King of the gods

As polytheistic systems evolve, there is a tendency for one deity to achieve preeminence as king of the gods.^{[citation needed]} This tendency can parallel the growth of hierarchical systems of political power in which a monarch eventually comes to assume ultimate authority for human affairs.^{[citation needed]} Other gods come to serve in a Divine Council or pantheon; such subsidiary courtier-deities are usually linked by family ties from the union of a single husband or wife, or else from an androgynous divinity who is responsible for the creation.

Historically, subsequent social events, such as invasions or shifts in power structures, can cause the previous king of the gods to be displaced by a new divinity, who assumes the displaced god's attributes and functions.^{[citation needed]} Frequently the king of the gods has at least one wife who is the queen of the gods.

According to feminist theories of the replacement of original matriarchies by patriarchies, male sky gods tend to supplant female earth goddesses and achieve omnipotence.^[1]

There is also a tendency for kings of the gods to assume more and more importance, syncretistically assuming the attributes and functions of lesser divinities, who come to be seen as aspects of the single supreme deity.

King of the gods in different cultures

Examples of kings of the gods in different cultures include:

• In the Mesopotamian Anunnaki, Enlil displaces Anu and is in turn replaced by Marduk.^[2]
• In the Ancient Egyptian religion, Amun-Ra was the official deity of the Pharaoh and the people of Egypt.
• In the Canaanite pantheon, Baal (Hadad) displaces El.
• In the Celtic pantheon, Lugus displaces Nuada.^[3]
• In the Hurrian/Hittite pantheon, Teshub or Tarḫunz or Arinna displaces Kumarbi.
• In the Armenian Ar, later – Aramazd.
• In Hinduism, the King of the Gods is Indra, The God of Thunder and lightning and the ruler of heaven.^[4][5]

• In the Ancient Greek system of Olympian Gods, Cronus displaces Uranus, and Zeus in turn displaces Cronus
• In Norse mythology, Odin assumes the role as the Allfather or King of the Gods, but Norse mythology has multiple tribes of Gods such as the Æsir and Vanir, and Odin starts off as only the leader of the former.
• Ancient Iranian Ahura Mazda of the Zoroastrians
• Dravidian religions:^[6] the Supreme Being in Dravidian religion was usually Sivaperuman and had supreme gods based on lands including Murugan, Kadalon, Vendhan, Kotravai, and Thirumal

List of rulers of pantheons

The leaders of the various pantheons include:

Characteristics

The following are the characteristics shared by virtually all Kings of the gods:

• Creation: Most of these gods derive their power from the fact that they created the world, formulated its laws and/or created life forms, notably humans. Ex: Ra, Odin.
• Dominion over the sky: Many such deities hold control over all aspects of the sky, such as weather, rain, thunderstorms, air, winds and celestial objects like stars. They also control some aspects of Earth like harvest, fertility, plants or mountains. Ex: Zeus, Hadad, Jupiter.
• Lightning bolts as personal weapons: Commonly seen with sky gods.
• Divine Wisdom: Some Kings of Gods possess superior wisdom and clairvoyance, compared to most beings. Ex: Ra, Odin.
• God of the Sun, Daylight or Celestial Fire: Some kings of gods are associated with the Sun, as it is life giving and is a powerful symbol of order. They are said to be in charge of celestial fire, which is purifying by nature. Daylight is also an important phenomenon, as most events take place under its presence. Ex: Ra, Dyaus Pitr.
• Conquest, Law, Justice, Order, Time and Fate: Most kings of gods have the ability to control the events of battle and grant victory to those who deserve it. They are seen as paragons of law and promote order. They are seen as powerful manifestations of their respective civilizations. Some gods either possess great skill in war or tremendous physical strength. Some of them have some control over time and regulate it with seasons. Others have limited control over the fate of a human. Ex: Zeus, Odin, Ra, Jupiter.
• Divine authority over other gods: This may be because the concerned head of the pantheon is the father or creator of many gods and goddesses who swear allegiance to him. As a result, the king of the gods makes sure that all deities function properly, punish them for misdeeds, grant or take away immortality from lesser gods etc. Ex: Zeus, Odin, Enlil.
• Divine rival: In some cases, there may be another god, who is equal in supernatural power and thinks he can do a better job than the current king. This often results in conflict, and in extreme cases, war. Ex: Ra and Apophis; Osiris, Set and Horus; Apollo vs Python ; Mitra and the Daeva; Zeus and Poseidon; Cronos and Uranus; Typhon and Zeus etc.

See also

• Henotheism
• Kingship and kingdom of God

References

Works cited

• Campo, Juan E. (2009). Encyclopedia of Islam. Infobase Publishing. ISBN 978-0-8160-5454-1.
• Hughes, Aaron W. (2013). "Setting the Stage: Pre-Islamic Arabia". Muslim Identities: An Introduction to Islam. Columbia University Press. pp. 17–40. ISBN 978-0-231-53192-4.

This page was last edited on 25 March 2024, at 15:47