As mortals, we don’t have much in common with our divine overlords. We can’t control the weather, we don’t live forever, and for the most part, we have a really difficult time getting people to worship us.

One thing we do have in common with the gods? The unfortunate tendency to divide people between the haves and the have-nots. For the Greek gods, if you have the power, strength, and familial connections, then welcome to the Pantheon! If you’re primarily known as the god of cheese? Well, better luck in the next life.

Sure, we’ve seen Camp Half-Blood open a few new cabins for the children of minor gods and goddesses, but most divine beings are still languishing in obscurity. In fairness, it’s a bit hard to compare the god of the sky with the god of cheese. Still, we here at Read Riordan will never pass up the opportunity to shine a spotlight on a god or goddess we’d like to see more of.

Khione

No, we’re not including Khione on this list just because she reminds us of a certain Disney ice queen. In fact, Khione predates most of the ice-manipulating divas from mythology and literature. In terms of power and attitude, we think she deserves a spot within the Pantheon. But her father, Boreas, the even more powerful god of winter, would likely get the first invite. Maybe Khione will be invited to the big leagues after she finally overthrows his rule. That is, if the Olympians can ever forgive her for that whole allying with Gaea to destroy them thing. Turns out revenge isn’t always a dish best-served cold.

Eris

Speaking of evil goddesses, here’s one who quite literally lives in the shadow of her more-powerful parent. Eris, the goddess of strife and discord (no, not that Discord), is one of Nyx’s numerous children and resides with her in the Mansion of Night. Eris’s claim to fame is that golden apple prank she played on Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera. By employing some clever trickery, humble Eris somehow convinced three of the most powerful goddesses to argue over a single piece of fruit. Their fight ultimately led to the Trojan War, which was the end goal for this deity obsessed with violence and conflict. Talk about a massive domino effect.

Delphin

Poseidon’s crew runs pretty deep (no pun intended). Considering that most of the planet is covered by water, we’re not surprised that so many gods reside under the ocean. For instance, you’ve got Phorcys, the god of the hidden dangers of the deep; Kymopoleia, the goddess of violent sea storms;, Keto, the goddess of sea monsters; and the goddess Amphitrite, queen of the sea herself. But, in our opinion, none is as cute and lovable as the oft-overlooked Delphin, god of dolphins. Why does Delphin look just like any other average bottlenose? And why do dolphins need a god in the first place? Is Delphin even a god or just a highly intelligent dolphin that somehow got on Posiedon’s good side and convinced the sea god that he’s a divine being? These questions went unanswered during Delphin’s brief appearance in The Last Olympian. But if you ask us, the mystery just makes him more intriguing.

Or maybe we just have a weakness for adorable aquatic mammals. Either way, Delphin is by far the only sea god we’d be tempted to feed raw fish.

Ariadne

As the goddess of the Labyrinth, Ariadne’s clear sight and guiding string are responsible for saving numerous innocent demigods from the wrath of the Minotaur. But, as any Greek deity will tell you, matters of the heart are way more difficult to navigate than any maze. As it turns out, the only thing worse than the Minotaur is an emotionally manipulative boyfriend who abandons you after you save his life from the horrible man-bull monster. Say what you will about Mr. D, but we’re confident he would never put Ariadne through anything like that again.

Aristaeus

Aka the god of cheesemakers we mentioned earlier. But Aristaeus isn’t known exclusively for his dairy products. No, Aristaeus is also the god of beekeepers and rural crafts!

What? You’re not impressed?

Listen, it’s not Aristaeus’s fault that industrialization has made him more or less completely irrelevant. But you never know. If your precious modern culinary technology suddenly stops working, you may have no choice but to turn to him for guidance about how to make those charcuterie boards you’re so fond of. Let’s just hope that Aristaeus hasn’t been holding a grudge for being ignored all these years. To say nothing of our widespread mistreatment of bees. Bitter resentment is a common trait among all gods, major or minor.

We’re not too worried, though. Whereas Zeus could strike us down with a bolt of lightning, what’s the worst Aristaeus could do? Weave us a shoddy basket? Leave our cheese out in the sun too long? If there’s a god that even you could take in a fight, it’s for sure this dude.

Maybe there’s a reason the Pantheon is so exclusive after all . . .

Do you have a favorite obscure divine entity you would like to see more of? Be sure to let us know!