Remarkable Gods of Love from Around the World

Remarkable Gods of Love from Around the World

You have already met the many goddesses of love, sex and beauty from all over the world. It’s is time to meet their counterparts. If there are goddesses of love, beauty and sex there are also gods of love, beauty and sex. Let us meet some of them – the different gods of love from around the world.

1. Cupid – Roman God of Erotic Love

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Perhaps the most popular god of love in the world is Cupid. The Cupid is taken from the Latin “Cupido” which means desire. As the name implies, Cupid is the Roman god of desire, affection and erotic love. His Greek counterpart is Eros from whom the word “erotic” was derived. Cupid is also known in Latin as Amor which is the equivalent of love.

Cupid is often depicted as the son of the goddess of love and beauty – Venus. The bow and arrow is associated with him. Any one who is shot by Cupid’s arrow is filled with uncontrollable desire. Cupid is a popular icon of Valentine’s Day being shown shooting his bow to inspire romantic love.

2. Bes – Egyptian god of Sexual Pleasure

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Bes is the Ancient Egyptian god of sexual desire. He is also the god of dance and music and was worshipped as a protector of households, mothers, children and childbirth. Bes was regarded too as the defender of everything good and the enemy of all that is bad.

3. Eros – Greek god of Love

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Eros is the Greek god of love and sexual passion – the Roman counterpart of Cupid. Originally, Eros is depicted as a slender winged creature but his Roman counterpart – Cupid, oftentimes depicted as a chubby boy. Although he is regarded a primordial god in some myths, oftentimes, he is the son of the Greek goddess of love and beauty – Aphrodite in many myths.  Eros is armed with bow and arrow.

4. Anteros – Greek god of Requited Love

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In the Greek mythology, Anteros id the god of requited love. He is the perfect representation of the quote “Love begets love” because Anteros literally means "love returned" or "counter-love". He is also the punisher of those who scorn love and the advances of others, or the avenger of unrequited love.

Anteros is the son of Ares and Aphrodite and was given to Eros as a playmate because the latter is lonesome.  He is armed with either a golden club or arrows of lead.

5. Himeros – Greek god of Sexual Desire

In the Greek mythology, Himeros is the god of sexual desire. His name literally means “uncontrollable desire”. He represented sexual desire or unrequited love. His parents are Ares and Aphrodite and brother to Eros and Anteros. Like his 2 other brothers, he is equipped with a bow and arrows to create desire and lust in people.

6. Hymen – god of Marriage

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So you thought Hymen is a goddess, well, he is not. He is the Greek god of marriage and marriage feast. Hymen was supposed to attend every wedding. If he didn't, then the marriage would supposedly prove disastrous, so the Greeks would run about calling his name aloud. He presided over many of the weddings in Greek mythology, for all the deities and their children.

7. Pothos – god of Longing

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In Greek mythology, Pothos is one of the “erotes”. He is the brother of Eros and Himeros. He is the god of yearning and longing.

8. Kamadeva – Hindu god of Love

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Kamaneva is more popularly known as Kama, he is the Hindu god of human love or desire. Kama is the son of the Hindu goddess Sri.

9. Freyr – god of Fertility

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In the Norwegian mythology, Freyr is worshipped as a phallic fertility god. His anglicized name is Frey which means lord.

10. Kurupira – Fertility and Sexuality god

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Kurupira, also known as Kurupi is the god of sexuality and fertility in Guarani mythology of South America. Kurupi is one of the seven monstrous children of Tau and Kerana.

11. Yue-Laou – Chinese god of Love

Yue-Laou, also spelled Yue-Lao is the Chinese god of love who binds two people together with an invisible red string. He is also regarded as the god of marriage.

12. Siebog – god of Love and Marriage

Siebog is the god of love in the Slavic mythology. He is also considered as the god of marriage and is consort to the goddess of love and marriage Ziva.

13. Adonis – god of Desire

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In Greek mythology, Adonis is the god of beauty and desire. His religion belonged to women. He is an annually-renewed, ever-youthful vegetation god, a life-death rebirth deity and is often applied in modern times to handsome youths, of whom he is the archetype. Adonis is often referred to as the mortal god of Beauty.