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r/Vent • … • u/CockamouseGoesWee

Stop saying you have a favorite Greek god, that's not how this works

It really irks me as a Greek when people tell me the moment they find out that I am Greek that they have a favorite god and ask for mine. Greek gods were not something to aspire to or to pick and choose out of enjoyment. Your god that you worshipped were based on your region (ie. Athena for Athens, Zeus for Macedonia, Ares for Sparta). Your god may also be from your career (ie. Hermes for athletes, Demeter for farmers). It could on rare instance also be about your personal journey if you faced something significant and/or traumatic.

Finally, maybe your name is indicative of your journey, as we Greeks even today believe you become your name and your name reveals your life path and the only path to peace and freedom is to embrace your fate and follow your life journey. That doesn't mean become passive. Fight injustice, but don't fight yourself.

Also, a lot of gods are oversimplified into very bizarre stereotypes. For instance, Dionysus was actually a very serious god designed to help men experiencing infertility or grief or depression, and is why he was often referred to as Eleutherios Dionysus as he was the embodiment of psychological and spiritual freedom. Worshipping him was an embrace of learning to love and appreciate life again, and ecstasy meant an enjoyment of the totality of life, not just debauchery and hedonism. A lot of acts of worship involved debauchery as a reintroduction to living, a sort of group therapy. Sometimes you need to just watch a play or drink with friends. Too much psychological freedom and you enter madness, the negative aspect to Dionysus.

Similarly, gods always represented two halves, a positive and negative side of their main trait. Artemis was innocent/pure, but also impulsive and too quick to judge. Athena was wise and also incredibly jealous. Zeus was the king but also a glutton. They are meant to embody the best and worst of humanity as lessons.

You should not have a favorite Greek god. That's not how religion works, and even though Greeks are Orthodox now we still hold the same traditions, names, and culture. Our culture is not a toy.

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