Mythologis
Gods of Death: The Death Deities of World Mythology

Mythology Themes

Gods of Death: The Death Deities of World Mythology

Hades, Anubis, Hel, Yama and the Lords of the Dead

The complete guide to the death gods: Hades of the Greeks, Anubis and Osiris of Egypt, Hel of the Norse, Yama of India, and the deities who rule the dead and judge the soul.

180 pagesPDFEnglishMythologis Library

$14.99

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Inside this book

What you will read

  • 11 chapters, primary sources
  • Instant PDF download
  • Original ink illustrations
  • Greek, Egyptian, Norse and Hindu death gods
  • Designed for print quality
See all chapters  +
  1. 01Someone Must Rule the Dead
  2. 02Hades: The Stern King, Not the Devil
  3. 03Persephone, Queen of the Dead
  4. 04Osiris: The Murdered God Who Judges the Dead
  5. 05Anubis and the Weighing of the Heart
  6. 06Hel and the Norse Realm of Death
  7. 07Yama, the First to Die
  8. 08Death Gods of Mesopotamia
  9. 09The Psychopomp: Guides of the Soul
  10. 10Death Gods of the Americas
  11. 11Giving a Face to the End

About this book

About this Mythology Themes mythology guide

Someone has to rule the dead. This is the complete guide to the gods of death, from the stern Greek Hades and the murdered Egyptian Osiris to the cold Norse Hel and the Indian Yama.

Someone has to rule the dead. Across the mythologies of the world, the task falls to some of the most awe-inspiring figures of all: the lords and ladies of death, who receive every soul, weigh it, judge it, and keep it. They are rarely evil, though they are always feared. The Greek Hades is a stern but fair king, not a devil; the Egyptian Osiris is the murdered god who became the judge of the dead; Anubis guards the scales; the Norse Hel keeps a cold and quiet hall. The death gods are how humanity gave a face, and sometimes a justice, to the end of everything.

This is the complete guide to the gods of death across the world. Hades and Persephone, the king and queen of the Greek dead; Osiris and Anubis, who judge and guard the Egyptian afterlife; Hel, the half-living daughter of Loki; Yama, the first man to die and the lord of the dead in India; the death gods of Mesopotamia and the Americas; and the figure of the psychopomp, the guide who leads the soul across.

The book gathers the death deities across cultures, drawing on the Greek sources, the Egyptian Book of the Dead, the Eddas, the Hindu texts and the sacred record, and every chapter cites where it comes from.

Delivered as a print-quality PDF within 24 hours of purchase.

What you will discover inside

  • Why Hades is a stern king of the dead, not a devil
  • Persephone, the goddess who reigns over the dead half the year
  • Osiris, the murdered god who became the judge of souls
  • Anubis and the weighing of the heart against a feather
  • Hel, the half-living daughter of Loki who keeps the Norse dead
  • Yama, said to be the first man to die and the lord of the dead in India

Mythology Themes mythology book at a glance

TraditionMythology Themes mythology
Chapters11 chapters
Length180 pages
SourcesDrawn from the primary sources, cited inline
Reading levelBeginner-friendly. Every name and place is explained from scratch
FormatPrint-quality PDF
DeliveryPDF within 24 hours

Formats and editions

EditionWhat you getPrice
Instant PDFPrint-quality download, readable on any device. PDF within 24 hours.$7.99
PaperbackA paperback edition is on the way. Sign up on this page to hear when it lands on Amazon.Coming soon

About the author

Guillaume Henry, founder of Mythologis

Guillaume Henry

Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Mythologis

Guillaume Henry founded Mythologis to make the world's mythologies readable without losing what makes them strange. Every Mythologis book draws on the primary sources first, cross-references multiple translations, and avoids inventing details that aren't in the originals.

More about the author

Questions about the Mythology Themes mythology book

When will I receive my PDF?

Within 24 hours of purchase. Your download link arrives in your inbox automatically.

Are death gods the same as the devil?

No, and the book is careful about this. Most mythological death gods, Hades, Osiris, Yama, are rulers and judges, not embodiments of evil. The book separates the lord of the dead from the later idea of the devil.

Is this book based on primary sources?

Yes. It draws on the Greek sources, the Egyptian Book of the Dead and Osiris texts, the Norse Eddas, the Hindu Vedas and Puranas, and the records of Mesopotamia and the Americas, with references to the standard translations.

How long is the book?

Eleven chapters, around 180 pages depending on the final layout.

Will there be a paperback on Amazon?

The PDF is available immediately. A KDP paperback edition follows once the book has been validated by readers.

What formats is this book available in?

Every title is available as an instant PDF, downloaded the moment you buy it: the link appears on the confirmation page and lands in your inbox. Selected titles also have a paperback edition on Amazon. Where the paperback is not out yet, you can sign up to be notified the day it does.

What is the return policy?

The PDF is delivered instantly by Mythologis. If a download ever fails or a file looks wrong, get in touch and we will make it right. Paperbacks bought on Amazon are handled under Amazon's own returns and refund policy.

Can I order from outside the United States?

Yes. The PDF is a digital download, so it works instantly anywhere in the world, with nothing to ship. Where a paperback edition exists, it is sold across Amazon's international marketplaces, with shipping rates and delivery times depending on your country.

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