Butterfly God/Goddess?!

[Sommerfugl]

The thread title says it all really! Does anybody know of any Gods or Goddesses that come in the form of butterflies or are related to them in any way?
I've always had an intense connection to butterflies and I've been searching for a while now for butterfly related Gods and Goddesses. The only thing I can find so far is some very obscure tribal Goddess of Butterflies.
So, I figured I'd ask all you trusty and knowledgable people here at MW!
Can anyone think of anything at all?
Thanks in advance....
Jezx

[Mnemosyne]

Hi! Psyche is associated with the butterfly even though you immediately think of her as Eros' woman. Sometimes she has a butterfly with on vase paintings. I'll see if I can find some examples of the vase work on the net. Read this tidbit that I just found on http://www.ship.edu/~psych/psyche.html

The Greek name for a butterfly is Psyche, and the same word means the soul. There is no illustration of the immortality of the soul so striking and beautiful as the butterfly, bursting on brilliant wings from the tomb in which it has lain, after a dull, grovelling, caterpillar existence, to flutter in the blaze of day and feed on the most fragrant and delicate productions of the spring. Psyche, then, is the human soul, which is purified by sufferings and misfortunes, and is thus prepared for the enjoyment of true and pure happiness. (From Bulfinch's Mythology: The Age of Fable, chapter XI)

[Sommerfugl]

Wicked, cheers! :D
Jezxx

[Theres]

i'd say that any Goddess of transition, change, metamorphosis, etc would qualify.

in my own experience i know that one of the names of Hekate is 'Enodia', which means "of the crossroads". now i'm not aware of any correspondence between Her and the butterfly (although She is a Goddess of transitions), but there IS a species of butterfly called 'enodia'.
that's kinda cool, i guess.

ramble ramble ramble...

[WinterTree]

Etain is a Celtic goddess who transforms into a butterfly.

According to legend, Etain was the second wife of Midir, one of the Tuatha de Dannan ("People of the Goddess Dana", a race of Celtic gods) Midir's first wife, Fuamnach, was so furious that Midir had taken another wife that she transformed Etain into a pool of water with a quickentree rod. From the pool of water Etain emerged as a caccoon, and then hatched from the caccoon as a beautiful butterfly.

[Sommerfugl]

hey cheers you guys, that was a big help :)
Jezxx

[Agaliha]

Here's also Itzpapalotl-- Aztec Goddess "Obsidian butterfly"

Thanatos-- Greek God-- was portrayed as a youngster with a inversed torch in one hand and a wreath or butterfly in the other

Butterflies are in Native American myths too...and of course Psyche which was already mentioned

[Caelia RavenWolf]

According to the Pima of North America, at the time of beginning the creator, Chiowotmahki, assumed the form of a butterfly and flew over the world until he found a suitable place for mankind.

The butterfly is an attribute of Xochipilli who I believe is a god of flowers and vegetation.

Jupka was a great god who "fished up the uncreated world from the ocean floor.” When it had been developed he created people. He then taught them about the moons and seasons and all the rites and activities pertaining to them; of the rules governing the wowi (the home, hearth) and the watgurwa (the men’s house); about death and the land of the dead; of the Yahi way which was that of peace. When all was done he transformed himself into a many-colored butterfly.


Quetzalcoatl appeared on Earth emerging directly from a chrysalis, like a butterfly. Not sure if that counts or not though.


Xochiquetzal, the Goddess of Flowers, used to take the shape of a magnificent hairstreak butterfly to visit the Earth and I believe her sister was a war Goddess who took the form of a moth.

[aluokaloo]

Butterflies are sacred to Xochiquetzal, and try looking into other Native American deities as well, by the way the butterfly could be a power animal, since it is an animal of transformation.

[semi]

Oya.

[Merrick]

Lilith