Ye Largishe List ov Gods & Spirits

December 20, 2006 7:43 PM

I want to love the Table of Gods, a list of "4862 gods, godesses, deities, avatars, incarnations, angels, demons and various spirits, and 520 aliases, mispronounciations and generally confusing name variations." There isn't much more than a list of names with short descriptions, but you can search by keyword (say, chthonic), by origin (e.g., Canaan), and by name. The information and presentation are not in the same league as Encyclopedia Mythica, or even Godchecker, but it does list Hanuman.

The listings invite you to add keywords and comments, but unfortunately the feature is broken. You can add either, but they are appended unmoderated to the record for "A", which is consequently a mess. If I've been a good boy this year, this feature will work and be gleaning meaningful user contributions on Christmas morning, and I will get to love the Table of Gods.
posted by owhydididoit (15 comments total)

Thanks for sharing this. Nice post.
posted by milarepa at 8:01 PM on December 20, 2006

What?? I was told there's only one God! Now how do I know if I'm worshipping the correct one?

Thanks a lot, Metafilter.
posted by LordSludge at 8:36 PM on December 20, 2006

Overhead, without any fuss, the stars were going out.
posted by Astro Zombie at 9:14 PM on December 20, 2006

SPOILER!
posted by cgc373 at 9:20 PM on December 20, 2006

I believe this list to be biased against sqaumous and rugose entities. Or perhaps just those who are dead and/or dreaming. Once His alarm clock goes off, you can bet Cthulhu's going to be administering spankings all around.
posted by Zack_Replica at 9:30 PM on December 20, 2006

Won't the stars start winking out - one by one - now.
posted by tkchrist at 9:57 PM on December 20, 2006

We got some people scratching themselves,
a man looking at his eyeballs
up under his shades
and a woman with a poochy ass
who keeps turning around and around
Find the hurt place and don't ever let it heal
Get that fucker hanging on the wall
and tear him loose
The stars are coming out
There is a tv set in a window
it says
"the stars are coming out"
posted by Pollomacho at 10:01 PM on December 20, 2006

It might be worth using this thread to point out an amusing habit that I've cultivated over the last couple of years. On occasion, my house is beset by religious folk who feel the burning need to convert me from my heathen ways.

For a while, I politely sent them on their way.

Now, I have a new strategy: I listen to their doctrine, and then explain my own system of salvation. I explain that I am a Luciferian.

"A what?" they will cautiously inquire, "A Luciferian" I will reply with an honest grin.

"Is that like a Satanist?"

I will solemnly shake my head 'No', "I believe that Lucifer is one of God's great tests," I say. His First Angel, His Most Beloved [yeah, I can speak in CAPS, it's a talent] His Most Powerful Among all Angels failed him and revolted? Not likely. "Have you read The Book of Job?" I ask, they nod. Again on familiar ground, "Clearly you can see that He still values the opinions of His fallen Prodigy."

At this point, they aren't sure where I'm going with this, but they are interested.

"So you must understand that God's own will is that eventually Lucifer, his Best Angel will one day repent and 'kneel before God' (They like that.) and be forgiven, because God is nothing, if not forgiving, right?"

"I mean if anyone can be forgiven, can't God's favorite angel?"

...

Either they leave confused and angry, or ask me where I learned of this.

Here, I like to smile and ask them for a donation.
posted by quin at 11:43 PM on December 20, 2006 [1 favorite]

And on post; once again my favorite nemesis Astro Zombie has managed to capture in a single line, my feelings on this subject.

Concise bastard.
posted by quin at 11:48 PM on December 20, 2006

When I was in high school or junior high or something, I opened up Photoshop and attempting to make a family tree of the Greek gods using basically every reference I could find.

... It sort of was more of a bush.

Fun, though.
posted by blacklite at 12:43 AM on December 21, 2006

wikipedia has a list also (no surprise, I guess).
posted by kisch mokusch at 5:29 AM on December 21, 2006

I myself am not angry over being excluded from this list, for I am a forgiving God.
posted by CynicalKnight at 6:59 AM on December 21, 2006

WTF? No Gozer?
posted by Baby_Balrog at 11:32 AM on December 21, 2006 [1 favorite]

Quin, AZ is quoting a short story by Clark, "The 9 Billion Names of God."
posted by Max Power at 11:38 AM on December 21, 2006

Aren't there somewhere around 3.5 MILLION hindu dieties? Seems like this list is a couple dieties short...
posted by muddgirl at 3:09 PM on December 21, 2006