Here's an idea, and I hope it'll be fun. Brace yourself this is a long description, so please don't complain about it being too long, okay? I also hope this doesn't offend anyone because that's not the point I'm trying to make at all!
Anyways, the point is to be creative and really think of what you value and what matters to you, then come up with a pantheon of one or more gods or goddesses which represent what gives you meaning, wisdom, purpose or comfort. If you already have a few then tell me about those too! Existing deities don't count, but if you like I guess you could create a deity or deities
based on the one(s) you worship. That's how mine came to me: I based mine on multiple deities from cultures around the world.
Really think hard about it, and I recommend deep meditation and/or OoB sessions for additional inspiration. When you think you have a clear idea in your mind about what this god or goddess would be like, then start writing about it here! I'll need to know the following about your deity:
- Name
- God or Goddess?
- Name origin/meanings (if any)
- What existing gods/goddesses they were derived from (if any)
- Things associated with your deity (EG. "god of the harvest," "goddess of the moon," etc.)
- What they look like/how they are depicted (optional, as not all deities have physical forms)
- Rites/customs associated with this deity (you can really get creative here, but think it out first!)
- Relationships with your other gods/goddesses (if any)
- Anything else you might want to say about them
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Here is an example of how I'd recommend writing your headings:
[Deity Name] - The [god or goddess] of [something]
- Name Meaning:
- Name Origin:
- Inspiration:
- Appearance:
- [etc.]:
[Brief Description (try and keep it to one paragraph)]
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Again the point is to have fun, and this isn't a contest to see who has the coolest gods and goddesses. Take your time and enjoy yourself, and be respectful of each others' views and writings. You can even choose to create demonic deities who symbolize things you're afraid of, or were based on scary astral experiences you may have had. I've found that coming up with personifications of your worst fears can help you cope with them better, but don't give them too much power! I strongly encourage you to discuss your deities with each other as well.
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My Deities (you don't have to read this, but I'd greatly appreciate it if you did)I myself already have a few deities I personally believe in (what with following a one-man religion and all :-D) and would like to share. Please withhold judgement as some of these were inspired by video games, fantasy novels and science fiction. I am a gamer and a self-professed geek and "world-builder," and such sources have actually inspired me quite a bit in many aspects of my life, creativity and yes, even spirituality!
Ilúr - The deity of all life
- Name Meaning: Unknown
- Name Origin: Derived from Eru Illúvatar, the the supreme being in Tolkien's Legendarium
- Inspiration: Brahman (Hinduism); The Force (Star Wars); Odic Force (New Age); Ki/Chi (Eastern philosophy)
- Appearance: Intangible, genderless; Appears as warm white light or clear cosmic fluid
Ilúr is the life-force which permeates all living things. It has no gender or physical form, though It appears as a brilliant white light. Arguably it is both male and female at the same time, rather than having no gender. From It was born the Lord and Lady, the deities Valanbé and Bíriyon, respectively. Ilúr manifests in all living things, and from it comes the life force, which I call the Ilúric Energy. It is analogous to
ki or
chi in Eastern and New Age philosophies.
Valanbé - The goddess of Ilúr
- Name Meaning: "White Maiden" in H'ruun (my constructed language)
- Name Origin: Mostly unknown (the name just came to me one day,) though partially derived from the Valar, angel-like beings also from Tolkien's Legendarium
- Inspiration: Aphrodite and Athena (Greek); Freyja (Norse); Mary (Christian); Seraphim (Biblical)
- Appearance: Beautiful, and sensually-attractive young woman; Very fair skin, with blushed cheeks; Shoulder-length gold hair; Purple eyes; Dresses almost all in white, with some gold trim; Six angelic wings, also white; Halo between topmost pair of wings, flashes gold and violet light; often depicted with pregnant belly
The beautiful goddess Valanbé is THE principal goddess of my one-man religion, the Kýrdan Order. She is the personification of goodness and purity. Originally I thought she was a goddess of love, but now to me she is associated with many other things such as love, beauty, war, fertility, life, protection and good fortune. She was born from the female half of Ilúr, and as such is referred to as the Lady of Ilúr. Deriving my tradition in part from medieval knights, she is the "lady" I must chivalrously defend from corruption and evil. In return she gives me protection from evil. She often is depicted with a pregnant, distended belly, though she is not literally pregnant. Rather she is filled with the light of Ilúr. Her body is filled with two winds of energy: one which glows gold-white and heals an ally, the other which is silver-white and damages her enemies. She keeps these two winds in her belly, and they leave her body through her wings when she needs them, and can be summoned back into her body when they are not needed. In addition, she wields a powerful wand-like implement with a blade on the end of it.
You can find images of Vala and additional information about her here (http://"http://great-5.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d33m5ie") and here (http://"http://great-5.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d38fq5p") on my deviantART page.
Bíriyon - The god of Ilúr
- Name Meaning: Unknown (name in H'ruun, though I have yet to decide what it means)
- Name Origin: Name just came to me
- Inspiration: Odin (Norse); Zeus (Greek); The Judeo-Christian god
- Appearance: Bearded father figure; Wise appearance; White beard; Blue-green eyes; Dresses in white; Gold crown
The god Bíriyon is Valanbé's male counterpart, the Lord of Ilúr. I haven't come up with much about him yet, aside from I know that he's equally important as Valanbé in my religion. I worship him as well, though I tend to prefer worshiping Valanbé because of her warmth and beauty. However, I've manifested Bíriyon in honor of my deceased father, as somewhat of a divine father to me, same as Valanbé is my divine mother. I have yet to draw him, but I definitely intend to.
Ibrah - The demon-god of destruction and punishment
- Name Meaning: Currently unknown
- Name Origin: Derived from "Ibrahim," the Islamic name for Abraham
- Inspiration: The darker, vengeful version of the Abrahamic God; Satan (Biblical, and quite ironically); Morgoth (Tolkien's Legendarium); Cthulhu (Lovecraft mythos); Ganon (Legend of Zelda)
- Appearance: Ghastly and imposing biomechanical appearance, almost Giger-esque; Distorted and terrifying corruption of the Judeo-Christian God; Black, leathery skin with an unnatural appearance; Silver-white hair, in a lion-like mane; Fiery amber eyes; Completely covered in black armor with the appearance of alien technology; Covered in glowing, circuitry-like hieroglyphs
Ibrah is, for me, one of the main personifications of fear, chaos, destruction, judgement and eschatology. He is not a true god - he is a false god, created artificially from dark Ilúric energy, to become the successor to Valanbé and Bíriyon. He is the self-proclaimed "one and only god" and claims to his followers that all the other gods and goddesses are false idols who are actually demons. In actuality this is false, as Ibrah IS the demon. He is associated with death, destruction and natural disasters, and I believe the most horrible of earthquakes, tidal waves, storms and volcanic eruptions are due to his destructive influence. He is the closest thing I have currently to a Satan-like figure, which is ironic as he is a caricature and metaphor for the spread of fear-based, apocalyptic religions as well as Christian and Islamic fundamentalism. He symbolizes all my fears of destruction and being punished, and I imagine him in a great war with the gods, who will eventually triumph over him, which is also a metaphor - a metaphor for me conquering my own fears.
T'aeren - The god of storms
- Name Meaning: Currently unknown
- Name Origin: H'ruun translation of the name "Thor"
- Inspiration: Thor (Norse); Jesus (Christian); Arjuna (Hinduism); Link (Legend of Zelda)
- Appearance: Youthful man with a beautiful, slightly-feminine appearance; Very tall; Light-brown hair; Blue-green eyes; Covered in shining green and white armor with gold trim; two angelic wings coming off of back; Wields very large and magical sword
T'aeren is the god of storms, war and the forest, among other things. He is my hero figure, and I have taken his form several times I have projected. He is somewhat of an alter-ego to me, though I also worship him as a god. He is the one who vanquishes evil, and fights against Ibrah and his underlings many times in defense of the gods. Valanbé is his wife. Rather confusingly, his mother was a female angelic being who is Valanbé's younger sister, which makes about as much sense as other, equally-confusing stuff in other mythologies. He is guided by this angel as well. She is where he got his wings from. His powerful sword, which I currently call
Taerenfang is an enchanted blade which vanguishes all evil with its powerful energies. Needless to say he is the hero and the champion of the gods. I have yet to draw him, but I fully intend to!
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There are many other gods and goddesses of mine, though they have yet to take shape and be depicted by me. I hope you enjoyed my long, probably boring post, and I wish you well in your creative efforts to create your own gods and goddesses!
I'm afraid with my inclination for history I'd be more comfortable paying respect to pre-existing deities of various pagan/polytheistic religions rather than creating my own. However, you definitely have a talent for fantasy genre storytelling.
Quote from: Lezi on April 27, 2011, 14:50:31
Name: Medica
Meaning: derived from Latin for "healer"
Inspiration: I've always loved anything that has to do with healing.
Description:Goddess that can be invoked for healing of all sorts. From psychological diseases such as depression to physical diseases such as the flu, Medica can be invoked for her healing powers.
Appearance: Tall and slender with a plain face and beautiful green eyes. Her skin is the color of the moon and she is very graceful. Medica is usually dressed in white, grey or green robes. She has a calming pressence and a soft voice.
That was fun actually. You're not crazy, you're just creative. You could write a good novel I'm sure:-)
She sounds nice. You're doing great! I wish Medica could come and heal my crippling paranoid disorder!
And yes, I do like to write, and I intend to write a story. It's about something different though. The gods and goddesses I mentioned are allegories for what I believe is right and wrong, and what I put my faith in, but yeah, I may eventually include them in a nice little story or two.