History Main / MarriageToAGod

* Quite a few modern polytheists have been getting married to dieties. It's caused a lot of controversy within the pagan/polytheist community; especially since a lot have been getting married to Loki recently. The opposing side feels like the spouses are doing it due to {{Film/Thor}}'s influence, while the spouses claim that it's a genuine dynamic between them and the deity. (Odin apparently has a lot of recent human wives as well; and that can't be explained away by Marvel's fanbase.)

* Fred Christ, a [[HalfHumanHybrid transhumanist]] ConMan and {{Cult}} leader in ''{{Transmetropolitan}}'', has "Brides of Christ," who are expected to get a lot more...frisky...with their deity than regular nuns do.

* The {{manhwa}} ''TheBrideOfTheWaterGod'' begins with the heroine Soah being offered up as a sacrifice in symbolic marriage to the water god Habaek in order to end a severe drought. Then it turns out it's not all that symbolic and things get more complicated from there.

* In the ''{{Belgariad}}'', Nyissians select a girl who looks especially like Salmissra, a priestess favored by their serpent deity. Said look-alike then rules as queen until death, regardless of qualifications or lack thereof.

* Happens to the Minoan girl in ''TheEgyptian''. But GodIsDead and it's a CrapsackWorld anyway, so things go badly.

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* In ''TrueBlood'', Maryann is a maenad, and her plan is to [[spoiler:become the bride of Dionysus by finding the perfect sacrifice and ritually cutting out his or her heart as tribute to him. She believes this ritual will call Dionysus to Earth, after which he will ravish and devour her until she's "lost into oblivion".]]

* TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy has the dark elf Witch Elves, virgin women symbolically married to Khaine, the god of war and murder. Apparently "he is a jealous god, unwilling to share his chosen ones" and the Witch Elves are happy to stick sharp, pointy things in anyone who tries it on.
* The organization that would become the Sisters of Battle in TabletopGame/Warhammer40K were first known as the Brides of the Emperor. Thankfully it's just a name, as the GodEmperor in question is a few twitching cells away from definitely kicking the bucket.

* In ''RaidouKuzunohaVsKingAbaddon'', one character is "engaged" to Tento, the god worshipped by the Tsukigata family. [[spoiler: Turns out that said "god" is actually a race of freaky bug demi-people that [[MarsNeedsWomen need human women]] to reproduce, as there are no female Tento. The women who are mated with them end up insane and physically warped]].

* Quite a few modern polytheists have been getting married to dieties. It's caused a lot of controversy within the pagan/polytheist community; especially since a lot have been getting married to [[Film/Thor|Loki ]] recently.(Though Odin apparently has a lot of recent human wives as well; and that can't be explained away by Marvel's fanbase.)

* The SCPFoundation is currently containing [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-1284 SCP-1284]], the eighth in a line of unrelated girls married to the Moon.

* In an episode of ''TheAngryBeavers'', Norb and Dag are [[ShowWithinAShow watching]] a late-night [[TheresNoBInMovie B-Movie]] about Viking Women from Venus, who [[YouFailNuclearPhysicsForever drink radioactive lava]] from a volcano, in a competition to become the Bride of the Volcano.

* In Creator/CSLewis's ''TillWeHaveFaces'', Istra's sacrifice appears to be this initially. Then it turns out she ''does'' get literally married to a PhysicalGod.

* Referenced in ''{{Troy}}''. Achilleus tells Berseis, who is a virgin priestess of Apollo that if she professes to love the gods, she'll find the romance one sided.

** Of course, in traditional GreekMythology, that's not [[ReallyGetsAround exactly]] [[AnythingThatMoves true]] - at least on the physical side of the relationship. On the emotional side he's pretty much spot on.

* ''DungeonsAndDragons'' module ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventures_in_Blackmoor Adventures in Blackmoor]]''. Toska Rusa was selected by the Afridhi to become the mistress and high priestess of their god Zugzul the One.
* ''{{Exalted}}'' features the Brides of Ahlat, an AmazonBrigade in the southern regions of Creation who are symbolically married to the local god of war.
* WarhammerFantasy has the dark elf Witch Elves, virgin women symbolically married to Khaine, the god of war and murder. Apparently "he is a jealous god, unwilling to share his chosen ones" and the Witch Elves are happy to stick sharp, pointy things in anyone who tries it on.
* The organization that would become the Sisters of Battle in Warhammer40K were first known as the Brides of the Emperor. Thankfully it's just a name, as the GodEmperor in question is a few twitching cells away from definitely kicking the bucket.

* The Chant in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' tells of Andraste, mortal woman who the Maker fell in love with, and became [[CrystalDragonJesus His prophet]]. She then led a crusade against TheEmpire, was betrayed by her mundane husband and burned at the stake.

* The girl who traveled with the swamp in the fifth episode of ''Manga/{{Mushishi}}''. She was [[HumanSacrifice sacrificed]] to the river god as a bride, so that the floods in her village would stop.

* The girl who traveled with the swamp in the fifth episode of ''{{Mushishi}}''. She was [[HumanSacrifice sacrificed]] to the river god as a bride, so that the floods in her village would stop.
* In a way, [[TheChosenOne the Priestess]] in ''FushigiYuugi'' becomes a consort to whatever god she summons. (Driven home, for example, by Seiryuu assuming human form and [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything entering Yui's heart]], causing her to [[TheImmodestOrgasm orgasm]].) This may be an explanation as to the fancy ceremonial robes (which, particularly with Miaka's do evoke images of some kind of bride), and why the Priestess is [[VirginPower supposed to be a virgin]].

** Of course, in traditional GreekMythology, that's not [[ReallyGetsAround exactly]] [[AnythingThatMoves true]].

* The Australian mini-series ''BridesOfChrist'' shows the rituals of becoming a nun through the eyes of Diana and Veronica, from their postulancy to their novitiate and taking of the vows. Their's even a wedding, but all brides and no (visible) groom).

** It's also a common [[Literature/TheBible Old Testament]] metaphor which really is less of a surprise then some might think (a lot of the New Testament metaphors were [[ShoutOut shout outs]] to the Old that readers or hearers were expected to understand). Israel was/is the wife of God (at least, after Josiah got done kicking Asherah out). To the point that idolatry is compared to adultery.

** It's also a common [[Literature/TheBible Old Testament]] metaphor which really is less of a surprise then some might think(a lot of the New Testament metaphors were [[ShoutOut shout outs]] to the Old that readers or hearers were expected to understand). Israel was/is the wife of God (at least, after Josiah got done kicking Asherah out). To the point that idolatry is compared to adultery.

* During imperial China, in some villages, girls used to be periodically thrown in the river (or other local water bodies) as 'brides of the river/water god'. Usually the practice was stopped by imperial investigators gave the cult a taste of their own medicine by drowning them, although in one case, the god of one river was married to the goddess of another.

Not literal marriage to a PhysicalGod, that is, but a symbolic marriage to a less-tangible deity, who may or may not be real. Sometimes it's fairly benign -- the girl in question (and it [[AlwaysFemale usually is a girl]]) simply serves as a priestess of the deity to whom she is wedded. Other times, this involves HumanSacrifice, in which case the god is probably either evil (possibly a demon or an EldritchAbomination) or nonexistent. This type can be the dark secret of the TownWithADarkSecret and may be accompanied by a FeteWorseThanDeath.

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* During the New Kingdom period of AncientEgypt, the God's Wife of Amon (usually but not always the queen) was one of the most important figures in the priesthood of the sun god Amon.
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* Happens with Maria and Aidoneus (the god of the dead) in ''[[TheHeirsOfAlexandria This Rough Magic]]''.