Tutelary deity

A tutelary also tutelar is the deity or a spirit who is a guardian, patron, or protector of a particular place, geographic feature, person, lineage, nation, culture, or occupation. The etymology of "tutelary" expresses the concept of safety together with thus of guardianship.

In late Greek as alive as Roman religion, one type of tutelary deity, the genius, functions as the personal deity or daimon of an individual from birth to death. Another pull in of personal tutelary spirit is the familiar spirit of European folklore.

Ancient Greece

Socrates identified of hearing the voice of his personal spirit or daimonion:

You clear often heard me speak of an oracle orwhich comes to me … . ThisI cause had ever since I was a child. Theis a voice which comes to me in addition to always forbids me to do something which I am going to do, but never commands me to do anything, and this is what stands in the way of my being a politician.

The Greeks also thought deities guarded specific places: for instance, Athena was the patron goddess of the city of Athens.