[[beings]] `+` [[pie-religion]] | [[sacredness-divinity]]
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[Wikipedia: PIE Gods](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proto-Indo-European-mythology#Gods-and-goddesses)
[ie-connection: Gods](https://www.indo-european-connection.com/religion/gods)
[ie-connection: "God"](https://www.indo-european-connection.com/words/god)
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## Biblio
Many of the works listed on the page [[pie-religion]] talk about gods. When it comes to works specifically about the gods themselves, [[staley1894]] is a good start. See [[roark2023]] for their anthropomorphic character.
## Organizing
There were many PIE gods, and there are many different ways we can categorize them:
- Historically by [branch](gods-by-branch) (ex. Greek, Indic, etc.)
- Culturally as [[beings]] by:
- **Naturalistic:**
- [Nature Gods](nature-gods.md) `*`even these were often anthropomorphic. [[keep-in-mind--that-PIE-was-a-chiefly-Copper-age-society]] and their gods were not just vauge animistic nature-spirits but full fledged personas.
- **Anthropomorphic:**
- By [Gender](gods-by-gender.md)
- By Social Role [[social-gods]] (including [Familial Role](divine-family.md))
- [Various other ways of categorizing them](gods-misc.md)
## Defining them
One handy way to define them is by comparing them to humans in terms of their respective Homes and Constitutions. See the page [[humans-vs-gods]] for more.
- (1. **Their Home**) Many gods are celestial, that is, located in the sky/heaven. Thereby they are sometimes:
- capable of flight, [and shown with wings? #findout]
- (2. **Their Constitution**) All are free from [[age]], the duality of [[health-medic-sick-ill-pain-disease]], and the grimness of [[death]]. Hence they are:
- Called `*n̥-mr̥tōs` "immortal, un-dying" (Grk. *ámbrotoi*, Lat. *dī immortales*, etc.).
- Endowed with a beautiful, perfect [[body]]. This body has various characeristics, see the pages on the: large/changing [[bodies-of-gods]], loud [[voice-of-gods]], and [[sight-of-gods]]. Even when they change their form, mortals can still tell that they are gods because of the [[brightness-of-gods]] (ex. a glimmer of the eye or an unnatural beauty).
- Not compelled to [eat food](food-eating.md). If they do eat food it is nectar/ambrosia/basically-divine-preservative, in which case it seems more a poetic symbol for their immortality than a serious theological cause of it. We have to: [[keep-in-mind--that-our-texts-were-composed-by-poets-not-priests]].
- Have an infinite amount of [[time]] to live their lives, to use their lifeforce.
- A notable exception to this, are the Norse Gods as presented in [[voluspa]].
- (3. **Their Function***) They are praised and given gifts (sacrifices) by lesser beings. Humans worship gods, and even gods worship other gods: [[motif--gods-worshiping-gods]].
## Etymology
There were a few terms for "the divine" in PIE.
- The first `*dei̯u̯ós` was derived from the [[day-sky-father]]'s name and literally means a "heavenly one". ([[pokorny-dei-1]])
- Another was `*dʰeh₁s-` (as in Grk *theós* "god", Arm *dik'* "gods", Lat. *fēriae* "holi-days"). It was probably related to `*dheh1-` ("put, place").
- One root ([`*pa-`](root-protect.md) ("protect; shepherd")) reoccurs in two different divine names, first in the [[day-sky-father]]'s name pa+ter; and again in the name of the [[shepherd-god]] :`*Péh₂usōn`.
## Branches
[[divine-refraction]]
[[gods-by-branch]]