The family tree of gods and goddesses varies by culture, but the most famous ones are the Greek pantheon, descended from Chaos, and the Norse pantheon, descended from the giant Ymir. This article maps the major divine lineages across several world mythologies, showing how gods are related and how those relationships shaped the stories.
Greek Mythology: From Chaos to the Olympians
In Hesiod’s Theogony (c. 700 BCE), the first being is Chaos, a void. From Chaos came Gaia (Earth), Tartarus (the Underworld), and Eros (Desire). Gaia then gave birth to Uranus (Sky) without a father. Together, Gaia and Uranus produced the twelve Titans: Oceanus, Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, Theia, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Tethys, and Cronus.
Cronus, the youngest Titan, castrated his father Uranus at Gaia’s urging, and the Titans ruled. Cronus married his sister Rhea, but fearing a prophecy that his child would overthrow him, he swallowed each newborn. Rhea saved the youngest, Zeus, by giving Cronus a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes. Zeus grew up, forced Cronus to regurgitate his siblings (Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon), and led them in a ten-year war against the Titans, the Titanomachy. After victory, the three brothers drew lots: Zeus got the sky, Poseidon the sea, and Hades the Underworld.
The twelve Olympians are Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes, and either Hestia or Dionysus. Zeus married his sister Hera, but had many affairs with goddesses and mortals, producing a vast second generation: Athena (from Metis), Apollo and Artemis (from Leto), Hermes (from Maia), Dionysus (from Semele), and Heracles (from Alcmene).
Norse Mythology: From Ymir to the Aesir and Vanir
The Norse cosmos began with the void Ginnungagap, bordered by the fire realm Muspelheim and the ice realm Niflheim. From the melting ice emerged the first being, the giant Ymir. While Ymir slept, a man and woman grew from his armpits, and his legs produced a son. The cow Audhumla licked the ice and revealed Buri, the first god. Buri’s son Bor married Bestla, a giantess, and their sons were Odin, Vili, and Ve.
Odin and his brothers killed Ymir and used his body to create the world: his flesh became the earth, his blood the sea, his bones the mountains, and his skull the sky. Odin later married Frigg, and their son was Baldr. Odin also fathered Thor with the giantess Jord, and Tyr with the giantess Hymir (in some accounts). Loki, though a giant by birth, lived among the Aesir and was Odin’s blood-brother; his children with the giantess Angrboda were the wolf Fenrir, the serpent Jormungandr, and the half-dead Hel.
The Vanir are a separate group of gods, including Njord, Freyr, and Freyja, associated with fertility and wealth. After the Aesir-Vanir War, the two groups exchanged hostages and merged. Freyr and Freyja were Njord’s children, and Freyja’s husband was Odr, about whom little is known.
Egyptian Mythology: The Ennead and the Ogdoad
Egyptian mythology has several creation stories. In Heliopolis, the creator god Atum (or Ra-Atum) emerged from the primordial waters Nun and masturbated or spat to produce Shu (air) and Tefnut (moisture). Shu and Tefnut gave birth to Geb (earth) and Nut (sky), who were separated by their father. Geb and Nut had four children: Osiris, Isis, Set, and Nephthys.
Osiris married Isis and ruled Egypt, but his brother Set killed him and scattered his body. Isis reassembled Osiris and conceived Horus, who later avenged his father and became the king of the gods. Set married Nephthys, but Nephthys also bore Anubis to Osiris (in some accounts). This family drama explains the recurring themes of death, rebirth, and kingship in Egyptian religion.
In Hermopolis, the Ogdoad consisted of four male-female pairs representing chaos: Nun and Naunet, Heh and Hauhet, Kek and Kauket, and Amun and Amaunet. These were not a family tree in the usual sense but primordial forces.
Hindu Mythology: The Trimurti and Their Families
Hinduism has a complex pantheon with many lineages. The Trimurti—Brahma (creator), Vishnu (preserver), and Shiva (destroyer)—are the three main gods. Brahma’s consort is Saraswati (goddess of knowledge). Vishnu’s consort is Lakshmi (goddess of wealth). Shiva’s consort is Parvati (or Sati in earlier stories).
Shiva and Parvati have two sons: Ganesha (the elephant-headed remover of obstacles) and Kartikeya (the god of war). In some regional traditions, Ganesha is considered unmarried, while Kartikeya is married to Devasena and Valli. Vishnu’s avatars (incarnations) include Rama and Krishna, each with their own consorts (Sita and Radha/Rukmini).
The genealogies are not fixed across texts. For example, in the Ramayana, Hanuman is a devotee of Rama, not a relative. In the Puranas, Brahma is sometimes said to be born from a lotus from Vishnu’s navel, making him a son in a symbolic sense.
Shinto Mythology: The Kami Creation Stories
According to the Kojiki (712 CE) and Nihon Shoki (720 CE), the first kami were the three creator deities: Ame-no-Minakanushi, Takamimusubi, and Kamimusubi. Then came two more, and then the primordial pair Izanagi and Izanami. They were told to solidify the drifting land, and they created the Japanese islands by stirring the ocean with a jeweled spear.
Izanami gave birth to many kami, but died giving birth to the fire god Kagutsuchi. Izanagi followed her to Yomi (the underworld), but saw her decaying body and fled. After returning, he performed a purification ritual, and from his left eye was born Amaterasu (the sun goddess), from his right eye Tsukuyomi (the moon god), and from his nose Susanoo (the storm god).
Amaterasu is the ancestor of the Japanese imperial family, as her grandson Ninigi descended to earth and his great-grandson became Emperor Jimmu. Susanoo, after being banished for his violent behavior, married Kushinada-hime and had many children, including Okuninushi, who ruled the earthly realm before the heavenly kami took over.
Mesopotamian Mythology: Anu, Enlil, and Marduk
In Sumerian and Akkadian myths, the sky god Anu (An) was the supreme deity. His consort was Ki (earth), and their son was Enlil (lord of the air). Enlil separated his parents and took control of the earth. Enlil’s son was Ninurta, a warrior god, and in some texts, Nanna (the moon god) was also his son. Nanna’s children were Utu (the sun god) and Inanna (Ishtar), the goddess of love and war.
In the Babylonian Enuma Elish (c. 12th century BCE), the god Marduk is the son of Ea (Enki) and Damkina. Marduk defeats the primordial dragon Tiamat and creates the world from her body. This text elevates Marduk to the head of the pantheon, replacing Enlil in Babylonian theology.
The family relationships often varied by city. For example, Inanna was sometimes called the daughter of Anu, sometimes of Nanna, and sometimes of Enlil, depending on which temple’s priests were writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the oldest god in Greek mythology?
In Hesiod’s Theogony, Chaos is the first being, but Chaos is not a god in the personal sense. The first divine beings with personality are Gaia (Earth) and Uranus (Sky), who are born right after Chaos. Some later Orphic traditions place Chronos (Time) first, but the standard Hesiodic version starts with Chaos.
Are the Norse gods related to the giants?
Yes, almost all Norse gods have giant ancestry. Odin’s mother Bestla was a giantess, Thor’s mother Jord was a giantess, and Loki was a giant by birth. The Aesir and the giants are constantly at war, but they are also intertwined through marriages and bloodlines. This is a key theme in the Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda.
Why do Greek gods have so many children with mortals?
Zeus and other gods fathered heroes and kings with mortal women to explain the divine origins of noble families. For example, Heracles was the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and his labors were a way to establish his heroic status. These unions also served to link local cults to the pan-Hellenic pantheon.
Is there a single family tree for all mythologies?
No. Each culture has its own independent cosmology and genealogy. Attempts to merge them (like equating Zeus with Odin) are modern inventions and not supported by the original sources. The similarities between pantheons (e.g., a sky father, a mother goddess) are due to common human psychology and cultural exchange, not a shared literal history.
How do I keep track of all these names?
Focus on the core family: in Greek, learn the twelve Olympians and their parents. In Norse, learn Odin, Thor, Loki, and their children. Use a chart or a mnemonic. Remember that in most mythologies, the gods are not a single linear tree but a web of marriages, affairs, and adoptions. It helps to read one primary source, like the Theogony or the Prose Edda, to see the relationships in context.
Related
- Japanese Gods of Storms: Susanoo, Raijin and More
- Japanese Gods of Fire: Kagutsuchi and Other Deities
- Hindu Gods of Wealth: Kubera, Lakshmi and More
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