Bilquis

The Queen of Sheba commands the hearts of mortals in modern America.

Bilquis is a character in Neil Gaiman's novel American Gods and its TV adaptation, where she is played by Yetide Badaki. In the novel she is the ancient Queen of Sheba, who endures by absorbing her sexual partners and turning them into worshippers; the series presents her as a goddess of love identified with the Queen of Sheba, and expands the character from the novel.

Quick Facts

Historical identity: Queen of Sheba
Affiliation: The Old Gods

Lore & Background

In the first season Bilquis devours more lovers, and Mr. Nancy tells Shadow and Wednesday her story as a powerful but fallen Old Goddess. In the second season she arrives uninvited at the gathering of Old Gods at the House on the Rock and argues that they must embrace the New Gods' tools; Mr. World tries to win her over, but after Zorya's death Anansi persuades her that the African gods must stick together.

Reader's Guide

In the third season Bilquis falls ill after consuming a would-be predator and is kidnapped; Mr. World visits her in captivity and urges her captors to execute her. Instead she has a spiritual awakening, learns that she no longer needs to consume worshippers for power, and frees herself; she then connects with Shadow over dinner and later learns that he has a major destiny.