Hard vs. Soft Polytheism

[thirstforknowledge]

I was just wondering if there were any hard polytheists here, and if there are and follow a certain pantheon, how do you view other pantheons?

[Aidron]

I was just wondering if there were any hard polytheists here, and if there are and follow a certain pantheon, how do you view other pantheons?


I happen to be a hard polytheist with a predominant Hellenic bent. There are a few exceptions to that every so often, but I do almost always stick within the Hellenic pantheon.

As for other pantheons I view them merely as the gods native to their respective lands and cultures, just as the Hellenes had their own. I do not deny the existence of other gods and in fact am certain they do exist. I for the most part ignore them, however. I have my own gods I follow, but in cases where I might travel somewhere or in the presence of worship of deities that are not my own I would be respectful. If I visited a Shintoism shrine in Japan, for example, and more specifically the one dedicated to Amaterasu that is torn down and rebuilt every 20 years (I think it's every 20, I forget the name of it at the moment) I would would have no problems with giving an offering to her, a small prayer and so forth, but then my own gods have told me that they specifically have no problem with her and I take my cue from them in these matters. The roman pantheon in another example is completely off limits for me, which is quite fine.

[Elderbush]

That's me too. I have my own gods and don't have a problem with the existance of other gods besides them. It just isn't something that I bother thinking about much. I honor the god of place, since that's the respectful thing to do.

[thirstforknowledge]

Makes sense. What about the mythology that goes along with each pantheon? Like the creation myth of the Greek Pantheon compared to the creation myth of another, with a specific God attributed to creation for each pantheon?

[Rick]

I was just wondering if there were any hard polytheists here
Yep

and if there are and follow a certain pantheon
Yep

how do you view other pantheons?
Don't give 'em much thought.

[Aidron]

Makes sense. What about the mythology that goes along with each pantheon? Like the creation myth of the Greek Pantheon compared to the creation myth of another, with a specific God attributed to creation for each pantheon?


I've never concerned myself much with creation myths or theories. It has simply never been something that I found relevant enough to ponder, we are here, I am here, that's all I know. I'm certain there are many things we do not need to know while in our mortal forms, things we may never know, things beyond our comprehension.

However, no ancient culture (that we yet know of) knew about the world as a whole. They knew about their own lands and usually about a few neighboring ones, but the world is a vast place. Who is to say that each pantheon is not responsible for creating its native land. In Shintoism Izanagi and Izunami created the achaepelagos that is Japan, but it does not say they created the whole world. Likewise, from chaos in the Hellenic view could be a void or a place in the world that was at one time so chaotic that it was inhabitable, to which Gaea and Uranus (along with their descendants) carefully crafted into an inhabitable dwelling.

[gurlygurl2004]

I'm not a polytheist, so maybe that's why I'm sure what hard vs. soft means. Please explain.

[Elderbush]

Hard polytheism: The belief in more than one god and that they all are distinct personalities or different from each other.

Soft polytheims: The belief that all gods are just different facets of one big god or that there is an uber god and a goddess and all the male and female gods are just different facets or names of them.

Others may have a different definition.

[gurlygurl2004]

Okay so according to that I'm actually a soft polytheist.

[Luminessence]

I'm a soft polytheist but I don't call myself a polytheist :)

[Darkdale]

I was just wondering if there were any hard polytheists here, and if there are and follow a certain pantheon, how do you view other pantheons?

I'd fall under "hard-polytheist" and frankly I pay no attention whatsoever to the pantheons of others. They simply do not concern me.

[Mòrag Elasaid Ní Dhòmhnaill]

Hard polytheist who follows the gods of Gaelic Scotland - and like others have said I know and acknowledge the gods of other pantheons but don't tend to concern myself with them, unless they concern themselves with me for some reason. The exception to this being the gods of place, because I'm not living in Scotland and it's quite disrespectful to ignore the gods who inhabit the same places I do.

[KellyP]

Another hard polytheist here. As my friend Mooooooorag and others have said, I see the other gods as ancestors of their people but that they have no relevance to my practice. I do respect the landwights of my area and respect the ancestors of those that lived in my area before I arrived along with those of my own family. When I travel to other places where another religion is strong (e.g. Rome) I pay my respect to their gods.

I do study other mythologies and am an avid reader in the field of comparative mythology among the Indo-European cultures.

[DandelionDame]

I considered myself a hard polytheist up until very recently (much to my surprise, I might add) - Hinduism has come elbowing its way into my life and mind so I'm re-thinking a LOT of what I thought I knew before. Guess I'm a bit of a medium polytheist at this point. ;)

[CaitrionaMorgaine]

Hard polytheist here as well--and as others have said, I rarely concern myself with the deities outside of my pantheon (Irish/Welsh).

Avalon's Blessings, ~Rhiannon

[~Elise~]

Hard polytheist here, as well. I will respect other pantheons, but they don't affect my practice. Now, this household is a bit unusual in that we are both hard polytheists, but don't honor the same pantheon. but we respect each other's beliefs.

Elise

[gurlygurl2004]

I'm a soft polytheist but I don't call myself a polytheist :)


Me either, I call myself a monotheist.

[Redshire]

Hard polytheism: The belief in more than one god and that they all are distinct personalities or different from each other.

Soft polytheims: The belief that all gods are just different facets of one big god or that there is an uber god and a goddess and all the male and female gods are just different facets or names of them.

Others may have a different definition.


I think the above is a good definition, and I would be a blend of the two. While I believe the Gods are all distinct personas, I also believe that they are all part of the underlying Divine force. That which is too immense to be represented by just one or two Gods. As for the male and female part, IMHO, the Divine is all One, and within that One there is a distinction between what we call "male" and "female". All Goddess' are not one "uber goddess", nor are the Gods. They are just the different manisfestations of the Divine All.

Picture a full-grown tree. Depending on where you live the tree will be different, but all have the same basic structure. Leaves (or needles), branches, a trunk, and roots. The roots are allways in soil of one sort or another, but it's still soil. The soil is all part of our Great Earth, which is part of the solar system, part of the Milky Way, part of the Universe, part of _???_. That's kinda how I picture it. :)

I work with the Egyptian pantheon exclusively, but I learn whatever I can about other Gods and Goddess'. To me, how different cultures have percieved the Divine is allways an interesting and fruitfull endevor. Many pieces of the Infinite puzzle! Broadening your knowledge base and understanding of such things, while remaining grounded in the wisdom and guidance of your preferred pantheon, IMHO gives one a broader perspective of the Divine as a Whole.

But again, that's just me. ;)



em hotep

[Nantonos]

I will respect other pantheons, but they don't affect my practice. Now, this household is a bit unusual in that we are both hard polytheists, but don't honor the same pantheon. but we respect each other's beliefs.

Elise

That shouldn't be unusual, and historically was not unusual. It only breaks once "my way or the high way" monotheists start entering the picture.

[Nantonos]

Hard polytheist who follows the gods of Gaelic Scotland - and like others have said I know and acknowledge the gods of other pantheons but don't tend to concern myself with them, unless they concern themselves with me for some reason. The exception to this being the gods of place, because I'm not living in Scotland and it's quite disrespectful to ignore the gods who inhabit the same places I do.

Thats an interesting point, that the spirits of place, or landwights, or Genius Loci, may be in a different system to one's deities.

[Darkdale]

Hard polytheist who follows the gods of Gaelic Scotland - and like others have said I know and acknowledge the gods of other pantheons but don't tend to concern myself with them, unless they concern themselves with me for some reason. The exception to this being the gods of place, because I'm not living in Scotland and it's quite disrespectful to ignore the gods who inhabit the same places I do.

I think the spirits and wights of the land are the same wherever you go...but do you worship the gods of the indiginous people of wherever you live.

[Toki Wartooth]

I think the above is a good definition, and I would be a blend of the two. While I believe the Gods are all distinct personas, I also believe that they are all part of the underlying Divine force. That which is too immense to be represented by just one or two Gods. As for the male and female part, IMHO, the Divine is all One, and within that One there is a distinction between what we call "male" and "female". All Goddess' are not one "uber goddess", nor are the Gods. They are just the different manisfestations of the Divine All.

For one of the first times, someone said almost exactly what I was going to say. Wow!

Well, yes, I pretty much agree. I view a Divine All as Buddhists do, really...something we eventually become apart of. It's practically the Universe itself. I believe all Gods to be different manifestations of this All. It's much easier to fathom different personas than it is this Divine All, plus it provides a sort of pathway from basic mortality to something infinite and incomprehensible to the human mind. As for a distinction betwen male and female, however, I find that to be a bit blurred for me. I see balances almost everywhere, whether combined in One God/dess or otherwise.

[Bethra]

For one of the first times, someone said almost exactly what I was going to say. Wow!

Well, yes, I pretty much agree. I view a Divine All as Buddhists do, really...something we eventually become apart of. It's practically the Universe itself. I believe all Gods to be different manifestations of this All. It's much easier to fathom different personas than it is this Divine All, plus it provides a sort of pathway from basic mortality to something infinite and incomprehensible to the human mind. As for a distinction betwen male and female, however, I find that to be a bit blurred for me. I see balances almost everywhere, whether combined in One God/dess or otherwise.

Pritty much the same as I believe. Well at the moment anyway, this is subject to change obviously :D

[Mòrag Elasaid Ní Dhòmhnaill]

I think the spirits and wights of the land are the same wherever you go...but do you worship the gods of the indiginous people of wherever you live.

As I said in my previous post, I worship the gods of Gaelic Scotland and I don't live in Scotland. I also said that I don't concern myself with the gods of other systems.

It's also my opinion that the land spirits that inhabit different locations are not the same. After all the geni loci of the Rocky Mountains aren't the same as those of the Appalachian Mountains, let alone those of the Scottish Highlands. I don't see how they could be the same.

[Rick]

As I said in my previous post, I worship the gods of Gaelic Scotland and I don't live in Scotland. I also said that I don't concern myself with the gods of other systems.

It's also my opinion that the land spirits that inhabit different locations are not the same. After all the geni loci of the Rocky Mountains aren't the same as those of the Appalachian Mountains, let alone those of the Scottish Highlands. I don't see how they could be the same.
Yeah, I gotta lean toward what Morag is saying... my gods are the Gods of My Ancestors, but the landvater where I live (Oklahoma) are not the landvater of my ancestors, I think.

[SylverStar]

I believe the same as Redshire, but currently only worship one god...

[Darkdale]

It's also my opinion that the land spirits that inhabit different locations are not the same. After all the geni loci of the Rocky Mountains aren't the same as those of the Appalachian Mountains, let alone those of the Scottish Highlands. I don't see how they could be the same.

I agree that they are not "the same" - but do you think these land spirits really have a connection with any particular mythology or religion? I've always just thought of them as independant.

[Raintreewolf]

I think the spirits and wights of the land are the same wherever you go...but do you worship the gods of the indiginous people of wherever you live.

I guess I would be a soft polythiest? I see many pantheons as inter-exchangable.

And I like this question above, so I will answere it...Yes. I just moves to Black Hills South Dakota and the Lakota Indian energy is very strong here, it feels very sacred and the Indian Pantheon is very alive here...I'm doing everything I can right now to become familiar with it and sort out who and what everything...divinity....one is. I intend to embrace it to the best of my abilities ( this may take years but I'm not going anywhere else). Though I will still honor the dieties that I have a relationship with already. It works nicely here in South Dakota for me because I have always been attracted to indian mysticism and I really love Vegitative Gods and Goddess or grain mothers...we grow a lot of wheat in this state :farmerjoe . Oh and the farmers are pushing to get to grow hemp here too ( which I support!).

~Raintreewolf

[Mòrag Elasaid Ní Dhòmhnaill]

I agree that they are not "the same" - but do you think these land spirits really have a connection with any particular mythology or religion? I've always just thought of them as independant.

I would say the land spirits are intimately tied to specific mythologies and religions. In my tradition, the land spirits of specific localities are seen as Ancestor spirits, and thusly would be tied to specific religious traditions because the people of the different localities followed different religious traditions. The land spirits that I honor here in the states are the spirits of the native tribes, some of which (Cherokee and Cree) that I am descended from. The land spirits of my native southwestern Colorado are of the Ute and Pueblo traditions and I honor them as well. The spirits of the Scottish Highlands, whose Gaelic tradition I follow, obviously followed the religious traditions of the Gaels.

So yes, I do honor and treat the land spirits of the different areas quite differently. I am only just starting to learn about the native tribes of the Pennsylvania area and how to properly honor them - and I continue to follow the traditions I learned growing up of the Ute and Pueblo tribes in the Four Corners region of Colorado. But, I also keep this honoring of local spirits as a seperate piece of my spirituality because it does not belong to the tradition of which I actually belong and practice - which does teach that you should honor local land spirits in a manner appropriate to them along with the land spirits of your tradition.

[Athena-Nadine]

I'd fall under "hard-polytheist" and frankly I pay no attention whatsoever to the pantheons of others. They simply do not concern me.

Me too. Other peoples' gods have no impact on me or my life, and we have nothing to do with each other. *...shrugs...* I don't study other religions or their gods, as I don't care about them. My only concern is serving my own to the best of my abilities.

[Ojuice5001]

I'm a hard polytheist, and am affiliated with the Roman pantheon. I see the Greek gods as identical with my own; Jupiter is Zeus, Diana is Artemis, etc. But we can note that some gods were known only in Italy, or only in Greece, so complete lists of those two pantheons would only overlap, not be the same. The reason I use Roman names is because my patron goddess, Postverta, was known to the Etruscans and Romans, but I've never heard of anyone else worshipping her, outside the Roman tradition.

So how do I see the other gods? The other pagan European pantheons, and the gods of ancient Mesopotamia, hold considerable interest for me. I tend not to think much about the traditional pagan pantheons of North America, Africa, etc. I think that the gods of the major world religions, like Yahweh, Allah, and the Hindu gods, strive against each other and the pagan gods for influence over the world. There's not much ill-will between the gods, but I think they are perpetually in friendly competition with each other; certainly such a view is not inconsistent with the old myths.