Examples of Sicán Deity in the following topics:
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- The Early Sicán period began around 750 CE and lasted until 900 CE.
- It appeared to be a predecessor to the related faces of the Sicán Deity and the Sicán Lord of the Middle Sicán culture.
- The Middle Sicán period lasted from 900 to 1100 CE.
- At the time of the drought, the Sicán Deity, so closely tied to the ocean and water in general, was at the center of Sicán religion, and appeared in most major artistic motifs.
- The catastrophic changes in weather were thus linked to the Sicán Deity, mainly to the failure of the deity to mediate nature for the Sicán people.
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- The Chimú expansion also incorporated many different ethnic groups, including the Sicán culture, which lasted independently until 1375.
- The Chimú worshipped the Moon (Si) and considered it the greatest and most powerful of the deities.
- They were also considered to be sons of the Sun deity.
- Shrines (called huacas) developed in each district across Chimor, dedicated to an associated legend, deity, or cult of belief, depending on the region.
- Spondylus shells were used as a currency and as offerings to the deities.
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- The complexity of the religion was evident as some deities existed in different manifestations and had multiple mythological roles.
- Just as the forces of nature had complex interrelationships, so did Egyptian deities.
- Minor deities might be linked, or deities might come together based on the meaning of numbers in Egyptian mythology (i.e., pairs represented duality).
- Deities might also be linked through syncretism, creating a composite deity.
- At many sites, Egyptians worshipped specific animals that they believed to be manifestations of deities.
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- Vedic ritualism, a composite of ancient
Indo-Aryan and Harappan culture, contributed to the deities and traditions of
Hinduism over time.
- Each
Veda was further divided in two sections: the Brahmanas, instructions for
religious rituals, and the Samhitas, mantras or hymns in praise of various
deities.
- However,
the religious practices and deities are not uniformly consistent in these
sacred texts, probably because the Aryans themselves were not a homogenous
group.
- According
to the hymns of the Rig Veda, the most important deities were Agni, the god of
Fire, intermediary between the gods and humans; Indra, the god of Heavens and
War, protector of the Aryans against their enemies; Surya, the Sun god; Vayu,
the god of Wind; and Prthivi, the goddess of Earth.
- The castes are
thought to have derived from a hymn found in the Vedas to the deity Purusha,
who is believed to have been sacrificed by the other gods.
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- The
Etruscan system of belief was an immanent polytheism; that is, all visible
phenomena were considered to be a manifestation of divine power and that power
was subdivided into deities that acted continually on the world of man, and
could be dissuaded or persuaded in favor of human affairs.
- As the Romans
emerged from the legacy created by both of these groups, it shared in a belief
system of many gods and deities.
- Three layers of deities are evident in the extensive Etruscan art
motifs.
- Ruling over this
pantheon of lesser deities were higher ones that seem to reflect the
Indo-European system: Tin or Tinia, the sky; Uni, his wife (Juno); and Cel, the
earth goddess.
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- The major deities of Taoism and Buddhism, ancestral spirits, and the many deities of Chinese folk religion were worshipped with sacrificial offerings.
- Many people believed that spirits and deities of the spirit realm regularly interacted with the realm of the living.
- People in Song China believed that many of their daily misfortunes and blessings were caused by an array of different deities and spirits who interfered with their daily lives.
- These deities included the nationally accepted deities of Buddhism and Taoism, as well as the local deities and demons from specific geographic locations.
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- However, Vedic ritualism, a composite of Indo-Aryan and Harappan culture,
contributed to the deities and traditions of Hinduism.
- However,
the religious practices and deities are not uniformly consistent in these
sacred texts, probably because the Aryans themselves were not a homogenous
group.
- According
to the hymns of the Rig Veda, the most important deities were Agni, the god of
Fire, and the intermediary between the gods and humans; Indra, the god of Heavens and
War, protector of the Aryans against their enemies; Surya, the Sun god; Vayu,
the god of Wind; and Prthivi, the goddess of Earth.
- During
the reign of the Gupta Empire (between 320-550 CE), which included the period
known as the Golden Age of India, the first known stone and cave temples
dedicated to Hindu deities were built.
- The Rig Veda describes the varied deities of Vedic religion.
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- The Inca Empire worshipped the Sun god Inti, and expanded its hold on outlying areas by incorporating other deities into the religious system.
- This benevolent male deity was often represented as a gold disk with large rays and a human face.
- The ruling Inca often
incorporated these deities into the Inti cosmos.
- For example,
Pachamama, the Earth goddess, was a long-worshipped deity before the
Inca Empire.
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- There were eight different androgynous Olmec deities, each with its own distinct characteristics.
- Deities often represented a natural element and included:
- Religious activities regarding these deities probably included the elite rulers, shamans, and possibly a priest class making offerings at religious sites in La Venta and San Lorenzo.
- Common motifs include downturned mouths and a cleft head, both of which are seen in representations of were-jaguars and the rain deity.
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- The purpose of tomb paintings was to create a pleasant afterlife for the dead person, with themes such as journeying through the afterworld, or deities providing protection.
- Large statues of deities (other than the pharaoh) were not common, although deities were often shown in paintings and reliefs.
- Carvings of vases, amulets, and images of deities and animals were made of steatite.