In Vedic beliefs, Yami is the first woman, along with her twin brother, Yama. The Rig Veda, in the tenth Mandala, contains a hymn in which they sing to each other. They were children of Surya.

In Hinduism, Yami is a mother goddess, daughter of Vivasvat and Saranya.

In Tibetan beliefs, she is a goddess of death and rules the female spirits of the underworld (Naraka).