Seven Lucky Japanese Gods Archives

Gambling is innate among mere mortals, and gods love an old-fashioned game of chance. This is why humans place their faith in various deities believing that those they worship or believe in would take risks on them by granting them incredible success in life.

Those who wage with the gods in the old days only ask for good hunting and fruitful harvests. But as gambling evolved, so did the stakes.

There were even mentioned tales of individuals staking their lives against gods. However, for this blog, we will discuss the ones revered to be responsible for luck and fortune.

Hermes

The Trickster God, the Greek God Hermes, is usually described as someone holding a winged staff with two snakes. He also wears a herald’s wand or caduceus and has tiny wings on his ankles. Hermes is the god of travelers, athletes, thieves, merchants, messengers, and many more.

Some of his sacred duties are guiding souls to the underworld and as the gods’ messenger. However, he also loves playing tricks on the other gods.

He would often deceive his brothers and sisters to either help humans or for selfish gain. Hermes is also believed to be the inventor of dice or knucklebones. According to Greek mythology, his dice decided the domains that Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades would rule.

Known to gamblers as the “bringer of good luck,” ancient bettors would often seek Hermes’ blessings before playing a game.

Fortuna

Romans were fans of gambling, although it was prohibited in Rome. To be able to play, they invented chips to replace money as bets.

However, a day called Fors Fortuna was dedicated to their goddess of fortune—Fortuna. It is celebrated every June 24, with people from different empires would gather and drinking wine, gambling, and worshiping this goddess.

As one of the gambling gods, Fortuna was hailed by enslaved people and commoners. But since she is the goddess of luck, her alter egos (good luck, bad luck, fickle fortune, and doubtful fortune) are responsible for all kinds of luck.

Unfortunately, her influence was not recognized, even by OKBET players, since people, up until now, still rely upon Lady Luck for good fortune.

Kangiten

There are also gods of fortune in the far east. Kangiten is the Buddhist equivalent of the Hindu god Ganesha, the remover of obstacles and god of good fortune. However, for Kangiten, this particular deity was believed to be a former demonic creature full of rage. All those pent-up anger is said to be only quelled by his female counterpart.

This Japanese god is claimed to be a “giver.” Anything can be wished upon Kangiten, even the impossible. However, in exchange for immediate success, they will meet an inevitable tragedy in the future.

Also, this Buddhist god is considered to be “too sacred to be seen publicly.” This is why he cannot be seen in temples, and monks secretly perform their rituals.

As for his role as a gambler’s god, it is a 50-50 chance. Anyone seeking his help would be granted extremely good fortune or misfortune.

Macuilxochitl

Macuilxochitl is the Aztec god of games. He is the early form of responsible gambling because he severely punishes those who gamble excessively.

Also, the god was vital to the Aztec race/war game patolli. Bets vary from blankets to precious stones; in extreme cases, the player’s home, family, or freedom are among the wages. Whoever wins the game will receive all the stakes as a “gift” from Macuilxochitl himself.

Thot

He is the Egyptian god of wisdom. Gamblers seek his help because he is fair and just.

However, he is a busy god. He was the hieroglyph inventor and the scribe of the gods. Thot also serves as the judge of the deceased while being the moon god of magic and science.

So how was he one of the gambling gods? Apparently, Thot helped the goddess Nut have children by playing a betting game with the moon. He did so for five days until he won, eventually giving Nut a chance to have children.

Nezha

Nezha is the Chinese god of gambling. According to stories, his luck began when his father, Li Jing, mistook him for a demon and attempted to murder him. He survived and became a hero for slaying demons and serving as the Earth’s protector.

Nezha is believed to be the revealer of winning lottery numbers.

Nohoipili

Not every gambling god is good. This is what the Navajo god Nohoipili proved to be. According to the legend, he came to Earth to teach people the rules of different gambling games.

But because betting is addictive, Navajo became greedy. He beat tribes and enslaved them, forcing them to build a home for him.

Fortunately, the other gods took the side of humans and gave a random person gambling powers to beat the god. Navajo lost and returned to the sky to rule over his people—the Mexicans.

Lakshmi

The wife of the Hindu god Vishnu, Lakshmi, is the most potent betting god. She is so powerful that she gave fellow god Indra 1000 years of bad luck.

The goddess despises materialism. She only favors those who seriously wish for it. Gamblers who want her blessing should remember not to be greedy and treat gambling as fun.

Gefjon

Despite their brutal strength and barbaric ways, the Vikings also believe in luck. They have their goddess, Gefjon, to bring them good fortune.

Described to have a plow, the Norse God has four oxen—her sons—to bring a good harvest.

Gefjon also has the power to see everyone’s destinies. This unique power is probably why gamblers want to know what fate lies ahead in their game. Such ability would be beneficial, especially when playing roulette at OKBET.