Liminal deities

thumb|right|Hathor as a cow Hathor (, , , Meroitic: '''') was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion who played a wide variety of roles. As a sky deity, she was the mother or consort of the sky god Horus and the sun god Ra, both of whom were connected with kingship, and thus she was the symbolic mother of their earthly representatives, the pharaohs. She was one of several goddesses who acted as the Eye of Ra, Ra's feminine counterpart, and in this form, she had a vengeful aspect that protected him from his enemies. Her beneficent side represented beauty, music, dance, joy, love, sexualit

thumb|The picture stone Lilbjärs III, showing a helmeted woman receiving a man with a horn of mead. On picture stones, the recurring motif of a woman receiving a man with a horn is generally interpreted as a dead man being received by a valkyrie at Valhalla. thumb|The Valkyrie from Hårby|The "valkyrie from Hårby", silver-gilt figurine depicting a female figure with a sword and shield, often interpreted to be a valkyrie. In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ( or ; from ) is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become

thumb|right|Attic red-figure [[lekythos attributed to the Tymbos painter showing Charon welcoming a soul into his boat, c. 500–450 BC]]

In Greek mythology, Thanatos (; , Thánatos, pronounced in "Death", from θνῄσκω thnēskō "(I) die, am dying") was the personification of death. He was a minor figure in Greek mythology, often referred to but rarely appearing in person.

300px|thumb|Sondani, two [[Dvarapalas, circa 525 CE.]] 300px|thumb|right|One of two pairs of dvarapala, 9th century Buddhist temple of Plaosan, [[Java, Indonesia.]]

thumb|Ankou in La Roche-Maurice, Finistère

thumb|Hermanubis marble statue, 1st–2nd century AD (Vatican Museums)

thumb|Vanth in a fresco in an Etruscan tomb in Tarquinia Vanth is a chthonic figure in Etruscan mythology shown in a variety of forms of funerary art, such as in tomb paintings and on sarcophagi.

At the time of the Spanish conquest of Yucatán (1527–1546), Ix Tab or Ixtab ([iʃˈtaɓ]; "Rope Woman", "Hangwoman") was the indigenous Maya goddess of suicide by hanging. Playing the role of a psychopomp, she would accompany such suicides to heaven.

In Etruscan religion, Turms (usually written as 𐌕𐌖𐌓𐌌𐌑 Turmś in the Etruscan alphabet) was the equivalent of Roman Mercury and Greek Hermes, both gods of trade and the messenger god between people and gods. He was depicted with the same distinctive attributes as Hermes and Mercury: a caduceus, a petasos (often winged), and/or winged sandals. He is portrayed as a messenger of the gods, particularly Tinia (Jupiter), although he is also thought to be ‘at the service’ (ministerium) of other deities.

thumb|300px|Dullahan, the headless horseman

Menshen, or door gods, are divine guardians of doors and gates in Chinese folk religions, used to protect against evil influences or to encourage the entrance of positive ones. They began as the divine pair Shenshu () and Yulü () under the Han, but the deified generals Qin Shubao () and Yuchi Gong () have been more popular since the Tang. In cases where a door god is affixed to a single door, Wei Zheng or Zhong Kui is commonly used.

thumb|Various Igorot bulul depicting [[ancestor spirits (c. 1900)]]

guardians of the Underworld appearing in Chinese mythology

thumb|Dōsojin represented as a human couple. thumb|250x250px|The Dōsojin is on the left Dōsojin (道祖神) are a class of protective Shinto deities (kami) commonly venerated in eastern Japan, particularly in the Kantō, Chūbu, and Tōhoku regions. They are associated with liminal spaces such as village boundaries, crossroads, and mountain passes, and are believed to ward off evil spirits, epidemics, and other harmful influences that threaten individuals or communities during transitional stages of life.2 The worship of Dōsojin reflects a blend of ancient animistic beliefs, local folk customs, and ele

thumb|A typical depiction of Charun. From an Etruscan red-figure calyx-crater. End of the 4th century BC-beginning of the 3rd century BC. thumb|The other side of the same artifact, depicting Ajax killing a Trojan prisoner in front of Charun. In Etruscan mythology, Charun (also spelled Charu, or Karun) acted as one of the psychopompoi of the underworld (not to be confused with the god of the underworld, known to the Etruscans as Aita). He is often portrayed with Vanth, a winged figure also associated with the underworld.

family of Loa that embody the powers of death and fertility

A ' () or village guardian' is a Korean totem pole usually made of wood. were traditionally placed at the edges of villages to mark village boundaries and frighten away demons. They were also worshipped as village tutelary deities.

Rashnu () is the Avestan language name of the Zoroastrian yazata of justice. Together with Mithra and Sraosha, Rashnu is one of the three judges who pass judgment on the souls of people after death. Rashnu's standard appellation is "the straightest".

Abatur (, also Abathur or Awāthur, ) is an uthra and the second of three subservient emanations created by the Mandaean God Hayyi Rabbi (, “The Great Living God”) in the Mandaean religion. His name translates as the "father of the Uthras", the Mandaean name for angels or guardians. His usual epithet is the Ancient (ˁattīqā) and he is also called "the deeply hidden and guarded". Also known as the Third Life, Abatur is described as being the son of the first emanation Yushamin (). He is also described as being the angel of Polaris.

ancient Egyptian deity

Chinese folk deities

Daēnā () is a Zoroastrian concept representing insight and revelation, hence "conscience" or "religion." Alternately, Daena is considered to be a divinity, counted among the yazatas.

Anguta (also called "His Father," Anigut, or Aguta) is the father of the sea goddess Sedna in the Inuit religion.

Muut was the personification and messenger of death in the culture of the Native American Cahuilla people of southern California and northern Mexico, and was usually depicted as an owl or as the unseen hooting of owls. He was one of the most active and vividly remembered of the nukatem, a special classification of beings who were created by Mukat, the Creator figure, in the 'beginning.' Death was considered a necessary part of life by the Cahuilla, and thus Muut was seen as more of a psychopomp than a frightening grim reaper character. This role was assigned by Mukat, who argued that overpopul