Mythologis
Gods of War: The War Deities of World Mythology

Mythology Themes

Gods of War: The War Deities of World Mythology

Ares, Mars, the Morrigan, Odin and the Powers of Battle

The complete guide to the war gods: the Greek Ares and Roman Mars, the Norse Odin and Tyr, the Celtic Morrigan, the Aztec Huitzilopochtli, and how cultures gave a face to the violence of war.

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, Roman, Norse, Celtic and Aztec war gods
  • Designed for print quality
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  1. 01A God for the Oldest Catastrophe
  2. 02Ares: The Fury of Battle
  3. 03Athena: War as Strategy
  4. 04Mars, Father of Rome
  5. 05Odin and the Chooser of the Slain
  6. 06Tyr and the Hand in the Wolf's Mouth
  7. 07The Morrigan and the Crows of War
  8. 08Sekhmet and Ishtar: Goddesses of Slaughter
  9. 09Huitzilopochtli and the Blood of the Aztecs
  10. 10War Gods of the Wider World
  11. 11The Meaning of the God of War

About this book

About this Mythology Themes mythology guide

Every culture put a god in charge of war. This is the complete guide to the war gods, from the hated Ares and beloved Mars to the crow-goddess Morrigan and the blood-fed Huitzilopochtli.

War is the oldest human catastrophe, and every culture has put a god in charge of it. But the war gods are strangely divided beings. The Greeks despised Ares even as they feared him, the raw bloodlust of the battlefield; the Romans loved Mars and made him the father of their city. Some war deities are disciplined and just, like the Norse Tyr who gives his hand to bind a wolf; others are wild and terrible, like the Celtic Morrigan who appears as a crow over the slain. To study the gods of war is to study how people made sense of organized killing.

This is the complete guide to the war gods of the world. Ares and Athena, the two faces of Greek war, fury and strategy; Mars, beloved father of Rome; Odin and Tyr, the Norse gods of battle and the chooser of the slain; the Morrigan and the war-goddesses of the Celts; Sekhmet of Egypt, Ishtar of Mesopotamia, and Huitzilopochtli of the Aztecs, fed on the blood of war; and what these terrible gods meant to the people who prayed to them.

The book gathers the war gods across cultures, drawing on Homer, the Eddas, the Irish epics and the sacred texts, 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 the Greeks despised Ares but the Romans loved Mars
  • Athena and war as strategy rather than slaughter
  • Odin, the Norse god who chooses who falls in battle
  • Tyr, who gave his hand to bind the wolf Fenrir
  • The Morrigan, the Celtic goddess who haunts the battlefield as a crow
  • Huitzilopochtli and the war that fed the Aztec sun

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.

Does it include goddesses of war?

Yes. War in myth is not only male. Athena, the Morrigan, Sekhmet and Ishtar all get full treatment alongside Ares, Mars, Odin and Tyr, because many cultures imagined war as a female power.

Is this book based on primary sources?

Yes. It draws on Homer and the Greek sources, Livy and the Roman tradition, the Norse Eddas, the Irish epics, and the Egyptian, Mesopotamian and Aztec records, 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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