[[beings]] `+` [[pie-religion]] | [[sacredness-divinity]] *** [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) *** ## 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]]