The gods of various ancient mythologies aren’t always positive figures. The gods of Greek mythology tended to be capricious at best, frequently engaging in petty jealousies and vendettas. While some Norse gods were benefactors of mankind, others were aloof and even predatory, such as Ran, the sea goddess of death. Such was also the case …
Even gods and goddesses can fade away with time. Great temples fall into ruin. Cults of worship dwindle or scatter until no one is left who prays to them. Like everything else, they recede into the mists of history. But some gods and goddesses endure. Not as religions – at least not on a large …
Similar to Greek mythology, which had the Olympians and the Titans, the Norse had not one pantheon, but two. But while the two groups of Norse gods, the Vanir and Aesir, did go to war against each other once like the Titans and Olympians, they had a mostly peaceful – if sometimes strained – relationship. …
History both raises and answers a number of questions. Sometimes they’re specific – the dates this or that event happened, or which ruler succeeded another. Sometimes they’re more abstract or philosophical, such as tracking the rise and evolution of religious or political movements. But one of the simplest questions, yet perhaps the hardest, remains – …
The gods of Ancient Egypt number in the hundreds. Born from separate regions – from the Nile Delta to the Nubian mountains, from the Western Desert to the banks of the Red Sea – this panoply of gods was gathered together into a unified mythology even as the regions that spawned them were united into …
Many Greek gods and goddesses exist as fully realized personalities, for better or worse. Everyone knows Zeus for his wisdom and mercy (and, in equal parts, his philandering and quick temper), just as Aphrodite is widely recognized for her vanity and jealousy. This makes a great deal of sense. The Greek gods, after all, were …