Celestial Kings
Spirit, goddesses, and gods often guarded gates, portals, and doors. Guardians also appeared in the form of dragons, serpents, monsters, dogs, scorpion men, and lions. They guarded both the physical world as household deities and the cosmic world as guardians of heaven and the underworld. Guardians offered protection, denial of passage, or a challenge to overcome. “Just as the powers of the earth must be defended, so, by analogy, must all mythic, religious and spiritual wealth or power be protected against hostile forces or against possible intrusion by the unworthy” (Chirlot, 1995, p. 134). From a psychological perspective, guardians represent the forces assembled on the “threshold of transition between different stages of evolution and spiritual progress or regression” (Chirlot).
Guardians of Doors
Anakusha: Indian tiger-headed goddess, Door-keeper of the East; guardian of the door on the Sixth Day of the Bardo World
Celestial Kings: Chinese deities who replaced the two door guards, Shen-t’u and Yu-lu
Chak-yu-ma: Tibetan goddess, the Door-keeper of the East
Chhung-Lui: Chinese household god; one of the Chinese gods of the inner-doors, also known as Tsao Shen
Dithytambos: Roman god of the Double Door; an epithet of Dionysus
Dorr-Karing: Swedish door spirit, she stands by the door to blow out the candles of those entering or leaving
Men Shen: collective name of the ancient Door Guards who opposed Ma-Mien, the god who conducts souls to Ti-yu (hell); it was the job of the Men Shen to make sure all papers were in order; depicted as bird guardians
Ts’in Shu-pao: Chinese god of the door, usually paired with Hu King-te; he is represented by a leaf on one half of the outer door of the residence
Uksakka: Lapp door goddess who lives under the door; protector of the newborn and owners of the house; watches over a child’s first steps
Wlenenu: Egyptian deified animal, a door god known as the Opener of the Ways; his female counterpart is Wenenut
Guardians of Doors
Enodia: guardian of gates and crossroads, especially the gate of birth as goddess in the form of a divine midwife,; epithet of Artemis or Hecate
Janus: Roman god of beginnings and endings, God of Gates; ancient Roman divinity, gates and doorways are under his protection
Persephone: goddess of the underworld who ruled the gates of death
Guardians of Thresholds
Cardea: two-headed Roman goddess of hinges, she held the keys to the underworld; protector of thresholds and the guardian of family life; mistress of Janus
Guardians of Portals and Passages
Charybdis and Scylla
Charybdis: Greek mythological ravenous woman who took the form of a guardian whirlpool located in the Messina Straits
Sabaoth: Syrian underworld deity; guard of the Portal of Life, which opens into the lower zone of heaven; his chariot is depicted with a four-faced cherub and angels
Scylla: Greek mythological daughter of Phorcys and Hecate; changed into a six-headed monster by the jealous Amphitrite; sent to guard the Messina Straits; harassed sailors along with Charybdis