RA (1), RE: Egyptian. Sun god, and chief god of the Heliopolis pantheon. 777: Tarot: Sixes, Emperors or Princes, Sun; gems: topaz, yellow diamond, crysoleth; plants: acacia, bay, laurel, vine, sunflower, heliotrope; animals: phoenix, lion, child, sparrowhawk; perfumes: olibanum, cinnamon, all glorious odours; magical weapons: Lamen or Rosy Cross or Bow and Arrow.

RA (2): Polynesian, Raiatea. Sun god. He married Tu-Papa (Tu-Neta), youngest daughter of Earth Mother Papa, and lived with her in the Underworld.

RABEFIHAZA: Madagascan. Taught men to hunt and fish and invented snares.

RA-HARAKHTE: ('Ra of the Horizon') Egyptian. A title of RA (this page, above) as the rising Sun.

RAID EN: Japanese. A thunder god, portrayed as a demon, often with claws and carrying a drum.

RAINBOW SNAKE, THE: Australian Aborigine. In some areas male, in others female. Represents rain and water and their life-giving qualities. The Rainbow Snake features in many seasonal rituals and is a frequent subject of Aborigine art.

RAINI: Brazilian, Tupi-Guarani, Mundruku tribe. Created the world by placing a flat stone on the head of another god.

RAKSHASAS, THE: Hindu. Semi-divine beings, not evil in themselves but destined by fate (dharma) to bring disaster to men and women - often as a natural result of the human's karma. They live in a beautiful city and treat each other affectionately and honestly.

RAKTAVIJA: Hindu. Chief of the demon army. Representations of Kali show her carrying his severed head.

RAMA: Hindu. Anyone of three avatars of VISHNU - see RAMA CHANDRA (this page, below), PARASHURAMA and BALARAMA.

RAMACHANDRA: Hindu. The seventh avatar of VISHNU, often known simply as Rama. His wife in that incarnation was Sri, herself an incarnation of Lakshmi.

RAMMAN, RAMMON, RIMMON: Babylonian. Storm god equatable with HADAD. Associated with the Deluge, when, 'The whirlwind of Ramman mounted up in the heavens and light was turned into darkness.' The pomegranate was sacred to him. The Rimmon of the Old Testament. His wife was Shala the Compassionate.

RANGI (1): Maori. Sky god, who fell in love with Papa, the Earth Mother, during the primeval darkness. Their embrace crushed the gods to whom. they gave birth, and all other creatures, and nothing could grow or bear fruit. So the gods decided to separate them (in one version, at Rangi's request). Thereafter light spread over the world, and creation could continue. Rangi's tears at the separation are the dew, and his sighs are the winter ice.

RANGI (2): (Distantly the same as (1).) Polynesian, Mangaia Island. Underworld and war god. First ruler of Mangaia after a deluge which had overwhelmed it. Grandson of Earth Mother Papa. His wife was Tepotatango ('Bottom of Hades').

RASHNU: Persian, Zoroastrian. Co-judge with MITHRA of the souls of the dead.

RATI-MBATI-NDUA: ('Lord with One Tooth') Melanesian, Fiji Islands. Underworld god.

RAVANA: Hindu. Originally a heavenly being, he offended VISHNU and was given the choice of three Earthly incarnations as Vishnu's enemy or seven as his friend; he chose the former, as it would be over sooner. In his first incarnation, as Hiranyakasipu, a demon king, he dethroned INDRA and took over Heaven, but Vishnu defeated him. In his second, as Ravana, he abducted Sita, wife of RAMA (this page, above), who eventually killed him and rescued her. In his third, as Sisupala, he was born son of a king but with three eyes and four arms; his extra eye and arms withered away when KRISHNA, visiting his parents, took him on his knee. As a young man, he insulted and threatened an old man, and Krishna caused his death. . Ravana's punishment was thus complete, and he was forgiven.

RAVEN: Amerindian, Pacific North-West. Creator and trickster, equivalent to the COYOTE of other tribes. He made the dry land by dropping stones to give himself perching-places. He created all living creatures - including men and women out of wood and clay.

RE - see RA (this page, above).

REMUS - see ROMULUS and REMUS (this page, below).

RERIR: Scandinavian. Son of ODIN's son SIGI, and founder and king of the VOLSUNGS.

RESHEF: Assyro-Babylonian slayer god, associated with Ishtar in her battle aspect. A variant of Reshep (see RESHPU (I) (this page, below)).

RESHPU (I), RESHEP, RESHEP-SHULMAN: Originally Syrian, brought to Egypt in the Eighteenth Dynasty (c. 1567-1320 BC). War god who could be appealed to for military success and also for healing. Portrayed as bearded, wearing the crown of Upper Egypt with a gazelle's head in front.

RESHPU (2): Phoenician. 'The Luminous.' Often associated with the Syrian / Egyptian goddess Qedeshet.

RHADAMANTHUS: Greek. Son of ZEUS and Europa and brother of MINOS. Renowned for his wisdom and justice, he was tutor to HERAKLES. After his death, he became one of the judges of the Underworld. 777: Tarot: Justice; gem: emerald; plant: aloe; animal: elephant; perfume: galbanum; magical weapon: Cross of Equilibrium.

RIMMON - see RAMMAN (this page, above).

RISHIS, THE: Hindu. Sons of the gods, appearing in various roles. They included seven sages who preserved and handed down the wisdom of the Vedas; these were the stars of Ursa Major.

ROBIGUS: Roman. God who protected crops from blight (robigo). Sometimes seen as a goddess, Robigo.

ROHE: Maori. Ruler of three of the ten levels of the Underworld. The upper four levels were ruled by Hine-nui-te-po, the bottom three by the goddess Miru.

ROMULUS AND REMUS: Roman. Twin sons of MARS and Rhea Silvia, and legendary founders of Rome. Put adrift as babies by their uncle Amulius, they were rescued and reared by a she-wolf. They built Rome (traditionally in April 753 BC) and Romulus killed Remus in an argument. Romulus became first king of Rome and after his death was deified and worshipped as the war god QUIRINUS.

RONGO, ORONGO: Polynesian, Indonesian. Son of Earth Mother Papa. Variously a fertility, agriculture, war and Underworld god, and patron of music. Widely worshipped at harvest. Known as Ono in the Marquesas, and equatable with the Tahitan ONO. His consort was !turn, a healer goddess.

ROT: Finno-Ugric, Lapland. Underworld god.

RU: Polynesian, Tahiti. God of the East Wind.

RUAHATU: Polynesian. A war and sea god, honoured particularly in Tahiti.

RUDA: North Arabian. The Evening Star (Venus).

RUDRA: Hindu. An early Earth and mountain god, from whom SHIVA evolved. Sometimes also seen as a storm god. Prince of demons. Also god of the dead. A skilled archer, his arrows brought disease. Addressed as 'ruddy divine boar'. His wife was the Earth and cow goddess Prisni. They were the parents of the eleven MARUTS who became the companions of INDRA. The early Vedic storm and lightning goddess Rodasi is also named as his wife.

RUDRAS, THE - see MARUTS, THE.

RUGIEVIT: Slavonic. A seven-faced god of the island of Rügen in the Baltic. Similar to PORENTIUS, SVANTOVIT and TRIGLAV.

RUTI: ('He Who Resembles a Lion'). Phoenician. God of Byblos, portrayed in human form with a lion's head.