Polytheism

**Polytheism** is the belief in or worship of multiple deities, called gods and/or goddesses. These are usually assembled into a pantheon, along with their own mythologies and rituals. Many religions, both historical and contemporary, have a belief in polytheism, such as Shinto, Ancient Greek polytheism, Roman polytheism, Germanic polytheism, Slavic polytheism, Chinese folk religion, Neopagan faiths and Anglo-Saxon paganism.

Polytheists do not always worship all the gods equally, but can be monolatrists, specialising in the worship of one particular deity. Other polytheists can be kathenotheists, worshiping different deities at different times.

Polytheism (belief in one or more gods), is a type of theism but contrasts with monotheism (belief in a singular god), which is the dominant belief in the world today. In certain religions, such as Wicca, the various deities are seen as emanations of a greater Godhead.

## Etymology

The English language word "polytheism" is attested from the 17th century, loaned from French polythéisme, which had been in use since 1580. In post-classical Latin, the term is polytheismus, from the Ancient Greek πολυθεϊσμός, *polytheismos* (Indo-European: *peludhēismós*). The word is attested later than atheism but earlier than theism.

## Soft polytheism versus hard polytheism

A central, main division in polytheism is between soft polytheism and hard polytheism.

"Hard" polytheism is the belief that gods are distinct, separate, real divine beings, rather than psychological archetypes
 or personifications of natural forces. Hard polytheists reject the idea
 that "all gods are one god." "Hard" polytheists do not necessarily
consider the gods of all cultures as being equally real, a theological
position formally known as integrational polytheism or omnitheism.
This is contrasted with "soft" polytheism, which holds that gods may
be aspects of only one god, that the pantheons of other cultures are
representative of one single pantheon, psychological archetypes or personifications of natural forces.

## Gods and Divinity

The deities of polytheistic religions are agents in mythology, where they are portrayed as complex personages of greater or lesser status, with individual skills, needs, desires and histories. These gods are often seen as similar to humans (anthropomorphic) in their personality traits, but with additional individual powers, abilities, knowledge or perceptions.

Polytheism cannot be cleanly separated from the animist beliefs prevalent in most folk religions. The gods 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 or chthonic classes, and belief in the existence of all these beings does not imply that all are worshipped.

## Types of deities

Types of deities often found in polytheism may include

* Creator deity
* Culture hero
* Death deity (chthonic)
* Life-death-rebirth deity
* Love goddess
* Mother goddess
* Political deity (such as a king or emperor)
* Sky deity (celestial)
* Solar deity
* Trickster deity
* Water deity
* Gods of music, arts, science, farming or other endeavors.

## References

* religion.wikia.com/wiki/Polytheism
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polytheism