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Double Issue February, 25-26, 2003 editor: michael  

Note: no gods were scarificed to, worshipped, appeased,  invoked or harmed during the production of this issue. Well, ok a few gods were appeased. Mainly, they were happy to get some attention after thousands of years of near obscurity.   Another Note: If your favorite God or Gods are not listed in this issue, please understand that a lot of 'other' Gods weren't inluded either. So many Gods - so little time.   Yet Another Note: To the one great big ineffable God that has caused all things - Gods and Humans - to come into existance - Thanks!  

 
GODS GODS and More GODS

Goddesses too!  


  Lists of Gods:   This list has very brief descriptions of a variety of gods.   http://www.geocities.com/lavenderwater37/list.htm  

~~~  

This site calls itself the Holy Database of all know Gods. Of course it doesn't have ALL the known Gods but it does have many of them, with some light hearted descriptions.  

http://www.swordfishdesign.co.uk/_database/index.html  

The site has its own database search engine. A search on Love Gods included:  

Database Entry on TLAZOLTEOTIL  Country: Aztec
Area: n/a
Gender:
Attributes:
Also known as: TLAELQUANI, TLAZOLTÉOTIL, TLAZOLTEOTL
 
Details of TLAZOLTEOTIL:
 
The Eater of Excrement. Do you really want further details? Well, okay, if you insist. She's the Goddess of Filth and Spiritual Uncleanliness. Especially in the sexual line. If you have a filthy mind or you want to dig the dirt, just turn to her. She's ready to hear all your confessions and will delight in gobbling up your filthy thoughts. This will hopefully leave you feeling pure and clean. But be careful - you could run the risk of being flayed alive. Ironically she's often seen as a statuette in craft shops, sold as a Love Goddess giving birth.  
~~~  

God and Chocolate  

http://mnl_1221.tripod.com/chocolate.html  

chocolate Jesus? an excerpt:  

On the Internet I found a different “Chocolate Jesus” (Shane Ryan
Staley, 2000), a scatological short story about an abused little boy,
skipping church, whose chocolate bar melts into a talking mini-Jesus!
Even Like Water for Chocolate, the Mexican novel (Laura Esquivel,
1992) and movie, blends foodmaking with the supernatural.  

~~~  

Names of God  

This list has 330 names of God as found in the Old and New Testaments of the Christian Bible:   http://www.characterbuildingforfamilies.com/names.html   The first 20 -

  1. A consuming fire
  2. A covert from the tempest
  3. A God ready to pardon
  4. A gracious and merciful God
  5. A great high priest (Jesus)
  6. A hiding place from the wind
  7. A place of broad rivers and streams
  8. A precious corner stone
  9. A refuge from the storm
  10. A shadow from the heat
  11. A strength to the needy in his distress
  12. A strength to the poor
  13. A sure foundation
  14. A tried stone
  15. Abba, Father
  16. Advocate with the Father (Jesus)
  17. Almighty God
  18. Alpha and Omega
  19. Author and finisher of our faith (Jesus)
  20. Author of eternal salvation (Jesus)

A Few Hebrew Names and Their Meanings

Adonai-Jehovah -- The Lord our Sovereign
El-Elyon -- The Lord Most High
El-Olam -- The Everlasting God
El-Shaddai -- The God Who is Sufficient for the Needs of His People
Jehovah-Elohim -- The Eternal Creator
Jehovah-Jireh -- The Lord our Provider
Jehovah-Nissi -- The Lord our Banner
Jehovah-Ropheka -- The Lord our Healer
Jehovah-Shalom -- The Lord our Peace
Jehovah-Tsidkenu -- The Lord our Righteousness
Jehovah-Mekaddishkem -- The Lord our Sanctifier
Jehovah-Sabaoth -- The Lord of Hosts
Jehovah-Shammah -- The Lord is Present
Jehovah-Rohi -- The Lord our Shepherd
Jehovah-Hoseenu -- The Lord our Maker
Jehovah-Eloheenu -- The Lord our God
~~~~  

The One Hundred Most Beautiful Names of God

By Mustapha al-Muhaddith ibn al-Saqaat http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/mustapha/cnamesofgod.html    

Ya Halim O Clement
Ya Hameed O Praiseworthy
Ya Ha`iy O Life (H-Y-Y)
Ya Khabeer O He Who Knows
Ya Mukhbeer One Who Informs
Ya Khafeez O Abaser
Ya Khalaaq O Creator
Ya Rabb O Lord
Ya Raheem O Beneficent (Pity)
Ya Kareem O Generous
Ya Lateef O Gracious
Ya Mateen O Firm, Robust
Ya Hasib O Reckoner (Noble)
Ya Majeed O Glorious
Ya Mukeed O Maintainer, Assurer

  ~~~  

Hindu Gods  

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/2745/gallery.htm  

This site has some very nice pictures of the Hindu pantheon.  

~~~  

More Hindu Gods at: http://www.kamat.com/indica/faiths/gods/list.htm  

~~~  

Aztec and Native American Gods  

http://www.gods-heros-myth.com/namerican/aztec.html  

QUETZALCOATL
The Feathered Serpent. The Precious Twin who lifts the sun out of darkness, god of the winds and the breath of life, First Lord of the Toltecs. Lawgiver, civilizer, creator of the calender. Demons tempted Quetzalcoatl constantly to commit murder and human sacrifice, but his love was too great for him to succumb. To atone for great sins, Quetzcoatl threw himself on into a funeral pyre, where his ashes rose to the heavens as a flock of birds carrying his heart to the star Venus. A frieze in the palace at Teotihuacan shows his first entry into the world in the shape of a chrysalis, from which he struggles to emerge as a butterfly, the symbol of perfection. Quetzalcoatl is by far the most compassionate of the Azec gods -- he only demands one human sacrifice a year. Often considered synonomous with HUITZILOPOTCHLI.  

~~~  

Lucky Gods  

http://www.luckymojo.com/deityluck.html  

GODS AND SAINTS
AS LUCKY FIGURES

In studying the subject of lucky amulets i have encountered considerable blurring between the concepts of luck, protection, religion, and magic. Our modern era is replete with examples of deities and saints (especially "exotic" ones of religions other than that one has grown up with) being marketed as "lucky figures" of one kind or another or being considered protective to their owners. In addition, some polytheistic cultures have deities specifically designated as luck gods and the Catholic Church has produced an official list of Patron Saints for various occupations and conditions.

There are three basic forms whereby people engage gods and saints for luck:

1) A DEITY BRINGS LUCK

Non-monotheistic religions other than Judaism, Islam, and Christianity actually do assign deities to magical and lucky functions. For instance, there are the Seven Luck Gods of Japan, who bring magical good fortune in various areas of human endeavour, and Laksmi , the Hindu goddess of wealth.

2) AN EXOTIC DEITY BECOMES "LUCKY" FOR MONOTHEISTS

Members of religions that do not have lucky or magical deities may appropriate those deities from other cultures, while still ostensibly worshipping monotheistically. For example, the Chinese luck-and-wealth god Hotei became syncreditzed in China and Japan with the religious teacher Gautama Buddha and is now found all over the world in nominally Christian homes as "the lucky Buddha."

~~~

Buddhists Gods - not really

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/dharmadata/fdd37.htm

  Dharma Data: God, gods
   
  Buddhism could be described as a non-theistic religion in that it considers belief in an omniscient, omnipotent creator God to be both untenable and unnecessary. The Buddha himself and many later Buddhist thinkers used a variety of arguments, many of them similar to those used in Western philosophy, to highlight the problems with the God idea. God's supposed omniscience implies man's predetermination which makes the idea of trying to do good and to avoid evil meaningless. The existence of an omnipotent loving God is negated by the terrible suffering that is found in the world. The supposed miracles, divine interventions and visions that are used to prove God's existence could just as easily be given some other explanation. Each religion affirms the existence of its God while denying the existence of all alternative Gods. If we accept one religion's argument for the existence of its God then we should accept the other religious arguments also, as they are all basically the same. And if we do this we would have to believe in many Gods.

~~~  

Modern Kitchens and Kitchen Gods - for sale  

http://www.chuu.com/shop/item/00000167  

tip What are 'Kitchen Deities' ?
Wishing for prosperity and fertility, a custom prevailed in the Japanese homes to place little wooden figures on areas like the lintel in the kitchen from around the Edo period. Most of these figures are seen in pairs. They represent the two members of the 'Seven deities of Good Fortune', Daikoku (or Daikokuten) and Ebisu. Daikoku is associated with abundance in agriculture and posterity, and is usually pictured with a sack in his left hand, a mallet in his right and standing on rice bales. Ebisu is believed to bring prosperity to commerce and fishery in some communities.

~~~  

Roman Gods  

http://www.people.virginia.edu/~bgh2n/gods.html  

Greek Gods  

http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/7371/greekgods.html  

an excerpt:   I love the Greek Gods! They had lives better than soap operas and Stories better than anything! I actually went to Greece, and believe me when I say that it's the best place on Earth, because I've been a heck of a lot of places! I had the wonderful experience to take eight months off and travel. Anyway, on with the Greek Gods! Just so you know, to me the romans were stupid copycats! But I'll let you decide on your own.  

~~~  

African Gods - a lot of African Gods   http://www.mythome.org/Africanconcord.html  

~~~  

Asian Gods - a lot of Asian Gods   http://www.mythome.org/Asianconcord.html  

~~~   Unknown Gods and Goddesses   http://www.olympian-foundation.org/unknown_gods_and_goddesses_.htm   excerpt:  

 
The next was a big fat Goddess. She really was fat, great folds of fat. She had a massive round face, a grin that stretched right across her face. She had mid brown colour hair. I couldn’t tell how old, neither old nor young, perhaps 30/40s. She seemed very jolly, huge fat cheeks. She wore a long robe. ‘I am the Goddess of happiness, unknown, have never been worshipped and yet all mortals pray for happiness. You priestess have not known a lot of this emotion, perhaps you are just learning what happiness is at times. There is a Goddess of misery. You have never met her, yet you have known that emotion.’ I felt myself pulled to the edge of a group of people who were laughing and having a lot of fun. I wanted to joj  them but something held me back. She was laughing. ‘This has been your life. Now you have much work to do, but when there is a chance of happiness, join in, but take care it is the right type. There are many who show false faces to the world. I am very happy to be here today with you, and now as you return to your world I give you the gift of happiness especially when serving the mighty ones which brings its own reward and I give you my blessing.’

~~~  

Modern Gods   http://www.angelfire.com/nj/persephone/modgod.html  

What if the ancient gods were brought up to date?  

Dionysius: Some things never change. Dionysius is God of Sex, Drugs, and rock-and-roll.

Eros: Have you seen that guy and the arrows? Definitely the God of soap operas.

Hades: God of big business (God of wealth), depression (he stays constantly in his own little underworld), and may currently be the vice-president of the US

Heista: Goddess of homemaking and houses

Hephastus: God of Geeks, preferably computer Geeks

Hera: Goddess of righteous jealousy and divorce

Hercules: God of very, very, very dumb jocks and steroids, as well as abusive husbands

Hermes: God of telecommunications (very fast, and a messenger), and yuppies (young upwardly mobile people)

Persephone: Goddess of dieting (never ate in the Underworld), make-up (Goddess of youth), heroine (seen holding opium flowers), and supermodels (see above). Also Goddess of dual mental illnesses such as manic-depression

Polyduces: God of televised sports, especially contact (great boxer)

Poseidon: God of surfing and beach bums

~~~

Jealous and Indulgent Gods

http://www.ourcivilisation.com/smartboard/shop/taylorgr/sxnhst/chap4.htm

~~~

The Tale of the Lonely God

http://www.english.upenn.edu/~rbarrett/everweb/lonelygod.html

~~~

God in the movies

http://www.unomaha.edu/~wwwjrf/greeleya.htm

~~~

Small Gods - a book by Terry Pratchett

http://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/discworld/smallgods.asp

excerpt:

Now consider the tortoise and the eagle.

The tortoise is a ground-living creature. It is impossible to live nearer the ground without being under it. Its horizons are a few inches away. It has about as good a turn of speed as you need to hunt down a lettuce. It has survived while the rest of evolution flowed past it by being, on the whole, no threat to anyone and too much trouble to eat.

And then there is the eagle. A creature of the air and high places, whose horizons go all the way to the edge of the world. Eyesight keen enough to spot the rustle of some small and squeaky creature half a mile away. All power, all control. Lightning death on wings. Talons and claws enough to make a meal of anything smaller than it is and at least take a hurried snack out of anything bigger.

And yet the eagle will sit for hours on the crag and survey the kingdoms of the world until it spots a distant movement and then it will focus, focus, focus on the small shell wobbling among the bushes down there on the desert. And it will leap . . .

And a minute later the tortoise finds the world dropping away from it. And it sees the world for the first time, no longer one inch from the ground but five hundred feet above it, and it thinks: what a great friend I have in the eagle.

And then the eagle lets go.

And almost always the tortoise plunges to its death. Everyone knows why the tortoise does this. Gravity is a habit that is hard to shake off. No one knows why the eagle does this. There's good eating on a tortoise but, considering the effort involved, there's much better eating on practically anything else. It's simply the delight of eagles to torment tortoises.

But of course, what the eagle does not realize is that it is participating in a very crude form of natural selection.

One day a tortoise will learn how to fly.


 

The story takes place in desert lands, in shades of umber and orange. When it begins and ends is more problematical, but at least one of its beginnings took place above the snowline, thousands of miles away in the mountains around the Hub.*

One of the recurring philosophical questions is:

"Does a failing tree in the forest make a sound when there is no one to hear?"

Which says something about the nature of philosophers, because there is always someone in a forest. It may only be a badger, wondering what that cracking noise was, or a squirrel a bit puzzled by all the scenery going upwards, but someone. At the very least, if it was deep enough in the forest, millions of small gods would have heard it.

Things just happen, one after another. They don't care who knows. But history . . . ah, history is different. History has to be observed. Otherwise it's not history. It's just . . . well, things happening one after another.

And, of course, it has to be controlled. Otherwise it might turn into anything. Because history, contrary to popular theories, is kings and dates and battles. And these things have to happen at the right time. This is difficult. In a chaotic universe there are too many things to go wrong. It's too easy for a general's horse to lose a shoe at the wrong time, or for someone to mishear an order, or for the carrier of the vital message to be waylaid by some men with sticks and a cash flow problem. Then there are wild stories, parasitic growths on the tree of history, trying to bend it their way.

So history has its caretakers.

They live . . . well, in the nature of things they live wherever they are sent, but their spiritual home is in a hidden valley in the high Ramtops of the Discworld, where the books of history are kept.

These aren't books in which the events of the past are pinned like so many butterflies to a cork. These are the books from which history is derived. There are more than twenty thousand of them; each one is ten feet high, bound in lead, and the letters are so small that they have to be read with a magnifying glass.

When people say "It is writtenit is written here.

There are fewer metaphors around than people think.

Every month the abbot and two senior monks go into the cave where the books are kept. It used to be the duty of the abbot alone, but two other reliable monks were included after the unfortunate case of the 59th Abbot, who made a million dollars in small bets before his fellow monks caught up with him.

Besides, it's dangerous to go in alone. The sheer concentratedness of History, sleeting past soundlessly out into the world, can be overwhelming. Time is a drug. Too much of it kills you.

The 493rd Abbot folded his wrinkled hands and addressed Lu-Tze, one of his most senior monks. The clear air and untroubled life of the secret valley was such that all the monks were senior; besides, when you work with Time every day, some of it tends to rub off.

"The place is Omnia," said the abbot, "on the Klatchian coast."

"I remember," said Lu-Tze. "Young fellow called Ossory, wasn't there?"

"Things must be . . . carefully observed," said the abbot. "There are pressures. Free will, predestination . . . the power of symbols . . . turning-point . . . you know all about this."

"Haven't been to Omnia for, oh, must be seven hundred years," said Lu-Tze. "Dry place. Shouldn't think there's a ton of good soil in the whole country, either."

"Off you go, then," said the abbot.

"I shall take my mountains," said Lu-Tze. "The climate will be good for them."

~~~

And a final note: No pictures of Gods were used in this issue. Why? Oh those Gods! Have you ever tried to take a picture of a multiheaded god? No? Hah. You try appeasing some pan-dimensional diety with about a million aspects just so you can get the lighting perfect.

And yet another final note: The links provided were not thoroughly researched, merely found. No endorsement or refutation of any gods or goddesses should be inferred. But I am going to check the lightning rods and renew my flood, famine and pestilence insurance policies - just in case. After all, I am the first born male child in my family...

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