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 (psuchopompos), 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

• Xolotl
  
• Cahuilla mythology
  
• Muut
  

Celtic mythology

• Belatu-Cadros (especially Wales)
  
• Epona
  
• Ogmios
  
• Ankou
  

Christian mythology

• Michael
  
• Saint Peter
  

Egyptian mythology

• Anubis
  
• Neith
  
• Horus
  
• Set
  
• Thoth
  

English mythology

• Waetla
  
• Etruscan mythology
  
• Turms
  

Greek mythology

• Artemis
  
• Charon
  
• Hermes
  
• Thanatos
  
• The Keres
  

Hindu mythology

• Agni
  
• Pushan
  
• Yama
  

Inuit mythology

• Anguta
  
• Pinga
  

Islamic mythology

• Azrael
  
• Nakir and Munkar
  

Japanese mythology

• Shinigami
  

Judaism

• Gabriel
  
• Sandalphon
  

Maya mythology

• Ixtab
  

Norse mythology

• Baldur
  
• Odin
  
• Valkyries
  

Persian mythology

• Mithra
  

Polynesian mythology

• Aumakua
  

Roman mythology

• Mercury
  

Slavic mythology

• Volos
  
• Vodun
  
• Guédé
  

Zoroastrianism

• Vohu Mano
  

Compare Virgil’s role in Dante’s Inferno. In modern literature, the title character of J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan is said to act as a guide for children: “At first Mrs. Darling did not know, but after thinking back into her childhood she just remembered a Peter Pan who was said to live with the fairies. There were odd stories about him; as that when children died he went part of the way with them, so that they should not be frightened.”

Links

Dictionary of the Psychopomp

Mythology Images

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