Rules

• • • The celtic pantheon

“The Celts worshiped a variety of gods who appeared in their tales. Most were all-powerful local deities rather than gods with specialized roles. Each tribe had its own god, who protected and provided for the welfare of that tribe. Some of them had similar characteristics. For example, Dagda, the god of life and death in Ireland—known as the good god—resembled Esus, the "master" god of Gaul. Some deities had more clearly defined roles. Among these were Lug, or Lugus, a sun god associated with arts and skills, war and healing, and the horned god Cernunnos, who was god of animals and fertility. The Celts also had a large number of important female deities. These included The Morrigan, the "Phantom Queen"—actually three goddesses, Anu, Macha, Badb, who appeared as ravens during battle. Another important deity was Brigit, goddess of learning, healing, and metalworking. Epona, the horse goddess, was associated with fertility, water, and death.”

• • • The chinese Pantheon

“The creation of the universe and the world began with the mighty god Pangu. Awoken by the discord from the formation of the universe, he swung his axe to break through the chaos. The exposed lighter matter of the chaos ascended and became the sky while the darker matter sunk and became the earth. Pangu stood in between the two layers and pushed up the sky. Once the earth and sky have reached its limit, Pangu created the world by sacrificing himself to form the world. Wind and Cloud was created from his breath; his voice became thunder; the sun was formed from his left eye and the moon from his right; his hair transformed into the stars and sky; his blood turned into the lakes and rivers, his bones became minerals, the rain came from his sweat, and the fur on his body transformed into forests and fields. As for mankind, it is said that Nu Wa dipped a rope in clay and when she flicked the rope a human arose from each globule that landed on earth. The world was divided into three realms consisting of the heavens, the earth, and the underworld. The Jade Emperor is the supreme ruler of the heavens and is the main authorization in the heavenly court. The heavenly court encompasses all the gods worshiped in China.”

• • • The egyptian pantheon

In ancient Egypt, people paid great importance to mythology, rituals and belief. A vital part in everyday life was the belief in the afterlife. The burial process had to do with mummification and ritualistic spells guided the deceased into the underworld. Egyptians were polytheistic and believed in many gods and goddesses, whose purpose was to bring peace and harmony to Upper and Lower Egypt. There were gods and goddesses who took part in creating the world, such as Atum and Khepri. Moreover, some gods, like Hapi the god of the Nile, brought the flood every year, some such as Horus offered protection, and some like Anubis and Osiris took care of people after death. There were other minor gods as well, representing animals and plants. Lastly, they had local gods who were associated with towns. For the Egyptians, in order for life to continue peacefully and harmoniously, one must worship the gods.”

• • • The Greek Pantheon

“The ancient Greeks did not believe that the gods created the universe but rather that the universe created the gods. Long before the creation of the gods, heaven and earth had already been formed. Heaven and earth were referred to as the parents and their children, the Titans. The Elder gods, also called the Titans, were known to have super strength and enormous size. The most powerful of the Titans was Cronus, who was the ruler of his kin. One day, however, his son Zeus, a mere god, dethroned Cronus and made himself ruler of all gods. He and the other gods, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Hera, Ares, Athena, Apollo, Aphrodite, Hermes, Artemis, and Hephaestus, were the 12 great Olympians. Immortal and invincible, they watched mortal men from their abode on Mt. Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece. It is said that the entrance of Olympus is a great gate made up of clouds. It is a peaceful paradise where there are stretches of cloudless skies, endless sunshine, and where the sound of Apollo's lyre can be heard playing.”

• • • The Hindu Pantheon

“The Hindus believe that this is not the first universe. They believe in rebirth, meaning that there will be countless more universes. These universes are created by Lord Brahma, known as the Creator, maintained by Lord Vishnu the Sustainer and destroyed by Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva is called the Destroyer and Re-creator, as with each destroyed universe another must be recreated. Once a universe is destroyed, nothing remains but an endless ocean. On a great swimming snake Ananta, is Lord Vishnu. Growing out of Lord Vishnu's navel is a lotus flower and out of this sprouts his servant, Lord Brahma, the creator of all things. Brahma divided his own body in two. Out of one, Brahma shaped man; out of the other, woman. The man was called Manu, and he was wise; the woman Shatarupa, and she was mysterious. Today, Hindus consistently worship their creator god Brahman, who is known as the supreme deity. There are countless gods in the Hindu pantheon, all known for their unique traits and mystic abilities.”

• • • The Japanese Pantheon

“Japan, land of the rising sun; their pantheon consists of many gods and goddesses, more commonly known as "Kami", or "highly placed being." The rank of Kami was bestowed on natural objects and beings such as mountains, rivers, animals, as well as esteemed ancestors. While Kami appear in many forms and usually have human qualities, they are powerful beings who control aspects of nature. Of the two types of Kami, the heavenly Kami are superior than their earthly counterparts and only reside in heaven, hence, they must use messengers to keep them up to date on earth and in the underworld. The main myths that accompany these religious traditions are that of the creation of the world, the founding of the Japanese Islands, and those of magical creatures, humans, and deities.”

• • • The Mayan Pantheon

“The primary purpose of the ancient Maya was to give a sense of order and control to life, that was their world view. What created their world view was the mere fact that their primary crop was corn and they had to manage the wet and dry seasons which would predict the timing of the corn cycle. In the Popol Vuh, which is the Mayan creation story, the creation of the earth and the first human beings focus on the establishment of corn and on the creator deities. The important creator deities consisted of Huracan and Itzamna. In the Popol Vuh, Hun Hunahpu loses a ballgame against the gods of the underworld and they decapitate him. However, his sons the Hero Twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque, defeat the gods of the underworld and restore the world to its former glory. The ancient Maya worshipped the gods in order to keep the crop cycle going, they also performed sacrificial rituals for the gods in order to make sure their demands would come to fruition.””

• • • The Norse Pantheon

“In Norse Mythology, the gods and the earth were created at the death of Ymir, the primordial deity and ice-giant. Before he was slain, the cow Audhumla, who was created with the same materials as Ymir, started to the salt off an ice block which in turn created the god Buri, who then immediately produced a son of his own, Borr. While Ymir fell asleep after drinking the cow's milk, he too bore a son and a daughter out of his armpits and a six headed frost giant grew out of his feet. It was not too long before the frost giants and the gods did not get along with each other; the forces of good and evil were at war. One day Borr married the giantess Bestla, who gave them three mighty sons: Odin, Vili, and Ve. The trio decided to join their father, Borr, at defeating the frost giants, which they succeeded by killing the mighty Ymir. Thus, out of Ymir's flesh the Midgard or the earth was created, of his blood the sea, of his bones the hills, and of his hairs the trees. With his skull the heavens were born and with the scattering of his brain the clouds. Odin, the sky-father, and his sons Loki and Thor, ruled the city of Asgard, home of the gods. Here they defended the advances of the evil frost-giants of Jotun-heim. Aesir, as the Norse gods were called, were full of courage and heroism.”

• • • The Roman Pantheon

“In ancient Rome, people believed that gods were actively involved in their everyday lives. The three supreme deities, known as the Capitoline Triad, were Jupiter (the supreme deity), Minerva (his daughter), and Juno (his wife). Other gods such as Mars, Mercury, Venus, and Cupid, also played major roles and represented different aspects of life, such as war, love, music, and beauty. The Romans held festivals for and brought offerings to their gods, such as Pax the goddess of peace. They believed that gods lived everywhere - in trees, in animals, by the side of the road, in a flower, in a stream, and in your house. Almost everything in Rome was driven by a spirit of some sort within it.””