List of art deities

The following list of art deities is arranged by continent with names of mythological figures and deities associated with the arts. Art deities are a form of religious iconography incorporated into artistic compositions by many religions as a dedication to their respective gods and goddesses. The various artworks are used throughout history as a means to gain a deeper connection to a particular deity or as a sign of respect and devotion to the divine being.

Canaanite

 * Kotar or Kothar-wa-Khasis

Egyptian

 * Bastet
 * Bes
 * Hathor
 * Isis
 * Khnum
 * Meret
 * Ptah
 * Seker

Mesopotamian

 * Ishtar
 * Nuska

Celtic

 * Abhean
 * Brigid
 * Gwydion

Norse-Germanic

 * Bragi
 * Odin

Etruscan

 * Menrva

Greek / Hellenic

 * Apollo, god of medicine, music, poetry, song and dance
 * Athena, goddess of crafts and handicraft
 * Dionysus, god of theatre
 * Hephaestus, god of forge and sculpture
 * Muses
 * Calliope, goddess of epic poetry
 * Clio, goddess of history
 * Erato, goddess of erotic poetry
 * Euterpe, goddess of lyric poetry
 * Melpomene, goddess of tragedy
 * Polyhymnia, goddess of hymns
 * Terpsichore, goddess of dance
 * Thalia, goddess of comedy
 * Urania, goddess of astronomy

Roman

 * Apollo
 * Minerva

Anatolian - Urarte

 * Arubani

Hindu-Vedic

 * Saraswati
 * Hayagriva

Uralic

 * Väinämöinen

Meitei

 * Khamlangba, associated with smiths
 * Khamnung Kikoi Louonbi, associated with enchantment
 * Lainaotabi, associated with charm, magic, pottery, sorcery, spell, weaving and witchcraft
 * Nongpok Ningthou, associated with dance, music and festival
 * Nongthang Leima, associated with enchantment and seduction
 * Panthoibi, associated with dance, festival, handicrafts, pottery, spinning and weaving
 * Phouoibi, associated with trickery to men
 * Pisatao, associated with smiths
 * Thangching, associated with divine plays

Chinese

 * Cao Guojiu, patron god of the theater
 * Han Xiangzi
 * Nüwa
 * Zhang Guolao, who carries a fish-drum

Japanese

 * Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto
 * Benzaiten

Vietnamese

 * Phạm Thị Trân, the founder of Chèo
 * Từ Đạo Hạnh, the founder of the art of water puppetry
 * Tổ nghề Sân khấu, the three are said to be the founders of theatrical forms of Vietnam

Filipino

 * Bait Pandi: the Bagobo goddess of weavers who taught women weaving
 * Fu Dalu: the T'boli goddess of the abaca; speak and guide weavers on how to create patterns and designs, which are remembered in dreams
 * Mamiyo: the Ifugao stretcher of skeins, one of the twenty-three deities presiding over the art of weaving
 * Monlolot: the Ifugao winder of thread on the spindle, one of the twenty-three deities presiding over the art of weaving
 * Rirryaw Añitu: place spirit Añitus who played music and sang inside a cave in Sabtang, while lighting up fire; believed to have change residences after they were disturbed by a man
 * Tumungkuyan: leaders of the Salakap from Batak beliefs who paint tree trunks that support the sky using the blood of the epidemic-dead

Hawaiian

 * Lono
 * Pele

North America

 * Kokopelli (shared among various Southwestern Native American mythologies)

Aztec

 * Huehuecóyotl
 * Xochipilli

Haitian Vodou

 * Erzulie
 * Maîtresse Délai