Let's talk gods and goddesses

[Beorning]

Recently, I went back to reading about various mythologies, gods etc. It's been a subject that has interested me since childhood... So, how about we talk about it here? ;)

Please tell me: any gods and goddesses you consider interesting? I'm not sure I have any strong favourites currently, but I've always been partial to Athena. Although she did have her ugly moments... like all Greek gods.

That makes me wonder, actually: do you know any patheons that didn't behave like, well, jerks? Obviously, gods of Ancient Greece were, quite often, huge jerks. Also, I tried reading on Sumerian gods and I learned that Inanna wasn't a model of nice behaviour, either. Aside from mistreating her lovers, she also had a tendency to usurp other gods' domains. I think that was what her descent into the underworld was about: she wasn't content with being a queen of the sky, she wanted more power. So, she went to Ereshkigal's domain and tried to kick her out, just like that... I also found a reference to a story where she destroyed a whole mountain just because the size and majesty of that mountain offended her  :o

Overall, let's talk gods, goddesses and mythologies! Come on :)

[TheLionKing]

My favorite god is Anubis. I have a tattoo of him on my right calf. I tend to enjoy Egyptian mythologies. But if you want some trippy mythologies try scottish. They are really fascinating!

[Mathim]

Recently, I went back to reading about various mythologies, gods etc. It's been a subject that has interested me since childhood... So, how about we talk about it here? ;)

Please tell me: any gods and goddesses you consider interesting? I'm not sure I have any strong favourites currently, but I've always been partial to Athena. Although she did have her ugly moments... like all Greek gods.

That makes me wonder, actually: do you know any patheons that didn't behave like, well, jerks?

Any gods are usually based on anthropomorphic characteristics, so of course they're going to be jerks, just like us mere humans. It's why it's so ridiculous for anyone to claim that their pet deity is perfect or omnibenevolent. Any deity making that claim about themselves is just as schizophrenic and pathological of a liar as any human, LOL.

Obviously, gods of Ancient Greece were, quite often, huge jerks. Also, I tried reading on Sumerian gods and I learned that Inanna wasn't a model of nice behaviour, either. Aside from mistreating her lovers, she also had a tendency to usurp other gods' domains. I think that was what her descent into the underworld was about: she wasn't content with being a queen of the sky, she wanted more power. So, she went to Ereshkigal's domain and tried to kick her out, just like that... I also found a reference to a story where she destroyed a whole mountain just because the size and majesty of that mountain offended her  :o

Overall, let's talk gods, goddesses and mythologies! Come on :)

I forget where this story came from but I heard it on a youtube channel I enjoy, where an ancient demigod or some high priest-ish character is on a boat with some lovely slave girls rowing his boat and one of them accidentally loses a gem of hers in the water, and the guy, just to impress someone that was already beholden to him, commands the water to fold itself like a blanket to lift off of the seabed and expose the bare ground underneath so they could find the bauble. Imagine one of the scenes from Inception or Doctor Strange but in the water rather than in a major metropolitan setting. So in a sense, the guy did a nice thing, but for a totally selfish reason. Does that count as not being a jerk?

[Love And Submission]

No offense but this concept is absurd. Most gods are unknowable, trying to assign human values to creatures beyond the understanding of mortals is impossible. How can you accurately judge the personality of  a creature whose existence is inherently unfathomable? Mankind doesn't possess the  faculties to make those sort of appraisals

It's beyond the scope of what our species is capable of. This is the philosophical equivalent of dividing by zero, the system is not designed to handle these equations.

[Mathim]

No offense but this concept is absurd. Most gods are unknowable, trying to assign human values to creatures beyond the understanding of mortals is impossible. How can you accurately judge the personality of  a creature whose existence is inherently unfathomable? Mankind doesn't possess the  faculties to make those sort of appraisals

It's beyond the scope of what our species is capable of. This is the philosophical equivalent of dividing by zero, the system is not designed to handle these equations.

Who cares about their personalities? Their existence is the thing we aren't able to determine and it's looking increasingly less likely that any of them of any sort do or even could exist. Not to mention positing that anything about them is beyond our understanding is unwarranted and would require the ability to test them in order to make that determination in the first place. Which is why we don't talk about them as if they're real unless we're in a religious service of some sort. When we're talking about them as mythology, it's kind of implicitly understood that they're made up fairy tale characters. We didn't need the condescending off-topic lecture, we're adults here too, and most of us have also taken first-year philosophy, we just don't feel the need to show it off.

[Beorning]

Let's not argue, please :)

So... anyone knows anything about the Scottish gods TheLionKing mentioned?

[Mathim]

Let's not argue, please :)

So... anyone knows anything about the Scottish gods TheLionKing mentioned?

I didn't know they had deities, I just thought there were lesser mythical creatures in that mythos. With all the stuff I usually watch I'm surprised I haven't heard anything about them.

[TheLionKing]

https://www.realmofhistory.com/2018/07/02/ancient-celtic-gods-goddesses-facts/

Here ya go! Hope you have fun!

[RedRose]

How a society imagines its god(s) says a lot about its values and ideas. Of course it is impossible to understand such a being.

[meikle]

I like Asherah, the Canaanite goddess buried in the Old Testament

[azzmeister89]

Most of my current knowledge with gods and goddesses is from Greek mythology and I really do love the stories from them, I'm sure she would hate it being a virgin goddess who hates men but I think Artimis is an interesting one, she's the world's oldest example of a tomboy and despite being from a time when women were not exactly treated equal to men, was a really strong character with some of the more interesting sphears of control within the Greek Pantheon

[Iniquitous]

I know a fair bit about the Greek and Hemetic (Egyptian) deities, however, I follow the Norse/Germanic pantheon.

[BearGirl]

Oh I absolutely love Greek Mythology! It is all so interesting to me, especially since every single God and Goddess end up doing some really fucked up things. Even the Gods that were meant to be virtuous end up being spiteful and revengeful.

Hades and Persephone are my favorites though. But I think one of the reasons why I enjoy them so much is that their lore of how they ended up together is debated. They have several different versions and no one is quite sure which the most popular one was. For example, the most popular one nowadays is that Persephone was captured by Hades, but there is another where Persephone willingly headed down to the Underworld and demanded to stay. Hades was just kinda like 'whatever, if that is really what you want to do weirdo...'

Plus I love the many different versions of Persephone. Some people see her as this cute little cinnamon roll, which is fantastic. Though there is lore that she is an absolutely badass that just gave out some of the most absolutely terrifying punishments if you were a particularly horrible person or you crossed her.

And then there is Hades who everyone thinks is evil but he easily is one of the nicer Gods that you can run into. It is rare he lets his emotions get the better of him and he is fair and just. Probably one of the best people you can run into on accident if you're a mortal.

[Mathim]

Oh I absolutely love Greek Mythology! It is all so interesting to me, especially since every single God and Goddess end up doing some really fucked up things. Even the Gods that were meant to be virtuous end up being spiteful and revengeful.

Hades and Persephone are my favorites though. But I think one of the reasons why I enjoy them so much is that their lore of how they ended up together is debated. They have several different versions and no one is quite sure which the most popular one was. For example, the most popular one nowadays is that Persephone was captured by Hades, but there is another where Persephone willingly headed down to the Underworld and demanded to stay. Hades was just kinda like 'whatever, if that is really what you want to do weirdo...'

Plus I love the many different versions of Persephone. Some people see her as this cute little cinnamon roll, which is fantastic. Though there is lore that she is an absolutely badass that just gave out some of the most absolutely terrifying punishments if you were a particularly horrible person or you crossed her.

And then there is Hades who everyone thinks is evil but he easily is one of the nicer Gods that you can run into. It is rare he lets his emotions get the better of him and he is fair and just. Probably one of the best people you can run into on accident if you're a mortal.

That reminds me of how the the story determines how long autumn lasts, based on supposedly how many pomegranate seeds she ate while down there, like if it was just one, she would have to remain there for one season. If it was 3 or 4, it would correspond with that many months. Not entirely consistent (plus it conflicts with the versions where she goes and stays willingly). That always bugged me back in elementary school when we spent most of the year studying Greek mythology (not that I'm complaining), that the stories in every book would differ despite being about the same thing.

[AmberStarfire]

The ones I have some of the greatest fondness (and have statues and art in my living room) for are Nemesis/Adrasteia, Quan Yin, Athena, Hermes, Bastet and Ma'at.

I know, that's a range of mythologies in one place. :) I honestly don't know why, but I often favour goddesses of justice and compassion.

[azzmeister89]

The ones I have some of the greatest fondness (and have statues and art in my living room) for are Nemesis/Adrasteia, Quan Yin, Athena, Hermes, Bastet and Ma'at.

I know, that's a range of mythologies in one place. :) I honestly don't know why, but I often favour goddesses of justice and compassion.

That is quite the collection

[AmberStarfire]

That is quite the collection

Thanks. (I think?) :D

[azzmeister89]

Haha don't worry it's supposed to be a nice comment

[okintsukoro]

I'm a big fan of the Ancient Egyptian pantheon. Anubis, Thoth, and Apep/Apophis are my top favorite deities/characters. Anubis gets all the limelight though, it seems, in terms of movies and modern media.

[Yarnover]

I'm not aware of any deities that don't have a bad aspect or two. Though I know that some of the negative ways we look at their behavior can be based on the culture shift. Like a Norse goddess might sleep with the visiting male friends of her husband because it was part of being hospitable.

All of my children have 3 middle names, the last of which is a deity we felt drawn to at the time. They are Bast, Pele, Danu, Pomona and Bes, in order of age. The last of which was a sort of "thank you" to the universe for blessing me with healthy children with each of my pregnancies.