Ganesha
Elephant-headed god of wisdom, new beginnings, and remover of obstacles. Son of Shiva and Parvati. Worshipped before any new venture. Patron of arts and sciences.
Divine domains
Gods of Beginnings
3 deities from 3 traditions whose entries in this atlas list beginnings among their domains, grouped by tradition.
Hindu
Roman
Janus
God of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, and endings. Uniquely Roman deity with no Greek equivalent. Depicted with two faces looking to past and future.
Yoruba
Eshu
The Orisha of crossroads, communication, and unpredictability. Eshu is the divine messenger who carries prayers to Olodumare and the Orishas.
Parallels across traditions
Editorial comparisons recorded on these entries; a shared role does not establish a shared origin.
Janus (Roman) and Ganesha (Hindu)
Both are the deity invoked first, at the very start of any undertaking or ceremony, before any other god
Compare Janus and Ganesha
Quick answers
- Who is the Hindu god of beginnings?
- In the Mythos Atlas catalog, the Hindu deity whose domains include beginnings is Ganesha.
- Who is the Roman god of beginnings?
- In the Mythos Atlas catalog, the Roman deity whose domains include beginnings is Janus.
- Who is the Yoruba god of beginnings?
- In the Mythos Atlas catalog, the Yoruba deity whose domains include beginnings is Eshu.
Related domains
Built from each deity's catalog entry. See every domain side by side on Divine Domains, or browse every cross-pantheon parallel.