During the 12 months which are present in a year, we can see the summer season, winter season, spring season, autumn season, and rainy season. During these seasons, sometimes the fields are fertile and full of crops and sometimes they are barren.
The deities of the fields are the Gods who are believed to be the one responsible for providing abundant crop for sustaining life. These gods are responsible for providing wholesome meals and a variety of food.
Important Deities of the Fields
The deities of the fields are the gods and goddesses of the Christian and Jewish mythologies who help in regulating the fertility of the land and also look after the proper sustaining of the agricultural cycles.
The list of important Deities of the Fields of the fields is given below along with their brief description:
1. Attis
Attis was believed to be in love with a Naiad, and Cybele was very jealous of this fact and as a result, killed a tree along with the Naiad who used to live inside the tree.
Attis was the lover of Cybele, who went mad and castrated himself. In some of the stories, he is mentioned as a lover of Naiad.
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2. Adonis ( Important Deities of the Fields)
Adonis is also known as Assyrian, who is believed to be a complicated God present in the majority of the cultures and a famous Deities of the Fields. He has often been portrayed as a Greek god whose origins are present in the early Assyrian religion.
He was also considered to be the god of the dying summer vegetation. In many stories, he dies and then is later reborn, just like the other gods Attis and Tammuz.
3. Dagon
Dagon, who is also known by the name of Semitic is one of the most important deities of the fields and is worshipped by the early Semitic tribe called the Amorites.
This god was also considered to be the god of agriculture and fertility and has been mentioned as the father God-type in the various Sumerian texts.
He is sometimes also mentioned in the form of a fish and is credited with providing the tribe with the knowledge of agriculture and building a plow.
4. Ceres
Ceres, who is the Roman God of agriculture and fertility is believed to be the reason behind the fact that the grains are always scrunched up and are called cereal.
The Roman goddess has the powers of harvesting the grain and she is also believed to be the one who was ready for the threshing.
In many areas, this particular Deities of the Fields was considered to be a mother type goddess who was considered to be solely responsible for all the agricultural related activities and the fertility of the soil.
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5. Lugh
Lugh was considered to be the god of both the distribution of the talent and the master of the skills. He is the god of the Celtic mythology and has been associated with the mid-summer season time because he plays the role of a harvest God.
During the time of the summer solstice, all the crops are fully grown and the fields are flourishing with lush green bushes.
The crops are waiting to be plucked from the fertile ground at Lughnasadh so that they can be converted into edible eating dishes and starvation can be removed.
6. Demeter
Demeter is the Greek goddess who is often compared with the Roman goddess Ceres. She is considered to be the one who is responsible for the changing seasons throughout the year.
She is also connected with the image of the dark mother during the time of the late fall and the early winter.
When the daughter of this particular goddess was abducted by Hades, this goddess became so upset that the grief caused the earth to die for six months, and then her daughter Persephone returned from the abduction.
7. Osiris
Osiris is an Egyptian god and the androgynous grain deity who is also named as the Neper. He became very popular in the region of Egypt during the times of starvation.
He was then later seen as an aspect of Osiris and was considered to be part of the cycle of life. He is also believed to be the god of rebirth and death. Osiris himself is like the Isis and associated with the harvesting season.
According to the famous writer Donald McKenzie, the following lines are written in Egypt and myths and legends:
Osiris taught men to break up the land which had been under flood) to sow the seed, and, in due season, to reap the harvest. He instructed them also how to grind corn and knead flour and meal so that they might have food in plenty.
By the wise ruler was the vine trained upon poles, and he cultivated fruit trees and caused the fruit to be gathered. A father was he unto his people, and he taught them to worship the gods, to erect temples, and to live holy lives.
The hand of man was no longer lifted against his brother. There was prosperity in the land of Egypt in the days of Osiris the Good.
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8. Mercury
Mercury is believed to be the Roman God of agriculture and fertility and one of the most important deities of the fields. He was believed to be the messenger of the Gods and was also considered to be the god of commerce.
He was associated with the grain trade. In the late season of Summer and early fall, he ran out from one place to another so that everyone was able to know that it was the right time to bring in the harvest.
In the Gaul, he was considered to be a God of not only the abundance of agriculture but was also associated with the commercial success of the planet.
9. Tammuz
Tammuz is the Sumerian god of vegetation and fertility. He is the one who is associated with the cycle of life and death and is also believed to have the powers with the help of which one can take rebirth.
He is sometimes given the title of one of the most powerful deities of the fields. The famous writer Donald McKenzie has written in the book Myths of Babylonian and Assyria: with historical narrative and comparative notes that:
Tammuz of the Sumerian hymns… is the Adonis-like god who lived on earth for a part of the year as the shepherd and agriculturist so dearly beloved by the goddess Ishtar. Then he died so that he might depart to the realm of Eresh-ki-gal (Persephone), queen of Hades.
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10. Parvathi
Goddess Parvathi is the Hindu goddess of harvesting and agriculture and a famous Deities of the Fields. She is the wife of Lord Shiva.
She does not appear in the Vedic literature but is celebrated by a lot of people today in the form of the Goddess of harvest and protector of the women during the time of the annual Gauri festival.
Various temples of Goddess Parvathi are present in the country of India.
11. Pomona
Pomona is there Roman goddess who is associated with the harvesting season. She is also considered to be the Goddess of apple and the keeper of the orchards and fruit trees.
She is not associated with the harvest itself directly but is considered to be the epitome of the flourishing fruit trees.
She can be seen bearing a cornucopia or a tray of the blossoming fruit. She is considered to be an obscure goddess but it is also famous for the likeness many times in the classical arts like the paintings by Rubens and Rembrandt.
Various cultures are also present which have depicted her as one of the most powerful deities of the fields.
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Conclusion
The Deities of the fields are all the gods and the goddesses of the Christian and the Jewish mythology who are famous for their superpowers which result in good agricultural season and fine quality of crops.
These gods are worshipped in various parts of the world by the farmers and the common people so that they can get fertile land and also save themselves and their loved ones from famine and starvation.
People Also Ask (FAQs)
Which god is worshiped as the god of harvesting?
Demeter the Greek goddess is considered to be the god of the harvest. Apart from that, she is also believed to be the goddess of agriculture and the cycle of life and death.
How can one please the deities of the fields?
People can please the various deities of the fields by praying to them every day and also honoring them with tributes like hard work on the field, ploughing the field, constant watering the plants and trees, and regularly using fertilizers for maintaining the fertility of the ground.
How many seasons are there in 12 months?
In 12 months or a year, there are four seasons. These four seasons are Summer season, winter season, Spring season, and fall season.