OMG = Oh My Gods!

24 February 2010 | Filed Under Worldbuilding 


Memnonium of Seti I, courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum

Religion plays an important role in Fragment of the Moon and other fantasies, so I thought this would be a good second chapter to our crash course on worldbuilding, using the religion of my Southern Lands as an example.

First, you have to decide what kind of religion your world will have. Will there be multiple gods and/or goddesses? Or just one god? Or some great unknown power? Most fantasy writers (including me) go with the first option, and create their own pantheon. And since that’s the most complex, that’s what I’ll be discussing for the rest of the post.

One of the most common methods for making a pantheon is to either use or adapt the Greek/Roman or Norse systems, especially if you’re a fan of Dungeons & Dragons. If you want more information on these pantheons or would like to look at some of the world’s other religions, take a look at Godchecker. They have information on over 3,700 gods, goddesses, spirits, demons, and saints. I used it to find some fitting powers for one of my goddesses.

Since I originally designed my religion for an ancient society, I went with a nature theme, starting with elements and working my way up (I know, SO overdone). Obviously, that’s only one way. Do whatever you want!

Now, the problem I have with the European pantheons is their reliance on dichotomies, especially in the realm of morals. Good vs. Evil, War vs. Peace, Love vs. Hate, etc. It’s too black and white to be super interesting to me. So instead of the “classic” elements, I went with the Chinese elements.


The Chinese elements and their relationships

Their relationships are more complex than the Pokemon-esque “Water beats Fire beats Earth beats Air” which, to my case, allows me to translate this frame into a moral system that is more complicated than dichotomies. In my pantheon, there’s a Goddess of War and a God Who Loves War (And Is Arguably More Ruthless than the Goddess of War).

What you should take away from this: find ways to tweak traditional systems to make them your own.

Given that religious systems’ practical applications are to guide the morals of its people, this is an extremely important facet of creating your religion. Remember two days ago, when I asked you to figure out what your society prized? This is where you create a religion that rewards it.

Example: Vikings prized bravery. The reward for dying in battle? Valhalla.

Other details to consider: how do people pray to the gods? Or do they leave it to the priests? Why do they pray to them (luck, advice, help, etc.)? Is there a priesthood, or is there another type of organization dedicated to the gods? How do you join the priesthood? What do priests do? What do the gods sanctify (birth, marriage, death, etc.)? Do the gods have any direct control on the world (can show themselves to certain people, can trigger events, etc.)? Are there other beings associated with the gods (angels, etc.)? What do people believe about the afterlife? Is entry to the afterlife automatic or is there a judgment (weighing heart against a feather, etc)?

Oh my gods, think of the rest yourself!

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    Hi, I'm Jenn, new grad student and old YA fantasy writer. I've long dreamed of being a novelist, and I bet you have too. I hope you find my blog helpful, inspiring, and maybe just a little bit fun. (But not too much fun. Writing is serious business, you know.)

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