Gods of Gambling in Different Religions

Gods of Gambling in Different Religions

Ever since the beginning of civilization, gambling has been present as a popular pastime for many. From simple dice games to Poker, people have no problems developing superstitious beliefs to help them with their chances of winning.

In this article, we go over the gods of gambling and their representations across the globe. So dive in below to find out more!

Lakshmi

Most often depicted as a well-dressed, elegant woman, Lakshmi is considered the goddess of prosperity, wealth and good fortune in Hinduism.  

According to legends, Lakshmi and Indra, the god of war, protected the earth from demons. But, unfortunately, Indra grew prideful – something Lakshmi despised. So, after a thousand years of bad luck, Indra was given the task from Lakshmi of swirling the sea as punishment. But, once Lakshmi was happy with the results, she decided to help.

Due to this story, it is believed that Lakshmi brings wealth and good fortune to those that genuinely need it. 

Hermes

Hermes is a deity often referenced in ancient Greek religion and mythology. He is considered the god of merchants, commerce, travellers, sports, the messenger of the gods, and the god that created dice.

He is the god that the ancient Greeks called out before playing any game of chance so that he could offer them their assistance. 

Stories also tell that Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades divided the sky, sea, and underworld into a dice roll.

Mercury

The Roman equivalent to Hermes, Mercury is considered the god of luck, commerce, orators, communication, speed and financial gain. 

His name is related to the Latin words merx, mercari, and merces, meaning merchandise, trade, and wages.

Most of the stories are inspired by the stories of Hermes. The Romans built monuments dedicated to Mercury, similar to the ancient Greeks, and thought they would bring them good fortune.

Fortuna

Fortuna is the Roman goddess of chance and good luck. She is often depicted as a female with blindfolded eyes. It expresses the blindness of luck, meaning that there are no rules to how luck works. Her symbol is the Wheel of Fortune.

This deity represents the capriciousness of life that remains in Italian culture as an expression of the duality of luck, called fortuna/sfortuna, meaning luck and unluck. 

Macuilxochitl

In the ancient Mexican/Aztec religion, the god of dancing, music, flowers, and games of chance is called Macuilxochitl. The name means Five Flowers, and this god is one of the Five Gods of Excess.

The Five Gods of Excess are considered to be personifications of the dangers that come with excessively engaging with pleasures. 

This deity is the most unforgiving amongst the gods of gambling, giving people the knowledge that there’s a time and a place to have fun and indulge and severely punishing those that overindulge. 

Noqoilpi

The Great Gambler Noqoilpi is the gambling god of the Navajo, a Native American tribe.

According to Navajo myths, Noqoilpi came to the earth to teach humanity to play gambling games. His talisman was a great piece of turquoise.

He’s seen as a somewhat malicious god, as the stories say that he was beating people at his games and taking people’s property, children, wives, and enslaving the people themselves.

Nezha

A part of the Chinese Taoism tradition, Nezha is thought to be a god invoked to help with gambling and lotteries, with the line of thinking that he would be the only god willing to reveal lottery numbers.

According to the myths, Nezha’s mother was pregnant for 3 years and 6 months – when he was born, he was a grown child and could walk and talk.

Thoth

Thoth belongs to Egyptian mythology and he is the god of science, magic, the Moon, wisdom, and the messenger for the deities.

Stories say that Thoth played the moon in a game of dice. His goal was to help the goddess of the sky – Nut and enable her to have children.

Most of the stories are only known in small bits and pieces discovered in Egyptian tombs and scripture that have survived.

Bottom line

Every ancient culture has had a different form of gambling. With the development of civilization, games of chance have changed. Today we have sophisticated slots and online Poker games, but one thing hasn’t changed, and that is the superstitions people hold when gambling. Hopefully, the gods of gambling have given you some insight into the superstitions of ancient people and their cultures.

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