# About the gods



## RedWraith (Jun 6, 2014)

First time posting a question on here so bare with me haha. 

In my WIP, there is a pantheon of gods/goddesses numbering about 9 right now. I've been kind of mulling this over in my head on whether or not to have the gods actually having a presence in the world or not. 

I know that by giving them a presence in the world, they can change things as they see fit themselves, mortals can actually speak with them, etc. By making them spiritual, the people would only have ideas of how the gods truly are, their true intentions, and the stories that they could go by.

I guess my question is really what would you see as pros/cons of each situation?


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## Sir Kieran (Jun 6, 2014)

Good questions. I can see the pros and cons of both situations. 

Pros: At least in the fantasy books I've read, the gods haven't been an intricate presence. They've just been a part of the world mythology, as many real religions are today, and the people base their actions off their beliefs. You could break this by including the gods in your story. 

Cons: It is my personal preference to have the gods remain out of the story as much as possible (example: A Song of Ice and Fire / Game of Thrones, where there are many different religions; none of them seem to be the "true" religion, yet the readers can cite many reasons why one might be more accurate and believable, etc, etc). If you do make the gods have a presence, you take away any speculation that the characters might have over religion and all the debate that goes with it (although a debate that is occasionally overdone throughout the fantasy genre).


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## ThinkerX (Jun 6, 2014)

I've read a very large number of fantasy books.  Some had the gods directly appear and do things, the vast majority did not.

Back in the day, I spent way, way too much time pondering the 'reality' of the Gods.

Directly incorporating Gods into the story (Zeus or Thor or Isis or any other) is difficult to pull off.

First, are these entities actual, unkillable or almost unkillable Gods - or merely very powerful yet still mortal 'monsters'?  

Second...what 'side' are the Gods on?  If both sides, then the story becomes about the gods, aka mythology, and not so much about the mortals.

Third...God or avatar?


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## WooHooMan (Jun 6, 2014)

You shouldn't list pros and cons and go for the "better option".  Because neither option is better.

If you want the story to have a grander, more "epic" feel then I would recommend including gods directly.  It'll give the story more scope and make it feel like really important things are going on a la mythological epics.

If you want a smaller, more character-driven story the indirect gods would probably work better.  Make the whole mythology feel a little more real by keeping somethings ambiguous and in the background.

That's my take on it


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## RedWraith (Jun 6, 2014)

Thank you guys for replying. I would rather the focus be on the mortal's story rather than the story of how the gods are interacting with the mortals. If the gods had a real presence in the world, there would be those who actually doubted the gods' power and godhood and that's not a direction I would like my story to go towards.


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## Terry Greer (Jun 7, 2014)

In my view making gods 'real' has the effect of removing all pleasure of the ambiguity and soul searching a character goes through.
There's no point wondering (or believing) if an omen was sent by the gods if you could just ask the god in question what they really want to happen.    

Gods then stop being gods and start being just another leader - which impoverishes them, and means that everything about them becomes more mundane. (Either that or they're so powerful that they need no help).

The only way I've ever liked them being used as 'real' entities is as if they're playing some gigantic game and can't act directly - but have to act through individuals. mankind is then their plaything and gameboard. (Almost like a gigantic version of the game Civilization).


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## psychotick (Jun 7, 2014)

Hi,

Actually my WIP is based on the Greek gods - plus a few others. But while the gods are real in my work and do interfere in mortal matters, they don't do it directly and none of the gods are characters. My thought was that if someone needs to speak for the gods it should be the priests - and they are quite vocal. And as for how they act their actions are through others including the MC. So you don't see the god in action. You're one step back seeing the mortal character acting as he's guided by / used by the various gods.

Doubt about the existence of the gods isn't an issue in the story. Doubt as to what they do, what they stand for, and whether they will act is.

Cheers, Greg.


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## Terry Greer (Jun 7, 2014)

Tyrion Lannister's view of gods (from the TV adaptation of GOT).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upqpS9TTc2c

just about sums it up


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## Queshire (Jun 7, 2014)

I don't think having the gods be real  necessarily takes away from their impact. I mean look around you, cults of personality are a thing and that's with our increasingly interconnected world. Just imagine how gossip about Bieber would get twisted and swollen to mythological proportions back in ye old times when the best way to get a letter to someone was by giving it to a wagon pointed in the right general direction.


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## KMR (Jun 7, 2014)

I am wondering what your story is about?  All I know is that you have a pantheon of possibly 9 gods/goddesses.  Is this a major plot point in the story you are telling or is it world building/background setting?


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## Wanara009 (Jun 9, 2014)

I think the most important thing to remember if you do put Gods inside your story is their role. If they don't play any major role, just mention them on tangent or maybe insert a scene or two where your protagonist saw them manifesting from afar to affirm their existence and world building bits.

The Theros Block of Magic: The Gathering is a good reference for this kind of problem. In Theros, Gods resides in Nyx and only manifest in the material world when they have enough devotion. However, their presence is known even when they're not manifested (hence the card mechanic).


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