"Cute boy" deities?

[vaguelyhumanoid]

This is going to maybe sound a little bit strange, but what gods manifest as "cute boys"? I'm not talking about manly, virile gods, but rather gods who are depicted as slim, youthful and pretty male figures. This is quite common among the Greeks, but even amidst the rugged Norse Æsir, you have the gentle and beautiful god Baldr.

Any other gods like this? (Butch goddesses could also be an interesting topic, though maybe one that needs its own thread...)

 

[George-ananda]

The charming boy Krishna would be a good example.

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

Dionysus could arguably be a 'cute boy' given that in later times he was portrayed as being a young man of great, almost effeminate, beauty.

 

[ShivaFan]

Skanda Muruga (Son of Shiva, Kartikeya, love and war, Apollo like in some depictions, Pleiades child, Pleiadian, boyfriend-darlibg of Valli and various leelas)

 

[ShivaFan]

Here is Skanda's consort (of two) named Valli shown Green meaniny in South India that the Devi Goddess is in Her and shines green. She is a village girl and daughter of hunters - she may be seen with deers or running with arrows or with a dog even, Her "boyfriend" holds the Vel or magic spear and dart, this Vel is Murugan's "sister" and is also an emanation of those Goddesses found far in woods which also means far in the universe.

 

[Riverwolf]

I'm not sure anybody among the Ese/Aesir would actually qualify. Even Balder is traditionally depicted as rather stocky (which makes sense, given that genetically, Northmen are larger and stockier than those from around the Mediterranean). While the Celts, Teutons, and Norse weren't as misogynistic as the Greeks or Romans, the surviving accounts indicate that they still saw effeminate qualities in males as a negative; "ergi", which means "unmanly", was the single worst insult you could throw at a man, such that the insulted was legally free and socially obligated to kill the insulter.

Then again, paradoxically, you might get away with a young Woden being this, seeing as he has several effeminate qualities in his behavior, and his traditional depictions actually show him to be pretty petite, at least as The Wanderer.

I think the best bet for finding "cute boy" deities really is around areas of more "developed" civilization, such as India or the Mediterranean. The above-mentioned Krishna and Skanda are perfect examples from India. I tend to think of Apollo as fairly effeminate, as well, though a follower of Hellenismos or Religio Romana would probably be a better authority on that.

I've also been in a slow process of re-deifying Robin Hood. Would that count?

 

[Jainarayan]

He's already a god in my book.

Btw this post was from my phone, so I can't tell how big it really is. It looks normal size to me.

 

[vaguelyhumanoid]

Lots of great responses, both Eastern and Western. When it comes to Baldr, I've seen some artwork portraying him as buff and masculine and other artwork portraying him as cute and boyish, though he latter is more of a Romantic-era thing I think. I guess I kinda internalized the latter image more? But yeah, the Norse gods are usually on the stockier side (though I've always pictured Loki as more an "otter" than a "bear").

Dionysus came to mind when I was writing the OP; in my explorations so far he is definitely my favorite Olympian. This thread also reminds me how intriguing Hinduism is, being the largest living polytheistic tradition and all.

 

[Riverwolf]

This thread also reminds me how intriguing Hinduism is, being the largest living polytheistic tradition and all.

...kind of.

The thing about Hinduism is that it's... not always polytheistic. Hindus will have more accurate information than me, but the short version is that it's not really a single tradition or religion, but an umbrella term, much like the word "Paganism".

 

[SomeRandom]

...kind of.

The thing about Hinduism is that it's... not always polytheistic. Hindus will have more accurate information than me, but the short version is that it's not really a single tradition or religion, but an umbrella term, much like the word "Paganism".

You're correct.
There's a million and one different flavours of Hinduism.
I was brought up as a mixture of both monotheistic and soft polytheistic. You know that whole "God is one" deal. But there are monotheistic Hindus, atheist Hindus, fundamental Hindus, flexible hindus, not so flexible Hindus and everything else you can think of practically.

 

[SomeRandom]

As to the OP Krishna and his brother Bala Rama are often depicted as cute mischievous boys or toddlers.
Come to think of even Lord Shiva (at least the depictions we have at home) is portrayed with very feminine features. Which is a little interesting as he is often depicted wearing the skin of an animal signifying his dominion over the animal and plant world and he is known to be something of a wild king, more at home in the forest than surrounded by luxury.

 

[Politesse]

An acquaintance of mine in the San Francisco area has started up a revivalist cult worshiping the deified Antinous; very much qualifying, as his being young and beautiful was both the reason for his deification and his later popularity in the Greek-speaking Roman Empire.

 

[chevron1]

it depends on how you define cute. here are two versions of baphomet, the transgender god of bisexuals. in the version on the top, he is drawn with a toned body. the one on the bottom is more baphomet-natural.

 

[vaguelyhumanoid]

...kind of.

The thing about Hinduism is that it's... not always polytheistic. Hindus will have more accurate information than me, but the short version is that it's not really a single tradition or religion, but an umbrella term, much like the word "Paganism".

I am aware. Probably I should have said that Hinduism *contains* the largest living polytheistic tradition.

Also, an Antinous cult sounds quite intriguing... he and Hadrian are one of my historical otp's.

 

[Riverwolf]

I am aware. Probably I should have said that Hinduism *contains* the largest living polytheistic tradition.

That's pretty spot-on. ^_^ If I remember correctly what I'd been told from my time as a Hindu, most of the Hinduism that we in the West see is not really representative of the religions followed by the vast majority of Indians.

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

I don't usually go for Japanese style drawings but here's one of Dionysus that's appropriate.

 

[vaguelyhumanoid]

I've seen that picture - I'd call it a great representation!

The parallels between the pre-Christian Greeks and the pre-Westernization Japanese are very interesting. They had very similar homoerotic traditions (look up "shudo" if you're curious), which is the origin of the "bishonen" look in Japanese media.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

it depends on how you define cute. here are two versions of baphomet, the transgender god of bisexuals. in the version on the top, he is drawn with a toned body. the one on the bottom is more baphomet-natural.

Baphomet has nothing to do with transgenderism or bisexuality. It's also not a deity or being at all. It's a representation of the concept of Unification of Opposites. Ultimate balance in an enlightened being.

 

[Maponos]

Apollo, perhaps. Maponos, in Celitc mythology, is a male god of youth, but I don't think either of those two gods are ever considered cute. Just youthful.