Gods
From Legonia
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==Airos == | ==Airos == | ||
Revision as of 19:00, 18 January 2011
| Gods | |
|---|---|
| |
| Allmighty beings | |
| Data | |
| Size | endless |
| Lifespan | immortal |
| Behaviour | inculculable |
| Language | unknown |
| Religion | unknown |
| Region | God's sphere |
| Specials | allmightiness |
| Familiars | |
| Demongods | |
Gods are propably the most powerful beeings in the world of Legonia. Although their existence isn't prooven, all beliefs and sources explaining them with same basic characteristics. So, a god is supposed to be an immortal, amorphous beeing that can rule over all kinds of natural laws and are neutral to all other races. But gods must be separated from demons or demongods, who are defined by beeing evil.
Myths and theories
- See also: Religion
In most religions, gods are seen as existing living individuals, who live in their own sphere, the god's sphere, but can act in Legonia, too. In the southern polytheism, it's normal that gods contact lower races, visit Legonia in material form (e.g. animals) or interact directly with our environment. They're also able to fight each other or beget childs. This type of god can own good and bad characteristics like all humans but have superior power over nature and people. In this interpretation of god-being, their only natural opponents aside themselves are the evil demongods. In other cultures, gods were just the creators of the world and don't interact as person. So, the big something for example is mostly just an imagination of a creation's force, that once set the rules of the world. For atheists and scientists, gods aren't alive. They're seen as people-invented or rather as terms for all-time existed nature forces. Depending on religion and church, the hierarchy can variate and there's no universal pantheon. Some gods have their origins in different cultures, appear in several incarnations and meanings or are unique to a group. Also, most gods aren't bound to a specific race. Mentionable, all religions seem to point one specific god as first and creator of the world. In most cultures this godfather is known as The big something. All other gods are its children due to creation myth.
Popular gods
Basicly all gods are related with each other on some ways but while legends changed and historic evidences got lost, not all origins of every god can be clearly specified to a pantheon or religion. In conclusion, some gods in different religions are referring to a conjoint beeing.
Gods of Ark'tohl Pantheon
Gods in Amazon Mythology
Gods in Insaani Pantheon
Other gods
Airos
Mostly used in the Ark'tohlian pantheon. God of air and wind, mind, free thoughts, fantasy, science and magic. Airos is also symbol for revolutions for some enslaved tribes, so his religion is limited by the heptarchy. Only one temple exists in the whole empire. At same time, sorcerors, alchemists and wisdom-hungry people likes him. After the tale, Airos is a nephew of Arkos, but the rest of the family is unkown because not part of the pantheon. His idol is a stone eagle and sometimes a shield with eagle symbol
Ar
Insaani god of Earth, cautiousness and magic.
One of the 3 parts of the personality of Xo Ra, so he has a father but no mother. Differently than his brother Ox his main aspects are constancy and patience, so he is more worshipped by conservative and educated people like archmages and priests of the pharao. Images of Ar often presents a scholar in long robes holding a book. Ar is patron of mages, priests and all guardians of wisdom. His position as god of earth is less important for the insaani because their religion isn't based on elements as strong as the ark'tohlian one. Aside, the pharao rules over the events on earth.
Arkos/Arkando
Arkos in ark'tohl pantheon
Main god, master of desert, fire, sky, war, life, masculinity and passion. Religion says, he’s the direct son of the big something and first male lifeform. He created the Ark’tohl desert to test the human’s power and will. Whorships can be found in most castes and races of the south, because he has many meanings. His idol is a red stone pillar with 3 torches, symbolizing the desert(landscape), the sun(sky) and fire(life/strength).
Arkando in amazon mythology
The Big Something
The first god,the entity which created the World.
- See also: Creation myth
In nearly all myths, there was an endless nothing at begin of time, which got so bored that a new beeing had split from it, the big something. Every religion has its own incarnation and meaning of it. In polytheism, the big something created Arkos/Arkando as first male and Venari/Vendra as first female beeing. In some churches, the big something is a still acting individual guarding the people, in other it doesn't care for the present. In northern states, it's the main god while the southern world doesn't give it high importance. People of Peng Cheng honours it as mother of Peng.
Other names are:
- The first One (Elves)
- The holy fire (Dwarves)
- Father and Mother of Peng (Peng Cheng)
- The big lie (Demonologists; Blood Wraith)
Guardash
Guardash in Insaani pantheon
Insaani god of shelter, defence and architecture. Patron of builders and city guards. Also known as THE KEEPER or THE GUARDIAN.
Son of Naja and Saard and part of the 3rd level of the insaani pantheon. Guardash has less power but is worshipped by architects and many people in danger. Symbols of Guardash like the shield or a wall are used for magical defence amulettes. The biggest temple of Guardash is build in the city Guardashanipoli.
Guardash in Tronorma religion
The dwarves of the kingdom Tronorma believe in a peacekeeping dwarvengod called Guardasho'lum. After his images and aspects he is probably an incarnation of the same god.
Jangalis
Jangalis origin is probably in the southern jungles but today, this male god is mainly praised in the ark'tohlian pantheon. God of jungle, nature, animals, hunt, farming and travel. His idol is a base of jewels with a dinosaur statue. In the villages upside the desert he’s praised more than from the desert riders. Especially farmers love him, but also dinosaur riders. As patron of travellers and adventurers, jangalis is part of many fairy tales for children. Rumors says, Jangalis is able to visit the world in every animal form.
Naja
Insaani godess of wells, forests, plants and health. And patron of virgins and travellers. Also mistress of nymphs, dryads and other elemental ghosts.
As daughter of Norae and Nepht'uhl Naja belongs to the 2nd level of the Insaani pantheon. She born a child, Nereus, with her older brother Okeanos but later was forbidden to meet him after she betrayed Okeanos with her other brother Saard. With Saard she shares a passionate love while Okeanos punished her to keep the springs running providing his oceans with water. She herself, isn't allowed to enter or cross any water anymore so she can't meet her first son or ex-boyfriend. With Saard she has two other sons, Guardash and Thar. Naja is mostly imagined as beautiful but dirty natural young woman with long hair and moos or earth covered skin.
Nepht'uhl
One of the 3 important main gods in insaani mythology. God of disease, caducity, guardian of souls, non-sexual love and patron of the bereaved.
Born from the big something itself, he belongs to the first level of his pantheon and is one of the strongest gods. Nepht'uhl owns the same function as Thorun in the ark'tohlian pantheon but while the insaani religion has another view on afterlife, it's still different. Shown as undead jackal body, often with open breast cage, Nepht'uhl guides the souls of dead people to the godly tribunal, where the immortal soul of the first pharao, Nepht'uhl and Norae decides the next circle of life (goodies become rich-born, baddies reborn as worms).
So, Nepht'uhl's aspect of deathgod is more a guardian of world's order. Opposite to him, the Demongod Rag'nar'uhl stands for chaos and desperation.
Nereus
Nereus is mentioned as son of Okeanos and Naja sometimes. On the western continent he's not very popular but it's told that his father gave him an own land to rule. He was jealous that Okeanos ruled over so many lifeforms and decided to create his own race: The mysterious Nereids are the daughters and sons of Nereus.
In the insaani pantheon he was the first god of the 3rd level so his power is limited but still bigger than from his half-brothers. For the insaani he's god of continental waters, peaceful sea life and patron of fishers and shipmen.
Norae
Insaani godess of birth, life, reformation and patron of mothers and children.
Norae is one of the 3 main god-like beeings choosen by the big something in insaani mythology and belongs to the 1st level of their pantheon. She was a main force in creation of most lifeforms on Legonia and born Okeanos, Naja, Saard, Xo Ra and in some tales also the first pharao of the old empire. As mother of life and nature she's praised in many ways and cults, but lesser known on the western continent, where Venari or the big something took her rule. Images of Norae show a woman about 40 years with long black hair and a goblet, where she holds the spring of life.
As her demongod-opponent sometimes Orphelia, in other sources Chimaertra are pointed. This confusion could be one trace that possibly Venari is just Norae's incarnation on the western continent. But if so, Chimaertra and Orphelia are two names for the same demongod as well.
Okeanos
Okeanos in ark'tohl pantheon
God of seas and water. Okeanos is son of Arkos and Venari and only brother of Onyxo, who is still part of the pantheon. Because the pantheon limited the amount of gods, no more familiars are mentioned. For the desert tribes, he’s an important god, so every oasis has a shrine blessing him. The only temples can be found in the ports at the bay of Ark’tohl. Because shipping is small in the Emirates, the cult is only lived by some fishermen. His idol consists of a blue painted base and 2 fish statues.
Okeanos in Insaani pantheon
Different than in ark'tohlian religion, Okeanos is descriped as father in some tales. His son should be the god Nereus while he is son of Norae and Nepht'uhl (who are possibly other incarnations of Venari and Arkos). After his wife Naja betrayed him with Saard his wrath is unloading on the azure ocean in form of heavy storms regulary. Naja was punished to keep legonias springs alive for all time so her holy waters are flowing into Okeanos oceans while she's banned from his world.
Okeanos in other mythologies
Ther're several related creatures and supernatural appearances of Okeanos, especially in ocean-related cultures. So, there's the belief, that Okeanos would be main god of all water creatures and possible underwater kingdoms told in old tales. The seamen in Middle Kingdom fear a giant mythic storm in the Azuran Ocean called " The Okeon ", in some viking myths, Okeon is also the name of a giant water dragon, who can eat whole islands.
Onyxo
God of mountains, ore, crafting, treasures and trade. Onyxo is one of the sons of Arkos and Venaris. Because most of his brothers aren’t part of the ark'tohl pantheon, he guards different topics. On one side, he holds the world crust and earth resources together, on the other he’s patron of financial poverty, because the emirate’s treasures are filled by diamonds and other jewels from slave mines. Arkos devided the ownership of the land for 2 of his sons and kept the sky and the desert for himself. Onyxo get the hard parts, the lands, his brother Okeanos the fluid ones, the oceans. His idol is a green crystal statue. Onyxo also created the golden cage as prison for the demongodMagmaros
Ox
Insaani god of sky, air, adventure and fantasy.
Ox is one of 3 parts of the personality of Xo Ra, so Xo Ra was the only god besides the big something who was able to create own followers without a partner. Ox is described as open minded god, more like a child searching for adventure and new experiences. His ambassadors are all kind of birds. He's guarding the creative people, especially book authors and fictional artists. In most images he's shown as bird-creature.
Saard
Insaani god of passion, love, sexuality. Patron of the lovers and fathers.
Son of Norae and Nepht'uhl and part of the 2nd level in the insaani pantheon. Saard has officially 2 sons, Guardash and Thar but it's said that he impregnated many mortal beings and elemental ghosts so a lot of inofficial half-god beings are Saard's children. His true love (if assumed that he doesn't love every female being like the same) is Naja. Because Naja betrayed her husband Okeanos, Okeanos and Saard are opponents. So if Okeanos stands for water, Saard's element would be the fire. This fact gives him many similarities with the ark'tohlian god Arkos. Saard has many images but in most of them he's naked. His evil aspects left him and formed the demongod Sado.
Thar
Insaani god of war and honour. Patron of warriors.
Son of Naja and Saard and part of the 3rd level of the insaani pantheon. Thar inhertited the passion of his father but not the calmness of his mother, so his lust for action can never be filled. Early he found joy of violence and so he became the god of honorable war.
Thar is also known in Therian myths and still often used in Castallanian architecture and arts.
Thorun
God of death, disease, curses and sleep. Thorun is shown mainly as skeletonstatue made of marble. Older idols are made of bones. He’s not familiar with Arkos, so it can be assumed, that he came from a different culture of a jungle tribe. Nearly everyone fears him, altought he’s neutral as lord of the death realm and isn’t a god of destruction or evil. The myths say, he’s holding the balance between old and new, good and evil, living and dead world. If you want to contact or bless any ghosts, you have to beg for his help first. The Thorun belief is only spread in southern cultures e.g. the Ark'tohl pantheon. As his opposite the demongod Nekron is assumed.
Venari/Vendra
Venari in ark'tohl pantheon
Godess of fertility, family, home, peace, femality and friendship. Venari is the sister of Arkos and first female lifeform. Praised mainly by women and children. The everyday life of a family is leaded by prayings to her. At festivals and meetings with foreigners she’s mentioned often. Her idol is a glass cylinder with crystal and 2 rolling arms. The demongodess Orphelia is seen as opposite of Venari.
Vendra in amazon mythology
She's shown mostly as tall, strong but also attractive woman with long, blond hairs in beautiful clothes, in some shrines, a very long snake surrounds her covering her naked body. Main characteristics are power, intelligence and compassion.
Xo Ra
God of Knowlegde, science and creativity. Master and inventor of spoken and written language. Xo Ra is son of Nepht'uhl and Norae and belongs to the second level in the Insaani pantheon.
By trying to bring the chaos of the world a law while the forgotten 200 years he managed to split the sky from earth. Since then his intelligence and arrogance has grew up continousily. At some point, before the ancient war between demongods and gods has started, he was in danger to become crazy. To safe himself and the world from his dangerous knowlegde, he split himself apart into 3 personalities. Xo Ra is still known as guardian of science and creativity, his other incarnations, Ox and Ar are sharing sky and earth with their nature-born powers. Rumours say, that his crazy mind never really healed but formed into an own personality, the demongod ArOxRaXo.
Others
The heptarchy of Skorpion Emirates destroyed the original cultures of many enslaved races. So only specific gods were choosen for the new pantheon. The many missing ones, for example sons of Arkos and his brothers and sisters got forgotten in time. In free tribes of the jungle some are still alive. In the jungle and desert you can find ruins of old temples at closer look. Also, ther're many other gods in undiscovered parts of the world like the eastern continent. Not gods per definition are god-like ambassadors of the big something like pharaos, kalifs and the prophet Sal'nah.
