Psychopomp

Many sets of religious beliefs have a particular spirit, deity, demon or angel whose responsibility is to escort newly-deceased souls to the afterlife, such as Heaven or Hell. These creatures are called psychopomps, from the Greek word ψυχοπομπóς (psychopompos), literally meaning the 'guide of souls'.

They were often associated with horses, whippoorwills, ravens, dogs, crows, sparrows, harts (that is, male deer), and dolphins.

• Aztec mythology
  1. Xolotl
• Cahuilla mythology
  1. Muut
• Celtic mythology
  1. Belatu-Cadros (especially Wales)
  2. Epona
  3. Ogmios
  4. Ankou
• Christian mythology
  1. Michael the Archangel
  2. Saint Peter
• Egyptian mythology
  1. Anubis
  2. Neith
  3. Horus
  4. Set
  5. Thoth
• English mythology
  1. Waetla
• Etruscan mythology
  1. Turms
• Greek mythology
  1. Artemis
  2. Charon
  3. Hermes
• Hindu mythology
  1. Agni
  2. Pushan
  3. Yama
• Inuit mythology
  1. Anguta
  2. Pinga
• Islamic mythology
  1. Azrael
  2. Nakir and Munkar
• Japanese mythology
  1. Shinigami
• Maya mythology
  1. Ixtab
• Norse mythology
  1. Baldur
  2. Odin
• Persian mythology
  1. Mithra
• Polynesian mythology
  1. Aumakua
• Roman mythology
  1. Mercury
• Slavic mythology
  1. Volos
• Vodun
  1. Guédé
• Zoroastrianism
  1. Vohu Mano

Compare Virgil's role in Dante's Inferno.

References

• Wikipedia (2005). Psychopomp. Retrieved Nov 18 2005