Ifritus
Dreamer
So I'm hoping this post might turn into a helpful discussion/debate into the problems around gods in fantasy.
So first let me pose a few questions...
God, or no God?
Okay so God exists... must there be an Enemy?
Wait, there's more than one god... it's a Pantheon!
So wait, I have to worship All these gods, but I don't like the idea of worshipping death?
Ahem. So, in my quest to eventually turn idle thoughts into something concrete. I have decided to do a little world building (a downward spiral yes). And the first thing that I immediately decided without thought, was that there would be a pantheon. Not a single god, or a light/dark duo. But multiple entities that have rule of specific areas of life/death etc.
I also made the distinction of thinking that the gods were actual divine beings, not say awesomely powerful magic users. (However the gods can and do use magic, that is unfathomable to in world users)
My main question to the collective here is: WHAT would the societal/political/other effects of these different "god systems" be?
Say the difference between the One God (who could go many ways Himself from passive watcher, to enforcer. Against say a pantheon of 12+.
My first impression is that similar to Feists pantheon in the Riftwar saga, that people would be free to choose who they worship, and from that devout "churches" for each god/goddess would spring up.
But... should there be a main body that governs the separate churches (I'm leaning towards a mother/father "god" idea who then have twins, who themselves then create (not birth) the other gods) so perhaps the churches of the parent gods oversee the others?
Or perhaps they all want worshipped as a collective?/ in the sense that although a person may be devout to one god/goddess, he/she must still pay homage to the other 12+
I'm also keeping in mind the idea of human nature, and the passing of time. In the sense that portrayals of gods, and worship in general will evolve with time.
I apologise if this seems like a ramble but hey, it is something to think about.
I appreciate any thoughts you guys might have.
So first let me pose a few questions...
God, or no God?
Okay so God exists... must there be an Enemy?
Wait, there's more than one god... it's a Pantheon!
So wait, I have to worship All these gods, but I don't like the idea of worshipping death?
Ahem. So, in my quest to eventually turn idle thoughts into something concrete. I have decided to do a little world building (a downward spiral yes). And the first thing that I immediately decided without thought, was that there would be a pantheon. Not a single god, or a light/dark duo. But multiple entities that have rule of specific areas of life/death etc.
I also made the distinction of thinking that the gods were actual divine beings, not say awesomely powerful magic users. (However the gods can and do use magic, that is unfathomable to in world users)
My main question to the collective here is: WHAT would the societal/political/other effects of these different "god systems" be?
Say the difference between the One God (who could go many ways Himself from passive watcher, to enforcer. Against say a pantheon of 12+.
My first impression is that similar to Feists pantheon in the Riftwar saga, that people would be free to choose who they worship, and from that devout "churches" for each god/goddess would spring up.
But... should there be a main body that governs the separate churches (I'm leaning towards a mother/father "god" idea who then have twins, who themselves then create (not birth) the other gods) so perhaps the churches of the parent gods oversee the others?
Or perhaps they all want worshipped as a collective?/ in the sense that although a person may be devout to one god/goddess, he/she must still pay homage to the other 12+
I'm also keeping in mind the idea of human nature, and the passing of time. In the sense that portrayals of gods, and worship in general will evolve with time.
I apologise if this seems like a ramble but hey, it is something to think about.
I appreciate any thoughts you guys might have.