Triad (religious)

A Triad, in a religious context, refers to a grouping of three gods, usually by importance or similar roles. A triad of gods were usually not considered to by one in the same being, or different aspects of a single deity as in a Trinity or Triple deity.

Triads of three closely associated deities were commonly found throughout the ancient world, and in particular in the religious traditions of Ancient Greece and Egypt.[1]

List of deity triads

This part of a 12th-century Swedish tapestry has been interpreted to show, from left to right, the one-eyed Odin, the hammer-wielding Thor and Freyr holding up an ear of corn.[2]

Historical polytheism

The Classical Greek Olympic triad of Zeus (king of the gods), Athena (goddess of war and intellect) and Apollo (god of the sun, culture and music)[3][4]
The Delian chief triad of Leto (mother), Artemis (daughter) and Apollo (son)[5][6] and second Delian triad of Athena, Zeus and Hera[7]
The Eleusinian Mysteries centered on Persephone (daughter), Demeter (mother), and Triptolemus (to whom Demeter taught agriculture)
In ancient Egypt there were many triads:
- the Osirian (or Abydos) triad of Osiris (husband), Isis (wife), and Horus (son),[8]
- the Theban triad of Amun, Mut and Khonsu
- the Memphite triad of Ptah, Sekhmet and Nefertem
- the Elephantine triad of Khnum (god of the source of the Nile river), Satet (the personification of the floods of the Nile river), and Anuket (the Goddess of the nile river).
- the sungod Ra, whose form in the morning was Khepri, at noon Re-Horakhty and in the evening Atum, and many others.[9]
The Hellenistic Egypt triad of Isis, Alexandrian Serapis and Harpocrates (a Hellenized version of the already referred Isis-Osiris-Horus triad), though in the early Ptolemaic period Serapis, Isis and Apollo (who was sometimes identified with Horus) were preferred.[10]
The Roman Capitoline Triad of Jupiter (father), Juno (wife), and Minerva (daughter)
The Roman pleibian triad of Ceres, Liber Pater and Libera (or its Greek counterpart with Demeter, Dionysos and Kore)
The Julian triads of the early Roman Principate:
- Venus Genetrix, Divus Iulius, and Clementia Caesaris
- Divus Iulius, Divi filius and Genius Augusti
- Eastern variants of the Julian triad, e.g. in Asia Minor: Dea Roma, Divus Iulius and Genius Augusti (or Divi filius)
The Matres (Deae Matres/Dea Matrona) in Roman mythology
The Fates, Moirai or Furies in Greek and Roman mythology: Clotho or Nona the Spinner, Lachesis or Decima the Weaver, and Atropos or Morta the Cutter of the Threads of Life. One's Lifeline was Spun by Clotho, Woven into the tapestry of Life by Lachesis, and the thread Cut by Atropos.
The Hooded Spirits or Genii Cucullati in Gallo-Roman times
The main supranational triad of the ancient Lusitanian mythology and religion and Portuguese Neopagans made up of the couple Arentia and Arentius and Quangeius and Trebaruna, followed by a minor Gallaecian-Lusitanian triad of Bandua (under many natures), Nabia and Reve female nature: Reva[11]
The sisters Uksáhkká, Juksáhkká and Sáhráhkká in Sámi mythology.
The triad of Al-Lat, Al-Uzza, and Manat in the time of Mohammed (Holy Qu'ran (Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation), Surah 53:19-22)[12]
Lugus (Esus, Toutatis and Taranis) in Celtic mythology
Odin, Vili and Ve in Norse mythology
The Norns in Norse mythology
Odin, Freyr, and Thor in Norse mythology. Odin is the god of wisdom and knowledge, Freyr is the god of fertility and prosperity, and Thor is the god of thunder and strength.
The Triglav in Slavic mythology
Perkūnas (god of heaven), Patrimpas (god of earth) and Pikuolis (god of death) in Prussian mythology
The Zorya or Auroras in Slavic mythology
The Charites or Graces in Greek mythology
The One, the Thought (or Intellect) and the Soul in Neoplatonism