- guide or conductor to the land of the dead
- spirit that guides you on your final journey
For example, as the messnger of the gods (herald), it was said that Hermes would sometimes guide the souls of the dead down to the underworld (act as a psychopomp).
from Brainy encyclopedia, an unattributed rip-off of Wikipedia
Many sets of religious beliefs have a particular spirit, god, demon or angel whose responsibility is to escort newly-deceased souls to the afterlife (such as Heaven or Hell).
These creatures are called psychopomps.
{"god" changed to deity on Wikipedia 2004-15-Dec}: 15 Dec 2004
They were often associated with horses, ravens, dogs, crows, sparrows, harts (that is, male deer) and dolphins.
- Aztec mythology
- Cahuilla mythology
- Muut
- Celtic mythology
- Belatu-Cadros (especially Wales)
- Epona
- Ogmios (Ogma)
- Ankou [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankou] [pantheon.org]
- Christian mythology
- Egyptian mythology
- English mythology
- Waetla
- Etruscan mythology
- Greek mythology
- Hindu mythology
- Inuit mythology
- Maya mythology
- Norse mythology
- Persian mythology
- Polynesian mythology
- Roman mythology
- Slavic mythology
- Vodun
- Guédé [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gu%E9d%E9 ]
- Zoroastrianism
- Vohu Mano
Compare [[Virgil]]'s role in [[Dante]]'s [[Inferno]].