King of the Gods
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In Polytheistic systems there is a tendency for one divinity, usually a male, to achieve pre-eminence as King of the Gods. This tendency is paralleled with the growth of hierarchical systems of political power, in which a monarch eventually comes to assume ultimate authority for human affairs. Other Gods come to serve in a divine council or pantheon, usually linked by family ties from union of a single husband or wife, or else from an androgynous divinity who is responsible for the creation.
Historically, subsequent social events, such as invasions or shifts in power structures sees the previous "King of the Gods" displaced by a new divinity, who assumes the previous God's attributes and functions.
Examples of this displacement of Kings of the Gods include
- The Ancient Greek Olympian Gods, in which Cronus displaces Uranus, and Zeus in turn displaces Cronus
- The Hurrian/Hittite pantheon in which Kumarbis is displaced by Teshub or Tarhunt.
- The Canaanite panthon, in which Baal displaces El (and the Hebrew creation, in which Yahweh displaces Baal)
- The Ancient Egyptian Ennead and Ogdoad where Osiris assumes pre-eminence, to be displaced by Seth or Sutekh, who is in turn replaced by Horus, son to Osiris and Isis
- In the Historical Vedic religion, the King of the Gods was Indra, who was replaced by Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu as the Vedic religion evolved into Brahmanical Hinduism.
- In the Mesopotamian Anunaki, Enlil displaces Anu and is in turn replaced by Marduk.
There is also a tendency for kings of the Gods to assume more and more importance, syncretistically assuming the attributes and functions of lesser divinities, who come to be seen as aspects of the single supreme deity. Examples of this include
- Ancient Iranian Ahura Mazda of the Zoroastrians
- Hinduism where Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu are seen as comprising the essence of all other divinities, and are considered aspects of the same monist reality, an impersonal force called Brahman.
- Judaism where Angelology sees previous divinities becoming aspects of a single supreme creator's powers.
