Download Polytheism is the belief in multiple deities assembled into

Polytheism is the belief in multiple deities assembled into a pantheon
of gods and goddesses, along with their own religions and rituals.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE [ edit ]
Define polytheism, and provide examples of polytheistic pantheons.
KEY POINTS [ edit ]
Polytheist art is as varied as the cultures and regions where it is or was found.
The deities of polytheism are often portrayed as complex personages of greater or lesser status.
Polytheism cannot be completely separated from the animistbeliefs and art prevalent in most folk
religions.
TERMS [ edit ]
polytheism
The belief in the existence of many gods.
Greek Titanomachia
In Greek mythology, the Titanomachy was the ten year series of battles which were fought in
Thessaly between the two camps ofdeities long before the existence of mankind: the Titans, based
on Mount Othrys, and the Olympians, who would come to reign on Mount Olympus.
animist
A believer in animism. Animism is the religious belief that natural phenomena, including
animals, plants, and often even inanimate objects, possess a spiritual essence.
Give us feedback on this content: FULL TEXT [edit ]
Polytheism is the worship or belief in multiple deities usually assembled into apantheon of
gods and goddesses, along with their own religions and rituals. The term comes from the
Greek poly ("many") and theoi ("gods") and was first invented by the Jewish writer Philo of
Alexandria. The deities of polytheism are
often portrayed as complex personages of
greater or lesser status, with individual
skills, needs, desires, and histories. In
many ways these deities are similar to
humans (anthropomorphic) in their
personality traits, but with additional
individual powers, abilities, knowledge, or
perceptions. Polytheism cannot be entirely
delineated from the animist beliefs and art
prevalent in most folk religions. The gods
Register for FREE to stop seeing ads
of polytheism are in many cases the highest order of a continuum of supernatural beings or
spirits, which may include ancestors, demons, wights, and others. In some cases these spirits
are divided into celestial (heavenly) or chthonic(infernal) classes, and belief in the existence
of all these beings does not imply that all are worshiped.
Some well-known historical polytheistic pantheons include theSumerian gods and the
Egyptian gods, and the classicalpantheon which includes the ancient Greek religion and
Roman religion. Post-classical polytheistic religions include Norse Æsir and Vanir,
the Yoruba Orisha, the Aztec gods, and many others. Today, most historical polytheistic
religions are referred to as "mythology," although the stories cultures tell about their gods
should be distinguished from their worship or religious practice. For instance deities
portrayed in conflict in mythology would still be worshiped sometimes in the same temple
side by side, illustrating the distinction in the devotees mind between the myth and the
reality.
In many civilizations, pantheons tended to grow over time. Deities first worshiped as
the patrons of cities or places came to be collected together as empires extended over larger
territories. Conquests could lead to the subordination of the elder culture's pantheon to a
newer one, as in the Greek Titanomachia, and possibly also the case of the Æsir and Vanir in
the Norse mythos. Cultural exchange could lead to "the same" deity being renowned in two
places under different names, as with the Greeks, Etruscans, and Romans, and also to the
introduction of elements of a "foreign" religion into a local cult, as with Egyptian Osiris
worship brought to ancient Greece.
Polytheist art is as varied as the cultures and regions where it is found. Many cities who
worshiped one particular deity often featured a large temple or shrine in the city center.
These temples were a sacred space where believers could go withofferings and prayers and to
seek oracular guidance from temple priests, as in the ancient Egyptian tradition . Similarly,
polytheist groups often depicted cult images of their pantheons in sculpture or paint, as
in relief carvings of the Twelve Greek Olympians . Other polytheistic art examples include
small devotional pieces intended for meditation, as demonstrated by these seated Korean
Buddhist statues .
Seated Buddhas (first half of the 6th c. Ceramic, h. of bodhisattva 17 cm; National Museum of Korea)
Seated Buddhas and bodhisattvas from Wono­ri, Goguryeo
Twelve Olympians
Fragment of a Hellenistic relief (1st century BC – 1st century AD) depicting the Twelve Olympians
carrying their attributes in procession; from left to right: Hestia (scepter), Hermes (winged cap and
staff), Aphrodite (veiled), Ares (helmet and spear), Demeter (scepter and wheat sheaf), Hephaestus
(staff), Hera (scepter), Poseidon (trident), Athena (owl and helmet), Zeus (thunderbolt and staff),
Artemis (bow and quiver), and Apollo (cithara).
Temple of Isis
The Temple of Isis at Philae, with pylons and an enclosed court on the right and the inner building at left.