What is a God ?

Ok, so today I want to discuss what we might understand a God to be, in comics and fantasy.

Before I get into the discussion, I just thought it worth raising the question: Why are we discussing this today? Well, the answer is that fantasy worlds and comics feature Gods regularly, but it isn't clear what qualifies the person / individual as a God.

And moreover, even in the real world, Gods abounded in the past, in ancient cultures. Norse Gods, Egyptian Gods etc. and nowadays One God (be it considered Christian or Muslim God) or no God, for athiests.

So, why bother asking what is a God? Well, because most fantasy books have Gods and writing about hem is easy enough...as long as no-one bothers to question the assertion that the being shown is actually a God, rather than a very powerful being. Does this matter in a book? I kind of think it does. Especially as the current story arc Harbinger Six (spoiler alert) includes powerful beings, some of whom might be represented as Gods. yet unless they fulfil the criteria I set out below, they will not be Gods, rather simply powerful beings.

So, what makes a God, a or the God?

In the real world, there have been beliefs in many different Gods through the ages. But what made them Gods, rather than a simply powerful being?

Could it be the ability to change reality maybe? I am not sure just how to prove that Odin, Norse God, went about changing reality, other than stories. But if stories are enough, then does that make the 'God' unreal? Certainly, the Norse people believed in him. And if stories are enough, then comic book Gods might be considered valid Gods. Is Odin, Skyfather in Marvel Comics a real God because there are stories about him? Rhetorical question, you know the answer to that one.

Is it enough that people believe in a God, to make the God exist ? Well, I am sure you would expect me to say no. Because otherwise anyone who brainwashes 'followers' to believe in them, automatically gets elevated to Godhood, because of the believers.

Does a God have to be infallible. - again from history we can see the answer is no - think Greek Gods who vied for attention and lied to each other etc and made any number of mistakes (if getting found out shows a mistake and fallibility)- not possible to make mistakes if infallible.

So could being the creator of the world be the requirement. It would certainly suggest some extremely powerful abilities. But that requires only one God then, not multiple of them. Yet most old religions have pantheons of Gods and Goddesses, with different powers and responsibilities. And it is certain that the god of the hearth, responsible for the house itself, was not thought to have created the world (or be capable of so doing).

If some of the more extreme current scientific theorising were true, that the universe as we know it is a form of computer simulation, then God would be a machine based on creation power.

Is it just a matter of power / ability itself then? Not really, as most of the pantheons of Gods were weaker that their leader / Ruler.

One definition of a God is that it should be a supreme being that has supreme power, dominion, or authority over some aspect of existence that separates them from ordinary mortals.

Many philosophical and theological views argue that absolute power and unmitigated control over the universe define a god. Without supreme dominion, a being is just a powerful creature.

So for the purpose of this blog, let us assume that a God is in fact someone (something) that has absolute power or total control over the universe. If this is so, then pretty much all the fantasy Gods and Comic Gods are no more than powerful beings. Self declaring Godhood with a lot of power to back it up, does not alone make someone a God.

Taking a concrete example from Marvel Comics, Galactus is a powerful being that exists as a fundamental control within the Marvel Comic universe, but is still a higher powered being, not a true God. Yet the Skyfather Odin is probably no more powerful than Galactus, but is labelled a God.

So since this blog was initially referencing comics and fantasy, I should state that in both these, Gods are frequently shown or referenced as individuals with purpose and powers that lie beyond normal world scientific properties (gravity, time, space etc) and often either malevolent (a lot of D&D types are), or manipulative and self-serving, not particularly interested in the followers they have.

This is especially true of comics, where Gods are usually shown in modern day settings as existing but no longer worshipped (or in some cases even relevant), yet retain powers. They are not 'all-powerful', can be venal and petty, but affect the populace of the comics. There is usually a hierarchy to the powers of the Gods, and in the case of DC and Marvel, there exists a 'One Above All', or equivalent who is more powerful than all the Gods within the comics.

In Fantasy, Gods may rule over their tribes (Gods of Orcs or Goblins) and will often grant boons or favours, to their followers, when it suits their own purposes to further their influence amongst all Gods. This is a common trait, most often seen in the Sword and Sorcery settings of D&D type stories.

Cosmic Horror Gods like Cthulhu, are equally likely to be represented as dispensing boons (if transforming someone into a slimy humanoid with gills counts ) or driving people (including their followers`) mad by their very existence. Yet they are worshipped in the stories, despite their unfortunate side-effect on the followers.

So, does this make them Gods really. Probably not, but from what we have seen above and consider in the extreme powers of these beings, does it really matter if they are true God(s) in the stories, or just superior powered beings who can mess with people as they wish.

One tenet that often shines through, is the principle that Gods should not meddle directly in the affairs of man, rather working through proxies and avatars an worshippers. This is an important point, which I have tried to embrace in my own stories.

Back to the book.

Harbinger Six will include a number of powerful mystical forces that represent various concepts including Chaos and Order. Are these conceptual forces Gods? A big No to that. They may be fundamental forces and be capable of creation and control and show sentient activity, but are not Gods. This is not a spoiler for the books as the presence of such beings is not evident explicitly.

Within the mythos developing in the Harbinger Six world, the forces that act on their own self interest are more akin to the Gods, as seen in 'Clash of the Titans' film (1981), where they played chess for gain, using the world of man as their pawns to further their own interests and perhaps out of boredom.

But there is no supreme power within the worlds - perhaps more like the forces of Law and Chaos in the Michael Moorcock books 'The Swords Trilogy" where Law vies with Chaos for influence and should be in balance, but constantly seek to overthrow the other. The tenet mentioned above, that the God should not directly interact and meddle, is one I am embracing in Harbinger Six. It allows the story to run in 'balance' without overpowered beings disrupting it. Otherwise, a God could just erase the opposition, or destroy the world on a whim. But wher's the story worth reading in that then?

Balance is the key requisite in the books, so a huge part of the 'behind the scenes' world building, is related to the concept of balance for those powers that act on our world.

I hope you haven't been bored by the quick discussion and hints I have put forward for what is to come.

Until next time....