Gods

What Exactly Is a Deity?

A deity or god is a supernatural being considered sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over the universe, nature, or human life. The definition of a deity varies across cultures, with some accepting one supreme deity and others multiple deities.

Deity in Different Cultures

The English language word ‘deity’ derives from Old French deité, Latin deitatem, and Proto-Indo-European *deiwos. The term ‘god’ refers to a supreme being or deity, derived from Proto-Germanic *guthan and PIE *ghut-.

Monotheism vs. Polytheism

Monotheistic religions typically envision their god as omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, omnibenevolent, and eternal. Deities have been personified in various ways, including natural phenomena, ethical concepts, and the manifestation within human beings’ bodies.

Theism, Polytheism, and Henotheism

There is no universally accepted consensus on what a deity is, and concepts of deities vary considerably across cultures. The term ‘deity or god’ has a wide range of meanings and significance, ranging from an infinite transcendent being to a finite entity or experience with special significance.

Theism

Atheism is the belief in one or more deities, while polytheism involves worshiping multiple gods and goddesses. Polytheistic religions often view gods as representations of forces of nature or ancestral principles. Henotheism accepts multiple deities as equivalent aspects of a single divine principle.

Monotheism

Monotheism holds that only one deity exists, typically described as all-powerful, all-present, omniscient, benevolent, and eternal. Deism is the belief in a creator deity who does not intervene in the world. Pantheism proposes that the universe itself is God or an all-encompassing deity.

Prehistoric Worship of Deities

There is evidence to suggest that prehistoric civilizations worshipped deities, as seen through inscriptions and prehistoric arts such as cave drawings. However, it’s unclear what these images represent. Modern archaeology recognizes that some figures may be representations of gods or goddesses, while others are more ambiguous.

African Cultures

African cultures have developed diverse theologies and concepts of deities over time. The Yoruba religion in Nigeria features prominent deities like Ogun and Osun, who embody different aspects of human experience. They were preserved by the Africans in their plantation communities, and their festivals continue to be observed.

Southern African Cosmology

In Southern African cultures, a similar masculine-feminine deity combination has appeared in other forms, particularly as the Moon and Sun deities. One Southern African cosmology consists of Hieseba or Xuba (deity, god), Gaune (evil spirits) and Khuene (people). The Hieseba includes Nladiba (male, creator sky god) and Nladisara (females, Nladiba’s two wives).

Deities in Ancient Civilizations

Ancient Egyptian culture revered numerous deities. Their terms for deities were nṯr (god), and feminine nṯrt (goddess); however, these terms may also have applied to any being – spirits and deceased human beings, but not demons – who in some way were outside the sphere of everyday life.

Pyramid Texts

The first written evidence of deities are from early 3rd millennium BCE, likely emerging from prehistoric beliefs. The ancient Canaanites believed in a pantheon of deities, the chief of whom was the god El, who ruled alongside his consort Asherah and their seventy sons.

Mesopotamian Deities

In Mesopotamia, deities were almost exclusively anthropomorphic. They were thought to possess extraordinary powers:93 and were often envisioned as being of tremendous physical size. They were generally immortal:93 but a few of them, particularly Dumuzid, Geshtinanna, and Gugalanna were said to have either died or visited the underworld.

Germanic and Greek Deities

In Germanic languages, terms cognate with ‘god’ such as Old English: god and Old Norse: guð were originally neuter but became masculine after Christianisation due their use in referring to the Christian god. In Norse mythology, Æsir (singular áss or ǫ́ss) are the principal group of gods, while the term ásynjur (singular ásynja) refers specifically to the female Æsir.

Greek Deities

The ancient Greeks revered both gods and goddesses. These continued to be revered through the early centuries of the common era, and many of the Greek deities inspired and were adopted as part of much larger pantheon of Roman deities. The most important deities in the Greek pantheon were the Twelve Olympians: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite, Hermes, Demeter, Dionysus, Hephaestus, and Ares.

Roman Deities

The Roman pantheon had numerous deities, both Greek and non-Greek. The more famed deities, found in the mythologies and 2nd millennium CE European arts, have been the anthropomorphic deities syncretized with the Greek deities.

Deities in Other Cultures

The Inca culture believed in Viracocha as a creator deity who existed before creating space and time. The Maya culture had Kukulkan as the supreme creator deity, also revered as the god of reincarnation, fertility, and wind. The Aztec culture had a complex deity concept with many gods, but their ideas remain poorly understood due to Christian missionary records.

Polynesian Deities

The Polynesian people developed a theology centered on numerous deities, with clusters of islands having different names for the same idea. The Māori people revered Io as the supreme being, a creator deity with power of life.

Christianity and Monotheism

Christianity is a monotheistic religion that accepts the concept of the Holy Trinity, composed of three equal and cosubstantial persons: God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Roman pantheon had numerous deities, both Greek and non-Greek.

Rational Explanations for Deity Belief

Attempts to rationally explain belief in deities extend all the way back to ancient Greece. The Greek philosopher Democritus argued that the concept of deities arose when human beings observed natural phenomena such as lightning, solar eclipses, and the changing of the seasons.

Social and Psychological Perspectives

Lonely and fearful societies tend to invent wrathful, violent, submission-seeking deities, while happier and secure societies tend to invent loving, non-violent, compassionate deities. Émile Durkheim states that gods represent an extension of human social life to include supernatural beings.

Moral and Community Building

According to Matt Rossano, God concepts may be a means of enforcing morality and building more cooperative community groups.

Deities have been a central part of human culture for millennia, shaping our understanding of the world and our place in it. From ancient civilizations to modern religions, deities continue to play a significant role in how we interpret and interact with the universe around us.

In conclusion, whether you believe in one supreme deity or multiple gods, the concept of a deity remains a fascinating and complex aspect of human spirituality and culture. As we continue to explore these beliefs, it’s essential to remember that deities are not just figments of our imagination but reflections of our deepest hopes, fears, and aspirations.