Liber ab Arma (Book of Arms)^249
Shamash—Male—Middle East
Babylonian god and giver of law. He becomes god of war when those laws
are broken.Si—Male—South America
The Mochica (pre-Inca) personification and god of the Moon. He is also a
god of war depicted in full armor.Svantetit (Also called Svetovit)—Male—Central Europe/North Europe
Slavic god of both field and war, that relationship being in the capacity of
protector of the fields.Triglawus (Also known as Trigelavus, Triglav)—Male—Central Europe/
Northern Europe
Slavic god of war with three heads representing heaven, earth, and the un-
derworld. This is likely commentary on the fate of warriors. They might sur-
vive the battle (Earth), they might fall in a just cause (Heaven), or they might
fall in a cause that is not just (Underworld).Tu Matauenga (Also known as Tu)—Male—Polynesian Islands
Polynesian god of war. He is equated to Maru (Maori) and Ku (Hawaii)Tyr—Male—Central Europe
German god of war and justice, which seems to predate the lore of Odin.
There is some evidence that suggests Tyr was the predecessor to Odin, but
that by the time of the Vikings, lore had grown in such a way as to record him
as Odin’s son.Wepwawet (Also known as Ophois, Upuaut, Wep-wawet)—Male—Africa
Early Egyptian God of war who is depicted with a jackal head.Wurukatte—Male—Middle East
Early Hattic god of war.Zababa—Male—Middle East
Akkadian god of war.Zi-yu—Male—Central Asia
Chinese god who invented both war and the weapons with which wars are
fought.The Need for Victory
Indeed, the ancients recognized the need for victory. They knew that without the
sense of challenge and conquest, humanity becomes complacent. Realizing the great
harm that war brings, they devised methods by which such challenges and conquestsw WB Chap 14.p65 249 7/11/2003, 6:03 PM