Sometimes, the multitude of gods in a polytheistic religion is mere representatives or subjects to a supreme deity who is placed on a pedestal above all other gods in the same faith and accorded the highest form of reverence and worship
Polytheism is the belief and worship of numerous divine entities popularly referred to as gods. All religions are essentially polytheistic save for Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, which are the three most widely practiced regions in modern-day society.
The Origin Of Polytheism (The Worship Of Multiple Gods)
The word polytheism was derived from two words in the Greek language which are “poly” and “theos”. Poly means many or multiple, while the word Theos means God. Together they refer to the worship of multiple gods.
In the ancient world, humans were fascinated by the clouds, the shining stars in the sky, rainfall, and a myriad of other things. This of course is because human beings are wired to seek answers and since ancient man lacked the scientific knowledge to make sense of the natural occurrences around them, they began to attribute each natural phenomenon to divine beings.
The Nature Of Polytheism & What Differentiates It From Monotheistic Religions
While the major polytheistic religions are based on the worship of two gods or more under one particular deity, there are however many polytheistic systems whose beliefs are centered on ghostly or even demonic forces, an example of this is modern pagan witchcraft.
While there is no stage-by-stage evidence of the evolution of such religions into what they are in modern times, a great number of polytheistic religions of the past have systematically become monotheistic due to the unification of their many gods and deities into one supreme being.
Forms Of Polytheism
There have been many polytheistic religions around the world through many civilizations. The Egyptian gods and many of the well-known polytheistic pantheons, some of which are still worshiped in modern cultures originated from the Roman Empire, Egypt, ancient Greece, and Norse mythology.
Like most monotheistic beliefs, such as Christianity which believes that Jesus Christ is the son of the one true God and that all the gods of other religions are non-existent or false gods, hard polytheism shares the same belief that their gods exist and are indeed the real deal.
The following are the distinct ways different cultures around the world practice polytheism:
1. Objects and Natural Forces
A commonly practiced form of polytheism is the identification of natural phenomena and select objects as divinities. The reason some religions classify these natural occurrences or objects as divinity is because of their irregular appearances or occurrence.
Many religions associate various elements and acts with a spirit entity, for instance, the Hindus refer to their deity Indra as the god of war, rain, and storms, and there’s also the Greek god Zeus who is referred to as the god of lightning.
2. Vegetation
There are various cultures that believe vegetation and specific trees are primordial entities or a link between them and the supernatural. In some traditions, they are believed to be the hosts of spirits or heavenly beings, an example of this is the Yaksha religious sect in India.
3. Animal worship
In the same way that plants can be considered as spiritual forces to be revered, there is also a religious belief in the polytheistic system which centers on animal veneration. An example of this is the cult of the snake which is quite prominent in India.
In other areas, the snake is often associated with fertility due to its habitat being in the ground or perhaps because of its phallic shape.
Samples Of Polytheistic Religions
Religions that believe in the polytheistic system don’t believe in the concept of a monotheistic god (having only one god), rather, they share a common belief in multiple deities. There are many polytheistic ancient religions to be found in practically every region and society in the world today.
The only difference is that a considerable number of such folk religions have lost their influence, however, this doesn’t imply that they no longer exist.
1. The Many Gods In Roman And Greek Mythology
The Greek and Roman gods are stellar examples of polytheism. The beliefs and modes of worship of both nations are alike in many ways, although this is mostly because the Romans were astonished by the Greek gods, much to the extent that they adopted some of their belief systems, as well as some of their gods.
2. Hindu Polytheism
Hinduism is in the top three major world religions and has been in existence way longer than most. Although this religion is known to practice soft polytheism, it is not so easily categorized. The reason for this is that when all things are considered, it is both a polytheistic and monotheistic religion.
It is believed to be monotheistic and polytheistic at the same time because even though it boasts of a few hundred deities, they are all considered to be different variations of their one supreme god Brahman.
3. Buddhism
The Religion we’ve come to know today as Buddhism is a compilation of Buddha’s knowledge and revolves around finding true happiness and learning the path to fulfillment. Like Hinduism, this belief system is not limited to one single god, as such believers of this faith are free to devote themselves to as many gods as they please.
4. Shintoism
Shintoism is at the forefront of every other religion in Japan to the extent that it’s basically a part of their tradition. A clear indication of Shintoism being polytheistic can be found in its name. The word ‘Shinto’ means the way of the gods.
Shintoism is based on the belief that there are divine forces that steer the forces of nature, these spirits are called Kami and are thought to bring happiness to believers.
Conclusion
A significant number of polytheistic religious traditions and animistic beliefs are based in Asia, some of which include Taoism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and so on. While polytheism is more prevalent in Asian territories, there are indeed American and African regions that share the same polytheistic beliefs but serve different deities.
