Talk:List of fictional deities

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Does anyone know the significance of the "Greater Powers" listed here? There is no explanation, and there are no links to additional information. Is this a joke? Does this section belong on this page? Can this section be safely deleted, or is it a legitimate contribution to the subject? Canonblack 18:11, 2 November 2005 (UTC)

Fails Google test; fire at will. --Merovingian (t) (c) (e) 20:43, 2 November 2005 (UTC)

Acknowledged, Lance Leader. Consider the subject terminated. (Random Annonymous, 2005 Nov 11)

Okay, new one: under the "Angel and Buffy Universe", we have listed Osiris. The list should be for deities in fictional universes, but Osiris is/was a deity in the real universe (I won't approach the subject of whether Osiris is really fictional), and the link is to the article on Osiris as he is known to us through Egyptology, etal. (although there is mention of Osiris as a character in Buffy the Vampire Slayer). The question: does Osiris belong here, since Osiris is not just a deity in a fictional universe? [EDIT] And add Sterculius under Beavis and Butthead: although used as an object of literal toilet humor, Sterculius was an actual Roman deity, so does it belong here? Canonblack 17:14, 20 May 2006 (UTC)

I was just on my way to add precisely the same comment. Osiris should be removed from this list, although you could include Olaf the Troll God in his place as he is loosely based on Thor (well, he's got a hammer) but as a composite would not be recognised as any creature from pre-existing mythology.

Perhaps it is just the distinction between 'fictional' and 'mythological' which needs to be more clear? I'd suggest that if a character is loosely based on a pre-existing myth (as happens frequently in Buffy and Angel), they can be included. If they are importing characters from genuine mythology (as with Osiris, who is a recognised name in Egyptology and has many similar characteristics to the ones attributed to him in Buffy) then they should be removed from this list.

The other alternative might be to change the list, something like 'list of fictional and mythologgical characters'? That would allow for characters like Olaf to be included as he falls between the two. Curiousbadger 14:53, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

Sorry for the delay; been having major computer problems at home (although I've been contributing haphazardly from work).

I'm not sure I agree that Olaf is loosely based on anything, I think he's meant to be a generic pseudo-Medieval warrior demi-god type. He certainly doesn't exhibit the powers of Thor (who, mythologically, controlled the weather and slew giants/trolls with a hammer even he couldn't lift without special equipment), although he is similar in some ways to the Marvel Comics Thor (who wields a big hammer no one else can use and summons lightning). The two Thors are not the same, although the comics version is obviously based on the mythological one, there are many differences (the comic writers didn't feel it necessary to adhere to the actual myths). The hammer isn't distinctive enough to link Olaf to any particular mythological entity; most smithing deities (Vulcan, Hephaestus, etal.) were depicted with hammers. Trolls, though specific to Norse and Finnish mythologies, were superhuman but not gods and were often the opponents of the gods. Olaf is more of a slapdash strongman character, not really a pastiche of any one mythological character.

A distinction between "fictional" and "mythological" is important, and that's what I thought the purpose of this page is. I don't think blending the two together is very useful, and I'm not sure that Olaf would fall into a middle ground. He is, IMO, entirely fictional. Fiction loosely based on or inspired by mythology is still fiction; you'll never find archaeological evidence of a cult that worshipped Olaf. But, like Wikipedia, we could distinguish between the mythological and fictional versions of a deity just as Wikipedia distinguishes between the mythological and comics versions of Thor. However, I think that treating Olaf like a fictional version of Thor is based on a pretty tenuous link.

So I guess I've just convinced myself that Osiris actually does belong here, as a fictional character based on the mythological Osiris. ;\ Canonblack 11:46, 6 October 2006 (UTC)

How about two sub-sections (or whatever the appropriate term is); one for "fictional deities" and a second for adapted/adopted/derivative (what's the best encyclopedic phrase?) deities? Curiousbadger 12:07, 6 October 2006 (UTC)

Sorry, I really got off track with the Olaf vs. Thor aspect, and confused myself in the process. I didn't really mean we should distinguish between "fictional" and "mythological" (or adapted) within this list, I mean we should consider carefully whether an appearance in fiction is really fictional or just an occurance of the mythological entity, which is what you stated in the second paoragraph of your previous message. I question whether making a distinction between adapted and purely fictional is really useful, or whether it will just confuse later editors who may then add names to the wrong section of the list. Definitely, if the deity is modified to fit the fictional universe (as with Buffy and Angel and Marvel's Thor, etal.) it belongs here; if it's just the unadulterated mythological being (as Osiris might be), then it doesn't. Canonblack 19:30, 6 October 2006 (UTC)

Oops, before I saw this reply, I had already been a bit too bold and made subsections for them. Tell you what, I'll do some revision this weekend (ah, my life is so hard, I have to spend a weekend watching Buffy and Angel) and see if these subsections make sense and come back and edit them/discuss further if they don't?

I still think that because the entire 'Buffyverse' is fictional, any represented deities within it should be classed as fictional too (for the purpose of this list), but there should be a distinction made between entirely fabricated characters and ones that are wholly pinched/only slightly tweaked from myth and legend... Curiousbadger 09:49, 13 October 2006 (UTC)