Tutelary deity

A tutelary deity is a deity or spirit that serves as a guardian of a thing. That thing can range from a country to an occupation. 

In ancient Greek and Roman religions, there were special gods called tutelary deities. One type of tutelary deity was called the genius. The genius was like a personal guardian spirit that was with a person from the time they were born until they died.

Another type of personal guardian spirit is called a familiar spirit. This type of spirit is found in European folklore.

 Related pages 
Patron saint

 References