Darker gods

[EyeofOdin]

The hellenics I've spoken with show devotion to Hades, and also Hindus with Kali and Kemetics with Set, but Asatruar and Heathens showing devotion to Loki is somewhat controversial. What is the general input on controversial deities? Such as deities of death or deities of destruction or chaos?

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

The deities I'm closest to are associated with death and chaos. I'm a polytheistic Devil Worshiper, so I not only revere the slandered deities ("Demons") of the Christianized West, but I also revere deities from other cultures who I feel have been unfairly made anathema, such as Loki, Fenris, Apep, Typhon, Ares, etc. I also have quite a fondness for Aztec religion. Sadly, it seems that Aztec religion in general has been demonized in the West due to it's connections to human sacrifice. It's quite a bloody, "dark" path and I'm drawn to it.

I don't think my views are very popular, of course.

 

[Breathe]

The hellenics I've spoken with show devotion to Hades, and also Hindus with Kali and Kemetics with Set, but Asatruar and Heathens showing devotion to Loki is somewhat controversial. What is the general input on controversial deities? Such as deities of death or deities of destruction or chaos?

Mind if I chime in, here?

Although I technically only believe in one divinity in many manifestations to suit people's tastes, I do find the darker aspects of the One to be quite appealing in some ways: gods of war, death, chaos, tricksters, and so on are all, to me, aspects of the finite, mortal condition that people would like to pretend do not exist.

I think that for those who do not worship them or are not familiar with them, there is a sort of stigma in dealing with "dark" deities because it is not as common and simply because they are darker gods; it has a sort of bad "vibe" to it for many people. However, even Hades is a god of wealth and riches as Pluto.

I do not think it is fair to consider Kali to be a dark goddess, however: she is Mother, like Durga, and rarely do people think she is a dark goddess. I've always had a soft spot for these two. I have a beautiful picture of Kali by my front door, her bare-breasted self standing on Shiva as she holds the severed head of a demon. It has made for... interesting conversation with door-to-door missionaries and salesmen.

 

[ametist]

Might sound weird but chaos and destruction are the core elements of creation so they are inevitable elements of any goodness you see around.
you can simplify it by saying that without bad you can not see good but they are not so seperate in actual sense. in each goodness when it is created a element of chaos and destruction had be placed at its core. Each level of goodness when it comes to end of its limits, that chaos and destruction come forth, ignite and bring the needed power to push it to the next level of bigger goodness/creation.

 

[Quintessence]

What I find more fascinating is to look at why these things are considered controversial by various people or cultures. These deities should not be (and were not) controversial to Paganisms. I think that the mindset that particular gods are controversial is imposed upon us by the prevailing non-Pagan culture we live in. A culture dominated by classical monotheism, good-vs-evil dualism, and puritanical values has a tendency to cast things into "approved" lists and "disapproved" or taboo lists. We don't need to be doing this as Pagans, and it's a hangover from our prevailing non-Pagan culture that I feel we need to be discarding. As a general guide, I'd suggest the following:

• In Paganisms, you are responsible for your own theology and practices; worship the gods you want to worship
• What other people worship does not affect your practice, is not important, or is not your affair; refrain from unnecessary judgements

 

[GoodbyeDave]

The Chaldean Oracles, which some of us hold to be revealed scripture, tell us that every good is good. Evil actions are the result of ignorance: we seek the lesser good and ignore the greater. The thief seeks their own profit, not the loss to their victim. If the gods are greater than us, how can they be ignorant?

Hades is not evil: he is in charge of the dead. Set is not evil: he is a defender against evil. Kali is not evil: she is revered as a protector and addressed as Mother.

 

[Riverwolf]

I've never thought of Loki as a "darker" God. Quite the contrary. I think of Him as a Trickster God, to be sure, but as the one who challenges preconceived notions and confuses us. This is not necessarily a negative thing.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

I've never thought of Loki as a "darker" God. Quite the contrary. I think of Him as a Trickster God, to be sure, but as the one who challenges preconceived notions and confuses us. This is not necessarily a negative thing.

I can't see how it wouldn't be negative, I've never heard of someone who wants to be tricked

 

[The Adept]

Hopefully they exist for contrast, and by contrast they give illumination into error.

 

[Riverwolf]

I can't see how it wouldn't be negative, I've never heard of someone who wants to be tricked

Think of it like this: Loki can be a force that challenges the status quo through confusion, which forces us to examine our preconceived notions, and coming to a realization that everything we thought we knew about the world turned out to be false. Sure, at first this leads to depression (death of Balder), but strength of mind will allow recovery, so that a new perception of the world can be established, much better than before (rebirth of Balder).

 

[SinisterShadow]

You could go even darker if you wanted and work with the demonic kings such as Belial. He is not necessarily a chaos god but he does represent a dark thirst for power to control the established order, and by doing so turning it in on its head.

Think of Al Pacino from the devils advocate movie. Not necessarily chaotic but a Manipulator that uses order to establish a dark empire. Belial is also known "as one without a master" Unrestrained power.

Keep in mind that according to Greek history, Hades was never viewed as an evil diety, a system of duality did not exist in Greek culture. It was more Vice versus Virtue. Hell, there was even an entire death cult dedicated to him on one of the Greek islands.

 

[Whiterain]

Most of these deities would more than likely seem quite Saintly by todays standards.