FA: Benin. God of destiny, considered as fixed only within certain limits, and consulting Fa may help one to modify it.

FAMIEN: Guinea, Agni tribe. Cares for sick, combats evil and makes women fertile. Attached to individuals; his 'owner' keeps a fetish knife which represents him.

FARBAUTI: The Scandinavian MERLIN, 'he who striking gave birth to fire'. Husband of Laufey, 'the wooded isle', who provided fuel for the fire. Father of LOKI, HELBLINDI and Byleifstr.

FATI, FADU: Polynesian, Society Islands. Moon god, son of ROUA by Taonoui, mother of the stars.

FAUNUS: One of Rome's most ancient nature gods. Son of SATURN's son Picus, and father or husband of Fauna, goddess of Earth and fields. Protected woods, fields and shepherds. Worshipped in sacred groves, where he gave oracles, chiefly during sleep. Said to have been one of the first kings of Latium, and a lawgiver; also inventor of the rustic pipes. Also called Lupercus; the Lupercalia (15 February) were among Rome's most important festivals.

FAVONIUS: Rome personification of the West Wind, equivalent of the Greek ZEPHYRUS.

FEBRUUS: Roman god of February, 'the cleansing month' and month of the dead. Probably Etruscan.

FENRIS-WOLF, THE, FENRIR: Scandinavian devourer, son of LOKI and the giantess Angurboda, Hag of the Iron Wood. Brother of Hel, goddess of the kingdom of the dead, and of the Midgard Serpent of the ocean surrounding the Earth.

FERGUS: Irish. Name of several legendary characters, but this particular one's virility was such that, when his wife, the woodland goddess and ruler of beasts, Flidais, was away, he needed seven ordinary women to satisfy him.

FERGUS MAC ROI: Irish. King of Ulster who loved Nessa, mother of CONCHOBAR; he suffered exile for her sake, and Conchobar inherited his throne. Later became tutor to CUCHULAIN, Conchobar's nephew; but he took Queen Medhbh's side in her war with Ulster.

FETKET: Egyptian. Butler of RA, who supplied him with drinks.

FIDES: ('Faith') Roman, Sabine origin. Personification of good faith, especially in verbal contracts.

FINTAAN: Irish. Husband of Noah's granddaughter Cesara (Cessair), first occupier of Ireland in the mythological cycle. They left for 'the western edge of the world' forty days before the Flood, with Cesara in charge of the expedition. Cesara appears to have been a pre-Celtic matriarchal goddess, with Fintaan as her less-important consort.

FIONN MAC CUMHAL (FINN MAC COOL): Irish. Son of Cumhal, King of the Tuatha De Danann. As a child, he burned his finger on the Salmon of Knowledge, sucked it and thus acquired all knowledge. Became leader of the Fianna, a famous mobile group of warriors and hunters. Said to have lived 200 years. See also DIARMAID.

FISHER KING: Celtic. A central figure in the Grail legend.

FOMAGATA, THOMAGATA: Colombian, Chibcha Indians. A terrifying storm god, portrayed with one eye, four ears and a long tail.

FORSETI: Scandinavian. A god of justice and peace, one of the AESIR. Son of BALDUR and Nanna. Originally Frisian; Heligoland was earlier called Forsetisland. Teutonic name Vorsitzer ('President, Chairman').

FRAVAK: Persian. He and his sister Fravakian were the children of MASHIA and Mashiane (the Persian Adam and Eve), and progenitors of the fifteen races of mankind. See also GAYOMART.

FRAVASHIS, THE: Zoroastrian ancestor spirits. Not part of the orthodox teaching, but a popular relic of ancestor worship.

FREY, FREYR: Scandinavian god of fertility. Son of NJORD and the giantess Skadi, and brother of the fertility and Moon goddess Freya. He won his wife Gerda, daughter of the giant Gymir, after a desperate battle with the giants and after threatening to turn her from a beautiful young woman into an old one. His chariot was drawn by two boars, Gullibursti and Slidrurgtanni; he was probably originally chief of a boar clan of the V ANIR before they merged with the AESIR. His ship, Skidbladnir, could hold all the Aesir but could be folded up. In Sweden every year, his image traveled the country accompanied by a beautiful girl called 'Frey's Wife' , who also acted as priestess of his great temple at Uppsala.

FUDO-MYOO: Japanese Buddhist god of wisdom, identifiable with Dianichi. With his sword of wisdom and mercy, he battles against avarice, anger and folly. Portrayed surrounded by flame.

FUFLUNS: Etruscan equivalent of BACCHUS or DIONYSUS.

FUGEN BOSATSU: Japanese Buddhist. One of the most important Bodhisattvas, representing wisdom, intelligence and a deep understanding of human motives. Sits at the end of the Path of Extinction of Errors and has the power to prolong life.

FU-HSI: Chinese. Sage said to have lived 5,000 years, brother or husband of the creator goddess Nu- Kua who fashioned the first humans out of yellow earth.

FU-HSING: Chinese god of happiness. Originally a mortal, deified after death. His symbol is the bat.

FUKU-KENSAKU KANNON: Japanese Buddhist. A god of the Taizokai, world of forms.

FUKUROKUJU: Japanese god of wisdom and longevity, one of the SHICHI FUKUJIN. Portrayed long-headed, attended by a crane, deer or tortoise.

FUTSUNUSHI: Japanese fire and lightning god. Son of Ihatsusu-nowo and Ihatsusu-nome (both meaning 'hollow pipe').