World Building Pantheon Crafting Advice: A Somewhat Guide

[hackneyed]

For people who want to create their own world, the idea of creating a host of gods to rule over said world can be very intriguing! However, for those unfamiliar with the landscape, it can be a challenge. In my own experience, it's better to take inspiration from pantheons (such as the Greek or Norse) in terms of systems, but not in terms of deities. For example, with the Greeks, we know they have a family tree comprising of (from oldest to youngest): Primordial, Titan, Olympian, and Demigods, to break it down into simple terms. We know in the tales that their family tree is long and has wide branches, allowing for a variety of demigods to spring up and a variety of tales to be told. With the Norse, on the other hand, the godly tree is... rather small, if we're going by the 'main god' perspective. Norse demigods (from my experience) aren't talked about much, and the Norse gods have the Apples of Idunn to keep them young (which Loki steals in one myth, as if to highlight the consequences of not having them), while the Greeks are just... immortal. How your gods retain their immortality - and how their family tree grows or shrinks - can impact the tone of your pantheon as a whole.

Take the Greek pantheon as an example of this. The Greeks focused on a variety of arts and performances, not just combat. In fact, with so many Muses and romantic gods, it can be easily said that the Greeks had a relatively balanced pantheon in terms of gods. The Norse, on the other hand, have gods and individuals that focus more so on combat. Thor, Loki, Odin, and several other gods can be easily traced back to the common idea of a warrior or trickster, with the same going for their respective spouses. The Norse have art gods (Kvasir, for example), but they aren't in the forefront. This can be inferred as a representation of (from my knowledge) how the Norse focused more heavily on combat and adventures while the Greeks had a leniency for arts and romance. If your country or society is focused on war, then it would make sense that their pantheon has an abundance of combat based deities. If they are more wide spread, it would make sense for them to have a more 'balanced' pantheon, if you will.

There are some differences to consider. Not all war gods will want war; some may exist for the sole purpose of combating the very idea of war, or exist so that war is fought righteously and in a good manner. Other gods - such as love gods - might not exist to be purely romantic gods, and could serve as platonic deities. Simply because a god can be defined by a single topic doesn't mean they have to love or even abide by it; A god who rebels against their purpose is the most interesting kind of god there is. Likewise, it is wise to avoid labeling your gods simply by one topic. Apollo is a sun god, sure, but he is also the god of music and medicine. We all know Odin is the king of the Norse gods, but he is also a seeker of knowledge and trickster - one who rivals Loki, depending on the myth. Categorizing your gods can be a helpful tool for organization, but it shouldn't be the only thing you develop about them.

Creation myths are... confusing. Every mythos has their own unique idea as to how they all came to be, and that is a wonderful part of story telling! Did they wade out from the vast rivers of nothingness, or were they formed by ashwood and elm bark? These myths can help define a godly family tree and aid you in understanding their early life; If your gods emerged as they are in the time of your story, how have they developed emotionally or mentally? If they were born similar to human children, what were their early days like? Once again, we are confronted by questions that can be answered and embrace the truth of your tale all at once. Thinking this part of your pantheon out can widely increase the locations of worship: If your gods emerged from the sea, it would make sense for a temple or settlement to be near the water to be closer to the gods.

The culture in your country may also change how the respective deities function. In a land where Death is considered a respectable part of life, why would the death god be brutal and unkind? In a place where war is the norm, why would a love god be cherished and treated as a benevolent force? Aspects which we find positive can be considered negative to those societies you create and, as a result, their perception of the gods may change as well. If your country has an apocalypse tale (such as Ragnarok or Apophis swallowing the sun in Egyptian mythos), what god would cause that and why? Would that god be treated as benevolent or malevolent force? These are the questions to consider if you intend to go in-depth with your gods. In the same manner, we have to consider the religious aspects of your gods. What do the officials wear? What are their lives like if someone worships a god not usually worshipped? Do the gods require sacrifices, or are they content without them? What kind of festivals do the people hold in honor of their gods, and why? How do events (such as flooding or eclipses) affect those views of the gods, or what do the gods do to cause them? How the people of your society and culture react and respond to the whims of gods can have a massive impact on your tale.

On that note, how many gods is too many gods? That's a tricky question to answer. In my experience, it depends on your country size and location. A northern country with thousands of people may have more gods than a plain country with only a small town as its populace. Priests or religious officials of these gods may be wide spread and, as a result, there may be various interpretations of gods (similar to the Roman interpretation of the Greek gods: Same, but with changed aspects to better fit their culture).

All in all, the amount of gods is limited to three things: Your imagination, the location, and the population.

Mainly by your imagination, though!

With that, I think I've touched on the major bases when it comes to developing or expanding your pantheon. I'm sorry that it's so long! If I've missed anything, please let me know and I'll gladly mention it in a reply! If you have any tips or ideas on how to build a good pantheon, don't be afraid to share them! Pantheon building can be a crucial part to any story involving original gods, and it can also be one of the funnest parts of world building!

 

[Bone2pick]

I appreciate the effort and thought you put into this. I wish more threads & discussions centered around world building. Having said that, imo you should have opened asking the question: Does your fantasy world need a pantheon? In some cases they will - possibly even most cases - but in others they won't. And in the cases where they don't, I would advice those creators not to force dieties into their settings.

The creation story is critical. It's one of the first foundations of lore I try and nail down for my worlds. Once you have that you'll likely (though not always) have the blueprints for your pantheon, should you desire one.

 

[hackneyed]

I appreciate the effort and thought you put into this. I wish more threads & discussions centered around world building. Having said that, imo you should have opened asking the question: Does your fantasy world need a pantheon? In some cases they will - possibly even most cases - but in others they won't. And in the cases where they don't, I would advice those creators not to force dieties into their settings.

The creation story is critical. It's one of the first foundations of lore I try and nail down for my worlds. Once you have that you'll likely (though not always) have the blueprints for your pantheon.

Hi! You do have a point - pantheons aren't always necessary for a fantasy world to be prosperous! Looking at the worlds of Harry Potter (if that can be counted as fantasy), that's definitely true. Pantheons are fun to make, but not really needed in some instances. If my memory serves, Narnia didn't have a pantheon, but it's still one of the most beloved series of all times in terms of fantasy. It's a poor decision to force gods into areas where they're not needed, you're right, as doing that can definitely muddle the waters in terms of story. I should have opened with that, my bad!

And creation stories are critical and fun, and that's the best part about them!

 

[Sibelle Grey]

Thank you so much for the effort you put into this guide

 

[avcnger]

This was such an interesting and informative read, thank you for the effort!

 

[AtlannianSpy]

Great work here, I think this is a fascinating and often insufficiently attended aspect of worldbuilding.

I think one thing people often neglect to think about when building pantheons is, ironically, the human element. They often don't actually consider whether the cultures that worship these Gods might not actually know much about them, or might be mistaken in what they think they know.

After all in real life one of the central aspects of religious belief is that there is no real certainty, it's an attempt to make sense of a vast and confusing universe about which we really know very little. But often in fantasy, people know things about the Gods and are often pretty much correct. The god of War IS pretty much all about the war, he DOES want you cut the heads off your enemy and bury them under elm trees or whatever it is. Admittedly fantasy gods tend to be a bit more proactive than our gods, but even then, you should consider how people's perspectives might influence their perceptions of the Gods activities.

Maybe the God calls down lighting upon a city to protect the people they were planning to attack, but the people in the city view it as a condemnation of their loose morals? And then people the next country over only see a bright flash of light and see it as a blessing of their baby prince, who happened to be born at that moment. Maybe the war god chooses to speak through a prophet to clarify his position that actually, its cherry trees he wants the heads under, but the wealthy and influential priesthood (who are all heavily invested in the elm industry) denounce him as a heretic and the people trust their authority?

Even if the people immediately effected by a God's actions interpret it "correctly" over time or distance the story will be told and retold and changed every time as people twist it, either on purpose to suit their objectives or unconsciously simply as a product of their perspective and experience. You can see this process play out over our history, especially in the Greek and Roman world. They would adopt certain rituals or festivals from foreign lands but ascribe them to their own Gods, or reinterpret their mythology with a Greek perspective. Greek writers from different periods would have different opinions about what precisely fell under what God's domain or what the details where of such and such a God's descent into the underworld where because the beliefs they were recording had shifted and evolved over time. Sometimes this evolution is actually reflected in the mythology itself, a tale about a certain God defeating a monster actually reflects the decline in worship of an older cult that was no longer able to compete for whatever reason.

At the end of the day, unless your Gods are limited and human enough to basically just be superheroes, than they aren't exactly characters as much as they are forces of nature. That means the most interesting stories will always stem from how people interpret and react to the Gods, rather than the Gods themselves.