Founding Deities Gallery

Across all major Indo-European cultures, the founding deities and first monarchs carry the M-N- sound in their names. This gallery profiles each one — from Mannus of the Germanic peoples to Manu of the Indic tradition, from Manannán mac Lir of Ireland to Menua of Armenia.

• Manu — Indic progenitor of humanity
• Mannus — Germanic founding ancestor (Tacitus, Germania)
• Manannán mac Lir — Irish sea deity and otherworld guardian
• Manawydan fab Llŷr — Welsh counterpart of Manannán
• Menua — Armenian Urartian monarch (810–786 BCE)
• Minos — Mycenaean/Cretan founding king
• Numa Pompilius — Second king of Rome, religious founder