Rory Brown on Lydian Gods and Their Origins

There is much talk about ancient gods and mythologies. During that time, many cultures borrowed those mythologies from other cultures that came before them.

For example, the Romans borrowed directly from the Greek pantheon, only changing some of the names of the gods and their stories. In much the same way, says Rory Brown, the Lydian Empire borrowed gods from other, older civilizations that were in their region.

As the Lydian culture developed over time, so, too, did the forms and stories of their gods. Here are some of the more well-known Lydian Gods.

Kuvava

Kuvava, the mother goddess, is essentially a borrowing of the Phyrgian/Anatolian goddess known as Cybele. She's often depicted as having lions accompany her, which is key, as the lion is one of the most important animals in the Lydian culture.

The Lydians constructed an altar for her near silver and gold refining outposts, most likely as a sign of thanks for the success she brought them.

Kore

Kore, the goddess of vegetation in the Lydian Empire, was loosely based around Persephone, a Greek goddess who's associated with the spring renewal. She's sometimes associated with the Maiden as well.

There was a cult in the Lydian Empire that built itself around Kore, and they performed a ritual around fertility that had symbolic representations of the bull and the snake.

Candaules

Many archaeologists believe that Canduales is in some way related to Hermes, the Greek god. They both have the designation of being a "dog throttler."

In the Lydian Empire, they ate a ceremonial meal that likely included dogs, which would have been consumed in Candaules' honor. There have been immature canid skeletons found buried around remains of ancient defensive walls, which suggests that they were offerings meant for Candaules, hoping he would protect those buildings.

Levs

In the Lydian Empire, Levs was considered the god of weather and was associated with thunder. He's basically a version of the Greek father god known as Zeus. While Zeus was the head of the Greek pantheon, it's not clear whether Levs served in that role for the Lydians.

Other Gods

Many other deities were in the Lydian pantheon, according to Rory Brown. Many were borrowed from Anatolian, Phrygian, and Greek cultures. While there isn't a lot known about religion in the Lydian Kingdom, says Rory Brown, there is a lot of evidence that suggests there were rituals they carried out for their gods.

In addition to the gods above, there are many others that were borrowed in part from other cultures.

This includes Artimu, a version of Artemis, the Greek god; Baki, who was a version of either Dionysus or Bachus; and Pldans, the Lydian version of Apollo.

All great ancient cultures borrowed from others that came before them. Whether it be technological advances, ways of making life easier, or even the gods they worshipped, this is proof of the long-lasting impact of these ancient cultures.

About Rory Brown

Rory Brown is a Managing Partner at Nicklaus Brown & Company. He is the Executive Chair of Goods and Services and Blueriver. Providing excellence in the industry for over two decades, Mr. Brown was chosen as the Financial Services Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, and he has founded several companies in the Inc. 500.

(Devdiscourse's journalists were not involved in the production of this article. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Devdiscourse and Devdiscourse does not claim any responsibility for the same.)