Almost every world culture has its own personification of death. The Greek god Hades, the lord of the kingdom of the dead, is known, perhaps, to everyone. We have collected 10 frightening faces of death that few have heard of.
Mictlantecutli (Aztecs)
The Aztec god of the dead Miktlantecuhtli. National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City.
The Aztec ruler of the underworld, ruling the lowest part of it - the ninth underworld - was depicted as a blood-drenched skeleton with a necklace of human eyeballs, or as a man with a bared skull instead of a head. In the service of Miktlantecutli, this god had such a name, there were spiders, owls and bats.
Supai (Inca)
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Supai is the ruler of the afterlife kingdom of the Incas.
Supai was the god of death and the ruler of the afterlife (Uku Pacha) of the Incas. Although he was associated with death, in Inca mythology, the underworld was not necessarily viewed as a negative aspect of death. It is believed that underground springs are a necessary aspect to support the life of the living and the dead. Therefore, although the Incas were very afraid of Supai, they immensely revered the underworld and its god. Various rituals and celebrations were held in Supai's honor.
Thanatos (Greece)
Winged Thanatos with weight swords. Bas-relief in the Temple of Artemis.
Thanatos is the Greek god of nonviolent death. He was portrayed as a youth with wings and a sword. It was argued that Thanatos hated both humans and the immortal gods of Olympus. Moreover, he was the only Greek god who did not tolerate offerings.
Donne (Ireland)
Donne is the Irish master of death.
Donne is an Irish ruler of loneliness and death, who, according to legend, lives on an island off the southwest coast of Ireland. The Irish believe that Donn causes storms and sinks ships in order to get more souls into his kingdom. It is believed that Donne was not always a god - he was previously a mortal man. He is the son of Milesius, who was killed in action when he fought for Ireland with his brothers. Donna was portrayed more often as a figure in a black hoodie with a hood.
Meng Po (China)
Meng Po is the female face of death in Chinese.
In Chinese mythology, death has a woman's face. Meng Po is the Lady of Oblivion who serves in the Chinese kingdom of the dead, Di Yu. When the soul is ready for reincarnation, it is Meng Po who is responsible for making the soul forget its previous life and go to Di Yu. To help people forget about their past lives, she brews a special tea called Five Flavors of Oblivion Tea. It was believed that after the soul undergoes cleansing from sins, it is resurrected in a new incarnation.
Sedna (Eskimos)
Sedna is the goddess of the sea and death among the Eskimos.
In Eskimo mythology, Sedna is the mistress of the underworld of Adlivun and the goddess of the sea. Sedna was once a beautiful mortal woman who lived on the coast with her father. Her mother died when Sedna was still very young. Because of her beauty, men from all over the world tried to win her appreciation, but no one succeeded. According to legend, Sedna died at the hands of her father and since then has been taking revenge on all living things.
Anku (Celts)
Anku that collects souls.
Bretons living in northwest France believed that Anku was the personification of death. He was portrayed as a tall, thin man with white hair, or as a skeleton, accompanied by two ghosts. In some cultures, Anku was believed to be the first son of Adam and Eve. Others argued that the person who died in the settlement last in the year becomes Anku. Anku means "reaper of the dead". As darkness falls, Anku drives her horse-skeletal funeral cart through the countryside and collects the souls of the dying. After his cart fills up, Anku delivers his cargo to Anon, the king of the underworld.
Giltine (Lithuania)
Giltine as seen by contemporary artists.
Giltine, the goddess of death and plague, was an attractive young woman who was buried alive. When, after 7 years, she managed to get out of the grave, she became a terrible old woman with a long blue nose and a poisonous tongue with which she licked those doomed to death. Giltine is often depicted as a skeleton with a scythe, and she can also turn into a snake. Giltine wanders through cemeteries, dressed in a shroud, and licks corpses to extract poison, with which she will kill the living.
Masau (Hopi Indians)
Masau is the friend of all Indians.
In Hopi mythology, Masau is better known as the human skeleton, who is the best friend of people and the guardian of their afterlife. It was Masau, according to the Hopi, who taught people agriculture, and also repeatedly warned them about various impending dangers.
Aita (Etruscans)
Aita is an Etruscan wolf-headed demon.
The Etruscan death was called Aita, it was a demon with the head of a wolf. He leads the souls of the living down to the underworld and protects them there. On the funeral urns, Aita was depicted as a bearded man in a fur cap made of wolf's hide.