Idunn was the Norse goddess of spring who guarded the sacred apples that rejuvenated the gods and kept them young. All were barred from eating the fruit but the gods. Idunn’s name means “always young.” When the trickster god Loki attacked her, he caused Idunn and her apples to fall into the hands of the enemy giants. With this sacrilege the Norse deities began to wither and age.
Korrigans were the spirits of healing springs that run underground in Brittany. They naturally appeared as tiny luminous fairy sprites. At night a Korrigan sometimes took the form of a young maiden, causing men to adore her, but in the harshness of day the young beauty would morph into a withered crone. In this latter appearance, any man who insulted her or interfered with her rituals or sacred ceremonies took his life in his hands.
Medeina was a Lithuanian goddess of the forest whose sacred animal was the hare. As a huntress guarding the forest, her form was that of a she-wolf. Jurate loved running with the wolves.
Xochilpilli was an Aztec earth god of maize and, similar to Orpheus, ecstatic song. His name means “Flower Prince” and relates to the joyful experience of the soul. The Mayans worshipped him as “Tonsured Maize God” and adorned him with a mother-of-pearl pendant in the shape of a teardrop. Isn’t it true that high emotion such as ecstasy and sorrow often go hand in hand?
Regardless of your fantasy sub-genre, mythology has immense potential in the way 
of inspiration. Any one of these little known nature spirits could help you amp it up. In my book Guardian of the Deep, the hero’s patron god is Poseidon, ancient god of the sea and the one who brought horses to Greece. Not only does this connection help anchor the hero Samael as an undersea guardian, but it also provides a basis for his transformation into a horseman or cowboy. You can grab a copy here.
Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic in Romance
Yes, mythology is a precious source for us.Interesting how Idunn myth is somehow similar to the apples that Adam and Eve weren’t allowed to eat.
Thanks for the list of deities! I will bookmark the post for further study.
Oh, I’m glad you liked it well enough to bookmark, Carmen, thanks!
Fantasy is a fun realm to play in. There are certainly many creatures and spirits to enrich the worlds authors create. I immediately snagged onto the Korrigans in this post, and how similar creatures (in other guises) appear in many of our beloved fairy tales.
Great point, Mae. The cultural exchange is one of my favorite aspects of mythology.
I love Mythology I adore reading about the different Hodd and Godesses you post. These were a few I never heard of
I’m pleased I was able to toss in a few you weren’t all that familiar with, Cathy, thanks!