Topic: Gods for Non-Earth settings

[GrumpyOldFart]

Here's an interesting question...

On a world with a generally clear sky (Earth), often the Gods have been metaphorically tied to the apparent wanderings of neighbors against the apparently fixed backdrop of space (planets).

If you have a race that basically never comes above ground, what would you symbolically tie their Gods to? Keep in mind that the process of tying a concept to a physical symbol not only says "this is this", it also says "this is not that." So symbolically tying a God to all stone in an underground culture would be problematic, because "stone" is too general in that environment. "God" ends up being pretty much "everything except air", most times.

Also keep in mind that beyond 50'-100' of depth, the concept of "seasons" becomes increasingly meaningless.

[markc]

Here's an interesting question...

On a world with a generally clear sky (Earth), often the Gods have been metaphorically tied to the apparent wanderings of neighbors against the apparently fixed backdrop of space (planets).

If you have a race that basically never comes above ground, what would you symbolically tie their Gods to? Keep in mind that the process of tying a concept to a physical symbol not only says "this is this", it also says "this is not that." So symbolically tying a God to all stone in an underground culture would be problematic, because "stone" is too general in that environment. "God" ends up being pretty much "everything except air", most times.

Also keep in mind that beyond 50'-100' of depth, the concept of "seasons" becomes increasingly meaningless.

 What in our history have Gods be tied to?
1) Life
2) Food
3) Civilization
4) Environment's
5) Knowledge
6) War
7) Passions (Love, War, crafts, ideas, etc)
MDC

[GrumpyOldFart]

I'm thinking in terms of the symbology, though. Gods are always tied to concepts, even if that concept is already physically manifested. The sea, for instance. But humans also tend to tie Gods to physical symbols that have no apparent connection to the concept the God represents. A Planet. A Golden Calf.

In your list above, the only thing I see where the symbology is both present and matches the concept is food. Yes, environments have physical symbology, but the Sea God is never represented by the sea, the Sky God is never represented by the sky. The Sky God is a hawk, or a lightning bolt, the Sea God is a fish or something. Or often something completely irrelevant, like a planet.

[markc]

  IMHO the sea god could be represented by a specific sea, an elemental sea or an idea of the perfect sea; if that exists. Also you would tie your Gods to specific types of things underground. Types of stone, patterns of water etc.
MDC

[dutch206]

An underground race might worship a deity-level earth elemental, or maybe deify the things they fear the most.  ( A god of Earthquakes, a god who drowns people in dark waters, etc....)

[TerryTee]

They will have access to water, so that is one potential divine force. They might see differences between underground rivers, still polls/wells and dripping trickles.

Earthquakes are a good source of divine power. Perhaps other shiftings and/or sounds that might occur under ground.
 
Lava and volcanoes.
 
They must have access to fresh air somehow. Perhaps they will worship the life-giving winds that blow down holy shafts in the rock, or seep through small cracks.
 
Caves full of stalagmites and stalactites may be holy sites.
http://www.google.com/search?q=stalagmites+and+stalactites&hl=no&rls=com.microsoft:no:IE-SearchBox&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=aZu3TtDxJsqJ4gTYg5zWAw&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CBAQ_AUoAQ&biw=1152&bih=1648&sei= bJu3TrLKIZOO4gSazuXrAw#hl=no&rls=com.microsoft:no%3AIE-SearchBox&biw=1152&bih=1648&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=stalagmite+stalactite&oq=&aq=&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=c8703fd5e36817dd
 
Other rock formations may be worshipped as gods.
 
Deep holes or cracks may be the gateways to the deep gods. Sacrifices may be dropped down.
 
Precious metals or gemstones might be gifts from the gods, or may actually be gods or spirits.
 
Caves with a different atmosphere may be a holy place. It may be a place where some type of gas leaks out into the cave complex. Perhaps the gas is a god in its own right, or perhaps it is a curse of a blessing depending on the effect of breathing it.
 
Alcohol or other toxins have been used by lots of cultures. The substances are holy and the user comes closer to the gods.
 
Relics from the Surface (whatever that Surface-thing is).
 
-Terry