A water deity is a deity in mythology associated with water or various bodies of water. Water deities are common in mythology and were usually more important among civilizations in which the sea or ocean, or a great river was more important. Another important focus of worship of water deities has been springs or holy wells.

As a form of animal worship, whales and snakes (hence dragons) have been regarded as godly deities throughout the world (as are other animals such as turtles, fish, crabs, and sharks). In Asian lore, whales and dragons sometimes have connections. Serpents are also common as a symbol or as serpentine deities, sharing many similarities with dragons.

Africa

Akan Bosompo, primordial embodiment of the oceans African Religion defined: A Systematic Study of Ancestor Worship among the Akan Abena Mansa, sea goddess associated with gold African Religion defined: A Systematic Study of Ancestor Worship among the Akan Ashiakle, goddess of the treasures at the bottom of the ocean Tano (Ta Kora), god of the Tano river Bia, god of the Bia river Birim, goddess of the Birim River Bosomtwe, antelope god of the Bosomtwe River Ayensu, god of the Ayensu RiverAfrican Religion defined: A Systematic Study of Ancestor Worship among the Akan Densu, three headed god of the Densu River, often represented as red, and having a bad temper African Religion defined: A Systematic Study of Ancestor Worship among the Akan

Bantu Bunzi, goddess of rain, rainbow and waters. Chicamassichinuinji, king of oceans. Funza, goddess of waters, twin phenomenon and malformations in children. Wife of Mbumba. Jengu, Sawabantu water spirits Kalunga, Bantu Supreme Creator Kimbazi, goddess of sea storms. Kuitikuiti, serpent god of Congo river. Lusunzi, god of spring and waters. Mamba Muntu, goddesses of waters and sexuality. Makanga. Mbantilanda. Mbumba, rainbow serpent of terrestrial waters and warriors. Mboze. Mpulu Bunzi, Bakongo god of rain and waters. Nyami Nyami, Batonga river spirit Simbi, Bakongo ancestral water spirits

Dahomey Erzulie, goddess of sweet water, beauty, and love.

Dogon Nommos, amphibious spirits that are worshipped as ancestors.

Egypt Anuket, goddess of the Nile and nourisher of the fields. Bairthy, goddess of water, was depicted with a small pitcher on her head, holding a long spear-like sceptre. Hapi, god of the annual flooding of the Nile. Heh, frog headed god of the primordial waters. Heqet, wife of Khnum, also with the head of a frog. Khnum, god of the source of the Nile. Nephthys, goddess of rivers, death, mourning, the dead, and night. Nu, uncreated god, personification of the primordial waters. Osiris, god of the dead and afterlife; originally a god of water and vegetation. Satet, goddess of the Nile River's floods. Sobek, god of the Nile river, is depicted as a crocodile or a man with the head of a crocodile. Tefnut, goddess of water, moisture, and fertility. Wadj-wer, personification of the Mediterranean Sea or represented the lagoons and lakes in the northernmost Nile Delta.

Ewe / Fon Agwé, a sea loa. Clermeil, a river loa. Mami Wata, a water loa. Pie, a lake and river loa.

Lugandan Sezibwa, goddess of the Sezibwa River.

Serer Mindiss (or Mindis) is not a deity in Serer religion, but a pangool with goddess–like attributes. She is a female protector of the Fatick Region. Offerings are made in her name at the River Sine. She appears to humans in the form of a manatee,Kalis, Simone, Médecine traditionnelle, religion et divination ches les Seereer Siin du Sénégal –La connaissance de la nuit, L'Harmattan (1997), p. 123, She is one of the best known fangool (singular of pangool). She possess the attributes of a typical water fangool, yet at the same time, she is a blood fangool.Gravrand, Henry, La Civilisation Sereer – Pangool, vol.2, Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines du Senegal, (1990), p. 327, The Senegalese Ministry of Culture added the Mbind Ngo Mindiss site to its list of monuments and historic sites in Fatick. It is the site where offerings are made, situated on the arms of the sea which bears her name, in the Sine.REPUBLIC DU SENEGAL, SECRETARIAT GENERAL DU GOUVERNMENT (JOURNAL OFFICIEL) : MINISTERE DE LA CULTURE ET DU PATRIMOINE HISTORIQUE CLASSE, ARRETE MINISTERIEL n° 2711 mcphc-dpc en date du 3 mai 2006,

Yoruba Oshun, an orisha of fresh "sweet" waters and the Osun River. Olokun, an ocean orisha. In Yoruba religion they are the deity of all waters. Yemoja, originally the orisha of the Ogun River (largest river in Yorubaland) but became the orisha over the sea waves by way of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. In some traditional myths she aided Ọbatala with the creation of humans. Olosa, consort of Olokun, orisha over lagoons. Ọya, orisha of storms and the Niger River. Ọba, orisha of the Oba River. Yewá, orisha of the Yewa River. Otin, orisha of the Otin River. Yemòó, original wife of Ọbatala and orisha over waters and maternity. Said to be the original form of most female water orishas.

Igbo Nmuo Mmiri or Nne Mmiri, The Water goddess.

Asia-Pacific and Oceania

East Asia

Taoism and Chinese folk religion

Emperor the Water Official (shuǐguān) Ehuang & Nuying, goddesses of the Xiang River. Gonggong, red-haired dragon with the head of a man and water god who, together with his associate Xiang Yao, is responsible for the great floods. Hebo, god of the Yellow River. Longmu, goddess of the Xijiang River in the Lingnan area. Mazu, goddess of the sea and protector of seafarers. Shuimu, goddess of the water. Shui Wei Niang, goddess of the water. Shuidexianjun (水德星君) Tam Kung, sea deity worshiped in Hong Kong and Macau with the ability to forecast weather. Honorable Kings of the Water Immortals (Shuixian Zunwang). Han Ao or Lu Ban, the inventors. Qu Yuan, Wu Zixu, and Xiang Yu, famous suicides lost in rivers. Yu the Great, tamer of China's Great Flood. Dragon Kings of the Four Seas. Ao Kuang, Dragon King of the Eastern Sea. Ao Qin, Dragon King of the Southern Sea. Ao Run, Dragon King of the Western Sea. Ao Shun, Dragon King of the Northern Sea.

Japanese

Ebisu, god of fortunes and fishery, often being referred to marine megafaunas such as whales and whale sharks (hence being also called "Ebisu-shark"). Hanzaki Daimyojin, gigantic Japanese giant salamander and master of the water. Kuraokami, one of Suijin. Mizuchi, Japanese dragon and sea god. Ōyamatsumi, god of mountains, sea and war. Ryūjin or Watatsumi, Japanese dragon and tutelary deity of the sea. Suijin, Shinto god of water. Sumiyoshi sanjin, god of ocean and sailing. Susanoo, Shinto god of storms and the sea. Watatsumi, dragon king and ocean god. Yamata no Orochi, serpentine monster but also regarded as an incarnation of violent river.

Ainu Amemasu, monster in the lakes. Rep-un-kamuy, god of the sea, often referring to orca.

Korean Imoogi or Imugi, giant serpents of Korean folklore which later become true dragons. King Munmu, a king who wished to become a dragon before his death to protect Korea from the Donghae. Yongwang, an undersea deity believed to determine the fortunes of fishermen and sailors.

South Asia Hindu In Hindu culture, each water body is worshipped as a form of God. Hence, the rivers are worshipped as goddesses and the ocean is worshipped as a god.

Ap, group of water goddesses. Matsya, avatar of Vishnu in piscine form Apam Napat, god of fresh water, such as in rivers and lakes. Danu, goddess of primordial waters, mother of Vritra and the Danavas. Makara, mystical creature of waters. Varuna, the God of the ocean and rains and water. Indra, King of the Gods, God of weather, and bringer of rain, thunderstorms and clouds. Saptasindhu, the seven holy rivers of India, namely: Ganga, the Goddess of the Ganges River. Yamuna, the Goddess of the Yamuna River. Saraswati, the divine Goddess of knowledge and wisdom who was personified as a river that dried up in ancient times. Indus, also called Sindhu. The river is considered the eldest daughter of the Himalaya mountains. Narmada, the river Goddess often worshipped as a deity and daughter of Lord Shiva. Godavari, the longest river of South India. The river is also considered as Dakshina Ganga aka South(ern) Ganga. Kaveri, a river of South India, worshipped by people as a goddess who was previously incarnated as Lopamudra, the wife of Sage Agastya. Rivers such as Tapi, also known as Tapati, is worshipped as a daughter of the sun god, Surya. The river Krishna, worshipped as Krishnaveni Devi/Krishna Mai, is considered to be Lord Vishnu born as a river. Tungabhadra, a tributary of Krishna, is worshipped as a goddess. The river is also known as Pampa. Pamba River and Suvarnamukhi River flowing past the holy temple towns of Sabarimala in Kerala and Tirupati and Srikalahasti in Andhra Pradesh, respectively. The river Brahmaputra is the only river to have a male personification, whose name means "son of Brahma", the creator. Mariamman, regional goddess of the rain and medicine

Meitei Wangbren, the Sea God who holds storm, rain and disaster . Poubi Lai, the giant dragon who ruled its tyranny in the Loktak lake. Irai Leima, the Goddess of water and aquatic life. Ngāreima, goddess of fish Thongjarok Lairembi of Thongjaorok River Iril Lairembi of Iril River Imphal Turel Lairembi of Imphal River Kongba Turel Lairembi of Kongba River Loktak Ima of Loktak Lake Pumlenpat Lairembi of Pumlenpat Lake

Southeast Asia

Filipino

Sirinan: the Isnag spirit of the riverVanoverbergh, M. (1941). The Isneg Farmer. Catholic Anthropologist Conference. Vol. III, No. 4. Limat: the Gaddang god of the seaLumicao-Lora, M. L. (1984). Gaddang Literature. New Day Publishers. Oden: the Bugkalot deity of the rain, worshiped for its life-giving watersWilson, L. L. (1947). Ilongot Life and Legends. Southeast Asia Institute. Ocean Deity: the Ilocano goddess of the ocean whose waters slammed the ediface of salt being built by Ang-ngalo and Asin, causing the sea's water to become saltyYabes, L. Y. (1958). Folklore Studies Vol. 17: The Adam and Eve of the Ilocanos. Nanzan University. Gods of the Pistay Dayat: Pangasinense gods who are pacified through the Pistay Dayat ritual, where offerings are given to the spirits of the waters who pacify the godsAndico, F. L. The Lowland Cultural Community of Pangasinan. National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Anitun Tauo: the Sambal goddess of win and rain who was reduced in rank by Malayari for her conceitJocano, F. L. (1969). Philippine Mythology. Quezon City: Capitol Publishing House Inc. Sedsed: the Aeta god of the seaNoche, D. (2019). A reclamation of one's heritage. Manila Standard. Apûng Malyari: the Kapampangan moon god who lives in Mt. Pinatubo and ruler of the eight riversNicdao, A. (1917). Pampangan Folklore. Manila. Lakandanum: variant of the Kapampangan Naga, known to rule the watersNicdao, A. (1917). Pampangan Folklore. Manila. Bathala: the Tagalog supreme god and creator deity, also known as Bathala Maykapal, Lumilikha, and Abba; an enormous being with control over thunder, lightning, flood, fire, thunder, and earthquakes; presides over lesser deities and uses spirits to intercede between divinities and mortalsJocano, F. L. (1969). Philippine Mythology. Quezon City: Capitol Publishing House Inc. Anitun Tabu: the Tagalog goddess of wind and rain and daughter of Idianale and DumanganJocano, F. L. (1969). Philippine Mythology. Quezon City: Capitol Publishing House Inc. Lakapati: the Tagalog hermaphrodite deity and protector of sown fields, sufficient field waters, and abundant fish catchSan Buenaventura, P. (1613). Vocabulario de Lengua Tagala. Amanikable: the Tagalog god of the sea who was spurned by the first mortal woman; also a god of huntersDemetrio, F. R., Cordero-Fernando, G., & Zialcita, F. N. (1991). The Soul Book. Quezon City: GCF Books.