus
and Pallas
He was expelled from Athens by the
sons of Metion, his uncle, and went
to Megara where he married Pylia,
the daughter of the king, Pylas. He
became king of Megara when Pylas
was exiled for the murder of his
uncle, Bias.
Pandion
3
Greek
son of Phineus and Cleopatra
brother of Plexippus
His father took another wife, Idaea,
and put Cleopatra and her sons in
prison. They were freed by Calais
and Zetes who killed Phineus and
put the brothers on the throne of
Salmydessus. Pandion and his brother
handed over the kingdom to their
mother and joined the Argonauts.
Pandora
1
Greek
[‘all gifts’]

daughter of Erechtheus and
Praxithea
sister of Otionia
When Athens was invaded by
Eumolpus, her father was told that
he must sacrifice Otionia, one of his
daughters. Pandora and another
sister, Protogonia, sacrificed themselves
as well.
Pandora
2
Greek
[‘all gifts’]
the first woman
wife of Epimetheus
mother of Pyrrha
She was created from clay by Zeus or
Hephaestus as a gift for Epimetheus
who rejected her at first but married
her in haste when his brother
Prometheus was punished by Zeus. It
was she who opened the box, given to
her by the gods as a wedding gift, that
contained all the ills that have since
afflicted mankind. Another version
says that these were items that
Prometheus had left over from the
creation of man and stored in a jar
which Pandora foolishly opened.
In some accounts, she was the

mother of Deucalion and Pyrrha by
Prometheus or Epimetheus.
Pandora’s box Greek
a box containing all human troubles,
This box was given to Pandora as a gift
when she married Epimetheus. Against
instructions, she opened it and out flew
all the ills that have since afflicted
mankind. The last to come out of the
box was Hope. In some versions a vase
or jug, containing all the items left over
when Prometheus created human
beings, was found by Pandora who
could not resist looking inside.
Pandorus Greek
son of Erectheus and Praxithea
brother of Metion
He and his brother drove Cecrops
from Athens when Xuthus chose him
as successor to Erectheus.
Pandowas (see Pandawas)
Pandragon (see Pendragon)
Pandragus British
he was said to have fathered
twins on Liban
Pandrasos (see Pandrasus)
Pandrasus Greek
[Pandrasos]
king of Greece
When Brutus was exiled from Rome

for the accidental killing of his father,
he led a revolt of the Trojan captives
held as slaves by Pandrasus and
captured the king. Pandrasus was
released only when he gave his
daughter Imogen to Brutus as wife and
freed the slaves who then sailed off
with Brutus, in 300 ships, allegedly to
settle in Britain.
Pandrosos (see Pandrosus)
Pandrosus Greek
[Pandrosos]
daughter of Cecrops
sister of Aglaurus and Herse
She and her sisters were entrusted with
the care of the infant Erichthonius.
In one story, they were so shocked
when they saw the infant that they
threw themselves to their death from
the Acropolis.
pandu
1
Hindu
a good spirit
Pandu
2
Hindu
[‘pale’]
husband of Kunti and Madri
father of the 5 Pandavas

half-brother of Dhartarastra
His father was said to be Vyasa, a very
ugly man, who did his duty to give
children to the widows of the two sons
of his half-brother, Santanu, who had
died childless. Because one of the
widows closed her eyes and the other
went very pale when Vyasa slept with
them, their sons, Dhartarastra and
Pandu, were born respectively blind
and light-skinned.
Although he had two wives, he had
no children of his own because he had
accidentally killed a sage who had
cursed him with his dying breath,
proclaiming that Pandu would die if he
ever slept with either of his wives.
Pandu took the throne but
abdicated in favour of his half-brother
and became a hermit.
Kunti bore three sons, after
praying to the gods, and then handed
this gift to Madri who was able to
produce two more. These five sons,
the Pandavas, were in conflict with
their cousins, the Kauravas.
Pandu finally yielded to his desires
and made love to Madri but the
sage’s curse took effect and he died at
that moment.

Pandurganga (see Vitthali)
Pandavas
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Paneros
Paneros (see Pandavas)
Panemerios (see Q’re)
Paneros Greek
a stone said to have the power to
make barren women fertile
Panes
1
Greek
the plural form of Pan
In some accounts, there are a number
of gods such as Pan.
Panes
2
North American
a festival at which the Acagchemem
tribe of California sacrifice a buzzard
Paneu Afghan
[Paradik.Purron]
a group of 7 gods of the hunt
Pang Yü Chinese
a city god
He was originally a 7th C provincial
governor.
Panggu Pacific Islands
[=Chinese Pan-ku]

a creator-god in Melanesia
Pani
1
Hindu
[Vala]
a member of a race of dwarfs,
drought demons
These beings are said to live in a part
of the Otherworld and are well known
as thieves. When they stole some of
Indra’s cattle, he made the dog Sharama
to recover them but she betrayed him.
Indra then went himself, killed the
dwarfs and recovered his cattle.
In some accounts, Panis are
described as asuras.
Pani
2
New Zealand
a Maori goddess
wife of Rongo-maui
When Hina upset Ta’aroa with the
noise she made when beating tapa, he
ordered her to stop. When she
refused, Pani grabbed her mallet and
struck her on the head with it,
whereupon she flew off to the moon.
Panion Greek
an annual festival in honour
of Poseidon

Panisc Greek
[Panisk]
an attendant on Pan: an inferior god
Panisk (see Panisc)
Panji East Indian
[Chekel Waneng Pati]
a Javanese prince
husband of Chandra Kirana
He was allowed to marry his beloved
Chandra Kirana only after proving
himself by killing many giants
and demons.
He and Chandra are regarded as
incarnations of Siwa and Dewi Shri.
Panna Buddhist
the Pali version of the Sanskrit Prajna
Pannenoisance British
in some accounts, the capital city of
King Arthur’s realm
Pannychis Greek
a goddess, attendant on Aphrodite
Panoi Pacific Islands
the underworld (or the entrance to it)
in the lore of the Banks Islanders
Panomphaean Greek
a description of Zeus as ‘all-oracular’
Panope Greek
a nymph, one of the Nereids
Panopeus Greek
son of Phocus and Antiopoe, some say

father of Aegle and Epeius
Panoptes (see Argus
5
)
Panquetzalitztli Central American
an Aztec war-goddess
Pansahi Mata Hindu
a mother-goddess
one of the saptamataras
Pant German
a king of Gennewis
husband of Clarine
In a German version of the Lancelot
stories, he and Clarine were the
parents of Lancelot.
pantacle
a device which emits fluids used in
magic rites
pantarbe Greek
a magical stone
Pantagruel European
last of the giants
king of Dipsodes
son of Gargantua and Badebec
This giant was said to know everything.
Pantecatle Central American
an Aztec deity
an aspect of Tezcatlipoca
Pantha the Elder (see Panthaka)
Pantha the Younger

(see Chota Panthaka)
Panthaka Buddhist
[Pantha the Elder:=Chinese Pan-t’o-chia:
=Tibetan Lam-bstan]
one of the Eighteen Lohan
brother of Chota Panthaka
He had supernatural powers that
allowed him to become smaller
and smaller until he completely
disappeared. He could also cause fire
and water to appear and could pass
through solid materials.
He is depicted seated with his arms
folded and reading a scroll.
pantheon
1
a complete mythology: gods collectively:
a temple dedicated to all gods
Pantheon
2
Greek
a monster in the form of a
star-spangled hind
panther
1
Greek
the animal of Dionysus
Panther
2
(see Da-jo-ji)

Panthoides Greek
a name for Pythagoras, who
maintained that he had been
Euphorbus, son of Panthous, in a
previous incarnation
Panthoos (see Panthous)
Panthous Greek
[Panthoos]
a priest of Apollo at Troy
son of Othrys
father of Euphorbus, Hyperenor
and Polydamus
He was killed at the siege of Troy.
panyao Pacific Islands
a bao which, it is said, contains the
soul of a great hero
Panyasa-Jataka Thai
the Thai version of the Jatakas
Pao-chih Chinese
[Ch’ih Kung]
the name taken by Pi-chia-na when
he became a monk
Pao Kung Chinese
a god of magistrates
He was a 10th C mortal who was
deified.
Pao-kung Ch’an-shih Chinese
a monk
He once got lost in the mountains but
came across an apparently deserted

monastery where he took shelter. Soon
after, monks from many places arrived
and floated down into the hall of the
monastery through a hole in the roof.
When Pao-kung talked to the last one
to arrive, the others stood up, bowed
and all of them, and the monastery,
disappeared.
Pao Lao-yeh Chinese
a deity
the Imperial Censor
Pao-p’u-tzu (see Ko Hung
1
)
pao-t’a Chinese
a pagoda
Pao Yü (see Pao Yüeh)
Pao Yüeh Chinese
[Pao Yü]
wife of the emperor Ch’ing Te
mother of Yü Huang
She dreamt that she saw Lao Chun
carrying a baby when she prayed for a
son and woke to find herself pregnant
with a son, Yü Huang.
Paoro New Zealand
a goddess of echoes
Paoro
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parachero
At creation, it was she who gave women
a voice.
Paort French
a shape-changing spirit in Brittany
Pap-nigin-gara Mesopotamian
a Babylonian war-god
Pap-sukal (see Papsukal)
Papa New Zealand
[Enua.Hotu-Papa.Papa Tu Anaku.
Papatuanuku.Whenua]
earth-mother of the Maori
wife of Rangi
wife of Tangaroa, some say
mother of Haumea, Rehua, Rongo,
Ruaumoko, Tane, Tangaroa, Tawhiri
and Tu
She and Rangi were so firmly
intertwined that their children could
not leave the womb until Tane-mahuta
forced them apart to form earth and
sky.
In some stories, the gods Atea and
Tangaroa argued about the paternity
of Papa’s first child, each claiming to
be the father. Papa cut the child in half
and gave half to each of them.
In Hawaii, Papa is the wife of
Wakea (Atea). In some accounts, the
same as Fa’ahotu. In Hervey Island,

Papa is the daughter of Timatekore
and Timaiti-Ngava and the wife of
Atea to whom she bore Rongo, Tane,
Tangaroa, Tanigila and Tongaiti.
Papa-hanau-moku Pacific Islands
earth-goddess of Hawaii
wife of Wakea
mother of Ho’ohoku-ka-lania
She was the first woman and married
the mortal Wakea but separated from
him when he incestuously fathered
children on their own daughter
Ho’ohoku-ka-lani. She later remarried
and had other children. In some
stories, she bore a gourd which Wakea
used to make the world.
Papa Pie West Indian
[Oie]
a Haitian voodoo spirit derived
from St Peter
He is depicted as a soldier and is said
to be the cause of floods.
Papa Taoto Pacific Islands
a rock raised from the sea-bed
by Tagaloa
The Samoans say that the sea-god
created this rock in the primordial
ocean so that his bird-child, Tuli,
could have somewhere to build a
nest. Tagaloa later split this first rock

into many pieces to form the islands
of the Pacific.
Papa Tu Anaku (see Papa)
Papachtic Central American
an Aztec deity, the sun’s rays
personified
an aspect of Quetzacoatl
Papaeus (see Jupiter)
Papahiruhia New Zealand
a 19th C cult worshipping the
serpent Nakahi
Papaja (see Papaya)
Papaloi West Indian
[female=Mamaloi]
a voodoo priest
papalust British
a snake
It was said that anyone holding a bone
of this snake became insensible to
heat. Part of the hilt of the Sword of
Strange Girdles was made from one of
its ribs.
Papan Central American
a princess
sister of Montezuma
Soon after she died and was buried,
she was seen in the garden of the
palace by a young girl who told her
mother. The queen was shaken to find
Papan apparently still alive and called

the emperor. It transpired that Papan
had been met, on the other side, by an
angelic youth who told her that she
was not yet to cross the river but
should return to warn the emperor
about the forth coming invasion of
the Spaniards.
Papare Pacific Islands
a moon-god
When Aru Aru arrived, intending to
kill this god, Papare explained the
details of menstruation to him and
sent him back to earth with a gift for
his people, the yam.
Papas (see Attis)
Papatuanuku (see Papa)
Papaya Greek
[Papaja]
a Hattic fate-goddess
She and Isdustala used a mirror and
spindle to determine the fate of
the individual.
Papaztac Central American
[The Nerveless One]
a god of intoxication
one of the Centzon Totochtin
A sacrifice made to this god would
ensure that the drinker suffered
no more than a headache after
getting drunk.

Paphian Greek
[Cyprian]
a devotee of Aphrodite
Paphos (see Metharme)
Papillon European
a fire-breathing horse
This animal carried Ogier, who had
been shipwrecked, to the palace of
Morgana where he stayed for a hundred
years. He then carried Ogier to Paris.
Pappas
1
Mesopotamian
a Hittite supreme god
Pappas
2
(see Attis)
Papposilenus (see Silenus)
Paps of Anu (see Da Chich nAnnan)
Papsukal Mesopotamian
[Pap-sukal.Papsukkal]
a Babylonian messenger-god
consort of Amasagnul
In some accounts he is the same
as Ninshubur.
Papsukkal (see Papsukal)
Papukkal (see Ninshubur)
Papunius Irish
a fictitious king of Ireland
Papus

a demon
papyromancy
divination from paper rolling
Paqhat Canaanite
a seer
daughter of Daniela and Danatiya
sister of Aqhat
She disguised herself as a man,
travelled to Abelim and killed Yatpan,
her brother’s murderer.
paqok South American
demons of the Maya
Para
1
Baltic
[Bjara.Pukhis.Puk:=Estonian Pisuhand.
Puuk.Tulihand: =Lappish Smieragatto:
=Latvian Pukis: =Lithuanian Aitvaras.
Kaukas.Pukys:=Scandinavian Buttercat]
a Finnish spirit
This spirit, which a man can make
from stolen objects, is said to supply
its maker with food, drink and money.
It sometimes takes the form of a cat
which carries milk in its mouth
or intestines. (see also Puki)
para
2
Hindu
a period of 100 kalpas

para-brahman Hindu
the supreme absolute: ultimate reality
Para-Purusha Hindu
an evil man: all wickedness embodied
in human form
Parabrahma Hindu
a spirit of the air
This being is manifest in five forms –
Akasi tatwa, Apa, Prithivi, Taijas and
Vayu.
parachero Central American
a Mexican sorcerer
Paort
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Paradik
Paradik (see Paneu)
paradise
home of the blessed dead
(see also Dar el-Jannah.
Fortunate Islands.heaven)
Paradixion tree Hindu
a tree which is the home of doves
which can kill the evil dragon which
lives at the base of the tree
Paraebius Greek
a poor labourer
No matter how hard he worked,
Paraebius got poorer and poorer.
Phineus told him that this was due to a

curse laid on him when he chopped
down a tree, killing the hamadyrad
living in it. As the result of a sacrifice
to appease the nymph’s spirit, he began
to prosper.
Parallel Lives Greek
a series of biographies by Plutarch
These stories dealt with Greek and
Roman characters, real or mythical,
in pairs.
Parama Hindu
the supreme being
This name is used for the Trimurti, the
triple god, which represents the
supreme being.
Paramapathanatha (see Adimurti)
Paramasva Buddhist
a form of Hayagriva
In this form the deity is depicted
with four legs and standing on four
other gods. (see also Paramesvar)
Paramesvar Hindu
a name for Surya as a creator
(see also Paramasva)
Paramita Buddhist
[Vas(h)ita]
any one of 12 philosophical
goddesses
These deities are given as Bala, Dana,
Dhyana, Jnana, Kshanti, Prajna,

Pranidhana, Ratna, Shila, Upaya,
Vajrakarma and Virya.
In some accounts, Ayur and Pariskara
are given as Paramita goddesses.
Paranirmita-Vasavarten Buddhist
the highest heaven, home of Mara
paranirvana Hindu
transition from this life
to Nirvana
Paraparawa South American
a culture-hero of the tribes of Brazil
A fish he had caught turned into a
woman who married Paraparawa. Her
father, the crocodile, brought many
vegetables and fruits to the wedding-
feast and those left over were planted
to produce the first cultivated crops.
He is credited with the invention
of agriculture.
paras Indian
[paraspatthar]
the philosopher’s stone which
transmutes all metals to gold
Parasara (see Parashara)
Parashara Hindu
[Parasara]
a holy man
son of Kalmashapada and Adrisyanti
father of Vyasa by Satyavati
He met Satyavati who, at that time,

was in the form of a fish and they
produced a son, Vyasa.
parashu Hindu
the battle-axe given by Shiva
to Parashurama
In some versions, Durga is depicted
holding an axe.
Parashurama Hindu
[Parasu-Rama.Parasurama]
the sixth incarnation of Vishnu,
as a human
son of Jamad-Agni and Renuka
consort of Dharani
It is said that he was born as Rama, son
of a Brahmin hermit, the rishi Jamad-
Agni, and was called Parashurama
when Shiva gave him a battle-axe
(Parashu). His father suspected his
wife, Renuka, of lustful thoughts and
commanded his five sons to kill her.
Only Parashurama was willing to obey
and he cut off her head with one blow
of the axe given to him by Shiva.
When his father offered him a reward
he asked that Renuka be restored. He
killed Kartavirya, the 1,000-armed
king of the Himalayas, for an attack
on his father’s hermitage and stealing
the sacred cow, Surabhi, or its calf.
When the king’s twenty-one sons

made a further attack, killing his
father, Jamad-Agni, Parashurama
killed the whole kshatrya caste, the
task for which he had been re-
incarnated, so that the priests could
rule the earth.
At this point, Vishnu returned to the
heavens leaving Parashurama to rule
Malabar.
Parasol tree Chinese
[dryandra.wu-t’ung shu]
the only tree on which the phoenix
will land
This tree grows twelve leaves each
year but thirteen in a leap-year.
paraspatthar (see paras)
Parasu-Rama (see Parashurama)
Parasurama (see Parashurama)
Paravani Hindu
the peacock ridden by Karttikeya
or Skanda
Paravataksha Hindu
a Naga king
He lived under a holy tree which
produced berries which conferred
longevity and youth, attacking those
who tried to pick the berries.
Parcae Roman
[=Greek Moirae:=Norse Norns]
the Fates, Decuma, Morta and Nona

daughters of Ananke, some say
In some accounts, Parcae was
originally a goddess of childbirth.
Parcher Hindu
one of the 5 arrows carried by Kama
Pare New Zealand
a high-class maiden
She fell in love with Hutu but he,
knowing that he could never marry
such a noble maiden, ran away, leaving
her to die of grief. Hutu then travelled
to the underworld and brought her
soul back to the land of the living
where she married him.
Parendi Persian
[=Hindu Purandhi]
a goddess of wealth
Parentalia Roman
a festival of the dead
Originally a Babylonian festival at
which the dead returned and joined in
the celebrations; later, the Roman
festival of All Souls, at which the manes
were given a meal, held on February
13th–21st.
Pari
1
Russian
a Tartar spirit of evil
pari

2
(see peri)
Pari Penganten East Indian
the combination of Tresnawati and
her husband as ‘the rice bride
and bridegroom’
Tresnawati was turned into an ear of
rice when she came to earth to marry
a farmer and he became a rice-stalk so
that they were united. Their wedding
is a popular annual Dayak rice-harvest
festival.
Paria
1
Greek
a nymph
Paria
2
West Indian
a sacred mountain in the
Caribbean
Pariacaca South American
[Con.Churoquella]
an Inca thunder-god
In some accounts, he is the same
as Paricaca.
Pariah (see Panan)
Pariah
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Parmeson
Paribanou Muslim
[Peri-Banou]
a fairy
wife of Ahmed
In The Arabian Nights, she gave Ahmed
a wonderful tent and became his wife.
Paricaca South American
a Peruvian hero
husband of Choque Suso
father of Huathiacuri
When the flood waters subsided, five
eggs on the high slopes of Mount
Condorcoto hatched to produce new
beings, one of whom was Paricaca.
The other four produced falcons
which turned into great warriors.
He went in search of the tyrant king
Huallallo and destroyed his whole
village, saving only one girl who had
given him a drink. At another village
he met the girl Choque Suso who was
crying because the drought was killing
her maize crop. He promised to get
water if she would love him and
enlisted the help of all the animals and
birds to irrigate the land and bring
water to the parched crops. He
married Choque Suso and later turned
her into stone so that she could always

remain in the place she loved.
In some accounts he is the same
as Pariacaca.
Parijata Hindu
[The Tree of Knowledge]
the tree of paradise
This tree was made of coral and could
produce any object asked of it. It was
originally planted in Svarga, Indra’s
heaven, but was stolen by Krishna who
planted it in Dvaraka to please his
wife. After his death, the tree was
returned to Svarga.
It was the ninth thing to emerge
from the waters when the gods
churned the ocean to make amrita.
(see also Parisadam)
Parik (see Pairika.peri)
Parika (see Pairika.peri)
Parikshit Hindu
a king
son of Abhimanyu and Uttara
father of Janamejaya
Ashvathaman killed Parikshit while
he was still in his mother’s womb and
he was still-born but Krishna gave
him life.
When he insulted a hermit, the
snake-king Takshaka was invoked by
the hermit’s son. With a group of

nagas in the form of monks, Takshaka
choked Parikshit to death and his
followers destroyed and burnt the
king’s fortress which he had built in
a lake.
Janamejaya avenged his father’s death.
Parilia (see Palilia)
Parina South American
a lake said to exist in the mythical
land of Manoa
Parinirvana Buddhist
the state of one who has completed
the incarnation during which he
reached Nirvana
Such a being will not be born again.
Parioca South American
a creator-god of the Quecha
After the flood receded, five men
hatched from eggs left on top of a
mountain. Parioca was one of these
beings and he travelled the countryside
changing the landscape and making
water-channels. When some people
mistook him for a vagrant, he
destroyed the whole village.
Paris
1
British
a king of France
He was a friend of King Arthur who

helped in the quest of Culhwch for the
hand of Olwen.
Paris
2
Greek
[Alexander.Alexandros.Alexandrus]
a prince of Troy
son of Priam and Hecuba
brother of Deiphobos and Hector
father of Corythus by Oenone
His mother, pregnant with Paris,
dreamed that she would bear a torch
that would burn down the city or a
monster which would destroy it. The
prophet, Aesacus, interpeted this to
mean that the boy would cause the
death of his family and the loss of Troy
and so his parents abandoned him on
Mount Ida. He was suckled by a she-
bear, sheltered by the shepherd,
Agelaus, and survived to manhood
when he was returned to his parents.
When he was asked to judge a
beauty contest between the three
goddesses Aphrodite, Athene and
Hera, he awarded the prize, a golden
apple, to Aphrodite because she
promised him access to the most
beautiful girl in the world – Helen,
wife of Menelaus. He abandoned his

wife, the nymph Oenone, who loved
him, in the hope of winning Helen
and returned to Troy where he was
reunited with his parents who
provided the ships for his expedition
to Greece. There he was a welcome
guest of Menelaus but when the king
was absent, Paris abducted Helen and
took her off to Troy. In the Trojan War
that resulted from this abduction, he
met Menelaus in single combat and
would have been killed had not
Aphrodite carried him back to safety in
the city. His son, Corythus, came to
fight at Troy and, when Helen fell in
love with the youth, Paris killed him.
He later shot and killed Achilles from
the city walls, the arrow striking the
Greek hero in the only vulnerable
spot, his ankle.
Another version of the death of
Achilles says that Polyxena, who was
given to Achilles as a prize, persuaded
the Greek hero to divulge the secret of
his vulnerable heel. Polyxena then told
her brother Paris, and he stabbed
Achilles in the heel at the wedding
of Achilles and Polyxena. After the
death of Achilles, Paris was shot and
wounded by Philotoctes using

Heracles’ bow and was carried to
Oenone who was reputed to know of a
drug that would save Paris but she, still
angry at being deserted, just let him die.
Paris Codex Central American
[Tellerio-Remensis Codex]
a manuscript source of Mayan legend
and culture
Parisadam Hindu
a tree said to grow only in heaven
(see also Parijata)
Parisishtas Hindu
sacred writings summarising the vedas
Pariskaravasita Buddhist
a goddess
one of the Paramita goddesses
parivrajaka Hindu
a mendicant ascetic
Parjanya Hindu
[Parjanya-vata]
a rain-god
one of the Adityas
son of Dyaus
father of Soma, some say
In some accounts Parjanya is envisaged
as a celestial cow. This beast is the
embodiment of the rain-clouds, her
milk forming the rain.
In some accounts, he was later
assimilated with Indra.

Parjanya-vata (see Parjanya)
Parlan (see Fisher King)
Parmenie British
[Armenia.Armenie]
the realm of Rivalin
In other versions, this country becomes
Ermenia.
Parmeson (see Bhagwan
1
)
Paribanou
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Parna-Savari
Parna-Savari Buddhist
[Parnasabari.Parnassavari:
=TibetanLo-ma-gyon-ma]
a goddess
an aspect of Aksobhya
one of the dharanis
She is said to destroy diseases by
treading them underfoot.
In some accounts she is equated
with Pishashas and Pukkasi.
She is depicted as having three
heads, three eyes and six arms.
Parnada Hindu
a Brahmin
He was a counsellor to King Bhima
who sent him out with a hundred

others to find the missing Nala,
husband of the king’s daughter,
Damayanti. Parnada found him,
working as a charioteer to King
Rituparna, and the couple were
reunited.
Parnasabari (see Parna-Savari)
Parnassavari (see Parna-Savari)
Parnassus
1
Greek
son of Poseidon
Parnassus
2
(see Mount Parnassus)
Parnassian Greek
pertaining to the Muses
Parne Baltic
a malevolent Finnish forest-spirit
Parpara East Indian
a deity of Kei Island
brother of Hian
He lost the fish-hook of his elder
brother, Hian, who got it back when it
was returned to him by a fish. When
Hian spilled some palm wine, Parpara
made him dig a hole to find it. He dug
so deep that he made a hole in the sky.
Both the brothers, together with
another brother and a sister,

accompanied by four dogs, descended
through the hole on a rope and came
down to earth where they became the
progenitors of the islanders.
Parsai African
a name of En-kai as ‘he who
is worshipped’
Parshva Jain
[Pars(h)vanatha.Parsva]
the twenty-third Tirthankara
founder of the Nirgrantha sect
an incarnation of Indra or Vishnu
son of King Asvasena
He upset his old grandfather,
Mahipala, by interrupting his
meditation but warned him not to split
a log with an axe since it would kill two
serpents inside. His grandfather
ignored the warning and Parshva had
to restore the snakes, one as Ananta
the other as Lakshmi, by singing
hymns. Following his grandfather’s
example, he became an ascetic and
finally starved himself to death.
Parshvanatha (see Parshva)
Parsifal
1
German
[Parsival.Parzifal.Perceval.
Percival.Perseval]

a guileless youth
father of Lohengrin
In the Wagnerian story of the Holy
Grail he innocently shot a swan in the
grounds of the Temple of the Grail.
The keeper allowed him to watch the
knights at prayer and he resolved to
regain the Sacred Spear which had been
seized from Amfortas, the guardian of
the Grail, by the evil magician Klingsor.
He resisted the temptations of the
maiden, Kundry, in Klingsor’s garden
of delights and took the spear from
Klingsor, using it to banish him and all
his works from the face of the earth.
After wandering for many years he
finally found his way back to the
Temple where he cured the wound of
Amfortas by laying on the Sacred
Spear and he became the guardian of
the Holy Grail in place of Amfortas.
Parsifal
2
(see Parzival
1.2
)
Parsival (see Parsifal
1
.Percival)
parstukai (see barstukai)

Parsu Hindu
the first woman
consort of Manu
She was created, some say, from the
drink that Manu offered to the gods
when he survived the flood; others say
that she was created from his rib.
Parsva (see Parshva)
Parsvanatha (see Parshva)
Parthalan (see Partholan)
Parthalon (see Partholan)
Parthanan Irish
a harvest sprite
Parthenon Greek
the temple of Athene
Parthenopaeus Greek
son of Ares, Meleager or Melanion
by Atalanta
one of the Seven against Thebes
father of Promachus
His mother was taken up to Olympus
and he was abandoned on a mountain.
Artemis found him and handed him
over to the Amazons who reared him.
He faced Actor at the Borrhaean
Gate in the battle at Thebes and was
killed by Periclymenus who crushed
him with rocks.
Parthenope
1

Greek
one of the Sirens
When Odysseus and his crew failed to
succumb to her charms and escaped,
she drowned herself in despair.
Parthenope
2
Greek
daughter of Stymphalus
mother of Everes by Heracles
Parthenos Greek
a name of Artemis, Athena and
Hera as ‘virgin’
Partholan Irish
[Parthalan.Parthalon.Partholon.Parytholon]
leader of the second wave of
invaders of Ireland
son of Sera
brother of Starn and Agnoman
husband of Dealgnaid
father of Eber, Laighlinne,
Rudraidhe and Slaine
He had killed his parents in Greece,
expecting to take over their kingdom.
When he did not become king, he
sailed for Ireland with his followers
and settled there after defeating the
Fomoire at the Battle of Magh nIotha.
On one occasion, while he was away
from home, his wife had an affair with

Togda, his servant.
In some accounts, Dealgnaid was his
mother rather than his wife, and
Nemed was his father or his brother.
Partholanians Irish
[Partholians]
the second wave of invaders of Ireland
followers of Partholan
This group of invaders was said to
have come from Spain and consisted of
twenty-four married couples. They
overcame the Fomoire and took over
Ireland but they were afflicted by a
disease which wiped out the whole
race except Tuan.
Partholians (see Partholanians)
Partholon (see Partholan)
Parthonopeus European
a prince
nephew of the king of France
husband of Melior
The story of Parthonopeus and Melior
is that of Cupid and Psyche, with the
roles reversed.
A queen, Melior, decided that she
wanted to marry Parthonopeus and
sent a magic ship which took him to a
fabulous palace in Chief D’Oire where
he was waited on by invisible hands. By
night, Melior came to his bed but

decreed that he must never see her
until they were married. Inevitably he
broke the rule and was banished.
Parthonopeus
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Pasiphae
2
Later, he took part in a great tourn-
ament and, as victor of the games, won
the queen’s hand.
Partinal British
son of Espinogee
His father had been killed by Goon
Desert and Partinal killed Goon Desert
with the Grail Sword which shattered.
One of the objects of the Grail Quest
was the repair of this sword. He was
himself killed by Percival.
(see also Nascien
1
)
Partlet European
[Dame Partlet]
a hen in Reynard the Fox
Partula Roman
a goddess of child-birth
Parvati
1
Buddhist

the Hindu goddess adopted into
the Buddhist pantheon as
Buddha’s doorkeeper
Parvati
2
Hindu
[Adrija.Ahladini-Sadini.Aja.Amba.
Ambi(ka).Anna-Purna.Bhadrakali.
Bhavani.Bhutamata.Devi.Durga.Gauri.
Girija.Haima(va)ti.Kali.Kamakshi.
Kumari.Mahadevi.Manasa.Mangata.
Mhalsa.Raudri.Sati.Shakti.Snow Queen.
Tripura.Uma.Vijaya.Vindhya-Vasini:
=Balinese Parwati.Prawati:=Cambodian
Lady Po Nagar]
a mother-goddess
a name of Devi as ‘the mountaineer’
a mild form of Durga
daughter of Himavan and Mena
sister of Vishnu
wife of Shiva
mother of Ganesha and Skanda
Shiva’s first wife, Sati, immolated herself
but was later reborn as Parvati. When
Shiva deplored her dark skin, Brahma
transformed her into Gauri, ‘the Yellow
Devi’. Some say that it was Gauri who
was burned to death to become Sati.
Another version says that Brahma
created Gauri as a wife for Rudra.

She, or Uma, once covered Shiva’s
eyes, putting the world in darkness,
and he then developed a third eye in
his forehead.
In one story, Shiva banished her to
earth as a fisher-girl and then sent
Nandu in the form of a shark to
destroy the fishermen’s nets. The
foster-father of Parvati offered her as
wife to any man who could kill the
shark and Shiva was able to win back
his wife by appearing in the form of a
young man and catching the shark.
She is sometimes depicted with four
arms or with an elephant’s head.
Parwati Pacific Islands
the Balinese version of Parvati
an aspect of Uma as goddess of
tapas (see also Prawati)
Parytholon (see Partholan)
Parzival
1
German
[Parsifal]
an opera by Wagner dealing with
Percival’s search for the Holy Grail
Parzival
2
German
[Parsifal]

a 13th C poem, written by
Eschenbach, dealing with
Percival’s search for the Holy
Grail
Parzival
3
(see Percival)
pasa (see pasha)
Pasabhrit (see Pashabhrit)
Pasag Mesopotamian
a Sumerian goddess, guardian
of travellers
Pasangu East Indian
an evil goblin
He turned himself into a mouse and
was killed by the cat Gunduple.
Pasaphaessa Greek
[Pasiphaessa]
Aphrodite as queen of the underworld,
‘the shining one’
Pascen British
son of Urien
Paschent British
son of Vortigern and Renwein
When Vortigern was killed by
Aurelius, Renwein arranged for
Ambron to poison Aurelius. In another
version, Paschent fled to Hibernia and
later invaded Cambria with an army
provided by the chieftain, Gilloman,

who was angry because Merlin had
stolen the stones of the Giant’s Ring.
Paschent sent one of his men,
Eopa, to penetrate the court in
disguise where he found Aurelius ill
and poisoned him. Uther defeated
Paschent’s forces, killing both him and
Gilloman.
pasha Hindu
[pasa]
a noose, a symbol of Bhairava
In some versions, Durga is depicted
holding a noose.
Pashabhrit Hindu
[Pasabhrit]
a name of Varuna as ‘he who carries
a noose’(see also Pasi)
P’ashajan’a North American
[=Pueblo Poseyemu:=Tigua Puspiyama:
=Zuni Poshaiyangkyo]
the first man in the lore of the
Keres tribe
Pasht Egyptian
the lioness-headed goddess of
Tombsa
cat-headed version of Sakhmet
or Bast
Pashupata Hindu
the spear of Shiva
pashupata-yoga Hindu

a collective name for later
Shaiva doctrines
Pashupati Hindu
[Lord of Cattle.Pasupati]
an aspect of Agni, Rudra or Shiva as
god of animals
consort of Svaha, some say
father of Sanmukha
Pasi Hindu
a name of Yama as ‘the noose-
carrier’ or of Varuna as ‘judge’
(see also Pashabhrit)
Pasiel
an angel, ruler of the sign Pisces
the fish
Pasikola North American
a trickster-god of the Creek Indians
Pasiphae
1
Greek
daughter of Helius and Crete or
Perse
sister of Circe
wife of Minos
mother of Acacallis, Androgeus,
Ariadne, Deucalion, Glaucus
and Phaedra
mother of Amphithemis by Apollo
mother of Miletus by Apollo, some
say

mother of Deucalion by Prometheus,
some say
She fell irrationally in love with the
white bull that Poseidon sent at the
behest of Minos to prove that he was
the rightful heir to the throne of
Crete. Daedalus fashioned a hollow
wooden cow in which she concealed
herself to mate with the bull. The
outcome of the union was the
monstrous bull-headed Minotaur.
Pasiphae, together with Minos and the
Minotaur retreated to the Labyrinth, a
tortuous maze constructed by Dae-
dalus to contain the monster. When
Minos imprisoned Daedalus and his
son Icarus in the Labyrinth, it was
Pasiphae who released them to make
their famous escape on wings made by
Daedalus.
In some accounts, Europa was the
mother of the Minotaur.
(see also Pasiphae
2
.Selene)
Pasiphae
2
Greek
a Cretan moon-goddess
Partinal

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Pasiphaessa
She was said to be the mother of a calf
which changed colour from white to
red to black each day.
In some accounts, she is the same as
Pasiphae, wife of Minos.
Pasiphaessa (see Pasaphaessa)
Pasithea Greek
one of the Graces, some say
wife of Hypnus, in some accounts
(see also Aglaia
1
)
Passaleon British
son of Estonne
He was an ancestor of Merlin and, as
a child, was said to have visited hell.
As a man, he killed Bruyant to avenge
his father.
Passalus (see Basalus)
Passamun Afghan
a Kafir rain-deity
Passe Brewell British
[Passebreul]
the horse of Tristram
Passe-javrre Baltic
in Lappish lore, the sacred sea
Passe-jokka Baltic

in Lappish lore, the sacred river
Passe-vare Baltic
in Lappish lore, the sacred
mountains
Passebreul (see Passe Brewell)
Passelande British
a horse of King Arthur
Passover (see Pasch)
Pasturer (see Nomius)
Pasupata (see Pashupata)
Pasupati (see Pashupati)
Patadharini Buddhist
a guardian goddess of doorways
Patakoi Egyptian
[Pataikos]
benevolent but deformed beings,
children of Ptah
Phoenician sailors carried images of
these dwarfish creatures as good
luck charms.
Pataikos (see Patakoi)
Patal Thai
[Patali:=Hindu Patala]
the underworld
This realm, ruled by Maiyarab, can be
reached by sliding down inside the
hollow stalk of the lotus.
Patala Hindu
[Put:=Thai Patal]
the underworld, a place of

many pleasures
Patala has seven distinct regions,
known as Atala, Mahatala, Nitala (or
Patala), Rasatala, Sutala, Talatala and
Vitala, each ruled by its own king.
Beneath these realms are the various
hells and Sesha the serpent that
supports the world.
Others describe Patala as a mag-
nificent house, home of the Asuras.
(see also underworld)
Patali (see Patal)
Patan Central American
one of the lords of Xibalba
Patara
1
Greek
the birthplace of Apollo, some say
Patara
2
Hindu
the disc of the sun held by Vishnu
Patecatl Central American
an Aztec god of medicine
husband of Mayahuel
In some accounts, this deity is one of
the gods of intoxication, the Centzon
Totochtin, and is said to have
discovered peyote.
Patek Egyptian

[plur=Pateke]
a protective spirit
Pateke (see Patek)
Pater Greek
a name of Zeus as ‘father’
Paternus British
[Padern]
a Welsh bishop and saint
When King Arthur tried to take the
saint’s cloak, the earth opened and
swallowed the king and he had to
plead for forgiveness before he was
released.
patesi Mesopotamian
a Babylonian prince-priest
patha Buddhist
the way to Nirvana
Pathfinder (see Wepwawet)
Patinaya Nei Pacific Islands
[Queen Mother]
in the lore of the Moluccas, the first
woman
She took the form of a banana tree and
human beings were born from that tree.
Patisamma-cita Buddhist
[‘uncertain reception’]
a new appearance
This is the state that follows that of
Cuti-citta, the moment of death.
Patobkia South American

a Tupari spirit of the underworld
This shaman greets all souls arriving in
the land of the dead, restores their
sight and refreshes them with a drink
of beer. He then presents them to
the giants, Mpokalero and Vaugh’eh,
with one or other of whom they are
required to have intercourse.
Patol Central American
husband of Alaghom Naum
Patollo (see Patollus)
Patollus Baltic
[Patollo]
a Prussian god of the underworld
Patraic (see Patrick)
Patravid German
nephew of Hagen
He was one of the party sent by
Gunther and Hagen to kill Walther
and Hildegunde but was himself killed
by Walther.
Patrice (see Patrise)
Patrick
1
Irish
[Padraic.Padraig.Patraic.Succat]
(c. 391–461)
a saint
patron saint of Ireland
son of Calpurnius and Concess, some

say
In his youth he was said to have
restored to life his dying sister and his
dead foster-father and performed
many other miracles such as turning
icicles into firewood.
When he came to Ireland from
Britain, he spent some time as a slave
of Milius. He offended the high-king,
Laoghaire, and, in an argument with
the king’s druids, killed one of them
named Lochru. Another druid, Lucat
Moel, tried unsuccessfully to poison
him and was burnt to death in a
contest of magic with the saint.
He turned into a fox a man,
Coroticus, who had imprisoned some
of the saint’s followers and restored
to life a dead servant of the tyrant,
Mac Goill.
It is said that he was accompanied
by an angel named Victor and is
generally supposed to have banished
snakes from Ireland.
It is said that he met Cailte or Oisin
who told him the history of the Fianna
and other ancient lore, all of which
was written down by the saint’s
scribe, Brogan.
Patrick

2
Irish
one of the 2 pillars (the other is Brigit)
said to support the island
Patrick
3
(see Patrise)
Patrick the Red British
son of King Arthur
Patrimpas Slav
a river-god
Patripatan Hindu
a cat owned by a monk
When his rival went to heaven and
returned with a flower from the
parisadam tree, the monk sent his cat
to repeat the trick. One of the
goddesses fell in love with the cat and
Patripatan
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Peace Frodi
kept him in heaven for 300 years. He
then returned to earth carrying a
whole branch of the sacred tree.
Patrise British
[Patrice.Patrick]
an Irish knight
a Knight of the Round Table
cousin of Mador

At a dinner given by Guinevere for
twenty-four of her knights, Pinel
planted a poisoned apple intended for
Gawain who had killed his cousin
Lamerock. The apple was eaten by
Patrise who died on the spot. Mador
accused the queen of murder and she
was saved from the stake only by the
intervention of Lancelot who killed
Mador in single combat.
Patrocles British
in Icelandic stories, a grandfather
of Tristram
Patroclus Greek
[Patroklos]
son of Menoetius and Philomena
or Sthelene
He inadvertently killed another
youth, Clytonymus, over a dice game
and was purified by Peleus. He
became a close friend of Achilles and,
when Achilles sulked in his tent at the
siege of Troy, refusing to fight after a
quarrel with Agamemnon, Patroclus
put on the armour of Achilles and led
a fresh attack on the city. He killed
Sarpedon but was wounded by
Euphorbus. He then came face to face
with Hector and was killed. His death
spurred Achilles back into action.

Patroklos (see Patroclus)
Patshak Siberian
Ostiak spirits
These beings are the restless spirits of
children who have been killed.
Pattinidevi Hindu
a mother-goddess in Ceylon
a guardian of marriage
She was a mortal who was wrongly
executed for theft and later deified.
In another account, she was born
when a sacred arrow was fired into a
mango.
Patulcius (see Janus)
patupaiarehe New Zealand
[=Hindu apsarases:=Japanese yosei:
=Persian peris:=Turkish houris]
fairies
Pau-puk-keewis North American
a sorcerer who changed into a beaver
and, later, into an eagle
Pauahtun Central American
[Pauahtuns]
a Mayan god
He was envisaged as having four aspects,
each supporting one corner of the
world.
In some accounts, the name
Pauahtuns is regarded as that of a group
of four gods. (see also Bacabs)

Pauahtuns (see Pauahtun)
Pauanne Finnish
a name of Ukko as god of thunder
Paul
1
Irish
a hermit
He lived alone on an island and was
kept alive by fish brought to him by an
otter. When Brendan and his crew
called at the island, he was able to
direct them to the Land of Promise.
Paul
2
Serbian
brother of Radool and Yelitza
Paul’s wife, jealous of her husband’s
affection for his sister, Yelitza, stabbed
his horse, killed his falcons, and finally
killed their own child, blaming it all
on Yelitza. Paul had Yelitza killed,
pulled apart by horses, and a church
arose on the spot. A disease then
affected his wife and she begged to be
taken to the church to be cured.
Rejected by a mysterious voice, she
then allowed herself to be killed in the
same fashion but, where she died, a
foul lake formed.
Paul Bunyan (see Bunyan)

Paul et Virginie French
a pastoral tale by Bernadin de St Pierre
This story, about a pair of lovers raised
in Mauritius, is based on the classic
tale of Daphnis and Chloe.
Paulomi (see Indrani)
Pauna Inuit
the spirit of the east wind
Pauravas Hindu
the descendants of Puru
ancestors of the Kauravas and
the Pandavas
Paut (see Ennead)
Pautiwa (see Pautiwal)
Pautiwal
1
North American
[Pautiwa]
a Hopi sun-spirit
Pautiwal
2
North American
[Pautiwa]
a Zuni lord of the underworld
Pavaka Hindu
a name for Agni as ‘purifier’
Pavana Hindu
a name of Vayu as consort of Anjana
Pavanarekha Hindu
wife of Ugrasena

mother of Kansa
She produced a son, Kansa, after being
raped by Drumalika but her husband
agreed to rear the boy as his own.
Pavor Roman
a deity, panic personified
pawang Malay
a medicine man
These sorcerers act as mediums,
prophets, controllers of weather, curers
of sickness and are consulted before
one embarks on any new project.
(see also bomor)
Pawpaw Nan Chuang Burmese
brother of Chang-hko
In some accounts, he survived the
flood as well as his sister.
Pax Roman
[=Greek Eirene]
the goddess of peace
She is depicted as a maiden with
a cornucopia.
Pay Zume South American
[=West Indies Zume]
a Paraguayan sun-god
He taught his people the arts of
agriculture and the chase.
pa’yak South American
black beetles: supernatural spirits of
the Toba Indians

Payatami North American
[Payatamu]
a harvest-god of the Hopi and
Zuni tribes
He sometimes appeared in the form of
a tiny flute-player or a butterfly which
fertilised plants.
Payatamu (see Payatami)
Payetome South American
a culture-hero or god of ague
in Brazil
Paymon
[Pagimon]
one of the Cardinal demons (west)
He may be the same as Paimon.
Paynal Central American
[Little Paynal.Paynalton]
an Aztec messenger-spirit, attendant
on Huitzilopochtli
Paynalton (see Paynal)
Pazuzu Mesopotamian
an Assyrian monster
son of Hanpa
This being is described as part lion,
part eagle, with horns and two pairs
of wings.
Pe-har (see Bihar)
Pe-kar Tibetan
a fiend
patron of sorcerers (see also Bihar)

Peace Roman
one of the 5 Appiades
Peace Frodi (see Frodi)
Patrise
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Peace Queen
Peace Queen (see Genetaska)
Peace Stead (see Breidablik)
peacock
1
Chinese
a sacred bird
peacock
2
Greek
the bird sacred to Hera
peacock
3
Hindu
[ma(n)yura.shananga]
the bird of Brahma, Laksmi and Sarasvati
peacock
4
Roman
[Junonian bird]
the bird sacred to Juno
Peacock Angel (see Eblis)
peai South American
[peai-man.piache]

a witch-doctor in Guiana
peai-man (see peai)
Pean (see Apollo.Asclepius.Paeon)
pearl
a lustrous deposit found in the
oyster or other molluscs
This object is valued as a semi-precious
jewel and appears in many myths.
In Borneo, they say that if a pearl is
placed in a bottle with some grains of
rice and the finger of a dead man is used
as a stopper, more pearls will appear.
In China, it was said that some
dragons could spit out pearls and, if
dragons fought in the heavens, pearls
could fall like rain.
Hindus say that pearls can be found
in the head or stomach of elephants.
Some say that pearls lose their lustre
with age, others that they become dull
if the owner is ill.
Pearl powdered and dissolved in
lemon juice, to form salt of pearl, was
said to cure certain illnesses or act as
an antidote to poison.
Pearl of Beauty (see Fand)
Pearly Emperor (see Yü Huang)
Peboan North American
the manitou of winter, in
Algonquian lore

Pebin Welsh
father of Goewin
Pebble-rattler North American
a wind-god of the Haida people
Pecchere British
[King of Sessoyne.King of Tars.
King of the Lake]
This person appears in some of the
stories of King Arthur under various
other names.
Pecos Bill North American
a culture-hero of the cowboys
He taught the cowboys all they needed
to know, invented the six-shooter and,
like Paul Bunyan, is said to have
created the Grand Canyon.
Pedias Greek
wife of Cranaus
mother of Athos and Cranae
pedomancy
[podomancy]
divination from the soles of the feet
Pedivere British
a knight
Lancelot came upon this knight intent
upon killing his own wife. He
intervened but Pedivere nevertheless
struck off his wife’s head. Lancelot
forced him to carry the head in his
hand and the headless body on his

back all the way to Camelot. He ended
his life as a hermit.
Pedrawd British
son of Bedivere
His son was also called Bedivere.
Pedro Pacific Islands
a prince in the Philippines
husband of Chonguita
Chonguita was a monkey-woman and
Pedro married her with great
reluctance. As soon as they were wed,
she turned into a beautiful woman.
peepul (see bo-tree)
peer (see paladin)
Pegasos (see Pegasus)
Pegasus Greek
[Aganippe.Pegasos:=Hindu Pagas]
the winged horse of Apollo
the horse of the Muses
This animal, fathered by Poseidon,
sprang from the blood of Medusa
when she was decapitated by Perseus.
It was ridden by Bellerophon when he
killed the Chimaera and, in some
accounts, Perseus rode Pegasus when
he rescued Andromeda from the sea-
monster. It also carried the
thunderbolts used by Zeus.
It is said that the fountain
Hippocrene, on Mount Helicon, sprang

from one of the horse’s hoof-prints.
pegomancy
divination from fountains and springs
Peheipe North American
a culture-hero of the Maidu Indians
Pehar (see Bihar)
Pei-chi Chinese
[Chen(g) Wu.Pei-chi-chun]
a name for Huan Ti as Prince of the
North Pole
Pei-chi-chen-chun (see Pei-chi)
Pei-tou Chinese
the Great Bear constellation regarded
as the emperor’s chariot
Peibaw (see Peibiaw)
Peibyn British
father of Eiryn Wych
Peibiaw Welsh
[Peibaw]
son of Don, some say
brother of Nyniaw
He and his brother quarrelled about
the stars and their meanings and ended
up by waging war on each other,
devastating the country. They were
both changed into oxen for their
stupidity and were the animals that
Ysbaddaden required Culhwch to get
in his quest for the hand of Olwen.
(see also Melyn Granwyn.

Nyniaw.Ych Brych)
Peine Greek
a goddess, hunger personified
Peiras Greek
a son of Argus
Peirene Greek
a spring to supply Corinth created
by Asopus
Peirithous Greek
[Perithous.Pirithoos.Pirithous.
‘prancer’]
king of the Lapiths
son of Ixion and Dia or Nephele
or of Zeus (as a stallion) and Dia
husband of Hippodamia
father of Polypoetes
Having heard of the exploits of
Theseus, Peirithous stole some of his
cattle to test his mettle and they
became lifelong friends as a result.
During the hunt for the Calydonian
boar his rashness nearly cost him his
life but he was saved by Theseus.
Some say that he was one of the
Argonauts and took part in the
expedition when Theseus raided
the Amazons.
At his wedding to Hippodamia, the
drunken Centaurs tried to rape the
women attending the ceremony, so

starting the long-runing feud between
the Centaurs and the Lapitha.
After the death of Hippodamia he
helped Theseus in the abduction of
Helen. Theseus won when they drew
lots for Helen and accompanied
Peirithous to Tartarus to demand
Persephone as a bride for the loser.
They were both trapped by Hades
in the Chair of Forgetfulness
and although Theseus was rescued
by Hercules, Peirithous was doomed
forever.
In some versions, only Theseus was
trapped in the chair while Peirithous
was bound to the revolving wheel to
which Ixion had been bound.
Some say that he was killed by the
Peirithous
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Peleus
dog Cerberus, while other versions of
the story say that the earth opened and
swallowed him.
Peiroun Chinese
In Taiwanese lore, king of the island
of Maurigasma
He received a warning that when the
temple images of the gods Awun and

Infoniwoo changed to red, the flood
would come and he was able to board
a ship and escape.
Peisinoe Greek
[Pisonoe]
one of the Sirens
Peision Greek
father of Ixion, some say
Peitha (see Peitho)
Peitho
1
Greek
[Peitha:=Roman Suadela]
the goddess of persuasion
an attendant on Aphrodite
mother of Minthe by Cocytus,
in some accounts
Some regard her as Aphrodite or
her daughter.
In some accounts, she was one of
the Graces.
Peitho
2
Greek
a title for Aphrodite
Peju’ipe Siberian
guardians of animals
Pek Central American
[‘death’:=Aztec Xolotl]
the lightning-dog of the Maya

Pekai Pacific Islands
wife of Sido
Pekar (see Bihar)
Pekko Baltic
[Pellonpekko:=Estonian Peko]
a Finnish corn-god
Peklo Slav
the underworld
Peko Baltic
[=Finnish Pekko]
an Estonian fertility-god
Pela Orso European
in some Italian stories, the fairy
castle of Morgan le Fay
Pelado Peak North American
a sacred mountain of the Navaho
Rock Crystal Boy and Rock Crystal
Girl were set on the top of this peak by
Atse Estsan and Atse Hastin.
Pelagon
1
Greek
son of Asopus and Metope
brother of Ismenus and 20 sisters
Pelagon
2
Greek
king of Phocis
It was in the herds of this king that
Cadmus found the cow that led him to

the site of Thebes.
Pelandok (see Kanchil)
Pelanduk (see Kanchil)
Pelasgi Greek
[Pelasgians]
aboriginal Greeks
Pelasgians (see Pelasgi)
Pelasgus
1
Greek
the first man
son of Zeus by Niobe, some say
husband of Cyllene
father of Lycaon
He was said to have emerged from the
soil and became the ancestor of the
early Greek Pelasgi.
In some accounts, an ancient
princess, ancestress of numerous tribes.
Pelasgus
2
Greek
a king of Argos
son of Agenor
brother of Iasius
He helped Danaus in his struggle with
the fifty sons of Aegyptus who invaded
his kingdom seeking to kill Danaus but
instead married his fifty daughters.
Pele Pacific Islands

[Pere]
the volcano-goddess of Hawaii
goddess of fire
daughter of Kane Hoalani and Haumea
daughter of Mahuika, some say
sister of Hiiaka and Kapo
wife of Wahieloa and Lohiau
She was so unruly that her father sent
her off to find her own house. She
excavated for the foundations of a new
home on many islands, finally building
on Hawaii. It is said that the earlier
excavations are the volcano craters of
the Pacific region.
Another story says that she
challenged a chief, Kahawali, to a
race down the slope of a volcano on
wooden sledges and erupted in fury
when she lost. The winner escaped
by boat.
Her first husband deserted her for
another woman and Pele married the
chieftain Lahiau. She left him soon
after the wedding to prepare a new
home but the message to say that it
was ready took so long to reach him
that he died. He was restored to life
and set off with his attendants to go to
Pele but once again it took so long that
Pele lost patience and killed them all

with fire.
Another variation says that she
sent Hiiaka to rescue his soul from
the underworld. When Lahiau was
restored to life, he fell in love with
Hiiaka so the jealous Pele poured lava
over him and he died again. When he
was once again restored to life by Kane
Hoalani, Pele repented and gave him
up to Hiiaka.
Pele Kolese Baltic
a Finnish water-spirit
This being floated on its back as if
drowning. Those who attempted
rescue were attacked and killed.
Pelear (see Bihar)
Peleiai Greek
[‘doves’]
priestesses tending the oracle of Zeus
at Dodona
Peleias (see Pelian spear.Pelias
2
)
Pelenore (see Pellimore)
Pelesit Malay
a spirit
Sorcerers are said to be able to evoke
such a spirit, using the tongue of a
newly dead baby, and use it in
association with a polang against their

enemies as a blood-sucking insect like
a cricket.
Peleur British
the Welsh name for Pelles, owner of
the Grail Castle
Peleus Greek
[‘muddy’]
a king of Phthia
son of Aeacus and Endeis
brother of Telamon
half-brother of Phocus
husband of Antigone and Thetis
father of Polydora by Antigone
father of Achilles by Thetis
He and his brother Telamon killed
their half-brother, Phocus, and were
exiled to Phthia by their father.
He was purified by the king,
Eurytion, whose daughter Antigone he
married, but he accidentally killed
Eurytion during the hunt for the
Calydonian boar. This time he was
purified by Acastus, king of Iolcus,
whose wife Hippolyta (or Astydamia)
accused him of rape. Acastus tried to
avenge this insult by taking his sword
when Peleus fell asleep during a hunt
but Peleus was saved from the
Centaurs by Chiron and returned to
the court where he killed both Acastus

and Hippolyta.
In some accounts, the woman
accusing Peleus was Cretheis and it
was her husband who abandoned him
during the hunt.
Advised by Chiron, he caught
Thetis asleep in a cave and held her
through many shape-changes until she
agreed to marry him. At his wedding
Peiroun
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Pelham
to Thetis, Eris threw the golden apple
among the assembled guests, so setting
in train the events that led to the
Trojan War.
When he and Thetis disagreed over
her attempts to make Achilles
invulnerable by fire, she left him and
returned to her home in the sea but
they were later reconciled and he
joined her in her underwater realm.
Zeus later gave him an army of
Myrmidons and he seized the throne
of Phthia. He set off to welcome his
grandson Pyrrhus (Neoptolemus),
safely returned from the Trojan War,
and died in the journey.
Pelham British

[Pell(e)am.Pelleham.Pelle(h)an.
Pellehen]
a king of Listinoise
son of Pelles, some say
brother of Gorlan
He arranged a tournament for his
knights at which Balin turned up
looking for Gorlan. When Gorlan
challenged him, Balin killed him and
cut off his head so Pelham attacked
Balin with a battle-axe, breaking
Balin’s sword. Balin ran away to find
another weapon and came upon a
room where there lay the perfectly
preserved body of an old man and a
strange spear, the Holy Lance. Balin
seized the spear and used it to kill
Pelham.
Some accounts refer to this spear
stroke as the Dolorous Stroke, others
reserve the name for the sword-stroke
that killed Lambor.
In some accounts, he is the same as
Pellimore. (see also Fisher King.
Pelles)
Peliades Greek
daughters of Pelias
Pelian spear Greek
[Pel(e)ias]
a huge weapon made from an ash tree

grown on Mount Pelion
Only Achilles was capable of using
this spear which was said to have
healing properties.
Pelias
1
British
[Peleias]
a king of Lyonesse
father of Lucius
Pelias invaded Cornwall and Thanor
the king enlisted the help of the Irish.
As a result, Cornwall was required to
pay an annual tribute until Tristram
defeated Morholt.
Pelias
2
(see Pelian spear)
Pelias
3
Greek
[Peleias]
king of Iolcus
son of Poseidon and Tyro
twin brother of Neleus
husband of Anaxibia
father of Acastus, Alcestis, Amphinone
and Evadne
Tyro was the wife of Cretheus and,
when he found out about her affair

with Poseidon, he abandoned her and
took her maid Sidero in her place.
Tyro’s twin sons by Poseidon were
abandoned but they were found and
reared by horse-herders. Sidero, when
she married Cretheus, was very cruel
to Tyro and when the twins were old
enough they set out to avenge her with
the result that Pelias killed Sidero.
Another version says that Sidero
was the second wife of Tyro’s father,
Salmoneus, and hence her stepmother.
He later deposed Aeson and
Polymele and took over the throne of
Iolcus. When their son Jason later
claimed the throne, he offered to
give it up if Jason would fetch the
Golden Fleece from Colchis. While
Jason was away, his parents
committed suicide and Pelias killed
their young son Promachus.
Jason returned with the Golden
Fleece bringing with him Medea, the
sorceress. She bewitched two of the
daughters of Pelias into killing him,
cutting him up and boiling him in the
belief that, by this means, he would
be rejuvenated.
pelican
a water-bird with a large pouch under

its beak
It is said that this bird will kill its
young and then restore them to life
with blood from its own breast.
The Greeks regarded it as the
enemy of the quail and, in Hebrew
lore, it was said to be a bird of ill-omen.
Pelides Greek
a name of Achilles as ‘son of Peleus’
Pelinore (see Pellimore)
Pelintsiek North American
[Great Dentalium]
the personification of the shell-money
of the Yurok tribe
He and his companion, Tego’o, came
to California from the north.
Pelion (see Mount Pelion)
Pellam (see Fisher King.
Pelham.Pelles)
Pellé (see Pelles)
Pelleam (see Pelham)
Pellean (see Pelham)
Pelleas British
a Knight of the Round Table
husband of Nimue
At a tournament where he defeated
500 knights in three days, Pelleas fell
hopelessly in love with Ettard who had
organised the contest. When she
rejected his advances, he made a

nuisance of himself and she sent her
knights against him. He unhorsed ten
in quick succession but then allowed
himself to be tied under the belly of his
horse and taken prisoner so that he
could catch just another glimpse of
his beloved. As soon as he was released,
he did the same again. Gawain tried to
help by going to Ettard in the armour
of Pelleas and telling her that he was
dead but the ploy failed when Gawain
seduced Ettard and stayed with her for
some time. Pelleas, heart-broken, took
to his bed and went into decline.
Nimue found him in this state and put
a spell on Ettard causing her to fall in
love with Pelleas. She then bewitched
Pelleas who rejected Ettard with scorn.
Nimue then stayed with Pelleas for
their lifetime. In some versions, they
married.
Pelleham (see Pelham)
Pellehan (see Pelham)
Pellehen (see Pelham)
Pellervoine Finnish
a guardian god of vegetation
Pelles British
[Amfortas.Hermit King.Le Roi Pêcheur.
Pellam.Pellé.Rich Fisher:=Welsh Peleur]
a king of Carbonek

keeper of the Holy Grail
father of Elaine and Eliazar
father of Pelham, some say
cousin of Joseph of Arimathea
He was guardian of the Holy Grail
who had been made lame for his sins.
In one story, he found a ship covered
in white samite, the ship that was later
found by Galahad and his two
companions in the Grail quest, and
went aboard. When he tried to draw
the sword of King Hurlane which he
found there, a spectral spear pierced
him through both thighs.
A similar story is told of both
Nascien and Parlan.
To ensure a follower worthy of
learning the secrets of the Grail, he
used a magic potion to deceive
Lancelot into thinking that Elaine was
Guinevere. The result of their union
was the boy Galahad.
Pelles
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Penates
When Galahad reached the Grail at
the end of his quest, he heard a voice
from heaven telling him to anoint
Pelles with blood from the Holy

Lance. This washed away his sins and
healed his wounds.
Pelles spent the last years of his life
in a monastery. (see also Amfortas.
Elyas.Fisher King.Henron.
Nascien.Pellimore)
Pellimore British
[Ballamore.Pelenore.Pel(l)inore.
Pellinor.Rich Fisher]
king of the Isles
a Knight of the Round Table
father of Aglovale, Alan, Dornar,
Driant, Elaine, Lamerock, Melodiam,
Nimue, Percival and Torre
He issued a challenge to all-comers,
killing Miles and badly wounding
Griflet. He then jousted with King
Arthur and defeated him. Merlin put a
spell on Pellimore to save the king’s
life. He was later welcomed at the
king’s court and given a place of
honour at the Round Table. At
Arthur’s wedding feast, he was sent to
find the knight who had ridden into
the hall and forcefully made off with
Nimue who had entered just before to
claim the white bitch which had
chased a white stag into the hall. He
passed a damsel nursing a wounded
knight but refused to stop and help

her. When he found the lady, he found
two knights fighting – Ontelake who
had carried her off and Meliot, her
cousin. He killed Ontelake and Meliot
surrendered without a fight. He took
Nimue back to Camelot and, on the
way, saw the dead bodies of the
damsel and the knight he had failed
to help. It turned out that the girl was
Elaine, his own daughter by the Lady
of Rule, and the knight was her lover,
Myles; they had both been attacked
by Loraine le Sauvage as they travelled
to Camelot to be married.
He was one of those who pursued
the Questing Beast without success.
He killed Lot and was himself killed
by Gawain, Lot’s son.
In some accounts, he is referred to
as the Rich Fisher, is wounded in the
thighs and is equated with Pelles; some
describe him as the brother of Pelles;
others equate him with Pelham.
Pellinor (see Pellimore)
Pellinore (see Pellimore)
Pellonpekko (see Pekko)
Pelopea (see Pelopia)
Pelopia Greek
[Pelopea]
a priestess

daughter of Thyestes
mother of Aegisthus
Her father raped her and she later
married her uncle Atreus who raised
the child of that union with her father,
a boy called Aegisthus, as his own.
When she found out that the masked
man who had raped her was her own
father she killed herself with his
sword.
Pelopids Greek
the descendants of Pelops
Pelopion Greek
the grove of Pelops at Olympia
Pelops
1
Greek
son of Agamemnon by Cassandra
twin brother of Teledamus
Odysseus took Cassandra and her two
sons back to Greece after the fall of
Troy. All four were killed by
Clytemnestra and Aegisthus.
Pelops
2
Greek
king of Pisa
son of Tantalus and Dione
brother of Niobe
husband of Euryanessa

or Hipppodamia
father of Alcathous, Astydamia, Atreus,
Chrysippus, Copreus, Epidaurus,
Lysidice, Nicippe, Pittheus, Sicyon,
Troezen and Thyestes
When Tantalus found himself short of
food at a banquet he had laid on for
the gods, he killed his son Pelops, cut
him up and served him in a stew. The
only one to eat any of the portions was
Demeter (or Thetis, some say) who ate
the shoulder. The gods restored
Pelops to wholeness with Demeter
contributing a new shoulder made of
ivory and Poseidon carried the
restored youth off to Olympus.
He fell in love with Hippodamia
and won her hand after beating her
father, Oenomaus, in a chariot race,
driving a magic chariot given to him
by Poseidon. Pelops had promised to
allow Myrtilus, her father’s charioteer,
to sleep with Hippodamia, so
persuading Myrtilus to sabotage her
father’s chariot. When it broke down,
Pelops killed Oenomaus but after-
wards reneged on his promise to
Myrtilus and kicked him into the sea.
Purified by Hephaestus he assumed
the throne of Pisa.

On his death he was taken up to
Olympus as an immortal. Some say
that he was carried off by Poseidon to
be his cup-bearer.
Pelorus Greek
one of the 5 survivors of the Sown
Men known as the Sparti
Pemba African
[Femba.Great Thing.Ngala]
a creator-god and tree-god of
the Bambara: the primordial
creation principle
twin brother of Faro
He was made from the void and then
created the world. He came down to
earth as the seed from which an acacia
tree grew. He made the first woman,
Musso-koroni, from the wood of the
tree and mated with her to generate
men and animal life. She planted
Pemba in the earth only for his brother,
Faro the water-god, to dig him up.
(see also Faro
1.2
)
Pemphredo Greek
[Pephredo.‘spiteful’]
one of the Graiae
Pen (see Kalamu)
Pen Annwfn Welsh

a name of Pwyll as ‘head of Hades’,
The name he assumed during his one-
year tenure as king of the underworld
when he exchanged roles with Arawn.
penanggalan Malay
a blood-sucking demon or witch
It is said that these demons are women
who, by witchcraft, leave their bodies
by night in the form of a disembodied
head trailing intestines.
Penardun Welsh
daughter of Beli and Don
second wife of Llyr
wife of Euroswydd
mother of Bran, Branwen and
Manawyddan by Llyr
mother of Efnisien and Nisien
by Euroswydd
Some say that she was Beli’s sister
rather than his daughter. In some
versions, she was the first wife of Llyr;
others say Iweriadd was his first wife
and mother of Bran and Branwen. She
later married Euroswydd.
In some accounts, she was an
ancestress of King Arthur.
Penarwan British
wife of Owain
Penates Roman
[Di Magni.Di Penates]

household gods of the larder
Some say these deities were brought
from Troy by Aeneas; some say they
are Castor and Pollux; some identify
them with the Cabeiri.
Pellimore
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Penates of the Thunderer
Penates of the Thunderer Italian
a group of great Etruscan gods
Penbedw British
a site, in Wales, where some say King
Arthur was buried
Pendaran Welsh
a chieftain, a famous swineherd,
with whom the young Pryderi
was fostered
Pendragon British
[Pandragon.Pendragwn]
a name assumed by Uther when he
became king
In some accounts, Pendragon was the
brother of Uther, a name given to
Aurelius Ambrosius.
Some accounts say that King Arthur
also assumed this title which means
chief or leader.
(see also Uther Pendragon)
Pendragon Castle British

the home of Breunor and Maladisant
Pendragwn (see Pendragon)
Peneius (see Peneus)
Peneleos Greek
son of Hippalcimus
one of the Argonauts
Penelope
1
Greek
[Arnaea]
daughter of Icarius and Periboea
sister of Iphthime
wife of Odysseus
mother of Ptoliporthes and Telemachus
Because Icarius wanted a son, his wife
hid their baby daughter in the flocks of
sheep, calling her Arnaea. Icarius
discovered the deception and threw
the child into the sea. When she was
saved by ducks, he accepted her as his
own and reared her.
Odysseus won her as his wife in a
foot-race.
When her son, Telemachus, was just
a baby, Odysseus went off to fight in
the siege of Troy. He was away for
twenty years, the last ten of which
were spent wandering at the whim of
the gods.
Many men came to woo her, saying

that Odysseus must surely be dead,
and they refused to leave, slowly eating
her out of house and home. She
promised to give them an answer when
she had finished a robe (or shroud) she
was making but by night she unpicked
all she had done by day so that it was
never finished.
In one account, Penelope, believing
that her husband was dead, threw
herself into the sea but was saved
by ducks.
When Odysseus finally came back,
she contrived to get his bow and
arrows to him and he very quickly
disposed of the unwelcome guests.
They had a second son, Ptoliporthes.
One story says that Telegonus, a son
of Odysseus by Circe, killed Odysseus,
not knowing that he was killing his
own father, and then took Penelope
and Telemachus to Aeaea where he
married a miraculously youthful
Penelope, fathering Italus, and
Telemachus married Circe.
Yet another story says that she had
been unfaithful to Odysseus and was
the mother of Pan by Hermes.
Penelope
2

(see Dryope
1
)
Penelophon African
wife of Cophetua
penelopise
act like Penelope, gaining time by
undoing the day’s work each night
Peneus Greek
[Ladon.Peneius]
a river-god, a river in Tempe
son of Oceanus and Tethys
father of Daphne, Cyrene, Hypseus,
Stilbe and Syrinx by Creusa,
in some accounts
P’eng-lai Chinese
a Taoist island paradise, one of the
Fortunate Islands
This realm, one 108 paradises,
floating in the Eastern sea, was where
the plant of immortality grew and the
water of immortality flowed in the
rivers. It was the home of the Eight
Immortals and could be reached only
by air since the seas around it would
not support a boat.
In later years, the Celestial Emperor
had the islands anchored by huge
tortoises and guarded by Yü-chiang
(see also Fortunate Islands

3
)
P’eng-lai Shan Chinese
a mountain in the paradise P’eng-lai
P’eng Niao Chinese
the Chinese version of the roc
This huge bird is said to carry the sky
on its shoulders.
In some accounts, it was originally
the sea-monster, Kun.
P’eng Tsu Chinese
a god of longevity
As a mortal, he was said to have lived
longer than any of his nineteen wives
or his fifty-four sons.
(see also Shou Shen)
pengap (see diam)
Penia Greek
poverty personified
Penpigion Welsh
a gatekeeper at King Arthur’s palace
deputy to Glewlwyd
He walked on his head to save his
feet. He was killed by the boar
Twrch Trwyth.
pentacle
[Wizard’s Foot]
a five-pointed star: a five-sided
figure
This device is used as a defence against

witches and demons. In the Arthurian
stories, Gawain had this symbol
emblazoned on his shield.
Penthesilea Greek
[Penthesileia]
queen of the Amazons
daughter of Ares by Otrere
She fought on the side of the Trojans
in the siege of Troy and was killed by
Achilles who mourned her death.
Some say that she had a son, Caistus,
by Achilles.
Penthesileia (see Penthesilea)
Pentheus Greek
[‘pain’]
king of Thebes
son of Echion and Agave
cousin of Dionysus
He took over the throne when his
grandfather, Cadmus, resigned.
When he tried to prevent Dionysus
from inducing the women of Thebes
to join his drunken revels and dressed
as a woman to spy on them, the
Maenads went berserk and tore him
apart, led by his own mother, Agave,
who pulled off his head.
Penthilus Greek
son of Orestes and Erigone,
some say

Penyakit Malay
an evil spirit known as ‘the sick-
maker’
People of Dana (see Danaans)
People of Morodo (see Masi)
People of the Sun (see Mlangeri)
Peopling Vine Pacific Islands
the vine planted by Tangaroa at
creation and from which the human
race sprang
Peor (see Baal-Peor)
Pepelyouga (see Marra)
Pepezu South American
a god of the Yuracari tribe
Pephredo (see Pemphredo)
Pepin
1
European
[Pepin II.Pepin d’Heristal]
(d. 714)
king of the Franks
father of Charles Martel
Pepin
1
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818
Percival de Gales
Pepin
2
European

[Pepin III.Pepin the Short]
(715-768)
king of the Franks
son of Rother and Oda
brother of Carloman
husband of Aliste and Bertha
father of Andri and Remfré by
Aliste
father of Carloman and Charlemagne
by Bertha
He was betrothed to marry Bertha but
her old nurse, Magiste, substituted her
own daughter, Aliste, and she became
queen. When the deception was
exposed some years later, Bertha, who
had meanwhile sheltered with Pepin’s
cowherd, Symon, and his wife
Constance, was installed in her proper
position.
In some accounts he was said to
have abducted his nephew Valentine,
brother of Orson.
Pepin
3
European
(778-811)
king of Italy
son of Charlemagne
brother of Charlot and Louis
Per-U-Ajit (see Edjo)

Peranu European
[=Bulgarian Perusan:=Estonin Piker:
=Lithuanian Perkunos:=Polish Piorun:
=Prussia Perkonis:=Russan Pyerun:
=Serbian Gromoit:=Slav Peroon]
a Bohemian thunder-god
Percard British
[The Black Knight]
a knight
This knight was killed by Gareth
when he rode to the assistance of the
lady, Lyonesse.
Perceforest
1
British
[Betis]
father of Bethides
brother of Gaddifer
He was originally Betis, a man given
the throne of Britain by Alexander the
Great. He killed a magician called
Damart and became known as
Perceforest thereafter. He founded a
knightly order, the Knights of the
Franc Palais, but when Bethides
married Circe, she brought the
Roman invaders who broke up the
order and conquered Britain. He and
his brother Gaddifer then retired to
the Isle of Life.

Perceforest
2
French
a 14th C history of Britain in
which Alexander the Great is
said to have invaded the country
and installed Perceforest as king
Perceval
1
French
a 13th C story of Percival’s adventures
written by Boron
Perceval
2
(see Conte de Graal)
Perceval
3
(see Parsifal.
Percival Peredur)
Perchevael European
the Dutch name for Percival
Percht (see Bertha
3
)
Perchta (see Bertha
3
)
Perchten (see Berchta)
Perchtennacht (see Berchtennacht)
Percides British

a knight of King Arthur’s court
Percival British
father of Percival de Gales,
in some accounts
He was said to have been killed by the
Red Knight.
Percival de Gales British
[Parsifal.Parzival.Perceval.Perse(val):
=Dutch Perchevael:=Welsh Peredur]
a knight of King Arthur’s court
son of Pellimore
brother of Aglovale, Dindrane
and Lamerock
father of twin boys, Kardiez and
Lohenergrain, and a girl, Aribadale,
by Condwiramur
His parentage is variously described.
Some say his father was Alan,
Bliocadran, Efrawg, Evelake,
Gahmuret, Gales, Greloguevaus,
Julian or Percival; his mother is
Achefleur, Herzeloyde, Philosophine
or Yglais; his sisters Agrestizia and
Dindrane.
Reared in isolation, he yearned to
be a knight and left home at an early
age to seek his fortune. He was given
a bracelet by the wife of Orilus and
soon met his cousin, Sigune, weeping
over the body of her husband,

Schionatulander, killed by the Red
Knight. Percival killed the murderer
and took his horse and armour. He
learned the skills of his trade at the
hands of Gurnemans and set off to
seek adventure.
In some accounts, these are two
separate events. In the first, Percival
killed the Red Knight, who had stolen
a golden goblet from Camelot, taking
his horse and armour; in the second,
the killer of Sigune’s husband (or
lover) turned out to be Orgelleuse (or
Orilus) and Percival defeated him and
sent him to Arthur’s court.
Hearing that Condwiramur, the
queen of Brobarz, was in trouble, he
rode to her aid, killed the besieging
enemies and married her, fathering a
son, Lohenergrain. He left after a
while to look for his mother, not
knowing that she was dead.
In some stories, he came to the
Grail Temple where he found the
wounded Amfortas but failed to ask
the one question that would have
ended his suffering. He was later
tricked into fighting Gawain on behalf
of Gramoflanz but spared his life when
Itonje, Gawain’s sister, pleaded with

him. He came to a hermit’s cell where
Trevrezent told him that he could cure
Amfortas, his brother, if he asked the
right question. It is said that he set off
to find Amfortas again and was
challenged by a knight who turned out
to be his half-brother, Feirefiz, who
joined him in his quest. When they
found Amfortas, he was made whole
again when Percival asked what ailed
him. Then Titurel appeared and
crowned Percival as the guardian of
the Holy Grail.
He drove off the nine Hags of
Gloucester who were harassing the
Lady of the Castle and spent three
weeks with her before Arthur
persuaded him to return to Camelot.
One of the hags turned up at Camelot
and said that the Lady of the Castle
was now a prisoner in the Fortress of
Marvels. Percival set off to the rescue
but was trapped in the Tall Tower. The
master’s daughter released him and he
drove off the attackers sent by the hags
to kill him. At the Fortress of Marvels,
Percival killed the guards and cut off
the head of a unicorn. The head
became a rider on a skeleton horse
which disappeared in dust and smoke

when Percival struck it with his sword.
He killed the leader of the hags and
the others turned to grease puddles.
The Lady of the Castle had dis-
appeared from the world of mortals
and Percival returned to Camelot
empty-handed. In the parallel story of
Peredur, the hags are the witches
of Caer Llyw.
He joined in the search for Lancelot
when he went mad and disappeared
from Camelot. In one story, it is said
he and Ector found him at Castle
Bliant and persuaded him to return to
Camelot.
He joined the other knights in the
quest for the Holy Grail. Both he and
Lancelot fought a knight who turned
Pepin
2
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