Goddesses of Love Trivia Quiz

Answer: Celtic

Áine was the daughter of Eoghabal (The Dagda) and is one of the most powerful and revered Irish goddesses. Representing the sun, love and fertility, she had power over crops and harvest.

Being associated with sovereignty comes from the story of her exacting revenge on King Ailill Aulom, who raped her. In her fury, she bit off his ear. This marked him, and ensured he could no longer be king, for he had to be 'unblemished' to be the High King of Ireland.

Answer: Albanian

Prende was the goddess of love, beauty and fertility, as well as being the wife of Perëndi (the thunder and sky god). She is referred to in Albanian legends as 'Zonja e Bukuris', which translates as 'Lady of Beauty', and was said to wear the rainbow as her belt.

Answer: Etruscan

The Etruscan pantheon was largely borrowed from the Greeks, and Turan's Greek equivalent was Aphrodite. She was often depicted nude, or partially nude, and sometimes with wings. Festivals honouring Turan would happen in the summer, and she was so revered during this time that the Etruscan name for the month of July (Traneus) was named for her.

She was believed to be the consort of Atunis (Adonis), and was also connected with Laran, the Etruscan god of war.

Answer: Hindu

Rati was the chief consort and assistant of Kama, the Hindu god of love, and they are often depicted together in art and sculptures.

In the Kalika Purana, after Brahma (the creator-god) made Kama, he decreed that Prajapati Daksha should provide Kama with a wife. Kama, busily spreading love through shooting his flower-arrows, also shoots Brahma and the Prajapatis, causing them to lust after Brahma's daughter, Sandhya. When Shiva passed by and saw all of this, he laughed at them. In response to this, Daksha trembled with sweat, and from this sweat sprang the beautiful Rati, who became Kama's wife.

Answer: Armenian

Astłik was originally worshiped as the goddess creator of heaven and earth, but as the pantheon developed over time, she was demoted to 'maiden' status and became the goddess of love.

She was also the wife and lover of Vahagn, the god of thunder and lightning. The celebration in her honour occurred in mid-June and was called Vardevar. One manner of celebrating was in the pouring of water on each other.

Answer: Chinese

The depiction of Jiutian Xuannü (Mysterious Lady of the Nine Heavens) has changed a lot over the years, depending on the era and who was writing about her. She was said to be the teacher of Huangdi and the disciple of Xi Wangmu.

In a poem written during the Ming dynasty, her physical appearance was described (source: Wikipedia):

"On her head, she has a nine-dragon and flying phoenix topknot, and on her body she wears a red silken gown decorated with golden thread; blue jade-like strips run down the long gown and a white jade ritual object rises above her colored sleeves. Her face is like a lotus calyx and her eyebrows fit naturally with her hair. Her lips are like cherries, and her snow-white body appears elegant and relaxed. She appears to be the Queen Mother who hosts a saturn peach banquet, but she also looks like Chang'e who resides in the moon palace. Her gorgeous immortal face cannot be depicted, nor can the image of her majestic body."

Answer: Norse

Freyja is also known by other names, including Gefn, Hörn, Mardöll, Sýr, and Vanadís. She was a significant deity within the Norse pantheon, presiding over the field Fólkvangr, where half of the Norse warriors would go after dying in battle (the other half going to Valhalla).

She was described as possessing a cloak of falcon feathers and wearing the torc 'Brísingamen'. She drove a chariot pulled by two cats, and was accompanied by the boar Hildisvíni.

In chapter 24 of the Prose Edda book "Gylfaginning", Freyja is described as "the most approachable one for people to pray to, and from her name is derived the honorific title whereby noble ladies are called fruvor (noble ladies)", and that, "it is good to pray to her concerning love affairs".

Answer: Slavic

Also called Zivena, Żiwia, Siva, Sieba or Razivia, Ziva was worshipped in the regions that today are covered by parts of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia and Germany.

While she was primarily known for her connection with life and living water (her holy place was on an island in a lake with a stream that gushed to the surface, called 'Aqua Siwa'), along with this came the connection to youth and beauty and love.

Answer: Egyptian

Hathor, also known as Het-heru and Hethara, had a number of roles within the Egyptian pantheon"

- goddess of fertility and protector of pregnant women
- goddess of love and beauty
- goddess of joy, pleasure, lust and alcohol
- patron of musicians and dancers
- goddess of the underworld

Hathor was often was often depicted as a cow, or as a woman with the head of a cow, symbolizing her maternal and celestial aspects.

Answer: Hawaiian

Laka was the wife of Lono, (god of fertility, agriculture, rainfall, music and peace) and considered his female aspect. She was known for creating the hula dance, and the red lehua flowers used in the dance symbolize Laka and her association with fruitfulness and fertility.